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An accessible guide, part of our series about significant contemporary filmmakers, this book is a must-read for film fans and students of cinema alike. Explores McQueen's short films, documentaries and video art as well as his critically acclaimed movies, including the Academy Award-winning 12 Years A Slave, his poignant war film Blitz, and his distinctive BBC TV series Small Axe.
Londoner Steve McQueen shot to fame in 1999 when he won the prestigious Turner Prize for innovative art. In 2020, the Tate Gallery in London held a retrospective of over a dozen works and in 2025 a radical new exhibition called Resistance! opened at Turner Contemporary in Margate. McQueen continues to investigate hidden history and tackle hard-hitting topics such as discrimination and injustice in powerful, cinematic ways.
Reviews:
"... provides useful insight into the director's background and motivations and offers easy-to-read reviews of his numerous films, documentaries and exhibitions. An invaluable guide to the incredible work Steve McQueen has produced since his time as an art student until today."
- Tony Warner, co-founder, chair of African Odysseys programme
"A highly readable and wide-ranging consideration of McQueen's work." - Kirkus reviews
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jen-francis/in-the-scene/Kirkus Reviews
"...an accessible and comprehensive guide to McQueen's work that covers its breadth of ambition alongside the depth of its core themes."
- Paul Sutton, Head of Film Studies, CityLit
"A resource for budding film writers and directors. Definitely need a copy. This outline of every Steve McQueen project is for true fans of film or will make a fan out of you. This presents a researcher's insight into the director and his works. Arranging and discussing the films by timeline and type, really helped to show the evolution of McQueen's creative perspective and output. Fun fact that I didn't realize before this book: He and Michael Fassbender have a longstanding and fruitful work relationship." ****
- Adrienne Adrimano, netgalley
About the author
Professionally, Jen Francis is many things: a Producer in factual television, co-founder and script writer for Sassy Jam Productions and a freelance script editor and film reviewer. In 2019 she wrote the well-received play Ethan's Bell then went on to co-create and write the web series phase two. Her short comedy made the longlist for 2023 Short Comedy TV Sitcom Writing Competition and her script was shortlisted for the Sky Arts Royal Society of Literature awards in Screenwriting.
As a producer she has worked on the Sky Arts series 'Portrait Artist of the Year' and 'Landscape Artist of the Year' and for BBC TV 'Windrush: Portraits of a Generation'. Jen wants to create a landscape within British television that is truly representative of the audiences who watch it.
In the Scene: Steve McQueen, her first book, was commissioned by Supernova Books.
About the author
Jen Francis is a TV Producer, co-founder and script writer for SassyJam Productions and a freelance script editor and film reviewer. In 2019 she wrote the well-received play Ethan's Bell then went on to co-create the web series phase two. Her short comedy made the longlist for 2023 Short Comedy TV Sitcom Writing Competition and her script was shortlisted for the Sky Arts Royal Society of Literature awards in Screenwriting. As a producer she has worked on the Sky Arts series 'Portrait Artist of the Year' and 'Landscape Artist of the Year' and for BBC TV 'Windrush: Portraits of a Generation.'
Summary
An exploration of British director Steve McQueen's films, from his short films and video art through his masterpiece 'Twelve Years A Slave' to his BBC series 'Small Axe' to 'Blitz' and more.
