A blistering meditation on the state of race in America, Roberto Minervini’s What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire? chronicles the lives of black communities in the Southern states, where the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina remains acutely felt as police brutality claims lives with intolerable regularity. Following several threads, including the New Black Panther Party’s preparations for a large-scale protest against police violence, the film documents the lives of those who have been marginalised by the media and alienated by failing institutions.
‘A stirring, committed portrait of black lives at a crossroads in the American South’ Screen Daily
‘Minervini’s mix of outsider’s status and convert’s diligence offers him valuable perspective as a documentarian.’ Indiwire
‘Shot with grace and agility in the gorgeous, high-contrast tonalities of black and white’ The Hollywood Reporter
‘Minervini’s underlying theme of fear — the fear instilled in African-Americans from the cradle — rarely gets the kind of attention it’s given here’ Variety