And although Gaza must remain in focus it’s worth looking at the ramifications this destruction has had on communities across the world. Today we’re going to look at the Film and TV Charity’s recent report analysing the mental health impacts the events in Gaza are having on UK Arab, Muslim & Jewish film and TV workers.

Disclaimer

This survey doesn’t give any details on the respondent’s views on the Gaza genocide. Therefore any claims that results are skewed by bias towards actions taken by any group is unacceptable. Israel’s actions don’t represent the worldwide Jewish community. To claim they do is antisemitic. Similarly, to make any hostile inferences based on the contributions of Arab and Muslim respondents is racist and Islamaphobic.

Findings

From December 2023 until early January 2024 the Film and TV charity distributed an online survey among specific industry groups. Intending to find out how the events in Gaza and Israel had affected particular industry workers. As well as to form a picture of prior discrimination faced by Muslim, Arab and Jewish workers.

The final report found Jewish; Arab and Muslim workers overwhelmingly felt their mental health had deteriorated since October 7th 2023. Both cohorts overwhelmingly said that UK media organisations treated their community unfairly (80% of Arab and Muslim workers and 68% of Jewish workers). Also, similar percentages of both groups felt the events of October 7th and beyond resulted in the deterioration of how they are treated by others in the workplace (41% of Arab and Muslim workers and 40% of Jewish workers).

Additionally, 40% of Arab and Muslim respondents said they had already had negative industry experiences because of their identity pre-October 7th. 80% of the same communities agreed the industry was institutionally discriminatory towards them. While over half felt unsupported by employers after October 7th and thought the industry was unwelcoming and unsafe. 

A significant number of Jewish and Arab and Muslim participants reported the events on and after October 7th as having impacted their work well-being in some way. Plus both were likely to encounter regular hostility towards their community in the workplace. However, a greater percentage of Muslim and Arab respondents reported being negatively impacted in both cases.

Recommendations

After compiling the findings the charity organised several discussions with industry leaders to propose solutions to these problems.

Some of the main solutions included (among other things):

• Providing training and education across the industry on what islamophobia, anti-Arab discrimination and antisemitism are. Clear guidelines on how to spot and report incidents (as well as robust reporting systems). With a zero-tolerance policy towards these attitudes.
• Carrying out schemes to ensure diverse on-screen representation to all the discussed communities. As well as creating programming specifically aimed at being inclusive to “‘Muslim’, ‘Asian’ or ‘Arab'” communities. 
• Fostering inclusive industry attitudes. This can be done by respecting important holidays for Jewish staff and education on religious and cultural practices relating to Muslim and Arab staff. Creating Jewish, Arab and Muslim work groups as well as an industry-wide Arab and Muslim group to act as advocates for community issues. Recognising the diverse spectrum of Jewish identity (race, ethnicity, identity, or religion). Setting up hiring targets for Muslim and Arab staff within industry hubs, and enforcing the rights of Muslim and Arab workers to join police-approved marches and post information from recognised sources on social media without fearing for their professional security.
• An independent review of news content across major channels relating to what is happening in Gaza and how it impacts staff from all discussed communities.

In Closing

These recommendations definitely are a good thing. That said other measures should be considered regarding the current tragedy in Gaza.

Over the past year, the UK media has consistently misrepresented or demonised Palestinians as well as Muslims and Arab people. Framing the Israel-Palestine “conflict” as stemming from religious hatred of Jewish people rather than oppression and occupation. With demonstrations concerned about Palestinian safety often framed around questions of them being hateful or potentially antisemitic. Thereby conflating denouncement of Israel’s actions with Jewish people’s safety, despite many Jewish communities speaking out against Israel.

If the industry is to rebuild trust with these communities it must ensure safety for all these groups, educate workers on how to root out bigotry, it must stop the conflation of Jewish identity with Israel’s actions, recognise the experiences and humanity of Palestinians, along with Muslims and Arab cultures generally, and stop framing their rights as conflicting with Jewish people.

The post Film & TV Industry Grapples with Mental Health Impact of Gaza Conflict on UK Professionals appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

About Babylon

“Babylon follows the story of David, a working-class musician and black man in South West London. By day he works as a mechanic, at night David is a Mic controller at a local dance hall. The film centres around the racial divide of London in the 80s, the lack of opportunities available to black people and poverty. David loses his job, gets beaten up and charged by the police, forcing him to go on the run.”

Also Read: The Ingredients Of A Cult Classic

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

The post Odeon & Big Picture Film Club Presents: Babylon (1980) appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

The production team behind the film entered the Big Picture Film Club to talk about their film and the issues it aims to address.

Watch the full interview below.

A Brixton Tale is available in U.K cinemas now

Also Read: Neurocinema: The Study of How Films Control The Brain

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

The post The Crew Behind “A Brixton Tale” Discuss Addressing Social Class & Power appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

What’s Going On?

Cassius Green is a man down on his luck, living in his uncle’s garage and unemployed. In fact, it seems like most of America is rather down on its luck. Cassius manages to get a job as a telemarketer and following a colleague’s advice, starts talking to customers using his “white voice”. Cassius and his colleague are black and sound black to the customers. Using this voice Cassius is a huge success and is quickly promoted to “power caller” where he sells very different products. The problem being that not only are these different products but they are morally dubious at best. The more successful Cassius becomes the less ethical the products become, leading to truly unbelievable moral dilemmas.

There are several minor plots that mirror Cassius’s struggles. His activist girlfriend, Detroit, has an upcoming art show and considering she makes earrings that are just the words “murder” and “kill” it is sure to be a shocking show. Then there is the fight to unionise the telemarketers to improve pay and conditions which the authorities are absolutely okay in using violence to settle. Finally, there is the ever-present company WorryFree, seen on television, billboards and more. WorryFree offers shelter and food in return for a lifetime contract which sounds disconcertingly like slavery to many people.  

Behind The Scenes

Sorry To Bother You is the directorial debut of Boots Riley (he is also the screenwriter), best known as a rapper as part of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club. I would never have guessed it was someone’s first film and there is a clear vision and purpose with Riley tells a strong story. 

In Front Of The Camera

The film has a big cast and stars Lakeith Stanfield as Cassius Green who gives a great performance. At the beginning of the film he is very much a man beaten down by life and for the first third of the film he is always walking with a slump and looking down at the ground. When he becomes successful a very different side is shown and gives a realistic portrayal of a man struggling with his principles. David Cross provides the “white voice” of Cassius, with Patton Oswalt doing the same for another character and both sound rightly non-threatening and bland. Tessa Thompson is great as Detroit, Cassisus’ girlfriend who often acts as his conscience. Armie Hammer plays a very believable scumbag billionaire entrepreneur, Steve Lift, owner of WorryFree, turning unspeakable crimes into more palatable PR-approved concepts that will benefit everyone.  

Does It Work?

The film is very funny and enjoyable. Riley makes interesting points about racism and class struggle in America and beyond. The final third of the film makes a big jump into more extreme situations that some people may simply find too unbelievable but undeniably most of the film is utterly fantastic. The more I have thought of the film the more the ending has bothered me perhaps the sheer oddness undercutting the serious messages in the film.

Cassius internal moral arguments are brilliantly realised and his motives are clear. He was never trying to be rich but only wanted to support himself and those close to him. Cassius’ decisions are very relatable especially when confronted with more extreme choices. 

Riley handles the issues around “white voice” excellently. It is pointed out by one character that the voice is not just an impression of a white person’s voice, but how white people would like to see themselves – sorted out, together and there is an implication that none of the white customers would think this applied to Cassius. When Cassius uses this voice at the lower levels of the company few people question what he is doing, perhaps because he was on the very brink. As he becomes increasingly successful the people close to him are less comfortable with it. There are accusations of “selling out” not just because of using this voice but also the work he is doing is betraying those around him and what he used to believe in. There is another black power caller who uses the “white voice” and even Detroit uses a different voice at her art show – her “White British Voice” – which presumably helps her sell her art. It would be interesting to see how other power callers who were white spoke, does everyone need to put on some sort of character to be successful?

WorryFree is scarily believable and for the most part feels only a few steps away from real companies. Sadly, as are the economic hardship endured by many of the characters and thus making WorryFree the only alternative to homelessness. These problems are not just limited to ethnic minorities but show how all groups in society are struggling and sometimes the divide portrayed in the film wasn’t white people and black people but the rich and everyone else. That said, there are moments in the film that speak purely to issues of race, most – but by no means all – of the rich people are white and Cassius is expected to regale them with stories of Oakland’s gang shootings and rap for them.

On the whole, the film is great and gives the viewer a lot to think about. There are problems with the plot as it goes along and I’m sure some people will simply not be able to accept it for being too outlandish. The film reminded me a lot of Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone on a more cinematic scale, a world very much like ours but pushed to be a bit more extreme, like many episodes of these shows the concept and setup of the story is fantastic with the ending being somewhat unsatisfactory.

Verdict: (3.5 / 5)

The post Review: Sorry To Bother You appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.