BFI Giving David Oyelowo’s Shoot The Messenger A Blu-ray Release

Considered a true landmark in the history of Black British film, Shoot The Messenger. 16 years after it’s release (2006), Ngozi Onwurah’s (Welcome II the Terrordome) BBC film will be released on Blu-ray for the first time later this month released  by the BFI.

The film stars David Oyelowo, a London based IT consultant who becomes a school teacher. All thanks to the system failing black students and challenges the system to attempt to level things. However discriminate methods to support Black students  more sees other students to rebel against him.

After reading a report that Black pupils from inner city schools are being failed by the education system, IT consultant Joe Pascale (David Oyelowo, Selma) becomes a teacher at a secondary school in South London with the aim of challenging the system to break the biased culture. Joe’s use of discriminatory methods to ensure Black students are given extra tuition over their white counterparts and his outdated use of humiliation leads to rebellion among his pupils, one of whom falsely accuses him of assault.

Publicity and media attention follow Joe who finds himself branded a racist and it is only after a tumultuous journey of self-discovery that he comes to the understanding that race and cultural identity are merely a state of mind.

Special features
· Three short films by Ngozi Onwurah: The Body Beautiful (1990, 24 mins): an examination of the real-life relationship between the director and her mother, Madge
· Flight of the Swan (1992, 12 mins): a young girl leaves her Nigerian village for the cold, harsh landscape of England
· White Men are Cracking Up (1994, 20 mins): traces the last day in the life of a white detective, obsessed with a Black ‘street goddess’
· Who We Are: Filmmaker Forum with Akua Gyamfi, Fiona Lamptey, Stella Nwimo and Delia René (2020, 66 mins): four women creatives explore Black British film in a series curated by We Are Parable.
· *** First pressing only*** Illustrated booklet with essays by Angela Moneke, Dwain Brandy, Ann Ogidi, Jan Asante and Grace Barber-Plentie; credits and notes on the special features.

UK | 2006 | colour | 89 minutes |English language, with optional subtitles for the Deaf and partial hearing | original aspect ratio 1.78:1 / BD50: 1080i, 25fps, PCM 2.0 stereo audio (48kHz/24-bit)

Shoot The Messenger  will be released on Blu-ray from 28th March.

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The founder of The People's Movies, started the site 20th November 2008.The site has excelled past all expectations with many only giving the site months and it's still going strong. A lover of French Thrillers, Post Apocalyptic films, Asian cinema. 2009 started Cinehouse to start his 'cinema education' learning their is life outside mainstream cinema. Outside of film, love to travel with Sorrento, Guangzhou and Manchester all favourite destinations.Musically loves David Bowie, Fishbone, Radiohead.

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