Academy Award® nominee Agnieszka Holland’s Mr Jones brought to the screen the extraordinary and powerful story of the real-life Welsh journalist Gareth Jones. He uncovered Stalin’s genocidal famine in Ukraine, which killed almost 10 million during The Holodomor of 1932 and 1933. Called their ‘Unsung Hero’, in 2008 Jones was awarded the Ukrainian Order of Merit, one of their highest Honours, at a ceremony in Westminster Central Hall.
The film is now having a special screening to raise money for Ukraine. Screening details: Tuesday 10 May, 5.45pm for 6.05pm start. The screening takes place at the LSBU Keyworth Centre, Keyworth Street, London SE1 6LN. Scroll down for tickets and more about the film. The screening will be followed by a short discussion of Mr Jones.
Here’s the synopsis:
1933. Gareth Jones (James Norton) is an ambitious Welsh journalist who gained fame after his report on being the first foreign journalist to fly with Hitler. On leaving a government role, Jones decides to travel to Moscow in an attempt to get an interview with Stalin himself. Hearing murmurs of government-induced famine, Jones travels clandestinely to Ukraine, where he witnesses the atrocities of man-made starvation. Deported back to London, Jones publishes an article revealing the horrors he witnessed but is accused of being a liar by those who have an interest in silencing him. As the death count mounts, Jones has to fight for the truth.
Co-starring with Norton are BAFTA Award winner Vanessa Kirby as journalist Ada Brooks, Golden Globe® Nominee Peter Sarsgaard as Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Walter Duranty, Joseph Mawle as George Orwell and Kenneth Craham as plays David Lloyd George. Mr Jones was written and produced by Andrea Chalupa.
Attendees can register for free, but the organisers request that all attendees who are able to do so to make a donation to #HelpUkraine, the charity of the Ukrainian Association of Great Britain, which is working with accredited and registered Ukrainian charities to provide medicines, food and critical services to support the most vulnerable to overcome the consequences and trauma of war.
This event is open to all and has been organised between LSBU, its Student Union and its Chancellor Sir Simon Hughes, the film distributor Signature Entertainment, the Borough Welsh Chapel and Gareth Jones’ great nephew Graham Colley. We hope you will join us to learn more about this important part of Ukraine’s history and to show your support and solidarity with Ukraine’s people today.