Review of Oranges and Sunshine (2010) by Ana B — 02 Nov 2011

Real life drama that tells us the story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker that uncovered by chance the mass deportation of children in care in Britain to Australia in the 50s and 60s. Apparently the reason was -surprise, surprise- a financial one. Taking care of them in Australia was a lot cheaper than doing the same in Britain. The movie doesn't delve a lot in the reasons, more in the consequences, the emotional scars of kids removed form their real families, some were told their parents died, and the parents in Britain were told their kids were adopted. The reality was that they were sent away to work for free in farms and christian associations, sometimes without shoes or proper equipment, lots of them were ill-treated and a part of them were sexually abused as well. Not a pretty picture. Mrs. Humphreys life work was then try to reunite them kids with their birth parents. A colossal task, taking into account that it is believed that 130.000 kids were deported.

The movie itself it was correctly directed and acted but the real value of it comes from the fact that this poignant story is not the work of fiction, it is real. The traumatic events it depicts are more important that its cinematographic score.