Horace Ové

Directing

Horace Ové

Born January 1, 1939 · Trinidad

Died September 16, 2023 · aged 84

Born in Trinidad in 1939, Sir Horace Ové, CBE was a British director, writer and artist who emerged in the late '60s and throughout the '70s to become one of the leading UK based black independent film-makers. A fact notable for his Guinness World Record for being the first black British film-maker to direct a feature-length film, Pressure (1975). He was knighted in 2022 and passed away in 2023 f…

Known For

King CarnivalKing Carnival · 1973
King Carnival
1973
MovieDocumentary
An in-depth look at Trinidad and Tobago's carnival through its turbulent history. African and East Indian rhthyms and rituals, combined with the European Mardi Gras celebration, have evolved into the spectacle of "mas" and music that erupts on the streets of Port of Spain on the two days preceding Lent.
Baldwin's NiggerBaldwin's Nigger · 1968
Baldwin's Nigger
7.01968
MovieDocumentary
James Baldwin and Dick Gregory discuss the Civil Rights Movement in 1960s Great Britain.
James Baldwin AbroadJames Baldwin Abroad · 2023
James Baldwin Abroad
10.02023
MovieDocumentaryHistory
Showcasing three short films by American writer James Baldwin, wherein he muses about race, sexuality and civil rights, among other topics, in Istanbul, Paris and Great Britain.
Skateboard KingsSkateboard Kings · 1978
Skateboard Kings
1978
MovieDocumentary
If you’re young, male and you live in the city, how do you prove yourself in the most materially comfortable country on earth? How do you show courage, daring, skill, strength? How do you prove you’re a man? If you’re a Masai Tribesman in Africa you kill a lion. If you’re an Aborigine boy, you go on walkabout, if you live in Dogtown, Los Angeles you ride a skateboard.
When Love DiesWhen Love Dies · 1990
When Love Dies
1990
Movie
A young man looks back over his unhappy marriage and struggles to come to terms with his wife's suicide.
Playing AwayPlaying Away · 1987
Playing Away
6.01987
MovieTV MovieComedy
To mark the conclusion of their "Third World Week" celebration, a cricket team in a small English village invites a black cricket team from South London to a charity game with comical results.
PressurePressure · 1976
Pressure
6.51976
MovieDrama
A British-born younger son of an immigrant family from Trinidad finds himself adrift between two cultures.
A Hole in BabylonA Hole in Babylon · 1979
A Hole in Babylon
8.01979
MovieComedyDrama
Three black men rob a Knightsbridge Italian restaurant. But when the police are called and the robbery becomes a siege, the men find themselves in a situation out of their control.

Filmography

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Empire RoadEmpire Road · 1978
Empire Road
7.51978
SeriesDrama
Empire Road was a British television series, made by the BBC in 1978 and 1979. Written by Michael Abbensetts, the show ran for two seasons of eight episodes each. The series was the first British television series to be written, acted and directed predominantly by black artists. A soap opera, similar in format to Coronation Street, Empire Road depicted life for the African-Caribbean, East Indian and South Asian residents of a racially diverse street in the city of Birmingham. Prominent cast members included Norman Beaton, Corinne Skinner-Carter, Wayne Laryea, Joseph Marcell and Rudolph Walker. The programme also provided early TV exposure for Julie Walters who appeared in a few episodes. The series was made at BBC Pebble Mill with location work in the Handsworth area of Birmingham. The eponymously named theme song was recorded by Matumbi and also released as a single in 1978.

Director