It’s very rare to leave me speechless, believe me, but Tawala and their Tales From the Front Line have managed it. And you might be thinking, I’ve heard it already. I’ve heard everything I can about Covid, I’ve watched the news, I’ve seen it on Instagram, I’ve lived it. But, if, like me, you’re a part of the readership who’ve sat on furlough for 6 months and are as white as snow, you haven’t. Of course, it hasn’t been easy for anyone, but gaining new perspectives is so important in times like this, and Tales From the Front Line gives you perspective in buckets. The short films use verbatim interviews to ‘explore the historic Covid-19 crisis and its seismic impact on those at the front line’; and its impact on black key workers specifically.
The first film stars Jo Martin, speaking on behalf of a teacher. It’s incredibly candid and incredibly personal. On an artistic level, it’s performed so subtly that if you didn’t know Martin from her other work you’d believe she’d been a teacher, this teacher, all her life. You get very natural dialogue paired with quite moving physical interpretation from Rhys Dennis and Waddah Sinada of FUBUNATION. Their delicate and guarded movement fills in a world of unspoken emotion, which makes vulnerable the strength of the unknown woman talking. It’s emotional, and perhaps it’s my ignorance/naivety/privilege that makes it that way, but I believe it speaks a universal truth nevertheless. We must be kinder, more empathetic, more understanding, towards black children.
