Skip to main content
  • Featured
  • Calendar
  • Film
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Opera
  • Kids
  • Visual Art
  • Comedy
  • Classes
  • Galas & Events
  • Community
  • Sign Up
  • My Account
  • Log In
  • Log Out
  • Cart
  • Visit
  • Programs
  • Education
  • Membership
  • Support BAM
  • About
  • Featured
  • Calendar
  • Film
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Opera
  • Kids
  • Visual Art
  • Comedy
  • Classes
  • Galas & Events
  • Community
  • Visit
  • Programs
  • Education
  • Membership
  • Support BAM
  • About
  • Sign Up(current)
  • My Account(current)
  • Log In(current)
  • Log Out(current)
  • Cart(current)
  • Film

Babylon

May 3—May 6, 2024
    Part of
  • BAM Film 2024
  • and
  • Uncharted Territories: Black Britain on Film, 1963-1986
Directed by Franco Rosso (1980)
With Brinsley Forde, Karl Howman, Trevor Laird

Franco Rosso's incendiary Babylon had its world premiere at Cannes in 1980 but went unreleased in the US on account of "being too controversial, and likely to incite racial tension" (Time Out). Raw and smoldering, it follows a young dancehall DJ in South London as he pursues his musical ambitions, and battles fiercely against the racism and xenophobia of employers, neighbors, police, and the National Front. Featuring beautifully smoky cinematography and a blistering soundtrack, Babylon is a raw, fearless howl of defiance tempered by the hazy bliss of the dancehall.

UPCOMING Screenings

      RUNNING TIME

      95min

      VENUE

      Peter Jay Sharp Building
      BAM Rose Cinemas

      FORMAT

      DCP

      TICKET INFORMATION

      General Admission: $16
      Members: $8
      Please note: A $1.50 processing fee per ticket will be added to your order

      Leadership support for
      BAM Access Programs provided by
      the Jerome L. Greene Foundation

      JL Greene

      Leadership support for
      BAM Film provided by
      the Ford Foundation and
      The Thompson Family Foundation

      RELATED CONTENT

      • Membership

        BAM Membership

        Go to the movies just once a month and a BAM membership pays for itself.

        Join

      YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY

      • Film

        Blacks Britannica + Reggae in a Babylon

        May 7—May 8, 2024

        Blacks Britannica + Reggae in a Babylon

        May 7—May 8, 2024

        These films from the 1970s explore the oppression of Black communities in England and the birth of British Reggae.

        More
        Film

        Blacks Britannica + Reggae in a Babylon

        May 7—May 8, 2024

        Two films explore discrimination against Black people and the birth of reggae in Britain.

      • Film

        Babylon

        May 3—May 6, 2024

        Babylon

        May 3—May 6, 2024

        Franco Rosso's incendiary film about a young dancehall DJ in South London pursuing his musical ambitions despite facing racism and xenophobia at every turn.

        More
        Film

        Babylon

        May 3—May 6, 2024

        Franco Rosso's incendiary, classic 1980 film about a young dancehall DJ in South London.

      • Film

        Playing Away

        May 8—May 9, 2024

        Playing Away

        May 8—May 9, 2024

        A cricket team in a small English village invites a Black cricket team from South London to play a charity game in Horace Ové’s biting comedy of manners.

        More
        Film

        Playing Away

        May 8—May 9, 2024

        Horace Ové’s biting comedy about cricket, race, and the limits of “polite” British society.

      SUPPORT BAM

      • BAM Membership: Sign up
        MEMBERSHIP

        BAM Membership ($85+)

        BAM Membership ($85+)

        Enjoy half off stages and screens as a member. With valuable discounts, advance access to tickets, and invitations to special events, BAM Membership is your license to see more for less.
        JOIN
        BAM Membership: Sign up
        MEMBERSHIP

        BAM Membership ($85+)

        Enjoy half off stages and screens as a member. With valuable discounts, advance access to tickets, and invitations to special events, BAM Membership is your license to see more for less.
      • SUPPORT

        BAM Patrons ($2,000+)

        BAM Patrons ($2,000+)

        Priority access to premium seats, personalized ticket services, exclusive invitations, and more.
        MORE
        SUPPORT

        BAM Patrons ($2,000+)

        Priority access to premium seats, personalized ticket services, exclusive invitations, and more.
      • SUPPORT

        Young Producers ($500+)

        Young Producers ($500+)

        Young Producers are a dynamic group of patrons who share a unique passion for BAM programming and play an integral part in supporting BAM’s work.
        More
        SUPPORT

        Young Producers ($500+)

        Young Producers are a dynamic group of patrons who share a unique passion for BAM programming and play an integral part in supporting BAM’s work.

      Follow Us

      • Open BAM on Instagram
      • Open BAM on Youtube
      • FAQ
      • Visit
      • Donate Now
      • Membership
      • Press
      • Contact Us
      • Accessibility
      • Privacy Policy

      Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
      info@BAM.org
      BAM is a 501(c)(3) | EIN 11-2201344​
      © Brooklyn Academy of Music, Inc. 2025, BAM®, Brooklyn Academy of Music®, Everybooty®, Next Wave® and Teknopolis® are trademarks of Brooklyn Academy of Music, Inc.