C.L.R. James

A film based on Beyond a Boundary, the classic book by C. L. R. James,

Considered one of the best ‘dub’ poets of his time, Mikey Smith is internationally renown for the socially engaged form and content of his work. Originally made for BBC2’s Arena, Upon Westminster Bridge profiles Smith’s poetry and politics through performance, exchanges with fellow poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, and conversations with historian and social theorist CLR James.

Cyril Lionel Robert James (1901-1989) was a historian, journalist and contributor to Marxist thought. Stuart Hall was able to interview him for Channel 4 in the UK . The interview discusses his thoughts on revolution, socialism, and politics. His involvement in activism lasted decades. Born in Trinidad, much of his life was spent in the UK. C.R.L James became a teacher and notably taught Eric Williams. Williams went on to lead Trinidad and Tabago to independence. C.L.R. James also wrote fiction and about cricket. During his youth he did play the sport and wrote Beyond a Boundary (1963) describing cricket’s cultural significance. One of his favorite novels was Vanity Fair. This novel followed the lives of Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley during the Napoleonic Wars. James was a figure in the Pan-African movement and the anti-colonial freedom struggle. What tends to be ignored is his concern about class exploitation.

Feature-length, crowd-funded documentary that interweaves never-before-seen footage of C.L.R. James, together with personal contributions from those who knew him, and historical and political analysis from leading scholars of his work. The film grapples with issues from colonialism to cricket, from slavery to Shakespeare, from Marxism to the movies and from reading to revolution.

Trinidadian writer, historian and activist CLR James discusses the politics and culture of the Carribean and Africa in a series of filmed lectures in the UK.