New factual series Take Your Knee Off My Neck will air this week on Channel 4, All 4 and social channels in response to the killing of George Floyd in the US and Black Lives Matter protests.
The five-part series explores race in contemporary Britain and why the need to challenge racism is a matter of urgency.
The films look at the systemic racism and injustice black people continue to face in Britain through testimony from comedians, politicians, nurses and doctors in the NHS, and members of the public who have experienced racial abuse.
Told by black British filmmakers and produced by Milk and Honey, the shorts include personal stories in My First Time, an exploration of the impact of the toppling of Edward Colston’s statue in The Shadow of Slavery, and a powerful call to action by George the Poet. The series also features films that detail the experiences of BAME doctors and nurses who have suffered racism, and a film comparing comedy from the civil rights movement of the 60s and 70s with related comedy today.
Rita Daniels, Commissioning Editor for Channel 4, said: “These five films are powerful responses to the events created by the killing of George Floyd, but what a shame we are still having this discussion 55 years after Martin Luther King marched from Selma to Montgomery.”
Sacha Mirzoeff, fellow Commissioning Editor for Channel 4, added: “These were designed as films of protest, not films about protest. There’s no greater international issue out there and it felt key to respond quickly. Milk and Honey have worked around the clock to make films of the highest quality which do not flinch away from some painful truths.”
All five short films of the Take Your Knee Off My Neck series will air nightly this week on Channel 4 at 7.55pm. The films are also available on All4 and C4 social channels.
