BHMN filmvisning: Burning an Illusion (1981)

About the event

Afrikansk film – Levende historie: Burning an Illusion (1981) av Menelik Shabazz (reg.)

En ung svart kvinne i England blir stadig mer frustrert over livet sitt med sin late, krevende kjæreste. Med hjelp fra venner søker hun noe bedre og begynner å stille spørsmål ved sin holdning til kjærlighet, livet og ønsket om middelklasserespektabilitet og trygghet gjennom ekteskap.

Filmtrailer:  Link til filmtrailer

BIO

Menelik Shabazz (1954–2021) var en prisvinnende filmregissør, produsent og forfatter – en sentral pioner i utviklingen av moderne svart britisk film. Menelik ble født i St. John på Barbados, og bodde i Storbritannia fra han var fem år gammel. Fra ung alder så Menelik på mobilkino i landsbyen sin på Barbados, men tenkte ikke på ideen om å lage film før i tenårene. Det var da han ble introdusert for den første bærbare videoteknologien mens han studerte ved North London College.

Menelik Shabazz var mest kjent for sin kritikerroste debutfilm Burning An iIllusion, som vant Grand Prix på Amien International Film Festival i 1982. Filmen vant også beste kvinnelige hovedrolle, Cassie Macfarlane, Evening Standard-prisen for «lovende skuespillerinne»(1982). Den andre spillefilmen av en svart regissør produsert i Storbritannia, Burning an Illusion, vises fortsatt i dag og feires for sin kultstatus i svart britisk filmhistorie.

In English Burning an Illusion (1981) 105mins, Menelik Shabazz, Sentralen A young black woman in England becomes increasingly frustrated with her life with her lazy, demanding boyfriend. With the help of friends, she seeks something better and begins to question her attitude to love, life, and desire for middle-class respectability and security through marriage.

Menelik Shabazz (1954-2021) was an award-winning film director, producer, and writer – a key pioneer in the development of contemporary black British cinema. Born in St. John, Barbados, Menelik lived in the UK from the age of five. From an early age, Menelik watched mobile cinema in his village in Barbados, but didn’t entertain the idea of making films until his teen years. This was when he was introduced to the first portable video technology whilst studying at North London College. Menelik Shabazz was best known for his acclaimed debut feature Burning An iIllusion, which won the Grand Prix at the Amien International Film Festival in 1982. The film also won the lead actress, Cassie Macfarlane, the Evening Standard Award for Promising Actress(1982). The second feature film by a black director produced in the UK, Burning an Illusion continues to be shown today and is celebrated for its cult status in Black British filmmaking history.

Generell informasjon og invitasjon til foredrag

Støttet av Kulturrådet og Oslo kommune.

Bli med på et inspirerende foredrag med filmkurator Mosa Mpetha (UK), som gir et unikt innblikk i afrikansk filmhistorie og arbeidet med å bevare afrikansk kulturarv gjennom film. Foredraget er gratis og åpent for alle. Velkommen til Kunstnernes Hus 5. oktober kl. 18!

FB-arrangement: Link til Facebook-arrangementet

Foto: Burning an Illusion av Menelik Shabazz

Arrangør: Black History Month Norway

See where you can buy food and drinks

Here at Sentralen, there are several places where you can buy food and drinks – before, during, and after the event.

You can also bring drinks from all the serving areas into the event.

The bar in 
Hvelvet
 is also open during the event.

Below you can see the opening hours of the serving areas here at Sentralen. You can choose to view the opening hours for the event day, or for today.

Read about the venue’s accessibility for the event

It is possible to get to Hvelvet by wheelchair, but access is not as smooth compared to our other venues.

Hvelvet is located on the first floor and is wheelchair accessible via elevator. From the main entrance you need to take the elevator to the 3rd floor and then the rear elevator to the 2nd floor. Then you have to go through the backstage Biblioteket to get to the venue.

There is a large toilet on the 2nd floor right off backstage, but this is not an HC toilet. To get to the nearest HC toilet, you has to take the elevator up to the 3rd floor and past meeting rooms 301-304. This toilet also has a changing table.

Read more about accessibility at Sentralen
Free
Date
Sunday
 
12
October
 
2025
 kl. 
16:00
Fra
Sunday
 
12
October
 
2025
 kl. 
16:00
Til
Sunday
 
12
October
 
2025
 kl. 
17:45
Doors open
15 minutes before
kl. 
16:00
Duration
October 12, 2025 16:00
October 12, 2025 17:45
[Varighet]
Age limit
15
Location
Location
Location
Content warnings/­restrictions

Info

Arrangementet er gratis, men du må hente ut gratisbillett.

Open bar
The bar in 
Hvelvet
 is open during the event
Garderobe
Det er garderobe i lokalet
Share event
Kjøp billett
Påmelding
Hent gratisbillett
Book bord

Dette arrangementet er ferdig

Stengt pga været
03.06.2026
05.06.2026
Rooftop Terrace
10:00-17:00
03.08.2026
16.08.2026
Sentralen Kafé
Stengt, åpner 3. august
06.07.2026
02.08.2026
Sentralen Kafé
17:00-22:00
23.05.2026
23.05.2026
Rooftop Terrace
Stengt
21.05.2026
21.05.2026
Rooftop Terrace
11:30-20:00
17.05.2026
17.05.2026
Rooftop Terrace
Stengt på grunn av været
14.05.2026
16.05.2026
Rooftop Terrace
11:00-17:00
24.05.2026
24.05.2026
Sentralen Kafé
10:00-16:00
14.05.2026
14.05.2026
Sentralen Kafé
15:00-20:00
22.04.2026
22.04.2026
Rooftop Terrace
15:00-20:00
21.04.2026
21.04.2026
Rooftop Terrace
Stengt
18.04.2026
18.04.2026
Rooftop Terrace
11:00-17:00
24.05.2026
24.05.2026
Sentralen Kafé
Stengt
06.04.2026
06.04.2026
Office
Reception
Sentralen
Stengt
02.04.2026
05.04.2026
Office
17:00-22:00
07.03.2026
07.03.2026
Restaurant Hitchhiker
Stengt
06.04.2026
06.04.2026
Sentralen Kafé
11:00-17:00
04.04.2026
05.04.2026
Stengt
02.04.2026
03.04.2026
Sentralen Kafé
11:00-16:00
30.03.2026
01.04.2026
Sentralen Kafé
11:00-17:00
29.03.2026
29.03.2026
Sentralen Kafé
14:00-21:00
17.04.2026
17.04.2026
Rooftop Terrace
07:30-18:00
12.01.2026
16.01.2026
Sentralen Kafé
11:30-16:00
09.01.2026
09.01.2026
Restaurant Hitchhiker
07:30-18:00
05.01.2026
09.01.2026
Sentralen Kafé
Stengt
25.05.2026
25.05.2026
Restaurant Hitchhiker
Sentralen Kafé
Reception
Office
Sentralen
Rooftop Terrace
Stengt
01.05.2026
01.05.2026
Reception
Restaurant Hitchhiker
Sentralen Kafé
Office
Stengt
31.03.2026
06.04.2026
Restaurant Hitchhiker
11:00-16:00
10.12.2025
10.12.2025
Restaurant Hitchhiker
17:00-22:00
09.12.2025
09.12.2025
Restaurant Hitchhiker
Stengt
30.12.2025
02.01.2026
Sentralen
Restaurant Hitchhiker
Sentralen Kafé
Reception
Alternativ Jul tar over
21.12.2025
29.12.2025
Sentralen
Restaurant Hitchhiker
Sentralen Kafé
11:00-16:00
10.08.2025
10.08.2025
Sentralen Kafé
Stengt
21.12.2025
26.12.2025
Restaurant Hitchhiker
Stengt
16.07.2025
16.04.2026
Rooftop Terrace