It's that time of the year: you've set your out-of-office, made the couch your new home, and only plan to leave to head to the beach, eat festive food or party. That means it's prime movie viewing time, and Google and Amazon have just the film-oriented gift for the occasion, offering up 99 cent film rentals. Need to catch up on The Jungle Book, Lights Out or Louis Theroux: My Scientology Movie? Get your Christmas mix courtesy of Love Actually, Elf or Die Hard? Revisit John Wick before the sequel arrives in cinemas next year? Or enjoy Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping seeing that it didn't end up making it to Australian theatres? Here's your chance. The good news: Google Play's deal is available in Australia and runs until January 23, 2017, with a limit of one film per user. The discount is applied at checkout, and once you finalise the transaction you have 30 days to watch your pick. The not so good news: Amazon might've launched Prime Video on our shores just last week, but their rental service hasn't made the jump. Of course, if you're interested in renting something from their library and you're handy with a VPN, you might know how to make that happen.
Off the back of the pop-up fundraising market 1800 Lasagne held a few weeks ago, Joey Kellock and his crew are at it again. Only this time, they're teaming up with All Are Welcome bakery and refugee-supporting floral enterprise The Beautiful Bunch, and descending on Northcote Town Hall for an even bigger fundraising effort. On Sunday, April 3, the Market Day for Ukraine will showcase a jam-packed offering of food, booze and coffee from your favourite local businesses, with the day's entire proceeds going to humanitarian aid for Ukraine. You'll be able to grab a coffee from the likes of Wide Open Road or Bureaux, and a snack from Monforte or Falco, to enjoy while you shop through this room brimming with goodies. Expect to find tasty wares from the likes of Sarafian Melbourne, The Fermentary and Nice Pickle; fresh loaves from Cobb Lane and Loafer Bread; and liquid treats courtesy of Mandi Wine, Glou and Molly Rose. Legends including The Flour and Sweet Miss Maple will have freshly baked things to sate your sweet tooth, and there'll be plenty of live tunes to soundtrack your day's shopping and fundraising efforts. [caption id="attachment_755063" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Falco[/caption] Top Image: All Are Welcome, by Julia Sansone
One of the Mornington Peninsula's most celebrated wineries is making its much-anticipated comeback, just in time for summer. After a venue fire in May forced Pt Leo Estate to close its two main eateries, Laura and Pt Leo Restaurant, the pair are finally gearing up to welcome customers once again. And they'll even be dishing up some brand-new menus, under the helm of Culinary Director Josep Espuga. Relaunching Wednesday, December 7, contemporary bistro Pt Leo Restaurant will continue to champion local suppliers via a modern menu built around the kitchen's wood-fired oven and grill. And as before, the panoramas over the property's 130-hectare sculpture park and beyond to Westernport Bay promise a blissful backdrop for your feed. [caption id="attachment_881120" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pt Leo Restaurant[/caption] Also taking advantage of those enviable views is fine diner Laura, which is gearing up to reopen on Friday, December 16. Guests can look forward to a new seasonal degustation offering, heroing top-notch dairy, seafood and other local produce, alongside fine ingredients from further afield. Plus, an award-winning wine lineup by Head Sommelier Amy Oliver, delivering a generous mix of classic pours and left-field or new-wave varieties. Walk-in-friendly casual sibling The Wine Terrace will also be reopening this month, taking the reins from the winery's temporary dining pop-up Pt. Leo Pavilion. And the famed four-star cellar door continues to operate for wine tastings; weekend 'snackettes'; and Saturday evenings dedicated to champagne, caviar and cocktails. [caption id="attachment_881112" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laura[/caption] [caption id="attachment_881118" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pt Leo Restaurant[/caption] Find Pt Leo Restaurant (from December 7) and Laura (from December 17) at Pt Leo Estate, 3649 Frankston-Flinders Road, Merricks. Images: Chris McConville
Melburnians might be known for their love of wearing black, but even so you can expect to see plenty of colour on the city streets this winter, thanks to the latest edition of the Melbourne Art Trams project. The installation will see six of the city's working trams transformed into giant, moving artworks, each cloaked in an original design by a First Peoples artist. The new Art Trams are set to roll out across the public transport network over the next month as part of city-wide arts festival Rising, presented in collaboration with Creative Victoria, PTV and Yarra Trams. Embracing the theme 'Unapologetically Blak', this year's lineup was curated by visual artist — and 2021 Art Trams alum — Jarra Karalinar Steel (Boonwurrung/Wemba Wemba). [caption id="attachment_855096" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tiriki Onus and Jarra Karalinar Steel. Captured by James Morgan[/caption] First up, you'll spy a historic design by the late artist and activist Lin Onus (Yorta Yorta), which launches this year's program by hitting the network today, May 24. The piece revives Lin's original artwork from the Art Tram he created in 1991, brought back to life for 2022 with the help of his son, artist and performer Tiriki Onus. Hugely influential in the emerging era of our First Nations arts scene, Lin's work is known for its depictions of balanced opposites. Other artists showcasing their designs as part of the roving exhibition include Louise Moore (Wamba), Patricia Mckean (Gundijtmara/Kirrae Wurrong), Dr Paola Balla (Wemba-Wemba/Gundijtmara), Tegan Murdock (Burapa) and Darcy McConnell, who also creates under the name of Enoki (Yorta Yorta/Dja Dja Wurrung). Gliding along Melbourne's tram tracks for the next 12 months, the designs include celebrations of blak love in the context of cultural identity, works inspired by ancestral traditions, and tributes to Elders and the spirit of family connection. If you find yourself aboard one of the Art Trams, you'll be able to learn more about the artist and their work by scanning a QR code within the vehicle. The Melbourne Art Trams 2022 will be cruising the public transport network until May 2023. For more details, see the Rising website. Images: 'Reproduction of Tram No. 829' (1991) by Lin Onus (Yorta Yorta). Captured by James Morgan.
Give your festive season a Frenchy twist at Alliance Francaise de Melbourne's annual French Christmas Market, which is set to take over the organisation's St Kilda mansion on December 15 and 16. It's assembled a lineup to tempt Francophiles, gift hunters and market fiends alike, showcasing a vibrant array of French homewares, jewellery, artisan goods, food, wine and even secondhand books. There'll be lots of activities for kids, plus ample adult fun with demos, workshops and lots of French food and drink. If it all leaves you feeling extra inspired, you can even get a taste of Alliance Francaise's language lessons at one of the weekend's free trial classes. Entry to the market is free all weekend as well, with the fun running from 10am to 5pm on both days. Image: Alliance Francaise.
There hasn't been much that's great about the past couple of years, but a big shift in the film festival scene is worth celebrating. Every cinephile would like to spend all their time watching movies — and, not only seeing them on their favourite big screens, but hitting up every film fest possible. Alas, sometimes non-cinema reality gets in the way. Thankfully, after hopping online during the pandemic, plenty of film festivals are keeping their digital programs — so if you can't go in-person because you're busy, unwell, live in another part of the country of whatever other reason applies, you can still join in the fun. In 2022, Sydney Underground Film Festival is one such event, with its virtual festival running from Monday, September 12–Sunday, September 25. Sydneysiders can attend the physical fest on the weekend prior first, and everyone can stream along for the virtual fest's two-week run. For those watching at home, SUFF's online program includes queer Canadian drama Compulsus, horror/sci-fi film LandLocked, and an impressive range of documentaries — such as F@k This Job, about Russian TV channel Dozhd and its founder Natasha Sindeeva; Girl Gang, which follows a 14-year-old London influencer; the self-explanatory Nightclubbing: The Birth of Punk Rock in NYC; Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters, about the Hellboy creator; and Circus of the Scars, about sideshow performers. And, SUFF's dedication to the most out-there shorts the fest can compile will also hit screens via the virtual lineup.
Among the English language's best phrases, 'all you can eat' ranks up there with the best of them. It'd sound great in any language, of course, and you might hear it in German over the weekend of Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30 — aka 'so viel du essen kannst'. Specifically, you might hear either version at Munich Brauhaus and The Bavarian, which are all offering an appropriate stuff-your-face deal. For a two-hour sitting, you can tuck into as many schnitzels as you can stomach. Served on a platter, there are three varieties on offer: the uber schnitzel, which is decked out with rocket, semi-dried tomato and parmesan; the jager schnitzel, topped with wild mushroom ragu; and the good ol' parmigiana, which obviously comes with melted mozzarella, tomato sauce and ham. Talk about good schnit. The special costs $39 per person, also includes unlimited mashed potato and potato salad — yep, both hot and cold spuds — and is available for bookings of at least two people. You do need to book, however, so gather the gang, get planning, and make a date with the Munich Brauhaus in South Wharf or the Bavarians at Highpoint or Westfield Knox.
Enjoy a movie through a warm golden haze, at the latest edition of Whisky at the Cinema. Presented by Whisky & Ailment Whisky Bar in partnership with Palace Kino, this intoxicating event pairs a recent big screen release with a selection of different whiskies. On tap for their latest outing: crowd-pleasing comedy St. Vincent, starring the legendary Bill Murray – who conveniently enough spends most of the movie doused in alcohol himself. The $60 ticket earns you entry into the movie plus four different 30mL whiskies — one on arrival and three over the course of the film. Whisky & Ailment’s owner Julian White will be on hand ahead of time, explaining each sample’s connection to the movie. You’ll also be treated to a complimentary small popcorn, because let’s face it: four pegs of spirits on an empty stomach probably isn’t a great idea. For more information, visit the Whisky & Ailment website.
Reservoir's Future Mountain has had a lot to celebrate this past year — it was recently named Champion Independent Brewpub of Australia and Champion Victorian Brewery at the 2021 Independent Beer Awards, and is now gearing up for its third birthday. And, while 2021's lockdowns squashed most party planning, the brewery is now making up for lost time — it's throwing a bumper day of festivities this Saturday, March 26. Head along from 12pm to kick off the celebrations by sampling an assortment of brand new special-release birthday beers. A few cheeky 'jeroboam' bottles — three-litre double magnums, that is — will also be doing the rounds, pouring signature beers on the house. There'll be giveaways and prizes on offer throughout the day, and regular brewery tours offering a glimpse into Future Mountain's inner workings. Once you've worked up an appetite, you'll be able to refuel with some of Roadhouse Barbecue's US-style smokehouse fare. And as for the party entertainment, expect a lively fusion of jazz and blues courtesy of local trio Jumbalumba. Entry is free, though you can book your table online to secure a spot.
When it comes to watching movies in the great outdoors, Melburnians have plenty of options to choose from. Yet, few outdoor cinemas boast a program as eclectic as the Gasworks Backyard Cinema. Popping up at the Gasworks Arts Park every Friday evening between now and the middle of March, this is your chance to enjoy a few lesser-known titles while relaxing under the stars. The season begins on Friday, January 15 with All the Time in the World, a doco about the importance of getting back to nature, presented in partnership with Port Phillip EcoCentre. The following week will feature a screening of the original Hairspray presented by the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, who'll also be back on February 5 with John Water's Cry Baby starring a baby-faced Johnny Depp. Other highlights include recent Australian health documentary That Sugar Film, acclaimed indie comedy Guidance and the Melbourne premiere of the locally-made Indigenous dance film Spear. There'll also be a number of food vendors on site, ensuring you've got something to snack on during the film. For the full Backyard Cinema program, go here.
Venture down the Mornington Peninsula this weekend and immerse yourself in a vibrant celebration of First Nations culture, filled with music, arts, markets and more. Community festival Womin Djeka Balnarring Ngargee returns for its sixth instalment on Saturday, March 25, taking over Emu Plains Reserve. The festivities will kick off from 11am with a Welcome to Country, before launching into a big day of live entertainment. Heading the lineup is Isaiah Firebrace — one of the world's highest streamed First Nations artists — with performances from John Wayne Parsons, Jalgany, Carissa Nyalu, Robert K Champion and more also set to grace the stage. You'll catch Willum Warrain's large-scale puppets with their storytelling performance, Yana Daadigan — Travel of the Spirit Animals, and see impressive moves from acts like the Murrundaya Yepenga Dance Troupe and Indigenous Outreach Project. [caption id="attachment_894154" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jalgany[/caption] Meanwhile, a pop-up market will showcase an array of goodies from First Nations makers and producers, ranging from artwork and fashion, to ceramics and bush foods. There'll also be a hefty program of workshops if you fancy learning skills like painting with ochre, Yidaki-style meditation, traditional weaving and more. A stack of local organisations will be hosting demonstrations centred on sharing how we can best care for Country, and there'll be an assortment of food trucks and pop-ups to keep you fuelled throughout the festival. You can register for your free ticket online.
Thanks to Guy Sebastian, Dami Im, Isaiah, Jessica Mauboy, Montaigne, Sheldon Riley, Voyager and Electric Fields, Australia is no stranger to heading to Eurovision. In November 2024, the iconic song contest is coming to us instead. For the first time ever since beginning in 1956, Eurovision is touring, with an Aussie show now locked in for Melbourne before spring is out. London, Paris, Stockholm, Madrid, Warsaw and Amsterdam are also on the itinerary before and after Eurovision on Tour's Down Under gigs, but its visit to Australia is different. This is the only country receiving multiple concerts, spreading Europop across the nation's east coast — in Sydney and Brisbane as well. The concept dates back to 2019, but the pandemic initially got in the way. After that, it took two years of negotiating to lock in the setup. Now that Eurovision on Tour is officially happening, it'll play The Palais in Melbourne on Friday, November 15 with 18 performers. On the lineup: Australia's own Im and Silia Kapsis, with the latter competing for Cyprus this year. Attendees can also look forward to 1991 winner Carola from Sweden, 2013 winner Emmelie de Forest from Denmark, and everyone from the UK's Nicki French, Portugal's Suzy and Malta's Destiny to Efendi from Azerbaijan, Ovi & Ilinca Bacila from Romania, and both Rosa López and Soraya from Spain — plus Italian African pop star Senhit. Eurovision on Tour Australian Lineup 2024 Senhit (San Marino) Dami Im (Australia) Carola (Sweden) Destiny (Malta) Efendi (Azerbaijan) Emmelie de Forest (Denmark) Esther Hart (Netherlands) Jalisse (Italy) Linda Martin (Ireland) Nicki French (United Kingdom) Ovi & Ilinca Bacila (Romania) Rosa López (Spain) Silia Kapsis (Cyprus) Soraya (Spain) Sunstroke Project (Moldova) Suzy (Portugal) The Roop (Lithuania) Theo Evan (Cyprus)
UPDATE, January 18, 2021: The Truth is available to stream via Stan, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube Movies. What does an acclaimed Japanese filmmaker do after spending his career exploring complicated family dynamics in his homeland, then winning the Cannes Film Festival's top prize for his last effort? If he's Hirokazu Kore-eda, he goes to France. Boiling The Truth down to 'Kore-eda in Paris' is simplistic, and yet it fits perfectly — and that's by no means a bad thing. Neither is dubbing this layered film Kore-eda ode's to French cinema. While the writer/director calls on many of the familiar trademarks that've made his Japanese-language features such hits, he sets them in France, filters them through French cinematic sensibilities, and deploys them in French and English. His first non-Japanese movie mightn't initially seem like the natural successor to Shoplifters, but it actually suits that role nicely. The intricate, intimate family interplay that Kore-eda has spent his filmography studying is universal, after all. When beloved acting veteran Fabienne Dangeville (Catherine Deneuve) welcomes her daughter Lumir (Juliette Binoche), son-in-law Hank (Ethan Hawke) and granddaughter Charlotte (Clémentine Grenier) for a rare visit to her sprawling home, there's much to unpack — for this loving but bickering brood, and for audiences. The family reunion is in celebration of Fabienne's just-published memoir, which Lumir hasn't been given a copy of before she arrives, but has firm views on once she reads it. "I can't find any truth in here!" she comments angrily. "I'm an actress — I won't tell the unvarnished truth," is Fabienne's haughty justification. As well as throwing around the titular term liberally, The Truth follows the pair's attempts to sift through a lifetime of baggage, with the book's many embellishments revealing just how differently they each view Lumir's childhood. Also an actor, Hank watches on, hampered by his inability to speak French. Meanwhile, Charlotte obsesses over grandmother's giant pet turtle, who has the same name as her grandfather. But the fallout from Fabienne's memoir just keeps coming. Her long-term personal assistant, Luc (Alain Libolt), quits because he isn't even mentioned in the book, throwing the household into disarray. That leaves Lumir, a screenwriter, to step in, accompanying her mother as she shoots her latest big-screen role. It's in a sci-fi film called Memories of My Mother, where Fabienne's character grapples with an absent mum — all as Fabienne herself gets envious about her applauded young co-star (Manon Clavel). Not only crafting a film about a strained mother-daughter relationship, but also featuring a film within the film about the same topic, Kore-eda threatens to steer The Truth into obvious territory. But he's always been talented at exposing the complexity lingering beneath seemingly straightforward scenarios — and, perhaps more importantly, twisting such situations into revelatory and insightful family portraits that bubble with honesty. So, he does just that. Specifically, he keeps finding new ways to interrogate the film's eponymous concept, and its relationship to Fabienne and Lumir's life. The Truth ponders the playful fibs told to children, the rose-coloured glasses applied to the past, the gaps that even the most vivid memories can have, and the overt choices made to shape one's own narrative. It also tasks Lumir with scripting dialogue for both her mother and daughter that they can each pass off as their own genuine emotions. There's such depth to the movie's contemplation of its chosen subject that, if you didn't already know, you'd never guess that Kore-eda doesn't speak French himself. The film certainly looks the part, set in well-appointed surroundings, favouring a subtle colour scheme and never overly making a visual fuss. Performance-wise, though, it helps that he's working with two of France's greatest living actors — and that Deneuve couldn't be better cast. Seeing the 76-year-old play a celebrated star who chain smokes, spits out strong opinions, and cares little for her predecessors, peers or successors is a clear case of art imitating life. It's also glorious to watch. Yes, Kore-eda has found yet another way to trifle with the truth, but his film's biggest accomplishment just might be its heft as a character study of Deneuve's irrepressible Fabienne. Binoche more than holds her own in the movie's second substantial role, continuing a stellar spate of very recent performances (in Let the Sunshine In, Non-Fiction, High Life and Who You Think I Am). While Hawke makes a smaller impression, there's no dead weight here. Seeing him weather Fabienne's barbs about Hank's career — because she doesn't consider acting in a streaming series to really be acting — is a classic Kore-eda move, with the director an expert at spying the ripples caused by throwaway comments. That's part of his observational, attuned approach. Cataloguing how family members interact and react in both ordinary and heightened circumstances, he captures the texture and reality of life, including in this characteristically warm, witty, emotionally perceptive addition to his resume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQVotRZUxg4
It's no secret that women in the music industry have a tough time, and sometimes it feels like all we talk about is rampant sexism, female underrepresentation and, well, men. But not today. Nope, today is International Women's Day and you'd be damned to take that away from us. And to help out with the whole amplifying women's voices thing, triple j is dedicating an entire day to the ladies. But this isn't some kind of Richard Mercer Love Songs and Dedications situation. Rather, triple j will bring Girls to the Front and hand over all the programming and content to Australia's biggest boss ladies of music. All day. Can you think of anything more angelic? Running the day will be the radio station's female presenters. You'll have Linda Marigliano on Breakfast, followed by Zan Rowe on Mornings, Gemma Pike at Lunch, Veronica will be joined by Gen Fricker on Drive, and KLP will do her thing on Good Nights. Plus, there'll be a special edition of The Racket hosted by High Tension's Karina Utomo. The music will also be an all-lady affair, with Tkay Maidza, Alpine, Sampa The Great, Tired Lion, Sarah Blasko, Lauren from Chvrches, Little Simz and more sharing their favourite and most inspiring female artists and music. The magic will be carried out on the airwaves over at triple j Unearthed and Double J as well. On Unearthed, garage punk legendary ladies LAZERTITS will play some of their local female faves, while over on Double J Myf Warhurst will speak with Natalie Prass and Ibeyi before music journalist Jessica Hopper programs two epic hours of female music-makers. So turn off Spotify this arvo and listen to some kickass local lady talent — and remind yourself that the music industry isn't just run by dudes. You can get involved by using the #GirlsToTheFront hastag.
Looking to step up your regular trivia game? In the mood for some ghostly fun? Over in Richmond, The National Hotel is giving the humble pub quiz a fun — and sinister — twist with a Halloween instalment of its murder mystery-themed trivia nights. Taking place from 7.30pm on Thursday, October 31, the session will feature four quiz rounds, with punters answering questions and collecting clues along the way to help solve the final whodunit puzzle. Topics will cover everything from pop culture to general knowledge, so you'd best start brushing up on some facts. There's a swag of prizes up for grabs — from jugs of beer to a huge $150 bar tab for the night's champion team. Spooky-themed cocktails will also be on the menu and, given the date, there'll be be prize for the best costume, too. Entry's free and you can even bring along your pup. Round up a team of between four and eight players and book your spot by emailing functions@thenationalhotel.com.au.
Virginia Woolf once said that "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction". Though the former is notoriously hard to come by these days, The Stella Prize is seeking to remedy the situation. Now in its second year, this new literary institution offers $50,000 to the best work from a female author over the course of the past year. Head down to The Wheeler Centre this Thursday, May 1, to see the girl power in full swing. Established as a remedy to the huge gender disparities in the industry, The Stella Prize seeks to draw attention to the great work being done by ladies across the country. Ironically, since its inaugural prize last year, most major literary awards have been dominated by women; the Miles Franklin even had its first all-female shortlist. In the wake of this, this year's prize will spur a discussion: is the gender gap closing? This year's nominees are Anna Krien (Night Games), Hannah Kent (Burial Rites), Fiona McFarlane (The Night Guest), Kristina Olsson (Boy, Lost), Alexis Wright (The Swan Book), and Claire Wright (The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka). First prize will be announced in Sydney on April 30; this event will be a discussion with the winner, 2013 winner Carrie Tiffany, and co-founder Aviva Tuffield. Book your seats here.
How would you like to be in pictures? Screen Australia and YouTube have teamed up to map the Australian summer, and need your films and footage to do it. You can submit footage of your Aussie summer to the YouTube Map My Summer channel but it must have been filmed since December 1 2010. Inspired by Ridley Scott's Life in a Day project, Screen Australia have selected Dr George Miller, of Mad Max, Babe and Happy Feet fame, and short film maker Amy Gebhardt to create a film that captures the essence of Australian summer from all the public submissions. Gebhardt won the right to work alongside Miller thanks to her film Into the Sun, a dreamy, symbolic expression of our relationship with summer. Given the summer Australia has just had, the finished work could end up being anything from a disaster movie to a Jaws remake. Five contributors whose footage is used in the final film will be invited to attend the Sydney Film Festival premiere in June, where the crowd-sourced film will be screened, so get your summery, sub-three-minute video uploaded by the end of March and be a part of it! https://youtube.com/watch?v=QlIfgRqTB7M
Can you think of a better way to spend a muggy, summer night than heading down to St Kilda for an outdoor movie? From November 29 to December 21, American Express is letting you do just that when it brings its outdoor cinema to Melbourne. Movies on the big screen include new hits like Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born, Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong in First Man and the latest Harry Potter instalment Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. All the Christmas classics will be playing, too, including Love Actually, Dirty Dancing and Elf. Fitzroy's Ladro will once again be slinging its woodfired pizza, and a bar, serving 4 Pines beer, Giesen wines, Pimm's and Black Devil Cider, will keep your thirst quenched all night long. In addition, there will be 23 events across the installation, including live music performances, DJs, trivia and a craft area with masterclasses in knitting and macrame. Oh, and it's a dog-friendly space, so you don't need to leave part of your family at home. Plus if you're an Amex user you'll get 15 percent off select tickets, plus a lounger and bites for the movie.
If you're feeling in the need for a refreshing, summer-friendly art experience, head along to the Monash Art Gallery for a squiz at their new exhibition, Life Aquatic. Taking the fact that a whole lot of a) the earth, and b) our bodies are made up of water as a starting point, the exhibition will explore the omnipotence of water through photography as a meeting of science and art. Showcasing a number of underwater landscapes from three different photographers — Narelle Autio, Ruth Maddison and Catherine Nelson — Life Aquatic will remind you that there is life below sea level — and lots of it. Check out the photos, then go for a wander in the Underwater Garden installation at the gallery by Poppies For Grace. Image: Red Nails, Narelle Autio (2006).
Eleven is a peculiar age: no longer rugrats, not quite teenagers (but please don’t call them tweens), today 11-year-olds are privy to more knowledge and information than any generation before them, incidentally making them fascinating fodder for documentary filmmaking. In 2005 Melbourne director Genevieve Bailey embarked on a six-year journey that spanned 15 countries on a mission to capture something of the lives of 11-year-olds around the world. The fruit of her labour is the now internationally acclaimed cinematic portrait of adolescence that is I Am Eleven, which since opening at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2011 has screened in the US, UK, Brazil, France, Sweden, Canada and Spain, winning numerous awards along the way. At once cute, hilarious, deeply touching, intriguing and heartbreaking, Bailey's film transports the viewer back to a time in life when romance looked like a Disney movie, becoming an adult was marked by "your voice changing" and anything seemed possible. Kids say the darndest things. To celebrate the launch of the DVD, Genevieve Bailey will be joined by some of the now nearly full-grown cast of I Am Eleven for a discussion at Readings Carlton this Wednesday. We can only hope little French genius Remi will be there and is still single. Image credit I Am Eleven.
Weekend brunch is set to score a sweet-toothed makeover when two Melbourne favourites join forces to deliver one very indulgent feast. On Sunday, March 22, doughnut doyen Morgan Hipworth (Bistro Morgan) descends on The Smith to co-host a special edition of the bar's weekly bottomless brunch. Guests will tuck into one of the dishes from the collaborative menu, which features plenty of doughnuts. Choose from the likes of a fried chicken french toast crafted with Hipworth's signature dough, a maple bacon doughnut number and a doughnut smashed pav with meringue, lemon curd and white chocolate. It's sweet meets savoury, in the best way possible. The real star of the show, however, will be the stunning doughnut tree, popping up on site exclusively for the occasion. Its branches will be hung with limited-edition cherry blossom doughnuts, ready for punters to pick themselves. And to drink, The Smith bar has dreamt up a special dessert-themed cocktail — topped with a doughnut, of course. Brunchers will score one on arrival, before settling into two hours of free-flowing spritzes and prosecco (from a fountain, no less) with their feast. All of this will set you back $60. The Smith x Bistro Morgan brunch pop-up runs across two sittings: 11am–1pm and 2–4pm.
Wonder Woman. Ghostbusters. Annihilation. Hollywood has come a long way since the film days of yore, when female characters were under-represented and over-sexualised. Hasn't it? Well, maybe not quite. The costuming in this year's Tomb Raider reboot isn't quite as pervy as in the 2001 original, but outside of that there isn't much improvement. Certainly, things aren't different enough to really warrant a remake – or to catch the franchise up with the momentum of progressive feminism. This new film sees a young, broke Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander, replacing Angelina Jolie) follow in the footsteps of her mysteriously deceased adventurer father, crossing land and sea to find out what happened to him. Vikander does her best as the butt-kicking, braid-flicking protagonist – her guts and grizzle were enough to make me ponder my own laughable levels of fitness. That said, the fact I found myself thinking "grrrl you are ripped" about a zillion times gives you an indication of how little else there is to latch onto. Turns out a kick-ass heroine isn't enough to counteract crap writing. The dialogue in Tomb Raider is horribly stilted, so much so that the film's villain sounds like a parody of himself. If you had a dollar for every cliché out of his mouth – or for every time someone says something along the lines of "that's not the type of Croft I am – you'd easily have enough to cover the cost of your ticket. Despite what the writers might think, you can't just take a sub-par line of dialogue and repeat it until it becomes a zinger. The film's plotting, meanwhile, plays like a lazy mix of tropes from Raiders of The Lost Ark and The Hunger Games, with the moody origin story vibes of Batman Begins thrown in. Director Roar Uthaug doesn't manage any of it particularly well, although there are – spoiler alert – a lot of scenes where Vikander struggles in bodies of water, and they're all convincingly shot (I wrote the word "STRESSFUL" several times in my notes). The film also fails to take advantage of its strong supporting cast. Kristin Scott Thomas is chronically underused, while Nick Frost shows up all too briefly to deliver one of the movie's only genuinely funny moments (as opposed to its many unintentionally funny ones). At least the producers thought to cast someone other than a generic Hollywood white guy as Lara's partner in crime. Sadly, Daniel Wu's Lu Ren is relegated to the background in no time, and only pops up when required by the plot. The best bit of the entire Tomb Raider ordeal? To be honest, it was the very attractive promo men swinging around ropes in the foyer before the media screening. When that's the case you know you've got a dud on your hands. Our advice: give this flick a miss. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ndhidEmUbI
You've probably heard all about the power of blockchain, but we bet you didn't know cryptocurrency could get you free burgers and gelato. Well, it can (kind of). To celebrate the launch of Liven Coin (LVN), the world's first digital currency for food, Liven has teamed up with Gelato Messina and 8bit to bring you a whole month of crypto-inspired dishes. And if you're a new Liven user, you can get your hands on them for free — or discounted if you're an existing user. Available in Sydney and Melbourne until Monday, November 19, the limited-edition dishes are both creative and innovative. It allows you the opportunity to invest in LVN coin just by dining at your favourite restaurants and rewards you every time you eat out. 8bit will be serving up the Insert Coin burger with a beef patty, american cheese, smashed avo, feta and the much-loved 8bit sauce. New users can score it for free while existing users will get $5 off. Meanwhile, Gelato Messina will sling scoops of ChipOCurrency, a decadent peanut butter gelato with white chocolate and potato chips. New users can get two scoops for free and existing users get one. If one month of freebies is not enough, Liven is also giving one lucky person free gelato and burgers for 12 beautiful months — all you have to do is enter with a quick comment on this Facebook post. Good luck and happy feasting.
Have you ever felt overshadowed by a more successful sibling? Chin up. Odds are you never felt it as bad as poor old Edmund Shakespeare. A struggling actor fifteen years the junior of his rather more successful older brother, little is known about the youngest Shakespeare boy — well, other than the fact that he may have been the inspiration for the villainous bastard Edmund in his brother's play King Lear. Ouch. Now, some four centuries later, another playwright will draw his inspirations from the life of anonymous Edmund, along with a multitude of other characters both historical and imagined. Edmund. The Beginning is the new one-man show from veteran theatre maker Brian Lipson, who'll take the stage for a limited season at Arts House in North Melbourne. It's Lipson's first solo outing since his acclaimed show A Large Attendance in the Antechamber won a pair of Green Room Awards back in 2000.
A favourite at this year's Sundance and on our critics' best list from last month's Sydney Film Festival, you may have heard about A Ghost Story — the film where Casey Affleck stands around underneath a sheet. Reuniting this year's Manchester by the Sea best actor Oscar winner with his Ain't Them Bodies Saints co-star Rooney Mara and writer/director David Lowery (also of Pete's Dragon), Affleck's character dons the sheet after he is killed — but, despite that, it's still one of the best movies of the year so far. Moody and minimalistic (as a costume anyone could make gives away), the film breathes new (after)life into the idea of haunted houses in a thoughtful and emotion-filled manner. As Affleck's ghost lurks, the movie offers up an astute understanding of how mourning and memories linger over time, and remain forever intertwined with certain places. https://youtu.be/ui92Scs8Mns [competition]630133[/competition]
It's the kind of music event every pet-lover dreams of, and it's back for another year of cute puppies and pumping sounds. That'd be Dogapalooza, of course. Yep, it does have a rather excellent name — and that merry moniker is just the beginning. After wowing crowds with their first fest last year, the dog-friendly shenanigans are bound to get tales wagging again at Richmond's Burnley Park. Expect everything from ethical eating options (including Dogapalooza's own in-house vegan BBQ) to boutique dog product vendors. Even though the music lineup isn't announced until August 26, we're betting that won't find the likes of Bow Wow and Snoop Dog on the bill, as on-theme as they would've been. That said, we're sure that the roster of acts will get your toes tapping regardless — and the paws of your furry best friend, of course. Dogapalooza isn't just about a day of music-oriented bliss in the sun with your pet pooch, though. All proceeds go raised will go towards helping canines in need via Oscar's Law and Melbourne's dog rescue groups Stafford Rescue Victoria, Melbourne Animal Rescue and Puppy Tails Rescue. Dogapalooza takes place at 11am on October 9 at Burnley Park, Richmond. Tickets are on sale now, and check out the festival's Facebook page for more information.
The astroturf has been rolled out and the deck chairs have been prepped for balmy summer nights for South Wharf's annual outdoor cinema. The cinema at outdoor bar Common Man has launched again, offering a program of hard-to-dislike films such as La La Land, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Dirty Dancing and Pretty Woman on a 6x3-metre screen while you wash down that choc top with an espresso martini. Yes, the garden bar will be serving up cocktails, frosé, beer and wine in a can. And if you're hoping not to get out of your seat during the movie, you can also purchase cheese plates and fried chicken beforehand. The cinema will run on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday nights March 31, and tickets are just $14.
You know Melbourne winter has hit when two things arrive: mulled wine and fondue. Transit Bar is following suit and breaking out the molten cheese this winter with a $15 fondue deal, running all-day every Wednesday and Thursday. $15 gets you your choice of fondue, and you can also load up with dessert ($15) or one of Transit's signature cocktails (also $15). There are three different fondues to choose from, and each one comes with a crispy potato rosti, Campari onions and a cress salad. There's the traditional, gooey raclette and Chardonnay fondue; a herby variant with caviar, chives and crème fraiche; or a sinfully sweet black pepper, dark chocolate and raspberry. Take your pick. For dessert, Transit are serving up some freshly piped and fried cinnamon churros with hot chocolate sauce. Bonus points if you order chocolate fondue followed by chocolate churros. Last but not least, Transit is also running half-price oysters between 6pm and 7pm, Friday to Sunday. You know where to go this winter. Images: supplied.
Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and a panther circle around a film, and each other. Who will come out alive? That’s the crux of Serena, a romantic melodrama tantalisingly bleak, though too beholden to its too-obvious symbolism. It strives for the emotional complexity of times and films long since passed, but can only offer a shaky — albeit pretty — approximation. Starting in North Carolina’s golden-hued Smoky Mountains in 1929, a wilful woman and a wild cat enter the life of a Depression-era logger; of course, for all their sleek allure, they’re both omens of worsening times. She is the titular Serena, determined to become involved in a waning timber empire beyond the bounds normally expected of her gender. He is George Pemberton, in love not only with his new wife but with making as much money from his woodland as he can. The feline threatens their livelihood, but no more so than their own vices. Adapting Ron Rash’s 2008 novel of the same name, Serena charts the troubles and tragedies that spring in their wake: feuds, premonitions, medical emergencies and illegitimate children among them. Tangled up in the drama are a jealous business partner (David Dencik), interfering sheriff (Toby Jones), single mother (Ana Ularu), and loyal enforcer (Rhys Ifans). If that sounds over the top and outlandish, that’s because it is. A host of problems and people test the lovers’ fates well into the realm of contrivance and convenience. Serena aims to hark back to features of the Golden Age, where spirited femmes headlined tales of moral corruption as fully realised figures. Here, as the catalyst for drama, the central sultry dame is only ever painted as brash or unhinged. As a love interest, she is only ever idolised or maligned. Starkly absent is the nuance needed to render the film a throwback in anything more than superficial terms — and the insistence upon linking Serena’s untamed nature with the creature stalking through the trees certainly doesn’t help matters. With 2010 foreign-language Oscar winner In a Better World among her output, director Susanne Bier is no stranger to heightened circumstances and the quandaries that arise as a result, though her pedigree amounts for little. A clumsy script proves her undoing, alongside an approach favouring slow reveals at the expense of tension. Plot machinations aplenty aren’t the same as a genuinely involving narrative. Reunited after Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, both Lawrence and Cooper are effective, suffering as they are from the same over-stretched material. Too often, they are reduced to smouldering separately or sliding through a series of sex scenes, always looking the part but never really fitting in. Alas, that’s the attractively shot and staged Serena from start to finish, lumbering along and constantly felling any source of interest. As everything builds towards the inevitable finale, audiences will strain to care just who lasts the length of the feature’s running time.
When it was first published in 2011, A Discovery of Witches swiftly became a bestseller. Thankfully for readers instantly enamoured with Deborah Harkness' supernatural novel, there was more where that came from. The book was just the first instalment in the All Souls trilogy, with its follow-ups arriving in 2012 and 2014 — and, since 2018, fans have been able to watch a TV adaptation starring Australian actor Teresa Palmer as a Yale University historian and witch, as well as Downton Abbey's Matthew Goode as a biochemistry professor and vampire. Palmer plays Diana Bishop, with A Discovery of Witches chronicling her story after she finds a bewitched manuscript and gets reluctantly drawn back into the magical world. Where the show's first season charted her initial efforts to protect the enchanted text, known as Ashmole 782, the currently screening second season kicks off with a jump back to London more than four centuries ago.
"International in flavour, cosmopolitan in style." It seems this nostalgic pop duo know exactly how to describe themselves. Harvey Miller and Monte Morgan may come across as a tongue-in-cheek late '80s novelty band, but it would be a mistake not to take them seriously. Their single from last year, 'Feeling', is some seriously sweet synth-pop that is full of heart, and the latest track 'Free of Fear' summons you to the dance floor — pastel suit and over-sized aviators optional. Client Liaison have built their fan base from their live shows, and they've sold out their last two gigs in Melbourne. If you need further convincing, their music is only currently available as a digital download or vinyl, so if you want to hear everything they've got to offer, get down to the Northcote Social Club. Go on — put it on the Diners Club Card, cash in those Ansett frequent flyer points and party like it's 1989. https://youtube.com/watch?v=oo5VopP64Mk
With the FIFA World Cup kicking off shortly, Nike Football has released part three of its #riskeverything campaign. The film – "The Last Game" – is a five-minute animated feature starring some of the world's greatest footballers, on a mission to save football from the hands of a villainous mastermind, The Scientist. Let the games begin.
Listen to Autre Ne Veut's album Anxiety and you will quickly understand the hype surrounding this young American R&B artist. If you don't have time, just take in 'Play By Play'. Have your credit card handy whilst doing so as by the end of the first chorus you will be reaching for it to secure yourself a ticket to hear that falsetto live as it sends everyone into a dancing frenzy (who would have thought a falsetto could do such a thing?). Join me there. If you would prefer to go with your friends you already know, then that is fine too, just make sure you do not miss Autre Ne Veut, else you'll miss out on the opportunity to say 'I saw him when' five years down the track. https://youtube.com/watch?v=j9uE46sMugw
Melbourne's already home to Australia's first permanent booze-free bar and bottle shop, and it also played host to a zero-alcohol pop-up bar by Dan Murphy's. And now, in huge news for anyone taking it easy on the alcohol front, we're getting the country's first-ever, major low- and no-booze drinks festival. Courtesy of Revel — the minds behind Pinot Palooza and cheese fest Mould — Picolo is set to debut on Saturday, February 11, 2023, at Port Melbourne's Timber Yard. A drinks showcase of not-so-boozy proportions, it's out to spotlight the hottest drops making a splash on Australia and New Zealand's 'no-low' drinks scene; from craft beer and vino, to spirits-style creations and cocktails. Across two sessions (12pm, 5pm), guests will be able to sip their way through goodies from 30 different producers. Expect pours from familiar names like Lyres, Heaps Normal, Four Pillars, NON, Sobah, Banks Botanicals, Giesen and Better Beer, with plenty more to be announced. Also on the bill: a live cocktail competition featuring bar talent from the likes of HER, Pearl Diver and more. Competitors will each whip up their own signature cocktail using products showcased on the day, to be judged by a panel of beverage experts. You'll also enjoy artisan bites from the Mould Cheese Collective stand, DJ tunes, a roller-skating rink, food pop-ups, giveaways and games — including Heaps Normal's 'beersketball' challenge. Tickets to Picolo clock in at $35, which gets you all your tastings and a Revel wine glass to keep. And all that with zero hangover awaiting you the next morning.
Not content with terrifying Melburnians with just one unsettling shipping container installation at a time, the folks at Realscape Productions are bringing all four of their disquieting Darkfield experiences back to the city for another heart-quickening run. The four immersive shows are taking over a Chinatown lot, serving eerie thrills from Friday, December 16–Monday, February 6. For the uninitiated, each of these interactive experiences involves stepping inside a 40-foot steel box, sitting in pitch darkness and listening to a particularly immersive soundscape while the production plays with your sense of reality. Included in the lineup is return favourite Flight, which has you strapping yourself into a section of a real commercial airliner, then pondering the many possible outcomes if the cabin suddenly happened to lose pressure. Séance also plays on the concept of sensory deprivation, but instead thrusts audiences on a journey into the supernatural realm as they join a medium in trying to contact the spirit world. [caption id="attachment_739297" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Flight', by Mihaela Bodlovic[/caption] Meanwhile, Eulogy sees participants transported through a dark, labyrinthine hotel under the guidance of a chaperone, with 60-degree sound and speech recognition technology used to lend an eerie dreamlike vibe. Finally, there's Coma, which unfolds as you lie in a bunk bed and tumble into a dream state along with your fellow supine participants, the total darkness imparting a spooky sense of solitude. The four shows will run at various times throughout the duration of their stay, with general admission tickets available online for $25 ($30 for Eulogy). [caption id="attachment_852678" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Séance'[/caption] Top Image: 'Coma', by Mihaela Bodlovic, Darkfield by Alex Purcell.
Here to kick off your 2023 with a big serve of live, local tunes, is Ferdydurke's latest free music series. Every Thursday night through January, the laneway bar will be heating up to the sound of a different local band playing improv sets, covering everything from jazz and soul, to hip hop and funk. [caption id="attachment_883873" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leilani Bale[/caption] The aptly named Jamuary is set to serve a fresh batch of talent each week, with singers, spoken word artists and rappers invited to head along, take the stage and show off their skills. DJs will be spinning from 7pm, while the bands fire up from 9pm, with acts like Busted Chops, OJ Kush and Beat Science on the lineup. And if you're keen to showcase your talents on stage, there'll be plenty of liquid courage to help you through it, with an exclusive drinks list featuring sips from Illegal Mezcal, Flor de Caña Rum and Four Pillars. Top Image: Melissa Butters
The sunny season has officially kicked off and, even if the weather hasn't quite got the message yet, that means a swag of summery pop-up bars are headed our way. And the latest of those comes courtesy of your mates at Moon Dog. From Friday, December 2, the brewery is setting up shop in the Arts Centre Melbourne forecourt to deliver Summer Paradiso — a season-long pop-up bar and beer garden that'll have you beating the heat in style. In front of the iconic spire, you'll be able to kick back with an array of summery bevs, including a hefty lineup of Moon Dog tap brews and tinnies, the brewery's new Razzler Alcoholic Disco Nectar varieties, Fizzer seltzers, vino and booze-free concoctions. There'll also be a crop of $13.50 cocktails — like the Fizzer Tropical Crush slushie with cranberry. Meanwhile, the Q Barbecue food truck will be slinging a menu of wood-fired smoked delights and accompaniments — think, sticky gochujang and red Sichuan pork ribs, smoked brisket with wild pepper rub, buffalo wings, beef short rib, burnt end nachos and corn ribs, just to name a few. As for the summer's soundtrack, that'll come courtesy of local DJs spinning every Friday through Sunday. Plus, you'll catch a further curation of tunes by SoundBox — a pop-up recording studio hosting a program of gigs, interviews and workshops in the forecourt from November 30–December 11. Summer Paradiso will open from 12–9pm Sunday to Wednesday, and from 12pm–12am Thursday to Saturday.
If you're going to start a distillery in one of Victoria's celebrated wine regions, you need to take a creative approach. So, that's what Bass & Flinders Distillery did. Located on the Mornington Peninsula, it's all about vine-to-bottle spirits, which are exactly what they sound like. When you're sipping Bass & Flinders' brandy, you're sipping a spirit distilled down from chardonnay. If you opt for its gin, you're also tasting a drop made from shiraz. Unsurprisingly, this technique sets the brand's range apart in terms of flavour and texture as well. Also a heavy influence: the region's fresh produce, including its apple orchards, truffles and cherries, as well as native ingredients from the Aussie outback Bass & Flinders operates a distillery door, serving up its grape-based spirits, liquors and brandy seven days a week — and also offers onsite gin and brandy masterclasses.
Welcome to Thornbury will accommodate both your stomach and your flaming sinuses in a three-day event that is the Hot Sauce and Chilli Festival. If spice is your mate and you think you can handle some of the hottest chilli situations Melbourne can throw at you, now's your time to prove your mettle. Some you'll even have to sign a waiver to taste, so you know they'll be life-affirming. There'll be sauce offerings from Melbourne Hot Sauce, Soul Sauce and Little Brixton. If you've come for the actual food side of things, you're in luck, too — Belles Hot Chicken, Mr Burger. Bluebonnet Barbecue, Nem N Nem and Happy Camper Pizza will set up shop over the weekend, among others. And drinks? Well, the bar team will be serving 'hot pocket' shots. That's what you'll need a waiver for (and maybe some milk, too).
Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, one of the superstars of contemporary dance, is taking over the State Theatre with his internationally acclaimed new show. Described by critics as wild, sexy and beautiful, M¡longa brings the tradition of Argentinean tango slinking seductively into the modern age. Drawing inspiration from the late night social dances held in bars across Buenos Aires, Cherkaoui’s show includes a dozen Argentinean dancers, moving across the stage to the sounds of a five-piece band. The marriage of tradition and modernity is accentuated by the performance’s multimedia aspect, with massive projections lighting up an onstage screen. Dance fans had best get in quickly, however, as M¡longa is only in town until Sunday April 5. For performance times and to book tickets, visit the Arts Centre website.
If you fantasised about walking on the moon as a child, you'll be happy to know that these dreams can now become a reality for as little as $20. Well, almost. Scienceworks and Opaque Space — an award-winning Melbourne company that helps train NASA astronauts — have teamed up to create a VR experience that takes you to the moon (and beyond). And while it's not the same as being in space, it's probably the closest you'll get for under $50. The immersive VR experience and multi-player game, which kicks off on Monday, December 17, sounds impressively realistic, too. Running for 40 minutes, the astronaut simulation sees you explore a lunar space station, walk on the moon and 'look down' on earth from above — all while walking around in a seven-square-metre space with a five-kilogram backpack on. Coinciding with Scienceworks' Museum of the Moon installation — a giant floating sculpture of the moon complete with NASA imagery on its surface — Earthlight: Lunar Hub has a capacity for six peeps at a time, so grab your mates and tick 'walking on the moon' off your bucket list. Earthlight: Lunar Hub is open from 10.30am–4.30pm daily. Tickets must be purchased with Scienceworks museum entry.
While Melbourne's got no shortage of great artisan markets happening across the city each weekend, the inner west has missed out on most of the action. But that's changes with monthly market Footscray Finds, which launched in the carpark of Footscray Library in 2017. With a focus on the boutique, the unique and the handmade — and held in conjunction with Maribyrnong City Council — this event's got an offering to rival that of many of its more established, cross-town counterparts. Scheduled for the third Sunday of each month, it showcases a stellar lineup of local producers and makers with a huge array of stalls covering everything from covetable vintage fashion and books, to vinyl, handcrafted homewares and fresh vegan produce. Meanwhile, a rotation of your favourite food trucks serves up easy eats, and local acts will be dropping all sorts of live sets. Anyone wanting to be a stallholder themselves can apply now for a car boot or marquee space, which clock in at $50 each. Footscray Finds will run from 8am till 1pm on the third Sunday of each month. Entry is free.
The team from Pierogi Pierogi are taking over The Gasometer Hotel's kitchen to ring in International Workers' Day the only way they know how. As purveyors of Melbourne's finest handmade Polish dumplings, the market regulars will embrace the revolutionary spirit with traditional pierogi, hearty soups, pickled fish, and lots and lots and lots of vodka. Pierogi Pierogi promise to "put a tasty dumpling-shaped spanner into the machinations of an oppressive flavourless state". Plus, in addition to the Polish cuisine, the night will feature music from gypsy jazz band Hello Tut Tut. It all goes down from 5pm until late on Sunday, April 30.
Pasta and parmesan are one of Italian cuisine's perfect pairings. Eat the former without the latter, and your tastebuds will know the difference. And while sprinkling your spaghetti with fine shavings of hard cheese is all well and good (and delicious), that's nothing compared to devouring a bowl of pasta that has been prepared inside a parmesan wheel. If it sounds like all of your culinary dreams come true, that's because it is — and it's the dish in the spotlight at Cucinetta's returning Parmesan Cheese Wheel special. After a swag of successful previous events in past years, the South Yarra restaurant is bringing this cheesy fettucini situation back to start off 2024. Once again, this special means serving up the Italian specialty pasta cacio e pepe straight out of a wheel of 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano. You'll pay $36.90, with the special running across the entire month. Given that cacio e pepe is a pasta concoction made with parmesan and pepper — think: fancier, tastier mac 'n' cheese — the results promise quite the cheesy meal. The dish will be available at Cucinetta from 12–3pm and 5–9.30pm Monday–Thursday, plus 12pm till close Friday–Sunday, all between Monday, January 1–Wednesday, January 31. We'd tell you to arrive hungry, but we're sure that just thinking about it already has you feeling ravenous. Updated January 10.
Melbourne Art Week is on the way, and Chunky Move is kicking off things on the right foot, so to speak. Company dancer Niharika Senapati will run a Dance Class Party on Friday, August 3, combining sweat with tunes for some inner and outer good feels. Having appeared in Chunky Move works including Depth of Field, Rule of Thirds, ANTI-GRAVITY and Accumulation, Senapati will be putting her considerable talent into a dance party designed to warm you up for the weekend. Think you've got two left feet? Doesn't matter — the Dance Class Party is all-inclusive, with everyone welcome to roll on up and enjoy the disco ball and smoke machine and live your teenage dance dreams. Plus, the ticket price of $15 includes a drink on arrival, a pre-cursor to a bangin' Friday night for sure. The party will be held in the Chunky Move studios right behind Melbourne Art Fair's 2000-square-metre pop-up marquee, Vault Hall.
When Bong Joon-ho's Parasite won Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or in 2019, it became the second movie in as many years to nab the coveted prize for exploring class and wealth inequality through a tale of family. The year prior, when Hirokazu Kore-eda's Shoplifters scored the same gong, it too examined the ties that bind, plus the societal circumstances that conspire against and complicate such bonds. Indeed, that's the Japanese filmmaker's favourite subject. In a career spanning over three decades, he keeps being drawn to people who are drawn together, sometimes by biology and sometimes because that's simply the hand that fate has played in shaping a makeshift brood. It's fitting, then, that Kore-eda's latest Broker — his second feature since that big win — stays true to his go-to topic while also starring Parasite's Song Kang-ho. This is Kore-eda's first South Korean film, following 2019's French and English The Truth, which was his first non-Japanese picture. This is vintage Kore-eda, in fact, and it's warm, wise, wonderful, canny and complex. No matter how his on-screen families come to be, if there's any actual blood between them, whether they're grifting in some way or where in the world they're located, the Japanese writer/director's work has become so beloved — so magnificent, too — due to his care and sincerity. A Kore-eda film is a film of immense empathy and, like Like Father, Like Son, Our Little Sister, After the Storm and The Third Murder also in the prolific talent's past decade, Broker is no different. The setup here is one of the filmmaker's murkiest, with the feature's name referring to the baby trade. But showing compassion and humanity isn't up for debate in Kore-eda's approach. He judges the reality of modern-day life that leads his characters to their actions, but doesn't judge his central figures. In the process, he makes poignant melodramas that are also deep and thoughtful character studies, and that get to the heart of the globe's ills like the most cutting slices of social realism. It isn't just to make a buck that debt-ridden laundromat owner Sang-hyun (Song, Emergency Declaration) and orphanage-raised Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won, Peninsula) take infants abandoned to the Busan Family Church's 'baby box' — a chute that's exactly what it sounds like, available to mothers who know they can't embrace that part for whatever reason — then find good families to sell them to. There's a cash component, of course, but they're convinced that their gambit is better than letting children languish in the state system. In Kore-eda's usual kindhearted manner, Broker sees them with sensitivity. Even if blue hues didn't wash through the film's frames, nothing is ever black and white in the director's movies. The same understanding and tenderness flows towards mothers like So-young (Lee Ji-eun, Hotel Del Luna, aka K-Pop star IU), whose decision to leave Woo-sung (debutant Park Ji-yong) isn't easily made but puts Broker on its course. It's on a rainy night that So-young farewells Woo-sung, placing him gently in the hatch packed with blankets and soundtracked by lullabies, and leaving a note to say that she'll be back to claim him. She's nervous and tentative, peering around to see if anyone is watching — astutely so, because two groups are waiting on her significant choice. The traffickers have their plan to enact, while detectives Su-jin (Doona Bae, The Silent Sea) and Lee (Lee Joo-young, Rose Mansion) are keen to catch them. Muddying matters for both: unlike what usually happens in this situation, So-young does genuinely return for her baby. So sparks a road trip with Sang-hyun, Dong-soo and football-loving seven-year-old Hae-jin (first-timer Seung-soo Im), a runaway orphan, to meet Woo-sung's prospective adoptive parents, all with the cops on their trail as part of a six-month investigation. Broker's plot is never straightforward, nor are the questions it incites — questions about what family truly means, what governments say it's supposed to and why a ragtag group of outsiders can find a greater sense of belonging together on the run than anywhere else. Without offering any simple justifications, answers or solutions, Kore-eda ensures that the factors that lead So-young to the baby box, and Sang-hyun and Dong-soo to the illicit adoption market, constantly demand the audience's attention. "This car is filled with liars," Dong-soo says mid-trip, but it's the why behind that statement that sits at Broker's core. Like in Shoplifters before it, Kore-eda queries the forces that've made his characters who they are, brought them to this juncture and meant that the choices they're making feel like the only ones they can. Here, that includes pondering expectations placed upon women whether or not they're mums, the baggage attached to motherhood, the alternatives to baby boxes, and the stark truth that bringing life into the world and having a family aren't the same things. If he'd decided that literature rather than cinema was his medium of choice, there's no doubting that Kore-eda would've made an excellent novelist. His plots are that layered, perceptive, generous, emotional and involving. Also, in his TV adaptation The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, one of 2023's streaming delights, he showed that he's equally as skilled at bringing tales from the page to the screen. But filmmaking is clearly Kore-eda's calling — and he's such a masterful visual storyteller, not to mention an affectionate movie craftsman, that it's forever plain to see why. Enlisting the great South Korean cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo, a veteran not just of the aforementioned Parasite but also Bong's Snowpiercer and Mother, Na Hong-jin's 2016 standout The Wailing and Lee Chang-dong's sublime Burning from 2018, he gives Broker an earthy, lived-in, clear-eyed and yet eternally hopeful look. Falling rain, cramped rooms, cosy car rides, sprawling countryside, everyday phone calls: this film, and Kore-eda and Hong, make each one stun and say, well, everything. Broker's score by Jung Jae-il (another Parasite alum, and also Squid Game's composer) — plus the movie's spectacular use of Amy Mann's 'Wise Up' on its soundtrack, nods to Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia and all — are just as impressively and attentively fashioned. Nothing quite makes a Kore-eda feature what it is like his way with casting, though, pairing his empathetic stories with actors who gracefully live and breathe the same trait under his gaze. Accordingly, Kore-eda and the always-exceptional Song are a match made in cinematic heaven; it's no wonder that the latter deservedly earned Cannes' 2022 Best Actor prize for his latest phenomenal performance as a complex patriarch-type. Kore-eda and Bae is just as sterling a duo, too, especially when it comes to conveying yearning within this already bittersweet tale. Every heartfelt portrayal in Broker gets its audience feeling, however, including the scene-stealing Lee as a woman facing impossible choices, and pivotal baby Park.
UPDATE — MAY 8, 2019: Palace Cinemas has extended the Moro Spanish Film Festival to Sunday, May 12, with additional screenings of the festival's most popular films. 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 Moro Spanish Film Festival. In short: this year's April–May fest presents the best of both worlds across a 32-title program. In Melbourne, it kicked off on Thursday, April 18, 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. At the other end of the event is a bona fide classic: Pedro Almodóvar's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, the 1988 black comedy is one of the movies that first helped bring Antonio Banderas to fame. Other program highlights include action-packed bank robbery drama 70 Big Ones 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 Rojo delves into corruption before the country's mid-70s coup, while Tremors explores a Guatemalan family's secrets. 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 Moro Spanish Film Festival will screen at Melbourne's Astor Theatre, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, The Kino and Palace Westgarth from April 18 to May 8. For more information and to book tickets, visit the website.
Self-sufficiency is not simply an environmental goal but an all-consuming way of life for Spanish design company, Elii Studio. With their brilliant new invention — the Jane Fonda Kit House — these Mediterranean innovators have created an experimental home powered almost entirely through that most futuristic of technologies: human movement. The concept itself is startlingly simple. The house, which resembles something between a DIY greenhouse and an M.C. Escher design, is fitted with a number of low-tech exercise devices hooked up to some pretty high-tech generators. Every time you punch out some sit-ups, jump on the exercise bike or even water the plants, these generators convert your kinetic energy into energy that can be used to power your household appliances. Thus, the fitter you get get yourself, the more episodes of Game of Thrones you can watch. While JF-Kit may certainly isn't for everyone, if you're the kind of person who likes to put their fitness first and likes to keep energy expenses to a minimum, then this might just be future-you's perfect home. Via Inhabitat
Pack your sleeping bag and don your warmest flannels — Melbourne's annual mass sleepover is returning for another year. The house you'll be heading to? None other than the MCG. Yep, the MCG. But instead of 100,000 screaming footy fans, the ground will host around 1800 sleepers for the largest mass sleeper event ever in the city. Hosted by Melbourne City Mission, the event raises awareness and funds to support youth homelessness in Melbourne. You'll be kept entertained with live music, handball competitions run by AFL players, giveaways and even guided meditation to help you fall asleep. Come dressed in your best sleep attire for the sleepwear fashion competition and learn about the core challenges of homelessness that over 6000 young people face in Melbourne. Registration costs $70, and includes a cardboard box to sleep on, a dinner of warm soup, coffee, tea and a basic breakfast the following morning. You're encouraged to raise further funds with your fam and friends to help Melbourne City Mission reach its goal of $1.2 million. While you don't actually get to sleep on the hallowed turf (sorry, footy fans), but, still, there's still nothing quite like sleeping at the 'G. There's also nothing quite like sleeping outside on the brink of Melbourne winter, which should help you realise the magnitude of what it means to be homeless. If you can't make it on the night, you can show your support by donating here.
