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Product Description
Oranges and Sunshine tells the story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham who uncovered one of the most significant social scandals of recent times: the deportation of thousands of children from the United Kingdom to Australia. Almost single-handedly, against overwhelming odds and with little regard for her own well-being, Margaret reunited thousands of families, brought authorities to account and drew worldwide attention to an extraordinary miscarriage of justice. Children as young as four had been told that their parents were dead, and been sent to children's homes on the other side of the world. Many were subjected to appalling abuse. They were promised oranges and sunshine: they got hard labour and life in institutions.
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Anamorphic Widescreen, Cast/Crew Interview(s), Commentary, Interactive Menu, Photo Gallery, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: Oranges and Sunshine tells the story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham, who uncovered one of the most significant social scandals in recent times: the forced migration of children from the United Kingdom. Almost singlehandedly, against overwhelming odds and with little regard for her own well-being, Margaret reunited thousands of families, brought authorities to account and worldwide attention to an extraordinary miscarriage of justice. She discovered a secret that the British government had kept hidden for years: one hundred and thirty thousand children in care had been sent abroad to commonwealth countries, mainly Australia. Children as young as four had been told that their parents were dead, and been sent to children's homes on the other side of the world. Many were subjected to appalling abuse. They were promised oranges and sunshine, they got hard labour and life in institutions. ...Oranges and Sunshine ( Oranges & Sunshine )
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
91 of 94 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This film is incredible.
It is a powerful story of triumph over adversity, its shocking, heartbreaking and astounding.
Hugo Weaving and Emily Watson are utterly brilliant in their leading roles, the level of emotion and truth is astonishing, i am surprised that they have not been nominated for awards for their performances.
A great supporting cast include David Wenham from lord of the rings fame.
Brief Synopsis:
Oranges and Sunshine tells the story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham, who uncovered one of the most significant social scandals in recent times: the forced migration of children from the United Kingdom.
Almost singlehandedly, against overwhelming odds and with little regard for her own well-being, Margaret reunited thousands of families, brought authorities to account and worldwide attention to an extraordinary miscarriage of justice.
She discovered a secret that the British government had kept hidden for years: one hundred and thirty thousand children in care had been sent abroad to commonwealth countries, mainly Australia.
Children as young as four had been told that their parents were dead, and been sent to children's homes on the other side of the world. Many were subjected to appalling abuse. They were promised oranges and sunshine, they got hard labour and life in institutions.(sic)
Both the British and Australian Governments have apologised now for their involvements in this scandal, but its a little too late. To be honest i am appalled that not only the Government knew about it but that they were the ones that did it.
When you see what these poor kids go through i am amazed that nobody has bought a criminal suit against them (the british and australian governments) for wilful neglect and abuse and intentional physical and emotional distress.
I really could not recommend this film highly enough, it is quite simply incredible, be warned though that you will cry, a lot, and im not just talking about you ladies either, the scenes where they reunite some of these children with the parents they were told were dead will have you sobbing.
If i could rate it higher i would!!
It is a powerful story of triumph over adversity, its shocking, heartbreaking and astounding.
Hugo Weaving and Emily Watson are utterly brilliant in their leading roles, the level of emotion and truth is astonishing, i am surprised that they have not been nominated for awards for their performances.
A great supporting cast include David Wenham from lord of the rings fame.
Brief Synopsis:
Oranges and Sunshine tells the story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham, who uncovered one of the most significant social scandals in recent times: the forced migration of children from the United Kingdom.
Almost singlehandedly, against overwhelming odds and with little regard for her own well-being, Margaret reunited thousands of families, brought authorities to account and worldwide attention to an extraordinary miscarriage of justice.
She discovered a secret that the British government had kept hidden for years: one hundred and thirty thousand children in care had been sent abroad to commonwealth countries, mainly Australia.
Children as young as four had been told that their parents were dead, and been sent to children's homes on the other side of the world. Many were subjected to appalling abuse. They were promised oranges and sunshine, they got hard labour and life in institutions.(sic)
Both the British and Australian Governments have apologised now for their involvements in this scandal, but its a little too late. To be honest i am appalled that not only the Government knew about it but that they were the ones that did it.
When you see what these poor kids go through i am amazed that nobody has bought a criminal suit against them (the british and australian governments) for wilful neglect and abuse and intentional physical and emotional distress.
I really could not recommend this film highly enough, it is quite simply incredible, be warned though that you will cry, a lot, and im not just talking about you ladies either, the scenes where they reunite some of these children with the parents they were told were dead will have you sobbing.
If i could rate it higher i would!!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The cruel deception of thousands of British children in care, misinformed that they were orphans and then transported to Australia as a cost-saving policy continued until as recently as 1970. A documentary of this would be shocking enough, but the director Jim Loach, carrying on his father Ken's tradition, achieves an even more powerful effect by making this a docudrama.
Emily Watson gives a convincing and moving performance as the determined real-life social worker Margaret Humphreys who discovered by chance that this injustice existed, and that many children had suffered hardship, even abuse, providing cheap labour for the Christian Brothers in Australia. Her establishment of the Child Migrants Trust has helped to put many naturalised Australians back in touch with their birth parents in Britain after decades of separation, but the indelible effects of childhood trauma often remain. We see the irony that Humphreys' dedication to making amends for the cruelty of others was often at the expense of giving enough time to her own children.
This thought-provoking and well-made film is worth seeing. It may leave you depressed for a while but we can't pretend ostrich-like that this never happened.
Emily Watson gives a convincing and moving performance as the determined real-life social worker Margaret Humphreys who discovered by chance that this injustice existed, and that many children had suffered hardship, even abuse, providing cheap labour for the Christian Brothers in Australia. Her establishment of the Child Migrants Trust has helped to put many naturalised Australians back in touch with their birth parents in Britain after decades of separation, but the indelible effects of childhood trauma often remain. We see the irony that Humphreys' dedication to making amends for the cruelty of others was often at the expense of giving enough time to her own children.
This thought-provoking and well-made film is worth seeing. It may leave you depressed for a while but we can't pretend ostrich-like that this never happened.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A truly excellent film, concerning what must be one the the biggest cover-ups & social injustices ever. Brilliant cast, a must-see film
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Oranges and sunxshine
I found a film a bit boring and the quality of the DVD was terrible, in that the colour was pink all the way theough
Published 1 month ago by Mrs. Christine A. Rancatore
Oranges and Sunshine shines!
This is one of the best DVD's I've ever bought. It's a shame that I could not get it in NTSC format, but instead had to buy the DVD in PAL and then change the settings on my... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mark Twain
Deportations and Childhood Slavery
A beautiful haunting film based on someone who unravelled a thread, then pulled away a bureaucractic carpet to reveal a cache of hidden lives. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dr. Delvis Memphistopheles
interesting and moving
Its the kind of film that you have to be interested in before you sit down and watch it. Its amazing to think that children were being sent to australia even within my lifetime and... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Rachel Silver
Sunshine and Oranges -Sober and restrained telling of a shameful...
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. And it was good intentions that condemned 130,000 children to an appalling hell. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Victor
Very good
Oranges and Sunshine is a very good film of a very sad and complex subject. The film, actors and director managed to reach the right tone and notes to make these stories very real. Read more
Published 3 months ago by JWJ
A very moving tale
A beautifully executed film. A sad tale well told. I would recommend it although keep the hankies handy! Great acting too.
Published 3 months ago by simonsimple
Disappointing
I watched the film shortly after reading the book and perhaps that is why I think it did not fulfill my expectations. Read more
Published 3 months ago by J. Marshall
They were promised oranges and sunshine.
Oranges and Sunshine is directed by Jim Loach and adapted to screenplay by Rona Munro from the book "Empty Cradles", written by Margaret Humphreys. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Spike Owen
Saved by the facts
In a nutshell: amazing story; very disappointing execution. Jim Loach's debut feature recounts the true incidents that led to social worker Margaret Humphreys' discovery of a... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Dariush Alavi
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