The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution

Stanley Nelson’s documentary about the birth and rise of the Black Panthers is as rivetingly informative as it is enduringly topical.

Nelson traces the Panthers’ history back to 1960s Oakland, California, where Bobby Seal and Huey Newton founded the party as a civil rights organisation. This film explores its significance for the political awakening of black Americans, its influence on American culture and the painful lessons learned when a movement derails. Nelson interweaves rare archive footage with the voices of those who were there.

Accounts by former members including Kathleen Cleaver, Jamal Joseph and William Calhoun vividly depict the different facets of the organisation, from its defensive paramilitary role to its community-building achievements through food provision, education and medical programmes. This is a vibrant chronicle of a pivotal revolutionary movement.

The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution, dir. Stanley Nelson, USA 2015, 115 mins.

The ICA Cinema is now completely ad-free. Please note the feature will start following a selection of trailers and information relevant to the ICA programme. This film is rated 15.