IN REVIEW TMA Faith films offer hope, connection Stateless: a searing portrayal of lives in limbo in time of isolation page 5 by Wendy Knowlton morality for financial relief denied airspace. When the local after becoming a guard; Claire church and protesters organise a hat is my (Asher Keddie) wrestles with breakout, those with the chance Summer of crime?” the administration of a place to turn a blind eye choose not to The Melbourne Anglican contrasts exposes “Wscreams a under media surveillance and look away. best in people recaptured escapee from the government pressures; and Sofie The glowing cinematography page 18 Barton Immigration Detention (Yvonne Strahovski in a stand- of Bonnie Elliott , fine perfor- Centre, spitting defiance as she out performance inspired by mances from an impressive cast TApril 2020, No 590 MA endures a new sort of “torture”. the story of Cornelia Rau) finds – especially the heartbreaking Having fled persecution, she herself detained and mentally Fayssal Bazzi and emotional faces suspicion, procrastina- deteriorating after fleeing a cult rollercoaster, Strahovski – and All churches close tion and the prospect of simply and lying about her identity. important issues that continue being forgotten as paperwork Ameer (Fayssal Bazzi) and his No one is free to make the to haunt our society make gathers dust on the desks of daughter Mina (Soraya Heidari) choices they would under differ- Stateless an important series. but streaming, face an uncertain future. bureaucrats more worried ent circumstances. Pragmatism Some fight the system. Others about appearances than human Four lives intersect at the or the imperative of “doing my put their faith in the process misery and despair. Stateless is bleak Centre in the middle of job” overwhelms compassion, and wait to be saved, but as one creative ministry difficult to watch. The audience the South Australian desert. and desperation leads good character wearily says, “No one can understand, if not support, Ameer (Fayssal Bazzi) has had people to act in ways they’d ever gets a visa.” There is little to the reasons behind the choices to compromise his fundamen- never have believed possible. suggest he’s wrong. take off of most characters, and it is this tal decency to bring his family Tamil protestors on the Centre’s understanding that emphasises from Afghanistan to Australia; roof are ignored as long as Stateless is screening on by Stephen Cauchi the magnitude of the problem. Cam (Jai Courtney) sacrifices helicopters filming them are ABC-TV and iView ll worship and group activities have been suspended within the Diocese of A film with laughter, music and people you can’t help liking AMelbourne as government restrictions in response to the coronavirus pandemic tighten further, by Beryl Rule Because her husband has bestow on a very slow class. by grief at her soldier son’s death. and many churches are responding by switching to only recently been promoted, Eventually, they settle on a sing- Lisa, too, has problems, being online streaming of worship and small group activi- With humour, warmth and Lisa (Sharon Horgan) is new to ing group. unable to connect with her ties, and other creative ways of ministering. two outstanding lead perfor- this task, and her plans do not Kate appoints herself as stormy teenage daughter. And as the local and worldwide Church deals with mances, Military Wives is always reach beyond the usual coffee conductor, and with a classical Under Kate and Lisa’s some- the worst global pandemic since the 1918-19 Spanish entertaining and at times very mornings. But the colonel’s wife, repertoire in mind, has the other what uneasy alliance, the choir Flu, the 18th Session of General Synod, which had moving. Watch for it to be avail- Kate (Kristin Scott Thomas), women dispiritedly practising members’ bonding is reflected been planned for June, has been postponed until next able online. who considers herself steeped scales. Recognising that they in their singing. We come to year, while Sydney Archbishop Glenn Davies has also A regiment has just departed in the experience Lisa lacks, want the fun of a pops sing- know and care about them all. delayed his retirement until 2021. from a fictional British military decides to take over. She hijacks along, Lisa herself enters the And when a dreaded doorknock Other conferences and meetings across the world- base for a tour of Afghanistan. one of the coffee mornings, calls fray. Kate has to compromise on sounds for one military wife, we wide Anglican Communion, including the Lambeth To boost the morale of the wives for fresh ideas, and relegates Lisa the choice of music, but remains share the general grief. Conference which had been scheduled for July and and partners left behind with the to standing by a white board, ever-conscious that her hus- Although these particular August, have also been postponed. constant fear of a phone call or recording them. Not many sug- band’s rank entitles her to lead. characters are fictional, the The developments cap the end of an extraordinary doorknock heralding bad news, gestions are forthcoming, but Outwardly she is infuriating, creation of a military wives’ choir month, which began with Australian churches oper- the current staff sergeant’s wife Kate greets each one with the but as the film goes on we dis- really happened, and succeeded is expected to organise diverting brilliant smile an encouraging cover that inwardly she is the one so brilliantly that there are now Continued on page 3 activities. kindergarten teacher might most in need of diversion, driven many others all over the world. Vote for Archbishop Committed to positivity within pain, Kidding is a drama for our time Freier’s successor as by Tim Kroenert turned the show into a national Will come to terms with losing by Carrey, ground the show’s treasure and Jeff into a cult Phil, Jeff enters a relationship extremes of high drama and The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, Primate deadlocked “You can feel anything at all figure. with a terminally ill woman, and dark comedy with portrayals by Mark Brolly ... it’s fine.” In the first episode Kidding, though, is targeted butts heads with Seb over his that are often strange but unerr- for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who of American dramedy series at adults. It goes on to explore desire to dedicate an episode of ingly sincere. was crucified. He is not here; he has risen … The election of a new Anglican Primate of Kidding, children’s TV star Jeff the fragmenting personal Puppet Time to death. In these dark times of social Australia to succeed Melbourne’s Archbishop Pickles (Jim Carrey) appears lives of Jeff and his loved He feels a responsibility to isolation and economic uncer- go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen Philip Freier is unresolved, with Archbishop on a late-night talk show. He is ones: estranged wife Jill, father confront life’s darker corners, tainty, Kidding’s commitment to from the dead and is going ahead of you …’”. Geoffrey Smith of Adelaide reportedly falling already a legend: the audience and producer Seb, sister and and fill those corners with the positivity amid pain is revealing. only one vote short in the House of Clergy in sings and sways along to his puppetry genius Deirdre and light of love and solidarity. In We can feel anything at all, but Matthew 28:5-7 four of the seven ballots held by the Primatial signature tune. pre-teen son Will, whose twin season two, he employs a simi- with enough love and solidarity, Board of Electors in Sydney on 14 March. He is risen by Robyn Davis, Wadi Wadi woman, priest and artist Jeff’s show-within-a-show, brother Phil was killed in a car lar treatment to the subject of maybe everything will be fine. Acrylic on canvas 50 cm x 70 cm Mr Pickles’ Puppet Time, is a accident less than a year earlier. family breakdown, as he and Jill Continued on page 10 melding of weird puppets and Loss and grief are key themes consider divorce. Seasons one and two are available heartfelt monologues that has of season one. As Jeff, Jill and The show’s ensemble cast, led to stream on Stan. PLUS: Maintaining social connections (p15); seeking an Australian expression of Easter (p19) 24 • The Melbourne AnglicAn • April 2020 www.tma.melbourneanglican.org.au THE ARCHBISHOP WRITES TMA TMA EVERYDAY FAITH even in worst times, easter proclaims new life god working quietly, powerfully with every step aster is a powerful removed in their minds that he In this new column, Anglicans season for Christians. The really was the Messiah of Israel. share their faith stories and tell Eevents of Easter, Jesus’ “The Christian Many of those first Christians of how God is working in their death and resurrection are at encountered Jesus in his resur- lives. Here, Liz Donnellan, who the heart of Christian identity celebration of rected body. He told them that was received into the Anglican and what it means to be a fol- they would be transformed too Church by Bishop Paul Barker lower of Jesus. In Jesus’ death, Easter speaks of and would share in his resurrec- on 15 March at St Thomas’ Church, and I felt quite lost Christians reflect on the reality new life in Christ.” tion. They soon found that they Burwood, reflects on her within the services at St Tom’s for of the fact of our own mortality could be more alive than they journey of faith. a while as I was unfamiliar with and in his resurrection on the thought possible as they carried what was happening liturgically.