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Miniseries – Black Earth Rising

Play trailer 1:56 Poster for Miniseries – Black Earth Rising Sep 2018 Drama War Play Trailer Watchlist
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79% Tomatometer 34 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Kate Ashby was raised in Britain by her adoptive mother, Eve, but was born in Rwanda and was rescued as a young child from the genocide. Following in the footsteps of her mother, a respected British prosecutor in international criminal law, Kate works as a legal investigator for Michael Ennis. When Eve takes on a case prosecuting an African militia leader in the International Criminal Court, Michael and Kate are drawn in and their lives are turned upside-down. The series takes place in the U.K., the U.S., Europe, and Africa, and delves into challenging issues including race, justice, personal integrity and self-determination, on a global scale.
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Black Earth Rising — Miniseries

Black Earth Rising — Miniseries

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Critics Consensus

Black Earth Rising is an exceptional political thriller, confronting relevant challenges and deep-seated geopolitical problems with storytelling verve and a wise refusal to provide any easy answers.

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Critics Reviews

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Christopher Hooton Independent (UK) 04/09/2019
Coel has great presence and commands every shot she's in, but her protagonist's depression feels cartoonish and tacked on as a character trait. Go to Full Review Eric Deggans NPR 04/09/2019
Blick does a masterful job of unwinding a complex plot that touches on the arrogance of European nations imposing their justice on Africans and the brutal nature of political arrangements. Go to Full Review Brad Newsome Sydney Morning Herald 02/07/2019
With a fine cast led by John Goodman...and a series of cracking stories stretching from London and Paris to Rwanda and the Congo and back, it's immediately grabby. Go to Full Review Genevieve Burgess Pajiba 04/09/2019
Michaela Coel is mesmerizing, it's impossible to not be riveted to her striking and expressive face. She is alternately anxious, confident, confrontational, afraid, physically intimidating, subdued, confused, sad, enraged, and bereft at turns. Go to Full Review Melissa Camacho Common Sense Media 02/06/2019
4/5
Complex, excellent British series about Rwanda is violent. Go to Full Review Alex Maidy JoBlo's Movie Network 01/30/2019
8/10
As good as the actors are here, they deserved a less melodramatic and cliche script than they got. Luckily, star Michaela Cole has a nice chemistry with John Goodman and the pair save this from being just another offering on Netflix. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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10/18/2021 A miniseries that only consists of 8 episodes needs to be able to catch the enthusiasm of the viewer very early (episode # 1 would be ideal)!! , but this show failed to be the least bit interesting on so many levels. The premise was there, but somehow it was quite poorly executed. A LITTLE bit of action and intensity would've been a big help for this show. See more 08/01/2021 One of the most banal melodramas I have ever seen. Cartboard characters in poorly and artificially written situations. The creator has obviously never taken any time to acquaint himself with the mentality and experiences of actual people who survived genocide or some similar war crime or war trauma. The main character is an offensively cartoonish representation of an African descent woman with mental health issues. Far from being a thriller, this show makes it impossible not to laugh at the absurdity and campiness of supposedly emotional or suspenseful scenes. See more 03/26/2021 Unusual and powerful series. See more 02/01/2021 I need to see it again. The acting was exceptional. The plot is complicated - See more 10/26/2020 I found this show very dull. Not a thriller. See more 10/10/2020 This series made little of the material. It's slow and lacking in drama. See more Read all reviews
Black Earth Rising — Miniseries

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Cast & Crew

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John Goodman

Michael Ennis

Michaela Coel

Kate Ashby

Noma Dumezweni

Alice Munezero

Tyrone Huggins

Patrice Ganimana

Abena Ayivor

President Bibi Mundanzi

Lucian Msamati

David Runihura

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 10, 2018 In Other News Kate receives a clean bill of mental health, while Gen. Simon Nyamoya turns himself in; Eve's decision to prosecute his case leaves Kate reeling. Details Episode 2 Aired Sep 17, 2018 Looking at the Past After a shocking crime at the International Criminal Court, Michael sets a new case in motion; Kate joins him on the investigation in France. Details Episode 3 Aired Sep 24, 2018 A Ghost in Name In Paris, Kate meets with a man who tells her that Father Patenaude is still alive; back in London, Eve's estranged sister, Sorcha, pays a visit. Details Episode 4 Aired Oct 1, 2018 A Bowl of Cornflakes Lesage comes clean about the conspiracy; after Munezero gives Kate a piece of her past, Michael works genocide architect Patrice Ganimana's case. Details Episode 5 Aired Oct 8, 2018 The Eyes of the Devil Alice and Mundanzi's shared past comes out; Kate receives a warning about Ganimana, but she considers taking on the case over Michael's objections. Details Episode 6 Aired Oct 15, 2018 The Game's True Nature Kate and Alice share a very eventful dinner; after Kate retrieves the Ganimana file, she and Florence travel to Rwanda on Eunice's initiative. Details Episode 7 Aired Oct 22, 2018 Double Bogey on the Ninth With time running out, Eunice decides to give a sworn statement against Ganimana as Alice returns to Rwanda; Michael tells Kate the truth. Details Episode 8 Aired Oct 29, 2018 The Forgiving Earth While Kate travels in the Congo searching for mass graves, Michael receives an unexpected bequest that blows open a vast international conspiracy. Details

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Black Earth Rising — Miniseries

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Black Earth Rising — Miniseries

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Season Info

Director
Hugo Blick
Executive Producer
Greg Brenman
Screenwriter
Hugo Blick
Network
BBC
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Drama, War
Original Language
British English
Release Date
Sep 10, 2018
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