A Serving of Rice ‘n’ Peas Please!

Rice ‘n’ peas: As bland as this may sound to some, the particular dish in question is fiery and intense, served on a plate of honesty and sprinkled with a dash of hard-hitting sincerity.

Local independent film company riceNpeas, based in Notting Hill, was born out of the desire for real, unbiased documentary-making and, in the words of director/producer Ishmahil Blagrove, provides “a chance to bring the otherwise unheard and marginalised voices into the international arena”. His passion and enthusiasm for uncovering the truth regarding indigenous groups and their misrepresentation is easily apparent.

Their latest offering, This is Our Country Too, documents the sentiments of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians to the current “intervention laws” that govern Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.

Due to cases of sexual abuse and child molestation being reported to authorities, the government introduced laws that pertain solely to Northern Territory Aboriginals. They prevent locals from buying alcohol and cigarettes and place sanctions on where their money can be spent.

This virtual “apartheid” of discrimination and vilification is given a human voice through the testimonies and heartfelt pleas of the local communities, which are at the centre of these unaccountably unfair laws.

Government leaders, tribal elders and even ageing actors – such as David Gulpilil of Crocodile Dundee fame – give their own theories on the laws and what they mean to black and white Australians alike.

There is virtually non-existent press coverage given about the plight of the Australian Aboriginals to the world, yet what becomes apparent in this film is the insignificant coverage given to their plight within their home country.

Whilst the Aboriginals are barred from consuming any alcohol, the white youths of Darwin trawl the streets on a Friday night, Victorian Bitters in hand, in a hazy stupor. Many seem unaware of the laws themselves and admit to being uninformed by their own government as to what the situation is all about.

From war-torn Darfur to crisis-ridden Cuba, riceNpeas serve honest, open films that portray the emotional responses of those who, through no fault of their own, seem to be the victimised minorities within a world governed by inequality of power.

The next work in the pipelines, as Blagrove explains, involves the negative stereotypes of Islam which have been created by the War on Terror. He has just returned from Darfur where they have been investigating whether or not there is genocide occurring. His response…a most resounding YES!

Blagrove, a Londoner born in Harlesden, established riceNpeas in 1999 after having worked for the BBC. Previous films include Roaring Lion which won best documentary at the Portobello film festival in 2004, and BANG! BANG! in Da Manor  which won the Screen Nations best street documentary award in 2005.

riceNpeas Films
19 Powis Square
Notting Hill
London W11 2AZ
www.ricenpeas.com