Brylcream's Better Than Nothing
Marlene was a police woman, Peter was an army officer and Bharti was a social worker. What they have in common as Black people is that they were transracially placed with white or Asian families at childhood. Their stories are all different but their search for an identity is something that haunts them all.
Marlenes' birth parents are from Jamaica, she was fostered by a white family. Peters' birth parents were from Jamaica and Nigeria, he was placed in Barnadoes. Bharti's birth parents are Black and Asian, she was adopted by an Asian family. Through their vastly differing experiences this documentary discusses transracial placement in a children’s home or in a family; the complexities of Black identities through different cultural heritage; the question of placement for biracial individuals and physical care of transracially placed children.
The film is a montage of diverse narratives and images blending drama and documentary with an original music score, held together by the narration of Valerie Mason-John who was also transracially placed in Barnadoes.
Description compiled in 2026 by Jess Higgins using publicity materials.
