In the early hours of January 18th, 1981, in a house in south London, a birthday party ended in a fire. Thirteen young black British people died. The fire and its aftermath would ignite an uprising by the black British community. This gripping documentary, directed by Oscar-winner Steve McQueen, tells the stories of those at the party and the repercussions of that tragic night.

As news spread about the New Cross fire, the scale of the tragedy overwhelmed the local community. Amid uncertainty about whether the fire had been a racist firebomb attack, anger mounted at the police investigation and the seeming indifference of the press and the government. The Black People's Day of Action, a mass demonstration, was organized to bring the tragedy to the attention of the nation.

After the New Cross fire and the Black People's Day of Action, tensions between the community and the police deteriorated. This escalated when a massive stop-and-search operation targeted black people on the streets of Brixton. In April, the situation boiled over into one of the biggest riots in British history. Oscar-winner Steve McQueen tells the story of the riots and their aftermath.