28th March 2025, LONDON – Rogan Productions in collaboration with Dartmouth Films and BBC today announces a brand-new production, BACKLASH: The Murder of George Floyd.
Five years since the murder of George Floyd – the police killing that set America on fire with rage and sparked a wave of protests around the world, it looks at one of the most important and defining events in modern history. BACKLASH: The Murder of George Floyd will have a theatrical release across the UK from 9th May 2025 and will TX on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer later that month.
Produced by multi award-winning Rogan Productions (Uprising, Black Power, Defiance: Fighting the Far Right) for the BBC, and distributed by multi awarding-winning Dartmouth Films (From Roger Moore With Love (whynow productions) and Children of the Cult (David Modell Productions).
The film will feature ground-breaking interviews from the key players involved, including members of George Floyd’s family, Chief Medaria Arradondo, the Minneapolis Police Chief who took the bold step of testifying against one of his own officers, Boris Johnson’s closest advisor on race Samuel Kasumu, and Sal Naseem, former Regional Director for London at the IOPC, as well as cultural figures Che Lingo, Nathalie Emmanuel, broadcasters Andi and Miquita Oliver and Munya Chawawa.
This 90’ documentary tells the story of George Floyd’s murder, the massive global reaction to it and the backlash that followed.
At a time when diversity initiatives in the USA are being scrapped by President Trump’s decree, and Elon Musk is retweeting Ben Chapiro’s call for the police officer who murdered George Floyd to be pardoned, this film explores how his death became one of the most significant moments in modern history. It also questions whether enough has been achieved since then and what needs to happen next.
Capturing a UK-wide perspective, we will see how Floyd’s murder was a moment of reckoning, not only in the US but also in the UK which sparked the BLM movement.
It brought into the mainstream stories of police brutality against the likes of Julian Cole and Dalian Atkinson. Instagram went black. John Boyega gave an impassioned speech that shook the world. Young people said: enough. A generation of black, young people felt compelled to speak out about the treatment they had received at the hands of the police and other institutions. The power shift changed and for once marginalised voices were heard.
For the first time in decades, police officers in cases of police brutality on both sides of the Atlantic, notably the George Floyd and Dalian Atkinson trials, were convicted. But, as statues were toppled and protests turned violent, the Far Right seized the initiative and a growing wave of hostility to the Black Lives Matter movement swept across the UK.
Kwabena Oppong, Director, Rogan Productions says: “The shockwaves of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020 became a catalyst for change worldwide—or so it seemed. Over the past five years, we’ve seen progress and growth, but also a growing backlash. Behind everything we consume on TV, in the news, and on social media, there’s a deeper story. Through compelling archive footage, user-generated content, and powerful personal testimonies, we aim to bring these stories to the forefront and truly understand what happened in the summer of 2020 and whether lasting change is possible.”
Matt Hird, Distributor, Dartmouth Films says: “The murder of George Floyd created waves throughout the world, we saw first hand how it encouraged the Black Lives Matter movement here in London. Backlash: The Murder of George Floyd will be released around the 5 year anniversary of George Floyd, a reminder of how far we’ve come and how far we’ve got to go for sustainable change to be achieved worldwide”
BBC, TV distributor: Backlash: The Murder of George Floyd (1×90) was commissioned by Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries for BBC Two and iPlayer. It is made by award-winning Rogan Productions, the director is Kwabena Oppong, producer is Satema Tarawally, editors are Gregg Morgan, Ali Bayne & Brett Irwin and music by Swindle. Executive producers are James Rogan, Teresa Watkins & Soleta Rogan. The BBC Commissioning Editors are Carl Callam and Emma Loach.
ABOUT
Dartmouth Films
Dartmouth Films is the leading pioneer of independent documentaries across Britain.
Their unique approach ensures films are created, funded and distributed in the most creative ways, ensuring maximum impact to nationwide audiences.
Recent titles include the summer box office success ERIC RAVILIOUS: DRAWN TO WAR (£320,000 gross, on release), Grierson-nominated and the UK’s 2022 entry to the Oscars® DYING TO DIVORCE, BAFTA-winning MEN WHO SING and BIFA-winning CHILDREN OF THE SNOW LAND.
Non-theatrical successes include RESILIENCE, which had a direct impact on the health policy objectives of the Scottish government, and MAGIC MEDICINE, which continues to be used as a crucial resource in cross-party efforts to reform drug policy.
Rogan Productions
Founded in 2013, Rogan Productions has fast become a world leader in the field of high-end, global documentaries. Led by James and Soleta Rogan and supported by some of the best talent in the documentary industry, Rogan has won and been nominated for over 40 major awards in the past 5 years alone. Since its inception the company has grown rapidly, making over 60 films for broadcasters, agencies and brands with the latest branch of the business, Rogan Scotland, launching in October 2021.
Most recently the company produced Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks, the highly regarded The Search for Nicola Bulley for BBC One, the critically acclaimed series Defiance: Fighting the Far Right for Channel 4, as well as Netflix’s The Final: Attack on Wembley and Zuckerberg: King of the Metaverse for Sky.
