Film: I Am Not Your Negro

Yesterday, I was booked for free comedy in Hammersmith, with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon & Greenwich, Random London, and London Live Comedy. Something, frankly, that I usually cancel - and eventually, I got an email advertising a film showing last night. Well, I'd rather go to a film! Did the film list, and eliminated oh, so many films that weren't showing yesterday - or not at a time I could manage (this was also the only evening this week that I had a late meeting). Left at the top of the list was I Am Not Your Negro, a documentary about race in America. Its IMDB rating actually went up! which is always unusual. Showing in a few places in town, but the Curzon Bloomsbury (formerly the Renoir) was the handiest for me to get home after. Not to mention the cheapest, showing as part of the Thursday DocHouse programme. I eventually booked it, since over half the seats were gone already.

So, since it was a late showing, I hung on in the office for quite a while, having a sandwich before heading out - into the pouring rain, of course. I mean, I was glad not to be headed out to Hammersmith in this - but it was hardly much better having to traipse all the way up to the Curzon Bloomsbury! And then I didn't quite remember the way, and had to keep checking my phone - and while it worked fine in the rain, what didn't was the button that detects my fingerprint, to turn off sleep mode. So, it was a frustrating trip. Well, I made it pretty much in time - I arrived during the trailers (of which there were only five minutes' worth), took my comfortable, reclining seat, peeled off my perpetually sodden coat, and relaxed. (It wasn't completely sold out, BTW, but nearly.)

As you might expect, it's a powerful piece - Oscar-nominated, I believe. I'd never heard of him, but there was a black American author, James Baldwin, who was a friend of three black men who were assassinated in the 60s - as he said, all younger than he was; none lived to see 40. The first, who died in 1963, was the only one of the three I hadn't heard of; Medgar Evers was a civil rights activist in the hotbed of Mississippi. Then there was Malcolm X in 1965 - and Dr. Martin Luther King, in 1968.

So, he agreed to write a book about them, and about the black experience in America. But he only got 30 pages written before he died - well, they've taken that manuscript, and extended it, and made a film out of it. Samuel Jackson narrates what is a stunning script - it is an absolute joy to listen to the words of such an eloquent and erudite man. We do get to see Baldwin in person too, mainly in clips from a tv chat show, during the course of which he argued with a (white) philosopher who thought he was blowing up the race issue.

Stunning use of film clips, tv coverage, and still photos describes a journey from - well, the 19th century really, although it doesn't feature much - right through to the present day. And, by jumping back and forth in time, the film makes a clear connection between the Nazi book burnings and the hate rallies of white supremacists; snippets of Baldwin talking about the likelihood of a black president are, of course, interspersed with Obama's inauguration ceremony (couldn't miss that opportunity!); his description of television feeding its audiences a fantasy view of the world, thus leaving them ill-equipped for the real one, is accompanied by footage from modern gameshows and Jerry Springer, egging his "guests" to the point where they physically attack each other: and a description of young black men turning to violence is accompanied by pictures of young black men that died in the last few years.

Plus ça change, indeed. And his view of American society is a profoundly depressing one. He describes American cities as among the most violent in the world, and describes the revelation he experienced when he moved to Paris as a young man, and could concentrate on his writing, rather than being afraid of the police all the time. Looking at the photos of white, mostly male, students jeering at a young black girl going to school in the deep south, I can hardly disagree. And yes, they did show the Rodney King beating. Not a film that everyone in the audience was comfortable with, nonetheless this is an important commentary. On television, as much as on the black experience.

And then I got soaked on the way home again. Tonight, I saw that London Social Detours (a side-shoot of Ken's Events) were charging £3 to go to the free jazz concert at the Royal Academy. So I was going to go on my own. Free. But then the London European Club (LEC) advertised a Norwegian Dixieland concert at Jamboree.. well, that sounded like more fun, so now I'm going to that instead.

Tomorrow, I'm doing something local - a guided walk on Residents, Rascals & Riots, in Holborn. With London for a Tenner or Less. (God, I hope the rain lets up!) Got a message that that group was closing as well - followed by an email invitation to take over as organiser, as one of its top members! For goodness' sake, I've only been to seven of their Meetups.. and I'm too busy to be taking over a group I don't care about. Anyway, they've only advertised Funzing stuff, with no social element - and there are a few other groups doing that. It'd have been different, had the Man with the Hat wanted someone to take over. May it not be too long before we see him again. 

On Sunday, London Dramatic Arts (LDAM) is headed out of town. We're going all the way to Northampton, to see a couple of Shakespearian plays, one directed by one of her members. Richard II, to be precise, with Titus Andronicus to whet our appetites. No-one has signed up apart from me, but what the hey I've never been there, so it'll be interesting. Managed to dig out my Rough Guide to England too, when I was in Ireland over the weekend - must photocopy the bit on Northampton!

On Monday, I'm off to Ugly Lies the Bone, at the Lyttleton.

On Tuesday, I'd booked with Funzing UK for an Infinitease Burlesque Show. In Leytonstone, so if anything better came up in the meantime, I was up for it! That's a terribly long way out. Anyway, the other day I got an email about cheap tickets - apparently there's a burlesque festival on - in Hackney, which is a bit closer. And a lot cheaper. So now I'm going to that instead - Funzing can be cancelled up to 48 hours in advance without penalty.

Wednesday was supposed to be the Man with the Hat's last event, but he had to cancel. Instead, I discovered that the UL Alumni Association (UL is my alma mater) is holding a talk on Brexit that night. And I was going to go to that - but lo, Funzing came up with something better! So then I was going to Urban Legends of London. But do you know, I completely forgot to mention that the World Music Meetup then advertised a Brazilian concert in Sands Film Studios - adore that venue. So that's now where I'm going that day! and barring the proverbial accident, fire, or flood, that's final.

On Thursday, Crick Crack is back - at Crouch End Arthouse again, unfortunately. It's just so far! Still going, of course - the more especially because it's Michael Harvey! He's worth the trip. Then I'm back to Ireland for the Bank Holiday weekend again - and taking the bank holiday, this time!

On the 30h, LDAM are at the Olivier to see Common. So am I.. on a cheap Travelex ticket, which I booked direct with the venue. So I'll be avoiding them, since they don't appreciate that.

On the 31st, free comedy in Hammersmith was up again (temporarily), with the above groups, plus London Art Comedy & Culture Lovers (another offshoot of Ken's Events). But yay, it's now been replaced by another Funzing event - a Luxury Chocolate evening! Helen's popping along, too. The code Fun_Day10 got us a 10% discount.

On 1 June, I eschewed the free comedy in Hammersmith for the Ghosts & Executions Tour, with London for a Tenner or Less - even though that guide wasn't great the last time, so I cancelled this previously, he's better than that free comedy! Oh, and the code WELLBEING30 got me 30% off this. How it qualifies as "well-being" I don't know, but I'm not complaining!

Then I'm off down to Helen for the weekend - she told me about this Living History Festival, and I said yes please!

The 5th, I'm back to Soho Theatre with the Crick Crack Club, for something called The Frog Princess - Punked. Ben Haggerty, the mc and co-founder of the club, told us the other night that there's going to be a full punk band - goodness, who would've thought that Sally Pomme Clayton had a hidden punk side!

And the 6th June, I'm with the LEC, to see the Images Ballet Company at the Arts Depot.