Are We At War?

dezeen.com

Of course not, you might say. Officially, I guess not. But I'm talking about another kind of war. A war that sees innocent people forgotten about and cartoonists who dedicate their lives to making caricatures of those they disagree with, make worldwide news. 12 cartoonists are shot, and everyone's Charlie Hebdo but not once is anyone raising their hand to say anything about any of the hundreds and thousands of deaths that are happening around the world to people who have never said a word against anyone. Yes, the deaths are tragic and the killing is completely unjust. Yes, it is upsetting. Yes, free speech is important. Yes, the fact that Paris is closer to home is likely to cause a larger outpour of 'sympathy' and 'outrage' but whatever the reason for such a huge response to the Paris attack and the complete lack of response to anything else, even if that reason may seem compelling with the addition of a hashtag and more followers... IT'S WRONG.

mirror.co.uk

And David Cameron, where does he stand on all of this? Well yesterday he marched side by side with 3.5million others demonstrating their strength of feeling towards free speech and today, he decided that actually, all of that was bollocks and instead he's going to ban whatsapp.

Britain is at a turning point in modern politics where the likes of Russell Brand drive more public interaction with the subject than any politician of our time. It's a time where Twitter drives votes and UKIP is the go-to party for voters who are bored with the way things are - but then at least they bother to turn out and vote in the first place. The leaders of the parties are exasperating ridiculous ways to win public adoration, with Cameron's latest threat of refusing to appear on television debates without the presence of the Green party, either a wonderful stab at appearing to be a just and equal opponent or a step towards the naughty corner when broadcasts go ahead without him. It doesn't matter how bigoted, how ignorant or how wonderful the education at Eton was... the point is, that something is wrong with British politics and if we don't start looking for alternative ways to fix it, we're in trouble.

theguardian.com

I don't pretend to have the answers to everything, or anything in fact but I think a good place to start is the voting system. Of course, it would help if we had candidates we actually WANTED to vote for, not just ones we prefer over all of the others. But our 65% voting turnout is shameful. Almost 100yrs ago women fought for the right to vote which also caused the voting age of men to be lowered too. People lost their lives in that fight and now, most can't be bothered. Call it disillusionment, but those who don't vote allow the room for votes towards radicalism to rise. So why does the option to vote online not exist, to make it easy for them? People have jobs to go to and no time to spend queueing in a polling station. Online votes need to happen soon - either that or election day is made a public holiday for us to cast our votes, or we are allowed to take time away from work without the threat of no pay - as in some US states (California). It's a suggestion, which is far better than our current system, in MY opinion. We need to make it easy for voters.

123rf.com

As I say, I don't have an answer for anything. But I see that there is a problem and I see the worth of free-speech more than ever. There are people around the world who hate the ways of the West and hate our politics. If I'm honest, I'm beginning to hate our politics too and banning whatsapp is certainly not the way to go about changing that. 1 in 6 of our population are over 65 and by 2050, that is predicted to rise to 1 in 4. Is this society the one we want to see our elderly relatives grow old in? The one that threatens the UK's position as a haven for those in need, for refugees and for asylum seekers. The one that values bigotry over equality. The one that will vote UKIP out of indecisiveness and naivety?

In my opinion, we are at war - with morality - and somewhere along the line, we have to start voting for it. We have to stop jumping on the bandwagon of the next Twitter hashtag and look around for other issues. Issues that we might ACTUALLY care about, might ACTUALLY rally to change and change people's minds in the process. Who knows, you MIGHT even solve it, someone's got to, coz it's not looking likely to be Cameron any time soon. After all, democracy means 'power belongs to the people', so let's remind our leaders just that...just a suggestion.

Religion is People

It seems for most of us, it's harder to have faith in people than it is to assume the worst. I must be a bit of a weird one in that I am often blown away by human actions for good reasons, far more often than I am by bad.

Ok, so he wasn't dressed like this - but still

For example, I think I found Santa! My partner and I were on the overground on our way to support a friend at his comedy gig, and a child was tired and crying. It didn't matter what her dad tried to do to make her stop, she kept crying. A man sat nearby had clearly just been Christmas shopping and was laden with gifts. He reached into his bag and pulled out a teddy bear. He gave it to the dad to calm the child down and lo and behold, it worked.

The tube stopped a few stops down the line and the father and daughter turned to get off the train. The dad reached out to the man to give him back his teddy bear and the man simply said, 'no, don't worry, keep it'. What a lovely man! It was certainly an easy way to cheer up an entire carriage. As I looked around everyone in the train was smiling having just witnessed a very natural and spontaneous act of kindness. It was definitely Santa in disguise!

Alan Turing

I find it quite hard to explain even to my partner how much people inspire me. I honestly think they are amazing. Having just seen 'The Imitation Game' and seeing how much Alan Turing achieved, even though he found it hard to make friends and was labelled an odd ball, really got to me. As I tried to explain why I have so much faith in people, I found I couldn't even finish my sentence. I was crying. And that is why I cannot explain why people amaze me so much, because it is so overpowering that there just aren't words to express it. 

Others say such faith is naive, but I disagree. I think it's wonderful. I don't follow a religion but if I had to choose one, my religion would be people. Call it what you like, but take some time to look around this Christmas. There are lots of horrible things happening in the world but people, even amidst a world of suffering, can be wonderful. For example, my 88yr old grandmother had her purse stolen from her bag this week, and the thief ran off with an old lady's pension money she was hoping to spend on looking nice at her grandson's wedding. At this point, yes, people suck. Then comes a young policeman who's duty was to take down what happened. He didn't stop there though. He walked arm in arm with my grandmother to the post office to cancel her card before ensuring that an elderly lady was escorted home in a police car in case she was shaken up by what had happened. That last bit, is not in his job description, but he did it anyway, because he really cared about my grandmother getting home safe. At this point, people are great!

So, like I say, look around this Christmas, maybe you'll find yourself being wonderful too!

Merry Christmas!

World Press Exhibition

Peter Holgersson, Sweden

The female form has always been the subject of many photographers, artists and film-makers. Yet this exhibition, truly showed how it's no longer just about the bodily form, but about what women represent. In this exhibition, they shone through as representations of anything and everything.

Markus Schreiber, Germany

We had women as objects of sexual desire in the Legends Football League which shows women playing football in lingerie (which has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of). We had women as the victims of abuse in a series of photographs of a young girl, her child and her partner. We also had women as symbols of remarkable strength and willpower, particularly in the heptathlon photos of Nadja Casadei who was diagnosed with cancer yet still kept up her vigorous training programme whilst undergoing chemotherapy. And there was one image of a woman with such sadness in her eyes it brought tears to mine, as she'd waited and waited whilst access to see Nelson Mandela's casket was closed.

Fred Ramos, El Salvador

It wasn't just women though, it was great representation of humanity as a whole, bad and good. The photos leaked creativity and insight into stories from across the world, which obviously got my documentary blood pumping. There were some images that really stood out to me as I walked around the Royal Festival Hall.

One was this one, the clothes of victims of homicide showing us just how futile attempts to discover who those who once wore these clothes might be. It showed also just how unremarkable we are as humans as we disappear into the ground and leave nothing behind.

Taslima Akhter, Bangladesh

Another, was the image of the collapsed Rana Plaza building with two people, a male and a female, embracing one another as they are photographed dead amongst the rubble. No-one knows what the relationship between the two people was, but I think it shows a lot about human strength and hope, amidst a disaster that shows humanity's flaws simultaneously.

Danila Tkachenko, Russia

The next group of images really spoke to me as someone who enjoys her own company perhaps a little too much. There was a group of photos showing three men who have secluded themselves from the world and where they live. I'd be interested to know what people's reactions were to the images as to me, I felt a real sense of envy and appreciation for their freedom but I know others might have walked past and coined them 'weirdos' and that's that.

Robin Hammond, New Zealand

 The next image that stood out to me, were the images of men chained to posts and walls, forced to live outside or in the darkness of shacks with locks on, in various African countries. When I wandered nearer to read the description of why they were chained up, was met with the explanation that they were suffering from mental illness or disability and were treated this way in order to heal them. I was appalled and at the same time intrigued as to how very different cultures and understanding can be across the globe.

Peter Van Agtmael, USA

The final images that stuck out were those of Bobby Henline. As he walked down the street our photographer captured the very moment that those around him realized his disfigurement. I feel as though in this picture, each face tells a story. You can almost hear the thoughts in their heads. A frizzy haired mother looking on at him confused, a distracted father and daughter, an older brother oblivious to Bobby's presence who looks ahead to his next antic, a younger brother looking both in wonder and in fear at this bold man walking down the street. Bobby, knowing people will stare and trying to continue to walk boldly with his head held high. It really captures a story in just one second.

Carla Kogelman, The Netherlands

Goran Tomasevic, Serbia

There are so many more that really spoke to me. There were pictures of two blonde girls who had complete freedom and made me wanted to run faster than ever back to my home-town and back to my childhood. There was an image of a swimmer doing backstroke where I couldn't quite decide which part of the body was which and that strangely made it more beautiful. There were the blind albino boys in the school in West Benghal and the diver surrounded by a dark sea abyss of nothingness that was both beautiful and disconcerting simultaneously. There were pictures of the Boston marathon bombs, of wrestlers and their mothers, of organized murders in Mexico, of families taking cover on the ground of Nairobi's Westgate Mall during the massacre and incredible shots of Syrian rebel fighters taking cover from Syrian army amid debris. The images really were incredible and showed the full range of human experience. I could spend hours staring into the eyes of these timeless pictured moments.

The exhibition could really do with some video coverage, asking the viewers which photos stood out, which told a story, what they thought of certain photos. It could make a great video by engaging audience members with the photography and really making them think, just as the photographers intended.


There are so many images I couldn't include in this blog that completely broaden your perspective on life so explore them all for yourself. If you missed the exhibition at the Royal festival Hall, then visit: http://www.worldpressphoto.org/awards/2014

'Anonymous' & 'Kameen' at the Imperial War Museum Short Film Festival

Kameen

There has, in recent months, been a whole wealth of content that has explored the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. It’s not very often however, that it’s told from a Palestinian perspective. I had high expectations of the film for this reason, filmed by a Palestinian videographer in Kafr Qaddum in the West Bank. However, I think that the voiceover took away from the power of the images a little. It began by stating the facts but as the film continued, more opinion made it to script. He offered up explanations of what was happening but also represented quite a bias view in explaining why it happened, who was to blame and who the bad guys were. I wanted very much an unbiased witness account for me to decide for myself who the bad guys were. Tell me the facts, let me work out the rest.

I did find the visuals fascinating, particularly as I visited Israel last year and wanted to know more about the Israel/Palestine divide but I would much rather have seen it with the soundtrack turned off. Music was well-chosen and images captured well. But my high hopes for a moral standard bearer, weren't fulfilled. there's still room for someone to come along and claim that one.

Anonymous

Anonymous was an unusual insight into life in a Syrian refugee camp.  Our film-maker, led by a man who knew his way around every inch of the camp and wanted to show the entirety of it to the camera, managed to capture some of the most impoverished and under-provisioned parts of the Domez Camp. For example, there is a clip sharing that there are 4 doctors among the entire of the camp and it's getting worse every day. The worried mothers, the makeshift hospital and check-up room, the pharmacy with handwritten signs to show the entrance and exit. There are kids singing their national anthem. There are men telling us how they have no bathrooms. Then there is the realization that although everyone in the camp recognizes our guide, no-one seems to know his name. Which is almost a statement applicable to the entire camp. The anonymous, those that everyone seems to have forgotten about, who everyday grow in number.

Was a really great insight and one of the best short films at the IWM festival. I only wish that the film was longer.

'The Happiness Hypothesis'

I don't normally write blogposts about books but this time I feel as though I have to, or I won't sleep. What sounds like a self-help book is actually one of the most intelligently written publications I have ever read, so much so that I found myself regularly looking up definitions to work out what author Jonathan Haidt was talking about.

happinesshypothesis.com

What I found within this brightly coloured little book, were the keys to the kingdom. I was treated to a bundle of well-chosen, inspirational quotations promoting human understanding and the need for coherence between the sciences and humanities. What followed was a deep satisfaction for finding someone else in this universe who seemed to believe in the importance of sociology and of peace and tolerance, but not in the way that would see me confined to a country teepee around a bonfire, smoking grass and playing the didgeridoo - although that's fine too. Instead it offers an insight into the greatest psychological findings from across the globe, both ancient and contemporary, explaining not just how we find happiness in ourselves, but promoting an understanding of why humans act in the way we do, what is built into our physiological being and what we ourselves have conjured to cover our traits. It seems there is no categorical imperative for any ethical decision based upon these findings.

Our tongues are quick to lawyer the actions of our unconscious being, our biological reactions to nurture, empathy and 'divine experience' are bonds between all fellow social beings, regardless of where they may come from or which beliefs they may hold. We find honour in accepting our own misgivings, we find joy in love and love in work, we work towards virtue whilst simultaneously dismissing the virtue of others as 'pure evil' because we, through our own 'naive realism' expect that we and we alone see the world for what it truly is - regardless of whether this paragraph makes any sense to you or not, it champions how wonderfully complicated we as humans are. It depicts our very creation as a work of art to be cherished, to be studied, to be read and read it can be... all within the pages of a little yellow book (with the assistance of a dictionary).

My reading was indeed a happy experience, it made me feel somewhat lighter and has inspired me to make my own investigation using certain theories within Haidt's book. My investigation will be based around the reasoning behind the rise in entertainment television and the gradual extinction of specialist factual programming, drawing upon the psychology that accompanies the emotions we share with our TV screens and perhaps, the benefits we are denying ourselves by not experiencing adversity or disappointment through what we watch, that could consequently provide us the opportunity to learn and to grow.

I could be here all night, and I'm not convinced that writing any of this down will help me sleep but I thoroughly recommend this book. You might just stumble across your very own happiness hypothesis along the way.

Oh and help Haidt and his friends in their research by taking part in their online surveys and questionnaires here: https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/

The Greenwich Show

The Greenwich Show has just recently broadcast its second episode. It's not just local, it's hyper-local and it's all about the community. Films made by the community, about the community for the community. Episode 1 featured some lovely pieces including Park it in the Market; a vintage car get together, the tallship festival, a restored gothic castle and a short film 'Men of the Tideway' by Danny Bullman which you can see here:



It's a great venture, and very much down to some very dedicated individuals. You may recognise the executive producer of the programme as Rugby League presenter Ian Ramsdale. Ian was inspired by a similar show elsewhere and now is absolutely committed to success in Greenwich, with its impressive wealth of things to see and do.

If we thought episode 1 was good, then episode 2 definitely topped it. There are features on developments on the ever-changing peninsula, the Greenwich Show's predecessor 'Cablevision', the Crossness pumping station, the South London Special League and Mycenae House. All feature great examples of just why Greenwich is unique, fun and has a huge amount of historical relevance. You can still watch the episode via http://www.thegreenwichshow.co.uk/

The Greenwich Show is set for great things. There are plenty of local film-makers (myself included) eager to get out there and make films about anything and everything Greenwich. If you have suggestions for future features or short films of your own, then please do get in touch with the team via info@thegreenwichshow.co.uk

The next broadcast is available to watch on Freesat 401 and Sky 212 on 3rd November, so make sure to tune in then!