Brick Lane - a Film Directed by Sarah Gavron

The film, Brick Lane directed by Sarah Gavron, the poem Doors by Neshe Yashin and Jamine by Nora Nadjarian focus on displacement. It is shown in various forms; i.e. film and language techniques, to illustrate the characters experiencing their emotional and physical displacement in the world. Each text look at how people are linked to their landscape and memories affect them as a whole.

Displacement means the movement of a person away from their home and environment; also emotional and identity displacement can occur for the characters in the film and poem.

For instance, Brick Lane reflects Nazneen’s immigration to a new place which she faces the geographical displacement; with a complete new life in Britain and lack of understanding of the western world. This can be seen when Nazneen choose to wear her national costume to express she is still connected to her hometown. The panning shots and contrasting colour of her costume and the modern street represents Brick Lane as a place where nothing grows and life there fails to give Nazneen a sense of belonging, happiness and contentment.

Likewise, in the poem Jasmine, the poet’s childhood is like the house that she no longer can stay because of the war in Cyprus. For example in stanza 4, “But the garden was not hers” suggests that she no longer had a home, therefore the author felt displaced due to the war.

On the other hand, emotional displacement occurs for both characters in the film and poems. Nazneen’s arranged marriage has failed to create a sense of connection between the both of them. This punctuated by the use of individual frames, accentuate their lack of intimacy. Also, Nazneen’s relationship with Karim was an attempt by both parties to find a connection and relationship to which each could “belong”. However, they both realise that their connection was illusionary, as it failed to create a connection to “home” and Bangladesh. The sense of emotional