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All White on the night

Charlie Phillips   29 February 2008, 6:01 PM

It's a bad pun but one made on the occasion of a great doc being shown at the BFI Southbank on Weds (5th)

All White in Barking is a feature documentary about people in Barking, East London. Lifetime Barking residents Susan and Jeff have never said hello to their Nigerian  neighbours, insisting that "they are not our people". Dave is so incensed by  the influx of non-white faces to Barking he becomes a BNP activist (yet both  his daughters have relationships with the very people he is lashing out  against). Meanwhile, African Betty and Holocaust survivor Monty form an  unusual relationship based on laughter and affection, despite disapproving  stares. Director Marc Isaacs is an unseen but prominent presence: questioning  prejudices, and prying at preconceptions with remarkable results. The film at  times plays like a Mike Leigh comedy, particularly when Isaacs urges the  reluctant neighbours to meet up. A charming often funny examination of modern  attitudes in an increasingly multiethnic Britain.

This is the launch of the Sheffield Doc/Fest BFI tour 2007-8, in association with Dochouse and Marc Isaacs will be there to answer you all - he's a very nice man as well as brilliant documentary-maker. He'll also have Monty and Betty from the film with him too, which is always a good thing to see - I wish more Q and As involved the people from the films, it always shakes everyone up a bit.


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Charlie Phillips

Charlie Phillips

Charlie Phillips is the editor of FourDocs

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