But alas, it was not to be. Watching the film, I wondered why the LFF had been so anxious. I understand that the LFF may have received specific threats.
But having seen the documentary, they would also know that this film has a lot to say about cowardice. It seems to me that the biggest risk to safety by far in this case is to the brilliant and brave staff of Hope Not Hate, all of whom appear on camera, named and easily identifiable β and I wonder a little at the fact they decided to do so.
The film follows Harry Shukman, an investigative journalist, whom Hope Not Hate sends undercover to befriend far-right activists, and all of the strategies involved in this dangerous work are duly revealed, including the hidden cameras he uses, their lenses disguised as buttons, and the top of an old box of dental floss used to protect their too-sensitive off switches.
Afterwards, watching the film back with a colleague, he squirms at the character he has been playing. What are they really afraid of, you wonder, as they spout hate over a drink?
Matt Frost sometimes known as Matt Archer is a young, good-looking, well-spoken Cambridge graduate who, when Shukman first encounters him, is running a newsletter called Aporia β and to be honest, if he was Simon Schama himself, he could not seem more plausible. Shukman is posing as a potential backer himself, and for this reason wants to appear wealthy. Yes, he has flown in from Milan!
