Coffee-Coloured Children

Synopsis: An autobiographical account of the film-maker’s experiences of growing up as a child of mixed race. Born in Newcastle to an English mother and a subsequent absent father in an area where there were no other black children, she and her brother recall a childhood of hurt and confusion. They spent hours scrubbing their skin with Vim to make it come off. Although the programme is set a decade ago, the tape is still of great relevance. During their researchers the filmmaker’s found that black children from black and mixed families are still using Vim instead of soap.
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Year of production: 1988
Notes: Reviewed by Pam Cook in ‘Monthly Film Bulletin’ Vol. 56, No. 669 (Oct 1989), p316.
Uses: Women’s studies courses; multi-cultural studies*.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: childhood; ethnic minorities; racial identity

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