Hugh McLean

I am a South African living in London now, my mom was born in London in 1930, but went to South Africa as an evacuee with her mom and sister to escape the bombing in WWII. White refugees must have been called evacuees back in the day. There was no Windrush betrayal for us, not in SA, nor will there be for me for me in the U.K. Structural racism helped our family prosper. The least I can do is acknowledge this honestly and stand in solidarity with Black families for whom generations of colonialism and WWII and its aftermath have had very different consequences. Through its cinematic aesthetics and powerful story telling, McQueen’s Small Axe series delivers a portrayal of courage, communal and cultural pride, and moral clarity that is both powerful and generous. It is a feat of art and politics that reached out to uplift, inspire and embrace me. There are five full-length movies in the Small Axe series: a holiday lockdown odyssey to shape your heart and head; give it your time, it will enrich your life.