I attended the world premiere of White Guilt yesterday.
Raindance has seen the likes of Pulp Fiction and Memento make their debuts, so it is no small festival.
I had met cinematographer Haider Zafar at last year’s Muslim International Film Festival, spending time with him there over the course of a couple of days and, later, attending the premiere for his Directorial debut of Before Nikkah.
Haider is, I believe, one of the longest-serving British Asian cinematographers in existence — and also happens to be a down-to-earth and kind human being.
Aside from the somewhat eye-catching title the film, its poster and the description on the Raindance page (see above), I didn’t really know what to expect.
Haider and Director/Writer Marcus Flemmings are long-time collaborators, however, so I was intrigued.
What followed over the next hour (62 mins to be precise) took my breath away — leaving me processing what I’d seen into today, and already wondering when I can watch this film a second, and a third time.
This was no simplistic film about “race”.
I’d seen Get Out and enjoyed that for what it was, at that moment in time, but I’d like to think that conversation has been started and the world has somewhat moved along. Many stories fall into the trap of being too simplistic.
White Guilt is elegant and nuanced, with a series of interweaving arcs and characters which, as Flemmings answered in the Q&A at the end, “have both good and bad in them”.
There are a couple of obvious protagonists and antagonists who carry the story, but every character holds a special place in the arc of the story — and the parts were performed beautifully, and powerfully, by the case.
Witnessing both the film itself and the Q&A that followed, and spending time with several of the cast at the end, it was clear that they had all been on a meaningful journey, one that at least two of them admitted they were still on — and processing.
My initial instinct as the credits rolled was that I had witnessed something special — and I wasn’t then sure if any of us knew what this film could become, and where it could go.
Actress Temica Thompson, who is up for the ‘Best Performance in a UK Feature’ award , summed it up perfectly at the end:
“There is lots to say… lots of themes… I hope you all go away and have lots to talk about.”
More than race, this is a film about POWER.
It’s culturally more relevant than ever and I hope it finds its way to the audiences it deserves. I hope I get to experience White Guilt once or twice on a screen… or perhaps on a stage. Watch this space; I know I will be.
A fine effort by all involved, and well worth the two Raindance awards it is up for this year.
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Preceding this feature length screening, there was a short called Hooves which packed its own punch.
It is a Sri Lankan film, and a passion project based on a real-life event that happened to be a friend of a friend of Director Akash Sunethkamara.
Whilst Akash is away in Sri Lanka and so couldn’t attend the screening himself, his representative Peter Stead shared the above and that, in a fitting full circle moment, Akasha is a Raindance MA Alumnus.
I’ll be reaching out to Peter with some thoughts, as he offered in the short introduction.
I could see Hooves being extended into a feature-length film. The blend of “real life” and “animation” was a powerful one, and the film touched upon the powerful theme of ethics — and consequences — when it comes to hunting animals. It was, in fact, quite frightening. I could have done with a moment to process and digest before the feature-length but, alas, time was of the essence.
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On a personal note, this was a memorable first Raindance experience. Two excellent films on display.
