Age: 56
male
Sir Steve Rodney McQueen CBE (born 9 October 1969) is an English film director, film producer, screenwriter, and video artist. Known for directing films that deal with intense subject matter, he has received several awards, including an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. He was honoured with the BFI Fellowship in 2016 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2020 for services to art and film. In 2014, he was included in Time magazine's annual Time 100 list of the "most influential people in the world". McQueen began his formal training studying painting at London's Chelsea College of Art and Design. He later pursued film at Goldsmiths College and briefly at New York University. Influenced by Jean Vigo, Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Ingmar Bergman, and Andy Warhol, McQueen started making short films. In 1999, McQueen was awarded the Turner Prize for the "range" and "emotional intensity" of his art. He made his feature-length directorial debut with the historical drama Hunger (2008), which focused on the 1981 Irish hunger strike, followed by the erotic, psychosexual drama Shame (2011), which explored sex addiction. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture, directing the historical drama 12 Years a Slave (2013). He also directed the contemporary crime thriller Widows (2018) and the World War II drama Blitz (2024). For television, he released Small Axe (2020), a collection of five anthology films "set within London's West Indian community from the late 1960s to the early '80s". He also directed the BBC documentary series Uprising (2021) and the documentary film Occupied City (2023). Description above from the Wikipedia article Steve McQueen (director), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Steve McQueen
Writer
for Writer in Roots Rhythms: The Evolution of Reggae
Suggested by kamsismith
"Roots Rhythms" is a captivating television series that delves deep into the roots of reggae music, tracing its evolution from its origins in Jamaica to its global dominance. Each episode of this compelling documentary-style series will focus on a specific era, highlighting key artists, influential albums, and the socio-political context that shaped the genre. From the pioneering sounds of Bob Marley and The Wailers to the revolutionary rhythms of Peter Tosh and Burning Spear, "Roots Rhythms" will showcase the diverse voices and styles that have defined reggae over the decades. Viewers will witness the rise of iconic record labels like Studio One and Trojan Records, and the birth of sub-genres such as dub, ska, and dancehall. But "Roots Rhythms" isn't just about the music—it's about the culture and the people behind it. Through interviews with musicians, producers, and historians, as well as archival footage and rare recordings, the series will provide an immersive look into the world of reggae, exploring its role as a voice for social justice, unity, and spiritual awakening.
