Oranges and Sunshine

[canadian_turtle]

Thank you Beate for introducing yourself this morning, it was nice to see you! Here's my attempt at getting more involved, though I am usually awful at remembering to check forums

I saw Oranges and Sunshine in Greenwich today and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. The performances were amazing and the story absolutely heartbreaking (I shed a tear or two, or fifteen...). I find it unfathomable to grasp that this story is based on true events; to say it's awful is the understatement of the century. I hope the movie raises more awareness for this part of history, because despite the public apologies of British and Australian government the public still knows very little about it.

[ejwrank]

My son got turned away at The Broadway in Nottingham this morning. It's a small independent cinema and they had overbooked by quite a lot as he was there early and still couldn't get in. Very disappointing after I got him the tickets a long while back with a very early code. Well done ShowFilmFirst....

[biggins]

Saw this at a packed Cameo cinema this morning. Nice to meet yinster in person and also havingascreen, who I have met before.

Hard to believe that over 130,000 children, some as young as three, could be shipped out and no one knew anything about it. Heartbreaking not only for the children but for the mothers who thought they were giving their children a better life.

There is an article in today's Mail On Sunday by Margaret Humphreys saying that the search still continues for some missing relatives.

[David]

Well I had a very disappointing morning. My tickets for Nottingham Broadway said 11.30 (I assumed this either meant get there at 11.30 for a 12 o'clock start or just an 11.30 start) so we sensibly got there at 11.20 only to be turned away as they didn't have enough tickets! Very disappointing and obviously they had given away far more tickets than they had. I imagine plenty of others were turned away as well. Luckily I was with a friend I hadn't seen in a long time so we had a coffee and a nice time, but I've never been turned away from a preview screening before (and I've been to a fair few!)

[Decadent Dodo]

I saw this in Norwich this morning. Anyone else there? I agree with some previous feedback - it would have been better as a documentary or a bit more of a glitzy movie. Me - I think it was more of a well made TV movie. Interesting story and although I heard of this going on had no idea it had continued until 1970.

[havingascreen]

Saw this at a packed Cameo cinema this morning. Nice to meet yinster in person and also havingascreen, who I have met before.

Hard to believe that over 130,000 children, some as young as three, could be shipped out and no one knew anything about it. Heartbreaking not only for the children but for the mothers who thought they were giving their children a better life.

There is an article in today's Mail On Sunday by Margaret Humphreys saying that the search still continues for some missing relatives.

It was nice to catch up with you Biggins and to meet Yinster.

I was traumatised by watching this film, the suffering these poor children went through was horrific and by the church........unfathonable I cried buckets.

I liked the way this film was put together; her taking away the baby at the beginning was a good pre-empt for what the story was about then the constant getting in and out of vehicles signifying the journey i though.

What an amazing woman Margaret Humphreys is and how great it is that she is still carrying on with her work. At least she got support from her manager. The government did what it usually does at these points......lies its ass off.

fantastic film and a story that needed to be told; 9/10 from me

[alythonian]

One of the best films I have seen in terms of story of late.
I was aware of the story before hand and there has been quite a lot written in the papers in the last month too.
The story is absolutely heatbreaking and it's really unfathomable to believe it's only in the last 2 years that Kevin Rudd and then Gordon Brown apologised to the people and families involved in this huge government cover-up. It's also inconceivable to think this went on as late as 1970.
The film was heartbreaking yet inspirational and although sad the positives shone through.

I thought Hugo Waeving gave a truly inspirational performance.

An excellent film and one I highly recommend.

9/10

[Yinster]

It is not the type of film I go and see. But I am glad I did. Not just cos I finally met some FMUKers (Biggins who carried a picture of Ernie and HavingaScreen). Wonderfully written and the tone of the film just set the whole story. Scary that an operation of this size was hidden away from the public for so long.

[Ms Thrifty]

This has to be the most gut-wrenching film I have ever seen. I am still glad I saw it but I had to think really hard about whether I could face the subject matter and the treatment turned out to be even more affecting than I'd feared. I don't know what it is about Clapham and harrowing films but what with Resistance last time and now this.... another day when I was very glad to emerge into the bright sunshine and turn my mind to something cheerful.

What puzzles me is not just the point others have made about how no-one seemed to know about this prolonged mass-migration but also, if this only ended in 1970 (I think that was the year given) and the film started in 1986, there must surely still have been some staff working in social services and other organisations who would have been involved?

[jem&theholograms]

I was at Clapham too this morning, I don't think I've ever been in a film with such a collective sniffling throughout the film! I agree with Ms Thrifty, it was pretty gut wrenching. I may not have seen this without a free screening, especially as reviews in this thread seem a bit mixed, but I thought it was very well done. It wasn't sensationalist and I thought the pace worked well, I don't think it would have been as effective if it had gone a bit Hollywood or tense thriller with lots of emotionally scored scenes. It has this story that's powerful enough on it's own, I think it was good to show it in a fairly human stripped down way. It's the sort of thing you could imagine being dreamt up as a shocking story, the fact that it's true is horrendous, I had no idea.

Agree with Celini though that film in the next screen was annoying (though didn't hear the wrapping).

I was a tiny bit late this morning due to annoying bus diversions which took forever, and then got dropped off somewhere I didn't recognise and had to guess the direction to the cinema...not what you need on a Sunday morning. Was so pleased they started slightly late - I wonder if it was for the benefit of anyone confused by the clock change!