The film is seen through the eyes of Grace, age 6. The world as she sees and experiences it, innocent, carefree and mischievous. Grace is Black, living in Wood Green, London in 1977. The political climate is volatile with the rise of the National Front. The UK is dealing with the aftermath of Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech, calling for the repatriation of immigrants and appealing to racial hatred, skinhead subculture is prevalent.

Will Grace’s innocents remain in tact?

Director Biography

Karen Bryson MBE- Her multi-award winning career spans over 25 years, across various multi-media platforms, both in front of the camera and more recently behind it. Karen was awarded an MBE in 2017 for her Services to Drama.

She is best known for playing Avril Powell, in the critically acclaimed drama Shameless. Her recent acting projects include series regular in award winning Nordic drama White Wall, Black Narcissus (BBC and FX US), independent feature film REAL directed by Aki Omoshaybi, Elinor Stone in Zack Snyder’s Justice League (HBO MAX/Warner Brothers), Unchartered (Sony Pictures), and Teacher (Channel 5) due out this year. She produced 'Family Reunion', winner of ‘Best of the Fest’ at the Triforce Short Film Festival, and for The Block, winner of ‘Best Pilot’ at the

Ramsgate International Film Festival.

Karen founded a theatre company, writing and directing two short plays which toured fringe theatre around London. She has just finished writing her first feature film 'The Art of Falling' and is developing a TV series. Karen recently narrated the landmark documentary series '1000 Years a Slave' available now on Channel 5.

She is a voting member of BAFTA, BIFA and the Raindance Film Festival.

Director Statement

What captivated me to write 'Monochromatic' was primarily to do with my reaction to the death of George Floyd. It saw a global acknowledgement regarding racism and racial inequality. I was floored. It unearthed years of racism I had personally suffered and had learnt to swallow. We follow Grace’s journey as she navigates and processes the fact that people aren’t different hues of one colour. She’s works out that she’s black and for her, blackness is coupled with hate.

A naïveté to her thoughts are reflected in the tone of the piece. The surreal dreamlike quality gives a feeling of an older omnipresent Grace reflecting back at her childhood. Monochromatic plays out in a visceral, non-linear way. What is withheld is just as important as what is revealed. Bright vivid colours with sunny camera flare, reminiscent of colour photos from the seventies offering up a feeling of nostalgia... Until the definitive moment as the penny drops for Grace and she encounters the loss of a certain innocence, the world then loses a little of its shine, as does the palette in the conclusion of the story.

My aim is for 'Monochromatic' to hold a mirror up, inviting an audience to ask questions of themselves. It touches on the concept of

nurture, what we see and hear, consciously or unconsciously shape who we are, how we view the world and subsequently our own

biases.

The news report of the BLM protests in 2020 and real found footage which appears in the film of the penultimate National Front March in Wood Green 1977 and the thousand strong opposers successfully disrupting it. Is this a mirror image of past events? We know what this moment means for Grace and her future… We’re living it.

Link to official press kit.