Cash Back

Great message, love the music and pace. It shows what migrant workers do to help their own countries of origin and they don't do it to get a badge. Real informal solidarity...I'm loving it...well done worldwrite another winner I think

Worldwrite are really regular uploaders to current.com and we always welcome their alternative view to mainstream international thinking - it's well worth checking out their other work which tackles the cult of Saint Bob Geldof amongst other things!! You may not agree with what they have to say but they're active filmmakers looking at the world from another - often controversial - perspective. What I do rate is the fact that they give voice to the people who are often spoken for by the White West and for that alone their pods sit really well on Current.

In terms of this pod, I would argue that the most compelling characters and facts come in the latter half of the film and I would bring them to the front - the fact that remittance accounts for so much more than development aid is at the core of the pod yet isn't articulated clearly until half way through. I would also love to hear more from the girl sending money back to Ghana- perhaps hear her story more and if possible see archive of the house she's building.

Again good work, Worldwrite!!

Good points Lina and thankyou for your positive comments on our work. We are trying to get photos of Millicent's building work and will switch things round and tighten it up just for Current. Happy New Year from Ceri

I thought great! For once some people aren't out to make themselves seem holier than thou by wearing badges/wristbands/hairshirts etc, just getting on with it.

I felt that it showed a great message in how hard people have to work in this country so that they can support their family members back in their country. A good film that showed an important message that many people are unlikely to be aware of.

very good! shows the reality of remittances and not what the press say.

If only there was a WORLDwrite in France...
Keep on the good work my friends, many thoughts from the frog.
Grégoire

This film really brings to light just how much people from the developing world abroad are able to help their respective countries by sending money home with no strings attached versus the aid given by many NGOs and developed nations that has conditions on how the money should be spent. People in developing nations should be able to choose how to best improve their own countries, since they live there and know best what should be done with the money.

I think it is very true that one of the real problems is the west's poverty of ambition for the developing world. The people that send remitances home are making solutions rather than getting hooked up on the problems. I thought the film gave that message really well!

This is very revealing & should be distributed more widely. Fantastic!

Nice to see that the idea of people helping themselves isn't just limited to some struggle thousands of miles away but happens in our own backyards. There are people from around the world adding to our lives here and supporting the societies they come from, too. More power to them!

What a great pod. Good to see a bit of hidden London with a fat message which seemed to me to be about sticking up for the freedom of movement for everyone to go anywhere to find the best life they can for themselves and others. Keep it up WORLDwrite.

liked this pod a lot, such a refreshing change from hearing about us saving the poor and feeling so goooood about it. Instead millions are just getting on with it and so should we by supporting films like this.

My family send money home, never bragged or even talked about as it is so normal to do this; it's only human after all. So it was excellent to see your film putting the story straight as i am getting tired of being told that people who live in the poorest parts of the world are either greedy and corrupt and spending all the money the west give or that we don't know our own minds and need help spending it! As long as the west don't start telling us how we should spend our remittances as they will get a resounding 'hands off' if they do.

This is a topic you don't hear about very often - in fact, if I hadn't studied remitances a little at uni I probably wouldn't even be aware of it. So a colourful, accessible pod like this is much needed. I especially liked the interview with Gibril Faal whose insightful comments provided the backbone of the film; for example, his comparison of those who send remittances back to poor countries with flavour-of-the-month wrist band wearers - excellent stuff!

My only criticism would be that the interviews in Brick Lane felt repetitive and could have been more probing.

Great stuff. Lina's points are interesting but I reckon you need bigger budgets to develop but you seem to be truly independent.

This is a good film about an often overlooked side of things. I loved Gibril Faal's comments regarding wristbands - that people who send remittances would be at the end of the colour spectrum by now. Makes the point nicely.

I first came to understand the issue of remmittances in El Salvador- a country where remittances are the main economy of the country. I was blown away by the sad effects of this reality- the way that a community built up around the values of solidarity can be shattered by the fact that some families have a brother in the US whilst others don't. Also the ways in which politicians are able to manipulate the electorate with the sesnsitive issue of remmitances- ARENA, the right wing party lied and said in their campaign that if the FMLN, the left wing rvolutionary party, won, that the US would block all remmittances to El Salvador!

Whilst the film does not focus on these sad realities, I agree with the other posters- a really interesting angle to look at the issue of remmitances- showing the migrants themselves as the agents of change in their nations, not the western development agencies. Whilst I have generally focused on the negative side of remmitances, this film helped me see it in a slightly more positive light. As always WorldWrite lead with another perspective changing documentary. Thanks and keep up the good work!

This film reflects what people from developing countried do to help their peers and family back home. I certainly agreed with it as i send money back home every month.

Hey Krysiar - I reckon a quick re-edit and adding some photos shouldn't incur prohibitive costs! It's more a case of working what they already have to make the film gripping right from the off and explaining what remittance is to people who might not know.

great pod - I send money home. For many people in Africa, particularly those in rural areas, remittances provide an invisible welfare system that helps with health bills, school fees, living expenses, business start ups etc

In Ghana for instance the amount sent back in remittances is about $1.2 billion, jus under the amount that Ghana gets from its core exports gold and cocoa. Incidenatlly the amount above ($1.2 billion) is only the amount tracked through the official banking system by the bank of Ghana. Most remittances of course go through envelopes and other informal sources. So the figure to Ghana is in reality double this amount

Good film Worldwrite. Keeping focsuing on the agency of the poor and how they see the world as opposed to what everybody thinks they need.

In terms of changes - as someone said earlier I would pull up the point of how significant remittances are. Also just for balance - you could mention some of the problems with remittances - it sometimes also fuels civil wars in Africa.

Overwhelming it is positive - but a word about some of the downside would make the short more balanced.

Good luck

An interesting focus on people who come to the UK not necessarily to leave there old life behind but sacrafice so that their families can have more.

I once shared a Kensal Rise hostel room with a nurse from Namibia who was working to pay off her second childs university degree in Africa. She lived in the cheapest accomodation and took the longest shifts for years becasue there was no alternative.

I couldn't even imagine...fantastic that this doc brings to light what most of us fail to realize.

This short films draws our attention that remmitences from diaspora is more poverful force to change the life styles of poor and development of their countries back home. Well done worldwrite, you seem to be drawing our attention the things only by pass in popular media.

Great comments and we'd be delighted to hear more. Volunteer crew members have also just had an in depth article on remittances published in the magasine Spiked-online which is well worth a read and incorporates much of the research and thinking behind the film. If you have a chance to, check it out, its entitled "The Black Man's Burden" a satirical reference to Kipling's "White Man's Burden" turning assumptions of the West as saviour on its head. After reading, do jump back in here to respond, There is a link to this pod at the bottom of the artcle.

Remittances are such a vital part of of so many economies yet so many people don't even know the meaning of the word. It's so important to have films like this to explore the issue - and so vibrantly filmed! I'll definitely be passing this on!

Great film really highlighting something that very rarely gets any attention in mainstream media. I thought Gibril Faal gave an outstanding interview there which ties the film together nicely.

This is an importent film. I'm frome Hungary and some times I send many back home. I don't think people know about these tings, and they worry about lots of East Europiens coming to the uk. In truth anyone serious about development should support freedom of movement and even if we take rubbish jobs whit low pay it is amazing what we can achiene whit the money.

Great film, it is an eye opener hope it would go across the world. And the west would know how the developing countries are helping develop their own countries so quickly by sending money back home than aid and foreign investment. i would like to see a world where there is freedom of people to travel where ever they want, when they want for whatever reasion.

Really enjoyed this - loved the images of Brick Lane and the accompanying music - it really captured the vibrancy of it all. Such a relevant topic too - I can't believe people as young as Millicent are involved in remittances, we never really know how hard people work just to achieve a certain quality of life and it makes me feel ashamed about how much I take for granted.

Well done Worldwrite for addressing the topic and making it so accessible to others.

Really interesting documentary. Remittances are such an important thing, but they are rarely recognized or supported. I think it should be shown on television. And Brick Lane was the perfect backdrop to examine them against! It made me want a curry!!!

I thought that this video was really good. It opened up my eyes about how hard some people really need to struggle in order to make a decent living. Most people probably think that just because it's a popular tourist attraction place, that everyone there is wealthy, but that's not the case.

excellent!!! at last a film showing a positive message on immigrants..more need to be made

I think this short extract is enough to demonstrate that remittances should be recognised much more than aid grants. It explains as well why laxier immigration law should be implemented in order for people working in UK to send money back home and help to the development of developing countries. Real development. For instance, for buiding a house with a modern system.

What a great film. I knew that remittances were important, but didn't realise how significant they are. Great to think that this money is going directly into the hands of people who can spend it how they like, rather than being directed by the priorities of charities and aid agencies.

It about time, once again the guys at WORLDwrite have sought to speak and show more proof of an area not readily available for the BME diaspora to engage in. Keep up the good work!!

Quick note on the recut - personally I think this really works much better than the first cut as you really get more into the personal stories - it was great to see the tangible evidence of the positive effects of remittance... nice work guys!