We’re British, But…
British Council presents short films on cultural identity
Skin Deep (Yousaf Ali Khan, 13min., 2001, feature film)
It is 1979. Romo is of mixed race. He lives with his mother and sister Jameela in an old district inhabited by whites. While Jameela stands out because of her dark complexion, Romo looks white. Haunted by recollections from a childhood coloured by racial persecution and suffering, he hides his true identity and starts to hang out with a group of young racists. The sparkling screenplay written in the brutal language of large cities depicts a solitary night that Romo spends with his friends. The film shows the pain and contradictions connected with the sacrifices he makes in order to gain the acceptance of his friends.
One Plus One (George Amponsah, 20min., 2000, documentary)
The director and his twin brother discuss the subject of identity amongst the black inhabitants of Great Britain. A visit to Ghana, the country of their ancestors, forces reflection on the subject of belonging, aspiration, ambition and expectations. What is it that creates a cultural identity – and what that of the individual?
Brick Lane (Paul Makkar, 14min., 2002, feature film)
A British-Asian comedy, influenced by Bollywood, about the endeavours of two teenage boys who are striving to impress the beautiful Nabeela at a local Bhangra. The film shows the life of Asian youth living in modern London.
Hong Kong, Liverpool, Penzance (Raymond Wong, 5min., 2002, documentary)
Basing itself on suggestive photographic documentation, this story of the arranged marriage of the director’s parents and their subsequent life in Great Britain of the 1960s creates a document examining culture and family ties.
Latifah and Himli’s Nomadic Uncle (Alnoor Dewshi, 14min., 1992, feature film)
An amusing and surrealistic trips into the internally differentiated cultural world of a great metropolis. Latifah and Himli, cousins of Indian origin (identical as far as wearing army jackets and boots, saris and hairstyles are concerned) discover that their views on history and culture are not the same. During a walk through the streets of London and an exchange of views they are forced to consider their place within the cosmopolitan diaspora. As Himli says: ‘Where I come from we do not worry about origin.’
Wish (Rene Mohandas, 17min., 2003, feature film)
A moving and unusual story of love between a young carer from Glasgow and an older Japanese woman. Within their boring everydayness there suddenly blossoms an inspiring exchange of experiences, cultures and a romance that transcends the borders of time, place, generation and the imagination.
Sari and Trainers (Jeremy Wooding, 15min., 1998, feature film)
A British-Bollywood musical romance drawing on the traditions of Indian cinema, the lead roles being played by culturally different teenage lovers – Geena and Jason. These contemporary Romeo and Juliet are going on their first date but will their parents be able to thwart their plans?
Raj or Radge? (Menhaj Huda, 3min., 2001, documentary)
Faz, a Scot of Pakistani origin, entertains us with the story of his life told in the course of three minutes and the fact of why he considers himself ‘more Scottish than the Scots’. The film was made to show the identity of the second generation of Asians living in Edinburgh as well to make it clear that nothing is as simple as it may appear to us.
Safar (The Journey) (Sandhya Suri, 29min., 2002, documentary)
‘Safar’ is a tale of the Asian diaspora. It is the moving portrayal of one man’s yearnings, who dreams of living again in his native India after almost forth years of residence in England as well as his senile ruminations on the way in which he lost his home.
A Portrait of Mr Pink (Helena Appio, 16min., 1997, documentary)
The delightful Mr. Pink is a 73-year-old Jamaican immigrant, who spent the majority of his life working as a dustman in London. From the moment he retired he found artistic fulfilment through eccentric interior design as well as the decoration of the facades of his huge crumbling Victorian house. As Mr. Pink himself says: ‘Some people like the house, others not, I don’t know myself... But I do know that many people do like it and what is most important – I like it as well’
We’ve Lived Here All Our Lives (Vikaas Mistry, 3 min., 2000, animated)
This film speedily shows the life of Indian residents of the UK. The film deals with many of the problems that the first generation of emigrants had to turn a blind eye to. It is a bitter portrayal yet at the same time an amusing 3 minutes of animation.
Dim Sum (A Little Bit of Heart) (Jane Wong, 36min., 2002, documentary)
Three Chinese womenwomen are sitting in a Chinese restaurant in Liverpool making dim sum dumplings and talking. The director, Marietta’s daughter, wants to understand what it is that directs these women. This charming film follows their footsteps and touches on the problems of identity and assimilation within a different culture.