BY FRANCES-ANNE SOLOMON
Origin Story
Writing a blog post about the making of “HERO”, feels like opening a family album—each chapter full of memories, familiar faces, and moments of serendipity. The journey of bringing Ulric Cross’ incredible story to the screen was a labor of love, collaboration, and self-discovery for all of us.
The Inspiration
My involvement began with my mother, through her close friend, Desmond Allum. Anne-Marie first met “Desi” — as he was known — on the boat to England in the late 1950s. Both barely 20, young and full of hope, heading toward an unknown future in the “Motherland” – Desi to study law, and my mother to join my father.
They were “the Windrush Generation” – stepping into a transformative moment of history, as the end of Empire met the call for colonial independence My mother and Desi formed a life-long bond that stood the test of time, through tumultuous times and times of joy.
Desi went on to become an extraordinary lawyer, patriot, and activist. Among many accomplishments, he fought and won a landmark racism case against the London police in the1960s; served as a transformational government minister in Trinidad, and founded the Cotton Tree Foundation to support underprivileged youth in his area.
He was also a close friend of Ulric Cross. When Desi fell ill, he made a heartfelt request to my mother: to ensure that a film was made about Ulric. It was an unusual ask, rooted in their shared history. My mother agonized over this when he died. As the filmmaker in the family, I eventually stepped in to help her, even though I knew little of Ulric’s story at the time.
Discovering Ulric Cross
As I delved into his life, astonished, I discovered, that Ulric was not only the most decorated West Indian RAF pilot of World War II, but his influence extended far beyond that.
Following the war, he was recruited along with other young West Indian lawyers by Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first Prime Minister, to go to Ghana, From there, he travelled to Cameroon, where he served as Attorney General, and then to Tanzania.
Their mission was to contribute to the transformation process underway in these newly independent nations, fresh from the grip of colonialism. Along with others, he served as one of the legal architects of Africa’s independence and liberation.
I knew how rare it was to see on screen a story like Ulric’s—who we knew personally, a boy from a small Caribbean island—who changed the world in ways we barely ever heard about. People who look like us are too often shown in the media as either victims or criminals. Telling Ulric’s story became my way to correct that picture, to present an everyday Hero who was family, who was revolutionary, who was huge, smart, brave, funny, visionary and effective.
Why This Story Mattered To Me
Growing up in Trinidad post-independence, I was surrounded by strong, ambitious men and women who looked like me, who had agency and impacted the world around them every day. As an example, I knew that my grandfather, Patrick Solomon, was one of the architects of our country’s independence, that he had travelled to England before I was born with our (soon-to-be) first Prime Minister to negotiate independence from the Brits.
As a young producer in the 1990’s, working at the BBC in England for many years, we never had an opportunity to tell stories like these. I saw firsthand how our real life stories were censored and erased.
Making HERO wasn’t just about filming Ulric’s life; it was claiming a space for all of our lives and filling the chasms left by colonial history books and the mainstream media.
Storytelling heals the broken pieces that systemic racism and colonialism have fractured. The stories we tell remind our children that they are the heroes and heroines of their own lives, the masters of their own destinies.
Bringing the Film To Life
Working on “HERO” was nothing short of a wild adventure. The team we built to make the film came from all over—Trinidad, Ghana, the UK, and Canada—reflecting Ulric’s global journey. We shot across continents, and every location had its own set of hurdles. Sometimes, stepping into the places where Ulric once stood, history felt so close we felt like we were living it.
Aluta Continua
Ulric Cross’s story is far from the only one needing to be told. If anything, this film showed me how many stories lie dormant, waiting to be uncovered, celebrated, and brought into the light.
Storytelling is one of the most powerful weapons we have. Whether through film, writing, painting, or simply passing stories down at the dinner table, from one generation to the next, the act of sharing who we are shapes who we will become.
Telling Ulric’s story was a way to give him the recognition he deserved, yes — but it was also my way to begin to honor all the people of the Caribbean and Africa, who quietly shaped the world I have the honour to stand in.
It’s my hope that HERO inspires others to tell all their stories, too.
About Frances-Anne Solomon
Frances-Anne Solomon is an award-winning director, writer, and producer recognized internationally for her work across film, television, and radio. Born in England, raised in Trinidad, her career has been shaped by a transatlantic sensibility that infuses her storytelling with global resonance. Solomon’s credits include multiple award-winning productions and the founding of CaribbeanTales Media Group, a pioneering platform for Caribbean storytelling worldwide. She is a Director member of AMPAS, and BAFTA.
