West Norwood Library and Picturehouse celebrate Windrush 71st anniversary

A celebration of Windrush Day is set to take place at a cinema and library with film screenings, music and talks about the Windrush generation.

West Norwood Library and Picturehouse is to celebrate the Windrush 71st anniversary on the weekend of June 22 and 23.

Windrush Day marks the anniversary of the arrival of MV Empire Windrush at the Port of Tilbury, which marked a seminal moment in Britain’s history and has come to represent the rich diversity of this nation.

As part of the celebration, there will be a screening of John Akromfrah’s absorbing and emotionally charged documentary, The Stuart Hall Project, which looks back on the life and work of Stuart Hall, one of the UK’s leading cultural theorists.

The documentary weaves between the musical archeology of Halls’ favourite musician, Miles Davis and the 20th century’s defining political moments.

Akomfrah, creates an intimate and engaging portrait of Stuart Hall.

The screening will be followed by a discussion led by Cecil Gutzmore, an Afrikan-Jamaican who settled in the UK in 1961.

Cecil is a retired lecturer in Caribbean studies, history and political science at the now London Metropolitan University and the University of the West Indies and has also worked on a number of films about Afrikan-Caribbean politics and culture-history.

On June 23, the cinema will host a screening of the biopic Hero, which retraces the life and times of Trinidadian war hero, judge and diplomat, Ulric Cross.

Frances-Anne Solomon, director of Hero, said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing Hero to the UK where much of the filming took place.

It is particularly poignant that this year is the 75th anniversary of the first major generation of Caribbean arrivals in Britain.”

The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with director Frances-Anne Solomon, hosted by Paulette Germain-Harris.

Hero features a host of celebrated British actors including Joseph Marcell (Fresh Prince of Bel Air) playing the role of writer C.L.R. James, Fraser James (Terminator Salvation) playing the role of George Padmore and British-Nigerian actor Jimmy Akingbola (Holby) playing Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah.

DJ Zinc Fence will also perform on Sunday afternoon from 3pm and the West Norwood Picturehouse café will serve a range of Caribbean-inspired fare along the weekend.