Bermuda Riots are Different
2025, 6′
Dir. Alyson Thompson & Matt Mead
Editor: Matt Mead
Bermuda Riots are Different examines a decade of race riots between 1968 and 1977, and a triangle of colonial influences: Bermuda, Great Britain, USA.
Notes
I co-directed this film with Bermudian Alyson Thompson, but I’m focusing more on the editing here (though those lines are more blurred in doc than drama). Not having lived-experience of Bermuda in any way, nor much knowledge, I prepared a lot through research, both historical primary sources and secondary literature, alongside constant listening and discussion with Alyson.
After working on many archive films for visitor centres and museums across the UK and internationally, I knew I had a solid understanding of ‘how to make an archive film’. With this in mind, I tried to do something completely different. Something more jarring and fragmented, that could reflect the historiographical problems of (post-)colonial story telling.
Not that the mood should become too overwhelming and heavy — we wanted to engage a young audience who were least likely to know much about this important part of Bermuda’s history. The film had to have joy and energy to match the power of black resistance and success. We also cut two vertical trailers which had 7000 views in 10 days on Instagram.
The film won the Reuters Connect Make Film History challenge at Sheffield DocFest 2026, after a unanimous vote from the judges. We are currently developing this into a feature project.