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MARIA DUARTE samples some hard-hitting offerings at this year's 64th BFI London Film Festival
ROUSING: Steve McQueen's Mangrove

THIS year’s BFI London Film Festival has not been immune to the effects of the coronavirus, holding virtual screenings for the first time.

Blurring the line between cinema and television, its opening film Mangrove (pictured) is one of five original films in the Small Axe stable, created by award-winning director Steve McQueen for the BBC.

They are based on the real-life experiences of London’s West Indian community and Mangrove follows the true story of Frank Crichlow (a superlative Shaun Parkes), the owner of the Mangrove Restaurant in Notting Hill, who became the target of police harassment.

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