(1888PressRelease)
April 05, 2008 - Evocative sea shanty songs take us to St Katharine Docks on the Thames and set the scene. This was a landing and departure point for immigrants settling in the UK and emigrants heading off to the new World. Immigration and emigration represent striving for a better world, yet from the 1905 aliens act onwards the UK began to shut its’ borders. The film suggests that while attitudes to immigration have been de-racialised there has been more closure than ever before and situates today’s anti immigrant sentiment within a culture of limits.
The film incorporates inspiring arguments from the Battle of Ideas immigration debate and features Bruno Waterfield Brussels correspondent for The Daily telegraph who argues “anti immigration sentiments represent a closure of the historical imagination” and quoting American writer P J O’Rourke he points that if the whole of the worlds’ population moved to one place they would cover a space the size of former Yugoslavia at the same density as Manhatten and he says “Manhatten is a pretty good place to live.” Philippe Legrain author of Immigrants Your Country Needs Them explains internal migration outstrips migration overseas today and this has “not for example caused China to collapse.” Legrain ridicules the ‘points system’ and argues immigration controls today represent a form of global apartheid. Illustrating these points Sadhavi Sharma a young Indian student obliged to go home, explains why she wants to stay and has more friends here than in Bombay.
WORLDwrite Director Ceri Dingle explains:
“This is a positive pro immigration film, not a tragic story, not an exceptional case but a fresh appraisal of the debate with a much needed historical perspective. Cutting through the depressing low expectations we have for what is possible today, the title of the film says it all.”
The More the Merrier will be launched along with a further short documentary Cash Back highlighting the role of remittances (monies sent by migrants and diasporas back to countries of origin) at the new Vibe Lounge, Brick lane, London E1 on Sunday 20th April at 6pm. Speakers will include Philippe Legrain, (Author Immigrants their country needs you) Claire Fox (Director Institute of Ideas) and a representative of Open the Borders – a spiked-online campaign.
For interviews, preview copies and press passes please contact worldwrite or phone 020 8985 5435 . The launch is open to the public and tickets are available from the worldwrite website.
