After the clear decline of Caribbean culture in Luton, with carnival slowly falling apart and community places no longer, Niyandre took matters in his own hands – but by directing a film
At first glance, Beyond the Rush looks like a love letter to Luton but it’s more than that – it’s filled with the shared frustration and residents’ love for the community Luton once was.
The short film was showcased at the 69th BFI London Film Festival and explores the slow breakdown of Caribbean culture in the town once fuelled by carnival spirit showcasing deeply personal testimonies tracing migration, music and memory to show how funding cuts and fading institutions have silenced a community’s heartbeat.
The 16 minute short film was made and directed by Niya Taylor known as Niyandre, commissioned by BFI Doc society and is a part of their ‘Roots and Branches’ category. And while the film is a huge success for Niyadre, he notices the emotion rippling throughout the room at every screening.
READ MORE: Irish TikTok sensation favourite to win Mercury Prize 2025 for album of the yearREAD MORE: ‘I quit my job to chase my dreams – now I DJ with celebrities for a living’
However, before Niyadre began his journey into the film industry, he has been filming music videos, starting with local artists Sade and Miles Smith which eventually opened doors for many opportunities.
“I’ve done videos for Rudimental, tour visuals for Eve, that was incredible and most recently Jade from Little mix. It’s been a hectic four years, and I just got signed as a commercial director now.”
While he’s exploring the film industry, he’s taken those very skills on with him. As the lights dimmed at the BFI screening, filmmaker Niyadre could feel the emotion ripple through the room. “Anytime we screen it, there’s always such an emotional reaction, it comes to a massive climax there’s a poet, it’s very beautiful,” he told the Mirror.
“People realise that these things have been taken away from them. And what happens, the film goes full circle going back to the Windrush,” he said.
“Luton Carnival was such a massive thing. Then the defunding started – no trucks, no sound systems, people didn’t know what to do so I decided the best thing I can do is direct and create a film that brings awareness to all these problems I hear all the time.”
Luton International Carnival happens every year in Luton town centre, produced by UK Centre for Carnival Arts. The first Luton Carnival took place in 1976, as a part of Luton borough council’s centenary celebrations.
While Niyadre’s film focuses on Luton carnival, it also looks at the Windrush generation and the unfair treatment many have faced over the years. “It links it all back to the Windrush and how, over the years, despite the fact that they have been, asked to come over here and help rebuild England from the world war, it’s like we’re still not getting the respect that we should have,” he told us.
“We bought all of our culture and all these flavours and everything, as they say in the film, and we’re still being diminished, our culture. So it’s quite sad for people when they see it. It’s a really interesting contradiction,” he explains. “Yes, we’re grateful to have come over and have a place, but it’s kind of like Stockholm syndrome. It’s a strange feeling.”
Capturing the “anger and upset” felt by residents on film didn’t come easy for Niyandre. He says: “There was at least ten more minutes about Windrush I wanted to include. The best way I could was just to be like – here we came, here we are, we sacrificed, we did so much.”
And the film was a full circle affect, as he included his family in it – there’s a scene where his family sit on a big table, adding to the personal aspect of the film.
“Watching it at the film festival, the other day was quite overwhelming because it felt like people were coming into my head like what I’ve experienced and that was like really interesting.”
For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror’s Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox.
The film has had such a powerful impact, Beyond the Rush was screened and opened a conversation in Parliament – which Niyandre says was a brilliant discussion, but for many people they don’t know what to do next.
“Someone said something really important at Parliament,” he recalls. “These institutions need to operate like a business if carnivals and youth clubs are recreated with structure and the right funding, people will feel they’re doing something for their community and for themselves – that’s the only way it will work.”
Above all, Niyandre hopes that people identify the resilience present in the film – not just for Caribbean people, but others who don’t have much power to make a difference.
“The main hope is that they revamp the carnival spirit again, Notting Hill got its funding back this year, a million pounds,” he says. “I’m hoping the same happens with Luton Carnival, because it was massive, I just remember the energy, the people, everything.”
Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We’d love to hear from you!