Brick Lane

Today, we find out about a very abrupt ending to the making of a film that's
　　based on a prize winning book by author Monica Ali.  The book is about a
　　young woman who comes to live in ”Brick Lane“, East London, after her
　　arranged marriage.  The movie version of the book was being filmed in and
　　around Brick Lane but several people weren't happy.   As you listen to this
　　short but rather fast BBC Radio London news clip, try to catch the expression
　　that's used to mean that filming has suddenly stopped…
　　BBC London newsclip
　　A protest is taking place in East London against the film being made of the prize winning
　　book ”Brick Lane“.   Film Four, who are making the production, have pulled out of filming
　　in the area because of local feeling.  But the protest will still go ahead.
　　Yvonne:  The filmmakers have 'pulled out' of filming in the Brick Lane area – they've
　　stopped filming there despite their plans.  Listen again to find out who is
　　protesting against the filming of ”Brick Lane“ in that area and what phrase
　　does the news reader use to tell us that?
　　BBC London newsclip
　　Film Four, who are making the production, have pulled out of filming in the area because of
　　local feeling.  But the protest will still go ahead.
　　Yvonne:  People who live and work locally were upset and offended by the movie being
　　filmed in the Brick Lane area, so, as we heard, the company have stopped
　　filming there -  'because of local feeling'.  So if the filming has stopped,
　　why haven't the protests stopped?  Try to work that out as we hear part of a
　　telephone call with the organiser of the protest, Abdus Salique…
　　Abdus Salique, campaign organiser
　　She said something not true about us in the book and we've got a right to protest these things,
　　you know, because this is not right.  What she said about our history through her characters,
　　she's imaging the things in the head.
　　Yvonne:  According to Abdus Salique, Monica Ali's characters say things that seem to
　　be historical facts, but they're not actually true.  He says those things have
　　been imagined by Monica and so the protest continues.  In fact, we
　　understand that this protest is part of a campaign to stop the film from being
　　made at all.
　　Of course, many copies of ”Brick Lane“ have been sold and Monica's writing
　　has received praise as well as complaints.   An article in the Guardian
　　newspaper calls her book 'a disgrace' – disrespectful and embarrassing.  Let's
　　find out why and how Monica reacts to that criticism…
　　Monica Ali, author ”Brick Lane“
　　I think the Guardian newspaper said that the book was a disgrace because although it's true
　　that 50,000 Sylhetis live in Tower Hamlets in overcrowded conditions, I shouldn't have
　　written about that.  I should have written about some other successful Sylhetis, a region of
　　Bangladesh, who've got big houses and swimming pools and so on.  Which is - that's a book
　　for somebody else to write if they wish to!
　　Yvonne:  Brick Lane is in the East London borough of Tower Hamlets and there are
　　often too many Bangladeshis having to live in each house or flat.  But Monica
　　Ali's book ”Brick Lane“ is described as a disgrace because she chose to write
　　about those people in her book rather than about the Bangladeshis who are
　　much more successful and rich.   And did you catch Monica's response to that
　　suggestion?  Here's a little more of it:
　　Monica Ali, author ”Brick Lane“
　　That's a book for somebody else to write if they wish to!  You have to be free to write the
　　truth about the world as you see it otherwise there's no point in writing.
　　Yvonne:  Monica Ali, award winning author of ”Brick Lane“, makes it very clear that
　　someone else can write about the richer Bangladeshis if they want to, but she
　　chose not to!  In Monica's opinion, authors should be allowed to write about
　　what they want to from their own point of view – or else it's not worth writing!
　　But what's your view - do authors have a responsibility to make sure that they
　　only write books which won't offend people?