One day . . . 1 Day . . . 24th November at the Light House, Wolverhampton

The celebration-that-should-have-been last week, the launch of an important film coming out of our Handsworth starring our people was, incredibly, banned. I can't make head nor tail of what happened.

But I have read the review Michael Hayden wrote when it was shown at the BFI 53rd Film Festival in London at the end of October: Shot on the streets of Birmingham with an entirely black cast, 1 Day is an exhilarating grime musical, enthused from the start with some great rap set pieces, which complement the thrilling action perfectly.

As you and I can't go and see this exhilarating grime musical here in this city of ours where the film was made, from where the actors come, we need traipse out to the Light House in Wolverhampton on 24th November to see it, when we can also drop in on a Q&A afterwards with the film director, Penny Woolcock. (It's free, book via the ScreenWM Festival of Film.)

This Brum-ban is a missed opportunity for the city to congratulate its own on the making of the film, disturbing viewing though it may be. It is also a dangerous precedent.

So do go to Wolverhampton to see what Kevin Maher in the Times says is propulsive stuff that credibly mixes social realism with bursts of musical energy. And we'll make our own judgments, thank you West Midlands Police, as to whether just occasionally, though, the movie falls for the gangland glamour -- loving shots of guns, cars and posturing bad boys -- it claims to despise and, if it does, whether or not that distracts from the value of the film.

s.a. a video interview with Penny Woolcock about the film, the Scotsman interview with her, and a report of the Bird's Eye interview with her.

NOTE: The Stirrer has said it'll be shown at the Empire Rubery sometime and at Showcase Cinemas. But I couldn't find anything about this on the Web.