A really good movie has a way of creeping up on you, getting to you on the inside and exploding with a feel good factor that lingers long after the closing credits have run and the curtains close. This Summer’s hit FAST GIRLS is going to be one of those.

Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, for that rare thing - a really good British film - it has some profound moments. One of the pivotal points is a crucial baton pass. It’s a strategic transfer from one team member to another and had been the source of considerable joys and pains at key moments in the film. It’s a beautiful example of life lived across generations, or even within a single community, as a legacy is passed on from one age, one group or one person to the next.

The Fast Girls learnt some important lessons. Firstly, friction slows you down. Petty rivalries, in-fighting, competition and misunderstanding increase friction, reduce the speed of transfer and increase the chance that someone will eventually drop the baton – a sure race loser.

Also, the runner of a leg must be so in tune with what the previous runner is doing and where they are at, that they are able to start running at just the right moment, simply put their hand out and know that the baton will be there. Just as in life, those who are most successful tend to be those who can almost partake of the same Spirit as the one who ran before, grasp a hold of the vision and run with it. They understand that running off too soon will get them there quicker but, alas, without the baton it will be pointless. Similarly taking off too slowly ruins the momentum, increases the risk of fumbling and in the stiff competition of life, can cause them to lose the race. Timing is crucial and the focus is always forward whatever happened before the baton was passed.

But perhaps the key lesson in the film was the importance of everyone being in the right place, running the right race from the right position. The arrangement of the runners cannot be based on what soothes egos - you could end up putting the lower leg where the thigh should be. It causes intense frustration and slows you down. It’s also not a very good look! Positioning is especially important in the relay, as it is in life, because however well you run, the prize is not for a leg run well - you win or lose as a team.

For a feel good movie, this film is incredibly good. It captures that rare essence that only a good British film can, of something unique yet ordinary, profound yet lighthearted. Most of all it inspires you to run, to run well and to run to win!

FAST GIRLS is released on 15 June but you can join us for an Exclusive Preview Screening on SATURDAY 19 MAY. The screening will be followed by a post-screening discussion with the Filmmakers and Martine Wright, an inspirational woman who lost her legs in the 7/7 bombings and is now a team GB Paralympian. Book Your Tickets now! www.iwilltell.com/fastgirls

Last weekend I had the privilege of meeting one of God’s virtuous women. Like most of the virtuous women in the bible, it would have been easy to overlook, dismiss or judge her. Women like Leah the weak-eyed sister and Ruth who brazenly offered herself to an older man, Tamar the trickster who slept with her father-in law, Rahab the provider of special services on the wall of Jericho and Mary the teenaged adulteress. Like them, this woman had a certain je-ne-sais-quoi that caused God to single her out and include her in His bloodline in spite of her history and circumstances.

What is it they had in common? I am yet to fully discover it, but I think it has something to do with their willingness to fight for what they believe in, an unshakeable faith, an unrelenting hope that the future is better than the past, a peace that surpasses understanding and an incredible strength that comes from their willingness to make themselves Vulnerable.

The V-word is often misunderstood in today’s society. It sounds either like someone who is weak and desperately needy at one extreme, or someone willing to use their womanhood to manipulate men at the other.

But real vulnerability is neither weak nor controlling. It is in fact fiercely strong and wonderfully empowering. It takes great strength to offer your beauty and love to a world that does not understand it, that may ridicule, despise or even reject it outright. And yet it is this very offer of feminine beauty and love that the world so desperately needs. If you don’t believe me, have a look at what men manage to accomplish when they try to do it without us.

I discovered something amazing about Leah, Rachel’s weak-eyed sister. Leah was the one who had to trick her husband into marrying her, had to bribe her sister with mandrakes for the opportunity to sleep with him - after he married her. She was the one he sent to meet his enemy in case he was angry while he kept Rachel safe with him at the back. But the story did not end there. While Rachel was buried somewhere in Bethlehem, at the end of his life Jacob finally honored Leah’s life-long ministry to him. ‘Bury me in the special burying place that our forefathers purchased.’ He said. ‘There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah; there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah; and there I buried Leah.’

Don’t get me wrong I’d rather be a Rachel than a Leah any day of the week and twice on a Sunday, but it is a shame that the virtuous woman is often wrongly portrayed as the one who is softly spoken, quite pretty, with well-behaved children, who always dresses demurely and helps out at the cake stall. While all those things are good, the stories of Ruth, Leah, Tamar, Rahab, Mary, the brave woman I met at the weekend and countless others, show that being virtuous means being strong, daring, faithful, a fighter, a partner in a great adventure and a determination to break their earthen vessels of self-protection, so that the glory within can manifest.

These are women who understand that their greatest security lies in trusting God, even if that means they have to make themselves weak or despicable in others’ eyes. They understand that the Judge of the earth will do what is right by them. Not only does He protect them but He also gives them exceeding abundantly more than anything they had sacrificed. Break the earthen vessel. Dare to speak the truth about who you are, where you’re weak or hurting and what you dream of. It will not only release others, it will empower you to shine. It’s a kind of stooping to conquer. So, here goes. My name is Jenny Lee. I have been taken advantage of and I have been protected and cherished. I have been married and divorced. I have been prosperous and broke. I have been belittled and celebrated. I have been loved and hated. I have been sick and thank God I am now well. I have a dream to create a film that shakes the world to its very foundations and I will do it. I am a virtuous woman. What say you?

Daphne Reid (better known as Aunt Viv from Fresh Prince of Bel Air) recently launched a fascinating project exhibiting unique photographs of … uhmm, doors.

On the face of it, they were just doors, and yet they make a compelling collection that draw you in to examine, explore, and even, write about them. Some were barricaded as if one would never be allowed to enter. Others encouraged admiration, but only from afar. Some were wide open, beckoning anyone who would, to enter in. Others looked ever so slightly ajar, enticing would-be travellers to look closer and maybe even to try them gently.

You’ve probably got the gist of where I’m going with this. Doors are, in fact, a lot like relationships. So what kind of doors are at your house? Are they revolving doors where others enter and leave almost immediately? Are they faux doors - just there for keeping up appearances or are they real doors that are so firmly shut that no-one can get in and no-one dare leave? Are they gateways to a vast and exciting new world or a maddeningly frustrating barrier to progress? Do they extend an invitation to others to join you on the adventure of life or warn them to be very careful for at any moment, without warning, they could be quite firmly shut. Are they safe and reliable, plain and predictable or full of mystery and intrigue? Perhaps they are fine after all and just need a little cleaning up to restore their former beauty?

Doors, like relationships, are absolutely necessary for moving from the room you are in to the place you would like to be. Since our theme for I Will Tell 2012 is Live Your Dream, what better way to start the year than to focus on our relational doors?

To paraphrase an old prayer, as we look forward to following our dreams in 2012, I pray for strength to close those doors that we should, courage to go bravely through those that have been, or just might be, opened up to us and wisdom to know the difference.

Happy New Year!

There is a beautiful scene in the film, The Help, where Skeeter, a young, slightly naïve white girl who wants to be a ‘serious’ writer finds out whether the black domestic workers she had been courting for months will help her tell their story.

There were so many walls between them, walls of class, of poverty, of societal restrictions and most of all the wall of race in the segregated 60s of the southern States. They all knew that there would be a price to be paid if they even attempted to break them down. But the realm of unprecedented possibilities lay just outside those walls if they were willing to take the chance.

Even screening the film presents its own problems. A small number have politely told me that they did not think that it’s the kind of film they wanted to support. They had not seen the film but had heard that it was yet another film where black people are seen as victims in need of a benevolent white benefactor to save them. Nothing of course could be further from the truth. The two main black characters carry the film as women of integrity, passion, intelligence and the wherewithal to keep the project going when it seemed like it might stall.

Yet, I understand the concern. Since its inception the global film industry has woefully misrepresented the black image and it is disappointing that other inspirational films, with black people on a more equal footing with their white counterparts, do not get the worldwide distribution they deserve.

I am amazed, though, that anyone could watch either of these two women and just see a black maid. I saw faith, wisdom, courage, persistence. I saw the kind of virtues that my mother, my sisters, my grandmother and many of those who came before them exemplified. I saw the kind of role model I hope to one day be. I understand the implications of their profession, what it represented and why it is difficult to see it shown to us again and again on screen. But I also saw something in them of greater importance and more lasting value.

Let me confess further that the person I most closely resonated with in the film was Skeeter. Not because I am not fiercely proud of my black heritage and culture, but because like her, I understand only too keenly that I have the privilege of taking the stand that I do, the risks that I dare and the liberty I enjoy because of the wisdom, love, encouragement, support, sacrifice and example of faith shown by the amazing black women who went before me.

It is because of them that I am determined to break down the walls that so easily encircle us, following in the footsteps of great men such as Martin Luther King Jr who followed the One who Himself broke down the walls that divide us. I am convinced that beyond these walls lie a realm of unprecedented possibilities.

A special preview screening of The Help takes place at the Coronet Cinema Notting Hill on Saturday 22 October. Post-screening discussion with Dame Sybil Phoenix, the daughter of a Guyanese slave and first black British woman to win an MBE, Jenny Lee, director of the I Will Tell film festival and Rosemary Laryea voted best female presenter on colorful radio. Tickets are only ₤5. Book yours now to join the conversation and help us to break down the walls!

My favourite film from the I Will Tell film festival earlier this year has got to be Kina Sky, an inspirational animation from the Caribbean about a young woman who longs to shine like one of the stars in the beautiful night sky she looks up to every evening. One evening, after a mini-epiphany - she emerges with a pair of large, beautiful mechanical wings, walks to the edge of a cliff, jumps off and begins to fly.

She managed to get pretty high, avoiding many dangers along the way, including many monsters who resented her ascent. But the higher she went the bigger the monsters became and the more coordinated their attacks. They struck repeatedly at her until, eventually, she came crashing down to earth.

All alone. her body aching, her dreams shattered and her tears falling in large drops round about her, she painfully dragged herself to a an almost upright position, staring up at the empty space where she had dreamed she would one day be. But as she bowed her head, one of her tears fell into her bosom and seemed to activate something within her. Her eyes widened, her body straightened and suddenly her vision and passion reignited. She then does what seems to be the most illogical thing in the world. She walks forward and jumps off the edge of the cliff . Down she fell, lower and lower until it looked like she was going to crash into the ocean. But, not this time. She had discovered an inner force that could not be defeated. Gradually her descent leveled off and she began to soar higher and higher, outmaneuvering the former monsters as if it were mere child‘s play, her eyes fixed on the heavenly vision, powered from within to shine as the star she was created to be.

The parallels with The Help - which has quickly become my favourite feature film of the year - are not surprising in my current mood. Aibileen the main character, harbored a dream for years to be a writer. Indeed it was a dream that was shared across generations in her family - she even writes down her prayers. But it was not until circumstances came crashing down on her, not until the opposition was so much that her tears began to flow, not until she had exhausted all her other options, that she had to dig deep within herself to find out what she was really made of.

There are a lot of things to be said about this beautiful film - it touches on issues of family, relationships, race, reconciliation, poverty, and the courage to follow your dreams. Some of the issues are challenging and complicated, some are controversial, all are inspirational. But the thing it really speaks to me of is the power of hope in the midst of adversity, the sparkle of a diamond against a darkened background or, as a pastor whose teaching I admire once said, the beautiful paradox that when God brings you into your intended purpose, you will start to thank your enemies for forcing you to find out what you are made of.

One of the greatest unsolved problems in physics is the fact that the observable universe is composed almost entirely of particles of matter with significantly fewer particles of anti-matter. The assumption is that anti-matter is equal and opposite to matter so they should simply annihilate each other. But that, of course, is not what happens in practice. In reality, matter shows an undeniable dominance over anti-matter, in the same way that light does over darkness, good over evil. God over the devil.

So metaphysically that should mean that there are more good, positive, light things in the world than bad, negative dark. Why then does it not seem that way? On a global level, it appears that there is more poverty than prosperity, more sickness than perfect health and more people wandering and lost than purposeful and victorious. Why is that?

Well there is another theory - of vibrations. According to this theory, everything that is visible is composed of a particular combination of vibrations. In other words the words we speak frame the world we live in.

So then to continue our ‘theory’ of physics, if there are word vibrations then there must be anti-word vibrations also. They may be historical vibrations - the legacy of the slave trade and the holocaust for instance. Sometimes they are political as in the response of some of our leaders to the recent London riots. Or they may be personal, a word said in jest to a child that leaves a gaping wound long after he has fully grown into an adult.

But, there should be no problem. Since words are dominant over anti-words why then are these anti-words not simply cancelled out? Theory number 3 - ignorance. Often we are not even aware of the anti-words spoken over our lives, our nations, our generations so we do not take the steps we need to take to actively negate them. Sometimes the anti-words even come out of our own mouths.

The solution? How about we actively speak words of empowerment, love, joy, peace, victory and success over ourselves and over each other? Here goes … I declare that despite how things may seem, the truth is that there is more prosperity in the world than poverty - we just need a fairer distribution of wealth. There is more perfect health than sickness with better education and more integrity in the pharmaceutical industry; and there are more purposeful, successful individuals than we ever dreamed were possible. The power to see this become a reality is in our mouths. Well, that’s my theory anyway.

The 5th anniversary of the I Will Tell international film festival comes at a peculiar time in world history. Financial markets are in turmoil, there is a wave of revolution across North Africa and the Middle East and UK streets are only just recovering from a week-long series of riots sparked by the unexplained death of a young man at the hands of the police but fuelled, it seemed, by completely different factors.

This year’s theme of forgiveness, then, could not be more apt - although that does depend on your view on the F-Word. One supporter commented “I can deal with messages of peace and love, but I’m not sure about forgiveness.” Another asked what had sparked the latest craze in people saying sorry for something that happened even before they were born.

Forgiveness. It’s a subject as profound as it is beautiful. While it is not justification, true justice cannot happen without it, while it is not easy, it can evidently be very simple and although it takes a moment to make the decision to do it, it can take a lifetime to walk it out.

This year, films such as THE ANGOLA 3 show that justice without forgiveness is just revenge by another name. PUSHING THE ELEPHANT gives us a glimpse of what real forgiveness looks like in practice and YOKES AND CHAINS portray clearly how deeply the hurts and pains from yesteryear have penetrated and how much further a simple apology can go to uproot them.

You may disagree of course, or you may have some awkward questions - what then of reparations? Aren’t there some things that are unforgivable? If forgiveness is for the strong why does it leave me feeling so vulnerable? With over 100 films, post-screening discussions with distinguished UK and international guest speakers, exhibitions and even a Say Sorry day for you to explore and share your thoughts on the subject we’re convinced you will come up with an answer or two by the end of the festival. Do come back and tell us won’t you?

Have you ever had trapped wind? I know it seems a rather impolite question at first. But seriously I think that if you have ever had trapped wind you would understand the riots that have been taking place in the UK over the past few days. Check out this definition:

Trapped wind is a clinical condition often resulting from swallowing too much air or producing too much intestinal gas. Although it could cause varying degrees of discomfort to sufferers, and in some cases lead to the disruption of day to day activities of life, it tends to be given very little attention by doctors worldwide. This is mostly due to the fact that episodes of trapped wind are often short lived and symptoms might have resolved before a doctor has been consulted.

Sound familiar? Let me clarify. Firstly the cause. With all the complexities of urban unemployment, socio-racial disenfranchisement and inner city deprivation, I find it a little surprising that everyone involved in the riots is simply being branded a criminal who deserves to be locked up. The London Mayor refused to curtail his holiday on the grounds that the Met was well equipped to handle the situation showing what I believe, with respect, to be a deep misunderstanding of the socio-ethical implications of the riots and the fact that there is still deep mistrust between the police and many local communities. In other words, to follow the analogy, the cause is, at least, two-fold. Yes some folk have been over-producing ‘intestinal gas’, but many also genuinely believe that for too long they have had to swallow a load of hot air.

Clearly a line needs to be drawn between those who desire to see justice served in London and those who desire to serve themselves. But I do not believe this line can easily be drawn between the perpetrators of the violence (them) and the victims (us). Instead the line goes straight through every sector of society, the rioters, the police, the Government, the communities and even our own hearts and minds.

While some may have genuinely been lured into the riots as a protest against social inequity, the method of protesting and the spoils they have taken are less symbols of overcoming the oppressor and more demonstrations of covetousness. Seriously could you imagine Toussaint L’Ouverture or Che Guevera parading Nike shoes as a symbol of victory?

Our political and community leaders too can be divided into those who would like to believe that this is simply a matter for the Met or the local community and those who understand that it is also symptomatic of deeper rooted problems in our socio-political structure. Clearly this situation clearly calls for more than effective policing and care in the community campaigns.

And then of course there is the Met itself. On the one hand they have a formidable task of containing many small ‘bubbles’ of activity across the UK rather than a single large group. But we are all still wondering why it proved so difficult to inform a grieving family of the basic details surrounding the death of a loved one in a timely manner? Why were more stringent measures not taken when the riot first started? One wonders whether, if the young people had decided to riot in Chelsea or Hampstead, it would have got as far as it did as quickly as it did.

And we cannot, of course, leave ourselves out of this analysis. While some of our businesses have literally taken a beating we must ask ourselves Why is yet another generation of youths being criminalised – some even as young as 10? What have we been teaching them or what did we fail to teach them that has caused them to go so badly astray? Why are any of our young people (however small the number) so angry and so unable to articulate their anger except through violence? And what will we do now? Will we just wait for it to pass before we go back to life as usual?
The good news is, to continue my digestive analogy, that there is a treatment for trapped wind. The drug of choice breaks up the little bubbles of gas that cause pain, forcing them to form one larger bubble that can then be more easily expelled. It works by decreasing the surface tension of the bubbles, in the same way that effective policing and community leadership has been doing recently. But it does not prevent the formation of gas, only how quickly it builds up. To prevent the ingestion or formation of gas requires a much deeper work on the hearts and minds of our young people and also of ourselves. It is dependent on a socio-political structure that purposes to deal with issues effectively as soon as, or even before, they blow off … and it requires faith in a better future and prayers for complete healing.

Have you ever heard that expression: ‘Whatever you do will prosper’? Some of us hear the ‘prosper’ and get excited. Some of us reject it altogether - after all we are not all destined to be millionaires are we?

Strangely enough though, it’s the whatever bit that intrigues me. In fact, looked at another way, this is not a license to print money but rather a very strong warning. Whatever you do will prosper. So, the question is, what are you doing?

If you are idle, then idleness will prosper in your life. If you are diligent then diligence will prosper. The lives of great men and women, from Hatshepsut to Hitler bare witness to this truth. And if you’re brave and honest enough, perhaps yours does too.

As we reflect on the reason for the season this Easter (and indeed the theme for this year’s film festival) may you have a heart always ready to forgive and may you prosper in it …

While the eyes of the world are fixed on Haiti, as indeed they should be, there are other important stories of justice that could easily be buried beneath the rubble.

Those of you came to the screening of In Prison My Whole Life, and some of you who didn’t, would be familiar with the story of Mumia Abu Jamal. In brief, he was arrested for the murder of a police officer in Philadelphia. He claimed he was innocent but was sentenced to death and has been awaiting execution ever since. Over the years, he has attracted massive international support from organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch and world leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Angela Davis, Mos Def, Noam Chomsky, Alice Walker, Snoop Dogg, Steve Earle, Amy Goodman and many others. Nevertheless he has spent twenty-eight years on Death Row.

On Tuesday 19th January, the Supreme Court ruled to send his case back to the Third US Circuit Court of Appeals. They would now have to decide whether to reimpose the death sentence or order a new trial. For a number of reasons, the Court is unlikley to order a new trial. Indeed, it has previously upheld his conviction. So things are not looking good for him at the moment.

The honourable Jessica Huntley who knows Mumia personally and joined the panel after the screening of the film on Mumia’s story at the I Will Tell International Film Festival shared these words with us when she heard the news.

“The hands of Mumia’s jailers are sharpening their knives. My health is not good, but with whatever strength I have I will stand with others in his cause. Let us keep hope alive!”

We will keep you updated and will also be posting posting videos on the post-screening discussions on Mumia’s story and Haiti’s real story shortly.

For more information and details of how you can help, visit www.freemumia.org

In the meantime, Let’s Keep Hope Alive!