Arts & Entertainment

A Caribbean War Hero Remembered

The life and times of Trinidadian war hero, judge and diplomat, Ulric Cross, will be portrayed in a new film โ€“ HERO to be screened at the British Film Institute, Southbank, London on May 18, 2019.

Frances-Anne Solomon

The feature film, produced by former UK resident, Frances-Anne Solomon, has already received international acclaim at its screenings in Trinidad and Tobago and Canada.

The story told is of Cross, a trailblazer who made his mark on history as a Navigator of fighter planes in World War II. He became one of the RAFโ€™s most decorated West Indian Airmen. He then went on to play a central role in the independence struggles of both Africa and the Caribbean.

โ€œUltimately, the story is about us. About who we are as Caribbean people and as citizens of the world,โ€ says filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon. โ€œIn that spirit, weโ€™re thrilled to be bringing HERO to the UK where much of the filming took place. It is particularly poignant that this year is the seventy-fifth anniversary of the first major generation of Caribbean arrivals in Britain โ€” on the Empire Windrush.โ€

Filmed across the UK, Trinidad, Ghana, and Canada, HERO features a host of celebrated British actors including Joseph Marcell of Fresh Prince of Bel Air fame, playing the role of writer CLR James; Fraser James, of Terminator Salvation, playing the role of George Padmore and British-Nigerian actor Jimmy Akingbola, of BBCโ€™s Holby, playing Ghanaโ€™s first president Kwame Nkrumah.

Following its premiere at the BFI Southbank, HERO will be taken across the UK in the lead up to the 75th Windrush celebrations in June.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Send this to a friend