BAFTA 2022 Film Awards: Andy Serkis expertly tears up Priti Patel’s visa rules for Ukrainian refugees and UK’s ‘hostile’ immigration policy while performing on stage
- Unlike the EU – which allows Ukrainians to reside for three years without a visa – the UK has maintained entry checks, saying they are essential for security
- Priti Patel announced on Wednesday that Ukrainians with passports will no longer have to attend an in-person appointment at a visa application center
- This only applies to Ukrainians applying to come to the UK who already have family living in the country, and therefore fall under the “reunion” scheme.
The UK has been criticized for taking in only around 1,000 Ukrainian refugees so far as people flee as their homeland is overrun by Russian troops.
And at Sunday night’s BAFTA 2022 Film Awards, Andy Serkis, 57, deftly tore up Home Secretary Priti Patel’s visa rules and UK immigration policy, while presenting Best Director at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The Lord of the Rings star called the Tory MP’s handling of visa applications a “complete nightmare” while saying that in general she has created a “hostile environment” for asylum seekers.
‘Nightmare’! At Sunday night’s BAFTA 2022 Film Awards, Andy Serkis, 57, tore up Home Secretary Priti Patel’s visa rules for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion
Stepping onto the stage, Andy said, “A world-class director is a visionary empowered to change the world with a story they yearn to tell.
“Bringing together and leading a large family of extremely talented strangers on a difficult and chaotic journey
“While hopefully creating an atmosphere that inspires, is inclusive and equally values each member of this family
“So it’s no surprise that Priti Patel on her feature debut, Hostile Environment, ran into huge problems.
“And that his follow-up film – All Refugees Welcome But Some Are More Welcome Than Others – is a complete nightmare.”
‘Hostile!’ He called the Tory MP’s handling of visa applications a “complete nightmare” while saying that in general she has created a “hostile environment” for asylum seekers.
Unlike the European Union – which allows Ukrainians to reside for three years without a visa – the UK has maintained entry checks, saying they are essential for security.
Earlier this week, Boris Johnson defended the nations’ response to the crisis and said an upcoming scheme will allow Britons to take citizens of the war-torn country home.
The scheme will allow Britons to place people fleeing war in a guest room, or perhaps give them a job. However, it is expected that anyone offering to host a Ukrainian refugee will have to pass the Disclosure and Barring Service checks, which will further slow down the process.
Dozens of Ukrainian families have been turned back to Calais with only 760 people having obtained visas under the Interior Ministry’s family support program despite tens of thousands of applications.
Following mounting criticism, Priti Patel announced major changes to the visa regime on Thursday – but charities said they had not gone far enough.
While on the BAFTA red carpet earlier in the evening, Andy Serkis insisted that “The arts hold humanity together.”
Reflecting on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he told the PA news agency: “It’s a difficult situation to have a celebration like this when such terrible and horrible things are happening not far away. from here.”
“But I think it’s also important that the arts are celebrated because the arts hold humanity together, and in fact the freedom of expression and the power of storytelling is something that I think Ukrainians would totally applaud. .
“So if we’re holding them back tonight and reflecting the fun and the passion back to them, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
He added: “It’s really important to remember what’s happening in the context of an event like this.”
“But like I said, what it represents is so positive, because it’s about inclusion, because in fact the Bafta have really, really moved, in recent years, towards inclusion.”
BAFTA 2022: THE WINNERS
Best film
The Power of the Dog – WINNER
Belfast
Don’t look up
dune
Licorice Pizza
Outstanding British Film
Belfast – WINNER
After Love
Ali and Ava
Boiling point
Cyrano
Everybody’s talking about Jamie
Gucci House
Last night in Soho
no time to die
Who passed
Main actress
Joanna Scanlan, After Love – WINNER
Lady Gaga, House of Gucci
Alana Haim, licorice pizza
Emilia Jones, CODA
Renata Reinsve, the worst person in the world
Tessa Thompson, pass
Main actor
Will Smith, King Richard – WINNER
Adel Akhtar, Ali and Ava
Mahershala Ali, the swan song
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Leonardo DiCaprio, Don’t Look Up
Stephen Graham, boiling point
supporting actress
Victory: Ariana DeBose received the gong for Best Supporting Actress
Ariana DeBose, West Side Story – WINNER
Caitriona Balfe, Belfast
Jessie Buckley, the lost girl
Ruth Negga, by the way
Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
Ann Dowd, Mass
Supporting actor
Congratulations: Troy Kotsur got a supporting actor role for his role in Coda
Troy Kotsur, CODA – WINNER
Mike Faist, West Side Story
Ciaran Hinds, Belfast
Woody Norman, come on come on
Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog
Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
Director
Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog – WINNER
Aleem Khan, After Love
Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car
Audrey Diwan, Happening
Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
Julia Ducournau, Titanium
Outstanding first steps by a British writer, director or producer
The more they fall – WINNER
After Love
Boiling point
Keyboard fantasies
Who passed
Adapted scenario
CODA – WINNER
drive my car
dune
The lost girl
The power of the dog
Original screenplay
Licorice Pizza – WINNER
Be the Ricardos
Belfast
Don’t look up
King Richard
EE Rising Star Award
EE Rising Star Award: Bond star Lashana Lynch won
Lashana Lynch – WINNER
Harris Dickinson
Millicent Simmonds
Kodi Smit McPhee
Ariana DeBose
Cinematography
Dune – WINNER
alley of nightmares
no time to die
The power of the dog
Macbeth’s Tragedy
Animation Film
Encanto – WINNER
To run away
Lucas
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Documentary
Summer of Soul (or, When the Revolution Couldn’t Be Televised) – WINNER
Become Cousteau
Cow
To run away
The rescue
Movie not in english
Drive My Car – WINNER
God’s hand
Parallel mothers
Little mom
The worst person in the world
costume design
Costume design: Cruella won the gong
Cruella – WINNER
Cyrano
dune
The French Dispatch
alley of nightmares
Make-up and hairstyle
Tammy Faye’s eyes – WINNER
Cruel
Cyrano
dune
Gucci House
Original score
Dune – WINNER
Be the Ricardos
Don’t look up
The French Dispatch
The power of the dog
Editing
No time to die – WINNER
Belfast
dune
Licorice Pizza
Summer of Soul (or, When the Revolution Couldn’t Be Televised)
production design
Dune – WINNER
Cyrano
The French Dispatch
alley of nightmares
West Side Story
Ring
Dune – WINNER
Last night in Soho
no time to die
A Quiet Place Part II
West Side Story
Special visual effects
Dune – WINNER
British animated short
Foundry
Boiling point
God’s hand
King Richard
West Side Story
