All Together Now

rameshfernandez:

Two days ago I was walking on my way to work and, as always, I have my coffee on Flinders Lane in central Melbourne. While waiting for my coffee, a well-meaning Australian came up to me and asked me what my ethnicity was. I had no idea who he was nor did I know what he wanted. Who is he, and why is he so enthusiastic to ascertain my identity – where I come from?

Did I find him racist and condescending? Yes.

Was there a power dynamic inherent to this question? Yes there was.

On this occasion, I pondered the situation silently, which put the questioner in an awkward position. “Here we go again”, I told myself. Do I answer this, or tell him what I think, that he is just another racist trying to judge people by where they come from or what they look like? If I were to question or argue with him, would my actions be interpreted as reverse racism on my part? I chose to simply walk away rather than answer the question.

I found myself in a similar situation two months later. I was in an elevator with a friend and colleague, a fellow Melbournian who was born in West Papua. A lady entered, looked at us, and, with no hesitation, she straight away asked “where do you blokes come from”? I replied with “I’m from North Melbourne and my friend’s from Thornbury”. She responded with “no, I mean where you are originally come from”. I told her that I found it condescending to be asked where I came from, and she said she was just trying to be nice. Is she?

Then why is she labeling me?

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Sean Penn plays Cheyenne, a bored, retired, wealthy American goth rock star living in Dublin. He’s a complex character, bumbling around town with friends and living in an enormous mansion with his wife of 35 years, Jane (Oscar winner Frances McDormand). When he learns of the death of his father - who he has been estranged from for over 30  years - he returns to America to embark on a road trip that will change him forever looking for a Nazi criminal who humiliated his father. Penn is absolutely riveting in this film full of warmth, humour, profundity and lots of eye-liner ;)

We are giving away five double passes to screenings in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide & Perth from April 5, thanks to our friends at Hopscotch.

TO WIN: send us a message with your postal address.

“Calling it a masterpiece is too mild a compliment” - Time Out NY

Winner - Golden Globe Awards 2012 - Best Foreign Language film

Nominee - Academy Awards 2012 - Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Screenplay

Nader and Simin have been married for fourteen years and live with their eleven-year-old daughter Termeh in Tehran. Not exactly out-of-love, Nader and Simin are attempting to divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. They have acquired visas to emigrate from Iran - Simin is anxious to ensure a better future for Termeh, but Nader refuses to leave his elderly father who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. When the judge refuses to formalise their separation, Simin departs the family home, leaving the obstinate Nader to hire a housekeeper. Razieh is a devout, impoverished woman who tends to the apartment and Nader’s father. When Nader returns one day to find his father alone, it leads to an altercation that has unexpected consequences.

Propelled by an acute attention to class, religious and gender differences, Farhadi’s meticulous script questions the very basis of truth and ethics, and explores the cultural, social and judical minefield that plagues contemporary Iran. At its heart a gripping, humane drama that recalls classic Hitchcock in its twists and turns, A Separation puts director Asghar Farhadi at the front rank of contemporary world directors.

Thanks to our friends at Hopscotch, All Together Now is giving away two-for-one passes to see A Separation in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Perth, ACT and Hobart from 1 March. To win, be one of the first 20 people to send us an email with your name and postal address.