Really, the theme of The World Unseen is freedom, breaking conventions, the emancipation of women. This occurred to me as I lay writhing on the bed last night, hauling on a pair of control-top tights that wouldn't come up past my thighs. Hanan walked in while I was in this compromised position and I stared at her (I was too exhausted by the exertion to actually speak) hoping she would emancipate me.
'We have to leave in five minutes,' she said.
I heaved myself up and into a long black sheath of an evening dress, noticing that my internal organs were screaming for oxygen. Breathing could wait. I had a BAFTA black tie charity screening of The World Unseen to get to.
When we actually got there, there were paparazzi hanging around outside. As I stood with Hanan and the team, blinded by popping flashbulbs and photographers fighting for eyelines, I wondered briefly what on earth they were doing. Had my dress and pointy shoes and slick of lipstick (found in the back of the medicine cabinet, in a shade that was cool in 1997) actually turned me into Angelina Jolie? Or were they all on drugs? Or waiting for somebody else? I had no time to ponder this as we had drinks and canapes to get to, interviews and book-signings to do and finally, a movie to watch. We took our eldest son along, since he has quite a role in the movie, as Miriam's son, and it was the first time he saw himself on a big screen. He fidgeted during the talking scenes, watched open-mouthed during the police scenes and covered his eyes with a loud 'Eugh, gross!' that echoed through the cinema when Miriam and Amina kissed. Since this screening was in aid of a children's charity (the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund) I didn't think it was appropriate to put duct tape on his mouth, so I tried giving him the look of steel that my mother used to subdue me with, but he only rolled his eyes. Luckily, Leonie Casanova was about to perform, and after listening to 'Broken' sung live over the end credits, we were all a lot happier. As we clapped and cheered, I noticed that Leonie was singing in her stockinged feet, stilettos abandoned by her seat. I guess there was some female emancipation after all...