In 1938, Britain welcomed 10,000 Jewish children into the country as they fled from the Nazis. But Britain’s humanitarianism apparently had an expiration date, as during the 1950s, over 130,000 British children were illegally transported to Australia to be used and abused in labour camps and Christian Brother-run orphanages. Not that all these children were orphans. Most had family in Britain, who were told that the children were still in the country and being cared for by adoptive parents.
Given the emotional subject matter, Oranges And Sunshine could have become Lifetime TV fare, but director Jim Loach has inherited his father Ken’s skill of presenting heartbreaking, gritty realism without ever reverting to sentimentalism or manipulation. The result is a beautifully controlled and devastating story.
Beginning in 1986, social worker Margaret Humphries (Emily Watson) accidentally uncovers the four-decade long history of government-sanctioned deportation. Travelling to Australia, she single-handedly begins to help the displaced adults reunite with their families and regain some sense of personal identity.
Watson is understatedly brilliant, eschewing melodramatic reactions to the victims’ horrific tales in favour of a beautifully quiet and absorbing performance. Margaret’s work takes its toll on her family life, safety and mental health, but both Watson and Loach know that her struggle is second to that of the deported adults. Margaret’s emotional journey is portrayed in an honest, unexaggerated way and is all the more affecting for it.
As for the victims themselves, each story and performance is flawless and incredibly powerful. As middle-aged men break down recounting tales of the emotional, physical and sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of their so-called guardians, it’s impossible not to be moved. Hugo Weaving in particular is scene-stealing as a kind-hearted and vulnerable man whose shyness conveys a lifelong belief that he was never loved or wanted.
Restrained, beautifully shot and emotionally draining, Loach’s debut film is heart-wrenching stuff.