Blue Story: The ‘authentic, beautiful and honest’ film that’s banned at cinemas

Last Friday saw the launch of Blue Story, the feature film by Andrew Onwubolu, known as British rapper Rapman.

However on Saturday, the film was pulled by Vue Cinemas following a large brawl at one of its venues in Birmingham. The film has caused controversy over the past few days with some calling the banning of the film “racist”.

But what is the film all about? And what is all the controversy surrounding Blue Story? Here’s what people are saying about the film.

What is the Blue Story film about?

The new film Blue Story is a feature adaptation of Rapman’s YouTube series, about two young friends who become rivals in a street war.

The one hour and 31 minute long film tells the story of a feud between two neighbouring towns. The two main characters, Timmy (played by Stephen Odubola) and Marco (Michael Ward from Top Boy), join rival gangs and become arch enemies despite having grown up as best friends.

Why has it been banned by Vue?

The film has stopped being shown at Vue Cinemas after a brawl broke out a Vue Cinema in Star City, Birmingham. Young men were pictured with machetes and police were injured in the fights over the weekend.

Vue released a statement which read: “The decision to withdraw Blue Story was not one taken lightly or without careful consideration of our experience across the country.

“The film opened in 60 of our sites across the UK and Ireland on Friday, November 22, but during the first 24 hours of the film over 25 significant incidents were reported and escalated to senior management in 16 separate cinemas.

“This is the biggest number we have ever seen for any film in such a short time frame.”

Odeon has confirmed it will continue showings of the film and Showcase Cinemas has confirmed it will also continue showings, but with extra security.

This is what people are saying about Blue Story:

One review of the film reads: “Just watched Blue Story at Cineworld in The O2 arena. It’s a very good film, an exceptional debut from a young filmmaker. Salute to Rapman. One of three films I’ve ever seen get a round of applause. The others were The Dark Knight and Inception.”

Another added: “Blue Story has to be the best movie this year defo an 11/10”. More comments include: “Blue Story is still showing in major cinemas. I’d encourage you all to go and watch it. It’s a really well written story skilfully laced with humour. It will have you in both in stitches and tears. Really well done Rapman” and: “You are skilled, it is a brilliant film. Painful, authentic, beautiful and honest. Rapman, Blue Story, I’m definitely watching it again.”

People are also really not happy about the film being banned. One comment says: “After watching Blue Story I’m even more disappointed with Vue Cinemas. This movie does nothing but educate and provide a moral that could in fact alter the mind sets of some youth. In no way does it glamourise or promote any sort of negative lifestyle.”

The ban of the film in cinemas is being called “institutionally racist”.

Sheila Knowles, who runs black events company BBE, told Radio 1 Newsbeat: “A lot of people are very agitated because it just seems like a very systematic and targeted attack. I feel like this is just a way of them masking the reasoning behind the decision – we haven’t seen the conclusive evidence behind these claims.”

A lot of people are confused about where the link between the violence in Birmingham and the ban stemmed from. Rumours circulating say the violence actually took place in a cinema queue and not in a screening of the film.

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