Michaela Coel and John Goodman headline the gripping new trailer for the upcoming BBC Two/Netflix series Black Earth Rising.

The eight-part series, created by Hugo Blick, takes place in the U.S., Africa and Europe and focuses on Noel’s character, Kate Ashby, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide who grows up to take on the case of a lifetime. According to Deadline, Kate was adopted by Eve Ashby (played by Harriet Walter), “a world-class British prosecutor in international criminal law” and raised in Britain. As an adult, Kate works as a legal investigator with Michael Ennis (Goodman). “When Eve takes on a case at the International Criminal Court prosecuting an African militia leader, the story pulls Michael and Kate into a journey that will upend their lives forever.”

When we reported on the story in May, Blick said his project helped him understand what the famous quote “The past isn’t dead, it isn’t even past” meant.

“I was never quite sure exactly what this famous quote meant, but by following the fictional journey of a young black British woman on an epic and deeply personal quest to bring a Rwandan genocidaire to legal justice–now I do,” he said. “And now I know just how crucial, difficult and terrifying that phrase can seem to anyone in pursuit, and denial, of international criminal justice.”

The series also stars Tamara Tunie, Danny Sapani, Aure Atika, Nyasha Hatendi, Lucian Msamati, Treva Etienne, Abena Ayivor, Kathryn Hunter, Nigel Whitmey, Richard Dixon, Paapa Essiedu and Noma Dumezweni (aka Hermione from the stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). The series will air on BBC Two at some point this year, and Netflix will stream the series internationally.

Nyasha Hatendi

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