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Ken Loache's film, I Daniel Blake, (Film about uk benefit regime) wins Palme d'Or.

Saw this tonight. It's the first time I've ever heard people openly crying at a film.

While technically fiction, this film is undoubtedly based on fact and I doubt there's anything in there about the benefits system that's even exaggerated, never mind false. Its biggest message is that the benefits system is now no longer providing a safety net and is actively designed to deter people from claiming what they're entitled to - just dehumanising them and grinding them down with stubborn bureaucracy and unreasonable demands (the bits where completely non-techy Daniel tries to fill in an online form, for example).

I hope it gets as wide an audience as possible in the way that Cathy Come Home did. People who spout shit about scroungers and hardworking taxpayers etc. need to know this is happening. In the current political climate, the chances of it leading to political change in the way that Cathy... played a part in bringing about the 1977 Homeless Persons Act are small. :mad:
 
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"Great picture of John McDonnell attending a special screening of the film I, Daniel Blake today as part of our new campaign calling on the Government to abandon their plans to cut Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) payments. The cuts will see sick and disabled people lose £29 a week and Labour are demanding that the Government scrap these plans at the Autumn Statement next week.


At the film showings, Labour members will take part in campaigning activity outside the front of the cinemas and urge people to lobby their MP and the Chancellor, Philip Hammond MP, to scrap these brutal cuts.

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, said:

“At film screenings all across the UK, Labour are demanding that the Government scrap these appalling cuts to the most vulnerable in our society at the Autumn Statement.

“How can it be right, especially when we know people are already struggling - to strip £1,500 a year from sick and disabled people?”

Ken Loach, Director of ‘I, Daniel Blake’, said:

“We can barely believe that this Government will make future cuts it knows will hurt sick and disabled people.

“Go to the foodbanks, Mr Hammond, have the guts to face the people you treat with such conscious cruelty. If you don’t know the suffering you cause you are not competent to be in Government. If you do know, you are not fit for the job.”

Jeremy Corbyn for PM | Facebook
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Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell and Shadow Works And Pensions Secretary Debbie Abrahams outside special showing of 'I Daniel Blake in London, other Shadows, L/P M.P's attended other showings across UK, see if your L/P M.P did
 
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Apparently today, was IDB day, 440 cinema's screened it tonight, i couldn't face it and i am afraid, would have asked 'where have people been?' so not productive, the crisis in social care is the next horror story to be perhaps, failed.

Btw, the IDB FB has tens of thousands of hits, it is now getting strong traction, after xmas,many skint people, etc will be able to see it in church halls, likely for free, etc, why not arrange a showing nr you?
 
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ust a quick update on the first we are all Daniel Blake meeting on Tuesday:

Our First meeting this past Tuesday went extraordinarily well. 5 people attended (great for such short notice) and we came up with a number of achievable actions that will make a real difference to the people of Manchester. They were:

*The creation of a website that will offer help/advice & Support for anyone struggling with the benefit system. It will contain a section on how to claim what and what your individual rights are. It will have stories of people's experience with the benefit system and how they overcame hurdles or a opportunity to ask how to overcome certain obstacles. We hope to develop a system for people suffering from anxiety to have the opportunity to ask for someone to accompany them to meetings, just so they have someone there.

* Weekly sessions to help with the universal job match site/CV construction and any basic computer skills

*Start a petition to introduce a feedback survey for all health and welfare services, with one simple question "How was I treated today?" Rated on a 1 to 5 scale, with a section to explain why?

* Create a culture of praising good service from the benefit system. To encourage more exceptional service across the board. Not everyone is apathetic and some really do want to help. We need to encourage this.

* Start a campaign for a callback service on all government query lines.

I plan to meet with Liz McInnes this Saturday at her MP surgery to discuss these issues and others. Every week I will have an update for you on how we are proceeding with these issues and others.

But why stop there? If you feel as though you would like to help with the actions mentioned above or any others, come along on Tuesday at 6pm. I will currently keep the venue as the Nexus Cafe, but am looking for other venues in the city centre with better wheelchair access. I will keep you all updated.
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Good stuff at last.
 
Free showings begin

1000 people show interest to see a free showing by Manchester Trafford Momentum of I Daniel Blake, its full already and three more screenings added. There is a huge desire to see this film, including many who are affected by the brutal welfare regime depicted in the film. Hopefully Urbanites can help arrange showings in their area maybe in conjunction with other groups, food banks, unemployed centres, etc.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1560117960670330/
 


Dave Johns wins Best Actor award at the British Independent Film Awards.

Hayley Squires wins Most Promising Newcomer award at the British Independent Film Awards(BIFAs)

Lets see what happens at the Baftas.
 
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There is a short film on vimeo called Lost Dog which is a great companion piece to I Daniel Blake. It stars Jason Williamson from Sleaford Mods and music byAlabama 3. It's £1.50 to watch it.

I shed a tear.
 
Jay Park said:
Is he working class?
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Fuck knows. What colour star do working class people have to wear?

Incidentally, he was born in Wallsend, so his Geordie credentials seem impeccable. I don't know if Wallsend is well known for its stately homes or middle-class suburbia, though, so cannot comment on whether he is sufficiently proletarian.
 
A tepid performance and his received pronunciation kept slipping out when he delivered his dialogue. I didn't think it was all that good but if it helps to present to people the reality of this thing, then great. Maybe I didn't like the film because the dreariness of it reminded me how dreary it was when I was playing that game.
 
Jay Park said:
A tepid performance and his received pronunciation kept slipping out when he delivered his dialogue. I didn't think it was all that good but if it helps to present to people the reality of this thing, then great. Maybe I didn't like the film because the dreariness of it reminded me how dreary it was when I was playing that game.
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So, we have established that, contrary to your earlier comments, he is definitely a Geordie...and probably "working class" for some definition of that term.

And that his "poor acting" may actually be your own subjective feelings about the similar experiences you had to the ones he was dramatising. Which, in my book, suggests that his acting was at least good enough to recreate those experiences for you.

I'd say he wasn't doing too badly so far...
 
Is a Geordie a person from Newcastle or a person from Tyneside?

And no, the recreation of those experiences were more to do with being treated in a condescending fashion by jobcentre staff, the bleakness of living on a sink estate with no heating and aimlessly walking round looking for work on industrial parks. Nothing to do with Dave Johns wooden acting.
 
I stand corrected. Unlike the term 'Scouser' which is used only for people from Liverpool, 'Geordie' incorporates all those from Tyneside.
 
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