Film: Until When..

Today, back to finding my own film. I've now finished both Fleabag and The Fall - Fleabag was excellent, The Fall equally - but very, very dark. The very last episode, in fact, was shocking enough that it could be the subject of a horror story. And so, the highest rated on my film list now was one called Until When..  This is a documentary about four Palestinian families living in a refugee camp, and again, is available on Reel Palestine.

Canadian-made, this is a series of in-depth interviews with camp residents of various ages - we hear from the elderly, who remember the history of how they came to be here, and what things used to be like. We hear from younger adults, trying to make a life for themselves and their children in a world of roadblocks, detours, and shelling. And we hear from militarised children, growing up in a world where soldiers and tanks are both normal, and something to be hated and fought against.

It really does give a vivid account of what life is like there, and you'd have to wonder how such a situation has been allowed to persist for so long. How can there be peace without justice? They were forced to leave their homes, forced into cramped conditions where they're dependent on their oppressors for such necessities as electricity. If you have to pass a checkpoint on the way to work, then - as a Palestinian - whether you get to work on time (or at all) depends on the whim of the soldiers there. I've seen many such documentaries before, but it's something that continues to need to be highlighted. Wouldn't be tolerated in Europe or North America.. I can recommend this documentary, not least for the appealing characters that you meet in it.

I'm very excited about Saturday - The Old Vic has taken to streaming shows live in camera (so, played to an empty theatre). And coming up next is Three Kings - a one-man show with Andrew Scott! Showing from Wednesday to Saturday, it replicates a live theatre show, in that you have to attend at the scheduled time - so the only show I can make is the Saturday matinée. For which I snatched a ticket asap! Caveat - despite the different ticket prices, the view is the same for everyone - it's just a question of how much of a donation you feel like making. They're supposed to send me a Zoom link, shortly beforehand - oh, and these are non-transferable, you can only use the link on one device. But boy, do I love Andrew Scott.. Postponed from this week, as he's been in hospital (neither serious nor Covid-related, we're assured!).