Movement 102

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tendency for Christians to belong to rightwing'Christian Democratic' parties, and for others to belong to socialist or left-wing parties. "This is a great failure of continental politics," he argues. lt is similar to America where it is difficult to distance yourself from one party without aligning yourself with the other. Still, people in Britain often have a political background like they have a denominational background. They grow into a political tradition, so why would they want to change? Simon tells me that he has disagreements with Tories and Labour PartY members, but they can still be friends and find a lot in common. His responsibility for a Christian outreach in Parliament is seen as a quiet support system. "lt gives the electorate encouragement to know that there are some people who have certain principles and who seek to abide by them. I judge my gospel to be a gospel forjustice and social reform, but others think Christianity is about personalfaith and personal salvation." But what about people of others faiths, or of no faith at all? "My relationship with people of other faiths is normallY strengthened by the fact that I have a faith." A common belief in a creator God makes it easier to discuss with people of other faiths, share with them, learn from them, support them, work with them, and challenge them. This is important in his part of London. He lives four miles from where Stephen Lawrence was killed, and racism is a big issue in his constituency, which has an important community of Bangladeshi origin. There is a history of poor policing and racism in the area. "Where crime and racism combine you get really bad situation." The worst moment of his career, which really made him sick, was a 'race march' in his constituency, which nearly developed into a local civil war. He believed that things were improving, and the Stephen Lawrence report was putting pressure on those who could do something. What could he tell us, from his experience as an MP for an area where racism is such a prominent issue. What advice could he give to people elsewhere? Some of his answers were the 'topdown' ideas which are important to a politician: a housing policy which strengthens comnlunity rather than undermining it; more resources for the police; an attempt to recruit graduates, especially Black and Asian graduates, to the police and other public services. And policies which minimise the abuse of alcohol, drugs and weapons, "because they allow people to turn fairly quiet minimalist racism into something extremely vicious and violent"; and we need to deal with racism at football grounds. That's not a million miles away from my experience in Glasgow. He had more 'bottom-up' ideas as well, which are relevant to those of us who want to do something about racism from a grassroots level. "We are all potentially racist, and we all have to guard against it, and we all have to have check mechanisms, namely other people's perceptions of us, as a help and as a correction. You have to accept the view of the person who says that there is racism, even if that is not a view which you accept yourself. You have to put yourself in the place of the person who tells you that they feel they're the victim of racism, and start from the assumption that they're right." Sruox Huones ls A PollrtctAlr so I suppose he is in the game of chasing after power. He may stand for Lib Dem leader, or he may stand for Mayor of London in four years time. But he hopes for a chance to do something abroad, working for the Third World and for international justice. He is a politician with a motivation to get things done, and make the world a better place. Sometimes he sounds idealistic, but an ideal, for him, is something to achieve, and he'll work out how to achieve it. Some sociologists, such as Castells and Bauman, have suggested that power has been removed politics. Can a politician movement 22 achieve anything in the age of global communication? "You can educate the community at home. You can adopt certain projects, and my position as an MP can help. I have tried to do something in Sri Lanka, where a lot of people have been killed. I was in Cyprus, trying to bring the warring factions together. I try to solve the problem of Gibraltar." And what about the rest of us? Can we do anything? "l think there is a lot of encouragement in the world. lncreasing democracy in Africa, increasing democracy in South America, increasing democracy even in South Asia, and the sheer support and solidarity with people from elsewhere is very rewarding and extremely worthwhile. You can win battles, and change hearts and change minds and - in a world of global communication - fdo that] more effectively than ever." Shurely no mishtake, Shlmon t1'1- Malcolm Brown has just completed his PhD in Sociolo4y at Glas$ow University. lt examines Muslim communities in Britain and France.
I ,l A comedy about the Hotocaust? That's right. Marie Kerrigan on one of the most audacious and beautifut fitms ever made. Wry vfta La Vita e Bella (PG) (Life is Beautiful - subtitled) written and dirested by Robefto Benigni A FILM based on a concentration camp doesdt seem likely materialfor a comedy. But in the hands of its star, writer and director Roberto Benigni whatyou tet is a whimsicalfable which provides the audience with food for the soul withoutthe Hollywood hype. Set in luscany th is 1scar-winninE f/m focuses on the escapades of Jewish waiter Guido jrifice. After successfu//y woo ing local schoolteacher, Dora, with his Chaplinesque antics, he narries her and they have a son, Joshua, This is where the main narrative betins. Their happy family life is marred by the onset of hsclsm and eventually disrupted when Guido and hls son are taken to a concentration camp. Dora voluntarily joins them and is taken to the womerls sectlon of the camp.There Guido attempts to protect hls son from the atrocities of the camp by makinE a game out of their experiences. [Points are awarded for obeyint the soldiers; and hidin!, away allday.l The sympathetic poftrayals of the three leads make them thoroughly engaging in this mythical tale. Nicoletta Braschi, as Dora, brin$s a human elementto her role as the middle class princess who isr/t as much rescued by the prince as by the court jester. Roberto Benigni's portrayal of Guido is more than an imitation of Charlie Chaplin, to consider it merely as such is to deny the sincerity and dchness he brints to his character. This can be seen in hls relationship wrth his son, the urchinlike Joshua. Giorgi Cantarni's endearing pertornance makes the preservation of his charactels innocence of paramount importance. /t has been described by one crltlc as "Carry 0n meets Schlnd/e/s List". lwould disagree, arguingthat it lacks the crudity of Carry 0n films, apaft from the fact it would be insensitiye treatment of what was a horrific ordealfor millions of people. The film never forgets - or allows the audience to forget - the atrocities that occurred but rather offers a fresh vision on familiar scenes of emaciated figures. A poiEnant example is when Guido, having snuck hls son Joshua into a German officels dinner pafty, whilst returning to his cabin with loshua asleep on his back /oses hls sense of dlrectlon in the fot and comes face to face with a mountain of human bodies. lt is the frightening prospect of Joshua's innocence bein! corrupted that reminds us of the emotional destruction caused by the holocaust. Life ls Beautiful dernonstrates an understanding and an appreciation of the value of hope. /t ls seen as the lifeblood of love and appears to be more than that: the f/m suggests it ls nof only necessa ry for survival but also acts to preseve the future. This can be seen in the faces of the family who retain a healthy appearance ag,ainst a backdrop of greyingfaces. There is a current trend of 'revisioning' war, in particular the Second World War, with f/ms such as Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line. Life ls Beautiful can be seen as part of that trend and while it offers no Hollywood style hero or big action sequences it suggests that out of the direst of circumstances past or present hope springs eternal. Marie Kerrigan studies film at Glamorgan Universig, X men American History X (18) written by David McKenna directed by Tony Kaye AMERICAN History X isilt the most beautifully crafted ftlm lle ever seen, but its certainly amongst the mosf powerful. ln outline, it concerns two brothers, Derekand Danny. Derek, the elder, ls a white suprernaclst imprisoned for the murder of Nvo black gant members. With Derek in prison, the impressionable Danny is seduced by the supremacistvision of Derek's skinhead ganE. To the neo' fasclst skinheads, the imPrisoned Derek is a hero, To the black gangs, hds an objectfor hatred, and his impendint release from Prison presents an opportuniy for revenge. But DereKs prison career as a member of the white minority has had a I ife-shatte ring impact on hi m, an d he emerges from prison determined to rescue hls brother from hatred, and his family from the cycle of violence. Part of this film's extraordinarily Provocative power comes from the fact that the enormous lssues involved are faced by decidedly ordinary people. Derek is an impresslve fiture and his redemption is inspiring, but he is not superhuman. Ihis ls illustrated well in one brief momentwhen he curses himse/f for stooping to the violence of his former shinhead associates. Ihepastis a messy country not easily escaped. ln facing up to it, Derek must deal with the utllness lnside as well as out, without running away. In this, American HlstoryXstrlkes me as more profound than, say, The S h aw sha n k Red e m pti on. Attractive as thatfilm ls, lts redempfion comes finally through escapism and revenge. The central character in American History Xtakes on the much harder task of returning to the battleground as an agent of peace. ln this, not only Derek, but an array of other characters - Dannfs school Principal, DereKs laundry associate in prison, DereKs slster - are ordinary heroes who stand in the breach and take the terrifying consequences. Atone point, the Principal requests Derek to act as mediator in a seemin9ly intractable sltuatlon. Derek, incredulous, asks; "Do you know what yotre asking me todo?" The answerrs simple:"Everything tharc within your power to do!' Ihis is not an easy film. There are moments of uncompromisint violence. Some plot developrnents are a little forced; the reasons for Derek's transformation inside prison do not quite convince. But it remains vital viewint because of its portrayal of the trim sacrifices which line the path to peace. (TlM MCKENZTE) movement 93
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Page 3 and 4: Morag Foster explains her retuctanc
Page 5 and 6: Go away! l: SClvt's annual retreat
Page 7 and 8: 7 I $l l;,ml:n; RurH Hnnvrv WERE TW
Page 9 and 10: course, will mean radically rethink
Page 11 and 12: SCMer certainly doesn't want to. An
Page 13 and 14: Itw HuoH WHrreroRo sAPREtOXmOili f!
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Page 17 and 18: trade Eo wHAT oro I nlo BEHtltD mE
Page 19 and 20: Iternatlue ut o rl d's The weakness
Page 21 and 22: I ,, ', "Friends, every day do some
Page 23: Malcolm Brown speaks to Simon Hughe
Page 27 and 28: '.{ijiffiE Wates is the new Manches
Page 29 and 30: Txr Nw RurcroH or Ltrr tru EvERvunY
Page 31 and 32: CC ne of the best ways f knout to e

Movement 102

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