Film: Stranger in Paradise

Tonight, I'd provisionally booked for free comedy in Greenwich, with Random London, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon & Greenwich, and London Live Comedy. Naturally, I couldn't be bothered - instead, I went to a film. Top of my list (apart from Wonder Woman, which I'm not interested in) was Stranger in Paradise. No, not the song from Kismet - this is a documentary about refugees. BFI again.

I kept an eye on it all day, although it never really came close to selling out - these things have a habit of experiencing last-minute rushes. Especially at this venue. But not having booked, I didn't have to pay a booking fee - or get persuaded into making a donation. I walked down there again - after being in a freezing cold office all day, I found it uncomfortably hot in the lobby of my building, with its large windows. And if I thought that was bad, walking outside was like entering a sauna. Well, this did turn out to be the hottest day of the year so far - in fact, the hottest June day in the UK since 1976. No queue outside the ice cream shop like I saw on Monday though, stretching into the road - but they were doing a steady business. And I passed several people who were remarking how hot it was..

But oh, how deliciously cold in the cinema. So delicious I could almost taste the coolness. And yay, they still have the plush, red velvet seats - in NFT3 anyway. Just had time to read the explanatory leaflet that was provided, before someone gave a small speech, to introduce the panel that would be presiding over the Q+A at the end, as well as the director, who would be on Skype. And the lights darkened, and the film started - no trailers, here.

I'm gonna cut to the chase and say that, for me, this is the film of the year so far. Yes, it's a documentary about refugees - but I'll venture to say you've never seen one like this. The entire panel, afterwards, kept repeating the word "refreshing" - and I agree. It's a film of three acts, set primarily in a classroom, where an actor is "teaching" a group of real refugees what being a refugee really means - the director remarked that the classroom setting worked as a very visual representation of power, of a room you weren't allowed to leave. 

The First Act is confrontational. The "teacher" welcomes the various people, then proceeds to depress the hell out of them by giving them all the arguments against refugees. Not knee-jerk ones, you understand - these are all reasonable facts. The sheer number of refugees (1.5 million last year): the cost for each (€26,000 per person for the first year): the statistic that only 45% of them will ever get any kind of work in Europe: the conflict between religious and secular laws, particularly for Muslims: the Muslim attacks that have made people fearful of Muslims. I thought they looked quite worried - the director didn't push for an answer from them at any point, deliberately - he said there were quite enough films trying to find their way into their heads, which he found patronising.

In the Second Act, Bad Cop turns into Good Cop as he welcomes them again - although I didn't recognise many of them, and I wonder how many returned after the first day. This time, he's all friendly, and explaining to them how seven separate universities - including Harvard - have concluded that, if we were to abolish all borders and allow complete freedom of movement of people and goods, not just in the EU but around the world, the world's economy would explode - we would be immeasurably better off. He praises them for their difficult journeys, saying he regards them as modern voyagers. He asks them to close their eyes and imagine their perfect job, their perfect house. And when they open their eyes, he tells them to hold onto those dreams. And it was lovely to see the smiles, and the wistful look in their eyes.

Finally, the Third Act is interesting, as he actually screens each of them to decide whether, as they seem to want, they would get a residence permit for the Netherlands (this was actually filmed in Sicily). Going around the room, he asks why each wants to live in Europe - Step 1 is to reject economic migrants. Those rejected are asked to leave the room. Of the rest, who claim persecution, he asks what countries they're from, then writes a short list of countries on the blackboard. This, he explains, is a list of "safe" countries, and refugees from these countries cannot claim asylum unless they are homosexual. Step 2 is to reject people who, on the basis of nationality, are deemed safe. Finally, he interviews each personally, to see whether they seem plausible, and whether the threat to them seems significant. Some are rejected on the basis of being too vague. On the other hand, one - from Syria - is told that her country has a special status, in that it is considered to be in a constant state of war, so that the very fact that she is in Europe means that she will be allowed to stay. In all that room, only four are deemed successful.

It's fascinating - although it did make me wonder what happens to all those who are rejected. Anyway, afterwards, the entire panel praised the director's balance - he said he hates taking one position over another, thinking it unfair. The Q+A threw up a couple of interesting points - like the panellist from the Red Cross, who said he would be happy to show this film both to his pro- and anti-refugee relatives; he'd been looking for a film like this for a while! When the director was asked what reaction the film had received when shown on Dutch tv - "none, really" got a laugh. It opened my eyes as much as anyone else's - and I left the cinema with The Stranger Song in my head (it was on the soundtrack). Shed a tear at that. This is a must-see.

And the ice cream shop was still doing a steady trade, as I made my way back.

Tomorrow, I'd originally booked for free comedy in Hammersmith, with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, and Random London. Also advertised with Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, and Discover LDN.UK (twice). Instead, I'm back with Funzing - London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night have a talk on Urban Legends of the Tube. I got this one for free, for filling a loyalty card for LDN Talks @ Night, having been to three talks (more, but anyway).

Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, and on Saturday my mother and I are off to the Limerick Sings International Choral Festival - always worth a look, and the gala concert takes place in the University Concert Hall that night.

On Monday, I'm headed to some comedy for £3.60 - this one's at The Tabernacle. Gosh, that's quite close to the site of the dreadful fire last week - I might take a wander up that direction.

On Tuesday, I'm back with the London European Club (LEC) at last - an evening of Welsh stories and writing at the London Welsh Centre. Be lovely to see some familiar faces!

Next Wednesday, I had booked with Random London, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich and London Live Comedy (again) for free comedy in Greenwich (again). And then I switched to West London Improvised Comedy Nights, who have a show at The Lillie Langtry, which is closer - indeed, very close to where I've lived longest in London. However, some more folks I haven't seen in a while - a couple of members of the Man with the Hat's old groups - are headed to a concert at the Royal Academy of Music, with London Social Detours. The concerts are free, but the group is charging a Meetup fee, so I'd normally just go on my own - but I want to meet these folks, so I'll stump up.

On the 29th, yes, once again I'd booked for free comedy in Hammersmith - with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, and Random London. Also advertised by London Live Comedy, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, and Discover LDN.UK (again, twice). But then I'd booked to go with the LEC to a talk on the relationship between Britain and France, at the LSE. Would've been interesting, but sod it, I then realised I have a late meeting that day, and with the talk starting quite early, it's a non-starter. Didn't want to rebook the comedy, having cancelled it. So I had a look at what else was on Meetup - and discovered something interesting. I hadn't been getting a wide variety of things on the main Meetup site - but they've mercifully improved the app. Which is what I happened to consult when I realised I'd have to cancel the talk, since I didn't have a laptop to hand. And lo, the app had LOADS more events. Seriously, there's a real disconnect between the app and the main website. Tons of interesting stuff. And on the app - well, a group called Ealing Ladies Social Group was headed to Terror, at the Lyric Hammersmith. Which sounded the most interesting of all. Not the group, mind, which has far too many rules and regulations for my liking - and they're closed to new members anyway. Nothing to stop me going myself, though..

Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again! Not usual for me to go two weeks in a row.. more details below. On 3rd, London Dramatic Arts is off to see The Mentor, at the Vaudeville Theatre. Expensively, as usual. I'm going as well - cheaply, courtesy of Amazon Tickets. Sat in the Grand Circle, I should be able to avoid them.

On the 4th, I cancelled more free comedy in Hammersmith (Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, London Live Comedy, and Discover LDN.UK) for another Funzing talk - The Psychology of Dreams. As advertised by London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night. Cancellable, but I'm so far unlikely to do so.

On the 5th, back with the LEC, for a concert of Greek music at Sands Films. Looking forward to that - I love the venue, but haven't fancied the last couple of concerts they've had there.

On the 6th, I was booked for free comedy in Hammersmith (!) with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, London Live Comedy, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, and Discover LDN.UK. Did you think I'd actually go? ;-) Well, I'm not - but the reason is an unusual one. My new company is very nice indeed - and they have an annual volunteering day: gardening. I hate gardening. On the 6th. For the whole day, they're at it. And on Monday, the office manager kindly informed us that it was compulsory unless we were on holiday. Huh! Well now, I hate being told what to do. So I've suddenly decided to be on holiday that day - and as it's a Thursday, the next too.

Then comes a weekend I've been looking forward to for a while. Long-anticipated, the European leg of U2's 30th anniversary tour of The Joshua Tree kicks off in Twickenham on the 8th & 9th. 'Mare of a place to see them - after I saw them there in 2005, I swore - never again. Happily, I now know someone living down that direction! :-) Helen is also coming with me to the first concert, and I'm staying with her for the weekend (now starting on Thursday, as she kindly offered). Which sorts transport for the first night - she'll drive. The second night, I'll head back by bus - the train is an absolute nightmare. Anyway, this would have been a weekend in Ireland - hence the trips back two weekends in a row, preceding it.