Black Star: The Butler 
Join us in celebrating some of cinema’s greatest talents in Black Star, a major new season from the BFI, continuing until December.
Soldier, jazz musician, butler, samurai hitman, burglar, undertaker, ruthless dictator. These seven films demonstrate the versatility of Forest Whitaker, one of the finest – and most unassuming – actors working in cinema today. All films (except Bird) are screening from 35mm prints.
For three decades, Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) served as the chief butler for eight consecutive US presidents, including Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.
Working intimately with these world leaders at the White House, from his unique vantage point Cecil Gaines witnessed radical transformations in American history through the civil rights movement to Vietnam and the Cold War - and how those changes affected his life and family. Based on a true story, Forest Whitaker imbues his part with immense dignity.
Also screening as part of BFI Black Star: All About Forest Season:
