Colour Blind (2009 film)
Encyclopedia
Colour Blind is a 2009 film depicting racism.
In February 2009 shooting was completed with (BBC
star of Waking the Dead
) and Robert Cavanah
(Tomb Raider
/ Sahara) on a short film entitled Colour Blind to bring attention to a UK audience of the dangers of seeing racism everywhere.
Colour Blind had its official press screening at the Odeon Leicester Square
on Monday 23 March 2009 and its UK Premiere at the British Urban Film Festival
on Saturday 3 October 2009 at Oxford House Cinema Bethnal Green
London.
Through a chance encounter, two men meet through a mutual friend, Peter, who is arriving late for their meeting.
John (played by Robert Cavanah) is a white British liberal who would have a Black friend if he knew any and Dan (played by Wil Johnson) is a Black Briton who understands he lives in a White Society and needs to engage with it to succeed.
After being introduced to both characters the film unfolds through the eyes of John and we see how cultural references and shared experiences impact on how he sees Dan's skin colour.
Through a mundane conversation about work, girlfriends and friendships John gradually watches Dan's skin colour go from Idi Amin
Black to almost white, as he discovers that they have a lot in common.
By the end of the film John, doesn't even think about Dan's skin colour.
In stark contrast, when the audience is shown the world through Dan's eyes, John is shown in Golliwog make-up, Blackface and frizzy wig speaking in what the makers of the film refer to as Wigger (White Nigger as in the type of speech Sascha Baron Cohen's Character Ali G
uses).
Representing that Dan sees white men as constantly parodying his race and eternally racist.
The objective of the film was to prompt an informed debate about race. The makers felt that any mention of race in the current political climate is festooned with political correctness and therefore unhelpful in dealing with the real issues that are impacting on the UK today.
The implication that Black people were as racist, if not more so, than White people in Britain was designed to be the spark for serious debate around the UK.
Reginald D Hunter
) the film is clearly designed to get audiences thinking about skin colour and placing themselves in each others' shoes.
The producer, Paul Atherton, made the decision to have the white lead in (blackface
make-up) to make the point in stark contrast to his contemporaries who preferred to avoid the controversy.
Ironically during pre-production of the film on 3 February 2009 Carol Thatcher
(daughter of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
) during the 2009 Australian Open
, in a conversation in the show's green room
, referred to a black tennis player, reportedly Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, as a golliwog
. According to The Times
, Thatcher called Tsonga "half-golliwog" and "the golliwog Frog" the subsequent debates surrounding the issue prompted Producer Paul Atherton
to change the make-up in Colour Blind from Black Face
to Golliwog to further underline and show how current and important the point the film is making.
Colour Blind was edited at PabloPost at Pinewood Studios
. Editor, Ralston Humble, developed an entirely new way to produce the special effect of Dan's changing skin colour by using Rotoscoping and Color grading
and layering them on to the original film to get the final result.
In February 2009 shooting was completed with (BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
star of Waking the Dead
Waking the Dead (TV series)
Waking the Dead is a British television police procedural crime drama series produced by the BBC featuring a fictional Cold Case Unit comprising CID police officers, a psychological profiler and a forensic scientist. A pilot episode aired in September 2000 and there have been a total of nine series...
) and Robert Cavanah
Robert Cavanah
Robert Cavanah is a Scottish actor/writer/director/producer.Cavanah was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is a fluent Spanish speaker. He is a father of two...
(Tomb Raider
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life is a 2003 action film directed by Jan de Bont, and starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. It is a sequel to the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider...
/ Sahara) on a short film entitled Colour Blind to bring attention to a UK audience of the dangers of seeing racism everywhere.
Colour Blind had its official press screening at the Odeon Leicester Square
Odeon Leicester Square
The Odeon Leicester Square is a cinema which occupies the centre of the eastern side of Leicester Square, London, dominating the square with its huge black polished granite facade and high tower displaying its name. Blue neon outlines the exterior of the building at night. It was built to be the...
on Monday 23 March 2009 and its UK Premiere at the British Urban Film Festival
British Urban Film Festival
The British Urban Film Festival was formed in July 2005 to showcase urban independent cinema in the absence of any such state-sponsored activity in the UK....
on Saturday 3 October 2009 at Oxford House Cinema Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is a district of the East End of London, England and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, with the far northern parts falling within the London Borough of Hackney. Located northeast of Charing Cross, it was historically an agrarian hamlet in the ancient parish of Stepney,...
London.
Plot
The premise of the film is based on the statement that "White people often never see skin colour, but Black people always do".Through a chance encounter, two men meet through a mutual friend, Peter, who is arriving late for their meeting.
John (played by Robert Cavanah) is a white British liberal who would have a Black friend if he knew any and Dan (played by Wil Johnson) is a Black Briton who understands he lives in a White Society and needs to engage with it to succeed.
After being introduced to both characters the film unfolds through the eyes of John and we see how cultural references and shared experiences impact on how he sees Dan's skin colour.
Through a mundane conversation about work, girlfriends and friendships John gradually watches Dan's skin colour go from Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
Black to almost white, as he discovers that they have a lot in common.
By the end of the film John, doesn't even think about Dan's skin colour.
In stark contrast, when the audience is shown the world through Dan's eyes, John is shown in Golliwog make-up, Blackface and frizzy wig speaking in what the makers of the film refer to as Wigger (White Nigger as in the type of speech Sascha Baron Cohen's Character Ali G
Ali G
Ali G is a satirical fictional character invented and performed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Originally appearing on Channel 4's Eleven O'Clock show, Ali G is the title character of Channel 4's Da Ali G Show, original episodes of which aired in 2000 and on HBO in 2003–2004, and is the...
uses).
Representing that Dan sees white men as constantly parodying his race and eternally racist.
The objective of the film was to prompt an informed debate about race. The makers felt that any mention of race in the current political climate is festooned with political correctness and therefore unhelpful in dealing with the real issues that are impacting on the UK today.
The implication that Black people were as racist, if not more so, than White people in Britain was designed to be the spark for serious debate around the UK.
Production
Written by Amanda Baker (who has written and directed with a number of stand-up comedians includingReginald D Hunter
Reginald D Hunter
Reginald Darnell Hunter is an American stand-up comedian who works mainly in the United Kingdom.-Early life:Hunter was born in Albany, Georgia. He was the youngest of nine children. His mother beat him regularly; she died in 2004....
) the film is clearly designed to get audiences thinking about skin colour and placing themselves in each others' shoes.
The producer, Paul Atherton, made the decision to have the white lead in (blackface
Black Face
Black Face is the south wall of an east-west ridge in Arena Valley, south of East Beacon, in the Quartermain Mountains, Victoria Land. The feature is a prominent landmark and is formed by a dolerite dike which rises over above the floor of the valley...
make-up) to make the point in stark contrast to his contemporaries who preferred to avoid the controversy.
Ironically during pre-production of the film on 3 February 2009 Carol Thatcher
Carol Thatcher
Carol Thatcher is a British journalist, author and media personality. She is the daughter of Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, a former British Prime Minister, and Sir Denis Thatcher, Bt....
(daughter of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
) during the 2009 Australian Open
2009 Australian Open
The 2009 Australian Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 97th edition of the Australian Open, and the first Grand Slam event of the year. It took place at the Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, from 19 January through 1 February 2009. The 2009 men's...
, in a conversation in the show's green room
Green room
In British English and American English show business lexicon, the green room is that space in a theatre, a studio, or a similar venue, which accommodates performers or speakers not yet required on stage...
, referred to a black tennis player, reportedly Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, as a golliwog
Golliwogg
The "Golliwogg" was a character in children's books in the late 19th century and depicted as a type of rag doll. It was reproduced, both by commercial and hobby toy-makers as a children's toy called the "golliwog", and had great popularity in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and...
. According to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, Thatcher called Tsonga "half-golliwog" and "the golliwog Frog" the subsequent debates surrounding the issue prompted Producer Paul Atherton
Paul Atherton
Paul Atherton is managing director of and its sister not-for-profit company, . He is the first producer/ director to have his work broadcast on the Coca-Cola billboard in Piccadilly Circus, London with his film The Ballet of Change....
to change the make-up in Colour Blind from Black Face
Black Face
Black Face is the south wall of an east-west ridge in Arena Valley, south of East Beacon, in the Quartermain Mountains, Victoria Land. The feature is a prominent landmark and is formed by a dolerite dike which rises over above the floor of the valley...
to Golliwog to further underline and show how current and important the point the film is making.
Technical Information
The film was shot by Dutchman Dirk Van Der Velden on the Sony HDW-750P High Definition HDCAM Camera. Lighting was done by Colin Clarke, a veteran of many documentary and drama shoots around the globe. The lighting equipment used was a 3KW dimmable "Novalight" (now no longer in production), as well as a 1KW ARRILITE Redhead with a Chimera Softbox as well as three Dedolights and the practicals on set.Colour Blind was edited at PabloPost at Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
. Editor, Ralston Humble, developed an entirely new way to produce the special effect of Dan's changing skin colour by using Rotoscoping and Color grading
Color grading
Color grading or colour painting, is the process of altering and enhancing the color of a motion picture, video image, or still image either electronically, photo-chemically or digitally. The photo-chemical process is also referred to as color timing and is typically performed at a photographic...
and layering them on to the original film to get the final result.