This film is part of Free
Out of the Darkness
All-too-topical: a thought-provoking Christian Aid film strongly making the moral case for welcoming refugees to Britain
Overview
All-too-topical: this thought-provoking Christian Aid film strongly makes the moral case for welcoming refugees to Britain. In this case, it’s Bangladesh - East Pakistan until the year before the film was produced - that is the poverty-stricken war-torn region families are fleeing. The style of the film is very much of its time - but its message still hits hard and still hurts.
While the religiosity - and the slightly pompous visual symbolism of certain sequences - won’t appeal to everyone, there’s no doubt that this is impressively hard-hitting stuff for a 1972 charity film. Connections between past imperialism, present upheavals, refugee camps, charity-begins-at-home complacency and actual violent racism are all plain enough. The credits list is worth a mention. The production company headed by Antony Barrier was one of the more adventurous producers of sponsored film in the early 1970s, while director Joe Mendoza was a stalwart of the sponsored documentary scene who had once worked under Humphrey Jennings. Edward Williams contributes a characteristically thoughtful score and actor Eric Porter delivers a poised commentary.
Related
The Bradford Godfather The Bradford Godfather
1976 49 mins Location: Bradford
Meet Mohamed Fazal Hussain, elder statesman and all-round Mr Fixit of Bradford's Muslim community, and a film mogul in the making...
I'm British But... I'm British But...
Documentary 1989 29 mins Director: Gurinder Chadha
Britain beats to the sound of Bhangra and Bangla in Gurinder Chadha's debut film.
The Referee The Referee
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1976 4 mins
Wrestling as a metaphor for race relations in this short aimed at Britain's South-Asian community
Asian Pub Landlord Asian Pub Landlord
News 1968 2 mins Location: Newbridge
Mr Dhanjal from Wolverhampton: custodian of one of the most vital positions in any community.
Oriental Atmosphere Oriental Atmosphere
Non-Fiction 1928 1 mins Silent Location: Woking
Britain's oldest mosque welcomes a vast crowd of worshippers, visitors, curious onlookers and the odd newsreel camera!
Gandhi in England British Screen News No. 335 Gandhi in England British Screen News No. 335
Non-Fiction 1931 2 mins Silent
Mahatma Gandhi's arrival in England for the second India Round Table Conference at St James's Palace
New Perspectives: Oldboy New Perspectives: Oldboy
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Discover why Luke Bean of Northumbria University believes everyone should experience Oldboy at least once.
New Perspectives: Wings of Desire New Perspectives: Wings of Desire
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Samantha Arnold of Northumbria University offers fresh insight into why Wings of Desire remains essential viewing.
Horace Ové on Pressure Horace Ové on Pressure
Inside Film 2005 36 mins
The acclaimed director discusses his landmark film in this interview from 2005.
Baltimore - Exclusive Q&A Baltimore - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 28 mins
Directors Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor dig deep into their thrilling biopic Baltimore, in discussion with Nadia M Oliva.
Pressure star Herbert Norville on Horace Ové's masterpiece, the first full-length Black British film Pressure star Herbert Norville on Horace Ové's masterpiece, the first full-length Black British film
Inside Film 2023 17 mins
Actor Herbert Norville discusses working with the pioneering filmmaker on his groundbreaking 1975 drama, Pressure.
Horace Ové: Reflecting the People – A Career Retrospective Horace Ové: Reflecting the People – A Career Retrospective
Inside Film 2023 77 mins
An impassioned discussion on the life, work and legacy of the eminent filmmaker Horace Ové, chaired by Samira Ahmed.