Movies - Rocks, a social-dramatic comedy drama that will leave no one indifferent

By Mulder, 19 august 2020

"We've gone as far as possible in chronological order, with the idea of extending the creative process set up beforehand. It's been very stimulating, especially for the girls, even if it's not the simplest in terms of logistics and economics for production! Thanks to the workshops, the girls felt comfortable in front of the camera from the very first days. We also made sure that a large part of the technical team were women, rather young. The choice of my chief operator, Hélène Louvart, who has shot more than 50 films, is a legend for me! I have admired her work for a long time. She collaborated with Alice Rohrwacher, Agnès Varda, my film heroines. She is very frank and pragmatic, perfect for this project ". - Sarah Gavron

Rocks is a British dramatic film directed by Sarah Gavron and released in 2019. The film stars Bukky Bakray as Olushola, a black British teenager from London whose single mother abandons her and her younger brother Emmanuel (D'angelou Osei Kissiedu), forcing them to fend for themselves with the help of her faithful friend Sumaya (Kosar Ali) and others. The film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Platform Prize program. The film will be released in France on September 9 and is distributed by Haut et Court. We had the chance to discover it before its release in France and we were completely won over by the accuracy of Bucky Bakray's interpretation and Sarah Gavron's inspired direction (Brick Lane (2008), Les Suffragette (2015)).

Synopsis:
Rocks, 15 years old, lives in London with his mother and little brother. When overnight their mother disappears, a new life begins with the help of her best friends. Rocks will have to do everything he can to escape from social services.

Rocks
Directed by Sarah Gavron
Produced by Ameenah Ayub Allen, Faye Ward
Written by Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson
Starring Bukky Bakray, Kosar Ali, D’angelou Osei Kissiedu
Music by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch
Cinematography : Hélène Louvart
Edited by Maya Maffioli
Production company : Fable Pictures, British Film Institute, Film 4, The Wellcome Trust
Release date : 5 September 2019 (Toronto), 10 April 2020 (England), September 9 2020 (France)
Running time : 93 minutes