Cathy Come Home
Ken Loach, UK, 1966,
[PG] 75 mins, English,
Not
many films bring about social change or action, so this is something quite
special. The searing drama about a
young mother who becomes homeless caused a massive scandal when it was shown on the BBC
in 1966. Viewers were shocked to see that such deprivation could co-exist with
the welfare state and it led to the founding of homeless charity Shelter. Cathy
Come Home still works because the characters are plausible.
This
isn't just political propaganda; it's about how easy it is to slip through the
cracks in society.
Mangrove Nine
Franco Rosso, UK,1973, [PG] 37 mins English
Mangrove Nine tells the story of conflict
between the police and the black community in Notting Hill at the start of the
1970's. The central incident of the Mangrove affair took place when a deputation
of 150 black people protested against long-term police harassment of at the popular Mangrove Restaurant in Ladbroke Grove.
The protest – policed by 500 police and a plain
clothes police photographer – later led to nine arrests and 29 charges.
Ultimately, the defendants were found not guilty.
Invited Ken Loach and speakers from Shelter and the Caribbean
Labour Solidarity
Nearest tube: Warren Street. Overground: Euston.
Buses: 10, 14, 18, 24, 27, 29, 30, 73, 88, 134, 205, 390.
Booking information: tickets are available from 10.20 am on the day and may not be booked in advance.
Admission £10, concessions £8. Annual members £6/£4. Sorry no credit cards.
Membership details.
