CineLabia presents
Oranges are not the
only fruit (UK /1990 /2 hrs 30 min /Color /English)
Directed
by Beeban Kidron
Written
by: Jeanette Winterson
Cast: Charlotte Coleman, Emily Aston, Geraldine McEwan and Cathryn
Bradshaw
Jeanette Winterson is a writer whose prowess with words
has given birth to a pantheon of complexity and myth. Her first, acclaimed novel, Oranges are not the only fruit
has been translated into film by the BBC. While the film is nothing like the
book, it remains an important documentation of a young woman's struggle against the odds.
The film, which was formatted for a
television series, traces the life of Jessica (Coleman), a young protagonist whose extraordinarily
strong will and heart enable her to rebel against her fanatical, cult-like
upbringing.
From the ages of seven to seventeen, Jess is brainwashed into being
one of the ‘saved’ and devotes her life to Jesus. The discriminatory teachings
of Pastor Finch and his understanding of Revelations appear absurd to the lay
viewer, but Jess’s admiration for her mother, a staunch believer, make her attempt to fit into the regime and spread the word of Jesus.
However, Jess's ‘friendship’ with another girl, Melanie (Aston),
develops into something that the Church terms ‘unnatural’, and she comes to
realise the hypocrisy of the Pastor’s teachings.
Jess’s matter-of-fact work at a funeral parlor is starkly presented. Her uphill
journey is movingly portrayed by Coleman. Mc Ewan is admirably convincing as the mother.
at Majils Cultural
Centre, 2nd Floor, Christina Apartments,
Police
Chowky Lane, Off Kalina Market, Santacruz East, Mumbai 29
On Saturday 25 July 2009 at 6.30 pm
ALL WOMEN WELCOME
