56 LISTENER MARCH 7 2020
BOOKS&CULTURE
MR JONES
directed by Agnieszka HollandG
areth Jones could sense the
future. A gentle, bookish journal-
ist, the young Welshman had a
knack for discerning fiction from
fact, for casting aside the fibs of
higher powers and detecting what loomed
over the horizon. On Hitler’s private plane
in 1933, Jones had the sense that “if this
aeroplane should crash then the whole
history of Europe would be changed”. For
the better, he might have added.
Later that year, in a similar expedition
of mythbusting, Jones set off for the Soviet
Union, attempting to determine whetherParadise
denied
A journalist carries a
burden as he uncovers
the horror of Stalin’s
revolution in Ukraine.
FILM
WORKING WOMAN
directed by Michal AviadW
hen Tel Aviv married mother of
three Orna gets a new job as a
property developer’s assistant,
she’s hopeful it will lighten the
load on the family finances under strain
from her husband’s poorly performing new
restaurant. Orna (Liron Ben-Shlush) rapidlyrises in her new boss’ estimation as she
helps him seal lucrative deals using her nat-
ural charm and smarts. Unfortunately, his
appreciation soon manifests in unwanted
and increasingly manipulative ways.
This second fictional feature by Israeli
director Michal Aviad is the latest in an
award-winning career that includes 10
documentaries on subjects seen through
a distinctly female lens. Her focus on
women’s experiences of migration, ageing
and rape has shown her commitment to
highlighting stories about female struggle
and empowerment.
Working Woman’s examination of insidi-
ous sexual harassment is unashamedly
timely in the #MeToo era, and though
it’s not flashy like Bombshell, the cred-
ible story and naturalistic, unobtrusive
photography contribute to the portrayal
of universally recognisable scenarios in
which harassment can so easily occur. The
film answers our tacit “but why didn’t sheMan behaving
appallingly
A compelling
portrayal of ways
that harassment
so easily occurs.
Gareth Jones (James Norton)
discovers “hunger extermination”.