Babylon [1980] by Franco Rosso

Franco Rosso’s Babylon had its world premiere at Cannes in 1980 but the New York Film Festival deemed it “too controversial, and likely to incite racial tension” (Vivien Goldman, Time Out) that same year. Raw and smoldering, it follows a young dancehall DJ (Brinsley Forde, M.B.E., frontman of landmark British reggae group Aswad) in Thatcher-era Brixton as he pursues his musical ambitions, while battling fiercely against the racism and xenophobia of employers, neighbors, police, and the National Front. Written by Martin Stellman (Quadrophenia) and shot by two-time Oscar® winner Chris Menges (The Killing Fields) with beautiful, smoky cinematography that's been compared to Taxi Driver, Babylon is fearless and unsentimental, yet tempered by the hazy bliss of the dancehall set to a blistering reggae, dub, and lovers rock soundtrack featuring Aswad, Johnny Clarke, Yabby You, and anchored by Dennis Bovell’s (The Slits) atmospheric score.