that's why you would seek out, you know, kind of, let's say, an organization or a sport or a federation that does have high value on the anti doping. because you want that level playing field back at the thunder dome. mon tongue united have taken a commanding lead, but it'll be some time before the time national team is able to give its fans and a thing to chair that tony ching al jazeera banker. ah, and are you watching al jazeera and these are the stories we're following. the sour south africa is a deli corona, virus cases have dabbled to more than a $1500.00. most of the infections are thought to be from the only chron variant. it has now been reported in at least 24 countries. u. s. is among the latest. we knew that it was just a matter of time before the 1st case of armored crown would be detected in the united states. and as you know, we know i've been saying it and my colleagues on the medical team,

another 7 saying we know what we need to do to protect people get vaccinated if you're not already vaccinated, get boosted if you've been vaccinated for more than 6 months with a name or a day, or 2 months with j and j, and all the other things we've been talking about, we're getting your children vaccinated. masking in indoor congregate settings and women's tennis association has suspended all its tournaments in china. the decision was made over consent to the welfare of former doubles world number one at punch. why she had accused her former vice premier of sexual assault at abbey t. a head said players and staff could face risks in china. the south korean and u. s. defense chiefs have met in soul to strengthen the decades long military lines between both countries. the meeting aims to count to china's growing assertiveness in the region and north korea's nuclear threats. the united nation says it needs

a record $41000000000.00 to meet global humanitarian needs. next to year. official say that is largely because of growing instability in ethiopia, afghanistan, and me and my nature was threatening russia with economic sanctions. if it uses any force against ukraine, concerns about a military build up at the border dominated discussions in laughing as capital rica, russia backs separatists in easton, ukraine. uganda is deploying troops across the border into democratic republic of congo as it battles and group it follows air strikes on tuesday, against the allied democratic forces as part of a joint operation with the congo lays army. those are the headlines. i'm emily angland states. you now for a studio bay unscripted. there was since i was a little boy in india, my dream was to make valued friends. so finally i was going to do it one man's

quest to realize a lifelong ambition. the studio chose was of my own village and good stones permission going behind the lamb's as got him saying, brings his personal story to life. al jazeera correspondent, my own private bollywood, m. ah. in those early days, it was a real battle to do something other than what i was supposed to do. because i was a fin as a faith that rock music ship have. my name is skin, i'm the lead singer. and so i saw a multi 1000000 selling pretty short brand skunky mercy. but i'm also a teacher with one of the few black women in the rock industry. i passionately believe that music is a force that can break down barriers and move beyond stereotypes about race and gender. the biggest surprise, even after 30 years,

filmmaking is people's expectations of what you can actually do. yes, that's what they think you can do. i'm going to chatter, i'm a writer, director, producer, the wider mac cameras. lovely with the clouds. i have spent my career making films about people that looked like me who are under represented on the screens and often on the margins of our industry. jobs. ah, the whole reason i came into making films was because i wanted to challenge the fact that we were absent from the screen and therefore absent from history for me, writing about politics or writing about him, school things reading was just writing about my perfect spirit. we are the recorders of our voices as people of the diaspora and because they're there they all be taken away. ah

so you have said that music has no boundaries of the sea. you were a bit of an anomaly at that time. no one could put you in a, in a category. you would be jazzy, you would be ballads, you would be punky, you'd be natalie, you be ever thing. right. and did you find that you were able to channel some of your political sort of anger into easy, i mean, you know, for me the way i will talk about music and politics and why we do one about why from all sorts of political is because for me the most effective political sofa come from person experience like i saw a little tiny swastika half way a pool and in my head i'm my little baby forced to go on the wall. and that was our very 1st little single because the question is, who put little babies for school? it looks like it was the 1st one could be more than 4 years old. and in that way i,

i talked about the rise of fascism and rise of white supremacy about time. i mean some of those, those issues i'd grown up with because in bricks and they will come down little bars. that's right. the black people up where they could see them. yeah. i mean, there been a whole big fight in the middle. the street. yeah. i'm and so it, it came from matt and for me, writing about politics are writing about political things really was just writing about my past experience force 1st. i'm one of the things i'm really interested about is if you've done some hugely popular movies at the same time, the message of your work, it remained strong and prevalent in everything that you do. i mean, how have you managed to stay radical in the mainstream? just by being a director yeah. in our business is a radicals things, but it never present for me, prisoner. and whenever i write to film and then try and get it made, it's

a lead as a person of color, it was a struggle. yeah. it would be much easier for me. it's my, it feels like white people. yeah. but of course, that's not what i'm going to do is the whole reason i came into making films was because i wanted to challenge the fact that we were absent from the screen and therefore absent from history so many ways. now i think that the films i've made of lost that years have been a recording of our life and our friends in britain. so my 1st film, i'm british, but that really was just me wanting to express the fact that, you know, we come from a long history in a long relationship with britain. it's not just our parents coming off the boat as it were with their whole colonial macy. i'm higher. exactly. and then with bunch on the beach, i made a decision that i wanted to make commercial films. i didn't want to my art house films because i felt art house films only going to be seen by academics and yeah.

and certain people who are all in the same circle. yeah. and i wanted to create films that would be seen by everybody, because i wanted to show our stories basically. and so with barge on the beach or decided to tackle black in asia, chris h, it shit. i'm a which is to be at the time. and i can only imagine. 2 her argument for the full force of you to get those movie made and get those topics and keep us up exam, get water down. yeah, i mean even that delay beckham in m, i may say, is such a struggle to get made 3 years. and here people just didn't believe that it was commercial that anyone beyond other indians who might like football, would be interested in it. but as a keep saying that phil is not about football, that is a film about racism. and what the father went through. and how he's trying to protect his daughter from racism, whereas the daughter saying, you know, well,

i got to go out and fight it myself and do my own stuff. you know, i think sometimes the story that gets told is how hard it is and how unsupported by parents, but at the same time as low as it gets incredibly supported. yeah, well that, and to my dad, beth, yeah. my parents, my mom was just obsessed with me. let me ask indian food throughout my childhood, but i was my dad and in some ways that was me. but what was important about that film was the fact that it was a seek family. yeah. and the film came out just after 911 and it, i think, i really do believe that it, you know, it did a lot in terms of race relations. certainly in britain, i remember before the film was a hit. i was a screening in manchester and i'd gone up to introduce the film and it was a really interesting audience because his weren't that many asians there. but the people were there. i know to some families who bought their own. kristen saying it

is people, paul. right, and anyway, they also went to the film and then after a people smiling at me and then this one women, i'll never forget her english women. she came up 3. she was wearing white shirt and white stilettos. and she said to me, you think you made a comedy avenue? and i said, well, i try to use humor either. but she said, you, what you've done, what you've done for people around here is previous or they just had the older riots, whether it been completed for atlanta community, an english community. and they've been at loggerheads there. and she said, what your film taught us is that everyone wants the best for their kids. exactly. does it matter who you are? yeah, it was supposed the kids that woman has stayed with me because in a way that is what i was trying to do. you know, with, with my film like just the wife, i never make another film again. are you done?

you don't, i, i did get want to make a film. it was a very hard for me to make and it was cool. my choice house. and it was about the partition of india. yeah. so i want to move a bit away from england, which is, i mean, people really don't know a lot about bio why it was done and how it was done. yeah, 9047 was independence and then partition was that name 47 it it basically britain before britain left divided india and created pakistan. and in my film i put for the theory as to why that happened. it was to do with the beginning of the cold war and american and british interests. the film was quite a tragic film because it was about refugees. and what had happened to my ancestors and my grandparents and mickey is a british person, was also interesting because it is a british film. and i did have the mouth battens as well. and most of the film was about partition made in india, you know, very violent, a very angry. yeah. rightly so. you know, but being

a british filmmaker and i had to take it. it was different. yeah. energy. her different and also i think the other thing is being a mother as well, by that point i've had my children so that maternal thing came in where i just felt like enough already enough hatred and pain and division. and so i try to make a very healing film in film and music and writing all the creatives. the point is to try and get to be better. and i mean, sometimes you have to highlight that in ways that make people feel very, very uncomfortable. and certainly within some of the songs i've done that kind of swear, you know, is because it's like, yeah, this is, you know, this is our reality and in some of the medicine so that people can try to understand how it, from our perspective. yeah. i think in terms of being radical in terms of making it mainstream, you know, is focused on hookey little bit poppy next to it. yeah. when you're kind of in the preaching to the convent, yes. who was she on the ones that you're trying to reach,

you know, trying to reach a broader spectrum of people. so you can that she the songs and if message can get out there and can have a really strong effect. it just, when people feel uncomfortable, they call it ridiculously like black women. they think we're aggressive because we have a strong point of view because we tend to stand marin demand off space there as she stand by the fact that i don't think any of complementary thoughts about radical of extreme. some of them are cry for help and some of the kind of like look what's going on was always you, can you not see, we're trying to find a different way to express something that has been expressed since bob dylan, you know, so yeah. marvin gaye, you know, yeah, public enemy, there's so many bad. so many artists that have written things in political ways. how do you touch people? and i think again, it's just to find a unique in a personal way to talk about actually my last film. blinded by the lights were based on a memoir by suffering,

missouri who grew up in the island just sort of 25 miles after looted an industrial town. and it's based on the job. it's a kid who's feeling really kind of c in luton with his parents, with the national front. and so many people come up to me and said, how much they cried through that film because it's sort of expresses something that you can't put down. express is all reality because it's so few people to do that in the, in the all industries and in the world of art, if you like, you know, when you see it there and people respond to it is it's an emotional experience. i think the one thing about bri springfield, he's a wonderful translator of emotion. yes, i find may. he's the difference between me or restrictive if that is how we translator. well, i remember when i showed him the film, i was very nervous. but at the end of the film, he came up when he gave me a big hug and a kiss. and he said, thank you for looking after me so beautifully. so i was kind of nice here. we

ultimate thing really is that when we were doing it, when we were creating, we were struggling and we were angry with like, why can't it is, why can't we, where's our space now? have our space. yeah. yeah. but a lot of energy doing that. but now looking back is seeing the work and like you writing the book, you know, i have this tremendous sense of achievement figures at she we did, we were subversive. we made in road and was an illegal r. i'm still on it. but the thing is, is to just acknowledge for a minute that we are the recorders of our voices as but as people, the diaspora and, and, and because they're there, they can't be taken away. exactly. i mean, in those early days when i'm, i'm, you know, i'm the skinny black go leasing on a rock brand. if we're looking at me like really,

really because what i think what music is, is by full authenticity. be reeves got be true, is what we call i'm so i in those days people would look at me think, well it can't be authentic, it can't be real because this isn't the face of rock music that we want to have. so it's like a big boulder and you're like handing me your boulder rate is for me to carry. no, my i to of, i don't know. you get that back? yes, exactly. you remember my shoes are liam in clear. you know, i don't know how you have to carry the weight of your races. yes, that's true. if i finally got to this plan of joy and happiness, you know, 26 years old is quite late. really trying to record label i'm. i was really happy. i'm fun and funny not mean a backup singer is what i was coming, pushed into. i'm and i that was my approach to it. and i will say this with when i work with kids, i would say, just don't take you on into your own here. it yes, and the book when i was writing the was i was pitching a young girl like

a young version of myself. what she want to be totally in the book is all about you know, the lessons. i've learned the things i've, i've been told, and that was one of the major things i wanted to say to the kids. now it was like, you know, you're fine. they have the problem. i don't carry other people's wait a minute, you get way down. you stop what you're doing and maybe one exactly my point of that where i learned that was in 2002. yeah. and bend it, like beckham, came out in america and the new york times described the film isn't. this isn't the authentic voice of living in britain today. if that's because they, the idea they have of asians in, you know, he's not playing football. he's like, how would really have the goal as a new yorker blue story about a sailor to an asian woman. he made a film about our upbringing. i mean, i talk about it because i think he's probably quite mortified yet. he wrote her quite mod for the i repeat it quite a lot. yeah. but that was

a real turning point for me is i suddenly thought, wow, you can't win. don't try and win. don't try and be on their level. yeah. be on your own level to and, and can on, don't take it on and therefore i think in what we create is really about ourselves . i mean, i think the simple, most difficult thing that's happening now is that we don't, we grew up in an environment where we didn't, you didn't have to read those wasn't, do you picked up newspaper, social media, you cannot get away from people's opinion. yes. it's just in your face punch in, you know, faith, non stop. no wonder for me cuz i'm having so much difficulty. so many mental issues dealing with this entourage of negativity and people's negative. how can you carry that way? i mean, i would just be like i still, i could, i could just leave the room when you come to me with your nonsense. we need to increase the rooms in your pocket. yeah. and you harriet like a nic and wait with you where you are. so sir,

is meditation. the else is when 5 minutes a day, just meditating about your own strengths, who you are, what your purposes in life, what you're here to do, what you're here to cray, who you love, who loves you, do just a fat people. and then everything else, any haters out there, you know, i was going to say on a pallet phone down the toilet. i. i'm also strong believe in just not reading it because i mean, i don't even know we've been in the business for a long time. yeah. yes, you still have quite a thin skin for things you do. like easier now do you think because things seem to be more diverse, you know, do you think is easier to make your fills? you know, as it is just a subtle, i think is just harder to specify than not in a corrupt you found. we're not making a film because you're black, asian writer. yeah, sure. our audience was going to like it. yeah. it'll just be. yeah, it will just be more unique. can we think about some different cost hitting yes.

can you me add another story as a way in for the audience? it'll just be different words talking of the audience who i did there. i think i think it's a question time again. yes. hi. hi. my name is natasha. my question is it for grinda? i was wondering, do you write your characters and stories with complete freedom or do you feel maybe unfairly that they come to be represent tips and in that sense carry the burden of portraying south asian communities positively like defending the cultures or breaking stereotypes, the audiences and how do you cope with if you, if you do feel it? well, i think early on. yeah. i think i did feel what we call the burden of representation. but you just have to be authentic, i think. but as the years go past, you realize their r as in as a writer and as a director, there are films that you want to make in their films that you don't, you know,

i don't necessarily like how uncertain tv station in england lives, always stories about you know how i was killed by my father, my brother type dramas, because you know, they're so reductionist, i think, you know, so what i try and do is counteract what's already out there. that's not to say, don't hide from serious issues, but try and create 3 dimensional characters who are dealing with stuff. but i trying do it from a way that doesn't make us the victim. and i think that's the problem when you're working in a world in an industry that has so many ideas of who we are and what we represent, i e, backwards um, no educated or whatever my job is always to join a redress that. but what i also try and do is create characters that, that my own community can recognize and feel as authentic,

but also or universal. cuz inno film is seen by everyone around the world. you know, so it's important for me that you know that you find that thing that makes us universal as well as pacific hello my name is learning, gosh, i'm north africa. so my question is, as our youngest you, them, when in your begin is in your career, who was there person? would you look up to and you got despite by? well, so i saw yeah, i think the person, the, his voice i think meant so much to me in her writing. was there maya angelou mean christ, the bravery and the poetry. but then this amazing ability to deal with all the crosses she had to bear and come out shining to me. she remains a huge influence. for me, the 1st could i have bore as she was in nina simone record,

and i took it home and i was allowed to listen to it for a few few months because the local play was in a nice room of the house. and my mom used to lock, you know, the good room. i sat them, i played it 10 times in a row. and then i followed nina. someone's career for my whole life. and i she ended up meeting her. and now some a little say birthday party. we sang happy birthday and i don't to sing down. i'm in the hotel bar off to with on is hung out with. i will not. and i never sent or, you know, you, the 1st record i have bull and, you know, just in terms of has a math is the voice she didn't. so the thing is, you know, she was 19 years old because she was trained the classical pianists and she couldn't get into the classical classical school. i just want to get into, so she end up singing balls and you know, and she, later on, she can very political works from incredibly poignant political songs. i'm as an

assay, she's the artist i keep going back to because there's always something more there. i'm so for me, i would say that's probably the artist as most inspired me. hello. hi, my name is lindy where, so i really, really wanted to just hear your thoughts on what can be done to achieve a greater depth of anti racist di, colonial work in educational spaces, you know, all the way from early years through to university. i mean, i would say 1st and foremost, to not put up with it. you know, i think that live before, but my mother even with just the recent thing, there was a culture of like, oh, we'll just do with this. we'll just let this one go. and then the next time we'll try and slowly, slowly and i think now for us to fix, if things we can do is just shut it down. if we see race is behavior, we want to have a conversation about that to actually expose it and to talk about it. i don't think

necessarily we used, we need to weapon isaiah. i don't think we need to do, you know, have a thing of destroying people and counseling people. i just think that it's good to highlight it, deal with it, put it forward, make it in front of the conversation. so people can understand what's wrong because sometimes people don't really get it straight away and there's a lot of unconditional that has to happen. so i think to do it in a lot like a productive positive loving way. but i think yeah it need, this is so much the rise of racism, fascism and why scripts is going up and up and up. i'm, i think is not the time to kind of almost, you know, tap around and do delicately. i think, you know, it's time we need to spot and shut it down and so that people can see about something's going to happen. and it makes people kind of think twice before they say, are they act. they do certain things. but i do think it as a said, it has to be in an open conversation,

a positive way. not just like jumping and pouncing something that was very aggressive way because sometimes people just make mistakes or they just don't understand or they're just not there. and in addition to was get is saying in terms of the teaching, i think it's up to educators now to start using the materials that are properly representative of the subjects that you're teaching. and i think that in terms of film, there are so many wonderful films that we're going back, revisiting lot battle of algiers, for example. either will you go back? can you talk about the issues raised in the film and how pleasant they are? for example, today and what's going on in france to day. so i think the film to feel made by filmmakers from different backgrounds about their own history is also a great way to combat prejudice and racism. or if you have been the most wonderful,

incredible experience. so taught you the managers canon's just been wonderful i'm, i'm sad, we haven't met in the past, but it's been wonderful to share all these experiences. upbringings and, and time in london the year that we went miles apart from each other. exactly. so interesting to hear that will help you with, with so connected by a time in a period is like from your memories or music that you've talked about. yeah, some of your influences, i remember about 2 that was at this time. so i'm going to go and sing now. recording studio from quite inspired for excellent. i have the feeling of this moment that we've been able to throw in recall from a time generation when what mattered in art was to be radical. today, what the hell does radical meet arctic is, are being used to make cause satisfaction of the partial war. our

society for the rich and the powerful picasso in his late life said something wonderful painting is not decoration for your living room. painting is oh. from the al jazeera london broke our sentence to people in thoughtful conversation, lard cannot be easily erased by, by the superpower with no host, and no limitations. what mattered in all to was to be radical. how can the thing that's radical be for say, part one of highway and a nice couple is not about want to sell or bother the message in the studio b, unscripted on al jazeera. revisit trying out greasing land is

shrinking and some roots long. used by wildlife for migration have been blocked by human settlements to deal with all this, kenya needs more money for conservation and with the koran of ours pandemic keeping many visitors awake revenue from tours. im isn't enough here at the outstanding national park. an annual ceremony has been launched the hall parisha than individuals pay $5000.00. yes. dollars to name an elephant. the aim this year is to raise $1000000.00. much of it for conservation initiatives. discover a world of difference determination. i'm talking about when we are moving freedom plan, mesquite shops, soldiers among the 16 people with corruption and compassion. al jazeera, wooten,

a selection of the best films from across our network of channels. we understand the differences and similarities of culture across the world. so no matter when you call home will but you can use in current affairs that matter to you. mm. mm. hello, i'm emily angland in dough. how these, the top stories on al jazeera, south africa's daily corona virus cases have doubled some more than 8500. most of the infections of thought to be of the new cove at 19 variance. omicron has now been reported in at least 24 countries. the u. s. is planning to impose fresh travel restrictions to stop at spread. rob reynolds reports from los angeles. a traveler from san francisco is the 1st known person in the us to contract the omicron variant of cobra. 19. the individual was

a traveler who returned from south africa on november the 22nd and tested positive on november the 29th. the individual.