Guardian Live: Newsroom - The Paris Attacks, London
It would be nice to be able to say that the dust had settled from the November Paris terrorist attacks, but that seems far from the case; they still feel painfully raw. And no wonder: coming relatively hot on the heels of the Charlie Hebdo shootings, they seem like a dangerous escalation in an ongoing conflict. But, even so, some hard-headed analysis is surely now in order. What are the root causes of such atrocities? What impact will the attacks have on community relations? And, most urgently, how should the world respond? Inevitably, there will be military implications, but can Isis be defeated by a traditional armed response? All these issues will be up for discussion in this debate, which draws together the Guardian’s deputy editor Paul Johnson, foreign affairs commentator Natalie Nougayrède, Middle East editor Ian Black and senior fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation Shiraz Maher. At a time when it feels tempting to retreat into binary certainties, expect nuance and insight on a difficult subject, one that we’re all going to have to engage with in a more thoughtful way.
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Derek Jarman’s Blue, Exeter
Two decades on from the death of experimental director and gay rights activist Derek Jarman, the themes of his final film, Blue, remain pertinent. As well as drawing inspiration from the ultramarine works of French artist Yves Klein, the idea for the monochrome feature came about when medication for HIV caused Jarman’s ailing vision to become tinged with blue. The result is unique and poignant: a mix of poetry and prose set against a backdrop of blue, with a soundtrack that includes choral singing and compositions by the likes of Brian Eno and avant garde group Coil. As part of the Screen Talks partnership between the University of Exeter and Exeter Picturehouse, lecturer Dr João Florêncio will provide an introduction to the 1993 work, exploring how the film challenged morbid and often homophobic representations of HIV and Aids in the early 1990s. A screening of the film and a Q+A session follows.
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5x15, London
Amnesty International is a household name, but smaller human rights organisation the Helen Bamber Foundation (whose founder was an early and influential member of Amnesty) does similarly remarkable work, providing therapy, healthcare and legal support to survivors of torture, trafficking and violence. At this fundraiser, four of the five 15-minute slots will be filled by big names: actors Emma Thompson and Colin Firth, and broadcasters Fergal Keane and James Naughtie. But one hopes the main platform will be given to the real focus of the evening: their interviewees. Thompson will talk to a survivor of sex trafficking; Firth to a survivor of torture; Keane to a survivor of violent conflict; and Naughtie to a survivor of family violence. The fifth slot will be taken by Woven Gold, a refugee choir who make music drawn from their wide-ranging homelands, including Myanmar, Congo, Iran and Kurdistan.
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