Oranges and Sunshine
Set in 1980s Nottingham, social worker Margaret Humphreys holds the British government accountable for child migration schemes and reunite the children involved -- now adults living mostly in Australia -- with their parents in Britain.
Director:
Jim Loach
Cast:
Emily Watson, Aisling Loftus, Stuart Wolfenden
Screenplay:
Rona Munro, Margaret Humphreys (book)
Screening Date:
Oct 25, 2011
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58.8% | 23.5% | 9.8% | 7.8% | 0.0% |
“Well done. Horrible stories. How could the government do terrible things? "
“An extraordinary story. I had no idea. The need to know where you come from never ends. Another shameful chapter in church history of child labor (slavery) and rape. The church will not be happy with this expose.”
“Good does not always triumph over evil, but we are so grateful that the good does not give up. A magnificent film!”
“Powerful overdue film.”
“Why were the children asked if they wanted to go to Australia? Why were they lured with promises of oranges and sunshine? Could they refuse and not go?"
“Deeply engrossing film…wonderful story.”
“This film broke my heart.”
“The subject is excellent, but the execution not so…and again, the Catholic Church emerges as a culprit!”
“A remarkably powerful film, but I wish the economic incentives for sending these children away we learned about in the discussion had been more evident in the film.”
“I was quite moved by the story. It was quite compelling.”
“This was a tough film in its subject matter, but magnificent in its power and effect. It’s an important story well told from the point of view of Margaret Humphries, and especially strong in not avoiding the emotional toll of this work. Emily Watson’s performance was phenomenal, subtle, articulate, moving.”
“An extraordinarily well done film presenting an outrageous situation. Mrs. Humphries is a quite persistent heroine. The acting was so real evoking deep emotions. All the leads were terrific! I thought the script was well crafted. I will recommend this to everyone. I can’t praise it enough. Regarding Cat Steven’s music, why? Why did the director choose that song?”
“Very sad, compelling story. Made me wonder if these were the same Brits who saved so many children through the Kinder Transport during the Holocaust. The film was too long and too choppy. The characters were never fully drawn and I was never sure whether I was in England or Australia. In any case, I feel validated that the church needs some real exposure and cleanings.”
“Yet one more example of man’s inhumanity and also of a woman’s heroism. The only thing we can hope is that filmmakers continue the exposes and there will be more stories such as this to be told. But it probably won’t happen in this millennium, so the camera will continue to roll.”
“Excellent cast. Gripping from the start.”
“An important film. A person can make a difference. It needed subtitles as some dialogue was hard to understand.”
“Disturbing and sad story. Well acted film.”
