UPCOMING PUBLIC SCREENINGS OF ‘GROUNDSWELL’ (2)

Requests for public screenings of my newly completed documentary film ‘Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS. And Democracy’ have resulted in dates in Sussex, North Devon and Cornwall in November/early December.  I will be doing Q & As and will be happy to talk to people before and after the event.

Thursday, November 8th:  Uckfield Civic Centre, Uckfield, Sussex. 7.30pm.  Tel: 07950 216440

Tuesday, November 13th:  The Old Market, Hove, Sussex. 7.30pm.  Tel: 01273 201801

Sunday, November 18th:  The Plough Arts Centre, Torrington, North Devon. 7.00pm.  Tel: 01805 624624

Friday, November 23rd:  Pilton Village Hall, Barnstaple, North Devon. 7.30pm.  Tel: 01271 816090

Tuesday, December 4th:  Treverbyn Hall, Treverbyn Road, Stenalees, Cornwall. 7.00pm.  Tel: 07411 426127

The film has evoked strong audience responses:

‘We met at Byline (Festival)after watching your brilliant film. I would really like it to be shown and have got a lot of interested people who want to see it.’ Lisa Smith, Uckfield, East Sussex

Campaigners would do well to arrange a film screening (of ‘Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS And Democracy’) with producer John Furse. It had a massive impact on the Isle of Wight last Saturday!’ Christine Lightbody, Newport, Isle of Wight

Here are some earlier reviews clips following previews of the film:

“An urgent, compelling film that deserves to be seen widely.” (The Independent, July 6th 2018)

“A highly individual, remarkably sophisticated piece of filmmaking. It is rare to see a film that explores complex issues and attitudes with such clarity. Extraordinary…
moving and humbling” (Archie Tait, ex-Director ICA Cinema)

“A powerful and accessible film that should be distributed widely.”  (Mark Kidel, arts documentary filmmaker and journalist)

“Groundswell is a very important documentary film. It marks an important moment in our social history. It demonstrates the power of grassroots organisations to reach out, to debate, and to bring together people from across old, established, traditional political lines. Looking at the film the emotions of the people and the commitment that they are making, despite very busy personal lives, is fantastic and very moving. ”  (John McCarthy, broadcaster & author)

“Inspiring.” (Iain Softley, cinema film director)

“This film goes a long way to explain the Corbyn phenomenon.”  (Lord David Owen, ex-Labour Party Minister Of Health)

The film is now available for bookings. Contact me at: info@johnfurse.co.uk

Facebook page: http://bit.ly/GroundswellNHSFilm

For info on local campaign groups and what you can do to help save the NHS: http://www.healthcampaignstogether.com and http://999callfornhs.org.uk/

My friend the actor Dudley Sutton, who contributed a moving finale to the film, died on September 15th. Here he is in what he called his “last performance”. The clip has received over 160,000 views.

UPCOMING PUBLIC SCREENINGS OF ‘GROUNDSWELL’

Next weekend sees the first public screenings of my now just completed documentary film ‘Groundswell: The Grassroots Battle For The NHS. And Democracy’. I will be doing Q & As at both events and will be happy to talk to people before and after the event.

Friday, October 5th:  The Green Party Conference, Bristol City Hall (Library), Bristol BS1 5TR. Screening starts at 8.30pm

Saturday, October 6th:  The Quay Arts Centre, Sea Street, Newport, Isle Of Wight PO30 5BW. Screening starts at 6.30pm

Here are some reviews clips:

“An urgent, compelling film that deserves to be seen widely.” (The Independent, July 6th 2018)

“A highly individual, remarkably sophisticated piece of filmmaking. It is rare to see a film that explores complex issues and attitudes with such clarity. Extraordinary…
moving and humbling” (Archie Tait, ex-Director ICA Cinema)

“A powerful and accessible film that should be distributed widely.”  (Mark Kidel, arts documentary filmmaker and journalist)

“Groundswell is a very important documentary film. It marks an important moment in our social history. It demonstrates the power of grassroots organisations to reach out, to debate, and to bring together people from across old, established, traditional political lines. Looking at the film the emotions of the people and the commitment that they are making, despite very busy personal lives, is fantastic and very moving. ”  (John McCarthy, broadcaster & author)

“Inspiring.” (Iain Softley, cinema film director)

“This film goes a long way to explain the Corbyn phenomenon.”  (Lord David Owen, ex-Labour Party Minister Of Health)

The film is now available for bookings. Contact me at: info@johnfurse.co.uk

Facebook page: http://bit.ly/GroundswellNHSFilm

For info on local campaign groups and what you can do to help save the NHS: http://www.healthcampaignstogether.com and http://999callfornhs.org.uk/

>>> ARCHIVE

>>> THE TRUE STORY BEHIND THE ‘NHS CRISIS’

>>> ‘GROUNDSWELL’ PROJECT: STORY & PRODUCTION INFO

>>> ‘GROUNDSWELL’ FILM REVIEWS

>>> ‘GROUNDSWELL’ Screenings

‘GROUNDSWELL’ AT HACKS’ GLASTO

My updated 1-hour version of ‘GROUNDSWELL: THE GRASSROOTS BATTLE FOR THE NHS’ has been given a wildcard entry at the Byline Festival in Sussex next Monday 27th, 11.15am – 12.45pm inc Q & A. It’s one of 20 docs being screened.

The last-minute invitation came via media journos hangout The Frontline Club, partners in the Festival, which it describes as ‘four days of independent journalism, comedy, music, dance, workshops and free speech for anyone concerned.’ With John Cleese, Gary Lineker and Carole Cadwalldr, the brilliant journo who exposed the Cambridge Analytica scam, amongst its acts it sounds an interesting, eclectic and fun do: http://www.bylinefestival.com

Getting the ear of opinion formers to start taking on the mainstream media’s constant misrepresentation of the ‘NHS crisis’ is now a priority. The Frontline Club has decamped to the Festival for the weekend, so I’m looking to get some hacks’ interest there.

My precis of campaigners’ take on what’s happening to the NHS, the whys and the wherefores, can be found below in The True Story Behind The NHS Crisis.

>>> ARCHIVE

>>> THE TRUE STORY BEHIND THE ‘NHS CRISIS’

>>> ‘GROUNDSWELL’ PROJECT: STORY & PRODUCTION INFO

                                              >>> ‘GROUNDSWELL’ FILM REVIEWS

>>> ‘GROUNDSWELL’ Screenings

FOR THE BENEFIT OF MR KITE

There won’t just be one show, it seems, but two. I’ve somewhat suddenly found myself embroiled in a couple of NHS-related events which draw together much of what I’ve been working on over the last 3 1/2 years.

The first is an ‘NHS Myth-Busting’ do at Hammersmith Town Hall’s cavernous main Assembly Room – capacity over 1000 inc 750 seated – on Sunday July 1st, 2.00 – 5.00pm. Organised by our 38 Degrees Chelsea & Fulham Group it’s intended as an antidote to all the Government/NHS England guff about the NHS’ 70th Birthday.

The second event is a screening of ‘Groundswell’ at the Regent Street Cinema on Monday July 2nd at 6.30pm followed by a Q & A. Programme notes and bookings: https://www.regentstreetcinema.com/programme/groundswell-the-grassroots-battle-for-the-nhs/

I’ve been surprised and gratified by the very favourable responses the film has been getting from test screenings and private viewings.

The screening came about through the unlikeliest of circumstances. Checking into the Brompton Hospital two weeks ago for a small heart operation – to correct an electrical fault quaintly known as ‘atrial flutter’ – I fell into conversation about the film and the NHS with the receptionist Maria Moats-Boyer. She immediately wrote to her friend Shira MacLeod, the director of the Regent Street Cinema. The day after leaving hospital Shira booked the film! I should get admitted more often.

>>> ARCHIVE

BADGE – NH$ NO! Now Available

NH$ NO! 45mm badges designed by legendary Pearce (Time Out) Marchbank, paid for by me, now available at cost – in bags of 200 at £30 per bag/15p each inc VAT to NHS campaigners/campaign groups. Open to proposals from them or anyone else.

Use to raise £££ as well as awareness about the Americanisation of the NHS now at a critical stage with the soon to be contracted Accountable Care Organisations (ACOs) – see my August blog AMERICAN PIE: NHS Privatisation US-Style.

Email me at:  info@johnfurse.co.uk

>>> NHS INFO

>>> ARCHIVE

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

Here’s a shameless plug for the campaign to stop the Americanisation of the NHS. When I told my new-found relative and Blondie keyboard player Matt Katz-Bohen about this just before their Brighton gig last Wednesday night his baffled response was “They (the healthcare corporations) just want to make loads of money and kill everybody!” He was happy for me to publish this photo and his comment.

I’ve become closely involved with raising CrowdJustice crowdfunding for a legal action on the US-originated Accountable Care Organisations (ACOs) now being introduced and contracted by NHS England. The action against Health Minister Jeremy Hunt is by a group of eminent campaigners led by Professor Allyson Pollock, co-author of the NHS Reinstatement Bill and a mainstay of the Save Our NHS campaign for over 25 years.

They are calling for a judicial review into the lack of the Parliamentary scrutiny and legislation required for the kind of radical restructuring of the NHS that the ACOs involve and also into the lack of proper public information and consultation on them.

Last Friday we raised the £23,000 needed for the legal fees in just 16 hours! What was touching was that the majority of the donations were in the £5 to £25 range, pointing to support from across the social spectrum including many with small means.

999 Call For The NHS are also pursuing a judicial review that challenges the legality of NHS England’s ACO contract which could threaten patient safety and access to comprehensive treatment. They successfully launched a CrowdJustice crowdfunding appeal for their legal action which similarly showed wide-ranging popular support, a testament to their very real ‘street’ origins. It’s a big step in the remarkable journey of this truly indie grassroots campaign group started by working mum Joanna Adams from her Darlington living room.

The twin forces of darkness – the Government and its self-confessedly pro-US Health Minister Jeremy Hunt and NHS England under its former US health insurance corporation senior exec Simon Stevens – now face a triple-barrelled challenge from campaigners (the Guardian ran a substantial piece on its potential impact). This represents a notable step-up in the NHS campaign, a matter of urgency as the contracting of ACOs by NHSE is under way (for an explanation of the NHS Americanisation/ACO threat see my August blog ‘American Pie’).

Apart from helping draft the CrowdJustice appeal my main contribution was to get the legendary Time Out graphic designer Pearce Marchbank to design a great badge logo. “If it needs words to explain it it’s not doing its job,” the maestro pronounced. “It should be like a road sign!” Might it become another of his iconic works? http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/sep/04/london-greatest-design-icons-regents-park-brick-lane-m25.

>>> ARCHIVE

GROUNDSWELL: WHOSE NHS? A GRASSROOTS JOURNEY – Will Labour Really Save The NHS?

New assembly edit of  GROUNDSWELL: WHOSE NHS? A GRASSROOTS JOURNEY now completed. Will Labour Really Save The NHS? Hopes rise during the September 24th-27th 2017 Labour Party conference in Brighton. With another General Election possible at any time the conference was a watershed moment under the newly invigorated Corbyn leadership, with an NHS motion described by its proposer Dr Alex Scott-Samuel as “the most important motion on the NHS since 1948”.  Why could what happened prove a significant moment in Labour’s commitment to saving the NHS. And wonder yet again at why this went totally unreported in the media.

At one point in filming I found myself having to forsake my filmmaker’s duties to help promote the NHS Reinstatement Bill’s inclusion in the motion, using a leaflet I’d composed with 999’s Steve Carne. Having brought the leaflets down to Brighton I was the only available pair of hands on the day to distribute them amongst the voting delegates. With more hands subsequently we managed to get one to almost every voter. It was gratifying to know that they played a part in the outcome of the vote. Watch the viddie!

>>> ARCHIVE