Highly Anticipated British Film ‘Rocks’ due to hit cinemas 18th September
Altitude will release the acclaimed girlhood drama ROCKS on the 18 September in cinemas across the UK and Ireland.
A new clip from the film has been released.
Uniquely crafted by an all-female creative team in collaboration with mostly first-time actors. ROCKS was written by Theresa Ikoko (winner of the Alfred Fagon award in 2015 for her play Girls) and Claire Wilson (Little Drummer Girl, Gangs of London, The Power), and directed by Sarah Gavron (Suffragette, Brick Lane) and associate director Anu Henriques. Produced by Faye Ward (Wild Rose, Stan & Ollie) and Ameenah Ayub Allen (Dark River, Ali and Ava), with casting by Lucy Pardee and associate Jessica Straker. The lead cast features Bukky Bakray, Kosar Ali, Shaneigha-Monik Greyson, Ruby Stokes, Tawheda Begum, Anastasia Dymitrow, Afi Okaidja and D’angelou Osei Kissiedu.
This core group of British girls, who all come from differing cultural backgrounds including Nigerian, Somali, Polish, Bangladeshi, English and Congolese-Ghanaian, emerged out of extensive workshops in which they generously shared experiences of friendship, their cultures, social media and school life as part of the filmmaking process.
The film follows teenager Rocks (Bakray) who fears that she and her little brother Emmanuel (D’angelou Osei Kissiedu) will be forced apart if anyone finds out they are living alone. With the help of her friends, she evades the authorities and navigates the most defining days of her life. A film about the joy, resilience and spirit of girlhood.
“A film so spellbinding you’ll want to see it again and again.”
Black Ballad
“The film is such a rush of vitality. It rocks”
“An energetic five-star triumph”
The Guardian
★★★★★
“I had been working on an idea for a film, a love letter dedicated to my sister and other young black and brown British girls, who are often adultised and seemingly hardened, by society and circumstance. As children, many preserve their families and protect the childhoods of their siblings, while remaining beautifully complex wells of joy and love.
When I was asked to be a part of the creative team for ROCKS, to make a film about young people, and importantly, with young people, I soon realised this was the richest and safest soil to plant my story, nurtured by the many women who contributed to ROCKS.
We are so excited to finally be bringing ROCKS to the big screen. We hope so many of you feel seen and loved by it.”
Writer Theresa Ikoko on behalf of the ROCKS creative team
ROCKS is a Fable Pictures production. Funded by Film 4 and the BFI, in association with Altitude Film Entertainment/ Wellcome, Head Gear Films, Metrol Technology and Kreo Films.
Following its world premiere at Toronto Film Festival and subsequent UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in 2019, ROCKS had originally been scheduled for a 10th April release but was postponed due to Covid-19.
ROCKS is released in cinemas on 18 September in the UK and Ireland. www.rocks.film
Follow the film on
Twitter @RocksTheFilm
Instagram: @rocksfilm
