this is bbc news. the headlines — on his first official visit to ireland, pope francis has met survivors of abuse by members of the roman catholic church. among them was a prominent survivor of sexual abuse by a priest in the nineteen sixties and at least two people born in homes for unmarried mothers. hundreds of venezuela ‘s have been allowed into peru after they said they were to need a passport. officials in one bordertown said they were requesting refugee station —— status and had travelled with an id card only and were stranded at the border. relatives of the late spanish dictator francisco franco say they will use all legal means to stop the government from exhuming his remains from a monument outside madrid. a statement from general franco's grandchildren said they were totally opposed to what they called an act of vengeance. women in england will be allowed to take an early abortion pill at home, under a government plan due to take effect by the end

of the year. at present, women ending a pregnancy in its first 10 weeks must take two pills at a clinic, 2a to 48 hours apart. the move will bring england into line with scotland and wales. ena miller reports. at the moment in england, women who want to end a pregnancy before ten weeks have to take two pills up to 48 hours apart and at a clinic. but some people, like zoe, have experienced bleeding and cramping on their way home. it was so traumatic and so unexpected, the pain and nausea was so extreme that i had to get off the tube, i lay down on a bench and basically just decided that i wasn't going to move any further. changes to the law will help minimise the stress. the department of health says, by the end of the year, it will allow women to take the second pill in the familiar surroundings of their own home. but abortion has been legal for many years —

why has the decision happened now? this tiny change has taken so long because ministers and civil servants, i think, have exaggerated, they have an exaggerated sense of what the opposition to abortion is. most people, even if they don't like the idea of abortion, recognise that it's legal and it should be allowed as safely as possible. 180,000 women have an abortion each year in england and four out of five of those are early medical terminations. the move has been welcomed. this is a way in which girls and women can access the second pills in their early medical abortion in a safe, effective and compassionate way. england will fall in line with wales and scotland. in northern ireland, abortion is still illegal, unless there is a serious risk to a woman's health or life. campaigners say they're ready to make the changes now, and the government's end—of—year deadline couldn't come fast enough. ena miller, bbc news. now on bbc news, talking movies.

welcome to this special hollywood and race edition of talking movies, i'm tom brook. in today's programme, we'll be focusing on how the american film industry is dealing with the issues of race and diversity. spike lee speaks. a look at blackkklansman, the latest picture from the legendary black filmmaker. america first. this film is about today and we live in a very, very serious time in this world. does it matter that most film critics are white and male? does it have a negative affect on diversity in cinemas? it's about not only

having one narrative. that goes in terms of filmmaking, it goes in terms of acting, it goes in terms of film criticism. and asians, long underrepresented on the big screen, now have crazy rich asians, the first major asian—led studio film in 25 years. so, is the drought now over? we have such a treasure trove of interesting stories to be told, with equally as powerful new actors. and we look at the state of portrayals of native americans in hollywood cinema. why won't the old stereotypes fade away? nothing of any substances going to change until you have the native people writing the stories and directing them. plus a report on the new wave of black stories and black characters that have been moving into cinemas. i think black panther changed the equation because it made executives see there was international value in black films.

all that and more in this special hollywood and race edition of talking movies. leading african—american filmmaker spike lee is back this month with blackkkla nsman, a period film which relates very much to the present—day. this politically provocative picture has been getting excellent reviews and it marks a real return to form for the director. i happen to be talking to a true white american. god bless white america. the central character in blackkklansman is a real—life figure, ron stallworth, a black police detective who infiltrated the white supremacist group, the ku klux klan, in colorado springs in the 1970s. he did it by striking up a relationship with klan members by phone, then a white surrogate police officer, a colleague, stood in for him in face—to—face meetings. ron stallworth was modest about his accomplishments

at the film's new york premiere. infiltrating the group, penetrating them was very easy because they didn't take time to recognise the signs that something was not right. you had two different voices talking to you, one in person, one on the phone, and they didn't recognise that they were being had. it wasn't difficult at all. you for the white race, ron? oh, hell, yeah. so it becomes a combined... both: ron stallworth. can you do that? with the right white man, you can do anything. spike lee was drawn to ron stallworth‘s story for many reasons, he was certainly impressed by him as a man. courageous, heroic. i mean, the klan don't play, they kill people, they murder people, which are acts of terrorism. homegrown terrorism. so, to do that back in the ‘70s... i mean, it was no picnic. a key klan member scrutinised in the film is its former

grand wizard, david duke, a pivotal figure in the organisation. actor topher grace portrays david duke. thank you so much for never putting your country second. the first half of the film really shows more of what the modern—day idea of racist was at the beginning of the ‘70s, kind of beer belly, redneck dude. and then david, the most evil thing about him, he's really brilliant, he figured out a way to put a different face on racism. america first. all: america first! duke is heard using words that president trump has also uttered. throughout lee's film, there's connections to be made with events in the 1970s and the present—day, most notably when the film transition from a fictional ku klux klan rally in the past to a very real protest in charlottesville a year ago, when white supremacist groups clashed violently with counterdemonstrators. it was a day that resulted in the death of heather heyer, struck down when a car drove into a crowd. the film is quite provocative in a way, do you feel it

could really entrench people in terms of their opinions rather than bringing about enlightenment? i've done my part and we'll see how the world sees it. this film is about today, and we live in a very, very serious time in this world. many people who've seen the film felt this was just about the united states of america, this is about the global rising of the right, notjust the united states of america. spike lee's film marks a triumph for him as a director. it's seen as his best movie in years, and his first picture in a while to have become part of the cultural conversation. stallworth brothers. we're on a roll, baby! with critically acclaimed films like blackkklansman and megahits like black panther, it's been a noteworthy yearfor black cinema. more modest of undertakings of black characters

and black stories have also been doing very well, as tristan daley reports. with months still left in 2018, this year has already seen the release of several films with black leads. a number of these films deal with real issues facing black people in america, but with creative flair. you don't talk white enough. like this, young blood. hey, mr kramer, this is langston from regal view. i didn't catch you at the wrong time, did i? there was sorry to bother you, a satire about a telemarketer dealing with problems of race and capitalism in a wacky alternate universe. in blindspotting, colin, played by daveed diggs, tries to stay out of trouble on his last days of probation in his rapidly gentrifying hometown of oakland in california. even though this isn't a musical film, characters in the movie rap. every time you come

around, you monsters got me feeling like a monster in m own town. diggs, who co—wrote the film, says although this project is a comedy, it doesn't shy away from real—life circumstances. we describe it as a buddy comedy in a world that won't let it be one. ourfilm's protagonists would love it if it's an escapist movie but that's not the world we live in. it takes a buddy comedy trope, and doesn't ignore the circumstances real people live in, and this is what we get. i wanted to actually fine my dad's address. anotherfilm, night comes on, also deals with the circumstances of real people. it follows angel, who has recently been released from juvenile detention and goes on a journey to see her estranged father. while the film doesn't deal directly with the race of its main character, the lead, dominique fishback, is happy to play such a developed role. opportunities like this are few and far between for black actors.

it's a real, true character study, which i think is what i dreamed of doing when i was younger, and now to be able to be a person and live as another person, and this film is for people who wanna know about human relationships and experiences. while some black filmmakers rejoice at new creative opportunities, executives are more concerned with the prospect of financial gains. industry leaders in hollywood have long maintained black stories don't sell as well at the box office as their white counterparts. however, 2017's get out get out and this year's black panther have already poked holes in that line of thinking. earlier this month, blumhouse productions premiered blackkklansman. the company ceo's, jason blum, believes that the recent successes of black screen stories are changing the minds of film executives. there's always been this myth that black films don't do well overseas. i think black panther changed the equation because it made

executives see that there's international value in black films, which they'd never really accepted until black panther. while there are those that celebrate this moment, others are not so ready to rest on their laurels. at the moment right now, it feels like we're having a critical mass of films that deal with issues important to black people, but that's actually a shame. three orfour movies in a summer actually is not... that shouldn't be a movement, that should be common practice. every few years it seems audiences are teased by an increase in the number of films that push the envelope in terms of diversity and creativity, but soon after, periods of complacency follow and executives forget the benefits of inclusivity. many hope industry leaders remember lessons from the 2018 season as they plan theirfuture productions. i'm a tough guy! nowadays, diversity on screen, or the lack of it, is being closely monitored and there's also scrutiny on those evaluating films. a recent us survey found

the vast majority of film reviewers were white and male. what does this mean for diversity in cinemas? well, emma jones has been finding out. i have never seen anything like this. how much more are you hiding? those who criticise for a living are now dealing with a dose of their own medicine. visible diversity on screen is one of the direct results of the oscarssowhite campaign. now questions are being asked about why the status quo prevailed for years. they all think that you and me and planning some kind of uprising. the people need a sign for them to believe in their own strength. jessica chastain, who recently starred with native american actor michael greyeyes in woman walks ahead, has been a vocal critic of the critics and their own lack of diversity, even as they reported on the uproar in hollywood. it's about not only having one narrative. that goes in terms of filmmaking, it goes in terms of acting, it goes in terms of film

criticism, which i think is a major problem and no one seems to be talking about it. that when you have 90% ofjournalists are from one demographic, they're the ones telling an audience what is worthwhile to see. if we're creating diversity in filmmaking, we also need diversity in that point of view. so is she right? here in london, this is a press screening for spike lee's blackkkla nsman. it's not completely white and male, as you'd hope for the hotly—anticipated work of a successful african—american filmmaker. but a survey this year by usc annenberg found that the make—up of reviewers of 2017's 100 most popular movies on the site rotten tomatoes was just under 80% male, 67% white male and just 2.5% nonwhite female. the major arguments against pale, male perception of film criticism is this, it no longer reflects the kind

of societies that we're living in, never mind the kind of films that audiences increasingly want to see, and hollywood actually wants to make. but criticism come awards season is notjust an art, it's business. critics wield immense power to reward, and historically, performances from black, asian and minority ethnic groups have been overlooked. you might have a film, like, for example, get out, and that's a hugely popular film and a lot of critics like it and a lot of white critics liked it, but it was really the black critics, the few, who championed that film, who said, for example, that daniel kaluuya was an outstanding chance for an oscar nomination. i remember when i first said that a few people laughed, but on the kind of films where you're seeing a lot more black characters, they're the more kind of arthouse films, the oscar films, and they need a lot of help and a lot of nurturing, and they need people

to support them. for example, moonlight would never have been a success unless it was a big group of african american critics in america who really got behind it, and from that it created a snowball movement and a crescendo, and the appreciation of that film grew and grew. idris elba may be hotly tipped as the nextjames bond, but this is his directing debut, yardie. when i was a boy, my brother would always ask me, "which way you gonna go?" it premiered at this year's sundance film festival, and is the fictonal story of a young jamaican's rise to the top in the drug—dealing london underworld. the original book sold purely on word of mouth, and the film probably needs the same championing from critics. it's a very nuanced world, and the language dictates a lot of the world. so i do think critics that can help other critics into an understanding of things is great.

but that's not to say, though, that i can watch a movie that i've got no association with culturally and have some kind of embrace towards it. ultimately, film criticism suffers from the same problem as film direction — there are only a fewjobs at the top. it took deliberate intervention to put someone like ava duvernay in charge of a blockbuster like a wrinkle in time. initiatives are under way in many critics‘ circles to at least make room at the bottom, but how long until these critics manage to clamber to the top? asians are woefully underrepresented in hollywood films but that may change this week with the release this month of crazy rich asians. it is the first movie to feature a largely asian cast in a contemporary story. crazy rich asians, inspired by a bestseller, tells the story of rachel, chinese american professor in new york who troubles with the oxford educated boyfriend to meet his family in singapore, where he was born. there she discovers

to her amazement that he is singapore's most eligible bachelor and heir to a massive auction. —— fortune. she thinks you are unrefined. those are real fingers. she thinks you are unrefined. those are realfingers. a banana. yellow on the outside, white on the inside. henry golding sees the film as breaking new ground. it really opens the idea to not only the studios, but to audience members around the world, the fact that has asians, —— as asians, we have typical stories like what we have been seeing so far, these love stories, and that we have such a treasure trove of interesting stories, with equally as powerful lead actors waiting to be told. asian—americans who went

to the movie premiere in new york responded positively, viewing it as validating. i've lived here my whole life and i've never seen a film that has such an asian cast portrayed in such diverse ways and so glamorously. being able to have visibility to all the asian actors, it is really good to see them on screen. don't you want it to be happy?” know you are not what nick needs. crazy rich asians stands in stark contrast to most hollywood films, where there is a dearth of asian stories and characters. a report has found that among recent hollywood films, asians represented around less than 1 in 20 of all speaking characters and often the asian characters who do appear onscreen reinforce negative stereotype. the history of americal, lots of the stories told asian or asian american

characters, and they are put into boxes, like these stereotypes of kung fu masters and like china dolls, or dragon ladies orjust being sidekicks or being effeminate males, that is something that i think was set very long ago. crazy rich asians tries to deliver more rounded, authentic depictions of asian men and women. to have these characters who have so much depth to them, who have a strength to them and are very much human, and not just helping characters in the film, it is just going to be so important for a lot of asian people. crazy rich asians has been the target of some protest. there were complaints that the leading man, who has a white british father and malaysian mother, wasn't "asian enough" for this asian film. there is also been some criticism over the representation of singapore in the film, that the local malay and indian populations have been ignored.

the criticism is that there are not a lot of brown figures all actors or people from malaysia or india in the film, absolutely, there isn't enough. there should be more of these films to be able to represent everybody. but again, this is a step in the right direction. crazy rich asians has been a hit at the us box office and it is hoped its success will lead to more asian led films in future — a sequel is already in the pipeline. its release has been described as a watershed moment for asian representation. in recent years, there has been some improvement in the representation of people of colour by hollywood but one group has been left behind, native americans. they have been appearing in films since hollywood's early days but their representation on screen has not really evolved. hollywood has always relied on the native american.

in its early days, the western was film's most popular genre, the cowboy its iconic hero in the indian it is most reliable villain. native americans were threats, they were the enemy. the true story of native americans in the united states is one of marginalisation, poverty and extreme oppression, and the movies have done their part to support this, depicting them as at best props in a white man's heroic story, or at worst an antiquated race of people needing to be pushed aside. films that are made are what i call white saviour films, indian people, there might be native actors in them, there might be roles for native people but they are not written and directed from the native perspective, and they are not our stories. it supports this idea of indians as victims. it is a very narrow perspective. if the stories themselves a narrow,

the casting is even now are. —— narrower. for decades at a time, it seems that most native american characters only played by a single actor. following his performance as kicking bird in dances with wolves, graham greene was called upon to play native americans in numerous subsequent projects. more recently, adam beach and wes studi have dominated those types of roles. it seems that only one major native american actor gets native american roles in hollywood films. what does this tell you about how hollywood sees native americans? i think it is important that we do have stars in our community because they are people that we aspire to be, which i think is very significant. i think it is a problem that there aren't more roles being written for a wider spread of native folks, and ultimately i think they are being written, i think it is that they are not being produced. native people being able to imagine whatever they want to be

in a film with native crew and a native director, then suddenly our potential expands dramatically. need a ride? yes. what are you going to trade for it? we are indians, remember. what are you going to barter? while representation remains a hot issue in hollywood, native americans are still not seeing the kind of progress that other people of colour have fought for and achieved. recent films featuring native american characters, like wind river and hostiles, while largely endorsed by critics, failed to meaningfully revise the white saviour stereotype. nothing of any substance is going to change until you have native people writing the stories and directing them and telling them from that perspective. there are a handful of people who have gotten that opportunity,

not too many. i go back to smoke signals, which also by the way is an example of people saying, well, native projects cannot pay for themselves — that is actually not true. they can pay for themselves if they are promoted properly like anybody else's work is, which smoke signals was. why can't you have a normal conversation? you're always trying to sound like some damn medicine man or something. i mean how many times have you seen dances with wolves? 100, 200? geez, you have seen it that many times, haven't you? the marginalisation of native americans runs deep throughout american culture. movies are only part of culture, but with their power to reshape lives by influencing millions, they could be a large part of the solution. well, that brings this special hollywood and race edition of talking movies to a close. we hope you have enjoyed the show. please remember you can always reach us online. and you can find us on facebook too.

so for me and the rest of the new york production team, it is goodbye as we leave you with this montage of clips from films we discussed during the show. good morning. it is not as cold out there but only because we have clouds billing in from the atlantic in bringing outbreaks of rain. many eastern parts of scotland and england may start drive that this rain will push east. improvements in the afternoon as it brightens up in northern ireland, then later across the irish sea coast, but it will be windy for a while across the coast of wales in southern england in particular. 17, perhaps, but only 12 or 13 across scotland, the rain perhaps not amounting to much here. wetter weather in the south—east across the evening but it gets chased into the near continent, drying up, but overnight disguise will clear and a few showers will continue across the north is temperatures that the way to 11 or 10 degrees. monday, bank holiday for most, a much better day. cilic you showers, particularly across the northern half of the uk. a blustery

and westerly wind this time. many southern and eastern areas missing the showers and we will get sunshine as well. it will feel warmer, significant recycling scotland. —— significantly so in scotland. this is bbc news. i'm nfem ifejika. —— i'm nkem ifejika. our top stories: on his visit to ireland, pope francis pledges to end abuse, corruption and cover—ups in the catholic church. translation: the failure of the ecclesiastical authorities, bishops, religious superiors, priests and others others, adequately to address these repugnant crimes has rightly given rise to outrage. on the road with the hungry migrants fleeing venezuela, as peru closes its borders to those without passports. a year after the rohingya expulsions began, angry protests in the teeming refugee camps of bangladesh. and, the fight the internet made. millions login too watch two youtuber stars go head to head in the ring.