Sorry to do this to you. It will be testified, and possibly even in the comments by the person who made me watch it, that I can’t stand Alien. Least of all this ridiculous, boys’-own, gross, grotesque, horrific, silly, genre, and yet quite terrifying scene. It even put me off John Hurt for a bit, after years of liking him in things.
But yesterday it suddenly occurred to me that it’s the best description I can think of for what this past week’s been like.
It occurs to me also that I’m using my ‘end of the worr-uld’ category rather a lot…
But here’s something:
You can help Siva. Utterly destroyed, his shop doesn’t even have walls now. The picture of the lootersransacking his shop was one of the most upsetting ones of the whole episode; they even took his crappy microwave. And all the cigarettes and alcohol they stole? Not insured. Not all people with shops are rich, kids.
Keep Aaron cutting. Born in Cable Street. 89 years old, widowed last year, and now his barber shop is trashed – also without insurance. You have to hand it to him for chutzpah: “They’re meshuggenahs,” he said.
Do something nice for Ashraf. Ashraf Haziq was the boy in the film being beaten and robbed – a Malaysian student who only arrived in Britain last month. I didn’t watch the video but this is lovely, and he wants the money to bring his mum over from Malaysia because she’s so worried about him.
Rebuild Reeves. The furniture store in Croydon was built in 1864 (as ‘Ye Olde Curiositie Shoppe’) and has been in five generations of the same family. The current Chairman is 80 years old and carried his bride over its threshhold. Burning, it looked like the Great Fire of London.
You can help musician Leni White. Firebombed out of her flat above a supermarket in Ealing – she and her boyfriend watched the petrol bomb being thrown into the store, grabbed what they could, ran outside, and watched their home and studio burn down.
I’m sent a message that says:
News from Leni is sporadic, as she’s v traumatised, but I’ll be speaking to her on Saturday to get the latest. Please, in your blog, emphasise that we are overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity and kindness; Leni is feeling guilty that strangers care so much, but I think the unique circumstances of this event, and her obvious shock, are clouding her mind.
Leni has said she wishes people to pledge to her putative album, as her creativity is all she has now. If anyone wishes to make a direct donation, her Paypal account is leniwhite@gmail.com.
Sonny Malhotra in Camden, North London, is offering free family photographs for people who lost all their photographs in the riots.
To find out how else you can help, read Riots Cleanup, and/or follow them on twitter @riotscleanup.
Katy, thanks for this posting. As usual, your kindness, and your passion for justice/fairness, shine through. I’ve just checked the website for Ashraf and they’ve raised £22,000, so they’re closing it, but they want to raise funds for other people whose lives have been cruelly affected by recent events. I intend to help Keep Aaron Cutting. If he’s still up for it in his eighties, all strength to his scissors! Take care. xxx
Hey Catherine, isn’t he great? But the thing is, what’s coming out day by day is the human toll of the horror we were watching – mainly on Tuesday night, but there are 45 people homeless in Tottenham alone…
Thanks for the links Katy. I’ll check them out.
I know this isn’t what your post is about, but I have to say I think Alien is a marvelous film. And the genre itself is as limited and expansive as any genre, which is to say that the best films in it (or novels, poems, etc.) transcend it effortlessly.
Good to hear of your positive involvement in the aftermath, Katy. Here’s a link that made me think of you.
http://wagingnonviolence.org/2011/08/responding-to-the-emergency/#more-11423
Heh! I know mine’s a minority view, Mark. I’m sure it’s great. And it must be, because I’ve just had recourse to a clip. It’s like when I had dream straight out of The Shining, I realised how it completely taps something.