Film: Black Box Diaries

This evening was also film. And what came up that was interesting was Black Box Diaries, a documentary filmed by a Japanese journalist to document her fight for justice, after she was raped by a man with very important government connections! Threatened by those in power, stigmatised by many in this conservative society, she shows great bravery in telling her story to the world. Showing in the Curzon Bloomsbury. My one non-Meetup day in a run of them!

I left a little later than intended - and then the buses decided to go on a go-slow. Not to mention an "emergency diversion" that sent us on a huge detour to come pretty much exactly back to where we left from. So I arrived at the cinema 10 minutes late. And when I went to get my code to prove membership - lo, the damn app had logged me out! Looking at it afterwards, I can only conclude that they'd changed the password rules without notice, and I ended up having to change my password to log back in again. Plus, the lady at the counter actually told me my membership had lapsed.. anyway, they're good here, and she took my word for it and gave me a discount on my purchases - including a lovely glass of wine and yes! the very last tub of chocolate honeycomb bites. I chose a seat as unobtrusive as possible, to minimise the disruption I'd be causing - and took the lift, rather than the stairs, down. At least it was easier to carry my stuff that way - even if it was the slowest lift imaginable.

So yes, it had started when I arrived. I guess I missed the explanation, but I knew the basics anyway. Don't think I missed a huge amount. Honestly, her story is infuriating - a sympathetic police officer handling the case was taken off it, her life was threatened, her flat put under surveillance. Some quotes from the public are reproduced, one saying she showed too much chest when she was testifying (she had one shirt button undone), another actually emailing her to say it doesn't matter whether he did anything wrong, she shouldn't have exposed him like that, poor guy!

The span of the film covers eight years - eight years of her devoting her life to bringing this guy to justice. And the film is scathing about Japanese women's rights - she lists a few points, such as that the age of consent is still 13, and simply not consenting to the act isn't enough to prove rape. I loved the constant reappearance of the song I Will Survive! She didn't find it easy, and with all the legal shenanigans, we also see how painful it was for her. In all, a very thorough documentary, covering the case very well. Highly recommended.

And afterwards, to GBK, which was delicious as ever - as confirmed by an American-sounding guy on his way out with a boy that I presume was his son, who stopped to tell them that was the best burger they'd had. I shopped on the way home - and gee, Christmas seems to have arrived while I wasn't looking:

Tomorrow, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS), for The Buddha of Suburbia, at the Barbican - lordy, it's over a year since I was last there!

On Tuesday, back with the World Music Meetup, for another concert at St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace - again, it's nearly a year since I was last here, or with this group. It's a lovely group, but so often clashes with other things.. This time, the concert is with Delband, who perform traditional Iranian music with a twist - and is now sold out.

On Wednesday, I've been tempted back to the Horror Book Club, who are reviewing Out There Screaming, an anthology, edited by Jordan Peele, of short horror stories by black authors. Handily, of the specific stories they intend to review, two were on the free Amazon sample! and I liked enough of it to sign up. In the Prince of Wales again - Tube strike permitting.. I really must get on with reading the other stories, though. And that's the last Meetup for a few days.

On Thursday, looking at film again - and I'm delighted to see that the Prince Charles has resurrected one I never had the chance to see! The Worst Person in the World is a Norwegian film about a woman searching for an identity, who it seems gets married, then has an affair. Looks beautifully quirky. It's interesting how much keener I am in this than in the higher-rated Anora - another love story with a conundrum, where the young son of an oligarch falls for an American prostitute and his family sends in the heavies - could have something to do with the age of the protagonists: they just look too young in that! The Worst Person in the World looks much more relatable to me.

Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again - and having vowed never again to take a flight as late if I can avoid it, for the return leg to London I'm shunning Ryanair, and going Aer Lingus, who fly 2.5 hours earlier..

The next three days promise to be musical ones! The next two days back, I'm with TAC - first time in a while. On the 11th, I'm going to see the Fibonacci Quartet, for the Kirckman Concerts at King's Place.

And on the 12th, I'm seeing The Definitive Rat Pack tribute act, at Boisdale of Canary Wharf.

And on the 13th, I start a new run of Meetups with Over 40 Living the Life, for The Magic of Motown tribute show, at the New Wimbledon Theatre.

On the 14th, I'm back at Watkin's Occult Bookshop, first time in ages - this is for a talk from the author of a new book - on Book Curses! Eating afterwards at Bella Italia Cranbourn Street - delighted to be able to get a booking with them: they seem to be booked up a lot lately!

On the 15th, back with UITCS for The Glorious French Revolution at the New Diorama Theatre! Eating beforehand at the nearby Greene Man, which is a Greene King pub, so good food should be had.

On the 16th, back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies, yay! This walk is Baker Street and its Quirky Surrounds.

As is becoming something of a habit, afterwards I'm joining Movie Roadhouse London for a film! This time, it's Gladiator II, at Picturehouse Central, with Paul Mescal replacing Russell Crowe as the gladiator who shows Rome the error of its ways, and a return by Connie Nielsen.. seems I mistook who was whom, and her son is actually the aforementioned Paul Mescal, by Russell Crowe! So yes, he IS his son.. Denzel Washington also shows up as a slave that wants to overthrow Rome.

On the 17th, I'm back with the Crick Crack Club! This time, it's Queen of Between, with Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, and it's at the British Museum again - which means I'd better leave a huge chunk of time for queueing!

And on the 18th, I'm headed to Reykjavik, in Hampstead Theatre.. which, ironically, UITCS went to last week..