Farming

I have travelled to 17 countries so far, i know it´s not much. But i have plenty more countries to explore, and i love to learn different cultures. Each country i have visited have a lot of history to share, and you can learn some very fascinating things about the past. But you can also see the differences about society, where cities are very divided with the rich neighborhood, and the poverty areas. I especially rememember when i was in Morocco, and was about to travel over to Gibraltar by boat. I remember seeing refugees trying to swim over from Marocco, and some of them only had a plastic bag with their belongings, such as clothes. I remember how sad i was seeing how badly treated these people were, when some kind of coast guard drove around to warn people from swimming. Refugees will always be looking for a better life, and this will go on forever all over the world. It is not easy to help everyone, but you can make a difference by giving these people clothes, food, and a home to live in. If they can be a part of society, and get a chance to learn how society works, then i am sure they can educate themselves, find a job and start a new life. When it comes to films that bring up the subject of refugees, there is especially one film that comes to my mind. The French crime drama film Dheepan, is directed Jacques Audiard and tells the story of Tamil Tiger soldier Sivadhasan, who is forced to move to a refugee camp. Here he decides to take a chance and move to France, but to be able to get there he is given a dead man´s passport, and pretend to have a wife and child. This is a very dramatic, and powerful film in many ways with really good acting. How many of you remember the really stong British drama film This Is England, about skinheads in England in 1983 ? Directed by Shane Meadows, this is a must see for everyone, to see how evil racism can be. I got a chance to see the British film Farming, a film that brings out the subject of " Farming ", where Nigerian children were fostered to British families so they have a chance for a better life. This film is also supposed to bring up the subject of skinheads as well. Is this a really good British drama film, or is Farming a film we have seen so many times before ? 

As a young child, Enitan is taken care by a British working-class family. after his Yorubá family ask the family to take care of him. The British family mother Ingrid Carpenter ( Kate Beckinsale ) take care of several Nigerian children in their poverty home. As Enitan ( Damson Idris ) grows up, his hate grows inside more and more for each day. He never felt home anywhere, until he becomes a part of a local skinhead gang with their leader Levi ( John Dagleish ) accept him as a member, even though he still see him as a black cunt. Enitan finally have found a purpose in life, or is all of this going to destroy his future completely ?

One of the things that makes Farming interesting, is that the story is actually based on the real story of director Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. He was not a refugee ( he was born in London ), but his parents came to England from Africa. Farming gives us a very honest portrait of his life in London, and how hard it was growing up in a society of racism. But not only that, his new family, a working-class family who take care of  children, turns out to be a messy situation. One thing that makes Farming especially interesting, is that the main character Enitan is actually a black skinhead. This may sound impossible, but this film actually tells the story of how this happened. Lead actor Damson Idris does a really strong performance as the emotionally damaged young man Enitan. When you see all the things he had to go through from a very young age, you can understand why he choose a violent lifestyle. Actor John Dagleish as the Skinhead character Levi delivers one of the performances you won´t forget in this film. Actress Kate Beckinsale ( from the Underworld franchise ), does in my opinion one of her best performances in her career in this film as Ingrid Carpenter. You won´t recognize her, she´s that good in her acting performance. Actor Theo Barklem-Biggs as skinhead Scum is another performance that is really powerful, and disturbing as well. Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw who plays teacher Ms. Dabo is a perfect match for this character. Farming goes deep into the world of Skinheads, and how they destroy lives. But not only that, this film also try to show you how the "Farming" process works from a very young age. This is one of those films you won´t forget, since there is so much hate, darkness and misery surrounding the environment that Enitan got stuck in. Director Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje gives us a film with many different perspectives on racism and hate, and this is a very important film to see for all ages. A film that should be shown in schools, so we can teach a younger generation that racism should not exist at all.

Rating: DDDD