Small Axe is a British anthology film series, created and directed by Steve McQueen. The anthology consists of five films that tell distinct stories about the lives of West Indian immigrants in London from the 1960s to the 1980s. The title references a proverb – "Small axe fall big tree" or "If you are the big tree, we are the small axe" – popularised by Bob Marley in his 1973 song "Small Axe" Two episodes of the series were selected into the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. The series premiered in the UK on BBC One on 15 November 2020 and on 20 November 2020 on Amazon Prime Video in the United States.