HIDEOUS KINKY

UK, 1998, 98 minutes, Colour.
Kate Winslett, Said Tadhmaoui, Bella Riza, Carrie Mullan.
Directed by Gillies Mac Kinnon.

Esther Freud's memoir novel of her experiences with her mother and young sister in Morocco in the early 70s has been translated to the screen focussing both on the mother's spiritual search (for Sufi wisdom) and the little girl's exuberant but often bewildering life in a very different culture.

Director Gillies Mac Kinnon brings great sensitivity to his film, enabling us to get to know Julia (a strong performance from Kate Winslett) and the two girls (wonderful performances from Bella Riza and Carrie Mullan in their first film). The Moroccan locations and people, filmed vividly, draw us into the experience - we feel we have been there.

But it is also the 70s (and we are constantly reminded of this by a soundtrack full of popular songs of the era) and Morocco is a new haven for hippies, people in search of life's meaning, and tourists. One wonders about such 'adventures' for little girls and their lasting effect, especially when the main thing one of them really wants is to be 'normal'. But Esther Freud's memories and insights mean that, for her, it was a great and powerful adventure.

1.A memoir and a novel translated into film? The personal authenticity?

2.The atmosphere of the 1970s: attitudes in the United Kingdom, North Africa, the Moroccans, their lifestyle, the hippies beginning to journey there, those in search of religious values, the language and jargon of the '70s? The songs?

3.The musical score and the blend of Moroccan-style music with the wide range of songs of the era? The comment on characters and the times?

4.The title, the words, the word game of Bea and Lucy? As used by Julia and Bilal?

5.The perspective of the screenplay: Julia's perspective on herself, her marriage, her search, her children, the UK? The perspective of the girls, an adventure, the contrast with being normal? The judgments being made about the particular incidents? Adventures? Moral judgments?

6.The action as adventure for all: the effect of the exotic adventure, especially for the girls? Charlotte and her perspective on the adventures, even considering it some kind of emotional abuse of the children?

7.The insertion of Julia's dreams at the beginning and the end, the violence, the daughter's being lost, the girls and death, the hand at the throat? The dreams and the interpretation - her little girl being threatened and lost?

8.The background of Islam, the Sufis and their teaching? The spiritual search, the Muslims at prayer, religious practices and customs? The influence of Islam on the United Kingdom in the '80s and '90s?

9.The background of Julia's husband, their relationship, his women, his lack of decisions? The sending of the wrong parcel for Christmas? The delays in sending the money?

10.In Marrakech: the family and their being settled, in the hotel, the Christmas parcel, the market and the people, the prostitutes and their taunts - and the fight about the pair of trousers on the line? Bilal and his acrobatics? Eva and her background with the Sufis, her friendship and discussions with Julia? The hippie colony and the hippies?

11.Kate Winslett as Julia: her screen presence, as a person, her past experience, the decision to go to Morocco, her relationship with her daughters? The search for the Sufi Guru? The meeting with Bilal, the relationship with him, sexual? Open and her daughters coming in? The issue of school and Bea wanting to go to school with a uniform, to be normal? Bea telling her the lie about the child being caned at school? The growing friendship with Bilal, his suggestion that they go for a holiday, the welcome into the town and their being showered with petals? The experience of the town, Fatima and her relationship with Bilal? Camping, swimming? praying? Sharing and the idyll? The unreliability of Bilal, his going for food, returning with the sardines? The girls being sick? Time to go back to Marrakech? The policeman recognising him?

12.Santono and the encounter with Julia? His knowledge of her husband? His welcoming her to his home? Charlotte and the other guests? The tax man and his sardonic remarks about Islam and the spiritual search, his worldliness? The children enjoying the comfort, the bed, playing games, the food? Going to school and Bea deciding to stay in Marrakech? Julia and Lucy deciding to leave?

13.The trip to Algiers, getting the lift, the dangers on the road, the hippie and his being "out of it"? Standing on the back of the truck with his arms outstretched like the cross? The camel coming across the road and the driver being drowsy? Julia deciding to continue on foot? Finding the palace, finding the Guru dead and being buried? The encounter with his assistant, the questions, very matter-of-fact, her facing herself, realising that she was not ready?

14.The return to Marrakech, the dismay with Bea having gone? Santono and Charlotte gone? The search, information? Going to Patricia's institution for those with polio? Bea and her appearance, dress, pigtails, working? The fundamentalist Christian attitudes? Her attitude towards her mother? Gradually changing, her illness, the visit of the doctor? Julia and making the decision to return to London?

15.The portrait of the girls, in themselves, their age, experience, the strange situation, their ability to adapt? Wanting to celebrate Christmas? Going to the market? Meeting the people, learning some of the language? The customs? Telling each other stories and their ability to imagine? Their words like "hideous" and "kinky"? Wanting normality? The friendship with Bilal, seeing him as a father figure? Their common sense and their advice to their mother? The cumulative effect of the experiences? The final wish to return to Morocco?

16.Bilal, in the marketplace, acrobatics? In the quarries working, the attack on the overseer? The cruelty? The policeman wanting to interrogate him? The meeting with the girls, with Julia, the relationship, sexual relationship? His wanting to escape from the city, taking them on the holiday? The welcome to the city? The police, Fatima? The uninhibited joy, the swimming sequence? Yet his suspicions about Julia's religious attitudes? The sardines and their leaving? His sudden return, working for the tourists, his telling fortunes and the American tourist calling him a loser? In the uniform, the decision to sell the uniform? Getting the money for the tickets - and the final scene with him in the car, with the scarf, waving goodbye?

17.The tickets, the possibility of returning home, Eva and the shoe of the Guru and the children making a wish? Going back to England?

18.The effect of the experience? Memoir and transformed into Esther Freud's novel?