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Ai and Black Britishness


Black to the Future
... my approach to this film was inspired by Afrofuturism, a framework that imagines Black people in the future. From a Black British standpoint, approaching stories through an Afrofuturist and surrealist lens feels especially exciting because it’s a space that’s still largely unexplored. We’ve had films like Attack the Block (2011) and Supercell (2024), which are important for the way they explore cultural nuances through surrealism, but as Black people we are rarely centred in these kinds of narratives. In the US, shows like Atlanta are much further ahead in this area.

With more time, I would have loved to visualise additional surreal scenes. The block scene, for example, was particularly important to me for that reason, the block is a strange, liminal space. Growing up on an estate meant encountering and navigating many odd but also dreamlike moments and I wanted to capture that energy on screen.

Questions:

  • How do we balance technological innovation with cultural authenticity?

  • What role has mainstream media played in shaping perceptions of Black British identity, and how might AI continue or challenge that legacy?

  • What ethical questions arise when AI alters or “enhances” footage tied to cultural memory and identity?

  • How do we ensure AI serves as a tool for liberation rather than misrepresentation when documenting Black British life?