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On Saturday the film ‘Blue Story’ was banned in a number of cinemas following a brawl in Birmingham. Cinemas said they took this decision because of the risk of further violence; and some have since rereleased the film with a number of security measures in place. The film focuses on two friends from different south London postcodes on rival sides of a street war. The film deals with gang life, human relationships and the portrayal of violence. Part of the tension surrounding this particular film is its highly realistic portrayal of a difficult and current situation. The tension is that art too closely reflects life, but far from art reflecting life, some people are afraid that as Oscar Wilde said ‘life imitates art, far more than art imitates life’. For part of the power that art has, whatever the medium, is to confront people with the reality, in order to move people to address difficult themes. Where there has been violence and harm, the natural instinct is for us to run away, to shield our eyes when there are actually issues and stories we need to understand; where there are messages we need to hear. The director said ‘this film is about love not violence’. It aims to show the viewer how empty the gangster life is and the cost attached to this particular lifestyle. It is ultimately a story about redemptive love and hope. Just as in Jesus’ time, he told stories that challenge to traditional thinking. Like for example, the parable of the Good Samaritan, who was ostracized and rejected by the elite rulers, but had the capacity for redemptive love, which contrasted with the traditional reputation of Samaritans, that was held at the time. Challenge in this parable, is a good thing; transforming fear into love. Paulo Coelho said “When we love we always strive to become better than we are, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too”. Art’s ability to trigger and play on our most difficult emotions is the key to its transformative power. The deaf, blind American author Helen Keller said ‘‘The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard but must be felt with the heart”. Stories don’t have to be easy, in fact stories that are difficult and challenge us, may have the greatest power to change us for the better.