A sobering feature-length documentary chronicles the life of the singer, actor and activist’s life, plus an action-stuffed remake of a beloved 90s classic
As the mixed-race lead singer of two-tone band the Selecter, Pauline Black was a pivotal figure in a genre that, however briefly, melded white punk and Black reggae sensibilities into a vibrant, politically engaged musical whole. In this revealing documentary, created with director Jane Mingay, she tells her own story, and also a sobering parallel history of 20th-century British race relations. Adopted by a white Essex couple as a baby, Black grew up surrounded by racism. She left to study in Coventry, the birthplace of two-tone, and became “the first rudegirl” with her androgynous look and confident stage presence. But the tale also takes in career failures and identity crises. Simon Wardell
Wednesday 16 April, 9pm, Sky Arts
