Event Archive

Friday, January 13th 2006
Who Shot the Sheriff?

A joint screening with the Love Music Hate Racism campaign. A different venue to fit a different type of film to the usual BIFS fare. Who Shot the Sherriff?, Alan Miles' new documentary on the 'Rock Against Racism Movement' in the 1970s proved a popular choice, as over 100 people packed into the modernised Council Chamber of Hove Town Hall. It proved to be a suitable venue: not only did the DVD projection do justice to the visuals and the thumping beats of concerts featured, but the film sparked off an excellent and lively debate, led by Lee Billingham from Love Music Hate Racism and Attila the Stockbroker, about the continuing role of music and film in the anti-racism movement today. Here is a selection of responses to the film and the discussion from those in the audience.

"We thought the film was brilliant - very evocative of the time and made my husband and I feel very nostalgic. The discussions afterwards were thought provoking but I personally don't really like confrontations even in the mildest form and did feel uncomfortable at times - but that's discussions for you isn't it? But overall a great film and experience, set me thinking all weekend about the issues discussed and my husband and I sat over a few glasses of wine when we got back going over "old times" which was nice".

Debbie Sherman

"I thought it was a great piece of work which served as both history and a reminder that racism is sadly still with us and that fighting the racists should be a mass movement not just left to the rhetoric of politicians. Great turnout, great music (Clash and Specials particularly) and good to hear Attila's views."

Councillor Craig Turton Deputy Chair, Environment Committee Labour Member for East Brighton Ward

"I found the film extremely enlightening - powerful and politically energising - as well as providing great music and entertainment. As someone who is involved in local politics but who was just too young to know / understand what was going on in the seventies, it was very 'useful' to learn about. I also like the way the film covered RAR's wider anti-prejudice agenda - esp. the gay , esp. important in Brighton & Hove. The discussion after was interesting though I did not agree with everything that was said. One thing I did agree with is that we can't sectionalise prejudice and racism. All prejudice whether racist, homophobic or of other kinds need to be consistently combatted especially the more subtle forms people referred to."

Simon Williams Green City Councillor Brighton & Hove City Council

Film Notes

Director: Alan Miles. UK. 80 mins followed by Q+A with the filmmaker.

Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall, 7pm.

Who Shot the Sheriff? is a compelling and inspiring documentary about ‘Rock Against Racism’ (RAR), one of the most exciting mass movements in British history. The film tracks the rise of racism and the National Front in Britain during the 1970s - and how a generation, black and white, fought back against the Nazi threat. It shows rarely seen archive footage from the punk & RAR era - including the ‘infamous’ 1978 Carnival in east London's Victoria Park where 100,000 marched to the show headlined by The Clash and Tom Robinson Band.

Who Shot the Sheriff? includes a wealth of interviews with the leading artists and activists who created RAR - many speaking for the first time about what happened - including Mick Jones, Jerry Dammers, Neville Staples, Jimmy Pursey, Poly Styrene, Don Letts, Billy Bragg, and RAR founders Red Saunders and Roger Huddle.

As well as documenting a great political and musical movement, Who Shot the Sheriff? links the struggle to stop the National Front in the 1970s with campaigns like Unite Against Fascism aiming to stop the likes of the British National Party gaining ground in Britain today.

The film features the music and opinions of contemporary artists: The Libertines, The Specials, Ms Dynamite, Pete Doherty, Steel Pulse, Hard-Fi, Misty in Roots, X-Ray Spex, Sham 69, Estelle and Babyshambles as well as interviews with activists from the Love Music Hate Racism movement.

The film will be followed by a Q&A with Director Alan Miles, Lee Billingham from the Love Music Hate Racism campaign, and Ian McDonald from the Brighton International Film Society.