Oranges and Sunshine

This is one of the most affecting films I have seen in many years.  It tells the true story of Nottingham social worker Margaret Humphreys who in the 1980s stumbled across the shameful deportation of up to 130,000 children from the UK to Australia in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. She starts by helping to reunite one woman with her mother and then goes on to set up the Child migrants trust, and essentially dedicate her career to this area.  The film is deeply moving at times, but is also gentle and restrained - for example there are very few portrayals of anger, despite the appalling way in which the children and their mothers had been treated (e.g. lots of children were told they were orphans when they weren't, and then were placed in childrens homes where they were essentially treated as slave labour).  There are several aspects of the story that are outrageous - e.g. it took 23 years for the British and Australian governments to apologise.  I saw the film at the BFI in London with my friend Hilary, and the screening was even further enhanced by a Q&A session hosted by the ever impressive Sandra Hebron of the BFI, and with the scriptwriter (Rona Munro), director (Jim Loach, son of Ken), lead actress (Emily Watson) and Margaret Humphreys herself.  I would very strongly recommend you go and see this film if you get the chance.  I know it features as part of the forthcoming Australian film festival at the Barbican centre in London, and then i guess it might come on general release.