Presented by Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage. A trio of short films from celebrated British-Nigerian director Ngozi Onwurah's, including the seminal The Body Beautiful from 1990.

Presented by Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage.

Coffee Coloured Children (1988)

17 minutes

An intimate experimental monologue about the trauma of racial harassment and self-hate that accompanies growing up mixed-race, this short film examines the complexity of Britain's racial 'melting pot'. Performance art based in rituals of water and fire explores the psychological journey of trying to assimilate to and overcome the unachievable standard of whiteness.

The Body Beautiful (1990)

24 minutes

This autobiographical narrative redefines female beauty and sexuality by reflecting on filmmaker Ngozi Onwurah's relationship with her mother. Onwurah's discovery of her sexual appeal as a young model is combined with an intimate account of her mother Madge's experience of desexualisation after having a mastectomy. The cinematic treatment of the female body challenges viewers to acknowledge the rarely-seen sexuality and desire of (mature) women, outside of dominant beauty standards.

White Men Are Cracking Up (1994)

20 minutes

Masie Blue is an enigmatic Black Widow figure under investigation by detective Margrave for her involvement in the suicides of successful white men. Through the blurred lines of perception and reality, the myth of the Black feminine mystique is explored under the guise of a murder mystery. Written by playwright Bonnie Greer, the film explores the fetishisation of Black women as a manifestation of white male insecurity.