A Star-Studded Ensemble Will Play the Live Score at the Premiere of Akinola Davies Jr.’s New Film
Mercury prize winner Sampha and inventive jazz drummer Moses Boyd are in the lineup when ‘rituals: union black’ premieres at London’s Somerset House.
Akinola Davies Jr.’s ‘rituals: union black’ is a poetic journey through the everyday moments that shape and sustain Black British communities.
Coming off a historic outing at the Cannes Film Festival, where his positively reviewed film, My Father’s Shadow, received a Caméra d’Or special mention, Nigerian British filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr. is set to debut his new film, rituals: union black, at this year’s Summer Series hosted in London’s Somerset House. The film’s premiere will be accompanied by a live score performed by an ensemble of revered, boundary-pushing artists.
rituals: union black is a poetic journey through the everyday moments that shape and sustain Black British communities. In the moving feature, Davies Jr. takes a fly-on-the-wall approach to bring viewers into intimate portrayals of worship, carnivals, weddings, funerals, spirituality, cooking, and joy. rituals: union black is an obeisance to the vibrant rituals that pulse through life in neighbourhoods across the UK, a riveting portrait of the strength of community and memory.
rituals: union black will premiere on July 14 and is set to be an enthralling experience, as the live score will incorporate audio captured directly from the film’s participants and their environments. The live score will be played by an ensemble that includes the Afrojazz contingent Balimaya Project, a 13-piece outfit led by acclaimed djembe player and composer Yahael Camara Onono, as well as iconic jazz-fusion drummer Moses Boyd and celebrated poet, DJ and educator Charlie Dark.
Mercury Prize winner and electro-soul auteur Sampha is also on the bill of artists playing the live score, alongside iconic reggae producer and dub innovator Dennis Bovell, avant-garde producer and multidisciplinary artist Klein, and experimental musician Kwake Bass.
In celebration of the premiere, revered artist Chris Ofili’s Union Blackflag, a powerful, iconic reimagining of the British flag in pan-African colors, will fly high over the Somerset House courtyard. Also, Larry Achiampong’s Pan African Flag for the Relic Travellers’ Alliance will also be on view during this special occasion. Achiampong’s flag, embellished with 54 stars for all 54 African countries, represents the struggles African countries have endured and the continued hope for a brighter tomorrow.
The premiere of rituals: union black, a 360 immersive cultural experience, will mark the first live score film in the history of the Somerset House summer series, a significant and historic addition to the festival’s ever-evolving legacy. This year’s edition spans eleven days in mid-July, with dozens of artists slated to perform, including UK rap icon Giggs, renowned American Nigerian folk singer Joy Oladokun, R&B girl group FLO, and many more.
