The Fourth Musketeer

 

Alexandre Dumas' famous Musketeers as in this 1894 image by Maurice Leloir

The Three Musketeers (French: Les Trois Mousquetaires) is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, first serialized in March–July 1844. Set in the 17th century, it recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel to Paris, to join the Musketeers of the Guard. D'Artagnan is not one of the musketeers of the title; those are his friends Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, inseparable friends who live by the motto "all for one, one for all" ("un pour tous, tous pour un"), a motto which is first put forth by d'Artagnan.^[1]


There have been numerous films that retell the tale of D'Artagnon  and the 3 Musketeers
one of the most inappropriate being Barbie and the 3 Musketeers! And there is a lego set to boot.... 

Even made famous in Asia through Slumdog Millionaire as the final million dollar question....

And I suppose any group of 3 men can easily be nicknamed 'three Musketeers'  which is exactly what happened to us in CMS.  It was at our Nepal Conference in April that the 3 Musketeers were first farewelled - Adrian, John and myself who had all worked for the formation of AsiaCMS  : 'One for all and all for one'

Since then we had been looking for a D'Artagnon to pass on all our skill and experience. Until finally the new musketeer has been chosen  .... and all is revealed  ..... 

















 Athos (Adrian)  Porthos (Phil)   D'Artagnon (Olivia)  and  Aramis (John)  

Olivia now joins us  as the forth musketeer.....  and will be looking after CMS work in Asia as the new mission manager.   And I understand she has had a certain nickname.  So maybe that 'Barbie and the 3 Musketeers' was not as outrageous after all!  

This now means the other three can start enjoying their 'retirement plan'. Mind you any sighting of Cardinal Richelieu will bring them all running to defend the Kingdom ......

All for One and One for All !    ('un pour tous, tous pour un')

The Christmas Story: Good News of Great Joy

I offer two little films from New Zealand which re-tell the Christmas narrative. I feel they capture the spirit of Christmas beautifully, with genuine charm and gentle faith.........   
 

Good News of Great Joy (2011) 

 

The prequel to our film, The Christmas Story http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWq60oyrHVQ as told by the kids of St Paul's Church Auckland. Anyone is welcome to show this film publicly, but not change it in any way, nor make money out of it. Except for Joe. You can buy his music here: http://les-enfants.bandcamp.com/

The Christmas Story (2010)

 The Christmas Story' (2010), as told by the children of St Paul's Church, Auckland, New Zealand. Anyone is welcome to show this film publicly, but not change it in any way, nor make money out of it. Except for Joe.  Good News of Great Joy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttInl1ewJVo

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

Another oil pastel of a girl partying, inspired by a series of large painting I saw in a London Restaurant.  The originals were done by Paul Lemmon as part of an Exhibition: 'a Slice of Lemmon' put on by the Art Movement.  Other picture featured  in previous blogs

Given the near freezing temperatures it made me think how COLD it is on a Saturday night in Winter Woking when you are just dressed up to party. We were on another 'street angels' shift from 10pm on Saturday night til 4 am on Sunday morning.  

'Saturday Night and Sunday Morning' was the name of a novel by Alan Sillitoe (1958), which was made into a film with Albert Finney (1960). Over half a century ago. It portrays life in the raw, in the urbanised sprawl of the industrialised Britain. The drudgery of factory work as a machinist during the week and spending wages at the weekends ,"drinking and having a good time".  Nothing is new under the sun   and the same pattern continues for many ...... The traumas of the week are played out at the weekends

Mind you we cannot see beyond a small glimpse of what people are going through. As Street Angels, we meet people 'by chance' on the streets and get involved with a  few for a short period of time.  I was patrolling with one of the newly commissioned angels – ‘the reinforcements’ which meant we could now cover Saturdays as well as Friday nights.

It always starts out quiet with people intent on going out and ‘having a good time.’ So that’s the time we walk and talk and get to know each other and greet one and all.  Galaxy Cabs have constructed a new control centre – and we met the Pakistani owner and ended up talking about his father who died early in the year aged 102!  He had served in the British army and been evacuated from Dunkirk.

Michelle from Maybury was very drunk and had been kicked out of RSVP and couldn’t get into Chameleon. She was sitting on a wall on her own  and could hardly sit straight. We stayed with her and tried to get her to contact her friends.  She was COLD in her minimalist dress. We walked her to MacDonalds and sat with her for a while. She wouldn’t have a coffee but ordered a burger. And we couldn’t stay there all night. Outside again we tried a space blanket, but she just looked like an oven-ready chicken.  It was only when a policewoman suggested she go home that she agreed, so we found a taxi and that we thought was that.

It was only later we discovered she had been sick all over the back seat and the taxi had returned to base. She had stumbled out and according to the taxi-driver was escorted home much later, by the police. As I said you only ever hear part of the story…. 

Otherwise the usual picking up bottles,  and giving out our trademark 'lollipops and flip flops' (not so many tonight). We also got called out to the other side of Woking Railway station in response to a radio call about a distressed girl,  but whatever the situation was  had finished when we arrived.  Back on the Chertsey Road, a couple were having an argument opposite Subway but they made it abundantly clear they didn’t need any ‘interfering do-gooders’. We just ensured CCTV kept an eye on it, cos the girl had banged her head against a shop window lots of times  

After 3am the Chameleon punters spilled out onto Chertsey Road and a fight broke out on the street    It looked like 10 against 2. But it was really difficult to work out what was happening   I thought they were messing about.  But one lost a number of teeth, the other had cuts a round his ears. The odds were certainly stacked against the two guys.  The angels, called a police officer and talked to the guys afterwards as the police took verbal statements and generally calmed things down. One thing I learned from the incident is how very difficult it is, as a witness to a fight, to work out what is going on. I’ve no idea how people stand up in court and tell ‘the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth’.  I’m sure CCTV camera’s help. But so much is open to interpretation.

At the end of the shift, in the wee hours of Sunday morning, as we were making our way back to base, we met Mark, a bouncer at one of the clubs, who had been in the army ('The Vikings') and was wounded in Helmand. He knew my fellow angel well from the army camp in Pirbright. I was impressed at his cheerfulness, given all he had been through. Funny how some people seem to come through trouble and rise above it, discovering the newness of Sunday morning, whilst others seem to fall victim and get stuck in the perpetual round of Saturday nights.........

Afghan videos - what a waste

Two excellent movies (on vimeo) produced by Brian Cardarelli, one of the 10 aid workers killed in Afghanistan. (Thanks Khalid and Martin for pointing them out). He was with the Nuristan team to produce a video of the work. Sadly no more videos from him. What a waste......

Buzkashi from Brian Carderelli on Vimeo.

a metaphor of Afghanistan
Filmed in Faizabad, Afghanistan.

Hammer Jam from Brian Carderelli on Vimeo.

A modern twist on an ancient job.
Filmed in Mazar, Afghanistan.

Occupation - drama in Iraq

It's a while back now, but I was gripped by the BBC 3-part drama Occupation, about British troops in Iraq. It focuses on the lives of 3 British soldiers in Basra from 2003 to the present.

They all return to Iraq for different reasons, for love, for money, for humanitarian reasons - to rebuild the country.  

 

It is a powerful, gritty drama, tense and complex. There are no clear lines between  'gooddies' and 'baddies', but motives as always are mixed. And the horror and mess of war and the powerlessness to actually change things all comes across.

And I suppose it made the conflict more real for me than the snippets of news on TV over the years  about suicide bombings and unexploded ordinance and a ever rising total of deaths.  And it is not one-sided. There is a lot about the struggle of the Iraqi people who do not have the get-out-clause of a ticket home. 

The Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian poem  ('the world's oldest known epic') is quoted twice:  by an Iraqi woman Doctor to her soldier lover and at a funeral. This story-poem frames the whole drama as a sort of motif. 

"Gilgamesh, what you seek you will never find. For when the Gods created man they let death be his lot, eternal life they withheld. Let your every day be full of joy, love the child that holds your hand, let your wife delight in your embrace, for these alone are the concerns of humanity." 

OCCUPATION is still available to view on BBC  i-player   You can watch the trailer on YouTube  and read a review on Times Online

Khuda kay Lie: In the name of God

Khuda kay lie: In the name of God    

A fascinating Pakistani movie which deals with the issues of terrorism and what type of Islam Pakistan wants to nurture. It is the story of 2 musician brothers - the elder goes to the States to study music;   the other, younger brother under the influence of a Talib, gives up his music for the sake of Islam. 

Two scenes stick in my mind - the US based (non terrorist) brother is accused of terrorism and is taken in by homeland security - post 9/11 - for questioning. During his imprisonment he writes 'I love USA' all over the walls.  Under great pressure and duress, he eventually adds the 2 letters 'MA' to that statement and the whole meaning changes. And he suffers the consequences. 

In the meantime the terrorist brother, who has joined the Taliban, is on trial for abducting a  British citizen.  In court the defence calls a respected Pakistani Mulanna, who argues a  very powerful case against the fundamentalist Taliban interpretation of Islam, which is all about the outward appearance. He is for an Islam of the heart.  And appeals to the moderate voices in Pakistan.  It has a powerful reformative effect on the younger brother.

Well worth watching just for that scene alone.         

The film has been quite  a sensation in Pakistan as this Pakistani review of the film shows

First things first -- and there are a lot of firsts in this movie. As half the world knows by now, this is Shoaib Mansoor's first cinematic venture. Most of the cast, including all the lead actors except Shaan, also make there silver-screen debut with this film. The film is also the first truly honest issue-based film from Pakistan, and now, is also one of the highest grossing ones in Pakistan. ...... in a nutshell, its about two musician brothers who go off on a different tangent through the course of their lives, one joining an extremist movement and the other pursuing college education in the States. Shaan and Fawad Khan, of course, enact the characters of the two brothers. Iman Ali plays the British cousin forced into a marriage she doesn't want.

The best thing about the film is its seamless flow and the REALLY natural settings and dialogues. The upper middle class setting of the brothers' household is something that a lot of Pakistanis would be able to relate to. I definitely could, and the film also correctly portrays the moderate leanings of the majority of the population in that country. The film shifts continuously between US, Lahore and the rather backward areas in Afghanistan, and the individual vignettes are so engrossing that you don't want them to end... 

Tahaan - a boy with a grenade

one of the advantages of travel is the opportunity to see different things. Access to different movies whether on the plane or the bazaars. 

I stumbled accross this truely beautiful film   'Tahaan: a boy with a grenade' Directed by Santosh Sivan

Set in war torn Kashmir (the Indian side) it tells the story of Tahaan an 8-year old boy who is parted from his beloved donkey, Birbal.   

 

It is an allegorical film,  a  parable  about searching for meaning.   His grandfather and mother look after Tahaan, since his father has been missing for 3 years.  They live in hope of his return. But for Tahaan the return of his donkey becomes his soul purpose in life.  He will do anything to get his donkey back.   So when he is asked by an older boy to carry a handgrenade over the military checkpoint his adventure takes on a  more dangerous turn.

It was shown at the BFI  in October 2008  and a  movie trailer preview is available on YouTube 

Also take a look at the  official website.

There are some stunning images. A great movie.

Zindegi: Break the cycle

Zindegi: Break the cycle   a film by Timothy Gaikwad.  Timothy has produced about 50 films  He showed us this latest 40 min docu-drama whilst on a visit to the Alpha village. 

The plot summary is taken from  Yet another AIDS movie by IMCARES

Zindagi is a story of a 16 year old girl who is trafficked from rural Maharashtra and sold into prostitution in Mumbai. This is a document of Her and many like her who go though this journey through hell. She gives birth to a daughter in the brothels. The little girls too is at the risk of being recruited in this oldest business in the world. Meanwhile certain simple social workers from a nearby church come to her rescue. The daughter is brought-up in a foster home and the mother is reformed. The cycle is broken! But ignorance is bliss. The parallel story shows a fourth generation prostitute. A young male child who is abused by his mother's customers, grows up to be a Hijra and eventually takes over the brothel. No child is safe in the red-light areas be it a male or a female.

There are simple and friendly looking agents lurking in the villages in India, to take advantage of poverty stricken families. They promise domestic jobs for young girls, pay some money to the parents, and then sell the girls in Mumbai's red light areas. This is true. This film contains some bold scenes of torture, post traumatic disorders and the apathy of women and children in prostitution. But above all it gives hope!

And that hope is exemplified by our visit to Alpha village.  A project of IMCARES  (Intermission Care and Rehabilitation Society) based out of Mumbai, where there is a ministry to streetkids.  The village itself is outside Pune and  occupies a plot of land behind an old Anglican Church (now CNI). 

It is not huge by any means, but it is a safe haven.  A smattering of buildings house around 50 boys, who are mainly Aids orphans or come from Mumbai sex workers as well as victoms of the 1993 Latur earthquake in Maharashtra  (there is another home for smaller boys and for Girls)  The 'village' has a small kitchen garden and views of hills around. The sense of care abounds. Lots of smiling faces and happy children playing cricket. 

Timothy Gaikwad is brother-in-law to my CMS colleague Adrian.  He is passionate about his agency Intermission but more about his street-ministry: 

'I am heartbroken and yet challenged to carry out initiatives that will help end this evil practice of child trafficking . We, at Inter-Mission Cares, have recently produced a film on child trafficking called Zindagi — Break the Cycle. Though this ‘A’ certified film (I don’t know for what reason), is suitable for all of India, it is primarily made with the church audience in mind. We attend church every Sunday and warm the pews. We have become so selfish in our worship of God, that we forget that He is a God of the oppressed and of justice. This film is being shown in churches so that we move out of our comfort zones and go out there, raise our voices, expose the trafficking racket, and also, most importantly, accept the oppressed back in society'

You can read more in 'Expressindia' Reeling Life Realities  and in a Tearfund article:  Film brings message of hope.     Intermisison is a part of both  Viva Network and the Micah Network.  The film was supported by Geneva Global   There is even a clip on YOUTube on the making of Zindegi  Just to give you a taster.  You can also watch a clip from another of Timothy's films Masiha Aaya Hain (a Saviour is Come) showiung a Bollywood style dance in a church that is opening its doors to the marginalised.    

 

Slumdog Millionaire

Great movie set in Mumbai.  Slumdog millionaire captures the hope of a Nation as a nobody is transformed into a somebody.  A classic tale of love triumphing over evil.  

Read the film's  synopsis

 

Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik (Patel), an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India¹s "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much?

Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika (Pinto), the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show¹s questions.

Each chapter of Jamal¹s increasingly layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show¹s seemingly impossible quizzes. But one question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show?

When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out.....

But as for the rest, go see the film. It's got that feel-good factor. And make sure you stay for the Bollywood-style credits.  As for me I'm off to Mumbai at the beginning of Feb to go and see for myself . . . . .