Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
After the high-profile killing of Damilola Taylor, Cornelius' family move out of London. But when they discover their new town is run by racists, Cornelius takes a drastic step to survive.
This BAFTA-winning short documentary by Ed Perkins is a striking and deeply personal piece of filmmaking. Its approach is genuinely distinctive — blending dramatic reconstruction with direct testimony from Cornelius Walker to explore identity, race, and belonging in a visceral, immersive way. The cinematography is exceptional, using carefully staged reconstructions and close portraiture to create an almost hallucinatory intensity rarely seen in documentary shorts. Novelty is high because the film finds a truly singular voice and visual language for its subject matter. The personal testimony and performance at the film's center are compelling, though the short format limits dramatic complexity. The ending is emotionally resonant but leaves some threads unresolved in a way that feels slightly abrupt rather than deliberately open. Overall, a remarkably crafted and affecting work that punches well above its short-form weight.