Yesterday, it was either watch the England match (just because I have a stake, having drawn them in the office sweepstakes) or a film - for which the candidate was A Cambodian Spring, a documentary about activists in Cambodia. Regent Street Cinema only. Well, most people had left the office well before match time, so there wasn't much of an atmosphere - I headed for the cinema.
Wouldn't you know it, I just made the bus! Had to run - and thank goodness for the Routemasters, with entry via the rear door. Cue a highly frustrating trip, with surely the most relaxed driver in the whole system - not only did he stop at every stop, regardless of whether there was anyone there or anyone had requested the stop: but for goodness' sake, he hung on there for about 20 seconds! Perhaps he was deliberately slowing his journey - he did speed up as we got near Oxford Street, and there was so little traffic that, even with his earlier dawdling, we got there 10 minutes before Google Maps' estimate! Plenty of time, then, for me to get to the cinema, get a ticket, and get a glass of wine at the bar - there wasn't a queue anyway.
Inside was just a scattering of people. As the writer / director was to remark at the Q+A afterwards, he was delighted to be sharing a room with everyone in London who wasn't interested in the football! Free seating - and as I settled in, I noticed something I haven't before - they have little coat hangers on the seat backs! Now, low as they are, I don't know how useful they might be - but gosh, they're dinky! They're also on a spring, so they can be pushed in. Brass effect, very pretty, with a teeny picture of a coat hanger. Meantime, I'd been supplied with a survey to fill out - as usual, I didn't have a pen, and I didn't see anyone to collect it afterwards anyway; it did prove useful for fishing out a small fly that dive-bombed into my wine. (Flies are terrible alcoholics, did you know?)
A Cambodian Spring chronicles three activists over six years - the director, afterwards, explained that he hadn't wanted just to dip in, take a snapshot, and leave again. He really wanted to show the essence of the place. Did he have trouble with the authorities, filming over all this time? someone in the Q+A wanted to know. No, he said, given that he hadn't yet published anything at that stage - he thought things might be different now.
The activity is centred around a housing development at Beoung Kak, which until a few years ago was a lake in central Phnom Penh. Lots of people already lived around the lake, however, and many had no formal proof of their entitlement to their land - a legacy of the Khmer Rouge, who abolished all land ownership and destroyed the records. Well, now a construction company, owned by the wife of one of the governing party's senators, was granted a 99-year lease of the land, on which they are building a major new development. This is in clear contravention of a previous agreement brokered with the help of foreign governments, which both defined water bodies as state property, and limited the lease of state properties to 15 years - during which time, the property must not be damaged, or have its function changed.
The work has started by the time the film begins - we see them pumping in sand to fill in the lake, 24/7 - people living there are ignored, their homes flooded, demolished when they get in the way. We are told at the start of the film that three people have already been electrocuted in their own homes because of the floodwater. The government, apparently, offered them a pittance if they agreed to move away.. they refused. Some who are imprisoned for political activism agree to leave their land, in return for their release. D' you know, what occurred to me, watching this, was what a lottery birth is - God help people born into a corrupt regime, people without the money to buy their rights, whose rights are therefore trodden on. Money is, indeed, power.
We meet three people - two ladies who live on the lake, and have become vocal activists, and - of all things - a Buddhist monk, who's gotten into severe trouble with his superiors for dabbling in politics! (As the director pointed out afterwards, the church authorities are, of course, in the pay of the government.) This same monk had to flee the country for a few months, due to some credible death threats.
One of the first things that was brought up in the Q+A was how balanced the documentary was - as the interviewer said, most documentaries tend to have an agenda, while this film strives to show what's happening, with very little narrative or comment. The director confirmed that he preferred to sit back and let them tell their own stories - and nowhere is this most apparent than when divisions appear among the activists' community. As to the blatant corruption.. as he said, is it any different in the West? Here, it's more hidden, so you also have to go to the trouble of uncovering it. At least, in Cambodia, you can see what you're fighting. He also helpfully explained the origins of some of the divisions among activists, as shown in the film - the lack of commentary in the film itself leaves this as a confusing section.
So, an informative film, and an enlightening Q+A. Unfortunately, the interviewer was a bit dismissive of the audience - he spent ages interviewing the director himself before asking for questions from the floor, which he did in a tone that strongly suggested he didn't expect any! On the contrary, a couple of ladies at the back were very vocal, including one that lives in a Buddhist community herself. Anyway, if you want to see more of this for yourself, I've discovered that you can buy the film on their website. Funded by the Irish Film Board, BTW - glad to see they're spending their money well!
A chilly walk to the bus stop, after - nights are chilly, and I was glad I'd brought a coat. A cryptic Facebook post from Helen gave me that hint that England had won - they didn't need me watching, then! And another return after 11pm meant yet another trip to the 24-hour Co-Op - the guy behind the counter is beginning to recognise me!
Tonight, another late one - back with London Literary Walks, for the postponed Sculpture in the City walk. More people signed up for this one than last, which is nice.
I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, which is bookended by two Up in the Cheap Seats events! Both booked very recently too, I might add. Thursday is Infinite Joy, at Southwark Playhouse - could hardly say no to that venue!
And on Monday, I'm off with them to A Monster Calls, at the Old Vic.
For Tuesday, I'm thinking film again - the film list kept me up too late last night for me to blog!
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