I’ve recently moved to London, officially for Academic purposes, but unofficially to bask in the ultimate Global City and take part in it’s exhaustive list of arts, culture and general weekending sightseeing. London is the bastion of mixing and diffusing, home to every culinary cuisine from virtually every corner of the earth, the premiere fashionista  and global trendwatching hotspot in politics, music as well as the catwalk. I was born in London (think mid 80’s if you want an inclination of what year that could be) and have vague recollections of how the Thatcher (Maggie) era personally affected my family who’d set up home here for over 20 years.  The wind sailed us westward (and too far North) to Canada, with backtripping dips into Pakistan for a few years.  These journeys culminated in me searching for an idea of where I could actually feel comfortable - smalltown Canada never quite felt homey, and Pakistan was more of a family resort vacation. London holds that nostalgia most prominently, probably due to many things (most of them related to specialty food, and London Tube smells) but mostly because as troubled as it is with its path, being a “minority” doesn’t exactly mean hiding behind a curtain to be opened when something “explosive” happens.  Okay, so after July 7, 2007 that was (definitely) the case, but migration, identity and being a person of colour in the popular culture pscyhe isn’t a reserved effort. It’s an actual reality that goes beyond tokenism. Obviously, Britain’s complex post-Colonial history of Empire fully cemented the fact that immigration is not a blind issue  - at least in London. There’s no denying a lot of relief is needed.  Migrants and people of colour are still disproportionately lacking in education, jobs and general welfare in the Neoliberal metropolis, but London is aware  of it’s many coats.

There’s plenty  to keep me preoccupied with these questions in the form of art exhibits, film screenings, lectures, kebab joints and weekend anthropologizing in markets with delicious Ethnic flavour (which is pretty much every market in this vast city).  I’ll be highlighting some of these opportunities that are especially worth the puzzle of riding the London Underground in this new series, Wordltown Via London.

This week, Rich Mix, a self-described “cross-arts centre located in vibrant Shoreditch/East London” is beginnings its season long selection of Migration Films focusing on identity and migration themes at the very centre. Yes, this is the same East London that’s become ubiquitous for Brick Lane and it’s Bangla curry houses (which should not fool the unsuspecting curry-searcher and are better avoided, I’m told). Films from East and West Africa from the period spanning the 1960’s until today are at the centre, including the excellent Soliel O.

Film schedule and information (but you can link to the website for more information):

Soleil O (15)
Sun 11 October / 4pm / Screen 3 / £8 / £6 concs
Dir: Med Honda 1967 / Fr/Maur / Subt / 98mins
Cast: Yane Barry, Bernard Bresson

Touki Bouki (15)
Sun 18 October / 4pm / Screen 3 / £8 / £6 concs
Dir: Djibril Diop Mambety 1973 / Senegal / Subt / 88mins
Cast: Magaye Niang, Mareme Niang

Lâ€^TMAfrance (15)
Sun 25 October / 4pm / Screen 3 / £8 / £6 concs
Dir: Alain Gomes 2001 / Fr/Senegal / Subt / 90mins
Cast: Delphine Zingg, Djolof Mbengue

Teza (15)
Sun 1 November / 4pm / Screen 3 / £8 / £6 concs
Dir: Haile Gerima 2008 / Ethiopia/Ger/Fr / Subt / 140mins
Cast: Abvetedla, Aaron Arefe

Waiting for Happiness (U)
Sun 8 November / 4pm / Screen 3 / £8 / £6 concs
Dir: Abderrahmane Sissako 2002 / Maur/Fr / Subt /95 mins
Cast: Khatra Ould Abder Kader, Maata Ould Mohamed Abeid