Multiple films in this year’s NYFF contend with global protest movements and the fight against police brutality: in the Main Slate, Mangrove and Red, White and Blue from Steve McQueen‘s Small Axe anthology chronicle the racist police violence experienced by London’s West Indian community in the 1970s and ’80s; David Dufresne’s Spotlight selection, The Monopoly of Violence, documents the state repression leveled against France’s “yellow vest” protesters.

To expand on the timely questions raised by these films, NYFF Talks programmer Devika Girish moderated a roundtable conversation with a group of film artists and writers about the cinematic representation of protest and police brutality. Panelists included Courttia Newland, a co-writer for Small Axe; Bertrand Faivre, the producer of The Monopoly of Violence; Melissa Gira Grant, staff writer at The New Republic; and writer and filmmaker Blair McClendonTheir thoughtful and galvanizing discussion touched upon the place of art in revolutionary movements, the depiction of state violence as both a human and systemic reality, and the spirit of hope and solidarity—centered in all three films—that drives protest.

Watch the conversation below, presented by HBO. Visit our NYFF58 playlist for more talks and Q&As.