Film: The Voice of Hind Rajab

Yesterday, booked with Rewind Tours of London for his Death, Disease and Fire Walking Tour. Was to have been the last in a run of four Meetups. Was curious to see how similar it is to his Hallowe'en walk.. I set out in what should have been good time, but I was going on information from the night before - yesterday, as I was checking instructions on how to get to Barbican Tube Station, where we were to meet, Google Maps wasn't giving me anything like such convenient options - and certainly didn't seem to have heard about the roadworks that meant some buses were diverted off my route. I finally realised I'd have to get a bus to Liverpool Street, and the Tube from there - it was the only way I'd be there on time.

Worked a charm, in fact, and I was there early. Stood in the place we'd met before, played my phone game.. and when the time to start came and went, I figured he wasn't coming. I left a message on the event page, and thought about what to do next - I'd nearly settled on going to a film yesterday, but hadn't been massively enthused by the one that was coming up. But you know, that had nearly been sold out when I looked.. so I figured it'd probably be completely sold out now, opening the field for something else. Sure enough, it was sold out.. as were a number of others.. and what eventually came up tops was The Voice of Hind Rajab. What's more, it was showing just down the road, in the Barbican! Seemed fated - I booked.

The next showing wasn't for hours - so I took myself for a leisurely lunch in Cote Barbican, where they had no problem seating me. With so much time to kill, I decided I'd better go for the whole shebang - calamari to start, and I also finished the bread they brought. Thought I'd try their roast chicken for a change - I have to say, it isn't a patch on The Archduke's, but it comes with a free sauce, and for some reason I chose mushroom, which turned out to be an inspired choice, it was excellent! And then I had their delicious salted caramel ice cream for dessert. Service throughout was efficient, and it was lovely just to be allowed to stay sitting there for half an hour (or more) after I'd finished - nobody rushed me out. A most pleasant afternoon.

I still had an hour or so to kill, so nabbed the last table in the cafe that adjoins the cinemas, and got another couple of drinks. The friendly staff were very helpful in advising me whether the screen was ready, and so I finally went in about 10 minutes early. Comfy decor too - a very nice venue.

I was probably aware of the story of Hind Rajab at the time, but had completely forgotten by now. I've included the link to her story, but would advise you not to click it if you're planning on seeing this - I didn't look it up until afterwards, and honestly, the suspense if you don't know how it turns out..

Hind Rajab, in the film, is described as six years old - she was actually only five, she hadn't had her birthday yet. With the Israeli army attacking Gaza City, she was in a car with her aunt, uncle, and four cousins, attempting to flee.. but the car was shot by a tank, and everyone in it killed, apart from one cousin - and Hind. The Palestinian Red Crescent took a call from another uncle, based in Germany, who gave them the number of this cousin's phone.. the rest of the film comprises the telephone conversations they had with Hind, after her last cousin was also killed.

The real phone conversations are included in the film. The whole film takes place in the Red Crescent office, the operatives on the phone in a tense, nearly real-time, exchange that takes hours, as they try to navigate the administrative hurdles of getting an ambulance into an occupied zone, to rescue the scared little girl, who apart from everything else, is afraid of the dark. The nearest ambulance, that whole time, is based eight minutes' drive away.

The administrator is dubious from the start - and as much as his operatives are screaming at him to do more, he's hamstrung - they have to negotiate a route with the army, and can't do it directly; they liaise with the Red Cross, or the Ministry of Health. And once a route has been agreed, they have to go back to Square One to obtain a "green light" to travel that route. There is a period where she isn't answering the phone, and he actually cuts the process short, saying she's died - and even when she comes on again, he's wary - as he says, the army knows she's there, and that she's alive.. she comes up on their infrared detectors. He's very worried about sending an ambulance in there, doesn't want to add to the tally of health workers that the army has already killed, their photos displayed in the office.

PS The Israeli army is denying it was ever there..

It is an absolutely devastating film. I wept all the way home, I'm weeping as I write this. And I am very aware that my sorrow, in itself, achieves nothing. But I am glad the film was made, and I hope a lot of people get to see it, and that one day justice might be done. Stranger things have happened. Executive producers include Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara. Won the Grand Jury Prize at Venice. Highly recommended.

Oh, on my way home, the founder of Rewind Tours got in touch, apologising profusely - he'd had a family emergency, it seems. Well, I hope I get to go on another of his, one day.

Now! I didn't get time to blog last night - was planning ahead. Because my cheap ticket sites - particularly TAC - have come up with options at last! And tonight and tomorrow, that's whom I'm going with - tonight, for another Kirckman Society classical concert at King's Place, this time featuring the Astatine Trio.

And tomorrow, I'm headed to a comedy play called Dressing Gown - primarily because it was the closest location advertised. It's in the Union Theatre.

On Wednesday, yet more storytelling - I'm back at Folklore Hoxton for A Dance with the Minotaur's Sister, told by Steph Brittain and presented by the Crick Crack Club, tickets with Dice, as usual - now completely sold out, as they tend to. And wouldn't you know it, I've been so busy, it completely slipped my mind to book the Blues Kitchen for beforehand! Now done, phew.

Then a couple of days more of film - on Thursday, I'm headed to see The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, a classic French musical which, would you believe, I've never yet seen! Stars Catherine Deneuve as a young girl in Cherbourg who falls in love with a local boy, who then heads off to fight in Algeria - with no word from him, and finding herself pregnant, she also finds herself forced by her mother to marry an older, local businessman. Showing in the BFI, it was booking pretty heavily, so I booked as well. Eating beforehand in The Archduke - but wow, for the evening, by the time I looked, they only had two slots left - with the film not starting till 8.45, 6pm was too early, and the only other one was at 7.45, which I took! I guess I'll probably have to restrict myself to one course..

And, the first of a couple of days of Meetup, on Friday, back with The Hideout for Return to Silent Hill. I'm not familiar with this franchise, or the video game it's based on - although, looking at the trailer, I can imagine the game must look terrific - no, the only exposure I've had to it thus far is the theme music, which I love! No details yet on venue or time - I've actually begged them not to go back to the Odeon Leicester Square!

And on Saturday, definitely a Meetup, although not an official one - London Museums A-Z have their bimonthly birthday gathering! This one is for January & February birthdays, but everyone is welcome who's joined their WhatsApp group for people who've attended at least one event. We're meeting at The Sun Wharf (yippee, walking distance again), then heading on a self-guided walk around Borough and surrounds, with a reduced number of stops this time - I signed up to give the first spiel, as potentially the most gruesome, about Clink Street! Repairing to The Union Jack afterwards.