"Cut Me Loose"
Cut Me Loose is a very personal film written and presented by the rap poet and historian David Brown, of mixed Black Jamaican and White Welsh descent, Directed by Colin Thomas and Produced for Taliesin by Michele Ryan. The half hour film was made in 1999. It contains some scenes and language that are of an adult nature and terms such as "Holocaust of Slavery" which are highly debated terms.
In the 20 years since the film was made, much academic research has been done and the following must be noted:
1. The actual number of Africans taken as slaves to the Americas is now thought to be between 11 and 12 Million, not 20 million, as stated in the film. This in no way lessens the plight of the enslaved nor the actions of the slavers and traders.
2. The property Greenwood, now has very good interpretation on its connections to slavery. It was one of the homes of the Barrett family, one of whom was Elizabeth Barrett Browning, wife of the poet Robert Browning. Elizabeth never lived there, however.
3. Africans who were enslaved did not always live on the coast. Many were traded to Europeans having already been captured by African or Arab slavers.
4. Sam Sharpe's Rebellion was indeed quickly and brutally suppressed. It was not localised and attracted slaves from all over Jamaica, around 60,000 in all, and was far from peaceful.
5. Ships arriving in the West Indies would have set off from Bristol rather than Chepstow. All would have come via Africa.
6. The second owner of the land now occupied by Chepstow Racecourse was Nathaniel Wells. A page on this site dedicated to his story can be found here.
Here is the film: Cut Me Loose
This is a passionate film, and asks the question: "How would you respond to this being part of your family's history and how would you creatively express your feelings?"
Many thanks are due to Colin Thomas for permission to use the film.
