Carnival! – A Don Letts Film

posted on September 22nd, 2009 by in Movie


While I hope Electric Sky / Brassneck TV productions won´t sue me or send me to jail for youtubing the Quicktime version of the trailer you see above, I´m really happy to see Don Letts´ “Carnival!” documentary hitting the streets after premiering at this year´s Notting Hill Carnival.

In “Carnival!”,

Grammy Award winner Don Letts tells the incredible story of Europe’s biggest street party – the Notting Hill Carnival. Wonderful interviews, unseen archive and an amazing soundtrack combine to chart the history of this celebration of multicultural London!

Starting out in 1959 as a response to the worst racial violence the streets of London has ever seen, Carnival began when over a hundred Caribbean Londoners came together, using music and dance in a show of harmony. Half a century later and this multicultural celebration of diversity attracts over a million people to London every year!

A balanced mix of reality and history, the film captivates young and old, black and white, with unseen archive, an amazing soundtrack and wonderful interviews with Sir Trevor McDonald, Paul Simonon of The Clash, Miquita Oliver, Norman Jay and Jazzie B. (via Electric Sky)

“Carnival!” is the “first definite film about the two-day celebration and the issues surrounding it” (via The Independent) and I´m massively looking forward to see the full-length feature.

10 comments on “Carnival! – A Don Letts Film”

  1. scheme said at 7:47 am on September 23rd, 2009:

    how come u have the video set to private? would love to see this!

  2. toastyle1210 said at 7:54 am on September 23rd, 2009:

    my bad. should be public now.

  3. Planet Forward said at 1:11 am on November 7th, 2009:

    Excellent…I hope it gets a US release on DVD?

  4. The Clash Blog | Don Letts aims lens at Strummerville | The Clash Blog For Fans | The Clash Fan Blog said at 6:17 pm on November 7th, 2009:

    [...] Big News though –- Don Letts has announced he is going to be working on a documentary all about the Strummerville foundation. That’s good news on two fronts, firstly what a great and worthy topic for his next project coupled with (in my eyes) an ideal person to put it together. Letts’ affilation with Strummer and The Clash goes right back to 1977. He has worked ceaselessly the last decade in chronicling the London scene and the role that The Clash played. I honestly can’t wait to see the outcome of this although my initial concern as with most things cinematic is whether we will see a global release? The internet has enabled me to get essentially any CD I need even if it’s not imported to the USA but with the regional issues that impact DVD you never know where that leaves you. When I learn more I will of course share that information. Letts most recent work was Carnival which was released this August as I covered on the blog. Here’s a link to the trailer…. [...]

  5. NXNE Presents 40 Films | Toronto Film Scene said at 8:21 pm on April 1st, 2010:

    [...] Yes, NXNE is primarily a music festival, but hey, good taste is good taste. And they have it. This year’s festival runs from June 14th to 20th, and in addition to the 650 bands that are performing, NXNE is screening 40 films, mostly music-related but not necessarily always. The big event(s) are the films of Don Letts, the British Grammy-winning musician, DJ, and film director. Letts’ latest film Carnival! makes its North American premiere; it tells the story of the Notting Hill Carnival which takes over London every year and is one of the largest street festivals in the world. Watch the trailer here. [...]

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