Beyond Brix & Mortar; self-described as a “love letter to Brixton”, is a documentary that explores the resilient spirit of Brixton’s residents and communities.
Brixton is well-known for being a vibrant, multicultural hub in South London and famed for its rich Caribbean heritage, dating back to the Windrush generation. Beyond Brix & Mortar is an exciting new documentary that is expected to hit our screens later this year. We spoke to the team behind the film to give you a preview of the film, and to examine how local residents, made up of Caribbean immigrants and communities, have been fighting regeneration and gentrification to Brixton remains Black Britain’s cultural capital.
Read on for everything you need to know.
What is the Beyond Brix & Mortar documentary all about?
Beyond Brix & Mortar explores the idea of profiteering from cultural ‘cool’, and how the heart of communities and towns can be dismantled far quicker than they can be built. The film tackles the global dilemma of the consequences of urban gentrification and why equitable approaches to urban planning and development, serve better to preserve the hard-won social fabric of communities like Brixton.
The film also celebrates how Brixton grew to become the cultural capital of Black Britain in the 1970s. Propelled by Caribbean food, music, style and culture, the neighbourhood’s authentic ‘cool’ became its downfall when gentrification, driven by outside investors upended the tight-knit community. Watch the film to investigate how a community can retain its character and heritage in the face of overwhelming money and privilege.
What else do we know about the production?
Production researcher of Beyond Brix & Mortar, Sope Soetan explains: “As far as we know, this is the first UK documentary that combines race, immigration, cultural history and which also analyses the roots of Britain’s housing crisis.
“The film highlights the fact that the early migrants to Brixton are British subjects and citizens, which has been conveniently forgotten. Today about 10,000 Black Londoners have been displaced from 53 rapidly gentrifying neighbourhoods between 2012 and 2020, a phenomenon that is only increasing. Gentrification is an issue faced by cities around the world. A trend that is pushing non-white communities to the outskirts or beyond.
“Since the Brixton uprisings in 1981, 1985 and 1994 and Brixton’s cultural renaissance, property prices in Brixton increased by more than 1700%. The film looks at issues starting with Margaret Thatcher’s Right to Buy which prevented councils from using the proceeds from sales to build more social housing, to Boris Johnson’s promotion of affordable housing while redefining “affordable” as 80% of the market rate.”
Who’s in Beyond Brix & Mortar?
The documentary features several Brixton locals and supporters such as Leila Howe – Former Editor of Race Today, who shares how Brixton fought back against racist policing and the state through music, food, literature and style, changing the UK forever.
Don Letts, Filmmaker and Grammy Award Winning Producer, talks about growing up in Brixton as the son of Windrush era migrants, his encounters with police in Brixton and the importance of Brixton market. He also reflects on the impact of the Windrush scandal.
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Brixton local and Community Organiser & Founder of the Big Caribbean Lunch, Ros Griffiths tells viewers about her parents’ experience of arriving in the UK and how different it was from the Caribbean. She gives first hand testimony of her experience of the uprisings and the complex emotions it evoked and describes what the Windrush Scandal meant for the Black and British.
Another Brixton local, Florence Smith, of Flow’s African Fashion, describes her family’s connection to the market. She also talks about a memorable visit from Naomi Campbell to Brixton Village. She also describes the challenges she has faced recently and how they have impacted her health.
When can we watch Beyond Brix & Mortar?
Sope Soetan said: “We’re currently submitting the documentary to film festivals and will have a premiere in Brixton, but our release schedule is still in the works. We are hoping for our first festival screening to be towards the end of the year. We will be posting updates on our social pages @beyondbrixandmortarfilm on Instagram, TikTok and our now closed crowdfunding campaign on Crowdfunder.co.uk, so watch this space!
Watch Beyond Brix & Mortar – AN Independent Story – trailer
