鄧永鏘（DavidTang）
中國會、上海灘創辦人
Wecallthemghosts（鬼佬）.TheybeatupagroupofChinesewhowerejusttryingtomakeahardlivingbypickingcocklesoffthecoastofEngland.TheChinesewereillegalimmigrants.Theyhadsmuggledthemselvesoveralandjourneylastingsixmonths.Theysufferedalot.ButtheysuffereditallbecausetheyjustwantedtomakeapassablelivinginChina.Theyhadeachborrowed25,000yuansinordertopaythesnake-heads（蛇頭）.Theywereledtobelievethatsoon,theirEnglishincomewouldnotonlypaytheirdebtsoff,butalsothattheywouldsavealotmoremoneythantheywouldotherwiseeverearn.SotheseillegalimmigrantstoEnglandweredesperate.Indesperation,theydecidedtogocockle-pickinginthenightbecausetheyknewtheghostswouldbeatthepubandnotaroundtobeatthemup.But23ofthemdrowned.Theyhaddrownedoutoftheirignoranceoftheferocioustide.Thewatercameinfast.Withinminutes,theircarwassubmergedinwater.Butitwastoolate.They,usingtheirmobilephones,calledtheirfamiliesinChina,resignedtosayinggoodbyetothem.Itwasadesperatetale-ataleofdesolationandeventually,death-deathto23strugglingsoulsinadistantland.Theaftermathwasevenmoremournfulbecause,twoyearson,thefamiliesinChinaarestillhavingtopayoffthesnake-heads.ThiswasthesorrowfulstoryofMorecambeBayinEngland.23decent,hardworking,toughandindomitableChineseillegalimmigrantsmeetingtheircrueldeaths.
AnEnglishmancalledNickBroomfieldhasnowmadeafilmofthistragedy.Itiscalled"Ghosts".ItisapoignantfilminwhichweChineseshouldfeelashamed-ashamedofhowinChinapeopleshouldbecomesodespondent,andhowtheywouldrecklesslybelievetheycouldchangetheirlivesforthebetterbybeingtakeninbysnake-heads,andhowthesesnake-headscouldcontinuetoshownotathreadofmercybytradinginhumanlives.Isawthisfilmwithgreatemotionandfeltchokingtears.ItookmytwochildrentoseeitbecauseIwantedthemtorealizethedarkersideoflife-thatsidewhichmakesusunderstandthatthoseofuswhoareinsulatedbyrelativefortunemustdosomethingtohelpthemuchlessfortunate.
IhopethisfilmisshowninHongKong.Itwillnotfailtomoveanyonewhohasthegutstowatchit-foritwilltakegutstowitnessourcompatriotsstruggleintheirheroism.Thereisnootherwordforit.Eachofthesevictimswasheroicinwhattheydaredtodo,andhowtheyallowedotherscallousenoughtotakeadvantageofthem.Itwillsoberusup.Itwillmakeusseeandfeelhowinsignificantaremostofthethingswedoandcomplainabout.Thefilmisparticularlymovingbecausethemaincharacter,thebeautifullytenderandfragileAiQin,wasarealillegalimmigrantcaughtupinthatFebruarynightoftragedy.Shewasluckybecauseshewasmiraculouslyrescuedandsurvived.AndhersurvivalhasenabledBroomfieldtomakethisfilm.AndBroomfield,himselfaghost,shouldbeproudofmakingthismovie.HehadhadtogoundercoverasanillegalimmigranthimselftosoakuptheterribleexperiencesofahelplessI.I.Hiseffortshavemadehisfilmamasterpieceofstory-telling.ThisincidenceofMorecambeBayshallproperlyberememberedforeverasawake-upcalltoallofustospendjustalittleofourluxurioustimetohelpotherswhoaredestitute.Ihopethefilmwinslotsofawardssothatitcatchesandtouchesmoreaudiencesandtheirimagination.Wemustnevereverforgetthehardandunfairlivesintowhichsomanyinnocenthumanbeingsareborn.Weshallalwayssparealittletimeandmoneyforthem.Lookupwww.ghoststhemovie.co.ukandmakeadonation.Manyfamiliesofillegalimmigrants,somedeadandsomestillalive,arestillbeingaskedtopayuptheirdebtstothehumantraffickers.IfIhadanysayinthematter,Iwouldcursethesebeasts(fortheyarebeasts)andstampthemoutfromtheirappallinggreedformoney.