Letita Wright and John Boyega star in new trailer for Steve McQueen's BBC series Small Axe
The anthology drama is made up of five films exploring the experiences of Black people in Britain
The second trailer for Steve McQueen's upcoming anthology series Small Axe has been released, offering viewers another glimpse of what to expect from the much-anticipated project.
The series is comprised of five TV films each exploring the experiences of Black people in Britain. It will air on BBC One later this year – while three of the films, titled 'Mangrove', 'Lover's Rock' and 'Red, White and Blue', will open the New York Film Festival this week.
The trailer includes clips from the five films that make up the anthology, with a voiceover heard saying, "These are new types of human beings. They are not demoralised or defeated persons they are leaders but are rooted deep among those they lead."
Footage shown in the trailer includes violent clashes with police and police raids, as well as joyous displays of group street dancing.
Other voiceovers heard during the trailer include a woman saying, "We mustn't be victims but protagonists of our story," and later a voice declaring, "As individuals we have impossible battles, as a collective we stand a chance."
This is the second trailer to be released for the series, after the first one debuted in early August.
The five films are a mixture of fictional and fact-based works, each boasting starry casts with the big-name actors involved including John Boyega, Letitia Wright, Rochenda Sandall and Michael Ward.
Speaking about the project earlier, McQueen said: “I felt these stories needed to be shared. I wanted to re-live, re-evaluate and investigate the journeys that my parents and the first generation of West Indians went on to deliver me here today calling myself a Black British person.
"What’s important about our stories is that they are local but at the same time global. I think audiences will identify with the trials, tribulations and joy of our characters as well as reflecting on the present environment in which we find ourselves.
He continued: “The dynamic nature of the series allows us to confront injustice in the face of adversity hence the proverb Small Axe, ‘if you are the big tree, we are the small axe’ (Bob Marley).”
Small Axe will debut on BBC One later this year. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
