When you're a kid, there's little that's more exciting than hopping into an inflatable pool in your backyard on a toasty summer day. When you're an adult, you've realised that filling a children's pool with ice makes a great esky — especially those clamshell setups — and you might think that your days of splashing around in a piece of vinyl are well behind you. No one is ever too old to cool down in a blow-up pool, though, so new Melbourne-based company Pool Buoy has made a range of inflatable numbers that look far more stylish than whatever plastic thing you had when you were a kid. Accordingly, they're designed for all ages — and, because they're made from non-toxic, heavyweight vinyl that's BPA, phthalate and lead-free, they're also environmentally friendly. Five styles currently sit in Pool Buoy's catalogue, so you can choose one that suits your mood, personality or outdoor decor. Or, just one that you'd like to escape the heat in — with a drink in your hand, with your pooch or with your mates. They all look the same in terms of shape and structure, but one comes in a flamingo pink hue with big orange splotches, and two different versions resemble terrazzo. There's also a peach number with a grid print, plus a design that things simple via a black squiggle across a white background. Whichever version takes your fancy, Pool Buoy's cute pools measure 165 centimetres in diameter and 35 centimetres high, and can fit two or three adults. They'll set you back $149 each — and, to inflate them, you can also buy a pump for $39. Because leaks happen, each pool also comes with a complimentary repair kit, and Pool Buoy will provide you with another one if you need to patch things up more than once. For more information about Pool Buoy's range — or to buy one of its pools — head to the company's website.
Heading to the Ekka is a different experience for everybody. For long-time locals it can be a nostalgic journey; for country folk it is a big reunion with their fellow farmers; for kids it means conning mum and dad into buying as much junk food for them as possible; and for some it means exploring Queensland’s pedigree animals, and top foods. Whatever food experience you are looking for, the Ekka has it all. Let’s start with the nostalgic journey of Ekka favourites, mostly found at the Royal Snack Bar. Dagwood Dog - found all around the Ekka, the Dagwood Dog (also known as a Pluto Pup in some parts) is your batter-soaked and fried sausage, dipped in tomato sauce. Not the healthiest snack, the Dagwood is an acquired taste, but if you’re into savoury junk on a stick, then the Dagwood is a Wiener. Fairy floss - this can be found all over the showgrounds. Ranging from bucket-size to bags, this cotton candy is mass-produced spun sugar, sure to rot the teeth and give the kids* a sugar comedown at the end of the day. *You, you sugar addict. Strawberry Sundae - definitely the Ekka’s most famous food item, the Strawberry Sundae’s are made in front of your eyes with fresh and beautiful strawberries. The Sundae comes in a cone, which has strawberries down the bottom then topped with vanilla and strawberry ice cream and more strawberries. According to our Ekka expert (my mum) these taste exactly like they did from back when she was working at the Kirks stand in 1965. A compulsory purchase for all Ekka attendees (minus the lactose intolerants). Fresh Butter Sandwiches - no, these are not pieces of bread exclusively covered in butter, these are just sandwiches made with real butter. Another classic, you can purchase delicious toasted sandwiches here. Baked potatoes - just what you’ve always desired – a mobile baked potato. These bad boys are popular, so there may be a line up. Topped in sour cream, cheese and buttery goodness, yet another one of Ekka’s healthy choice snacks. We’ll move on to the gourmet foods now. For those of you after a healthier option, or at least, something where the main ingredient isn’t butter, then you need to head to the Gourmet Harvest. Five local foodies prepare the perfect mix of cuisines to suit all taste buds: CJ’s Pasta serving Italian; Let’s Do Yum Cha serving Chinese; Steakhouse Snackbar serving Australian*; Sultan’s kitchen serving Indian food; and Ii-Naa serving Japanese food. For an entrée, the dumplings at Let’s Do Yum Cha are absolutely delicious – we recommend the pork dumpling, prawn dumpling, and chicken dim sim. At $2.50 each or 5 for $10, for show prices, which are regularly exorbitant, this ain't bad, especially for the quality. The Ekka burger from Steakhouse Snackbar was the perfect meal to give a tiring Ekka attendee a much-needed energy boost. Made with wagyu beef and topped with salad, cheddar and bacon, it is an impressive burger. This will set you back $10. *Steaks, burgers, vegetable stacks. If you like to try a lot of different things, and you want to purchase food to take home with you then you need to go to the Woolworths Pavilion. Full of local food and wine producers keen to sell their wares, the Woolworths Pavilion is not only packed with people, but also a tremendous array of foods to taste and buy. Ranging from beef jerky to olives to fudge, if you are on a budget, you could probably fill yourself up with the samples at these stalls. If you are keen to spend, then this is the place to do it, with enviable deals for fresh and quality produce. The Woolworths Pavilion also hosts the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show cooking demonstrations, with a range of local celebrity chefs taking you through some of their cooking specialties. Finally, if you like to look at food that is made to look like something else, then go no farther than the Agricultural Pavilion. Rows of fruit and vegetables are made into designs by local organisations such as the Scouts and Girls Brigades. Here you can taste the fresh produce and also eat honey right from the beehive - a wonderful and organic experience.
Although it's impossible for viewers to tell while watching it, as over 7000 handcrafted items that took around 20 different artisans 48 weeks to make bring Memoir of a Snail to glorious life — pieces that were used to animate the film's 310,000 individual movements, too — Adam Elliot's latest feature Memoir of a Snail is the result of compromises. Every movie by every filmmaker is, of course. Existence in general is a series of bargains and trade-offs anyway. But the Australian animator's output is so distinctive, so clearly the product of its guiding force's vision, and so deeply moving in its balance of laughs and darkness, that each one plays like it's been lifted from his brain wholesale. It has almost been three decades since Elliot first made stop-motion magic with 1996's three-minute short Uncle, starting what he's dubbed a trilogy of trilogies. The plan: to make three short shorts, three long shorts and three features, all using his instantly recognisable style of animation. The fondness for brown and grey hues, the hand-moulded appearance of each clump of clay, the intricate character studies that see the ups and downs that life takes us all on: they've all continued through his two other short shorts, 1999's Cousin and 2000's Brother, and then in his lengthier efforts. 2024 marks 21 years since Elliot initially went slightly longer with the 23-minute Harvie Krumpet — and two decades since he earned one of filmmaking's highest and most-coveted honours, taking home the 2004 Academy Award for Best Short Animation. Then, six years later, came his debut feature Mary and Max, which continued adding to what's now a swag of more than 100 career accolades. The 21-minute Ernie Biscuit followed in 2015, but Memoir of a Snail arrives 15 years since Elliot first ticked off that debut full-length effort. It too has been boosting his prizes. Upon its premiere at the prestigious Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France, it was named the fest's Best Feature. At the London Film Festival, it won the event's 2024 official competition. Memoir of a Snail also opened this year's Melbourne International Film Festival — aptly given that Melbourne plays a key part in its early scenes — on its many fest stops around the world. Unsurprisingly, it's been a whirlwind few months for Elliot when he speaks with Concrete Playground about the movie. "I think this is my seventh film and each one feels like a birth. You just want to make sure the baby has all its fingers and toes, and it's a pretty baby, and no one thinks it's ugly. So it's this sort of very precarious nerve-wracking period. It's no different for any other filmmaker. It's stressful for several reasons. It's not just 'will the film work?', but 'will I have a career to continue on with?'," he advises. "But, I have to admit, not that I had low expectations, but our budget was so much lower than Mary and Max — and so we couldn't afford walking, so we had to do the Muppet technique, and there was a lot of compromises. Everybody worked on award rates. So I didn't think it would be as well received as Mary and Max, but it's still early days, but it seems it seems to be getting a better response than Mary and Max." Elliot continues. "I do find the pressure and the expectation with each film gets greater and greater. I mean, you try to block that out. But the reactions are very consistent. France, then Telluride Film Festival, Melbourne Film Festival and Spain, San Sebastian. And even with the language — France and Spain had subtitling — most of the jokes, excluding Chiko rolls, most of the jokes were understood. So that's a big relief. I think the word 'relief' is probably the word I've been using the most for the last couple of months." With Succession star Sarah Snook leading the cast — and Eric Bana (Force of Nature: The Dry 2), Tony Armstrong (Tony Armstrong's Extra-Ordinary Things), Nick Cave (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) and Magda Szubanski (After the Trial) among the others loaning their voices — Memoir of a Snail tells another of Elliot's outsider tales, focusing on the lonely Grace Pudel. The film unfurls as Grace's reflection upon her life, from her childhood in Melbourne with her fire-obsessed twin brother Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee, Disclaimer) and their widowed father Percy (French actor Dominique Pinon, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon) onwards, as told to a snail named Sylvia. The movie's protagonist has long loved garden molluscs, literally wearing her love for them on her head. She's also largely been happy in her shell, until she meets and befriends the elderly Pinky (Jacki Weaver, Hello Tomorrow!). Elliot coined the term 'clayography' to describe his films, which use his preferred medium to unpack rich stories about his chosen characters — figures that spring from real-life tidbits gleaned from a lifetime love of observing others. The folks in his frames are as detailed and idiosyncratic as anyone living and breathing, and his movies have always proven deeply resonant as a result. We also chatted with the writer/director about his process of building characters, and finding that mix of humour and heart. Similarly part of our discussion: Elliot's initial animation and filmmaking dream, the path to Memoir of a Snail, his approach to writing, casting the movie and more. On Elliot's Initial Animation and Filmmaking Dream — and How Everything That's Come Since Stacks Up Against It "Well, certainly an Oscar was never even in the realm of something I thought would happen, mainly because I thought my films were too arthouse or boutique, or for adults. I never have had a strong long-term ambition. I did come up with this pretentious idea of doing a trilogy of trilogies: three short shorts, three long shorts and three features. I never thought I'd be up to number seven, so I've really only got two left and then I can die. I think I was very surprised at how universal the films have become, and that they haven't really dated. I still get people who have seen Harvie Krumpet for the first time sending me emails. And I'm constantly aware of and surprised by how people's suspension of disbelief, how they really do invest themselves in these plasticine blobs. It's hard for me to be objective. I've got a friend who's a GP and she just can't watch animation. She can't pretend to believe these characters are real. I think it's quite humbling to know that people really do give over to the characters and their stories. I thought at this point in my career that maybe stop-motion would be an artform that had disappeared. I was told that when I was at film school — I was told that stop motion was a dying artform and CGI would kill it, but the opposite has happened. Stop-motion is going through a bit of a renaissance or a golden period, and there's a lot of reasons for that, but it's alive." On the Path to Memoir of a Snail "I don't want to refer to Woody Allen, but I will. I've always liked his methodology of just finishing one and going straight into the other, and not getting caught up in the hype and the buzz. And, of course, you have to do promotion as an auteur. And you are part of the marketing campaign and strategy by Madman and the distributors and sales agents. But I'm thinking to the next film, and you've got to practice what you're preaching. In Memoir of a Snail, I'm always talking about moving forwards, moving forwards — and it's literally back to the drawing board. I'm starting to think about the next characters. What are they going to look like? And more so narrative and the story and what type of film I want to do next. I'm one of those lucky few filmmakers who hasn't had to revert to TV commercials or TV series or other forms. I've been very lucky that Screen Australia and the state funding bodies, VicScreen here, perpetually fund me. I know I'm lucky. And I know we're lucky in Australia, even having government support. So, I remind myself that quite often. Having said that, I'm always prepared to criticise the funding bodies because I think they could be doing more. I'm very annoyed they no longer fund short films. I do also worry, just quickly, that each film has a lot of references to previous films I've made, and there's a lot of repeated motifs I bring back. And I do start to worry my films are becoming formulaic and repetitive. I know somebody in IMDb posted a comment 'Adam Elliot's films are all the same'. They're right." On Elliot's Entry Point Into His Films and Approach to Making Each One Stand Out From the Rest "I do start each screenplay, I have to wait until I'm agitated by something or frustrated or extremely curious. And this film, I was going through the death of my father, the grieving process, and also getting rid of all his stuff. He had three sheds full of stuff, so I became fascinated by that. So I do a lot of research. I'm a very slow writer and I have to be enthused and driven by something. I can't just force myself to sit down and write. And sometimes it takes a few years. But when I do start the writing process, I really do become obsessed with it, and I love rewriting and writing. I mean, I could just do endless drafts. I never really ever want to start making the film. I just want to keep writing. I try to create films that I don't see and that deal with subject matter you don't see. And not that I'm trying to shock or deal with taboo subject matter, I just feel that there's things — there shouldn't be rules to animation. I don't want to offend, but I get annoyed when people think that animation is a genre. It's not, it's a medium. There was someone in the audience last night, who was talking about 'oh this film's not for the young children'. The onus is not on me. The onus is on the parents. The film's rated M. And I never get this problem in France and Germany, when I go. They have a long history of adult animation, particularly in countries like Estonia and the Czech Republic, there's a lot of surrealist animation. I think it's a job of a writer and a director to push the boundaries and push themselves. I'm very self-conscious of not just becoming stale. And if the artform of stop-motion has got to survive, it's got to move beyond Wallace and Gromit. It's got to move beyond family-friendly. And there's certainly many other stop-motion artists out there who would love to sink their teeth into an adult animation or an abstract stop-motion film, or an experimental. But of course, the thing that prohibits all this is money. It's a very slow, therefore very expensive art form. And again, I'm one of the lucky few who — every year, there's probably only three or four stop-motion features made. There's only been three in the history of Australian cinema and I made one of the others, Mary and Max. So we're very, very rare." On Finding Inspiration for His Characters in Real Life "I'm self-diagnosed OCD. I haven't had a clinical diagnosis, but I know I am. I'm very, very, extremely neat, and I obsess about detail. And I start with the detail and work backwards. So I don't worry about the three-act structure and the plot and the narrative until much later. I just gather all my ingredients — and I have very detailed notebooks going back decades. I collect quotes, I collect names, I collect sounds, I collect smells. I'm a hoarder of words, I suppose. And I just love going over my notes, and there's so many that I've forgotten that I've written. I also have very long descriptions of people I've just seen on the street. And I invent stories. I write poetry. I went through a period during COVID where I would write a poem every morning before nine o'clock. And so if I ever lost these journals, I wouldn't know what to do because they're my recipe books. It's where I get all my ingredients. I love observing people. I'm always staring at people on public transport. Even today, on the plane, I got caught staring at someone, so I'll probably get arrested, too. 'Why are they wearing those shoes? Why did they choose those earrings? I wonder what their backstory is.' I love backstories. Pinky has this whole backstory that no one will ever know about. It's mentioned briefly in the film, but to create very dimensional characters, I think you really have to go into every layer and dimension of them — because I'm aiming to create authenticity and believable characters. To give them dimension, you have to give them incongruities and contradictions. And it's not a matter of just pinning the character full of all these quirks. They have to be human. They have to have contrast and contradictions. So I'm certainly character-driven more than I am plot- and narrative-driven. On Elliot's Casting Process, Knowing Sarah Snook Was Perfect for Grace and Getting Lucky with Tony Armstrong "Well, I collect voices as well. So I have long lists of people who I think have fantastic voices for animation, or I might be able to use in the future. So I had listened to Sarah's voice, one of her early films, These Final Hours, when she was just starting out. There was the quality I loved. There was a quietness and vulnerability about her voice. So she was in my head very early on. But I did then listen to the Blanchetts and the Kidmans and the Wilsons and all the others, but none of them really ticked the boxes that Sarah did. But there's always a danger, too, that you might have this fantastic voice and then the animators do some lovely animation, and you marry them together and it just doesn't gel for generally an unknown reason. A good example is the very first Paddington film, five or ten years ago, was originally going to be Colin Firth. And they paid him. They cast him and they put his voice to the animation, and it didn't work. So they had to let him go and then in the end, they got Ben Whishaw — and he works beautifully as Paddington. So you never know. And you certainly don't want to have to tell an actor 'sorry, your voice doesn't work'. But I'm very intuitive and I also love non-actors. I do like getting people who — for example, Tony Armstrong, we'd already animated Ken, and I just couldn't find the person I wanted to voice Ken. And then I was watching ABC News Breakfast and Tony came on. And not only did he look like Ken, but he had that bass to his voice, that suaveness. And I thought 'oooh, I wonder if he can act?'. So we got in touch. And my gut instinct was actually he'd work. And it did. But sometimes you can get it wrong. And also, too, with casting, they're not the actors — the actors are the animators. I always remind the actors — I call them my voice, they're loaning us their voices, really, that's what they're doing. And they get paid a lot of money for only a few hours work. So you've got to make sure when they're in the studio, you get exactly what you want. So I do work my actors, my voice talent, quite hard, and we do many, many takes." On Filling Out Memoir of a Snail's Voices with an Australian Who's Who "It ends up being quite eclectic, and luckily we don't have to cast everybody upfront. So we only cast the voices where there's lip-sync. So it's quite leisurely in a way. My producer and I, Liz [Kearney, Sweet As], had a lot of time to go through every casting book and listen to every voice. We listened to everybody from Jimmy Barnes through to politicians. Then in the end, I did some of the voices, Liz did a voice. It's just a lot of experimentation, actually — a lot of just closing your eyes and listening, and watching some clips of animation. Certainly we got our dream cast, I have to be honest. We got pretty much everyone we wanted and thankfully it all worked out. But as I say, it's risky, and sometimes it goes pear-shaped." On Balancing Lightness, Laughs and Hope with Melancholy and Tragedy to Make Audiences Both Laugh and Cry "It's the thing that keeps me awake at night, is the balance, and it has been from day one. I often think 'gee, Adam, why don't why you just doing children's TV?' or 'why are you doing something like Bluey?'. Although Bluey has wonderful darkness at times as well, and is very clever. But yes, it is a balancing act and you don't want to depress the audience. I read somewhere, someone, I think it was on Letterboxd or somewhere, said 'Adam's films are all trauma porn'. And I thought 'oh gee, maybe they are'. I'd hate for my films to be called bleak. There's a lot of bleak Australian cinema. I do try to instil moments that are uplifting — and particularly my endings, I really want the audience to come out of the cinema feeling satisfied and relieved. They might be melancholic. I love that Victor Hugo quote that melancholy is the happiness of being sad. And I wouldn't say my films are sad films, they're melancholic at times, but ultimately I'm trying for them to be life-affirming and uplifting and soulful. A word I use a lot is 'nourishing'. I really want to nourish the audience. What's that horrible quote? Chicken soup for the soul. I think that's what I'm ultimately trying to do, it's empathy, that I'm trying to get the audience to put themselves in my characters' shoes and understand what it's like to be someone with a cleft palate. Or someone who, with Mary and Max, somebody who has Asperger's syndrome, who's being bullied and teased. Bullying and teasing is something that is a thread that goes through all my films, and that's because I was bullied and teased. And in some ways, my films are not revenge but they say to the bullies 'what you do is incredibly hurtful and destructive, and there's a whole lot of us out there who've had to carry this with us our whole lives and deal with it, suffer the consequences'. And I think there's so much animation out there doing other things, pure entertainment. I don't like getting lumped in with adult animation such as South Park and Family Guy. They are adult, but they're different, they're not trying to do the same things I'm trying to do. I do feel often very alone with what I'm doing. I'm surprised there aren't more people doing what I'm doing. I think there's certainly a demographic out there. There's certainly people who really connect with the works. I often get emails — I got an email the other day from a woman who has a cleft palate saying it's the first film she's ever seen that dealt with someone having a cleft palate with sensitivity and truthfulness. So you realise as a director and a writer that you have a degree of responsibility, and that films and cinema, they have a longevity, but they also can have an impact. I wouldn't say we save people's lives. I wouldn't go that far. But it's taken me a long while to fully understand that you can have an impact, and so you better be very mindful of that and be careful what you say." Memoir of a Snail opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, October 17, 2024.
Spring is here, the sun is out, and everything is 500 times more whimsical. Now times that whimsy by infinity. Studio Ghibli is bringing a showcase to our shores in October and it's touring all over the nation's cinemas. Celebrating renowned filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, the showcase will feature four films and two documentaries that explore the intricacies and beauty of their craft. If you haven't had a chance to get acquainted with the work of these two cult favourites before, this will be the perfect opportunity to get up to date. Work your way through much-loved classics with screenings of both My Neighbour Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies. Then explore new terrain with The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and the critically-acclaimed historical anime feature The Wind Rises. Though the Japanese animation studio has 20 feature films to its name, the Australian showcase will feature just these four — a refined look at the old versus the new. But this won't just be for the newbies. Seasoned anime pros can get an inside look into the craft with screenings of both Isao Takahta and His Tale of the Princess Kaguya and The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness. Though the documentaries have had separate screenings at local film festivals this year, this will be their first standalone showing on Australian screens. Either way, whether you're a die-hard anime fanatic or have never even seen Spirited Away, there's always room in your life for a little whimsy and wonder. Get lost in the cinema for a few hours and discover an exciting new world. The Tale of Studio Ghibli Showcase will run at select cinemas in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane from October 9-22. The films will be screening in Perth from November 6-19, and in Adelaide from November 27 - December 10.
More streaming platforms keep coming our way. More Brisbane cinemas keep opening. Basically, if you like being spoilt for viewing options, it's a good time to be a cinephile. And now this city of ours has another option — a series of free movie nights at the XXXX Brewery. You've drunk its beer, possibly taken the tour, and probably enjoyed a brew and a meal at the onsite Alehouse, but you likely haven't seen a movie at the Milton landmark — until now. On Wednesday, May 1 and again the following week on Wednesday, May 8, you can change that fact. There's free popcorn too, to complete the film-going experience. On the agenda: Aussie flicks The Castle and Young Einstein. Yes, there's a pool table — so if you want to go straight to the pool room, you can. While entry won't cost a thing, don't forget your wallet if you're keen on a few beverages. The films start at 7pm each week.
A black comedy about neighbours fighting over a tree. A harrowing recreation of the worst incident on Norwegian soil since World War II. A gothic interpretation of a well-known folk tale. A film about an infatuated college student who discovers she has unusual abilities. These are just some of the Nordic films headed to Australia as part of the 2018 Scandinavian Film Festival — and yes, it's shaping up to be a great year for movies hailing from the colder parts of Europe. All of the above titles — the opening night's Under the Tree, Berlinale hit U – July 22, the gorgeously shot Valley of Shadows and the empathetic thriller Thelma — head to the festival after amassing quite the buzz at overseas events, and they have plenty of company. Across the Scandinavian Film Festival's almost month-long tour of the country, between July 10 and August 5, 21 features will grace Australian screens, showcasing everything from the latest award-winners to the career output of one of the region's late master filmmakers. In the first camp falls Border, which is based on a short story by author John Ajvide Lindqvist and just won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes; high-school comedy Amateurs, the recipient of the best Nordic film award at this year's Goteburg Film Festival; and Winter Brothers, a flick about siblings living in a remote region that nabbed nine Danish Academy Awards. In the latter category, viewers can celebrate the life and career of renowned Swedish director Ingmar Bergman in the 100th anniversary of his birth, with six Swedish figures — including Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy's Tomas Alfredson — making shorts inspired by the influential filmmaker for compilation effort Bergman Revisited. Other highlights include a semi-scripted cross-cultural comedy about two Danish men trying to set up a dog breeding business in China, aka The Saint Bernard Syndicate, SXSW-standout Heavy Trip, a film about a heavy metal muso spearheading a music festival in a small Finnish town, and The Real Estate, which attacks the chasm between the rich and the not-so in an unflinching fashion. In short: if it hails from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland and it popped up over the past year, it's probably on the lineup. The Scandinavian Film Festival tours the country between July 10 and August 5, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Palace Central from July 10–29; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay and Palace Westgarth from July 12–29; and Brisbane's Palace Barracks from July 19 to August 5. For the full program, visit the festival website.
Ever since 2025's Sydney Film Festival first started revealing its program back in March, the event was on track for a huge year. How big? By the numbers, the fest screened 242 films, and put on 448 screenings and events. Among that massive lineup of sessions, more than 150 sold out. So, it should come as no surprise that this year's SFF also made history thanks to its 150,000-plus attendees. That hefty number of folks who spent some or all of the festival's 12-day run from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 in a Sydney cinema is an 11-percent increase on 2024's attendance figure. It also makes SFF 2205 the highest-selling festival in its history. As Sydney Film Festival CEO Frances Wallace described it, "this year has been extraordinary". "It's amazing that after 72 years, the Sydney Film Festival is stronger than ever. It's a tribute to the organisers and the tens of thousands of film fans who've turned out. This festival, its fans and its filmmakers have once again created an absolute highlight in Sydney's events calendar," said New South Wales Minister for the Arts John Graham about the fest's 2025 achievement. "As the curtain falls on another unforgettable Sydney Film Festival, we look back on and celebrate the bold storytelling, diverse voices and shared cinematic journeys that lit up our screens and sparked our imaginations," added Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore. "I look forward to our continued partnership with the Sydney Film Festival and all that it brings to our fine city." The fest came to an end for 2025 with a closing-night gala that gave relationship comedy Splitsville its Australian premiere — and first screening anywhere beyond its Cannes debut — and announced this year's prizewinners. Receiving the $60,000 Sydney Film Prize for the most "audacious, cutting edge and courageous" movie in the fest's Official Competition: Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident, fresh from taking home the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, too, and with the iconic Iranian filmmaker himself in attendance in the Harbour City. That said, the event that opened with body-horror Together, gave Ari Aster's Eddington its Aussie premiere and boasted DEATH STRANDING's Hideo Kojima among its guests isn't actually quite done for 2025 so far. The official festival itself has said goodbye until 2026, but it's also screening Back By Popular Demand encore sessions between Tuesday, June 17–Friday, June 20 at Dendy Newtown, Palace Cinemas Norton Street and Ritz Cinemas. Sydney Film Festival 2025 ran from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. The fest is screening four days of encores via Sydney Film Festival's 2025 Back By Popular Demand bonus screenings at Dendy Newtown, Palace Cinemas Norton Street and Ritz Cinemas Randwick between Tuesday, June 17–Friday, June 20. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website. Jafar Panahi images: Tim Levy.
In news that sounds and feels familiar, and is also sadly not at all unexpected, Vivid Sydney has announced that this year's festival won't go ahead — at all. Last month, the event pushed back its planned 2021 dates from August to mid-September due to Sydney's current COVID-19 outbreak and ongoing lockdown; however, today, Friday, August 6, it has revealed that it's pulling the plug on the light, music and art-filled fest completely until 2022. The 2021 festival had already been pushed from its usual June time slot to August (and then to September), after sitting out 2020 entirely due to the pandemic. This decision to scrap this year's fest is hardly surprising, though. Sydney Fringe Festival, which was also due to take place in September, also just cancelled its 2021 event. And, with Sydney's lockdown now six weeks in, set to run until at least the end of August and also still garnering high case numbers — 291 were identified in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday, August 5 — it's beginning to look more likely that other big events might not happen this year either. In a statement, Vivid organisers advised that "the New South Wales Government has made the difficult decision to cancel Vivid Sydney 2021 — but the world's largest festival of light, music and ideas will shine brightly again in May–June 2022. Given the ongoing uncertainty, the decision has been made to cancel Vivid Sydney 2021 to minimise the impact on event attendees, partners, artists, sponsors and suppliers." If you're keen to mark the new dates in your diary, the 2022 event will kick off on Friday, May 27 and run through until Sunday, June 18. Announcing the news, NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said that cancelling this year's Vivid now was the sensible move. "We thank everyone who has contributed to the planning for Vivid Sydney 2021. Of course, it's incredibly disappointing to cancel for the second year, but the most responsible decision was to cancel early, giving everyone certainty and minimising impacts where possible. The health and safety of our community is our highest priority, which is why we're encouraging everyone to get vaccinated so we can get back to enjoying COVID-safe events again soon," he said. Back in July, when Vivid was postponed until September, the Minister had commented that this year's event would only proceed if it's safe to do so. [caption id="attachment_816000" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Vivid 2021 was slated to feature a hefty array of light installations, cultural events, pop-ups and activations, with the full program announced back in May. Alongside Sydney Fringe Festival, a number of big NSW events have now been impacted by the pandemic two years running. The same thing happened with Bluesfest, which was cancelled in 2020, then scrapped a few days before it was meant to start in April this year, and then rescheduled until October — and with this year's Sydney Film Festival, too, which moved to August this year from its usual June time slot, and has now been postponed until November. Vivid Sydney 2021 will no longer take place from Friday, September 17 –Saturday, October 9. Vivid Sydney 2022 is slated to run from Friday, May 27–Sunday, June 18. For more information, visit the event's website. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
It's been less than a year since Scottish craft beer giant BrewDog made its much-anticipated Australian debut, opening the doors to its hefty Brisbane brewery DogTap last November. But already the team's looking to ramp up that local presence, announcing ambitious plans to open more flagship venues across Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney by the end of 2021. While the company's keeping hush for now on exactly where these new bars will be located, it has confirmed it's already started searching for sites between 300 and 1000 square metres, in each of the three above cities. It seems the choice to kickstart Aussie operations in the Queensland capital has proved a smart move for the brewery, especially given the extra COVID-19 fallout some other states have had to endure. "The continued success of our DogTap taproom has convinced us that the time is right to start the search and find exciting locations to join the fold," said BrewDog's Head of Australian Operations Calvin McDonald in a statement. Already operating in over 80 countries, the company plans on snapping up 25 more sites worldwide before the year's out. [caption id="attachment_751726" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pandora Photography[/caption] BrewDog's ambitious expansion plans come off the back of a few news-filled months for the brewing company. Just recently, it claimed the distinction of becoming the first carbon negative international beer brand in the world, removing twice as much carbon from the air than it emits. BrewDog plans to open more sites in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in the coming 12 months. We'll share more details as they're confirmed. Images: DogTap Brisbane by Pandora Photography
You might want to tone down some of the long and critical rants contained on your blog, as a case in Oregon has just see a woman fined $2.5 million for defamatory comments. Crystal Cox runs several blogs, and posted comments in one such blog which criticised the Obsidian Finance Group. The Group responded by commencing litigation against Cox for defamation. Cox represented herself in these proceedings. Cox said she had information from an inside source, whom she refused to name. As a result, it was impossible for her to prove that her comments were true. As she was a blogger and not affliated with any official media outlet, she was not provided the same protection as journalists in Oregon. Therefore, Judge Marco A. Hernandez slapped Cox with a $2.5 million fine. Heavy. Aside from the obvious legal questions in such a case, is this really an appropriate punishment for not being part of a media establishment? Blogs are now becoming pivotal points for topical discussion. News programs are using images and videos captured by ordinary citizens on iPhones as exclusive content to be broadcast on television. Television shows are increasingly conversing with audiences through social media websites. It seems nowadays that these lines between contemporary and traditional media are undergoing a rapid integration. Furthermore, you get the feeling that Cox probably should have hired a lawyer. [via Mashable]
Over the past seven years, Hamilton has become a cultural phenomenon — and, thanks to its fame and acclaim, so has the hip hop musical's creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. But that's not the only stellar stage show to the multi-talented composer, actor, singer and playwright's name. Before he took on US history (and before he helped bring Bring It On to the theatre, too), Miranda turned life in Manhattan's Washington Heights into four-time Tony-winner In the Heights. While every Hamilton fan dreams of the day that it gets adapted for the big screen, his debut musical is actually making the leap to cinemas first — this year, finally, after its original 2020 release date was postponed due to the pandemic. Yes, the recorded version of Hamilton hit streaming last year, and was as phenomenal as everyone hoped, but In the Heights hasn't just filmed a stage performance. When it releases Down Under on June 24, In the Heights will do so with a stacked cast, with Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M Chu behind the lens, and via a movie primarily shot on location in its titular spot. Quiara Alegría Hudes, who wrote the text for the stage version, has also written the feature's screenplay. And Lin-Manuel Miranda is involved, naturally, producing the movie, overseeing the music and popping up on-screen as well. On Broadway from 2008–11, Miranda played the lead role of bodega owner Usnavi de la Vega. In the film, that honour goes to Anthony Ramos — an alumnus of the original production of Hamilton who has also featured in Patti Cake$, A Star Is Born and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Usnavi works hard, saves everything he earns and strives for a better life. He also sits at the centre of a vibrant community just beyond the 181st Street subway stop, with In the Heights charting the lives, loves and dreams of the Latinx neighbourhood through colourful, energetic and — as seen in both 2019's first trailer for the movie and the latest, just-dropped sneak peek — exquisitely choreographed song and dance numbers. Joining Ramos and Miranda (who plays Piragua Guy, the owner of a shaved ice dessert stand) are Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton), singer Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera (Vida), Dascha Polanco (Orange is the New Black), Marc Anthony and Jimmy Smits — plus original In the Heights stage star Olga Merediz, Rent's Daphne Rubin-Vega and Matilda the Musical's Gregory Diaz IV. Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Stephanie Beatriz also features, after Miranda made an appearance on the hit sitcom in 2019. Check out the latest trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4CRPvel2Vc In the Heights will release in cinemas Down Under on June 24.
If you've ever wanted to enjoy a beverage in a speakeasy, pretend you're drinking bootlegged liquor, or get glammed up 1920s style, you're about to get your chance. Welcome to Prohibition Brisbane, the venue that brings the fun of almost a century ago to Fortitude Valley's nightlife district. It's a theme the underground haunt takes seriously, as its grand arrival space, complete with moving ceiling, makes clear. Inside the 1100 square metre warehouse, three separate basement spaces — the main hall, a speakeasy-style bar and an exclusive VIP lounge — evoke times gone by via earthy tones and aged finishes. Need proof beyond the fancy decor? It's all in the drinks list. The hard stuff reigns supreme, of course, as Prohibition's packed bar shelves prove. For those fond of shaken or stirred concoctions, the extensive cocktail range mixes time-honoured tipples that date back to the '20s with brand new house originals. Twists on classics are a highlight, including 'The Peach and Passionfruit Rickey' and the 'Du Pont Daiquiri'. Once the place starts pumping over the next few months, expect it to feature a lineup of international DJs and play host to a variety of other events and concert afterparties. For now, you can share in Prohibition's grand opening on July 3 and 4, or grab a sneak peek in advance by keeping an eye on their Facebook page. Find Prohibition at 206 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley from July 3, or visit their website. View all Brisbane Bars.
When July 2021 came and went, it marked two years since Stranger Things last graced our streaming queues. That's two years of wondering what's become of Hawkins' beloved police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour, Black Widow) — and where everyone else we've all come to know and love in the hit Netflix series has washed up, too. Sorry fans, you'll have to keep pondering for the rest of this year as well, as the streaming platform has officially announced that its 80s-set sci-fi series won't be returning till 2022. Fancy a sneak peek in the interim? In revealing that Stranger Things will finally make a comeback next year, Netflix has also dropped a new glimpse at what's in store. The platform has done so a few times already since the beginning of 2020, providing an initial clip back at the beginning of last year — which now seems like a lifetime ago — and a couple more teasers in May 2021. But hey, when you're hanging out for anything and everything related to the show's fourth season, each trailer and teaser drop is exciting. From that first 2020 teaser, we already know what happened after season three's big cliffhanger and Russian-set post-script — when Hopper, the mind flayer, the Russian lab below Starcourt Mall and that pesky gate to the Upside Down all had a run-in. And, we know that Hawkins Laboratory is going to feature again moving forward, with the last two clips focusing on Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla vs Kong) and Dr Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal). The new sneak peek combines both new and old footage, so parts of it will look familiar — and parts of it tease what's to come. There's little narrative detail provided, but that usually comes with the territory anyway. You already know you'd prefer to discover Stranger Things' secrets by binging your way through it as soon as new episodes become available to stream. Of course, it's worth remembering that when Netflix announced the show's renewal for a fourth season back in 2019, it did so with the catchphrase "we're not in Hawkins anymore". Naturally, we'll have to wait to see what that really means for its cast of characters — including not only Hopper and Eleven, the latter of which was last seen leaving town with Joyce (Winona Ryder, The Plot Against America), Will (Noah Schnapp, Hubie Halloween) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton, The New Mutants), but also for Mike (Finn Wolfhard, The Goldfinch), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo, The Angry Birds Movie 2), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin, Concrete Cowboy), Max (Sadie Sink, The Last Castle), Steve (Joe Keery, Spree) and Nancy (Natalia Dyer, Things Seen & Heard). Check out the new Stranger Things season four sneak peek below: Stranger Things season four will be able to stream via Netflix sometime in 2022 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced.
It was Britney Spears who said it best. There are only two types of people in the world: the ones that entertain, and the ones that observe. Whichever category you fall into, there's no denying that, when done right, a dinner party is one of life's great pleasures. And, don't be fooled, there is definitely a right way to go about it. It's not rocket science, though — and that's where we come in. We've teamed up with Tempus Two to create your ultimate dinner party checklist. CURATE YOUR GUEST LIST (AND SEND OUT A PROPER INVITATION) So, you want to host a dinner party? First things first — who's around the table? Perhaps even more so than the food, the guest list is the most important element for a host to consider. It's all about striking the right balance between people who will keep the conversation both interesting (and, more pertinently, actually going), and a bringing together group of people who will get along. The guest list also hinges on the reason you're hosting in the first place — do you just feel like getting your people together? Looking to make an introduction? In this case, the 'why' will determine the 'who'. Guest list finalised, the next thing is to send out an invitation. This will set the tone from the outset — a casual text has a different vibe to a well structured e-invite or even a paper invitation. We love the touch of a proper invitation (be it paper or virtual) as it automatically makes your dinner feel like an event worth attending. SET THE MOOD Music is an often overlooked element of a dinner party. Ideally you want to soundtrack the evening with tunes that will both blend into the background while being interesting enough to cover any potential gaps in conversation. Low-tempo jazz and electronica are always winners — but a good DJ always knows how to read the room, so you shouldn't be afraid to mix it up if you feel the night going in a different direction. Although, we'd suggest that a dinner party probably isn't the right occasion to show off your latest Scandinavian scream metal find — it's probably better to keep the tunes a little more neutral. If the music provides the soundtrack for the night, how you prepare the room is akin to setting the stage. Lighting is key here — too bright and it might feel like you're in the office, too low and it might look like you forgot to pay your bills. Soft lights — think floor lamps and candles — are your friends here. Another nice touch is to bring in something from outside. Nice artwork is always a lovely touch, but flowers and the like really make a room come to life. PREP AS MUCH AS YOU CAN IN ADVANCE — OR EVEN GET IT CATERED As a host, it's all too easy to forget to actually enjoy yourself. And it makes sense — you're probably too worried about everyone else having a good time and making sure glasses stay full. But ideally, a dinner party is an opportunity to enjoy yourself and the company of the people you've invited. Do yourself a favour and do as much prep as you can before your guests arrive, so you have more time to have a good time rather than having to run back and forth from the kitchen. Want to really sit back and enjoy yourself? Go to the next level and get it catered — sure it's a little extra, but after all, it's hard to know these days just when you might be able to host your next dinner party. SERVE A LOW-ALCOHOL WINE TO KEEP THE GOOD TIMES GOING LONGER While you probably don't want to host a dry dinner party, you probably also don't want the night to potentially get out of hand. Plan ahead with an easy compromise: serve low-alcohol vino and keep the good times rolling. Tempus Two has just dropped an excellent range of low-ABV wines — they've got 30 percent less booze and calories than a standard bottle. The Lighten Up range includes top-shelf, low-alcohol pinot noir, prosecco and rosé, with each bottle clocking in at just four standard drinks. BEGIN WITH A SIGNATURE COCKTAIL This slick move is a surefire way to class up even the most casual of dinner parties. Yes, it's probably easier to pop a bottle of something, but a cocktail on arrival works better for two reasons. Not only can you serve these up to order, meaning latecomers can still enjoy a fresh drink when they arrive, but shaking or stirring in front of your guests adds a touch of theatre to the evening. And what's a dinner party without a bit of theatre? You could even go low-alcohol here, too — make a bubbles-based bevvie with a generous splash of Tempus Two Lighten Up Prosecco to start the night on the right note. For more information about the low-alcohol Tempus Two Lighten Up range, head to the website. Top image: Supplied
Nothing gets you out of a winter funk like a weekend away, and the crisp mountain air of Leura is particularly up to the task. This picturesque town, just two hours west of Sydney on the train, puts you at the doorstep of all the outdoor adventures of the Blue Mountains while nailing the kind of cosy indoor culture that wraps you in a big warm hug at the end of the day. Set up home base at the very scenic Fairmont Resort and Spa Blue Mountains, and spend your days trekking along ancient trails and your nights indulging in hearty meals, local wines and fireside chat. Here's our guide to a winter short stay in the area. EAT AND DRINK After the journey in, your first stop in Leura should be for a little sustenance. Fortunately, the cafe culture here is another part of what makes this town a winter dream. Among the best cafes in the region, the hidden Lily's Pad Cafe has just-baked breads and cakes — including gluten-free options aplenty — along with homemade toppings like chutneys, jams and curds. The courtyard is covered, heated and, best of all, dog-friendly. On Leura's main street, the leafy Red Door Cafe is a standout for healthy eating, with organic coffees and freshly squeezed juices. For eats, we're all about the zucchini and feta fritters, served with cumin yoghurt and mesclun salad, as well as the smoked rainbow trout with rocket and lentil salad, all topped with a poached egg. View-seekers should head to Solitary, set in a 100-year-old cottage overlooking the valley. Its fireplace makes this an ideal sanctuary after a winter's hike through the nearby Leura Cascades. For fireside dining in the evening, look no further than the appropriately named Embers restaurant at the Fairmont Resort and Spa. Enjoy views over the Jamison Valley along with the soundtrack of crackling flames and the flavours of a classic beef brisket given a contemporary twist. Back in town, unassuming North Indian restaurant Tamarin offers some serious eats in the most unlikely of places, just across from the station. The samosas trump most in Australia, as does its samosa chaat — a smashed and dressed version. For a dinner to remember, book yourself a table at the award-winning Leura Garage. Set in a repurposed mechanic's workshop (hence the name), the environmentally conscious restaurant focuses on locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. We suggest going with the surprisingly affordable tasting menu, which includes plenty of winter warmers, like 12-hour braised lamb shoulder and truffle mashed potatoes. Accompanying drops come from NSW wine regions like Orange and Mudgee. Your wine journey doesn't have to stop at dinner. Meander down the street to bar and bistro Bon Ton for after-dinner drinks. For winter, sip a martini in the protected comfort of the enclosed terrace. For a nightcap, stop in at the Sublime Lounge, another fire-warmed space within the Fairmont Resort and Spa. Their signature cocktail is the Berry Sublime, designed to evoke the nearby orchards with its mix of strawberry, tequila, lime, mint and an unexpected dash of white balsamic. DO If this isn't your first rodeo in the Blue Mountains, chances are you've already frequented the landmarks of Three Sisters and Wentworth Falls. And that's fine, because the region has much more to offer, with a seemingly endless number of bushwalks, lookouts, caves and valleys to explore. For a different mountain view, check out Evans Lookout, 20 minutes' drive away in Blackheath, then continue on the steep clifftop walk to Govetts Leap. If you'd rather a more leisurely stroll (and one walking distance from town), Leura Cascades is a serene canopy walk through tall eucalyptus trees. Take a short trek along the rapids on Leura Falls Creek down to Bridal Veil Falls and Leura Falls. Several walks can be accessed from here, including the Fern Bower Circuit, Echo Point and Leura Forest. Feeling like a serious adventure? Then book yourself into an abseiling and canyoning day trip. A few businesses in nearby Katoomba run tours, including the Australian School of Mountaineering and the Blue Mountains Adventure Company. They'll have you abseiling waterfalls and trekking through ancient crevices and canyons. For a more leisurely level of activity, stroll the boutiques along Leura Mall and do a spot of shopping at the likes of Quidditas General Store. If you visit during the first Sunday of the month, you can also hit Leura's flea market for everything from jewellery, clothes and homewares to local eats. For a full dose of the quirky and quaint history Leura is known for, drop by the Leuralla Toy & Railway Museum, Bygone Beautys' Teapot Museum or the National Trust property Everglades Gardens. In what might be the high tea capital of Australia, the latter two are good spots to partake. Once night falls, take a short drive over to Blackheath to catch an indie film at Mount Vic Flicks. The renovated 1930s movie theatre makes for a relaxing night out and offers house-baked treats. STAY While Leura offers an array of accommodation options, the Fairmont Resort and Spa Blue Mountains is an enduring classic. The hotel's boutique rooms and suites are individually decorated for that personalised touch, while its public spaces offer sweeping views across the Jamison Valley. It's close to the Leura Cascades, Inspiration and Sublime Points, and Empress, Gordon and Wentworth Falls, so you're well situated for many of the region's best hikes and treks. Taking time to relax within the vast gardens and grounds should also be on the itinerary. The resort houses a golf club, four luxury restaurants and a lounge. The new Ubika Day Spa opens on August 13, so now's your chance to be one of the first to lie across their massage tables and be pampered with local organic iKOU products. Don't miss the resort's signature high tea, where your miniature cakes and sandos come with a pretty spectacular view. A perfect preformed weekender comes in the shape of the MGallery Memorable Moment package, which includes one night accommodation, a full buffet breakfast and a wilderness experience for two. At the heart of the getaway is a four-hour bushwalk led by a tour guide dedicated to reconnecting you with nature — an experience exclusive to the Fairmont Resort and Spa. Go to the AccorHotels website to book your stay in Leura, and to discover more of regional NSW, check out Visit NSW.
Another day, another reason to peer upwards. If it feels like the heavens are putting on a show more often than not at the moment, well, they are. On Thursday, August 11, staring upwards meant looking at the supermoon. Over Friday, August 12–Saturday, August 13, it means catching the Perseids meteor shower at its peak, too. It's been a busy few weeks, with three other meteor showers — the Southern Delta Aquariids, Alpha Capricornids and Piscis Austrinids — also peaking in late July. The entire trio are also still visible right now, in fact. Yes, if you have a telescope at hand, it's clearly a great time to put it to use. Back to the Perseids — aka the spectacular sight brightening up your Friday and Saturday night, and also sticking around until Wednesday, August 24. If you're eager to catch a glimpse, even from just your backyard or balcony, here's how. [caption id="attachment_864940" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brocken Inaglory via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] WHAT IS IT The Perseids meteor shower is actually a stream of debris called the Perseid cloud — and it's found in the orbit of the Swift–Tuttle comet. The latter was discovered in July 1862 by two separate people, spotting it independently from each other, hence the name, and then made a return appearance in 1992. The comet has a 133-year orbital period — but the Perseids are visible every year. So, from July 17–August 24, you might spot it if you are indeed peering up and towards the north. This one is generally best seen in the northern hemisphere, but that doesn't mean you can't spot it in the southern hemisphere. And, it's considered particularly impressive, with up to 100 meteors per hour. [caption id="attachment_864942" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Flannery via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] WHEN TO SEE IT The shower will reach a peak overnight between Friday, August 12–Saturday, August 13, but will still be able to be seen until Wednesday, August 24. The best time to catch an eyeful is around 5am AEST, although the end of the supermoon might affect conditions during its peak. Still, you'll be in the running to see meteors moving at about 58 kilometres per second, and shining brightly. NASA has called the Perseids "one of the most vivid annual meteor showers visible in Earth's night sky" — but also notes that this year's full moon will likely reduce the peak "to 10–20 per hour at best". [caption id="attachment_864941" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NASA/Bill Ingalls via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] HOW TO SEE IT Whenever a meteor shower lights up the sky, a trusty piece of advice applies to city-dwellers: get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the best view. If you can't venture out of town, you can still take a gander from your backyard or balcony. To help locate the shower, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Perseids. It has been updating this daily. The weather might get in the way of your viewing, though, depending on where you live. On Friday, August 12, Sydney is set for rain at times, Melbourne for a few showers, Brisbane for possible showers and Adelaide for showers. In Perth, however, sunny conditions await. Top images: NASA/Bill Ingalls via Wikimedia Commons.
Celebrated chef Matt Moran is already one of the most significant players in the Australian hospitality scene, running accomplished Sydney restaurants like Aria, Chiswick, Barangaroo House, North Bondi Fish and the always-busy House Canteen at Opera Bar, as well as Brisbane's Riverbar & Kitchen. Now, Moran is spreading his footprint beyond Australia and partnering with Marriott International to take over the kitchen at two luxury resorts in Fiji. Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay and Sheraton Fiji Golf and Beach Resort will now both boast his signature farm-to-table ethos and hearty modern cooking from March until August this year. The Tatavu Grill & Bar at the newly-refurbished Sheraton resort offers guests a luxury barefoot dining experience and the kitchen crew cooking over a multi-level open vertical grill, while Fish Bar at Marriott's Momi Bay resort serves up panoramic ocean views alongside a menu that will pull from both land and sea, experimenting with local meat and seafood paired with flavoured Fijian salt. [caption id="attachment_889838" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fish Bar[/caption] "Fiji offers an exciting canvas to create something truly special with the freshest line caught seafood and an abundance of fresh vegetables and lush tropical fruits," says Moran, who will also be hosting a pair of culinary events to celebrate the takeovers. On Tuesday, March 21, he'll be popping-up at Tatavu, before travelling to Fish Bar the night after. For both occasions, guests will enjoy a three-course dinner showcasing highlights from the new menus, hosted by the chef. [caption id="attachment_889840" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort[/caption] "I love teaching people about food and how pure, fresh ingredients, treated simply, are the basis for creating extraordinary dining experiences and I know that Marriott International Fiji aligns with this philosophy," Moran says. The takeover will run until Thursday, August 31 and is open to guests at both resorts. The one-off dinners hosted by Matt Moran are available to book for 399 Fijian dollars or around $260AUD. [caption id="attachment_889841" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tatavu Grill & Bar[/caption] Matt Moran will take over the kitchens at Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay and Sheraton Fiji Golf and Beach Resort from Thursday, March 23 until Thursday, August 31. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
When you lick a scoop of gelato, do you take a moment to let the flavour settle onto your tastebuds? Do you stop to contemplate the creaminess, and ponder how it feels on your tongue? Perhaps you spend too long thinking not only about how your dessert tastes, but how it smells — or maybe you're obsessed with how it looks, because a good ice cream is a truly glorious sight. If we've just described your usual thought processes every time you step inside a gelato joint, then you might want to throw your name in the ring for Gelatissimo's newest gig. As part of a four-hour, once-off deal, the dessert chain will pay one ice cream-loving person $500 to taste-test its newest gelato flavours. Over the past year, Gelatissimo has been responsible for frosé sorbet, ginger beer gelato and even a gelato for dogs, so you won't be tasting your way through plain ol' vanilla or the usual mint choc-chip combination (not that there's anything wrong with those two stone cold classics). Just what flavours you'll be munching on hasn't yet been revealed, but you'll play a crucial part in evaluating them. As well as being delicious, this is serious business, requiring the utmost focus on the task at hand. That means first assessing the gelato's appearance, then enjoying a couple of scoops to get a feel for the flavour and texture. Then, after cleansing your palate with water, you'll do it all over again (and then again). If you're keen, as most people with tastebuds will be, just head to Airtasker to explain why you're the ideal candidate for the job. While the competition is open nationally, the winner will be required to get themselves to Gelatissimo's Sydney office in Rydalmere on Friday, September 27. For more information, or to apply for the Gelatissimo gelato-tasting gig, visit the Airtasker listing.
Striking feats of cinema by Yorgos Lanthimos aren't scarce. Sublime performances by Emma Stone are hardly infrequent. Screen takes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein have been a constant since the birth of moving pictures. For Lanthimos, see: Dogtooth and Alps in the Greek Weird Wave filmmaker's native language, plus The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Favourite in English. With Stone, examples come in her Best Actress Oscar for La La Land, supporting nominations before and after for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Lanthimos' aforementioned regal satire (which made him a Best Director contender, too), and twin 2024 Golden Globe nods for their latest collaboration Poor Things as well as TV's The Curse. And as for the greatest gothic story there is, not to mention one of the most-influential horror and sci-fi works ever, the evidence spans traditional adaptations, plus debts owed as widely as The Rocky Horror Show and M3GAN (Blade Runner, The Fly, Re-Animator, Weird Science, Edward Scissorhands, Ex Machina, Upgrade, Little Joe and The Creator are also on the lengthy list). Combining Lanthimos, Stone and Shelley results in a rarity, however: a jewel of a pastel-, jewel- and bodily fluid-toned feminist Frankenstein-esque fairy tale that's a stunning and dazzling creation. As zapped to life with Lanthimos' inimitable flair, a mischievous air and Stone at her most extraordinary, Poor Things isn't just unique despite building on three shining successes — it's a treasure that's as audacious as it is subversive, and as breathtakingly willing to get wild as it is downright brilliant. Emotions, ideas, empowerment, twisting Shelley and Promethean myth into a pointed skewering of the societal expectations placed upon women, a committed ensemble, entrancing touches in every frame, a score that's equally jarring and jaunty, a dreamily macabre vibe, furious fearlessness: this film is alive with them all. That a tale about reviving the dead to grapple with mortality and the yearning to thwart it keeps inspiring new riffs has always been fitting, with each new storyteller undergoing that same process in their way, but this version is a lightning bolt. With cascading black hair, an inquisitive stare, incessant frankness and jolting physical mannerisms, Poor Things' star becomes Bella Baxter in this suitably weird and wondrous adaptation of Alasdair Grey's award-winning 1992 novel, as penned by Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara (The Great, and another Academy Award-nominee for The Favourite). Among the reasons that the movie and its lead portrayal are so singular: as a character with a woman's body that's been resurrected with a baby's brain, Stone plays someone from infancy to adulthood, all with the astonishingly exact mindset and mannerisms to match. Putting her comedic skills to excellent use but ensuring that Bella is never a joke, she does so while making each move, choice and feeling as organic as birth, living and death. The entire scope of Poor Things' protagonist is the kind of wish that actors mightn't realise they have because it's so remarkable. With Bella all impulses and curiosity at first, then buzzing with sexual desire and devotedly pursuing autonomy — and with a frenetic-but-stiff doll-like gait that's a marvel to watch, plus say-anything speech patterns — Stone turns the opportunity into an exquisite masterclass. The time and place when Poor Things kicks off: a fantastical steampunk vision of Victorian-era Europe. Although the film begins in colour as a woman ends her own life, Lanthimos and cinematographer Robbie Ryan (also back from The Favourite, and also with an Oscar nod to his name thanks to that flick) swiftly switch to black and white to meet what becomes of the suicidal person's body. It's due to the London-based, scar-faced Scottish doctor Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe, Asteroid City) that Bella exists; even if she didn't call him God, he's been playing it, including with household pets and other animals. His new human creature toddles around, aiding with his unorthodox surgeries and indulging whatever takes her fancy — smashing plates, smacking visitors, and enjoying new discoveries and sensations with literal childlike glee. But regardless of her father figure's intentions or wants, freedom, horniness, the quest for independence and agency, wanting to know more than the protective world he's left her in and a lust for adventure all beckon. Accordingly, while Godwin tries to marry Bella off to kind and sincere medical student Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef, Ramy), she hatches other plans. With Poor Things joining Call Me By Your Name in its carnal use of fruit, Bella discovers "working on myself to get happiness" and "furious jumping" — that'd be masturbation and fornication, with her debut experience with the latter returning the movie's hues as well — and runs off to the continent with caddish lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) instead. Lisbon, a cruise that stops in Alexandria and Paris await. So does a survey of all that living can hold for women, both for the feature's reawakened force and viewers. Lanthimos' fascination for tearing into humanity's social constructions and pretences to expose its realities gets electrified again, as does his concurrent obsession with battling such structures and systems by forming insular worlds, and the need to escape that then springs. Portugal brings hot air balloons, a bewitching all-timer of a dance scene, just some of the flick's acrobatic thrusting, an attempt to enforce civic niceties and Bella steadfastly refusing to be anything but herself. The boat ride introduces books, friendship and the first real female advice that she's received via Martha (Hanna Schygulla, who came to fame half a century back for her work with Rainer Werner Fassbinder). It also sees cynicism and the world's suffering enter her understanding courtesy of Martha's companion Harry (Jerrod Carmichael, On the Count of Three). In France, a lack of cash finds her in the employ of madam Swiney (Kathryn Hunter, Andor) and leaning into socialism with fellow sex worker Toinette (Suzy Bemba, Everything Is Well). And when the past makes a comeback, it's with bullying and misogynistic power dynamics (and with Sanctuary's Christopher Abbott in a key role). As in The Favourite, the hefty use of fish-eye lenses has it: this lavish, libidinous and happily lewd deadpan delight isn't interested in the same old view of liberation, sex, life's transience and conflicts, defying the accepted order and patriarchal control that everyone has seen before, let alone a regular coming-of-age jaunt or a by-the-book Frankenstein iteration. While it splices together nods to gothic horror nakedly, it isn't routine or a patchwork there, either. As Bella goes on a radical, rebellious, gorgeously rendered, gloriously funny and generously insightful odyssey, Poor Things doesn't sport a standard perspective on anything, in fact. As seen in the efforts of a tour-de-force Stone, her co-stars, Ryan, composer Jerskin Fendrix (a film first-timer), editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis (Lanthimos' go-to since 2005's Kinetta), production designers Shona Heath (another feature debutant) and James Price (The Nest), and costumer Holly Waddington (also The Great), it eschews sticking with the typical everywhere. Richness abounds, then. The only thing that's paltry: even clocking in at 141 madcap and magnificent minutes, that Poor Things doesn't run forever.
What has Jedi, Wookiees, a spate of deaths, and a new villain swinging around a red lightsaber and wearing a zipper-faced black mask? According to the first trailer from back in March and the new sneak peek that's just dropped for May the fourth, The Acolyte does. Star Wars, but make it a murder-mystery thriller? If that's your dream for a galaxy far, far away, it's looks like it's coming true in the sixth live-action series in the George Lucas-started sprawling saga to hit Disney+. This eight-episode effort will plunge into a grim spree — someone is killing Jedi — when it joins your streaming queue this winter, debuting its first two instalments on Tuesday, June 4. The Acolyte follows a Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game) who is forced to face a mysterious warrior (Amandla Stenberg, Bodies Bodies Bodies) from his past when bodies start piling up. Also in the stacked cast: Manny Jacinto (Nine Perfect Strangers), Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials), Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll), Jodie Turner-Smith (Sex Education) and Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Resurrections). Rebecca Henderson (You Hurt My Feelings), Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones) and Joonas Suotamo (who played Chewbacca in Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker) also co-star. It was true in the first trailer and it remains that way now: the vibe in these two first glimpses is deeply moody, leaning into the dark side and filled with confrontation. Visually, there's a gloomier look to much of the trailers as well, with creator Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) adding something distinctive to the ever-expanding space-opera franchise. Also different is the fact that The Acolyte takes place during High Republic era, which means that its events precede Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace by a century. Don't go expecting a heap of familiar faces popping up, then, whether Stenberg's assassin is attempting to slay Moss' Jedi, lightsabers are being swung, or a Wookiee or a never-bef0re-seen Sith are making an appearance. On the small screen, The Acolyte slips into the Star Wars realm after The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor and Ahsoka, all of which have arrived since 2019. Both Andor and Ahsoka also have second seasons on the way. Only one film in the saga has been released in that period, with The Rise of Skywalker closing out the third big-screen trilogy in the franchise just a month after The Mandalorian premiered. The next movie expected: The Mandalorian spinoff The Mandalorian & Grogu. Check out the new trailer for The Acolyte below: The Acolyte will stream via Disney+ from Tuesday, June 4, 2o24. Images: ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
We know what you’re thinking. This is going to be an article full of leprechauns and ‘top o’ the morning to ya’s and embarrassing attempts to coerce you into kissing us under the pretence that we’re Irish. Well, you’re wrong. St Patrick’s Day may be around the corner but that doesn’t mean we have to celebrate in the style of so many supposed descendants of the Emerald Isle (if you’re pale and your great-great-great grandfather may have passed through Dublin in the1800s, that’s an excuse to wear a silly hat and drink green cocktails, right?). This year, we say commemorate the world’s favourite snake chaser in a way that would make your mammy proud. Brisbane is teeming with Paddy’s Day celebrations, and we promise none of them involve pretending you actually like Guinness. Irish Breakfast Irish cuisine isn’t all about potatoes and soda bread, y’know. Queen Street cafe, Room With Roses is busting the carbs-on-carbs stereotype this St. Patrick’s Day with its $37 dinner special. Choose from Rib Fillet with Irish whisky cream or homemade corned beef and finish off with a slice of Bailey’s cheesecake. Treacle Cafe is also going green with a two-course lunch and beer deal over the Paddy’s Day weekend and if you’re suffering from your own personal potato famine, O’Connor’s in Windsor can always be relied on for a generous portion of hot chips. They import their cod and haddock all the way from the North Atlantic for that special Celtic taste. Paint The Town Green Where true blue and emerald green merge, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the centrepiece of Brisbane’s Irish Festival, which runs until March 17. The floats start their round at 10.30am on Saturday, March 15 on the corner of George and Elizabeth streets and move throughout the city. This year is extra special as the Parade celebrates its 25th year so don’t forget to sport your best shamrock-hued outfit. Cheers! If you have an unstoppable urge to dress up as a leprechaun and inflict your painful Irish impression of an Irish accent on unsuspecting victims, who are we to stop you? The city’s favourite Irish pub, Mick O’Malley’s is open from 10am on Saturday, March 15 to coincide with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and promises a ‘full day of good Craic until the wee hours of the morning’. For us non-Gaelic folk, that roughly translates as live performances from Queensland Irish Association Pipes and Drums and Brisbane Irish band Murphy’s Pigs and plenty of good ol’ merriment. Irish Murphy’s goes one better with its week-long St. Patrick’s Day Festival. Running up until the day itself, the George St bar hosts a series of live music performances and a ‘Craic’n Paddy’s Eve Party’ as well as the obligatory pints of Guinness. The Fox is also celebrating St. Paddy with a themed Soho Sunday night featuring the rather worryingly sounding green beer and performances from Slow Lovers and Brisbane DJ Gatling Gun.
The usually sparse, concrete surrounds of Port Melbourne's Fisherman's Wharf precinct have been given a dramatic facelift, jazzed up with the help of a huge, record-breaking artwork. Gracing the ground of the waterfront stretch, you'll now find a sprawling mural by Melbourne-based large-scale artist Kitt Bennett. And, not only is the 9000-square-metre design the largest mural in the southern hemisphere, but it's also nabbed the title of the world's largest independently produced work of animated 'gif-iti' — a term referring to gif-style graffiti or street art which is viewed online, as coined by UK artist ISNA. Called Revolution, the giant artwork was crafted using satellite technology and over 700 litres of paint, taking Bennett a whole 30 days to complete. Designed to be viewed from above, it features a row of ten individual 30-metre-long figures each in different poses which, when seen together, form separate frames in an animated sequence. A team of animators and designers have also optimised it for audiences, creating a fluid, gif-style animation that audiences will be able to view online. This new piece was born of a collaboration with local street art collective and street art collective and creative agency Juddy Roller, who you might know from teeing up Adnate's Collingwood public housing block mural last year, as well as regional Victoria's famed art silo trail. The Port Melbourne work has stolen the ultimate bragging rights from Perth's new Adnate hotel, which was previously home to the southern hemisphere's largest (and still its tallest) mural. That mural reaches 27 storeys in height, while Revolution covers the equivalent of 90 floors worth of ground space. A short film documenting the whole Port Melbourne mural process has also been created, and will be on show at an exhibition at Juddy Roller next month. It's designed to be seen from an aerial perspective, but Revolution is now gracing the ground at Port Melbourne's Fisherman's Wharf. For further information about Juddy Roller, visit its website. Top image: Nicole Reed.
For the first time in Australia, music festival attendees will be able to check their illicit substances for dangerous ingredients, with pill testing set to take place at this weekend's Groovin the Moo in Canberra. The ACT Government has approved the trial as a harm reduction strategy, aiming to minimise overdoses and other adverse effects resulting from party drugs. It comes six months after a previous attempt to implement pill testing was scrapped — with approval given for the city's Spilt Milk festival last year, only for organisers to pull out before the event. At Groovin the Moo's Canberra leg on April 29, a mobile laboratory will be set up at the fest's University of Canberra site. Run by the Safety and Testing and Advisory Service at Festivals and Events (STA-SAFE) — a consortium of non-government organisations lead by Harm Reduction Australia — it'll be manned by volunteer medical staff and analytical chemists, who'll test small samples of each pill, interpret the results and give festival-goers the details. Advice and counselling about the risks involved in consuming the substances will also be given, and folks will have the option of disposing of their pills in a bleach-filled amnesty bin. Anyone using the service will remain anonymous, the ABC reports, but data will be collected about the number of patrons attending the service, how many tests are conducted, how many people discard their drugs and the chemical content detected in each sample, all to help shape any future pill-testing operations. Drug checking has been used overseas since the '90s, and is currently available in around 20 countries across Europe, the Americas and New Zealand, but remains a controversial topic in Australia. Calls for Groovin the Moo to offer pill testing have been circulating for the past two years, after a 15-year-old collapsed from an overdose at the fest's Maitland event in 2016. Image: Jack Toohey.
Sydney might already be home to the Australian Centre for Photography, but there's room in this massive country of ours for more than one institution dedicated to excellent snaps. Soon, Ballarat will welcome another — with the regional Victorian town named as the site of Australia's new National Centre for Photography. Every two years, Ballarat plays host to the Ballarat International Foto Biennale, so it already has a strong interest in the art form. Indeed, the fact that the town already has a big photography festival is one of the reasons that the National Centre for Photography will also set up shop there. As announced on Tuesday, November 17, the new facility is supported by a $6.7 million investment from the Victorian Government as part of the state's 2020–21 budget. An opening date hasn't yet been revealed, but the centre will sit on Lydiard Street, in the 1860s heritage-listed Union Bank building owned by the Foto Biennale. That'll place it alongside the Ballarat Art Gallery and the Post Office Gallery, so folks will have plenty to look at in the one area. Inside, the site will include gallery spaces that'll host major temporary exhibitions, as well as a dedicated photobook library and storage for the Foto Biennale's permanent collection of images. Community artists will also be able to show their work, and the centre will run an artist-in-residence program. It'll also feature public and education classes in its workshop spaces, too, and a professional dark room. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BIFB | Ballarat Foto (@ballaratfoto) The aim is to attract visitors to the town — and local, domestic and international artists — and to enable year-round photography exhibitions at the centre. The Victorian Government did just announce a $200 voucher scheme to encourage folks to holiday throughout the state, after all, with increasing regional tourism clearly a big post-lockdown focus. The new National Centre for Photography will be located on Lydiard Street, Ballarat, opening at a yet-to-be-revealed date — we'll keep you updated with further details as they're announced.
When Australia's annual Spanish Film Festival returns this year, it'll offer cinephiles a two-for-one affair. Fancy seeing the latest and greatest movies from the European country? Keen to watch fresh flicks from Spanish-speaking Latin America too? They're both on the lineup. While Latin American cinema has received its own dedicated Aussie fest over the past three years, in 2019 the Cine Latino Film Festival will form part of the Spanish Film Festival. In short: this year's April–May fest presents the best of both worlds across a 32-title program that'll tour the country. It all gets started with the Aussie premiere of applauded and acclaimed Spanish comedy Champions, which picked up this year's Goya award for best film, as well as the best new actor prize for star Jesús Vidal. The feel-good flick follows an amateur Spanish basketball team comprised of players with mental disabilities and an arrogant coach who's sentenced to community service to help them bounce their way to glory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo_PDXou77c At the other end of the event is a bona fide classic: Pedro Almodóvar's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. While the festival sadly hasn't snagged the Spanish director's latest, the Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz-starring Pain and Glory, it will close out the 2019 lineup with this 1988 black comedy — one of the movies that first helped bring Banderas to fame. Other program highlights include action-packed bank robbery drama 70 Big Ones, moody thriller The Uncovering, doppelgänger effort Ana by Day, character-driven melodrama Petra, and comedy Super Crazy, which focuses on a woman who suddenly can't stop speaking her mind. If you've ever wanted to know all there is to know about olive oil, there's also a documentary on the topic: Virgin & Extra: Jaén, The Land of the Olive Oil. And from the Cine Latino contingent, Argentinian title Royo delves into corruption before the country's mid-70s coup, while Tremors explores a Guatemalan family's secrets. The Projectionist also road trips through the Dominican Republic and comedy Looking for a Boyfriend... For My Wife reunites the cast of Chile's version of Married with Children. Across its full slate, the Spanish Film Festival also showcases 11 titles by female filmmakers, ranging from established talents to up-and-comers. Watch out for romance Carmen & Lola, which has proven a hit on the queer circuit; star-studded comedy-thriller Crime Wave, which stars Maribel Verdú, Javier Cámara and Luis Tosar; and the 1982-set The Good Girls, which follows the wives of wealthy Mexican men. The Spanish Film Festival tours Australia from April 16, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Palace Central from April 16 to May 8; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Balwyn, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from April 18 to May 8; Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace James Street from April 24 to May 15; and Perth's Palace Cinema Paradiso from April 24 to May 15. For more information, visit the festival website
The Swiss are renowed for their time-keeping abilities and reliable public transport systems, but they do not exactly have a reputation for unmitigated creativity and artistic pursuits. Ironically, Ursus Wehrli's work may encourage us to rethink our perceptions of Swiss creativity whilst doing little to challenge the stereotype that the Swiss are all a bunch of neat freaks. Artist and comedian Ursus Wehrli first came to attention with his book Tidying Up Art, a collection of his work where he cleverly reinterpreted classics by Van Gogh, Chagall and Seurat by, well, tidying them up. He is back again and up to his old ordering tricks, except this time he's stopped tidying up the art, and has started tidying up everything else. In his latest book, The Art of Clean Up, Wehril reassembles the chaos of everyday life — children's beach toys are lined up into categories in a sand pit, cars are lined up according to their colours in a parking lot and the stars are lined up in the sky. These images are also accompanied by a series of short films that document the painstaking organisation that took place in order for Wehrli's images to be created, providing clever examples of the asethetic appeal of order (and also a reminder of how lovely a little bit of choas is as well). https://youtube.com/watch?v=l200LN39dv4 [Via PSFK]
They say sex sells, but according to Sony Pictures, death is where the real money's at. Sony has just forked out a hefty sum rumoured in the multimillions for the feature rights to the unpublished biography, Steve Jobs. The release date of the biography, penned by Time Magazine editor Walter Isaacson, has been bumped forward following Job's death, and is now set to hit stands on October 24. The biography's flirtation with Amazon's bestseller list before Isaacson had even finished writing offers an unwarranted indication of the hype that is guaranteed to surround the film adaptation. Steve Job's story is about as inspirational as it gets; the quest of one man with a dream, who transformed his garage start-up into a billion dollar company that revolutionised modern life, all the while battling his own personal demons. And as if the story wasn't sufficiently romantic, then comes Job's tragic untimely death. Sony's expenditure in acquiring the rights will easily be accounted for in the money it saves on marketing. With the hugely successful The Social Network under its belt, another business book-turned-feature by Sony Pictures, Steve Job's story is in good hands. Isaacson wrote the bestselling biographies of Albert Einstein, Henry Kissinger and Benjamin Franklin, and was given complete access to Jobs. Mark Gordon, the man behind Saving Private Ryan and Source Code, will produce the film version for Sony. Let's just hope they stick with the book's revised title; the original 'iSteve' sounds more like a cheesy comedy than an epic tale of a modern day visionary. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Hd_ptbiPoXM
"Will there be kangaroos?" That's Liv's (Jessica Henwick, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) main question when she's offered a job in the Australian outback with her best friend Hanna (Julia Garner, Ozark). They're Americans backpacking Down Under, they've run out of cash and, yes, they make the stereotypical query about heading to a mining town for a live-in gig at a pub. After the pair make their temporary move, parched landscape as far as the eye can see awaits, plus drinking goon and serving copious amounts of brews to the locale's mostly male population. That's the tale that The Royal Hotel tells — and, if you've seen documentary Hotel Coolgardie, which inspired this thriller, you'll know that Liv and Hanna aren't in for a blissful time. In the just-dropped trailer for The Royal Hotel, weathering the blazing heat is nothing compared to dealing with the bar's men. Among their new acquaintances is a host of of familiar Aussie faces, including Hugo Weaving (Love Me) as the watering hole's owner, plus Ursula Yovich (Irreverent), Toby Wallace (Babyteeth), Daniel Henshall (Mystery Road: Origin) and James Frecheville (The Dry). The storyline, the real-life basis, the cast, the fact that this is the latest film from Australian director Kitty Green: thanks to all of the above, The Royal Hotel should already be high on your must-see list. The trailer only amplifies that anticipation, with the filmmaker in tense and unsettling mode as she explores gender dynamics and Australia's drinking culture. This is the Casting JonBenet helmer's second movie in a row with Garner, her current go-to star. Both turned in a stunner in with The Assistant — another picture about power imbalances, the everyday threats that loom over women and problematic workplaces. Green's second fictional feature and fourth full-length effort overall, The Royal Hotel premiered at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival on the way to making its Aussie debut at SXSW Sydney in October. How do you open the first-ever SXSW Screen Festival Down Under (and outside of Austin)? With this homegrown effort. Next stop after that: launching the 2023 Adelaide Film Festival just days later. The Royal Hotel doesn't yet have a general release date, but expect it in cinemas afterwards. Check out the trailer for The Royal Hotel below: The Royal Hotel will open 2023's SXSW Sydney on Sunday, October 15 and Adelaide Film Festival on Wednesday October 18, but doesn't yet have a release date Down Under otherwise. Images: Neon / See-Saw Films. If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
The lucky country is at the top of global travel plans for British holidaygoers, according to a recent survey by TravelBag. Specifically, Australia ranks as the third most appealing destination on Earth, beaten only by Canada and Japan. The survey details that almost half (46 percent, to be precise) of Brits are aching for their next overseas adventure — unsurprisingly, Japan takes the top spot. Plenty of Australians also want to go there or have already gone. But Australia sits well within the top three, with 30 percent of survey respondents ranking it as their most sought-after holiday destination. There's no surprise there, considering our world-famous beaches, natural scenery and busy urban atmospheres. There's a bit of everything for everyone, visitor and resident alike in Australia. For active travel planners, Australia came in second place. Gen X travellers are most drawn to Australia, but its Millennials who are actually making the plans, 9.6 percent of them specifically. Classically, most of those trips are aimed for the dreary UK winter and red-hot Australian summer period of December to February, a season that we who live here know is where everything really comes alive. Take the beaches. Bondi is likely first in mind for many of these tourists-to-be, but there's plenty more great ones to discover all over the Harbour City, and the rest of the country for that matter. When the heat becomes too much to bear, travellers are likely to head indoors, and the majority of them (26.7 percent) intend to add shopping to their itinerary. Otherwise, ancient ruins and local history draw 21.4 percent of tourists, and road trips make up 21.5 percent of itineraries, too. It's time to start planning a summer adventure, so have a tour of our guides for NSW, VIC and QLD to find the experiences that are right for you.
There's something uniquely satisfying about successfully growing your own produce. Keeping a living thing alive for a prolonged period of time? Achievement! Keeping a living thing alive that, in turn, helps keep you alive? Well, that's circularity at its peak. For a novice green thumb, kicking off a gardening endeavour can be intimidating. As with any living thing, the responsibility of nurturing and growing it can unleash your neuroses — particularly if you've ever been defeated by a pot of cursed basil. Luckily, Lee Sullivan is here to help. Sullivan is the green thumb behind Urban Veggie Patch — an ever-blooming Instagram blog where she documents her incredibly bountiful garden. And while the size of her carrot harvest suggests a lifetime of gardening nous (or the fictional effects of gamma radiation), it's been less than six years that she's been planting and eating homegrown organic produce. "I started gardening shortly after the birth of my first child," Sullivan told Concrete Playground. "I became very interested in health and sustainability and, after some research, decided that the best way to live a more sustainable life, to truly know what was on the food we were eating and where it was grown, was to grow it in our own backyard. So we set up a garden." "At the same time, I was experiencing mild postnatal depression and, unexpectedly, growing and gardening helped me to heal from that. Growing my own food has been a truly beautiful journey for me and has become one of my greatest passions... It's also incredibly beneficial to my mental health and I love that it has created a space for me to relax and recharge." Sullivan shared with us some of her top gardening tips for anyone looking to grow their own fruits, veggies and edible plants, as part of our partnership with VegKit. So ready your patch of earth and prepare to get your hands dirty — while you get your mind clear. [caption id="attachment_840173" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jonathan Hanna (Unsplash)[/caption] PLACEMENT IS CRUCIAL "Placement is one of the crucial elements that you need to get right if you want to have a thriving garden. Your vegetables need SUN! When deciding on the location of your garden you want to pick somewhere that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. Basically, find the sunniest spot in your yard and put your vegetable garden there. The more sun your vegetables can get the better." [caption id="attachment_840175" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Markus Spiske (Unsplash)[/caption] START SMALL "A big mistake people make when starting their own vegetable garden is biting off more than they can chew. At the beginning, your garden needs to be small and manageable. Statistics show that many people who attempt to grow their own food give up because of failure [editor's note: that cursed basil!], so you want to do everything you can to ensure your own success! But also remember that failure is just an opportunity to learn and do things differently next time! So, when planning your garden, don't go overboard with the size. By all means create it so that you can keep adding to it, but start small." "I started my garden with five 90-centimetre x 60-centimetre raised garden beds. When I realised how much I loved growing my own food I added eight more. In my opinion, a garden bed that is five-metres x three-metres is ideal and will easily allow you to grow enough vegetables for your family while keeping things at a manageable level." [caption id="attachment_840184" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Artem Podrez (Pexels)[/caption] APARTMENT LIVING? ADAPT ACCORDINGLY. "If you are limited with space there are still lots of things you can grow and lots of ways to increase your growing potential. When we started our first garden, we were living in a townhouse with a 40-square-metre cement courtyard, so I definitely know what it's like to not have a huge amount of space. I can confidently say that you can grow something no matter how much space you have." "Pots on a balcony or windowsill are an excellent option for people who don't have a yard. Herbs and micro herbs will do particularly well in a sunny indoor spot. If you have a small garden, vertical gardens, trellises or arches are also great as they can help to add more growing area by growing up rather than out." PLANT SEASONALLY AND GROW WHAT YOU LOVE TO EAT "Choosing productive plants that are easy to grow is a great option for first-time gardeners. It is also important to be aware of growing seasons and what grows well in your climate at any given point in time. It may seem obvious, but plant what you eat. Think about the things you buy most at the supermarket and plant those. Growing what your family loves to eat is an excellent place to start." [caption id="attachment_840186" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sandie Clarke (Unsplash)[/caption] SOIL QUALITY MAKES A DIFFERENCE "The soil you use in your garden beds will have a direct effect on whether your vegetables thrive. It can be tempting to go and buy cheap bags of soil to save money but please don't. Buying good quality soil full of organic matter is an investment into the future of your garden." [caption id="attachment_840209" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Karolina Grabowska (Pexels)[/caption] ENJOY THE JOURNEY AND DON'T LET FAILURE DISCOURAGE YOU "One thing I can guarantee is that you will fail — we all do. Failure in gardening is a huge part of the learning process so don't be discouraged when something doesn't work. Look at it as one step closer to mastering that particular vegetable. I still have vegetables [that] I struggle to get results on years down the track. Gardening is a lifelong journey of discovery and should be enjoyed! Spend time just being in your garden, enjoying nature and appreciating the little things." If you're a major plant enthusiast, find out what some top Australian chefs love about plant-based eating or try our picks of the best date spots with plant-based menus in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. To discover even more plant-based dining and recipe inspiration, head to the VegKit website. Top image provided by Lee Sullivan.
Society has drilled it into our heads that it's unethical to capitalise on the youthful vitality of small, underprivileged children, but Soccket might make you see things differently. A small company called Unchartered Play has developed a soccer ball that doubles as a portable generator, providing both fun and power to those who play with it. The Soccket uses Unchartered Play's patent-pending technology to capture the kinetic energy generated by a game of soccer, storing it in the ball for later use as an off-grid power source. Powering an LED lamp requires 30 minutes of play. The immediate advantages are threefold: Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, one in five people around the globe are without power, and most kids think soccer is fun — particularly kids who have never heard of Angry Birds and who are often denied the opportunity to be kids due to more pressing issues such as survival. It is hoped to bring particular relief to developing countries reliant on kerosene lamps, which can lead to severe health problems and are responsible for huge amounts of carbon dioxide emissions. The ball is currently produced very labour intensively in North America, but Unchartered Play have launched a Kickstarter campaign to take things to the next level. $75,000 will help Unchartered Play (a team of just eight people) bring on board more employees, purchase more tools and equipment, automate parts of the assembly process, and up their output of Soccket Balls from a few hundred to thousands per week. They've almost reached half of their goal with 24 days to go. $1 is the minimum, but pledging $89 or more will get you one standard Soccket Ball and lamp if the campaign is successful. You've then got the option of keeping it for a sweet-as camping gadget or, you know, giving it up to a child in need. Via Inhabitat.com.
If you like eating breakfast, brunch and lunch in leafy surroundings, then you're probably fond of parkside and al fresco dining. Step inside James Street's newest addition, however, and you'll still be be greeted by plants aplenty. You can browse through and buy some before or after your meal, too, now that nursery pop-up The Green has set up permanent digs — and also combined it with a Middle Eastern eatery. After selling potted greenery further along the busy Fortitude Valley street, and earning a following in the process, The Green has nestled into its long-term home in the same vicinity. You'll find it in a space that's been designed by Channon Architects to resemble an urban oasis, and boasts timber, raw concrete, marble and red-hued interiors by Borhan Ghorfran. You'll also spy cascading plants both indoors and in its outdoor dining pavilion and garden room. Offering a curated, design-driven range of plants and homewares, The Green stocks everything from eye-catching leafiness to items made by Relik Designs, by local artist Luke Mansini — if you're looking for something green for your home, and something to put it in. Handmade Japanese ceramics also sit on the shelves, and the store will soon feature its own flower bar. Need some advice? You can also pick up tips and information on plant styling and landscape design options, and get design consultations. When it comes to food, owners Christina Habchi and Angela Sclavos — the latter of whom is also behind fellow Valley diner Essa — turn daytime dining up a few notches, combining fine-diner cooking techniques with Middle Eastern dishes. Plus, it also does takeaway and catering. And if you're wondering how The Green came about, it was originally sparked by Habchi and Sclavos' aim to give the area a great place to buy plants — and somewhere that paired them with coffee, too.
Ever been on a bushwalk or beach stroll and and wondered if you can eat that shrub or flower? Maybe it was a pepperberry or some type of edible beach succulent — but who really knows. Well, now you can now go foraging for wild food more easily than ever, thanks to a new app developed by René Redzepi, chef and co-owner of Noma. He made the announcement yesterday at World's 50 Restaurants 15th anniversary talks event in Barcelona. The app, which is called VILD MAD (meaning 'wild food' in Danish), shows you what edibles are nearby according to landscape. There are also instructions (in both Danish and English) on how to eat and cook them, including a few recipes. Plus, you can record your foraging adventures and keep notes on what you find. Redzepi is perhaps the most famous champion of native foods, and, as well as cooking with them at his Copenhagen restaurant, he made the most of Australia's native ingredients when Noma popped up in Sydney in 2016. "Knowing your ABCs in nature, the flora and the fauna, the patterns in the landscape, and the rhythms in the seasons is as important, we believe, as learning math, learning to read, learning to write — especially today when people think cacao milk comes from brown cows," Redzepi said at the 50 Best Talk, as reported by Eater. The app is just one part of a bigger initiative led by the Danish chef. Along with lots of useful resources on his MAD website, Redzepi is also leading some serious foraging education opportunities, including workshops to be delivered all over Denmark by park rangers and a curriculum for Danish school kids. His aim? To get people to pick food from nature like they do from supermarket shelves. While a lot of the content is specific to Denmark, anyone can download VILD MAD for free at the App Store or Google Play and identify some ingredients. While we'd love an Australian and New Zealand app like this to be developed, in the meantime, you can get acquainted with Australian native foods and which restaurants use them over here. Via Eater.
Ending the year as you mean to go on is the ultimate New Year's Eve mantra, and it seems that Australia's weather has taken the sentiment to heart. After the country clocked up its third-warmest year on record in 2018, it kicked off 2019 with toasty spells in both Sydney and Melbourne — and another country-wide spate of hot, hot heat is on its way. It is summer, of course; however the next run of warm weather will see the nation affected by a heatwave from Monday, January 14. According to AAP and The Guardian, every state and territory will feel the heat. The mercury will hit the 30s in every capital city, although the impact will differ around the country. And again, while sunny, sweaty days are part and parcel of this time of year, each capital will experience temps above its average maximum for January. The Bureau of Meteorology predicts that Sydneysiders can expect at least a five-day stretch of 30-plus temperatures from Tuesday, while Brisbanites will swelter through the same temps for the whole week. In Melbourne, a maximum of 37 degrees is forecast on Monday, followed by 35 on Tuesday, before easing off down to 21 on Saturday. https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1084218154782478337 In what's proving to be a particularly hot start to 2019 in South Australia, Adelaide will reach 41 degrees on Tuesday and 40 on Wednesday — part of a southern spike that'll also see Hobart make it to 30 degrees on Tuesday and Canberra endure a four-day span of temperatures between 38–40 degrees. Perth will bake on Saturday, when a 37-degree day is expected, while Darwin will stay above 30 all week. Wherever you're spending the next seven days, air-conditioning, pools and the beach are your friends.
It's all well and good to poke fun at what's wrong with Melbourne. Its shitty weather, the lack of beaches and the fact that no one thinks it's a priority to have a rail link to the airport (sorry about that one). You will have to bring an umbrella, pack a jacket as well as well as your sunglasses and ride an expensive bus into the city, but you will not be disappointed. Melbourne is so much more than bad weather, and once you get past the trams and laneways, you'll see a side to the city that isn’t — and can't possibly be — translated through tourism ads. Because perfect weather is overrated anyway, maybe I can coax you away from your golden circle for a trip down south. Once you work out the transport system, the city's grid is easy to navigate and you can work your way northside to southside, east to west. To ensure you won’t waste time sipping bad coffee in sleepy suburbs, let this guide be your compass. Explore all the diverse pockets of the city, from Brunswick to Balaclava and back again. CITY: CBD, Docklands, Southbank Devoid of any notable landmarks, the CBD is subtle and charming. Little Bourke Street houses a cluster of serious coffee — get a takeaway from Patricia (standing room only) or walk a few blocks up to Brother Baba Budan and Manchester Press. Keep going and you'll hit Chinatown, where Shanghai Village is where you gotta go for copious amounts of dumplings (it's also BYO). If you want fine dining (or just clean cutlery), join the queue at Chin Chin or order tapas at the newly-reopened Bomba. Some of the city's best breakfasts can be found at Cumulus Inc. and The Grain Store, and for sweet treats your ice cream go-to is Spring Street Grocer and the signature salted caramel crepe from Creperie Le Triskel. See what exhibition is showing at the Ian Potter Centre, and make sure you head out to Southbank to check out open-air arts space and bar, Testing Grounds. We're all about the rooftop bars, with some of the best being at Rooftop Bar in Curtin House and Goldilocks, which is a smaller, cosier alternative. Weather permitting, the Queen Victoria Night Market is always busting during summer, and literally no one can turn down a drink under a bridge right on the Yarra at Ponyfish Island when the weather's warm. Go to: Flinders Lane, Little Bourke Street (Chinatown), Cathedral Arcade See: Ian Potter Centre, Queen Victoria Market, Testing Grounds Eat: Shanghai Village, Chin Chin, Bomba, The Grain Store, Cumulus Inc., Spring St Grocer, Creperie Le Triskel Coffee: Manchester Press, Brother Baba Budan, Patricia Something Stronger: Goldilocks, Ponyfish Island, Shebeen, Rooftop Bar, Trunk, Mesa Verde NORTH: Fitzroy, Collingwood, Carlton, North Melbourne, Abbotsford Just a quick tram ride out of the CBD and you'll hit the inner north. Aside from the bearded men and creative not-so-sub culture, this pocket of the city is also known for its high-grade cafes, pop up food vans and ridiculously successful restaurants. Lately, the only place you want to open a restaurant is Smith Street, Fitzroy — where you can slurp noodles at Shop Ramen, down a famous Huxtaburger or get to Rockwell and Sons for Fried Chicken Wednesdays. Further over on Brunswick Street you'll find the cult of Vegie Bar, and be sure to make a trip to De Clieu or Everday Coffee for a killer brew. Over in North Melbourne, Auction Rooms has unanimously been voted Melbourne's best brunch and Beatrix's cakes are worth travelling for. Get one of the best views of the city from Naked in the Sky, sip the city's best cocktails at the Everleigh or make a night of it with live music at Brunswick's Howler. On a weekend, grab a coffee and stroll around the Rose Street Artists' Market or, if it's hot, join the rest of the northsiders heading to Edinburgh Gardens for a picnic and beers. Don't miss a visit to Abbotsford Convent and their Shadow Electric Cinema on summer nights. Go to: Smith Street, Brunswick Street, Gertrude Street, Sydney Road See: Edinburgh Gardens, Abbotsford Convent, Rose Street Artists Market, Juddy Roller Eat: Auction Rooms, Beatrix, Huxtaburger, Neighbourhood Wine, Rockwell & Sons, Vegie Bar, Shop Ramen Coffee: Everyday Coffee, Storm in a Teacup, De Clieu, Cafe Rosamond Something Stronger: Naked In The Sky, The Everleigh, Rum Diary, Howler SOUTH: South Melbourne, St. Kilda, Balaclava Crossing south of the river is a whole different ball game. Here, palm trees replace terrace houses and the asphalt horizon becomes the sea — yes, the sea. Get the best view of the bay from Captain Baxter's lush rooftop at St. Kilda Sea Baths or over a more casual burger at NSHRY up at Albert Park. Head up to Balaclava's Carlisle Street for some rooftop pho and rice paper rolls at Uncle, tacos at Si Senor or a drink at The Local Taphouse. Tucked behind a Coles carpark you'll also find Monk Bodhi Dharma serving their own roast and sustainable vegetarian and vegan fare. Also a must-visit is Melbourne institution St Ali and the South Melbourne Market, where you have to line up for a South Melbourne dim sim and fresh Turkish gozleme from Koy. Go to: Coventry Street, Carlisle Street See: South Melbourne Market, St. Kilda Sea Baths Eat: Uncle, Koy, NSHRY, Si Senor, Hannah Coffee: Monk Bodhi Dharma, Giddiup, St. Ali, Clement Something Stronger: Newmarket Hotel, Captain Baxter, The Local Taphouse EAST: Richmond, South Yarra, Windsor, Prahran Leafy and tailored, the east is the ying to the north's yang — and Chapel Street is the vein that pumps blood its suburbs. From South Yarra's boutiques to the Windsor-end bars, you can go Vietnamese at Saigon Sally, Mexican at Fonda or Japanese at Mr. Miyagi. Drink impeccable cocktails at The Woods of Windsor or something with house-infused bacon vodka at Sweetwater Inn. Richmond links the inner north with the east, and Church Street is home to top brunch at Top Paddock and I Love Pho on Victoria Street is the closest you'll get to Vietnam without crossing borders. And, disappear from the city with a stroll in the Royal Botanic Gardens or in the gardens at Como House, where you'll also be able to have a very lovely Devonshire tea at The Stables. Go to: Chapel Street, Victoria Street, Swan Street, Greville Street, Church Street See: Royal Botanic Gardens, Como House Eat: I Love Pho, Fonda, Saigon Sally, Touchwood, The Stables, Meatmother, Mr. Miyagi, Top Paddock Coffee: Little Big Sugar Salt, Pillar of Salt, Dukes Coffee Roasters Something Stronger: The Woods of Windsor, Sweetwater Inn, Borsch, Vodka & Tears WEST: Kensington, Footscray, Flemington Traditionally the west isn't a destination for tourists or even for locals who reside on the opposing side of the city. While it isn't renowned for fine dining and sleek bars, the west is rich in culture and has managed to maintain a sense of local community. Take the train out just two stops to Footscray, where you can lose yourself in the multilingual chatterings and exotic ingredients at Footscray Market. Between Footscray and neighbouring Seddon, you'll find some of the best (and cheapest) African food, as well as well-known cafes such as Common Galaxia and West 48. Also easily accessible by train is one of Melbourne's best-kept brunch secrets, The Premises, and the best laksa in town at Laksa King. It's a side to the city not usually seen, but the burgeoning food and arts scene is sure to put the west on the map. As the locals say, the westside is the bestside. Go to: Macaulay Road, Victoria Street (Seddon) See: Footscray Market, Footscray Community Arts Centre Eat: The Premises, Laksa King, West 48, African Taste, Union Food & Wine Coffee: The Rusty Fox, Guerilla Espresso, Common Galaxia Something Stronger: White Rabbit Records Other helpful hints You will have to buy a myki card to use public transport — they cost $3 and you load up money on it. More information here. Download the PTV Journey Planner app (super useful). Look at CP Melbourne’s bar and restaurant directory for more eating and drinking. Images thanks to Farbenfrohe Wunderwelt, Manchester Press, Nicolas Boullosa, NSHRY, Fernando de Sousa & Shantanu Starick from Pixel Trade
There's a reason that veteran British filmmaker Ken Loach likes to shoot his characters from afar, and frame his socially minded features in a way that makes audiences think they're peering at reality. The director behind the likes of Kes, My Name is Joe and The Angels' Share might've spent his five-decade career largely telling fictional tales, but there's nothing more interesting to him than getting to the truth. That's why, in this year's Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner I, Daniel Blake, viewers spend much of the movie watching the eponymous figure (Dave Johns) navigate his surroundings. Dan spends his days chatting with his neighbour, seeking assistance from the local welfare office, and helping a single mother, Katie (Hayley Squires), as she struggles to get by. And yet, through Loach's lens, this everyman's ordinary life couldn't be more revealing. Working with American Honey cinematographer Robbie Ryan, Loach observes things from a distance. At the same time, in collaborating once again with screenwriter Paul Laverty, he rifles through intimate details. As such, the film pulls off an illuminating and empathetic balancing act, exploring the minutiae of Dan's quest to receive financial support after having a serious heart attack on a building site, while placing his plight in the context of an uncaring system seemingly designed to punish rather than aid those in need. Accordingly, I, Daniel Blake starts with a scene that evokes both horror and humour, the two emotions that underscore every part of the film. The screen remains black as the opening credits roll and Dan answers questions from a woman about the state of his health. They're standard questions, read straight from a form, that ignore his individual circumstances and are clearly designed to deem him fit for work, despite his doctors' advice to the contrary. Dan gets frustrated and angry, and eventually starts joking around when it's clear that nothing else will work. By the time Loach pairs the sounds of their conversation with the corresponding imagery, the absurdity and the injustice of the situation is already clear. Whether they're charting Dan's conversations with unhelpful government employees, or chronicling Katie's efforts to start a new life for her kids, there's no doubting where the sympathies of Loach and Laverty reside. There's also no avoiding the passion and fury that drives I, Daniel Blake, or its attempts at shining a light where it's needed most. This isn't just a feature about the specific characters at its centre and the many others they represent. It's also a movie filled with small acts of kindness and amusing human antics that rally against the pervading culture of institutionalised cruelty and austerity. As always, Loach favours stark naturalism — in both the bleakly lit Newcastle offices and homes that provide the film its backdrop, and in the organic performances offered by his cast. It's an aesthetic choice that helps heighten the sense of despair, while also ensuring that every fleeting moment of on-screen happiness feels earned. As portrayed with grim pain, wavering determination and an intermittent sense of levity by Johns and Squires, this is ultimately a film about people; whether they're beaten down by bureaucracy, making the most of what they've got, or doing whatever it takes to claw their way back up again.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. NO TIME TO DIE James Bond might famously prefer his martinis shaken, not stirred, but No Time to Die doesn't quite take that advice. While the enterprising spy hasn't changed his drink order, the latest film he's in — the 25th official feature in the franchise across six decades, and the fifth and last that'll star Daniel Craig — gives its regular ingredients both a mix and a jiggle. The action is dazzlingly choreographed, a menacing criminal has an evil scheme and the world is in peril, naturally. Still, there's more weight in Craig's performance, more emotion all round, and a greater willingness to contemplate the stakes and repercussions that come with Bond's globe-trotting, bed-hopping, villain-dispensing existence. There's also an eagerness to shake up parts of the character and Bond template that rarely get a nudge. Together, even following a 19-month pandemic delay, it all makes for a satisfying blockbuster cocktail. For Craig, the actor who first gave Bond a 21st-century flavour back in 2006's Casino Royale (something Pierce Brosnan couldn't manage in 2002's Die Another Day), No Time to Die also provides a fulfilling swansong. That wasn't assured; as much as he's made the tuxedo, gadgets and espionage intrigue his own, the Knives Out and Logan Lucky actor's tenure has charted a seesawing trajectory. His first stint in the role was stellar and franchise-redefining, but 2008's Quantum of Solace made it look like a one-off. Then Skyfall triumphed spectacularly in 2012, before Spectre proved all too standard in 2015. Ups and downs have long been part of this franchise, depending on who's in the suit, who's behind the lens, the era and how far the tone skews towards comedy — but at its best, Craig's run has felt like it's building new levels rather than traipsing through the same old framework. In No Time to Die, Bond does need to look backwards, though — to loves lost, choices made and lingering enemies. Before Billie Eilish's theme song echoes over eye-catching opening credits, the film fills its first scenes with the past, starting with returning psychiatrist Madeleine Swan's (Léa Seydoux, Kursk) links to new mask-wearing villain Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek, The Little Things). There's patience and visual poetry to these early minutes amid Norway's snowy climes, even while littered with violence. No Time to Die is a lengthy yet never slow feature, and Bond first-timer Cary Joji Fukunaga doesn't begin with the pace he means to continue; however, the director behind True Detective's stunning first season establishes a sense of meticulousness, an eye for detail and an inclination to let moments last — and a striking look — that serves him exceptionally moving forward. Back in post-Spectre times, Bond and Swan enjoy an Italian holiday that's cut short by bomb blasts, bridge shootouts and other attempts on 007's life — and Fukunaga is quickly two for two in the action camp. No Time to Die segues commandingly from slow-building and foreboding to fast, frenetic and breathtaking in its two big opening sequences, setting itself a high bar. At this point, the narrative hasn't even properly kicked into gear yet. That happens five years later, when Bond is alone and retired in Jamaica (in a nice nod to where author Ian Fleming wrote his Bond stories). His old CIA pal Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright, Westworld) comes knocking, new politically appointed offsider Logan Ash (Billy Magnussen, The Many Saints of Newark) in tow, asking for the now ex-MI6 agent's help to foil the latest nefarious plan — involving a DNA-targeting virus fuelled by nanobots, of course — that's been hatched by terrorist organisation Spectre. Read our full review. THE POWER OF THE DOG Don't call it a comeback: Jane Campion's films have been absent from cinemas for 12 years but, due to miniseries Top of the Lake, she hasn't been biding her time in that gap. And don't call it simply returning to familiar territory, even if the New Zealand director's new movie features an ivory-tinkling woman caught between cruel and sensitive men, as her Cannes Palme d'Or-winner The Piano did three decades ago. Campion isn't rallying after a dip, just as she isn't repeating herself. She's never helmed anything less than stellar, and she's immensely capable of unearthing rich new pastures in well-ploughed terrain. With The Power of the Dog, Campion is at the height of her skills trotting into her latest mesmerising musing on strength, desire and isolation — this time via a venomous western that's as perilously bewitching as its mountainous backdrop. That setting is Montana, circa 1925. Campion's homeland stands in for America nearly a century ago, making a magnificent sight — with cinematographer Ari Wegner (Zola, True History of the Kelly Gang) perceptively spying danger in its craggy peaks and dusty plains even before the film introduces Rose and Peter Gordon (On Becoming a God in Central Florida's Kirsten Dunst and 2067's Kodi Smit-McPhee). When the widowed innkeeper and her teenage son serve rancher brothers Phil and George Burbank (The Courier's Benedict Cumberbatch and Antlers' Jesse Plemons) during a cattle-run stop, the encounter seesaws from callousness to kindness, a dynamic that continues after Rose marries George and decamps to the Burbank mansion against that stunning backdrop. Brutal to the lanky, lisping Peter from the outset, Phil responds to the nuptials with malice. He isn't fond of change, and won't accommodate anything that fails his bristling definition of masculinity and power, either. In a career-best, awards-worthy, downright phenomenal turn by Cumberbatch, Phil is all hawkish menace and bravado; he viciously calls his brother 'Fatso', his initial taunting of Peter over paper flowers and effete mannerisms is all the more ferocious for its dinner-table audience, and he's effusive in his admiration for Bronco Henry, the man's man who taught him everything he knows. Indeed, Phil's hyper-masculine air, complete with threatening and mocking banjo-plucking, soon drives Rose to drink. He'd rather still be bunking in with George, as they have for the quarter-century they've run their inherited ranch. He'd rather scare everyone away by failing to bathe, unless he's stealing off to a secret water hole — and by mixing his Yale classics degree into his sneering, too. The key to Cumberbatch's commanding performance isn't softening Phil or playing up his charisma, but conveying the battle of repression and self-resentment raging within; the cattleman has long tanned his own public persona, but he's as complex as rawhide. Adapting Thomas Savage's 1967 novel of the same name, Campion gives Phil's chomping misery ample company: in the sauced Rose, in the intimidating attitude that rolls around the ranch like a stubborn tumbleweed, and in Peter when he returns from his medical studies for the summer. The Power of the Dog lets this unhappy stew fester, adding grit to its brew with each passing scene and deepening its rich character studies in the process. The film's only misstep is pushing George aside, although the fact that his passivity — his main trait alongside tenderness — earns him less attention is an incisive touch. Rose becomes a supporting player as Phil and Peter's initially antagonistic relationship finds deeper dimensions but, in Dunst's hands, this is still an intense portrait of a woman heartbreakingly accustomed to being at others' whims. As a raw-boned young man who proves exacting and steely inside, Smit-McPhee isn't just similarly exceptional — he's revelatory. Read our full review. TICK, TICK... BOOM! "Try writing what you know." That's age-old advice, dispensed to many a scribe who hasn't earned the success or even the reaction they'd hoped, and it's given to aspiring theatre composer Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield, Under the Silver Lake) in Tick, Tick… Boom!. The real-life figure would go on to write Rent but here, in New York City in January 1990, he's working on his debut musical Superbia. It's a futuristic satire inspired by George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, and it's making him anxious about three things. Firstly, he hasn't yet come up with a pivotal second-act song that he keeps being told he needs. Next, he's staging a workshop for his debut production to gauge interest before the week is out — and this just has to be his big break. Finally, he's also turning 30 in days, and his idol Stephen Sondheim made his Broadway debut in his 20s. Tick, Tick… Boom! charts the path to those well-worn words of wisdom about drawing from the familiar, including Larson's path to the autobiographical one-man-show of the same name before Rent. And, it manages to achieve that feat while showing why such a sentiment isn't merely a cliche in this situation. That said, the key statement about mining your own experience also echoes throughout this affectionate movie musical in another unmissable way. Lin-Manuel Miranda didn't write Tick, Tick… Boom!'s screenplay; however, he does turn it into his filmmaking directorial debut — and what could be more fitting for that task from the acclaimed In the Heights and Hamilton talent than a loving ode (albeit an inescapably overexcited one) to the hard work put in by a game-changing theatre wunderkind? If this was a case of telling viewers that this is Miranda's movie without telling them, the concept would obviously do the trick. So would a few notable cameos in a standout song-and-dance number that's best discovered by watching. There's plenty in Tick, Tick… Boom! that was already layered with musical theatre history before it became a film, too; in the source material, Larson even wrote in a homage to Sondheim's own musical Sunday in the Park with George. That's the level of insider knowledge that's a foundation here, and the film frequently reverberates in an insular, theatre-obsessive, spot-the-references register. As great as it is if you stan the same productions and people, it also makes Tick, Tick… Boom! less accessible and resonant. It's as if Miranda can't choose between indulging his own adoration or truly sharing that love with his audience. (Tick, Tick… Boom! also became a three-person stage musical in 2001, and Miranda played its lead in a 2014 revival opposite Hamilton's Leslie Odom Jr and In the Heights' Karen Olivo.) Garfield's sing-to-the-rafters version of Larson is first seen in faux home-video footage, performing the rock monologue iteration of Tick, Tick… Boom!, his bouncy hair waving about as he croons and plays piano. Miranda and screenwriter Steven Levenson (Dear Evan Hansen) then segue between the lively presentation and the tale it also tells about Superbia, the looming workshop and the impending birthday. In the latter scenes, Larson can't come up with the missing song, earn enough as a composer to keep the power on, or juggle his pursuit of his dream with the complexities of his personal life. The alternative: opting for a safe career, which his ex-actor ex-roommate Michael (Robin de Jesus, The Boys in the Band) has done in advertising, and his dancer girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp, X-Men: Dark Phoenix) is contemplating with teaching. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22 and July 29; August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; and November 4. For Sydney specifically, you can take a look at out our rundown of new films that released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11, and what opened on October 14, October 21 and October 28 as well. And for Melbourne, you can check out our top picks from when outdoor cinemas reopened on October 22 — and from when indoor cinemas did the same on October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Herself, Little Joe, Black Widow, The Sparks Brothers, Nine Days, Gunpowder Milkshake, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Old, Jungle Cruise, The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark and Julia.
Perhaps this is the legacy of being brought up an only child, but half the time I'm walking down the street I'm involved in elaborate daydreams soundtracked by my iPod. This is why audio guides have always held a certain attraction for me, because they have the potential to give you the daydream pre-packaged. Now the French Institute Alliance Française's annual New York-based festival piece Crossing the Line has taken the idea to a completely different level, transforming your run of the mill walking tour into an intrepid adventure merging fact and fiction, with the help of conceptual sound collective, Soundwalk. Crossing the Line leads listeners on an hour and a half's merry journey down New York's Museum Mile. Five writers devised narratives for the new and improved audio guides, inspired by landmarks, objects or the neighbourhood around 5th Avenue, combining authentic and imaginary stories which all aim to answer the question "what do we rely on to determine the truth from fiction?" The tour begins at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, winds its way through the Neue Gallerie and the Guggenheim, and finishes up in Central Park. The narratives are combined with experimental sounds to frame the stories, making the distinction between fiction and reality even more blurry. Available in both French and English, the audio guides can be downloaded individually or as a set from the Soundwalk website. The festival runs through until October 16, but for those of us who have neither the time nor the cash to go for a casual meander through the streets of Manhattan, you can download the audio guides or listen online at the Soundwalk website for a vicarious walking tour aided by the magic of Google Maps. [Via Cool Hunting]
The UK city of Kingston upon Hull (better known as Hull) made big news this weekend as over 3000 locals and visitors walked the streets naked, painted in four different shades of blue. While this sounds like something Tobias Fünke would inadvertently find himself in the middle of, the nudity was all in the name of art — specifically, for New York-based artist, Spencer Tunick's latest installation. The artwork, appropriately titled Sea of Hull, is a celebration of the seaside town and its relationship with the sea. The 3200 blue participants, which came from 20 countries, traipsed across many of the city's most historic sites for installation and photographing. They even posed on the Scale Lane Bridge, an award-winning swing bridge that crosses the River Hull. The installation is the largest of its kind to be staged in the UK, beating Tunick's previous installations in Gateshead (2005) and Salford (2010). A photo posted by The Best Picture of the Day (@zumapress) on Jul 10, 2016 at 12:09pm PDT A photo posted by La Vanguardia (@lavanguardia) on Jul 9, 2016 at 9:53am PDT Tunick's newest piece was commissioned by Hull's Ferens Art Gallery, who will highlight this piece in their 2017 program. Next year will be a big one for the city, as Hull has once again secured the bid for UK City of Culture, which they also hosted in 2013. The award is given every four years to a city that demonstrates the belief in the power of culture, and Hull City Council is promising to deliver a 365-day program of transformative cultural activity in 2017. Having staged over 90 installations, Tunick's art has encouraged mass nakedness worldwide, including his nude shoot for diversity in front of the Sydney Opera House back in 2010. Other such locations — apart from New York, of course — include the Dead Sea, Mexico City and Cleveland, Ohio. Via SMH.
Each year, the esteemed World's 50 Best Restaurants awards do exactly what's on the box: names the top eateries around the world. Actually, the accolades go a step further, doubling that number thanks to a 51–100 longlist. That's 100 top-notch restaurants singled out every year, giving diners globally plenty of places for their culinary bucket lists. For 2023, the results are now in, as announced on Tuesday, June 20 in Valencia in Spain. In number one spot: Central, with chefs Virgilio Martinez and Pía León taking the honours for their restaurant in Lima, Peru. It earned the prestigious top ranking from 2022's winner Geranium, after coming in second to the Copenhagen venue last year. Perhaps helping its fortunes: the fact that Geranium isn't named in this year's list at all because it's been elevated to the Best of the Best hall of fame, which means that it's no longer in the running for the regular rankings. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants (@theworlds50best) This who's who of worldwide restaurants does lack one big thing in 2023, however, and on both its 1–50 and 51–100 rankings. In 2022, only Andrew McConnell's Melbourne diner Gimlet at Cavendish House earned a place on either list from Australia, coming in at 84 for its World's 50 Best debut. This year, neither it nor any other Aussie venues got the nod. Australia's hospitality scene hasn't ever dominated the World's 50 Best Restaurants gongs, but not placing at all for 2023 hasn't escaped attention. Just two Aussie restaurants claimed spots in 2021's awards, both of them Victorian, with Dan Hunter's Brae placing 57th and Ben Shewry's Ripponlea fine diner Attica coming in at number 97. There were no awards in 2020, but Brae and Attica also placed in the longlist in 2019. In 2018, Attica came in 20th and Brae 58th. Australia has had up to four restaurants in the top 50 before, including three when the awards debuted in 2002. [caption id="attachment_860199" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gimlet, Earl Carter[/caption] The World's 50 Best awards are chosen by a panel of over 1000 culinary experts, guided by a strict voting procedure. They're now hosted by a different country each year, with Melbourne playing host city back in 2017. Alongside Central, 2023's picks included Disfrutar in Barcelona in second, Diverxo in Madrid in third, Atxondo's Asador Etxebarri in fourth and Copenhagen's Alchemist in fifth. Next came Maido in Lima, Lido 84 in the Gardone Riviera, Atomix in New York, Quintonil in Mexico City and Table by Bruno Verjus in Paris to round out the top ten. [caption id="attachment_906576" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Central, Winedirector via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Geranium joins El Bulli, The French Laundry, The Fat Duck, Noma's original and current location, El Celler de Can Roca, Osteria Francescana, Eleven Madison Park and Mirazur in the Best of the Best hall of fame, so you won't see any of them on the main lists. Wondering about the best places to eat Down Under, even if Australia has been snubbed by the World's 50 Best Restaurants? Check out our picks for the best Sydney and best Melbourne restaurants. [caption id="attachment_884417" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Noma[/caption] To check out the full World's 50 Best Restaurants Top 50 and 100 lists, head to the awards' website. Top image: Alchemist, City Foodsters via Wikimedia Commons.
South Bank is alive and buzzing with the beat of Brisbane Festival. The month-long event has brought the area alive after dark with Wunder Bar and the Garden Bar keeping Brisbane up-late. Right now these pop-up bars are a bit of fun, but come October they'll be shut down and those looking for a drink post-dinner are caught between a cab ride elsewhere and a jug of sangria. It's safe to say South Bank is the restaurant hub - certainly not known for its bars - and so when you go looking, where are they? Sometimes the thirsty have to get creative, and it pays to look inside. With views that could kill and a relaxed coastal vibe, The Jetty's bar sits within the heart of the busy restaurant. For those who like it long - the Pining Lilli takes vodka, ginger liqueur and lillet, throwing in tropical flavours of lime and mint, topped with pineapple juice. Served martini style, the Semi Royal goes down a treat. Vodka is aided by the sweetness of peach and apple liqueur and cut by sour fresh grapefruit and lime. Served with a lime sugar rim, 'The Don' mixes tequila and pomegranate liqueur against the sharp tastes of pink grapefruit and passionfruit. Most interesting was the 'Jack Sparrow' - a mix of rum, ginger wine, frangelico and mandarin topped with iced tea. Think hazelnut meets citrus in a strange twist on jaffa. The Jetty also serve steins on Asahi on tap, and offer a range of craft beers, and of course wine. Serving up modern Australian cuisine with an Indonesian influence, The Jetty has won a place in the hearts of many for its open and warm atmosphere and tasty Australiasian dishes. Bar snacks don't disappoint, and the piping hot tempura prawns ($6) top our list. Also on offer are the classic sourdough and oil combo, warmed olive, oysters, edamame and almonds all given a Jetty twist. For something more substantial, fresh rice paper rolls, fish cakes and calamari round out a very coastal list.
Rare is the venue that can cater to all moods, whether you feel like getting cosy in dark surroundings over a lavish meal with your nearest and dearest — or you'd prefer to greet the sun, or the stars once evening hits, while enjoying drinks with the sky as your ceiling. Now open on St Paul's Terrace, Soko Rooftop covers both options, all 14 floors above Fortitude Valley. As first announced back in August, but welcoming in patrons since Friday, November 11, this Brisbane newcomer also combines two other things: Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. Here, you'l find a menu that takes dishes, ingredients and techniques from each. Also on offer: a cocktail menu spanning 40-plus flavours of pisco sours, including a heavy focus sake and yuzu. Edamame, grilled Japanese shishito peppers, and hot and cold sashimi tuna sit on the small-plate selection alongside Latin street corn, tuna with jalapeno on crispy rice and kingfish with salsa, just to get the menu started. There's also a dedicated ceviche and cured fish section — complete with sea bass, yellowfin tuna, sea bream, salmon, red snapper and marinated prawn options — and two types of bao. The mains are designed to share, including slow-roasted chorizo in banana leaves, Peruvian sauteed wagyu, and a wok dish with octopus, shrimp and mussels. Diners can tuck into yakitori and sushi, too, and pair their meal with vino. From Monday–Friday, there's also a must-try business lunch, with three different multi-course choices. Each one starts with miso soup and includes your choice of donburi set. From there, you can add a small plate as well, plus ice cream or sorbet for dessert. Perched on Jubilee Place's highest level — aka atop the new building above the Jubilee Hotel — Soko clearly isn't doing things by halves. It can host 500 patrons, either amid its South American-inspired interior decor or beneath striped umbrellas outside. In both spaces, greenery is a big feature. And, naturally, the outdoor area offers scenic views over the city. Latin music, Latin dancers and bongo players provide the venue's entertainment, which is set to be as sizeable a drawcard as the obviously impressive vistas. And if you're the kind of person who can't stop moving up in the world — taking every opportunity to see whichever city you're in from towering heights, that is — then you'll understand why one Brisbane hospitality crew keeps being drawn to rooftop bars, including this one. Earlier in 2022, Icatha Hospitality's Ross Ledingham launched Lina Rooftop, which soars over South Brisbane. Now, with Evita's ex-head chef David Hernandez, he's added Soko to the Valley skyline. Find Soko Rooftop on the 14th floor at Jubilee Place, 470 St Paul's Terrace, Fortitude Valley from early November — open 12pm–3pm Monday–Thursday for lunch, 5pm–late Wednesday–Thursday for dinner, and 11am–late Friday–Sunday.
Even if you're not much of a fast food fan, odds are that you've heard about McDonald's Szechuan sauce. It was originally released in 1998 as a tie-in with Disney's original animated Mulan, then became internet famous almost two decades later after being name-dropped in Rick and Morty. In fact, in the animated series, Rick was so determined to get hold of the dipping sauce that he didn't care if it took "nine seasons" or "97 more years". You might've felt the same way, actually, as it hasn't been on the Macca's menu in Australia. Until now, that is. McDonald's is finally bringing the coveted condiment our way — all as part of a new limited-edition four-sauce range. It'll hit the menu at the Golden Arches from Wednesday, July 6–Tuesday, July 19, alongside the return of Macca's Cajun sauce (a blend of Dijon mustard, vinegar, honey and spices). That's two of the four special condiments covered. The other two won't be revealed until sometime in July. But, if you're keen to get a taste before they hit stores, Macca's is also running a sauce quest. What's a sauce quest? It's a three-day sauce hunt, all digital, which'll get you sleuthing to find clues — and win IRL sauce. From 9am on Tuesday, June 28, McDonald's will be putting up hidden sauce splatters online, which you'll need to find to go into the draw to nab a personal stash of its limited-edition sauces. To take part, you'll want to keep an eye on the chain's socials — and follow the hints from there. New to the whole Szechuan sauce frenzy? It's a mix of soy sauce, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. And, the last time that McDonald's re-released the much-hyped McNugget condiment in America, the demand outweighed supply. In the US, fans queued for hours, one person traded their Volkswagen and another paid almost US$15,000 for one measly pottle. Rick and Morty's legion of devotees were clearly keen for a taste — and condiment hysteria took flight. In 2020, it was also made available at the global fast-food brand's stores in New Zealand for a limited time. McDonald's Szechuan sauce will be available nationwide from Wednesday, July 6–Tuesday, July 19, alongside its Cajun sauce. Two more limited-edition sauces will follow, with details revealed in July.
As a dancer, he joined the New York Ballet while still a teenager. As a choreographer working in film, he's given Denis Villeneuve's versions of Dune their sandwalk. Making a dance film in the desert seems like the logical next step for Benjamin Millepied, then. The French talent's resume isn't short on other highlights — including the LA Dance Project, which he initiated; Black Swan, which he both choreographed and starred in; and the Paris Opera Ballet, where he was Director of Dance from 2014–16 — but a reimagining of Carmen not only shot in Australia, but backdropped by the outback town of Broken Hill, is quite the unique way to make his feature directorial debut. This is Carmen in name and spirit first and foremost, though. This is Carmen broken down and built back up again, too. Despite the contents of its frames, this is Carmen set not Down Under, but across the US-Mexico border amid fleeing to Los Angeles. This is Carmen following strangers who become lovers on the run, its namesake escaping cartel brutality and then racist prejudices when she migrates north, and the ex-marine that she crosses paths with post-smuggling dashing away from his own dalliances with violence. This is also Carmen led by Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal, the former more in In the Heights mode than Scream, and the latter as entrancing as he's proven in Normal People and his Oscar-nominated performance in Aftersun. It was the pandemic that took filming in Mexico out of the equation, and brought Millepied to Australia. His visit, like Mescal's when he was cast, didn't slink under the radar — that Millepied is married to Black Swan Oscar-winner Natalie Portman, who shot Thor: Love and Thunder in Sydney, meant ample media attention. Carmen was made when much of Hollywood seemed to relocate this way; however, as spectacular as its dance sequences are, and as impressive as it leads prove as well (plus iconic Spanish actor and Pedro Almodóvar favourite Rossy de Palma, Parallel Mothers), it's as intimate as an opera-inspired drama that dances against sweeping plains of ochre Aussie soil can be. "I personally enjoyed it so much out there," Millepied tells Concrete Playground. "I love the desert. I love the light in the desert. I really loved being out there. I'm going back to Australia in a few weeks, and I'm tempted to go back out there." With Carmen now in Aussie cinemas and also screening at the New Zealand International Film Festival, the acclaimed dancer-turned-filmmaker chatted about swapping North America for Broken Hill, giving Prosper Mérimée's novella and Georges Bizet's opera his own spin, his leads, being driven by Succession composer Nicholas Britell's new score, and what he learned in making the leap from performing — or didn't. ON REIMAGINING CARMEN "I wanted to lean on a classical tragedy. I was instinctively attracted to it culturally, for its relationship to the Roma culture — and this idea of someone expressing her freedom through dance. Those were those were the key components. And really thinking that this would be a musical that was a drama with music and dance — that fantasy, that the dancing, would come through dreams, and that it was a drama. I think people forget that there's actually very few musicals that have a more realistic [approach] — here, of course, we're not fully in in realism, but I think that it's still a dark film. That's quite unusual for musicals, because you can make very light musicals, fluffy musicals, where people sing and dance. I probably will make something lighter like that. Hopefully, maybe someday, I get the opportunity. But that's not Carmen — Carmen took a different sort of sense." ON MAKING A DRAMA WITH DANCE, RATHER THAN A CLASSICAL MUSICAL, TO SUIT THE STORY "I don't think you can tackle a political subject like that and just have migrants dancing, for example. I think the subject matter implied that we had to bring a certain depth to the approach of how dance and music existed in the film. When I started to look at the history of the Roma culture in South America, and I started to think about the border — I don't know how it came up — I found out there's an important Roma community that migrated to Mexico in the early 20th century. And that story was quite fascinating, and the way they live, and the way that Mexican culture influenced their own, as they did in everywhere they went, and took on traditions and cultures. So it just made a lot of sense, this idea of the Roma culture being free and moving through the world, and with deep traditions. It made sense to set it on the Mexico-US border." ON AUSTRALIA STANDING IN FOR NORTH AMERICA "When I when I realised that I couldn't shoot in Mexico because of COVID and everything, and I had scouted and I'd done all this work, I looked at Australia because we were supposed to go there. It just made sense. I felt like I could pull it off, and I actually thought that the heightened reality that I was thinking of could really work there — I would just push that element, make it real. So that's how I thought of it, and it worked great. It was really incredible to shoot in in Australia. Just creatively, the team that I had was was really amazing. I loved it out there. We were really so lucky, and it actually looked a lot like the desert in the north of Mexico where I say it is early in the film. It was just this proximity in landscape that was really, really incredible." ON CASTING MELISSA BARRERA AND PAUL MESCAL, AND CAPITALISING UPON THEIR CHEMISTRY It's not easy to find someone who could really be a triple threat — dance and sing and act, and have that kind of magnetism, and [is] Mexican. She was really right. She was really perfect. I needed someone who was believable as a marine. I needed someone who was a real man — someone who was physical, who wasn't a dancer. He was perfect. I mean, how amazing is he in the film! She prepared a lot in terms of movement, in terms of flamenco. She prepared quite a bit, and so did he. You just hope that [the chemistry] is something that happens. You don't know. I mean, you get them together, but you just hope for the best, honestly." ON THE IMPORTANCE OF NICHOLAS BRITELL'S SCORE "The score implied so much of the film. We started with the music — so essentially the whole visual language came from the music, I would say. That was really wonderful. I even had score written that I could play on set. I think what I'm so proud of for this score is just it's so unique — so unique a sound for film, and it's filled with different influences, which is what we were going for. It's been a really beautiful journey with the music. When you hear the last hip hop track, it has West African rhythm influences. When you hear the choir, it's Eastern Europe voices — and then you have the French in the lyrics. And yet you have synths and strings, and so it's really rich in terms of its influences. That's what makes the score so unique. People wouldn't necessarily know it, but it is that way very specifically unique, I think. And I'm really proud of that for Nick, and for the film, that it doesn't sound like any other score that you've heard." ON MAKING HIS FEATURE DIRECTORIAL DEBUT WITH CARMEN "[It springs] from years of wanting to, of playing with film and the camera, and having a desire to actually make a film. It didn't come from one single thing. I think it's my love for photography, for film, for being interested in it — curious to, essentially, explore my own expression in something that has a bit more of an intellectual approach, in a way, and less instinctive like dance. Dance, I can just walk in the studio and just create something out of my dream — but a movie, you're interested in a theme, then you understand why, then you have to dig into it. I learned a lot through the process — of what to do, what not to do. And particularly the screenwriting stuff for me. I'm excited to to do it again, frankly." ON LEARNING FROM DANCING, CHOREOGRAPHY, BLACK SWAN AND DUNE FOR HIS FIRST FEATURE — OR NOT "I think nothing prepares you for really directing a film. I mean, there's little elements, but the magnitude of directing a film is so big that, no, it doesn't prepare you. But that's okay. I think there's a lot you can prepare yourself for, and yet there's so much to learn once you do it — and I love that. I love being thrown in the fire and and having to figure out everything on the go. I will make hopefully at some point a second film with so much more understanding of how do it." Carmen opened in Australian cinemas on July 13, and plays the 2023 New Zealand International Film Festival. Read our review. Images: Lisa Tomasetti / Goalpost Pictures.
If your adventures have taken you to Melbourne's Westgate Park in the past few weeks, then you might've noticed something a little unusual. The lake has turned a pretty shade of pink. And, before you ask, no, it's not a Mother's Day thing. Nor is it fairies. In fact, the change in colour is due to a bunch of factors all happening at once, namely: lots of salt, lots of sunlight, hot temperatures and a lack of rain. The lake bed is covered in salt crust and, when matters get extra salty, the algae growing there creates beta carotene during photosynthesis. Beta carotene is a red-orange pigment, contained in carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, mangoes and papayas, among other fruits and veggies. The pink salt water lake at Westgate Park (6 May 2018). . . #pinklake #saltwaterlake #saltwater #westgatepark #pink #pinkwater #algalbloom #melbourne #australia A post shared by Isaac Borthwick (@isaac.b.photo) on May 15, 2018 at 4:42am PDT In the case of Westgate Park Lake, the beta carotene has seeped into the water, giving it a somewhat magical look. This is not the first time the phenomenon has happened — you've probably seen it pop up on Instagram before — but it has stuck around for longer than usual this year. Given that the pinkness is a natural event, neither Parks Victoria nor we can tell you how long it's going to last, but it will probably start to fade as winter hits. If you're keen to take a peek, then find it on the eastern banks of Yarra River at Fishermans Bend. It's closest to Port Melbourne on one side and Yarraville on the other, and is most easily accessed by car or bus (take the 235 from the city or 606 from Elsternwick/St Kilda). Just note that Parks Victoria asks that visitors stick to official paths and avoid poking around the lake's edge. Although it might look tempting in these images, definitely do not swim in the water. Unlike the water, it will not be pretty.
Wearable technology has been around for a few years now, but hasn't really taken off. Google Glass tried to get everyone to stick a computer on their face, while the Apple Watch attempted to move smartphones onto everyone's wrists; however, as cool and suitably futuristic as both are, they're hardly must-have gadgets. Enter Snapchat, their first foray into the hardware realm, and the pair of sunnies everyone's going to want. We'll let you ponder that concept for a few moments, because sunglasses that record 10-second bursts of video sound both amazing and familiar, and not just because there's been a rumour that Snapchat has been working on something like this floating around for a while now. Called Spectacles and revealed by The Wall Street Journal in an interview with Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, they're basically a cheaper version of Google's eyewear with one specific function; but hey, letting everyone do something they already could in a slightly different way has worked out pretty well for them so far, hasn't it? As well as turning the act of taking photos into a mostly hands-free task (unless you can press buttons with your mind, you're still going to have to lift a finger to the frames to start each clip, sadly), Spectacles boast two major drawcards. Firstly, they look like regular glasses, rather than Robocop-like attire, complete with black, teal and coral styles. And even better, they're going to be affordable, at US$130 a pair. Other features include a 115-degree lens designed to mimic the human field of vision, as well as the ability to capture circular images to approximate our natural perspective. And yes, everything you record with your new toy will then upload to your Snapchat account, after connecting to your phone via wifi. No word as yet regarding an Aussie release date, but a limited number are due out in the US sometime over the next couple of months. Via The Wall Street Journal. Image: Business Insider.
Why spend your treasured lunch hour sitting in the same old spot, eating the same old sandwich? Swedes have discovered the magic of an off-beat lunch break by introducing a little mid-day clubbing. Lunch Beat, a trendy, non-profit lunchtime event, originated in Stockholm in June 2010 with a measly crowd of 14. Today, the monthly Stockholm events attract hundreds and have inspired copycat events throughout other European cities. For 100 kroner (around $15), attendees can dance to club beats beneath the flashing disco lights, enjoy a sandwich, and then return to their various jobs sweaty and energised. The party starts at noon, and lasts for an hour. "You just have to get in there and dance, because the hour ends pretty quickly," says organizer Daniel Odelstad. Lunch Beat only has two rules: no alcohol, and dance. "If you don't want to dance during your lunch hour, then you should eat your lunch somewhere else," says Odelstad. Lunch Beat draws an eclectic crowd, from the young to the old, and from secretaries to business-suited bigwigs; all have come looking for a good time. "It is absolutely fantastic!" says Asa Anderson, a coffee shop employee and Lunch Beat newcomer. "It is the first time I'm here. I'm totally happy and ecstatic, totally covered in sweat, and I'm full of energy. It does not get any better than this." [via Gawker]
Things have come a long way since your ma or pa tied a threadbare rope to a used tyre, slung it over a branch and hoped for the best. These days, swings are manifesting as art, cutting-edge design concepts and even political statements. Not that any of this takes away from their primary purpose: fun. Jumping on a swing, kicking back in the air and letting the world go by can be a tiny reminder that we don't have to be all serious all of the time. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." Whether you're a stuntman who doesn't even acknowledge a swing unless it's at least 20 metres above the ground, a socialite who wouldn't mind hosting a swinging dinner party, or a more peaceful type who's keen on some quiet time and a good view, you're bound to find a swing here that'll bring out the little kid in you. The World's Largest Rope Swing Just watching this in action will get your stomach churning. Thrill seeker (and maniac?) Devin Graham made the world's largest rope swing famous last year when his YouTube clip went viral, receiving over 20 million hits. Harnessed to a 45-metre long rope, he freefalls for over 35 metres before swinging back and forth in an enormous arc, coming dangerously close to the rock face. The swing is located at Corona Arch in the desert country of Moab, Utah. Double Happiness French-Portugese architect Didier Fiuza Faustino transformed this billboard into a swing set for two. He describes his "nomad piece of urban furniture" as a response to "the society of materialism where individual desires seem to be prevailing over all". It was erected in 2009 for the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Bi-City Biennial of Urbanism and Architecture. Waterfall Swing Dash 7 Design presented this marvel at the 2011 World Maker Faire, New York City, and it also features in a Honda Civic ad. Swingers get their thrills by narrowly escaping a cascading wall of water each time they pass under the steel beam. Two hundred and seventy-three independently functioning solenoid valves control the liquid movement. What's more, the swing has the capacity to print water letters of up to 270 pixels in width. Memorial Swing Polish artist Kamila Szejnoch came up with this concept for a 2008 public space project in Warsaw titled Carousel Slide Swing. The swing is slung over the hand of a statue that represents a memorial to the soldiers of Berling's Army, who fought under the auspices of the Soviet Union's Red Army in the Second World War. According to Szejnoch, the swing is all about opening up a dialogue between the present and the past. Swinging Dining Table For $11,000, you can have the whole dinner party swinging. This one is the brainchild of Christopher Duffy of Duffy London design studio. Each of the eight chairs moves independently, and a lampshade is suspended above the centre of the table. It is definitely a good way to guarantee conversation, plus it makes life much easier for whoever's doing the vacuuming. Musical Swings Designers Mouna Andraos and Melissa Mongiat of Daily Tous Les Jours design studio came up with this for Montreal's Quartier Des Spectacles. The piece consists of 21 different swings, each of which 'plays' a different note once it starts to move. Only by working together can the swingers create a coherent song. The project seeks to highlight the importance of cooperation and the joy of collective experience. 'Mua' Swing This one is so cute that it was kind of difficult to leave it off the list. Designer Victor Aleman describes the 'mua' swing as "furniture where love happens". It's made of steel wrapped in wicker, and the interior features cosy red cushions. An Enclosure for a Swing Winner of the 4th CDL Sculpture Award (2009), this is located in Bishan Park, Singapore. It aims to make visible the usually private space that surrounds an individual when he/she is swinging in isolation. The wavy shapes of the steel appear to contract and expand as the swing moves back and forth. Swinging Sculptures Swinging inside your own sculpture is definitely taking the experience to a new level. Myburgh creates swings in organic shapes — leaves, lilies, bubbles and pumpkins, to name a few — that blend in easily with gardens. The World's Biggest Swing Operated by A J Hackett Bungy, New Zealand's Nevis Swing is, indeed, the most momentous swing you'll find anywhere on Earth. Participants are propelled 160 kilometres above a yawning canyon mouth at a speed of 120 kilometres per hour. You can opt for the standard forward-facing ride or choose to take this one on upside-down or backwards.
Venture inside the newly restored City Hall and you will find one of Brisbane's much-loved and recognisable cafe restaurants, the Shingle Inn. This quaint venue has a history as long as its selection of teas and an unparalleled charm that gives it a unique quality. Originally located in Edward Street, the traditional English style teahouse has become an icon and many locals have fond memories of its delicious treats and distinctive décor. After closing in 2002, it has recently found a new home and maintains its original fit out. Upon walking into Shingle Inn, a cabinet of fresh and scrumptious cakes greets diners giving a tantalising preview of what's in store. Friendly waitresses don black and white maid uniforms, elegant dining areas are made from polished walnut and chandeliers hang from the ceiling, all of which add to the warm and relaxed atmosphere. A lovely tradition that has survived the move is found in the positioning of the gleaming sugar bowls, which signals to the staff whether or not a customer has been served. A great way to sample different goodies is The Grande Duke High Tea ($45.00 per person). This decadent three tiered super-treat includes fresh sandwiches, scones and jam, and a top layer of petite sweet treats. Standouts include the camembert, pistachio, fig and ginger confit ribbon sandwiches and the mini crème brûlée. Chai Marsala or Organic English Breakfast tea compliment the food beautifully as does the glass of sparkling Seppelt Salinger Cuvee 2009. Bookings are required for the high tea, served daily from 2:30pm - 4:30pm and between 11.30am - 1.30pm on weekends. Lovers of sweets who haven't yet experienced Shingle Inn's delights, settle into a cosy booth and make your own memories of good company and great food in a special setting.
