The Bradford 12 - An Obstinate Memory

The Black and Asian diaspora in the UK has battled in social struggles for more than half a century. Now, in the time of Black Lives Matter, opportunities have arisen for the telling (or retelling) of suppressed histories of resistance to racism, but who does that telling, how is it told and to what political and social agendas? Outlining the how obstinate memory operates within an innovative ‘documentary of force’ methodology of media praxis we trace an international lineage of struggles for justice and how radical histories must defend themselves in an era when hegemonies operate to suppress communities. Using the case study of the Bradford 12 story, we explore how important notions of ‘obstinate memory’ can challenge the state and liberal classes attempts to ‘soften’ the history of radical struggle. This essay explores how the methodology of ‘documentary of force’ filmmaking can give voice to silenced histories.