nick broomfield and slavery

I'm really keen to see Nick Broomfield's first feature film, Ghosts - Broomfield is one of our finest film makers and he's taken on a fascinating subject, as Stephen Newton points out in chastening prose on his blog:

"I'm not easily moved to tears, but Nick Broomfield’s Ghosts did that trick. They were tears of shame. It’s a film that shows that imperialism is alive and well and that the relatively luxurious lifestyles we enjoy come at a high price to be paid by those who born into foreign poverty.

These illegal Chinese immigrants did the jobs British people would rather not, for wages British people would not accept. They found themselves in meat factories (and we’re reminded that cruelty extends well beyond our treatment of other human beings); tempted into prostitution; working the land. Always they are treated with contempt."

Make sure you read the rest of his post, and take particular note of his mentioning the Morecambe Victim Trust Fund, which has raised £1,306.39 towards the £500,000 needed to clear the victims’ debts. I've just donated*. To quote Stephen again,

"As you dig into your pocket for some spare change, remember how relatively easily you earn your money and how much harder – and more expensive – life would be without the cheap labour of illegal immigrants."

*clarification: I've just tried to donate six times, and each time it refuses to let me, stating that it's not recognising the security code I type in. Either I'm being subconsciously stingy and typing it in wrong on purpose, or there's a problem with the site at the moment. Well, I'll keep trying - hope it works for you.