BACKLASH: THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD
2025
SOCIAL & POLITICAL | ENGLISH
Five years since the murder of George Floyd – the police killing that set America on fire with rage and sparked a wave of protests around the world, director Kwabena Oppong's film explores one of the most important and defining events in modern history.
Featuring ground-breaking interviews with members of George Floyd’s family, the Minneapolis Police Chief who took the bold step of testifying against one of his own officers, Boris Johnson’s advisor on race Samuel Kasumu, and Sal Naseem the former Regional Director for London at the IOPC, as well as cultural figures Che Lingo, Nathalie Emmanuel, broadcasters Andi and Miquita Oliver and Munya Chawawa.
This feature documentary tells the story of George Floyd’s murder, the massive global reaction to it and the backlash that followed. At a time when diversity initiatives in the USA are being scrapped by President Trump’s decree, and Elon Musk is retweeting Ben Chapiro's call for the police officer who murdered George Floyd to be pardoned, this film explores how his death became one of the most significant moments of our time.
It also questions whether enough has been achieved since then and what needs to happen next. Capturing a UK-wide perspective, we will see how Floyd’s murder was a moment of reckoning, not only in the US but also in the UK which sparked the BLM movement.
“The shockwaves of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020 became a catalyst for change worldwide—or so it seemed. Over the past five years, we’ve seen progress and growth, but also a growing backlash. Behind everything we consume on TV, in the news, and on social media, there’s a deeper story. Through compelling archive footage, user-generated content, and powerful personal testimonies, we aim to bring these stories to the forefront and truly understand what happened in the summer of 2020 and whether lasting change is possible.” — DIRECTOR KWABENA OPPONG
DIRECTED BY KWABENA OPPONG
PRODUCED BY ROGAN PRODUCTIONS
COMMISSIONED BY CLARE SILLERY, DOCUMENTARIES FOR BBC TWO AND IPLAYER
