If You Are A Big Tree #1: Lovers Rock – A gathering around film, food, and music to honor the joy of community

Join us on 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟯𝟬 in 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘅 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀 for a first edition of 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗔 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲, a (free!) 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 around 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺, 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱, and 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 to honor the 𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, this evening with a 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 of Steve McQueen’s 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘅𝗲: 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸 (2020)!

𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲 borrows its name from 𝗕𝗼𝗯 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘆’s song 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘅𝗲, a timeless reminder that even the smallest voices, when joined together, can shake the tallest trees. This program is an homage to the stories, flavors and rhythms that root communities and keep resistance alive. It is a space where film, food and music intertwine as they carry echoes of struggle, joy, and belonging.

For this 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, hosted in collaboration with 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰, 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 and 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆, the celebration centers on the rich culture of 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲, featuring Steve McQueen’s 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸, 𝗜𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲 by 𝗔𝘀𝗵’𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗸 and, of course, the irresistible pull of sweet reggae music. To close the night, 𝗗𝗝 𝗥𝗼𝘄𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 and 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 present a rootical journey that dissolves the boundary between screen and sound. From early steppers to deep dub, this unique set channels the spirit of Lovers Rock, pulling the audience straight into its sonic heartbeat.

𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗔 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲 #𝟭: 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘅𝗲: 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸
Date: Friday May 30, 2025
Time: 18:00 (doors open) 18:30 (diner), 19:30 (film), 21:00 (soundsystem)
Venue: Felix Meritis
Address: Keizersgracht 324, Amsterdam
Film: 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘅𝗲: 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸
Year: 2020
Director: Steve McQueen
Duration: 70′
Country: UK 
Extra: Ital food by 𝗔𝘀𝗵’𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗸, a pop-up restaurant and caterer in Amsterdam serving authentic Jamaican dishes
Extra: Reggae music by 𝗗𝗝 𝗥𝗼𝘄𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 and 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺
More info & tickets: This event is free of charge, but you do need to register here. And if you want a Jamaican dish (and you want that!), you can secure your plate via the link as well for €15,50.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘅𝗲: 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸
Small Axe is a critically acclaimed anthology film series directed by Steve McQueen. The series premiered in 2020 on BBC One and Amazon Prime and consists of five films, each dramatizing real or inspired stories about London’s West Indian community between the late 1960s and early 1980s. A fictional story set at a reggae house party in 1980, Lovers Rock is a love letter to the Black British experience, showing not just struggle but survival and joy. The episode stands out in the series for being more impressionistic and experiential than overtly political, though its politics are always present in the background. It’s often praised for its immersive filmmaking, including long takes, close physical proximity, the warmth of colors and sound, which all combine to create an evocative mood piece. Lovers Rock does not focus on a single character or a plot in the traditional sense. Instead, it captures the feeling of a one-night reggae ‘blues party’ thrown in a West Indian home, a response to the racism and exclusion Black youth faced from white nightclubs. Undoubtedly, Lovers Rock is a reminder that cultural spaces can be forms of resistance, where identity is preserved and expressed freely.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗗𝗝 𝗥𝗼𝘄𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺
DJ Rowstone is a well-established name in the reggae, dancehall, and soca scene. His passion for these genres started at a young age and has grown into an impressive career filled with energetic performances, classic mixtapes, and a loyal fanbase. He’ll open the night with popular contemporary Reggae tunes. Shamba Lion Soundsystem is an internationally operating reggae sound system from Amsterdam. The crew is known for incorporating live elements and guest singers/MC’s into their live shows for an original and interactive Sound System experience.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰
Africadelic is a non-profit organization that, since 2016, is committed to the programming and promotion of African and African diasporic cultural creativity, diversity and activism in the Netherlands. Each year on and around International Africa Day (May 25) we organize the Africacadelic Festival in Paradiso and various other partner venues across Amsterdam. This year, the 10th edition of the festival will be held from May 21-31, 2025, with a special focus on the 50th anniversary of independence (1975) of five African countries (Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé & Príncipe, and the Comoros) as well as Suriname. For more information, visit www.africadelic.com

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸
Black Speaks Back is a Belgo-Dutch grassroots media collective founded in 2016 in Brussels and currently based in Amsterdam. The organization is dedicated to amplifying Black narratives from the Netherlands and Belgium through experimental and collaborative artistic practices. Their work encompasses facilitating discussions, conducting art-based research, and producing poetic short films that explore themes of identity, memory, and resistance. Through their innovative approach, Black Speaks Back continues to create spaces for Black voices and stories, contributing to a richer and more inclusive cultural landscape in the Low Countries. For more information, visit www.blackspeaksback.com.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆
Caribbean Creativity is an Amsterdam-based non-profit organization that is, since 2008, committed to the programming and promotion of Caribbean and Caribbean-themed cinema in the Netherlands and beyond. Over the years, Caribbean Creativity has hosted over 300 screenings in Dutch cinemas and at film festivals, including numerous premieres. In 2020, they launched YardVibes, a streaming platform featuring content from independent Caribbean and African filmmakers. YardVibes currently offers over 100 titles, including feature films, web series, documentaries, and short films, with new content added monthly. For more information, visit www.caribbeancreativity.nl.