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Extraordinary Portraits Season 5 Episode 5
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00:10¡SuscrÃbete al canal!
00:30...to immortalize these unsung heroes with a unique series of portraits.
00:34This is the hardest bit for you, isn't it, Eddie?
00:36Sitting still.
00:37We were just, uh, we were just looking at you.
00:40Can you look at me with your eyes?
00:42It's not going to be easy.
00:43I feel in my own personal hell.
00:45The reveals are not that far away now.
00:48If this second cast fails, I'm done.
00:50There's a big sense of responsibility to capture their story.
00:55But the results are going to be amazing.
00:57I've put my heart and soul into this.
00:58Three, two, one.
01:02Fantastic.
01:03Quite blown away, to be honest.
01:05I wasn't thinking you were going to make me cry.
01:07Sorry, I'm getting a bit emotional.
01:10Creating a legacy for generations to come.
01:13I want to remember them like that.
01:15I'm struggling to find right words because there's no words.
01:18To have us captured in that moment, in that spot that means so much is, uh, an absolute privilege.
01:25Welcome to Extraordinary Portraits.
01:38The post office scandal shocked the nation.
01:42With the scale of the injustice, hundreds of people wrongfully accused.
01:46Many people's lives shattered.
01:49One of these people is our sitter today.
01:55Seema was not only wrongly accused of theft and false accounting.
01:59She had to pay thousands of pounds to cover the shortfalls, and was sentenced to prison while pregnant.
02:05She has spent the last 20 years fighting for justice.
02:09Seema, hello.
02:10Hi.
02:11Lovely to meet you.
02:12Nice to meet you. How are you?
02:13Very well, thanks. And you?
02:15Fine, thank you.
02:15Good. Come and join me in my artist retreat.
02:18Mm-hmm. Thank you.
02:26First of all, thank you so much.
02:28Pleasure.
02:28For being here today.
02:29What was it that made you and your husband decide to take on a village post office?
02:34We used to work in the city, both of us. So we came across the post office. We went in,
02:39we fell in love with it. And the post office being the heart of the community.
02:42So you're set up in this post office. When did things start to take a bit of a strange turn?
02:48Oh my God, the very first day.
02:50Really?
02:51In the evening, we were around 80 pounds short, which means I have to put 80 pounds in there.
02:57No, so you're having to make up the shortfall.
02:59Yeah, very first day.
03:00On the very first day?
03:01The very first day. And on Wednesday, there was a shortfall of around about 200 pounds.
03:05I said, oh my God, what is this happening? I'm putting my own money to the post office. I'm lending
03:11them money.
03:11You're finding this supposed shortfall.
03:14Yeah.
03:15The amounts are getting more and more. So what happened then?
03:19Figures were like growing like crazy. Less than three months.
03:22Post office investigating officers searched my house as well.
03:25Now I know that wasn't right, but I said, okay, that's fine because we have nothing to hide.
03:29So this was quite intimidating then?
03:31It is. It is.
03:32So they were already sort of threatening you with...
03:34Threatening me.
03:35Auditors came in. That day, they made a shot of 80,000 pounds.
03:4080,000?
03:4180,000 pounds shortfall. I was shocked.
03:44I have to sell my wedding gold, my mum's actual jewellery.
03:47We should pass it on to me just to make sure we can put the money into the tills.
03:52It was terrible because I had the dreams that, you know, like my mum giving it to me.
03:56I'm going to give it to my kids.
03:57I mean, that must have felt awful.
03:59And it was like a very heartbreaking as well.
04:02Then I receive a sermon for court.
04:03They have to be at trial.
04:05In the meantime, I found it that I'm pregnant.
04:08For the baby, we've been trying for the last eight years.
04:11Of all the times to find that out?
04:13It would have been like a normal situation.
04:15Like, we would have been jumping up and down, celebrating and all that.
04:19It was nothing like that at all.
04:21I was shocked when all the jury, every single person, came back to word guilty.
04:25The judge did 15-month imprisonment.
04:30That was the time I said, what, did I hear it right?
04:36Sorry.
04:37No, it's all right. Take a minute, if you want.
04:41It's the sheer unfairness of it all.
04:44The injustice of it.
04:46All I remember, having sharp pains in my stomach.
04:49And when I opened my eyes, I was on the hospital bed, all handcuffed.
04:56When I asked the officers what happened, they said, you collapsed.
05:01I said, can my husband come over?
05:03He said, no, because from here you're going to prison.
05:07I felt so, so, so bad, so humiliated, like, you know?
05:12They said, before I go in, my husband and son will be calling.
05:16And my son was so angry, he was so upset.
05:18He said, mummy, and you're not here?
05:21Ten-year-old.
05:21Yeah.
05:22And we decided, we're going to say, because mummy's pregnant, she's in special hospital.
05:26So he's sort of, he's got a story that he can hold on to.
05:33I mean, I think that's, any parent would do that.
05:35In the meantime, the local paper advertised me as a pregnant thief who knicked from pensioner.
05:41That must have been just devastating.
05:44If I wouldn't have been pregnant, I would definitely have killed myself.
05:47Because going to prison, that was a shameful thing.
05:53I love what a shame to my family.
05:54It's hellish.
05:55But you're here now, and that moment when you found out that you were exonerated must have felt just a
06:02huge relief.
06:03And since that point, you have received the OBE, and you have continued to fight for all of those people
06:12who were treated in this way, in this injustice.
06:15It's quite some journey, isn't it?
06:17It is a journey, you know.
06:18You've managed to turn this into something positive, and that is an amazing achievement.
06:23Well, Seema, I think I have the perfect artist for you.
06:29So, if you just wait here for a second.
06:31Thank you.
06:40How are you doing? All right?
06:41Very well, thank you.
06:42I've just been talking to our sitter.
06:45She was a victim of the post office scandal.
06:48And when you hear it from someone, their own personal experience, it really brings it home to you.
06:53There's a lot of elements to it.
06:56I had a long think about this, and I think Jack would be perfect for this.
07:00Wow.
07:01So, if you'd like to come with me, and I'll fill you in on the way.
07:05Absolutely.
07:06All right.
07:07Thank you.
07:07All right.
07:13I'd like to introduce you to Jack.
07:18Hi, Seema.
07:19Hi, Seema.
07:19Pleased to meet you.
07:19Nice to meet you.
07:20Fine.
07:20Thank you.
07:20How are you?
07:21Very well.
07:21Thanks.
07:22Very well.
07:23I've heard a little bit about your story.
07:24How do you feel about having your portrait?
07:28I've never thought that I will have a portrait done.
07:31I want a portrait to be like something positive, happy.
07:35Well, I'll see what I can do.
07:36Jack, I can see this.
07:38The mind's ticking over already.
07:41There's lots and lots going on in my head, but I can't wait.
07:44I can't wait to get started.
07:45OK, great.
07:46I'll let you guys get on.
07:47Thank you very much.
07:48All right.
07:55You can't not be affected by it, listening to someone completely innocent being put through
08:01the wringer like this.
08:03There's so much to draw out of it.
08:06It's a tall order, but I think Jack's up to it.
08:09He's not just a great artist.
08:10He's a very sensitive soul.
08:20In order to elicit the emotional depth Jack uses for his work, he wants some insight
08:26into CIMA beyond the post office scandal.
08:34How are you?
08:36I'm very well.
08:36Hi, how are you?
08:37Good to spend time.
08:38Nice to see you.
08:42Jack, meet my husband, Dave.
08:43Ah, Davinda, pleased to meet you.
08:46How are you?
08:47I'm very well, very well.
08:48Thank you so much for welcoming us in.
08:49Thanks for coming.
08:50No, thank you so much.
08:53So, what is happening this evening?
08:56So, we're having a Rudra Abhishek, which is a pooja for Shivji, Lord Shiva.
09:01So, it's like a cleansing to bring the positivity in the house and take negativity out of our
09:06life and our mind.
09:07We always wanted to do this, but for us, we couldn't do it.
09:11What do you think it was that prevented you from being able to do a ceremony like this?
09:16There's still stigma of going to prison.
09:18Mm-hmm.
09:19It's difficult to overcome.
09:24While observing the religious ceremony and rituals, Jack sketches and makes notes to help
09:29inform the final composition.
09:41I felt very self-conscious in there to start off with, with drawing.
09:44Drew, the master of ceremonies, the priest, the object.
09:46I've got little drawings of the vessel of Shiva's head that we were making offerings to.
09:52So, there are all sorts of things.
09:54All sorts of things in there.
09:56Yes, thank you.
09:57Thank you very much, Dean.
09:59Oh, my gosh.
10:01Oh, this all looks gorgeous.
10:04Tonight has reinforced one thing, and that is that this portrait is not just about one person.
10:09It's about a wider community.
10:22Hey, Derek.
10:23How are you?
10:24Very well, you?
10:25Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:26Thanks so much for having me.
10:31Your last night was just so moving.
10:35Your faith, your beliefs are core to your sense of identity.
10:42When we're going through dark days, I've become alcoholic.
10:45I lost my faith, but she's keeping her faith alive.
10:48What must it have been like for you as a couple?
10:52People think, you know, you did well with your family, but they've got no idea.
10:56I used to say, like, whatever happened, happened for a reason.
10:59That's how it kept me going.
11:01I was more worried about Devinder and Adi, because after losing everything, Devinder became
11:06very alcoholic.
11:07I was like, how are they both going to cope?
11:11Being an optimistic person, I can't even say it was a bad time, because I was pregnant.
11:17It's difficult to believe that it happened.
11:19Still, like, you know, sometimes I think, like, oh, I get up one morning, and it's just
11:23like a dream.
11:26I could see that it was bringing up a lot of very, very difficult memories.
11:32They're two ordinary human beings who have suffered.
11:35Neither, I suspect, would have survived and got through this on their own.
11:41There we go.
11:42That's perfect.
11:43Okay, now if you can just look at each other, that'd be great.
11:46It's a tragic, beautiful, traumatic love story, which I hope has a happy ending.
12:05Right from the moment I found out that I was going to be making a portrait of Seema, I've
12:10wanted to use a sketchbook as a kind of visual diary to work through problems and work through
12:15ideas.
12:17How do I tell the story?
12:19Do I say things factually, or do I say them in a kind of more metaphorical, ambiguous way?
12:30Jack has decided to use the biggest canvas he's ever worked on in order to do justice to
12:35Seema's story.
12:36As he primes it, he layers words and phrases that won't appear in the final portrait, but
12:42help him find the emotion and direction he needs.
12:51Jack's process is to take all the things that have inspired him and build in layers, textures
12:56and hidden images.
12:59Hello, Jack.
13:00Hi, Bill.
13:01How are you?
13:02Very well.
13:02This is nice.
13:04So, what's going on here?
13:05As you know, I went to Seema and was witness to the Rudra Bhishek ceremony.
13:12I think one of the things that I got from it was this quiet, calm kind of power that came
13:16through.
13:17It definitely changed the way I want to kind of portray her.
13:22It sounds like this is quite a sort of pivotal moment in this process.
13:34For the sitting, Jack has asked Seema to bring along some outfits and items that have significance
13:40for her.
13:41Here she is.
13:42Seema, lovely to see you again.
13:44Hi, Seema.
13:44How are you?
13:45How are you?
13:45How are you?
13:46Very well.
13:46Fantastic.
13:47Thank you.
13:47Yeah.
13:47Hi, Seema.
13:48How are you doing?
13:48Nice to see you again.
13:49Oh, brilliant.
13:50I have quite a few saris and some, like, ornaments and bangles.
13:54Oh, these are amazing.
13:57Oh, my word.
13:58So, these are gold and silver.
14:00These are beautiful.
14:01This is one of my wedding saris.
14:03Oh, this blue one?
14:04Yeah, blue one.
14:05So, I wore this on my honeymoon too.
14:07And both these are my wedding saris.
14:09Part of my wedding collection.
14:11So, I mean, every one of these has some sort of meaning or significance.
14:14Yeah.
14:14But perhaps you could be wearing this one here.
14:17Yeah.
14:17I love that pattern.
14:18I like the subtlety of the colours as well.
14:21Well, I think while Seema gets ready, gets changed, perhaps we can start taking some photographs
14:27of all these things.
14:29It's very subtle, isn't it?
14:30It is.
14:30These embroidered patterns, but there's also a kind of a subtler pattern on the material
14:35itself.
14:35There's many, many layers of patterns.
14:38Reminds me of an artist.
14:39I can't remember.
14:39Jack something.
14:41Yeah.
14:44It is lovely.
14:46This is absolutely gorgeous, isn't it?
14:49Oh.
14:50Hello.
14:51She is amazing.
14:52Amazing.
14:53Look at this.
14:53That looks...
14:54Honestly, you look spectacular.
14:56And I've just noticed you at palms of your hands are beautifully painted with this henna.
15:01You know.
15:01That's absolutely extraordinary.
15:02And more to feed as well.
15:04And your feet as well.
15:05Wonderful.
15:06So, there's more to photograph here.
15:07Jack, I think.
15:08Seema, if you could just look at Bill, so almost give me a profile.
15:12Okay.
15:13Yeah, there we go.
15:15Did you have any thoughts about how you might be portrayed?
15:19Something happy, something hopeful, something positive, like that kind of, if they look
15:24at my story 15 years ago, 20 years ago, from there to here, what a journey.
15:29Mmm.
15:29Despite everything that's gone on and at this stage where you're still fighting, you are
15:34being so incredibly positive, inspirationally so.
15:37It is a sad thing, but if we've always been looking at the negative side of it, we wouldn't have
15:44been
15:44lucky enough to move forward.
15:45Mmm.
15:46And life would have been very, very difficult.
15:48Someone like yourself, who is, who has this amazing positive attitude, is, it hopefully
15:54radios out to others, doesn't it?
15:56That's what the aim is.
15:57You always believe, you know, that God always gives a strong fight to his strongest kid,
16:01so.
16:02Right.
16:05I'm going to come round, Jack, and have a look.
16:07Okay.
16:08Promise not to laugh.
16:11I am at the moment.
16:13Already, there's a kind of attitude, you've captured that sort of studied look of Seema as
16:20well.
16:20I really want to make sure I've got a likeness.
16:33That's one foot forward, so we can see a foot underneath.
16:37There we go.
16:46See, Matt, is it okay just to get you looking perhaps over there?
16:49You see the little...
16:50So turn as well, or just look?
16:51No, if you keep your body facing me, but you're just your head.
16:56Oh, it looks like you've done this before.
16:57I know.
16:58Yeah.
17:09And then just dip your head down a tiny, tiny little bit.
17:12That's it.
17:13Wonderful.
17:14Perfect.
17:14And then can you look at me with your eyes?
17:18Wonderful.
17:34See, that's perfect, you see.
17:35That is wonderful.
17:46There's something very important around her neck.
17:49When she was convicted, unfortunately, she had to sell an awful lot of the family jewellery,
17:53including this silver necklace.
17:55So the one that she was wearing for the sitting was the replacement one that she bought when
18:01they renewed their vows.
18:03I have transferred 30 individual photocopies onto this board, behind which is all my painting
18:12and drawing, and at the moment it looks white, so the paper is still obscuring an awful lot
18:18of the print, and I have to remove the paper, leaving behind the ink on the photocopies.
18:24This is the exciting bit for me.
18:26It's kind of almost like the big reveal.
18:47At the moment, what we're looking at is a super complex background.
18:51It's not the finished image by any means.
18:53The next stage is to actually start painting the portrait, start painting Seema.
19:08I had about four hours sleep.
19:10I was here in the studio last night till late, and then up very early this morning, just sort
19:15of reassessing, really.
19:17I need to think of a way of somehow getting some of that sort of raw emotion, that feeling
19:23of anger and injustice.
19:25Some of the fight, some of the pain that she's been through, and I'm not sure how to do that.
19:31If I don't stop faffing, it's not going to be finished, and that's going to be embarrassing
19:38and a disaster.
19:39So it's kind of getting critical now.
19:46Jack has felt the full weight of Seema's story.
19:53My fear is now, if I keep looking at this, and if I keep trying to resolve it, I'm going
19:59to tip it over the edge into, it doesn't work.
20:02That's always a problem with me, so I'm still going to have sleepless nights, no matter what.
20:11The big day has finally arrived.
20:13Jack has put his heart and soul into this portrait, and is finally happy to reveal it
20:18to her and the family.
20:19Hello, Jack.
20:20Hello, Bill.
20:21How are you?
20:21I'm very well.
20:22This is it, the big day?
20:23Oh, my gosh.
20:25I've been dreaming about it.
20:26Very exciting.
20:27Yes.
20:27Now, the fact that you're not carrying the painting gives me a sight sense of foreboding.
20:32Yeah, here we go.
20:34Blimey.
20:35Yes.
20:36I went just a little bit big this time.
20:38You certainly did.
20:39Yeah.
20:40Have you been painting this in the van?
20:42I've been living in the van.
20:43How long ago did you finish this, Jack?
20:45Would it fill you with confidence if I said yesterday?
20:49Right.
20:55Seema has brought husband Davinda, sons Adi and Jayraj, fellow wrongly jailed postmaster
21:02Janet, and friends Archie and Geeta.
21:11Are you excited?
21:13Very excited.
21:14So looking forward.
21:15It's some size.
21:15It's such a story.
21:17I just thought that the only way I could encapsulate everything was to go big.
21:22It kind of felt like such an epic portrait that I couldn't really, you know, reduce it.
21:29Do you know what?
21:29I'm very excited to see it because I know your work and how wonderfully detailed and layered
21:36it is.
21:37And to hear you say this is like the most ambitious portrait you've ever done.
21:43I mean, it's going to be.
21:45Fingers crossed.
21:46It's going to be amazing, right?
21:48Are you nervous?
21:49No, I must know.
21:50I've seen Jack's work.
21:52I know he will do brilliant, John.
21:54You ready for the reveal?
21:55As I'll ever be.
21:56Great.
21:57Okay.
21:57I'll just, uh, I'll go and get Seema and the family.
21:59Perfect.
22:00See you in a minute.
22:03Come this way for a portrait reveal.
22:08Excited.
22:09Yeah.
22:10Yeah.
22:12Yeah.
22:12Bye.
22:13Okay.
22:14Yes.
22:16Percy, welcome everyone.
22:19Welcome, Seema.
22:20Today's the big day.
22:21This is the big reveal.
22:23Um, so, Jack, how are you feeling?
22:27I'm like that.
22:28I might not look like it, but on the inside, I am, yeah, I'm trembling.
22:33I desperately hope that you recognize yourself in it.
22:36What about you, Seema?
22:38How are you feeling?
22:39I'm so very, very excited.
22:41Can't wait anymore.
22:41Want to see it now?
22:43All right, everyone.
22:45Okay, take a deep breath.
22:48Take a moment.
22:57Jack, shall we?
22:59Good.
23:00Good.
23:07Oh, my God.
23:17It's beautiful, Jack.
23:19Oh, my God.
23:29It's just like, yes, we believed in ourselves, that we'll be all okay.
23:34It's amazing.
23:37No words, to be honest.
23:38Oh, my God.
23:40This is a story, actually.
23:41It is.
23:42There's no portrait.
23:44Incredible.
23:45Incredible.
23:52I wasn't thinking you're going to make me cry.
23:55I always want this for my wife, because I've seen when she's going through hell,
24:01Seema standing tall, beautiful, proud.
24:06You know, this is what I want from my wife, and this is what she's getting now.
24:12Incredible.
24:13I'm so happy.
24:20I think it's sort of like, gone from the dark, and it's brought out in the light.
24:25The gold is symboling us, and who she is now, and what she's come through.
24:31All the good memories there.
24:32Not the bad memories we've been gone through.
24:36Amazing.
24:39Thank you.
24:40Here we are, standing proud.
24:43I'm trying to, I'm struggling to find right words, because there's no words.
24:49Genuinely shocked, to be honest.
24:52Looking at it, proud of my mum.
24:55Emotional.
24:58It's wonderful.
24:59Really happy for her.
25:01And that, and what she's been through, it's, you know, there's always a good outcome.
25:06It shows Seema in the light, the wonderful light that she is, um, strong, proud woman that she is.
25:15It's just, it's just captured her completely.
25:22It's so powerful, by looking at it, it's giving me power back.
25:26It's giving me strength as well.
25:28Thank you very much.
25:29Thank you.
25:31Oh, God's sake.
25:33No.
25:34Thank you.
25:35Thank you very much.
25:36Thank you very much.
25:38It's brilliant.
25:47I'm incredibly emotional.
25:49It has been such a privilege to, to have all of you sort of share everything that you've been through
25:56over the last few years.
25:57And I think it's that kind of, the force of kind of good that you are, um, that I hope
26:04has come across.
26:05I think that, you know, your reaction says it all, really.
26:08It's overwhelming to see yourself as others see you, but also to see someone who's understood you, understood you and
26:17your story.
26:19Some bits you might be able to see through the layers.
26:22There's references here back to the stamped, but they're underneath you now.
26:28You're treading on them.
26:30Oh, yes.
26:32That's the, that's the past.
26:36Thank you so much.
26:38Thank you.
26:39It's amazing.
26:41So now Jack and I are just going to step out, invite you to come forwards and really have a
26:48closer look.
26:49Thank you.
26:50Thank you.
26:51Thank you.
26:51Thank you.
26:56You done it?
26:57Yeah, just.
26:58I know.
26:58Yeah, I didn't realise the stamps either.
27:02It's just amazing.
27:03How are you?
27:04Yeah, on a wedding day.
27:06On a wedding day.
27:07That's my mum and dad.
27:08It's incredible.
27:15Jack.
27:15Jack.
27:16Hello.
27:17You look, you look dramatic.
27:19I am shaking.
27:21You look a bit shell-shocked.
27:22I'm utterly overwhelmed.
27:24Yeah.
27:24Utterly overwhelmed.
27:25And how are they?
27:26Uh, I think the same.
27:28That was just one of the most intense experiences I think I've ever been through.
27:33No way.
27:34Yeah.
27:35Brilliant.
27:35You know, I wasn't expecting that at all.
27:43That was extremely moving.
27:46It was very powerful.
27:48I think Devinder's reaction probably was what set me off.
27:55I think because there's his wife Seema looking beautiful, strong, powerful, magnificent.
28:02And yet, paradoxically, what that does is remind you of all the tough times.
28:09And that's what great art can do.
28:12That's the wonder of portraiture.
28:33However, I think that's what great art can do.
28:46So thank you.
28:47And yet, close my eyes.
28:48Bye-bye.
28:48Bye-bye.
28:48Bye-bye.
28:49Bye-bye.
28:50Bye-bye.
28:51Bye-bye.
28:52Bye-bye.
28:52Bye-bye.
28:53Bye-bye.
28:53Bye-bye.
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