13 years after Belle, Gugu Mbatha-Raw is 'fighting for justice' once more

For Gugu Mbatha-Raw, 13 years after she first captured hearts as Britain's first black aristocrat in Belle, the film remains a 'very special project'. This latest role in Sky's supernatural thriller, Possession, sees her taking on a new challenge, playing a mixed-race woman entangled in an inheritance case that echoes the legacy of slavery. The stakes are high, and the themes are uncomfortably relevant in today's world. As Mbatha-Raw herself notes, 'Possession takes a step further than Belle did is that it takes the story into the present.' a notable step, one that shifts the narrative from a romantic piece of history to a scathing critique of how our past informs our present day.

Mbatha-Raw's character, Claudia, is a far cry from the aristocratic Belle. She's a warrior in the fight for justice, a lawyer sent to Jamaica to settle an inheritance dispute that's steeped in the legacy of colonialism. The contrast between Belle's 'lady' and Claudia's 'warrior' status highlights the vastly different themes at play in Possession. While Belle's story is one of love and social status, Claudia's journey is about accountability and righting the wrongs of the past. It's a narrative that's both familiar and jarring, one that forces viewers to confront the uncomfortable truths of history.

Director Storm Saulter's use of parallel timelines serves as a powerful reminder that colonialism is not a relic of the past, but a present-day issue that continues to reverberate through our lives. The film's use of a real former plantation house in Jamaica as the setting for both the past and present scenes drives home the point that the past is, in fact, present. As Saulter notes, 'One of our mantras throughout this process was past is present.' This approach is not just a stylistic choice; it's a deliberate attempt to underscore the ongoing impact of colonialism on our lives today.

Possession tackles the complex issue of reparatory justice head-on, with conversations that are both thought-provoking and uncomfortable. The film's exploration of this topic serves as a stark reminder that the legacy of slavery and colonialism is still very much with us today. As Mbatha-Raw notes, 'Possession says, this is how the history has informed our present day and who is accountable for righting the wrongs of the past?' It's a question that's both pertinent and unsettling, one that forces viewers to confront the harsh realities of our collective past.

As Possession prepares to hit our screens, it's clear that this film is more than just a supernatural thriller. It's a warning sign for the future, a reminder that the past is always present, and that we must confront the uncomfortable truths of our collective history. Gugu Mbatha-Raw's 'fight for justice' in Possession is a powerful call to action, one that challenges us to rethink our assumptions about the past and its ongoing impact on our lives today.

In the end, Possession is a film that will leave viewers unsettled, but also strangely empowered. It's a reminder that we all have a role to play in righting the wrongs of the past, and that the fight for justice is never truly over. As Mbatha-Raw so eloquently puts it, 'Possession says, this is how the history has informed our present day and who is accountable for righting the wrongs of the past?' The answer, it seems, is us.