Sometimes it’s quite difficult to decide what to make of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. Its aim to increase understanding across religious and cultural divides is perfectly admirable. Whether our former prime minister is necessarily the man to do it is, however, debatable.
When not busy raking in enormous amounts of cash from speeches and now an autobiography, Blair has managed to make a lot of noise “doing God” (as he didn’t when in office), but not all his fellow believers are convinced that this is helpful to the cause.
Anyway: now the TBFF is launching a film competition called Faith Shorts, open to those aged 25 or under. Entrants are asked to pitch a film about how their faith inspires them. Those shortlisted will be provided with video cameras to shoot their shorts, as it were, and the three winners will be given the opportunity to premiere their work at Bafta in July.
All very good. I’m a little perplexed by the judging panel, though. The members include Queen Rania of Jordan, Jonathan Caplan, Amr Khaled, Jet Li, Wendi Murdoch, Natalie Portman, June Sarpong, Nik Powell and Deepak Verma.
Many of these judges are extremely famous (I’ve even seen posters of Jet Li in longhouses on Borneo), which is doubtless flattering for all the participants. It is also true that several have a great deal of experience in the world of television and film. But the panel does sound a little short on members with strong religious credentials. It is not exactly in danger of being criticised for its highbrow slant, either.
Maybe I’m being uncharitable. But the choice of judges does not do anything to diminish the suspicion that Blair is rather too fond of hobnobbing with celebrities.
We like our ex-prime ministers to come across as dignified. A little less glitz in the life of the last occupant of No 10 would be welcome — and especially in the context of a faith foundation, which surely should not be in the business of suggesting that worldly fame is something to be valued in itself.
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