Slamdance: A Brixton Tale
Youtuber Leah (Lily Newmark) is making a film about the London district of Brixton. In her search for the perfect subject she discovers Benji (Ola Orebiyi), a shy young man caught up with the wrong crowd. As their bond grows, Benji neglects his best friend Archie (Craige Middleburg) to spend time Leah. These two are from completely different worlds. Leah is a white woman who lives a life of privilege in her upper class neighborhood. Benji is a black man who lives with his mom in a poorer neighborhood. Leah is fascinated with Benji. Their attraction grows but so does her infatuation with his world. When the manager at the art gallery wants grittier content for Leah’s exhibition, she starts to push boundaries at Benji’s expense.
Directed by Darragh Carey and Bertrand Desrochers, A Brixton Tale is a provocative film about class, race and our societal obsession with documenting everything on video. Newmark and Orebiyi are perfection as the bored rich girl and the shy teen who gets caught in her web. I also enjoyed Middleburg’s performance as the young crack addict whose life is spiraling out of control. The viewer will find themselves fully engrossed in this world. Captivating!
A Brixton Tale had its world premiere at the virtual 2021 Slamdance Film Festival