Original subtitles

MUSIC: Birthday Sex by Jeremih

It's your birthday so I know you...

Morning, beautiful.

Huh? Frank, why would you...how'd you get in here?

Happy birthday, baby girl.

W-Wait. Why are you here?

I've got a little present for you.

For me?

You want passion, I think you found it...

I don't understand.

Ready for action...

Something you've been waiting for.

Are you giving it to me now?

You feel surrounded...

If that's what you want.

I think it is.

Girl, you know I-I-I...

Then here I come.

KNOCKING Queenie?

Go away.

Queenie.

Queenie. KNOCKING

No, I said go away. I'm busy.

Hello, hello!

Just cos it's your birthday don't mean you don't have things to do.

Come on, get up. I run you a bath.

Mm.

Morning, Grandma. Thank you.

You'll be late for therapy. Let's go.

Grandma encouraging therapy? Oh, how times have changed.

And when you get back, I want you to tidy your room.

But the chores remain the same.

Frank Ssebendeke the Second?

Queenie!

Well, strong black women don't cry, Janet.

Oh, I think they do, Queenie.

Hmm. Maybe I'm not as strong as you think I am.

On the contrary, I think you're very strong.

To keep coming back here week after week shows great fortitude.

I know this isn't easy for you.

Go on.

Do you think all this started because I-I could've been a mum?

How do you mean?

Being pregnant and then not. Do you think that that,

like, threw up all of my mum issues?

It's certainly a possibility. Pregnancy,

whatever you choose to do,

won't just pass you by without having an effect.

Has it made you feel differently about your mother?

Mm, yeah. No,

I...I have to think about it,

but for now, no.

Well, our time is up,

but hold on to those thoughts until next week when we start talking

about forgiveness. My mum...my mum doesn't deserve my forgiveness.

We'll see how you feel about that the further we get into it.

Oh, and happy birthday. Mm. What are you doing to celebrate?

Nothing. Er, I'm going to go swimming, I think,

and then back to my grandparents.

Can't spend my whole summer with Grandma and Grandad.

Wish me luck.

Cos the sun's engaged to the sky...

Why did I choose this as my first outside activity?

I never liked swimming before,

and I don't have a swimming cap. Right,

focus. Regroup. No negativity.

Swimming is a normal and fun thing to do in the summer.

Everybody's falling in love and I'm falling apart...

Not another black body in sight, though.

You wouldn't know I was 'round the corner from Brixton.

Seriously? We haven't spoken since she dogged me out over Guy.

That's all she has to say?

Stepped outside and burned my skin...

Right, so where was I this time last year?

I spent my 25th on a surprise trip to Greece with Tom.

Now he's spending my birthday with his new girlfriend,

which is horrific.

I also had a job last year

and now I'm on some kind of forced or extended leave

for something I didn't do,

and haven't heard from The Daily Reader in

so long they've probably forgotten about me and promoted Ted.

Did you hear what I said to him, Stella? I said, "Cosmo,

we are going to have to sell the second flat." The Brixton one.

Because we cannot be dealing with these tenants any more.

Every minute it's, "Oh, the flat is damp."

"Oh, we think we've got carbon monoxide poisoning."

"Oh, the mice are in our cereal boxes."

Oh!

Hello. Little girl, are you lost?

No, stupid. I'm a sea creature.

Oh! And so are you.

Tabby, darling, come here.

Oh, my God, what a little shit.

Oh, my God. Obviously, that's her mum.

I mean, are...are you seriously going to let your child

behave like this?

WOMAN SIGHS

Come on, Tabitha, we're leaving.

I will not be attacked at my local pool. My MP will hear about this.

Do you know what? Don't bother.

Well, I tried.

Are you all right, darling?

Yeah?

I'm definitely not ready for the outside world yet.

SUDDEN BANGS

Happy birthday, Queenie! Oh, yeah. Happy birthday, niecey.

Thank you, Auntie Maggie. Mum, you know that Queenie

don't like physical affection. Hmm.

I got you tickets to that exhibition you keep talking about.

Black History Double X, the one about the women?

Ah. Oh, thank you.

I didn't...I didn't think you remembered.

Listen, I'm young. My memory's not going, like you lot.

Can we all go outside and stop congesting the hallway, please?

Check out the surprise motive. Well,

not motive, but you get what I mean.

That I planned for my big cousin's 26th.

26 years old and my housemates are in their 70s.

Three years from now and I was meant to be getting married,

maybe meant to be stable,

and maybe thinking about popping babies.

I know what you're thinking.

You do? Yeah. But it's cool.

I didn't get the money for all this illegally.

Oh. I wasn't even thinking that.

Guess who I found.

Please, not my mum. Please, not my mum. Not just yet.

Happy birthday, girl! Argh! OK!

Mm. Mm. Argh!

Oh, God, that one looks burnt.

Therapy still going good? You're skinnier than I'm used to,

but you look finer every single time I see you.

Do you know what? These last few weeks were hard.

Like, there was one session where I didn't think

I was going to go back. But, you know, Grandma,

Grandma miraculously changed her mind, and she makes sure I go.

Love that. I know.

And your therapist is giving you, like, tools and shit.

She's giving me tools and shit. How did you know?

It's how I know anything, Queenie. TikTok.

QUEENIE EXHALES

Do you know, it's...it's weird, because it's, like,

even though she's giving me the tools,

and as much as I can feel better, I can feel worse, too.

You just got to take it day by day.

Oh! Oh, my gosh, Kyazike!

I haven't seen this picture in years!

Oh, Miss Chestnut's parties were the best.

Frank found it when he was painting behind

the cabinet in the front room.

What? When are you lot going to stop treating Frank like the help?

Why would we ever stop treating Frank like the help?

God. How is he? I haven't heard from him in a while.

He's all right. Uh, he's gone quiet on me,

too, though. I think he's got a new girl.

Oh.

G...er, yeah. Nice.

Good, er, good for him.

Don't watch that. He's a hoe. No, y-yeah.

He should hoe all he likes.

Darcy. Hello!

Erm, these don't really go

with my colour schemes, but I'll allow it. Oh.

Like, they're just blowing in my

face and hitting me and hitting you.

You and Janet talked about this. Deep breaths.

Mm-mm.

Happy birthday, Queenie.

Acceptance...acceptance.

Hi, Sylvie. Sylvie!

Come back here and help me in the kitchen, nuh?

I'm coming. I'm just saying happy birthday.

Ah. Na worry yourself.

I'm coming. I'm coming. I'll be back.

Kyazike, lovely to see you.

You've grown into such a beautiful young woman.

Thank you.

You OK?

Yeah. I'm good.

Kyazike, come and help in the kitchen, too. I'll be back. OK.

Sorry, I've been quiet for a while. Just needed to,

you know, just not think about work.

Which feels weird, because I'm still getting paid,

and I'm still having therapy.

I just feel like I don't matter to a place

and to people that I've been with for years.

Mm. No, I understand. But you know,

we never have to talk about the office.

I'm your friend outside of all of that.

I know. Thank you.

I know that these past few weeks have been hard for you, too.

I wasn't a good friend. I wasn't a good anything.

No. Come on, don't be silly.

I love you, Queenie. I wouldn't just abandon you

because you're going through a hard time.

Oh...Oh.

I think you should start writing, you know? Mm.

I'm sure that freelance things are still allowed.

Sorry to break this up. Erm, Queenie, quick one. Mm-hm?

You guys definitely do wash your chicken, innit?

How dare you? Kyazike, go,

go in the kitchen and go and ask my grandmother.

It's...it's a question. Yeah.

Doesn't washing chicken spread salmonella?

What? No? No. Good.

Had to go and get the good-good china.

Because, you know, we have a white guest.

OK. Thank you, Auntie Maggie. Christ.

Oh, sh. Maggie, the candles? Where you put them?

What'd I do with the candles? I've got a light.

And why do you have a light? Huh, child?

What did you say, Grandad?

She's coming. OK.

THEY SING: Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you...

Guys, can I just get a minute?

Happy birthday, dear Queenie...

Hold it down. Hold it down.

Happy birthday to you.

Why does she have to be here? I-I wish she'd disappear.

I wish she'd just...

Yay!

Hey, there's food outside that needs finishing.

Yeah, let's go. Let's do that. Come on. Move.

Queenie, I've, erm, I've got something...

..for you.

But don't open it now, though.

It's fine, Sylvie. Don't make a big deal out of it.

All right. Take your time, Wilfred.

What? What is this?

Let's...let's talk about it later. It's not a lot, but...

Oh, I haven't had a chance to meet your friend properly.

Oh, yeah, of course. Erm, well,

Queenie and I have worked together for three years now.

Yeah. I'm the picture editor, so that means I'm in charge of...

Do you know what? Darcy, it's fine. Do you know what?

We were actually just going to get some...

Oh, well, I do have a question, actually, Sylvie.

Erm, why did you name Queenie "Queenie"?

Wow. Darcy's really not reading the room, is she?

That's an easy question.

When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a princess.

Aw. All the books I'd read, they were so perfect,

pretty and delicate.

When I was pregnant, I thought, "Oh, she's here."

The princess I'd been dreaming about was right here.

Well, that's before I found out her dad was already married.

Well, that's one thing I got from Sylvie.

The inability to spot when someone has a wife. Oh, my goodness.

When I got back from the hospital with her,

all I could do was...cry.

I wasn't even thinking about a name. How is my birthday about her?

This is meant to be the day that I get to reflect,

that I get to think about my life. To look at where I am now

and have a chance to be sad about where I am now.

But instead, I'm having to think about her feelings instead of mine?

This is why I don't want her in my life.

This is exactly why I don't answer her calls or her messages,

because I end up having to feel bad for her instead of bad for me.

So I called her Queenie. I think it...I think it suits her.

Darcy, just give us a minute.

Yeah.

It's Kadija's. She left it in my bag.

And if Kadija said to jump, would you say, "How high?"

It depends on the reason why she's asking me to jump.

Oh, what a rock. You all right, darling? Yeah, all good.

I think Queenie wants to talk to her mum in private.

I know. Erm, there's...there's...there's...

..there's nothing that I...

Queenie, I, erm...I'm so s... You can't just buy my love!

No, I know! Look, wait.

You think a cheque is going to undo all the damage?

No...no, that's not what I mean by...

So you let that man take your money, but you let him take

your relationship with your daughter, too!

She need to let it out, Maggie. I...I...

Look, you can't just keep turning up

and popping into my life until you acknowledge,

and properly, that you left me alone. Stop.

No, no.

I wish that she, Maggie, Grandad, Janet,

all of them, knew how painful this is.

Do they know what it's like to love someone

as much as you can't bear to be near them?

Are you all right?

Well, obviously you're not all right, but are you all right?

I need to get out of here.

Do you want to touch that exhibition?

We've still got time to go.

Yeah, let's do it. OK, cool.

MUSIC BLARES OUT

Yo, wake your ass up, fam. We're leaving.

Oh, what, your little pro-black event's done, yeah?

You have fun in there? Ah, shut up, man. Look,

it's an exhibition shedding light

on, like, black lives, black history.

Nah, miss me with all that, bro.

You thought Queenie was going to be in there, innit?

Bro, did you eat before you left your house?

Ooh. I just never thought I would see the day where

a man like Frank is acting shy.

You with all your hungry talk, man. Enough.

Bro, just shoot the shot, bro. What you waiting for?

Where else are you going to find

a girl who cares about neeky shit like exhibitions?

Kyazike already said Queenie's a no-go.

She's got stuff going on, innit?

I...I've got to respect her word, innit?

Don't you think that is down to Queenie to decide?

Stop looking at me, fam. Just face your front, cous.

So basically, if you sign the form,

you tick off my work experience

for me without me actually having to do any work. Mm.

"Work experience with top British Jamaican journalist

Queenie Jenkins." There's no way your teachers are falling for this.

Tell me you don't like the way I bigged you up, though.

What would Diana say if she knew that this top

British Jamaican journalist isn't actually on a sabbatical from work?

Maybe that's how you ended up so depressed.

Sorry. I just mean you need to loosen up a bit more.

Stop taking life so seriously.

Get inside before I knock you out.

Love you, Queenie. Thank you.

Sign at the bottom of the form, please.

Just means we have to be inventive about ways we can diversify

the curriculum ourselves. Because no offence,

we're not your generation or our mums'. Definitely not Grandma's.

We're not just going to wait for change. I mean, yeah,

but is that what you really think people have been doing?

Like, sitting on their backsides waiting for change? Come on, Diana.

What are you going to do about it, then? Uh...

Cos, don't you work at a newspaper?

Why haven't you done anything about it?

Because I'm not even sure that I work there any more.

Also, listen, I'm...I'm fed up with writing.

OK. Take some inspiration from me for once.

Make a video.

Hmm. Maybe the little cous is onto something.

I think you'll be a good mum, you know.

How is it for you guys?

It's always good to know what the youngsters think.

I thought it was cold.

I-I also, I also thought it was cold.

And? Well...

..I'm...I'm obviously interested in the place of women in black history,

but when we often focus on black history,

it's either through the male lens, or it's...

..we just focus on the big names. Like,

yeah, thank you to Mary Seacole for everything you did, but it's...

What do you mean?

I just meant that it was nice to see Nanny of the Maroons

and Altheia Jones-LeCointe and Jocelyn Barrow...

..and even Dawn Butler.

Oh, and Khadija Saye.

I think it's important to break this tradition of what

a black woman has always been. Also,

to shift the focus away from what she did for white people.

Yeah. But then, you know what they say.

Tradition is peer pressure from dead people, so... Yeah.

What was your name? Queenie Jenkins, top British Jamaican journalist.

Makes sense. I'm Jasmila.

I'm her cousin, Diana.

And, sorry, where do I know your face from?

Er, I write books.

Take my card, Queenie.

Let me know if you ever want to talk more.

I will. Thank you.

It's OK.

Oh, look, see? These one's are important. Which one? I like this.

You should hire that girl. She's smart.

She reminds me of me when I was that age.

I can't talk about Sylvie any more.

Diana, is that you? Listen, can you just...

..just tell them that I went upstairs for a nap, OK? Diana.

Come in here a minute, babe. Got you. Thank you.

Come.

I'm coming.

"To my dear daughter, Queenie Veronica Jenkins.

"Happy 26th birthday.

"My hope is that you use this cheque

"to get yourself somewhere to live. It's not a lot,

"but it should be a start. Love, your mum, Sylvie."

You back, Queenie? "PS. I hear you're in therapy.

"That is only a good thing."

Queenie. Uh...yeah, but I'm...I'm going to my room.

There's someone here for you. He's in the garden.

He?

Why is he here?

OK, don't read too much into it.

Maybe it's time for me to look forwards instead of backwards?

Ah, the bigger the fish, the more butter it take.

Bigger assignments take greater effort.

But look, it's all worth it in the end.

Yeah, no, I really appreciate that one, Uncle.

I'm, uh, yeah, I'm going to hold on to that one still.

Not interrupting, am I?

Yo, big Q. It's...it's your birthday today, innit?

Yeah, well, erm, Happy Earth-strong.

My guy. Yeah. How did he remember?

And...and the-the-the smaller di fish, the more cleaning it take.

Grandma, can you come and get your man, please?

Wilfred.

Get yourself up here

and leff the young people to talk na.

QUEENIE CHUCKLES

In a bit, Grandad.

Nice boy. Bye, Frank.

What'd he say to you?

Oh, you know, just, er, just some life lessons and that. Mm.

Yeah. Important ones, too. Oh? Yeah, man. Mm-hm.

Saying something about how he really likes me.

Yeah, me too, if that dream is anything to go by.

Look, I, erm, I got you a little something

from the exhibition I was at earlier.

BOTH: Black History XX. Yeah, I was there! Oh, yeah?

Yeah, but my...my family threw me a surprise today.

You don't like surprises, though. Not really.

Not when they're in the form of a person.

What, your mum?

One and only.

You want to talk about that?

Not today.

Is that all right?

Yeah, of course.

What exactly is going on between you?

Diana, are you serious? Frank's my friend.

OK, well, just be careful, innit? Cos I saw a video online,

and it spoke about male/female friendships. OK, thank y...OK.

Yes, all right. Thank you.

Diana. Come. Fine.

I'm so sorry about my cousin. She has no filter.

PHONE VIBRATES

HE TUTS

Er, I can't stay anyway, so.

Oh? What, you got a hot date?

Oh. OK.

That's nice.

Going anywhere nice? Look, it's nothing serious or anything.

That's nice. Er, Frank's going on a date.

Hot date. Erm, I got dates, too.

Next week. Oh, yeah? All next week, actually.

Dates with who?

Do you know, erm...

..thank you for my gift.

It's thoughtful of you.

I'm not my mum, and Frank's not Roy.

He could never be that man.

Er, well, er... I need to trust that.

Be easy, Big Q.

Got me falling on myself

But I don't resent you

Shaking to Deftones, glitter in my bones

Love you like I don't know better...

Yeah, cool.

Frank's not just your friend.

Queenie, for once in your life, say something!

Frank?

I'm wide open

Hmm

All yours, baby

Come down like a million tonnes

All yours, baby

Flood me with your nervous love

All yours, baby

Come down like a million tonnes

All yours, baby

Now I got my shot glass out the punch is stickin'

Tryna deduct blue, why do I trust you?

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