Burning an Illusion (1981) Blu-ray

Pat (Cassie McFarlene), an ordinary London girl with a caring family, a job she enjoys and her own flat, seeks nothing more than to settle down to a life of married, middle-class conformity. Her cosy world is jolted when she meets Del (Victor Romero), a charming and vaguely discontented toolmaker, who soon moves in and then loses his job causing them both to challenge their assumptions about each other and their aspirations.

Burning an Illusion, the pioneering first feature from Menelik Shabazz marks the coming of age for black British cinema. A film about transformation and identity, this sensitive and entertaining love story traces the emotional and political growth of a young black couple in Thatcher's London.

Special features

Filmed introduction with Menelik Shabazz (2005)

Audio commentary with Menelik Shabazz, Cassie McFarlane and Victor Romero (2005)

Blood Ah Goh Run (Menelik Shabazz, 1982, 13 mins): short film documenting the impact of the New Cross massacre in 1981, the Black People’s Day of Action, and the uprisings in Brixton, Southall and Liverpool

Other extras TBC

Sleeve featuring original poster artwork by Anum Iyapo and Shakka Dedi