The woodfired breads at Cherry Moon are so good, the bakery regularly sells out. But inner west locals don't just flock to the venue for its doughy goods, the cafe and general store also has impressive house-made ferments, pickles and tasty brunch fare. The 20-seat venue is run by long-time hospitality vet and pastry chef Kimmy Gastmeier (Rockpool, Tetsuya's and The Porteño Group) and her friend Aimee Graham, with a little help from Aimee's husband Kenny Graham (Mary's Underground, The Lansdowne and The Unicorn) and the rest of the Mary's Group. Fed up with the Sydney hospo scene, Gastmeier left for the Blue Mountains some years ago, where she started the Cherry Moon brand by baking her goods out of hired kitchens. But now, Cherry Moon finally has a permanent home — and Gastmeier and Graham are doing things the old-school way. "I'm interested in artisanal food, woodfiring and staying true to the traditions of whole foods," says Gastmeier, who purchased a traditional scotch oven from an old Ballarat bakery (made way back in 1869) for the shop and rebuilt it with a master oven builder. "A lot of people were coming in and thinking we're a regular cafe," says Gastmeier. "But we're more of a bakery and the menu really showcases the oven." All of the bread is made using ancient grains like emmer and spelt, along with stone-ground flour from Gunnedah's Wholegrain Milling Company. The team also roasts whole pumpkins in the fire embers and smokes potatoes in whey, which is leftover from the house-made ricotta (served wrapped in fig leaf) and cultured butter. Apart from all the bread, Cherry Moon is also baking pastries, galettes, fruit tarts and seasonal tarte tatin, along with Italian-style cream puffs. Portuguese custard tarts are cooked in the woodfired oven, too, as are sourdough pizzas. A small cafe menu is also up for grabs and includes the likes of sourdough topped with avocado, tomato, basil and finger lime; and plates of woodfired cauliflower served with burrata, harissa, fermented zucchini and cashew and chickpea cream. Charcuterie and ploughman's lunches are also on the docket for the near future. On the general store shelves, you'll find Aimee Graham's fermented goods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, keffir and tonics. Other drinks include coffee by Newtown's 212 Blu, a house chai blend and cold-pressed orange and green juices. And, to round out this already impressive offering, Cherry Moon is also scooping ice cream made in-house using all native and foraged ingredients — at the moment, there are fig leaf and saffron, wattle seed, plum and fennel pollen, and peach melba varieties. "I want it to feel like you're stepping back in time to grandma's kitchen," says Gastmeier. "So everything is served on beautiful old crockery, plates and silverware, and there's a lot of 1960s bric-a-brac." Speaking of grandmothers, it was Gastmeier's grandma who put her through chef's school at the age of 16, and the Cherry Moon logo is in her handwriting. Images: Kitti Gould Appears in: The Best Bakeries in Sydney for 2023
Charging your smartphone will soon be as foolproof as placing it on your coffee table. Taking already existing technology and fusing it into your own home, Swedish retail giants and regular media-baiting happening creators Ikea have jumped on wireless power capabilities to release built-in wireless charging furniture. According to the Wall Street Journal, this will be the first time built-in wireless chargers are available to consumers from a mass-market furniture retailer. Ikea made the big announcement on Sunday at Barcelona's Mobile World Congress. They've recruited the likes of Qi for the collection, a wireless power standard from the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). Alongside two other standards, this is one of the companies responsible for the wireless charging technology you would have already seen in airports, cafes and hotels and generally lost your shit over a few years ago. But until now, major furniture stores haven't taken advantage of the downright convenience of the technology, or the logic in embedding the charging capability in surfaces you already rest your smartphone on during charge times. So how does it work? Qi does away with all those dastardly cables and the annoyance of choosing between model connections, as the furniture itself is the one plugged in. When switched on, the lamp base, coffee table or side table's energy or bookshelf transfers to your smartphone or tablet (yep, maaaaagic), depending whether or not it supports Qi charging — there's 81 Qi-compatible types of smartphone, but iPhones aren't one of them, sorry Apple fans. Apparently the wireless charging-capable furniture will cost a mere $22 more than regular furniture from Ikea, proving the Swedish homeware giants truly have money to burn and credibility to gain. If all goes well with the embedded furniture line, you could be able to buy a wireless charging kit to fit to your existing, beloved dining table soon for about $34, which is a lot cheaper than replacing all those lost, broken chargers of yours. The wireless-charging furniture collection will hit Ikea shelves in Europe and the US on April, 15, followed by a global roll-out, so keep 'em crossed. Via Wall Street Journal.
A bookstore may have sadly departed the neighbourhood, but in its place is something equally as appreciated. Brewtown Newtown is keeping the literary mourners happy by serving up some quality food and drink. The handiwork is indebted to Charles Cameron and Simon Triggs, who met when working at Toby's Estate. Since then, they've had respective stints at Single Origin and Gnome Espresso, so it's no wonder Brewtown is shaping up to be a success. Fashioned from what used to be Berkelouw Books, the warehouse-type space is simplistic in its raw fit-out: industrialised green lamps hang from steel beams above and exposed brick walls run the length of the cafe. An extended counter showcases the baristas at work and there is ample space for wooden tables and chairs at which to sit. A sizeable staircase leads to a second level where pop-up shops showcase an eclectic mix of local designers and artisan goods. Downstairs, as the name suggests, coffee takes centrestage. The far end of the counter is home to the designated brew bar where the 'steampunk mod' replicates a variety of brewing methods — such as aeropress or pour over — via a computer. The fancy-looking gizmo effectively saves time without compromising on quality. Another impressive gadget set-up alongside is the cold-brew tap that pours out an invigorating cold-pressed coffee ($6). Steeped in cold water for 12 hours, it's the perfect caffeine hit for a summer's day. If none of these elaborate brews are your thing, the espresso machine to the right is pumping out a robust latte otherwise ($3.50). Food wise, the menu does not fail to impress. Designed around quality produce-driven dishes, breakfast includes sumptuous offerings such as a mini egg benedict brioche roll ($8.50); baked polenta with mushrooms, grilled asparagus, poached egg and parmesan ($15); or beetroot cured ocean trout with avocado smash on rye ($16.50) — all of which satisfy that rumbling morning stomach. If you've visited in-between meals, try something sweet to have with your coffee. Pastries are made in-house and we hear that Brewtown's cronuts are building quite the reputation. Lunch dishes are equally as notable, with sophisticated options at reasonable prices. Duck ravioli with porcini and wild mushroom ($16.50) appears to be a popular choice, so too does a poached chicken salad with quinoa ($14). But it's not all fancy-pants at Brewtown: sandwich lovers unite, the quintessential Reuben ($14) makes an appearance and ye' old chicken and mayo stops in for a visit too ($10). It might be a simplistic inclusion on the menu, but it's a smart strategy from this engaged team. And engaged they all are: the troops manning the floor are all incredibly with-it, and service is faultless, even on a busy Saturday morning. Newtown has a healthy storm brewing here and despite the upsetting departure of yet another bookstore, we're most pleased to have Brewtown in the 'hood.
Pizza-on-wheels food truck Happy as Larry has found a permanent park in Sydney's CBD. The team will now be slinging their wood-fired favourites from their new flagship shop in the MetCentre. The casual Italian eatery is a laidback lunch affair with a main bar feature made from sheets of recycled shipping container — a thoughtful nod to the brand's food truck roots. The team behind this venture includes Happy as Larry co-owners/childhood friends Anthony Severino (head pizzaiolo), Chris Lu (Bondi Hardware) and Adam Choker (The Grounds of Alexandria), the latter of whom also co-own Flower Child Chatswood and recently opened a Warringah outpost. The made-to-order cafe menu, is focused on pizzas and pastas. Severino spent the last few months perfecting his own dough recipe and, as with the truck, his pizzas pay homage to the Neapolitan classic while being noticeably lighter, crispier and topped with non-traditional ingredients — there's the lobster ($26), topped with black truffle pate, oyster mushroom and sea salt, or the lasagne ($18), topped with ricotta, beef and pork ragu. Traditional pies also make the cut, like the margherita ($15) and diavola ($18), while their ever-popular (though blasphemous to Italians) speck and pineapple ($17) stands loud and proud. For mains, the Tasmanian crispy skin salmon on squid ink lasagna comes with chilli jam and cauliflower puree ($24). For the city crowd, they're also serving up a pretty standard yet tasty-sounding brekkie menu, featuring house-baked granola, acai bowls and eggs benny. The real morning draw will be for the coffee — sourced from The Grounds — and the pastries, which are made daily in-house and include their beloved Nutella doughnuts. They're also offering up shakes, smoothies and homemade sodas, with an alcohol license not far away. While the truck will no longer be rolling around town, it is still available for private functions and epic house parties. Happy as Larry is now open at the MetCentre, Shop MG14, 23 Jamison, Sydney. Open for breakfast and lunch, Monday through Friday from 7am to 4pm and delivery from 10am-9pm.
Sydney's due for a new blockbuster exhibition, having farewelled Tatsuo Miyajima and Nude weeks ago. Weeks. We're a little demanding. Things have been a little too quiet on the large-scale institutional exhibition front. But we're ready for some solid gallery hopping, and considering this is an off-Biennale year, we're lucky an ambitious new citywide exhibition has just landed in Sydney. The Art Gallery of NSW, Carriageworks and the MCA have joined forces to bring you a new, whizzbang multi-space exhibition. Titled The National: New Australian Art, it showcases works by 48 contemporary Australian artists who range from emerging to mid-career to established. The first edition opens on March 30, with the second and third to follow in 2019 and 2021. Prepare to meet installations, performances, sculptures, videos, paintings and drawings that express perspectives on Australia you probably haven't considered before. Here, we take a look at ten highlights. [caption id="attachment_615634" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, The Cave (2016-17). Installation view, The National 2017, Carriageworks. Photograph: Zan Wimberley.[/caption] THE CAVE BY RAMESH MARIO NITHIYENDRAN, CARRIAGEWORKS Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran's The Cave is not for the faint-hearted. Like all caves, it promises magic and mystery and, in this case, prepare to be greeted by a giant, glowing phallus. It's the backdrop for sculptures made of all kinds of weird and wonderful materials — from chicken wire and painted polystyrene to Indian human hair, dentures, rubber snakes, rubber horses and shells. The experience might have you running away and sleeping overnight in a cave of your own. [caption id="attachment_615649" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rose Nolan, Big Words – To keep going, breathing helps (circle work) (2016–17). Installation view, The National 2017: New Australian Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney. Image courtesy the artist and Anna Schwartz Gallery © the artist. Photograph: Ken Leanfore.[/caption] BIG WORDS — TO KEEP GOING, BREATHING HELPS BY ROSE NOLAN, MCA Most artists are a bit obsessed with space. If it's not the space within their work they're worrying about, it's the space outside — whether the piece is headed for a gallery or a non-traditional spot. Rose Nolan's Big Words - To keep going, breathing helps, a massive curtain made of red and white hessian discs and arranged in a spiral, invites you in. Walk around it, walk through it, walk forwards, walk backwards — from every angle you'll a new perspective. [caption id="attachment_615621" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yhonnie Scarce, Death Zephyr (2017). Courtesy the artist, Melbourne and THIS IS NO FANTASY + dianne tanzer gallery, Melbourne © Yhonnie Scarce.[/caption] DEATH ZEPHYR BY YHONNIE SCARCE, AGNSW This dramatic installation immerses you in a dispersing atomic cloud, made up of hundreds of hand-blown glass tear drops. These are the work of Yhonnie Scarce, a Woomera-born, Melbourne-based artist of Kokatha and Nukunu heritage, whose art explores the impacts of politics and events on Indigenous communities. Death Zephyr is a response to the British nuclear testing that devastated Maralinga and nearby areas in the '50s and '60s. [caption id="attachment_615640" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Khadim Ali, The Arrival of Demons (2017). Installation view, The National 2017: New Australian Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 2016, supported by Veolia Environmental Services. Image courtesy the artist and Milani Gallery © the artist. Phototograph: Ken Leanfore.[/caption] THE ARRIVAL OF DEMONS BY KHADIM ALI, MCA You can't miss The Arrival of Demons. Seriously, its 15 x 7 metres of demonic gloriousness have taken over the entire wall of the multi-levelled MCA foyer. Pakistan-born, Sydney-based artist Khadim Ali is preoccupied with demons and this particular bunch is from a Shahnama/The Book of Kings, a 10th-century epic poem, which Ali's grandfather read to him when he was a kid. The mural is a reference to the waiting process endured by asylum seekers who arrive in Australia. [caption id="attachment_615635" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Archie Moore, United Neytions (2014-17). Installation view, The National 2017, Carriageworks. Image: Zan Wimberley.[/caption] UNITED NEYTIONS BY ARCHIE MOORE, CARRIAGEWORKS This uplifting collection of artworks masquerading as flags fills the entrance to Carriageworks' branch of The National with colour and vibrancy. With it, Archie Moore, a man of Kamilaroi heritage, defies the colonial idea that Australia's Aboriginal people were 'nomads' without any attachment to land or place. The flags represent 28 Aboriginal nations, as laid out in an important yet flawed map, by anthropologist R.H. Mathews. Each design is inspired by local flora and fauna. [caption id="attachment_615623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gordon Bennett, artworks from Home Decor (after M. Preston) (2012), © Gordon Bennett.[/caption] HOME DECOR (AFTER M. PRESTON) #14, GORDON BENNETT, MCA When Gordon Bennett died in 2014, Australia lost one of its most important artists. This series of bold, abstract paintings, completed in 2012, was his final work. It challenges Margaret Preston's appropriation of Aboriginal designs for home decor in the 1920s, through the reappropriation and transformation of them into stunning, formalist art. Bennett was committed to exploring the postcolonial experience and confronting racist stereotypes at all levels of culture and society. [caption id="attachment_615644" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gunybi Ganambarr, Coastline of Grindall Bay (2016). Image courtesy the artist and Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre © the artist.[/caption] BUYKU AND GAPU BY GUNYBI GANAMBARR, AGNSW Walking among Gunybi Ganambarr's pieces, you experience a powerful sense of his Country — northeast Arnhem Land, where he works in the tiny community of Gängan. The centrepiece is a series of larrakitj (memorial poles), featuring miny'tji (sacred clan patterns). Their timber, earthy colours and natural textures contrast with the surrounding pieces, which are made of bits and pieces salvaged from mining and construction sites. One, titled Gapu, which is based on rubber from a conveyor belt but marked with miny'tji, is a symbol of conflicts over land rights. [caption id="attachment_615622" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Taloi Havini, Habitat, still, detail (2017). Image courtesy the artist and Andrew Baker Art Dealer © the artist. Image: Nicole Foreshew.[/caption] HABITAT BY TALOI HAVINI, AGNSW For ten minutes and 40 seconds, this mesmerising video installation carries you to Papua New Guinea's Panguna copper mine. Opened in 1972 by Bougainville Copper Limited, a subsidiary of Aussie company Conzinc Rio Tinto, the mine triggered a decade-long civil war between land owners and the PNG Defence Force, leaving 20,000 dead. Taloi Havini contrasts bird's eye views of poisoned waterways with those of healthy, tropical vegetation, and brings you close-up shots of the locals' experience: prospecting for gold and cooking in a toxic environment. [caption id="attachment_615633" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Richard Lewer, Never Shall Be Forgotten — A Mother's Story (still, detail) 2017. Image courtesy the artist, Sullivan+Strumpf and Hugo Michell Gallery © the artist.[/caption] NEVER SHALL BE FORGOTTEN — A MOTHER'S STORY BY RICHARD LEWER, CARRIAGEWORKS In 1983, John Pat, a 16-year-old Yindjabarndi man, died in police custody in Roebourne, Western Australia. He had been caught in a brawl outside the Victoria Hotel involving five off-duty officers and, despite the autopsy revealing that John had received ten blows to the head, the officers were acquitted three weeks later by an all-white jury. In this moving video installation, New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based artist Richard Lewer tells John's story through the eyes of his mother, Mavis Pat, drawing on a combination of hand-drawn animation, high-definition video and stereo sound. [caption id="attachment_615643" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ronnie van Hout, I know everything (detail) (2017). Installation view, The National 2017: New Australian Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney. Image courtesy the artist, Darren Knight Gallery and STATION Gallery © the artist. Photograph: Felicity Jenkins.[/caption] I KNOW EVERYTHING BY RONNIE VAN HOUT, MCA When you first walk into I Know Everything, you feel like you're entering a fun day care centre. After all, you're surrounded by life like, 3D sculptures of kids playing. But, look closer and you'll notice that their faces are too old for their bodies. And they all resemble one person: artist Ronnie Van Hout. This dynamic, unsettling work challenges traditional notions of self-portraiture. The National is showing at Art Gallery of NSW from 30 March-16 July, at Carriageworks from 30 March-25 June and at the MCA from 30 March-18 June. Starting with Carriageworks? Don't miss these five things to see there alone. Top image: Khadim Ali, standing in front of his work, The Arrival of Demons (2017). Installation view, The National 2017: New Australian Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 2016, supported by Veolia Environmental Services. Image courtesy the artist and Milani Gallery © the artist. Phototograph: Ken Leanfore.
Sydney Fringe's 2018 program is ambitious — it features over 400 shows in more than 60 venues across six hubs and 21 postcodes. From the Oxford Street arts precinct — which will host 28 free gigs on opening night — to the Old 505 in Newtown to Friday night music events in Parramatta's CBD, the festival will have you zipping all over the city to cram in as much theatre, comedy, music and partying as possible in between September 1 and 30. There's a lot of ground to cover, but these events should help get you started.
Summer is close, and so is the summer festival season. Now is the time to sit down and have a long hard think about where you're going to allocate the festival money you've been saving up this year. We reccomend the ten below. Whether you're in Victoria over New Years Eve for Beyond the Valley, or taking a trip to Tasmania later in the summer to Party in the Paddock, these festivals tick all the boxes when it comes to camping facilities, scenery, amenities, crowds and of course, music. Just so you know, we're running a competition with Teva where you can win yourself a pair of their Arrowood boots, a tent, water bottle and a whole bunch of camping things that will make your life easier. Pack your tent and your 24-hour deodorant — it's summer festival season. LOST PARADISE December 29-31 Glenworth Valley, New South Wales Lost Paradise, held in the picturesque Glenworth Valley an hour from Sydney, has upheld an image as one of the more wholesome Australian music festivals. This is its third year, and it's set to be a banger. Lost Paradise is renowned for its food line-up, but it's well catered for in the camping department too, with the whole spectrum of outdoor living arrangements available — from super luxe glamping to renting a basic tent, with many stylish options in between. The holistic vibe appears in attractions like yoga, massages, sound baths, and kayaking. We're mostly loving the 2016 lineup though — Flight Facilities, Fat Freddy's Drop and Hot Chip are on it. Kapow. SOUTHBOUND January 8-10 Busselton, Western Australia Western Australia's Southbound is popular with people who like tents. You can bring your own esky and food (not booze unfortunately), you can camp with your car and there are have loads of amenities available to use over the three day event. The festival takes place a few hours drive outside of Perth, make a trip out of it and go wine tasting, surfing and sky-diving. This year's line up has Hermitude, Drapht and Boo Seeka, among many others. PARTY IN THE PADDOCK February 10-12 Burns Creek, Tasmania Party in the Paddock is yet another reason to love Tasmania. The festival takes place in White Hills, which is 25 minutes outside Launceston. The range of artists is huge — there's Sticky Fingers, Sampa the Great and The Bad Dad Orchestra, and then there's a huge number of spots reserved for new and upcoming acts. You'll likely find your new favourite band at PITP. It's known as one of the friendliest festivals going around, and there's free camping with a first in best dressed approach. See also: beer gardens, general stores, bathrooms, food and juice bars a plenty. MEREDITH MUSIC FESTIVAL December 9-11 Meredith, Victoria Starting in 1991, Meredith Music Festival takes place in the country town of Meredith, Victoria. It's one of the longest standing festivals there is, and it is blissfully free of commercial intervention. It's finest feature is the fact that it's BYO. Yes, you may bring your own alcohol. Camping is free and self-allocating. Meredith is a nature-focused festival that marches to its own beat. Its extremely strict "no dickhead policy" should be instated at all festival across Australia. Right on. There are massages, Tai Chi and an 'Arch of Love' at Meredith, as well as an outdoor cinema. Also, Peaches is playing. We're in. BEYOND THE VALLEY December 28 - January 1 Lardner, Victoria Having an energy supply tent area is sure to make your festival popular with campers. Beyond the Valley has one, it's called Electric City, and it certainly makes it a popular place to spend New Years Eve. It's free to camp, and the area has a pretty lovely view of Lardner Park in Victoria. There's the basic camping option, the luxury option, and the bell tent option. This year's lineup is killer — it's got Ladyhawke, Jarryd James, The Delta Riggs and Emma Louise. [caption id="attachment_589321" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Zakarij Kaczmarek.[/caption] SECRET GARDEN February 24-25 Brownlow Hill Farm, New South Wales With a a big emphasis on fancy dress and high detail costumes, Secret Garden is a 48-hour forest disco, and it's one of the most popular festivals going around. For those who like a condensed party full of shiny, colourful characters covered in glitter that look like disco tree fairies — the Garden might be your festival camping pick. Camping is free, tent hire is available and an always joyous list of acts is only announced after the festival sells out. It sells every year. That's confidence. PARADISE MUSIC FESTIVAL November 25-27 Marysville, Victoria Rather than going for the big names, Paradise music festival focuses on getting the smaller acts, so it's one for the music connoisseurs. The three day event is held in Victoria, and has views over the Great Dividing Range. It's a pretty self-sufficient affair for campers — BYO pretty much everything, which is great news for those who like to do camping their own way. There's an emphasis on local and unsigned acts and a strong level of industry alliance at Paradise, it's not to be missed for devotees or those looking to discover their new favourite band. STRAWBERRY FIELDS November 17-20 Tocumwal, New South Wales A celebration of art, sounds and creative expression, Strawberry Fields is an all encompassing sensory experience. A few hours outside of Melbourne, stages, venues and pop ups are like the pirate ship above are design-focused and curated to showcase art and music. There are workshops, experimental sounds, emerging artists and decor displays — this is an artistic-muso-camper's dream. It's one of the few festivals that allow RVs, teepees, tents, and caravans inside. MOUNTAIN SOUNDS February 17-18 Mount Penang Parklands, NSW One of the more boutique music and cultural festivals near the Central Coast in NSW, Mountain Sounds scored RUFUS as headliners this year. Cars and camper vehicles are allowed on the grounds, and tents can be hired for the weekend as well. The amenities are basic, but abundant, and while it doesn't have some of the flashier conveniences of the others, it has a low-key and unpretentious vibe. FALLS MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL New Years Eve New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia The Avalanches are just one of the artists who have just been announced in the full 2016 lineup for Falls Festival this year, alongside Childish Gambino, London Grammar, Grouplove, Broods, Jamie T, Parquet Courts and heaps, heaps more. As always, Falls will be heading to Lorne in Victoria for four nights, and Marion Bay in Tassie and Byron Bay on the NSW coast for three nights over New Year's Eve. They'll also be setting up shop in Fremantle for the first time with Falls Downtown, a two-day city festival slated to take place over the weekend of January 7-8. We're giving away a whole heap of camping gear, in collaboration with Teva. A pair of hiking boots, a tent, water bottle and a whole bunch of extras will come in very handy this festival season. Head here to enter.
You can spend this summer immersed in legendary Japanese artworks at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Its upcoming blockbuster exhibition, dubbed Japan Supernatural, is set to open on November 2 as part of the tenth Sydney International Art Series. Made up of more than 200 works from all over the planet, it's an exploration of the spirit world in Japanese art. Expect an immersive experience involving paintings, sculpture, prints, film, animation, comics and games. Leading the show is a monumental piece by Tokyo-born Takashi Murakami. He's a bit of an international rockstar, renowned for bringing together high and low art — much like Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol. Chances are, you first heard of him in the 1990s, when he launched the inaugural Superflat exhibition. Since then, he's been a prolific creator of paintings, drawings, sculptures and animations, and collaborated extensively with Louis Vuitton. Representing a much earlier era will be Katsushika Hokusai, born in Edo in 1760. His best-known piece is Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, a series of wood block prints that includes the now iconic Great Wave off Kanagawa. While can't reveal, yet, which of his pieces will be travelling to Sydney, we're hoping we get some of the works that were at Melbourne's NGV in 2017. Look out, too, for works by historical artists Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi and Kawanabe Kyosai, as well as contemporary pop artist Chiho Aoshima and photographer Miwa Yanagi. The artworks are expected to be announced in early 2019, but, in the meantime, you can check out the ninth Sydney International Art Series, which includes paintings by Monet, Matisse and Picasso and a retrospective of South African photographer David Goldblatt's work. An installation view of the exhibition Japan Supernatural at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, November 2, 2019 until March 8, 2020. Photo: AGNSW/Jenni Carter
Summer is coming to an end, whether Sydneysiders and the recent thirty degree days like it or not. As temperatures cool, the second season of the FCxMCA also draws to a close on Sunday, April 10, and they're going out with their biggest show yet. For lucky ticketholders, the "all star lineup" will remain a secret until Sunday, but with the FC roster including the likes of Flume, Little Dragon, Chet Faker and Classixx, it's sure to be one big bang of a show. Held on the MCAs sculpture terrace, each of the monthly series has sold out for the second year running. This season saw kickass acts like Danish duo Kenton Slash Demon, African poet Sampa The Great and NYC's Anthony Naples. The collaboration between music, contemporary art and just an overall fun night out is a much needed cultural comeback in a locked out Sydney.
Hold onto your doughnuts and prepare to say ay, caramba! more than once, because the Sydney Opera House has a huuuuge headliner for this year's GRAPHIC festival: Matt Groening. The comedic cartoonist genius responsible for The Simpsons and Futurama will make his way to Australia for the very first time to speak at the two-day festival this November, which celebrates pop culture and graphic storytelling, animation and music. Considering most of us probably acquired the large majority of our pre-Internet knowledge on global popular culture from Groening's work (well, when we could wrangle watching The Simpsons instead of the 6pm news), it seems like a brilliant full circle that we're now able to see him speak IRL as adults. He will deliver a talk titled Secrets of The Simpsons, and a Couple of Milhouse Fun Facts, which will delve into the making of the show, include hardly-seen clips and apparently even some full-frontal cartoon nudity. He will also join a session with his friend and fellow cartoonist Lynda Barry. Other highlights from the GRAPHIC 2016 program include a screening of George Lucas' 1971 sci-fi epic THX 1138, which will be re-scored live by Asian Dub Foundation. There will be a heap of free talks from cartoonists including Leunig and First Dog on the Moon, as well as two film premieres from Neil Gaiman, who has previously called the festival "the smartest, wisest, most cutting-edge festival and celebration of narrative literature and its intersection with culture in the world".
Our city's biggest summer celebration of local and international talent has finally arrived – and you've managed to bag tickets! Good start, compadre. But as any regular arts-goer knows, finding pre- or post-show eats is a tricky business. That's why we've chosen our top places near the main Sydney Festival venues, so whether you're heading to the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent and see some cheeky cabaret, to Carriageworks for Nick Cave's immersive Until exhibition, Barangaroo to visit the giant Always sculpture or one of the many lunar exhibitions or Riverside Theatre for a 30s-inspire Shanghai circus, we've got your nosh needs covered. [caption id="attachment_643114" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jamie Williams[/caption] IF YOU'RE HEADING TO... MAGIC MIRRORS SPIEGELTENT OR CITY RECITAL HALL LONG CHIM RESTAURANT HUBERT INDU Seeing a show in Angel Place? Take a turn before China Lane. From here, head through a small door, and follow your nose down a few flights of dimly lit stairs. Indu, which takes its inspiration from the southern coastal regions of India, is owned by doctor, philanthropist and all-round hero Sam Prince. Indu's menu is refreshing, totally innovative and surprisingly light — a far cry from the heavy Indian curries that characterise most Indian restaurants in the city. MERCADO Previously head chef at the acclaimed Nomad and co-creator of ice creamery Good Times, Nathan Sasi blends fine dining finesse with a love of the rustic and a real hands-on approach at Mercado (nominated for Concrete Playground's Best New Restaurant in 2016). The laneway establishment does all their pickling, curing and smoking on-site and combines fresh produce with a modern, agreeably loose take on Moorish and Spanish food. IF YOU'RE HEADING TO... THE OPERA HOUSE OR ROSLYN PACKER THEATRE OPERA BAR D'uh. Pop by this revamped icon, given brand new life by Matt Moran last year. Equip yourself with a refreshing pomegranate and mint Sydney Sling ($18) and head outside to the sun-drenched deck where you and 699 other people can now find a seat. BENNELONG Peter Gilmore has ditched the fancy, fiddly techniques he's famous for (see: Snow Egg) and created an informal menu with approachable prices at the opera house. Bennelong has five different dining options to choose from. There's The Bar and The Circle for drinks and nibbles; Cured and Cultured, the casual dining option; The Restaurant, the main event; and The Kitchen, six VIP seats in the kitchen for a behind-the-scenes experience. Try the theatre dining option. GATEWAY SYDNEY If you've spent one too many nights wandering hungry around Circular Quay, dodging dodgy fish and chips and bad pizza, you'll welcome this place. This new $60 million precinct has been transformed by Woods Bagot Architects from a very average walk-past-worthy food court into a slick new dining area. The ground floor features Gelato Messina's first CBD store (sorry Gelatissimo), Four Frogs Creperie (ham and cheese galettes for brekkie, yes please) and a new outlet for Adriano Zumbo's pastries. Also featured is Roll'd, Workshop Espresso, The Gozleme Co. and health food outlet Urban Orchard, among a slew of others. WALSH BAY KITCHEN Walsh Bay Kitchen, within the Roslyn Packer Theatre, sits on the burgeoning food strip of Hickson Road. The space is slick with off-Broadway style: think parquetry floors and leather banquettes. The recessed lightboxes seem a nod to stage lights, casting dress circle moodiness. If mirth and merriment bars a thousand harms and lengthens life, there isn't a better reason to catch an end-of-season show and dig in here. Check out their Festival Feast. HOTEL PALISADE & HENRY DEANE Standing proud in Millers Point, the Hotel Palisade forms a unique and improbable part of Sydney's foreshore history; when it was built a century ago, it was the city's highest building. Now been revived with a smart new maritime design by Sibella Court, Hotel Palisade serves up pub food that avoids the familiar schnitzels and steak sandwiches and opts instead for snacks like creamy chicken liver pate with a sweet Young Henrys cider jelly ($12) or a beef brisket sanga ($18) with a mug of salt and vinegar chips. Venture upstairs for the swanky Henry Deane rooftop bar, with some of the best views in the whole city. THE GLENMORE The much loved local's-style pub remains on ground level, but as you head up the stairs towards the first level and rooftop terrace, you can see just how much this oldie has been spruced up. It has one of the best views of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, along with some great pub food. IF YOU'RE HEADING TO... CARRIAGEWORKS RON'S UPSTAIRS REDFERN CONTINENTAL Redfern's day-to-night European diner is just a short walk from Carriageworks. Birthed by the guys who brought you Arcadia Liquors (just across the road on Regent), Redfern Continental really is a little bit of everything: the perfect neighbour in a suburb fast becoming an eclectic hub of food and drink in Sydney. RISING SUN WORKSHOP Tinker on your motorbike and slurp your way through bowel of ramen on the same premises at Rising Sun Workshop's permanent Newtown digs. For the uninitiated, Rising Sun is a social enterprise that serves two purposes. On one hand, it provides its motor-revving members with a communal space for repairing and polishing up their bikes. On the other, it's a café, serving coffee, cookies and seriously killer ramen. LEADBELLY Want more after the show? The space that once housed the infamous and much-loved Vanguard has been quickly revamped as Leadbelly. While the bar and restaurant is a new concept, it has fully embraced the building's history by offering live gigs Thursday through Sunday — for free. Leadbelly is a restaurant too, after all. The Southern US-style food menu is essentially a round-up of perfect gig snacks — think popcorn shrimp and smoked brisket po' boys. IF YOU'RE HEADING TO... PARRAMATTA/RIVERSIDE THEATRES EL-PHOENICIAN There may be cheaper Lebanese options along Parramatta's Church Street, but you're unlikely to find better quality than at El-Phoenician. Known for its generous servings and loud groups, this local institution is offering festivalgoers a Festival Feast menu of all your favourites. But if you'd like a little theatre with your tabouli, make sure you lock in a ticket to Hakawati, a performance set in the restaurant itself. THE EMPORIUM This bustling, dual-level food and wine mecca from the guys behind the Coffee Emporium franchise opened in January 2015, and still promises great things for festivalgoers and Parramatta locals alike. With a Mediterranean-inspired menu designed by chef Leon Volk and an international wine list, The Emporium has raised the bar for the area's main eats street. Don't go past the Festival Feast menu. SABU This contemporary Japanese restaurant and sake bar sports a sleek fitout and a prime position in the Eat Street district of Parramatta. The menu ranges from sushi, sashimi to robata, with cocktails, sake and sake flights on offer. Sabu is known to exhibit local artists and often surprises guests with live performances, so if you're looking for a culture-infused dinner spot to relax in ahead of your SydFest adventures, this is your go-to. NICK AND NORA'S If you're heading further along the line to Blacktown for Urban Theatre Projects' outstanding immersive show Home Country, do not eat dinner. Just saying. IF YOU'RE HEADING TO... BARANGAROO AND DARLING HARBOUR PIZZA DA MARIO POP-UP Over in the Cutaway, after you've finished soaking up the fake surf and sun of The Beach at Barangaroo, grab a next-level sausage sandwich from Newtown's Sausage Queen Chrissy Flanagan, or continue the nautical theme with a visit to Pizza da Mario Pop-Up, a Da Mario-run pizzeria disguised as a shipping container. Apparently this is for mobility purposes, but the novelty alone makes it worth a visit (there's a three-tonne pizza oven inside). BANKSII Sydney's first vermouth bar and bistro opened late last year at Barangaroo. Named after botanist Sir Joseph Banks, Banksii comes from the couple behind Asian fusion favourite Bar H in Surry Hills, chef Hamish Ingham and sommelier Rebecca Lines. They're bringing a slew of aperitifs and a mod Oz bent to the waterfront space — and we're loving it. The Barangaroo development itself is a bit sterile, but design firm Luchetti Krelle has done a good job warming the place up with soft coral and turquoise tones, cream and worn blue linen coverings and orange dangly lights. ANASON Turkish eatery Anason was the first permanent restaurant to open its sleek navy doors in the Barangaroo precinct. Nestled neatly in an unassuming alcove, Anason is immediately warm and inviting inside and out; the indoor area is largely dedicated to an open plan kitchen and wine storage so most diners eat outside in the open-air terrace. The innovative menu is stridently Turkish, showcasing authentic mezze plates characterised by bold flavours and even bolder colour palettes. LOTUS Dumpling masters Lotus Dining have officially joined Barangaroo's waterfront promenade. Now open in The Streets of Barangaroo, the restaurant is Lotus's third Sydney edition and, with 160 seats, its second largest. On the menu is a stack of established favourites as well as a bunch of new, Shanghai-influenced creations, dashed with Australian native ingredients. BELLE'S HOT CHICKEN Belles has made things permanent with Sydney, opening the doors on a 130-seat eatery in South Barangaroo. Seemingly all grown up (sorta), Belles operates as a restaurant now instead of a canteen counter, developed by OLA Architects (responsible for Melbourne's Bomba) and co-owners Morgan McGlone and Miranda Campbell. Think table service, space for larger groups, an expanded menu and Belles' infamous bedfellow: Australian natural wines. Not keen for a sit-down meal? You'll still be able to order takeaway from a separate, dedicated window. By the Concrete Playground team. Top image: Jamie Williams.
Every damn year, we wait for the big March announcement — which of the world's artists are heading to Sydney for our annual festival of lights? While the city sits awash with vibrant Vivid installations and projections, underground bars are heaving with live music, and festival headliners take the stage under the luminous Opera House sails. This year's impressive live music lineup features newcomers, stalwarts, and faces we haven't seen around here for a while. With most tickets going on sale to the public today, here's our pick of the bigger live shows to check out at Vivid LIVE this year — we'll take a look at the more intimate gigs and parties in the coming weeks. Trying for Sampha? Those tickets are long gone. We paused too. Act fast on these nine. By James Whitton, Libby Curran, Lauren Vadnjal and Shannon Connellan.
A real life Willy Wonka is on his way to Melbourne. Catalan designer Martí Guixé has made a name for himself at the intersection of food, art and design, with works ranging from flavoured postage stamps to breathable cuisine. Now the so-called father of food design will present his first major Australian exhibition at NGV International, in the form of a colourful, custom-designed kitchen designed to teach kids and families about their attitudes to what they eat. Running from mid-June until mid-September, the free interactive exhibition, entitled Fake Food Park: Martí Guixé for Kids, will consist of "hands-on activities and digital design challenges" that encourage visitors to "sprout new ideas for food concepts and flavours" — and create their very own 'Fake Food Park' menu. The exhibition will also feature a selection of Guixé's drawings and illustrations as well as his famous fruit-and-vegetable wallpaper, which has previously been featured in galleries including MoMA, Design Museum London and the National Art Centre Tokyo. "We are delighted to bring the ground-breaking ideas of Martí Guixé to the NGV Kids exhibition space," said NGV director Tony Ellwood. "Guixé is a pioneer in his field; designing, innovating and challenging notions of how we eat in often whimsical and surprising ways... Fake Food Park will ask budding young designers to think about the future of food and reconsider familiar food items, from inventing snacks which can be eaten underwater to drawing novel combinations of everyday ingredients." Find Fake Food Park at NGV International from June 11. For more information visit the NGV website.
It's 3pm. All you want right now is another a coffee. Or maybe a cronut. Or a freakshake, dammit. Or maybe, like, ten Arnott’s biscuits. Nope, can’t do that. Already had five. Is that the post-3pm slump blues whispering – nay, bellowing – in your ear? Really, by now, you should be kicking back at some secret swimming spot or under a waterfall. Especially in this hectic summer weather. We know. We know! But capitalism dictates you’ve another two hours to go before your boss is going to lay down that whip. So, you have to find a way to keep going. All that sweet, sugary, deliciousness might be looking like your only job-quitting-preventative-measure right now, but it’s a bad, bad idea. So, we’re riding to your rescue with five jack-jumping, healthy, healthy snacks. And it’s not all gustatory doom and gloom. We’ve picked these babies for their tastiness, not just their nutrition information panels. BANANA AND TAHINI This God-sent duo has all the creaminess and sweetness of ice cream but none of the refined sugar or saturated fat. Spread it across a piece of toast, throw it in the blender to make a smoothie or just eat it straight, dipping the banana in the jar. Tahini's got more goodness than Mother Teresa (go with it) — from calcium, magnesium, lecithin, potassium, protein and iron to Vitamins E, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 and B15. If you've had a big night out, it'll help you liver to cope better, thanks to the detoxifying powers of methionine. And everyone knows bananas make you happy. PROTEIN BALLS Available in stacks of different flavours, the mighty protein ball can give any conventional, packeted treat a run for its money, taste-wise. And it also comes with a big ol' dose of protein, which does heaps of good stuff. Like building and repairing muscles, making enzymes, producing hormones and making sure your hair and nails grow (in fact, they're nearly all protein). YouFoodz makes an especially lip-smacking version, a salted caramel version that's actually good for you. It's packed with apricot, sultanas, dates and dark chocolate and coated in crispy bits of waffle wafer. FROZEN FRUIT Regular, room temperature fruit is an excellent substitute for lollies and biscuits. But, with a freezer, you can take things to a whole new, more satisfying, longer-lasting level. That said, you have to make sure you're freezing the right kinds. Grapes are a winner — they become firmer on the outside, yet stay relatively soft in the middle (depending on the temperature of your freezer). So, eating one's a bit like biting into a soft-centred jube or toffee. Bananas, oranges and mangoes are crackers, too. Apples and strawberries don't go so well, as they to get too hard, all the way through. Raspberries can work if left to thaw for a while. DIY TRAIL MIX Plenty of peanut-heavy, packeted trail mixes aren't too appetising — even if they are salutary. Others are peppered with sugary bits and bobs, like choc buds. So, go ahead and make your own. That way, you can tailor it to suit you and, at the same time, make sure there's nothing in there undoing your healthy intentions. Don't forget to add some seeds — sunflower ones give you Vitamin E, B1 and B6, copper, selenium and manganese, while in teeny-tiny sesame seeds, there's CoQ10, which helps keep your heart working and your energy levels booming. No time to DIY? Have a stash of pre-made bars ready to go — Youfoodz does a pretty top notch Supa Food Bar. KALE CHIPS Potato chips one of your go-to snacks? Break that salty, fatty habit with kale chips. You can even make them yourself, without too much hassle: toss a bunch of kale in a minimal amount of olive oil and pop it in the oven till it's crispy. Unless you've been under the Rock of Gibraltar, you'll know this superfood's many benefits by now. There's bucket loads of beta-carotene to help your eyesight, Vitamin C to fight bugs, Vitamin K to make sure your blood clots and Vitamin E, an antioxidant. Images: YouFoodz and Dollar Photo Club.
If seasonal change has left you in a dizzy headspin of new colours and fabrics and prints and jackets — or if, y'know, you just like some fancy new clothes now and then — you'll be pretty pleased to know that the Big Fashion Sale is back. Usually, it's a physical affair that takes place in Sydney; however like plenty of other events at the moment, the shopping extravaganza is going online for its next outing. The name pretty much says it all. This thing is big. You'll find a hefty array of lush items from past collections, samples and one-offs from a huge lineup of cult Australian and international designers, both well-known and emerging — including Romance Was Born, Alexander McQueen, Isabel Marant, The Row, Dion Lee, Dries Van Noten and more. With discounts from 40–80 percent off, this is one way to up your count of designer threads while leaving your bank balance sitting pretty, too — whether you're keen on clothes, shoes, swimwear or accessories. The Big Fashion Sale's online edition kicks off at 9am on Wednesday, July 15 on the event's website.
He's created culinary delights for Cate Blanchett, David Beckham and U2, now chef Nelly Robinson (formerly of the Aria group) wants to cook for you. Snuggled in an underground bunker-style space in Surry Hills, Robinson's brand new London-like eatery nel. restaurant is the city's newest 'progressive dining' spot. Sitting on Wentworth Avenue on the border of Surry Hills, nel. works around an open, modern kitchen layout — you'll be able to see your nosh prepared from every seat in the house. Decked out with copper facades, exposed brickwork and minimalist leather booths, nel. is sure to be on the top of Sydneysider must-try lists. Food-wise, nel. is all about shaking things up. Robinson has worked with acclaimed Northern English chef Nigel Howarth (Northcote Manor, UK), so this is his own personal branch-out. Robinson's crafted a monthly rotating seasonal menu — right now we're talking venison carpaccio with a chocolate dust and pickled enoki mushrooms; slow-cooked and water bathed Tasmanian lobster with paprika and garlic butter, charred sweet corn and fresh mango; and blowtorched peach with elderflower sorbet and a buttermilk mousse. Accompanying the constantly changing menu is ten specially-matched wines — you'll be served two with each dish so you can experience different tastes (without the judgement-bait of having two wines at a time). nel. restaurant is located at 75 Wentworth Avenue, Surry Hills NSW 2000. nel. restaurant will be open for lunch Tuesday-Saturday 6pm-late, Thursday-Friday 12pm-3pm. For more info and bookings, call (02) 9212 2206 or visit the website.
As much as Mardi Gras is about the party and the parade, it just wouldn't be the same without Fair Day. Every year, up to 80,000 folks descend on Victoria Park for a day that's half picnic, half party. You'll want to bust out your brightest colours — being the only person who didn't dress up is no fun at all. From 10am on Sunday, February 17 there'll live performances from Electric Fields, Mojo Juju, Maribelle, The Marion Cranes and a whole load more, plus a pumpin' dance floor so that you can dance the day away. There'll also be over 200 stalls for food, bevvies and other delights, a fashions of the fair contest and an official after party. And, thanks to the return of Doggywood, your favourite four-legged buddy can also experience life in the spotlight. Does your fabulous pooch have what it takes to be crowned Best Dressed or Most Talented? Of course it does.
When we take that first sip of our barista-brewed coffee on a workday morning, a lot of us can't actually imagine living without coffee. But what about living without a roof over your head or a guaranteed meal? Unfortunately, this is what many homeless people around Australia face each day, but on Friday, August 5, you can help your fellow Aussies out simply by buying a coffee as part of CafeSmart. CafeSmart is an annual event from StreetSmart that raises money and awareness for the homeless and is back for its fourth year running. So how does it work? From every coffee purchased on August 5 at a participating cafe around Australia, $1 will be donated towards local projects. So if your go-to local isn't participating, shake things up for a day and head to one that is. Prefer a hot chocolate? You can also donate at the counter. Simply by aiming for a bighearted cafe, you'll be helping some of our country's most in-need humans, so treat yourself to a third or fourth coffee guilt-free. CafeSmart is happening around the country on Friday, August 5. Check the website for participating cafes near you.
Carriageworks and Vivid Sydney are joining forces again this year with their dining series, Sydney Table, which will take place in The Clothing Store's new creative space over four nights from Wednesday, June 14 through Saturday, June 17. Each evening will see one of Sydney's leading chefs present a menu paired with contemporary music, art and design in an interactive dining experience. The lineup of chefs they've wrangled up is quite impressive, though it's no surprise from curator Mike McEnearney — who, in addition to running Kitchen by Mike and No. 1 Bent Street, acts as the creative director for the Carriageworks Farmers Market. Chefs include Lankan Filling Station's O Tama Carey on June 14, Automata's Clayton Wells on June 15, Biota's James Viles on June 16 and rounding out the series is Moon Park's Ben Sears on June 17. While the menus will be decidedly different, from modern Australian to Sri Lankan and Korean, each chef will use fresh, locally sourced produce and each dinner will be paired with wine, liquor from Archie Rose Distilling Co. and Scotchmans Hill, and beer from Asahi. Sydney-based writer and FBi Radio presenter Lee Tran Lam will act as master of ceremonies for each dinner, and creative director Tony Assness has curated each night with artists, designers and musicians from the recently announced Artist Studio Program, which will compliment the menus and add a new level to this creative dinner. For all of this star power, tickets are expectantly expensive at $200 each, but include canapes and a gin cocktail on arrival, followed by a three-course degustation menu. Last year's series was sold out, so best get on to those tickets now. Image: Zan Wimberley.
Parts of a Lady, Gronk, Day Planner and Ali G Goes to Chicago aren't going to win any shiny trophies this year, because none of them exist. But, after getting a shoutout in Amy Poehler and Tina Fey's very amusing opening monologue at the 2021 Golden Globes, you'll wish these fictional flicks were either showing at a cinema near you or streaming on your platform of choice. They might be an improvement on some of the movies and TV shows that were nominated this year, after all. Poehler and Fey noted that "a lot of flashy garbage" was vying for a gong and, well, they're not wrong. It's always best to remember two things whenever entertainment awards roll around. Firstly, great movies and television shows, and the talents behind them, always remain that way whether they have the silverware to go with it or not. Secondly, finally valuing the exceptional work of women and people of colour in the entertainment industry after so long spent focusing on white men will always remain important. And, while the Golden Globes ceremony this year looked a little different to usual — it was held across both Los Angeles and New York, with Poehler and Fey split across the two cities; nominees called in via video from home in all their finery, rather than attending in person; and winners didn't physically put their hands on a statuette — it did give a heap of recognition to some very deserving folks. Seeing three women contending for Best Director, with Chloe Zhao emerging victorious for Nomadland, really was something special. So was the fact that the first two gongs of the night went to Daniel Kaluuya and John Boyega, two of the best actors working today. Chadwick Boseman's posthumous award was always going to be an emotional moment and, winning special accolades, both Norman Lear and Jane Fonda made moving speeches about their careers and the current state of the industry. Plenty of top-notch talents missed out as well, though, because that's the way these congratulatory proceedings always go — but from everything that emerged victorious, we've picked 12 films and TV shows for you to feast your eyes on as soon as possible. MOVIE MUST-SEES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSFpK34lfv0&feature=youtu.be NOMADLAND Frances McDormand is a gift of an actor. Point a camera her way, and a performance so rich that it feels not just believable but tangible floats across the screen. That's the case in Nomadland, which will earn her another Oscar nomination and could even see her win a third shiny statuette just three years after she nabbed her last for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Here, leading a cast that also includes real people experiencing the existence that's fictionalised within the narrative, she plays the widowed, van-dwelling Fern — a woman who takes to the road, and to the nomad life, after the small middle-America spot she spent her married life in turns into a ghost town when the local mine is shuttered due to the global financial crisis. Following her travels over the course of more than a year, this humanist drama serves up an observational portrait of those that society happily overlooks. It's both deeply intimate and almost disarmingly empathetic in the process, as every movie made by Chloe Zhao is. This is only the writer/director's third, slotting in after 2015's Songs My Brothers Taught Me and 2017's The Rider but before 2021's Marvel flick Eternals, but it's a feature of contemplative and authentic insights into the concepts of home, identity and community. Meticulously crafted, shot and performed, it's also Zhao's best work yet, and the best film of 2020 as well. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Director — Motion Picture (Chloe Zhao) Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama (Frances McDormand), Best Screenplay — Motion Picture (Chloe Zhao) Nomadland returns to cinemas from March 4, after a sneak preview season in late December and early January. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbE96sCJEjo MINARI Remember the name Lee Isaac Chung. Minari isn't the writer/director's first feature — with 2007's Munyurangabo, 2010's Lucky Life and 2012's Abigail Harm already on his resume — but it's the kind of intimate, heartfelt and resonant movie that cements its filmmaker as a top cinematic talent to watch. Remember the name Alan S Kim, too. The child actor makes his film debut here, but he steals every scene he's in. Considering that he's acting opposite Steven Yeun (Burning), who turns in his latest excellent performance and will hopefully nab an Oscar nomination for his efforts, that's no minor feat. Remembering Minari in general is a given, actually. It's so detailed, vivid and honest, and yet also so universal at the same time. Based on Chung's own upbringing, this tender drama follows the Yi family (which also includes My Unfamiliar Family's Yeri Han and first-timer Noel Cho) as they move to Arkansas to start their own farm. It's a movie about chasing the American Dream, but don't go thinking that you've seen this tale before, or seen any similar story told with such feeling either. The film's overall story can be summarised neatly, but Minari's many deep and thoughtful charms and triumphs aren't ever simplistic. Indeed, as features influenced by personal real-life tales can be at their best, this is a gorgeously and thoughtfully detailed picture, with Chung realising that trading in specific minutiae is far more compelling and relatable than opting for sweeping generalisations. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language Minari is currently screening in cinemas. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSjtGqRXQ9Y JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH The last time that Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield appeared in the same film, Get Out was the end result. Their shared scene in Jordan Peele's Oscar-winning horror movie isn't easily forgotten — if you've seen the feature, it will have instantly popped into your head while you're reading this — and neither is Judas and the Black Messiah, their next collaboration. With Kaluuya starring as the Black Panther Party's Illinois Chairman Fred Hampton and Stanfield playing William O'Neal, the man who infiltrated his inner circle as an informer for the FBI, the pair is still tackling race relations. Here, though, the duo does so in a ferocious historical drama set in the late 60s. The fact that O'Neal betrays Hampton definitely isn't a spoiler here; it's a matter of fact, and the lens through which writer/director Shaka King (Newlyweeds) and his co-scribes Kenneth Lucas, Keith Lucas (actors on Lady Dynamite) and Will Berson (Scrubs) view the last period of Hampton's life. Anchored by two fierce performances that stand out in their own ways — with Kaluuya commanding the screen during every single one of his real-life character's speeches, and Stanfield playing conflicted with a raw, nervy air — Judas and the Black Messiah does what only the best movies that look back at the past and its many problems manage. It roves its eyes over events gone by, shines a spotlight the rampant oppression and the struggle against it, and condenses a wealth of information into a gripping feature. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Daniel Kaluuya) Nominated: Best Original Song — Motion Picture (Tiara Thomas, HER and D'Mile, 'Fight for You') Judas and the Black Messiah opens in cinemas on March 11 — check back for our full review then. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ord7gP151vk MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM Chadwick Boseman, Oscar-winner. That combination of words is very likely to become a posthumous reality for the late, great actor, thanks to his last screen role. Boseman is just that phenomenal in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. He has earned that term before in Get on Up, Black Panther and Da 5 Bloods, but his performance in this stage-to-screen production is such a powerhouse effort that it's like watching a cascading waterfall drown out almost everything around it. He plays trumpeter Levee Green, who is part of the eponymous Ma Rainey's (Viola Davis, Widows) band. On a 1920s day, the always-nattering, big-dreaming musician joins Ma — who isn't just a fictional character, and was known as the Mother of Blues — and the rest of his colleagues for a recording session. Temperatures and tempers rise in tandem in the Chicago studio, with Levee and Ma rarely seeing eye to eye on any topic. Davis is in thundering, hot-blooded form, while Colman Domingo (If Beale Street Could Talk) and Glynn Turman (Fargo) also leave a firm impression. It's impossible take your eyes off of the slinkily magnetic Boseman though, as would prove the case even if he was still alive to see the film's release. Adapting the play of the same name by August Wilson (Fences), director George C Wolfe (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks) lets Boseman farewell the screen with one helluva bang. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama (Chadwick Boseman) Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama (Viola Davis) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs--6c7Hn_A SOUL Released early in 2020, Onward definitely wasn't Pixar's best film — but Soul, its straight-to-streaming latest movie that capped off the past year, instantly contends for the title. The beloved animation studio has always excelled when it takes big leaps. Especially now, a quarter-century into its filmmaking tenure, its features prove particularly enchanting when they're filled with surprises (viewers have become accustomed to seeing toys, fish, rats and robots have feelings, after all). On paper, Soul initially seems similar to Inside Out, but switching in souls for emotions. It swaps in voice work by Tina Fey for Amy Poehler, too, and both movies are helmed by director Peter Docter, so there's more than one reason for the comparison. But to the delight of viewers of all ages, Soul is a smart, tender and contemplative piece of stunning filmmaking all on its own terms. It's Pixar at its most existential, and with a strikingly percussive score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to further help it stand out. At its centre sits aspiring jazz musician-turned-music teacher Joe (Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy). Just as he's about to get his big break, he falls down a manhole, his soul leaves his body, and he's desperate to get back to chase his dreams. Alas, that's not how things work, and he's saddled with mentoring apathetic and cynical soul 22 (the always hilarious Fey) in his quest to reclaim his life. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Animated, Best Original Score — Motion Picture (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste) Soul is available to stream via Disney+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lkCCo63nhM I CARE A LOT Last month, we said that Rosamund Pike may not end up with many shiny statuettes for her efforts in I Care a Lot. We also said that her Golden Globe nomination was thoroughly well-deserved. The Radioactive and Gone Girl star is stellar in a tricky part in a thorny film — because this dark comic-thriller isn't here to play nice. Pike plays Marla Grayson, a legal guardian to as many elderly Americans as she can convince the courts to send her way. She's more interested in the cash that comes with the job, however, rather than actually looking after her charges. Indeed, with her girlfriend and business partner Fran (Eiza González, Bloodshot), plus an unscrupulous doctor on her payroll, she specifically targets wealthy senior citizens with no family, gets them committed to her care, packs them off to retirement facilities and plunders their bank accounts. Then one such ploy catches the attention of gangster Roman Lunyov (Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones), who dispatches his minions to nudge Marla in a different direction. She isn't willing to acquiesce, though, sparking both a game of cat and mouse and a showdown. Dinklage makes the most of his role, too, but I Care a Lot is always the icy Pike's movie. Well, hers and writer/director J Blakeson's (The Disappearance of Alice Creed), with the latter crafting a takedown of capitalism that's savagely blunt but also viciously entertaining. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (Rosamund Pike) I Care a Lot is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rsa4U8mqkw BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM Of all the twists and turns that 2020 delivered, the arrival of a new Borat movie ranked among the most unexpected. Watching Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, however, it's obvious why the famed fictional Kazakh journalist made a comeback at that very moment — that is, just before the US election. Once again, Borat travels to America. Once again, he traverses the country, interviewing everyday people and exposing the abhorrent views that have become engrained in US society. Where its 2006 predecessor had everyone laughing along with it, though, there's also an uneasy and even angry undercurrent to Borat Subsequent Moviefilm that's reflective of these especially polarised times. It's worth noting that Sacha Baron Cohen's last project, 2018 TV series Who Is America?, also used the comedian's usual interview technique to paint a picture of the US today, and the results were as astute as they were horrifying. There are plenty of jokes in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, which bases its narrative around Borat's attempt to gift his 15-year-old daughter (instant scene-stealer Maria Bakalova) to Vice President Mike Pence and then ex-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani to help get Kazakhstan's own leader into President Donald Trump's good graces, but this is the unflinching work of a star passionate about making a statement. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (Sacha Baron Cohen) Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (Maria Bakalova) Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is available to stream now via Amazon Prime Video. SMALL SCREEN BINGES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcqItifbNUA SMALL AXE British filmmaker Steve McQueen hasn't directed a bad movie — and, even after dropping five new features as part of the Small Axe anthology, that hasn't changed. The director of Hunger, Shame, 12 Years a Slave and Widows gifts viewers a quintet of films that are as exceptional as anything he's ever made, with every entry in this new series taking place in England, in the 60s, 70s and 80s, with London's West Indian community at its centre. The first, Mangrove, tells an infuriating true tale about a police campaign to target a Caribbean restaurant in Notting Hill. From there, Lovers Rock spends time at a house party as two attendees dance into each other's orbits, and Red, White and Blue follows a young forensic scientist who decides to join the force to change from the inside. Next, Alex Wheatle explores the life of the award-winning writer of the same name, while Education unpacks unofficial moves to segregate children of colour in schools. There's no weak link here — only stunning, stirring, standout cinema that tells blistering tales about Black London residents doing everything it takes to resist their racist treatment. Every film is sumptuously shot, too, thanks to cinematographer Shabier Kirchner (Bull), and the cast spans everyone from Lost in Space's Shaun Parkes and Black Panther's Letitia Wright to Star Wars' John Boyega. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Supporting Role (John Boyega) Nominated: Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television All five Small Axe films are available to stream via Binge. It's streaming soon in NZ. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u7EIiohs6U TED LASSO What do Parks and Recreation, Wellington Paranormal and Ted Lasso all have in common? They're all stellar examples of kind-hearted TV sitcoms that are an absolute delight to watch. By now, the first two aforementioned shows have already established a legion of fans, but the third series listed above — a 2020 newcomer — definitely belongs in the same company even just based on its ten episodes so far. Starring a gloriously optimistic Jason Sudeikis as the titular character, the comedy follows its main figure during a period of transition. A college-level American football coach, he's just been hired by struggling English Premier League team AFC Richmond, despite having zero knowledge of soccer. He's actually been recruited for the role by the club's new owner, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham, Game of Thrones), who received the organisation as part of her divorce settlement and is determined to tank it to spite her slimy ex (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anthony Stewart Head). For much of his career, Sudeikis has excelled at playing thorny, jerkish characters (see: the terrific Colossal) who initially seem likeable. And yet, he's pitch-perfect here, and Ted Lasso as a whole proves just as spot-on. Also featuring excellent work from Brett Goldstein (Doctor Who) and Juno Temple (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) as an ageing player and a young hotshot's girlfriend, this is a smart, funny and warm gem. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy (Jason Sudeikis) Nominated: Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy Ted Lasso is available to stream via Apple TV+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0uWS6CnC2o SCHITT'S CREEK The idea behind Schitt's Creek is immensely straightforward, and also incredibly obvious. If one of the obscenely wealthy families that monopolises all those trashy reality TV shows was suddenly forced to live without their money, like the rest of us, how would they cope? If you're thinking "not well", you're right. If you're certain that seeing the results would be amusing, you're on the money again. As envisaged by father-son duo — and the program's stars — Eugene and Daniel Levy, that's the scenario the Rose crew finds itself in, including moving to the titular town that it happens to own as a last resort. Yes, as the name gives away, they're in a sticky situation. The adjustment process isn't easy, but it is very, very funny, and remained that way for the show's entire six-season run before wrapping up in 2020. And, although plenty of other credits on her resume have made this plain (such as Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, Waiting for Guffman and For Your Consideration, all also with Eugene Levy), the great Catherine O'Hara is an absolute comedy powerhouse as the Rose family matriarch. She now has both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her performance here, too. GLOBES Won: Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy (Catherine O'Hara) Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy (Eugene Levy), Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Supporting Role (Dan Levy), Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting Role (Annie Murphy) Schitt's Creek is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiXEpminPms THE CROWN When we say that fans of The Crown had been particularly looking forward to the show's fourth season, that isn't meant as a criticism of anything that preceded it. No disrespect is directed towards the regal drama's previous episodes, or to the past cast that took on the program's main roles before an age-appropriate switch was made at the beginning of season three. But, now more than halfway through the program's planned six-season run, this latest chapter focuses on two big showdowns that changed the shape of the royal family in the 80s. Firstly, Queen Elizabeth II (Oscar-winner Olivia Colman) and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (The X-Files icon Gillian Anderson) don't quite see eye to eye, to put it mildly. Also, with Prince Charles' (God's Own Country's Josh O'Connor) marriage to Lady Diana Spencer (Pennyworth's Emma Corrin) a big plot point, the latter clashes with the entire royal establishment. Among a cast that also includes Helena Bonham Carter (Enola Holmes) and Tobias Menzies (Outlander), Colman, Anderson, O'Connor and Corrin are all exceptional — and in a show that's always been buoyed by its performances, that's saying something. GLOBES Won: Best Television Series — Drama, Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama (Emma Corrin), Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama (Josh O'Connor), Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting Role (Gillian Anderson) Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama (Olivia Colman), Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting Role (Helena Bonham Carter) The Crown is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDrieqwSdgI THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT In much of The Queen's Gambit, Beth Harmon sits at a chessboard. As a child (Isla Johnston), she demands that orphanage janitor Mr Shaibel (Bill Camp, The Outsider) teach her the game. As a teenager (Anya Taylor-Joy, Radioactive), she earns a reputation as a chess prodigy. As her confidence and fame grows, she demonstrates her prowess at tournaments around America and the globe, while also spending her spare time hunched over knights, rooks, bishops and pawns studying moves and tactics. None of the above sounds like innately thrilling television unless you're a chess grandmaster, but this seven-part miniseries proves that you should never judge a show by its brief description. Based on the novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, written and directed by Oscar-nominee Scott Frank (Out of Sight, Logan), and dripping with lavish 50s and 60s decor and costuming to reflect its period setting, The Queen's Gambit doesn't expect that all its viewers will be chess aficionados; however, it's made with a canny awareness that anything can be tense, suspenseful and involving — and that every different type of game there is says much about its players and devotees. The series doesn't lack in creative and inventive ways to depict chess on-screen. It knows when to hang on every single move of a pivotal game, and when to focus on the bigger story surrounding a particular match or Beth path through the chess world in general. And it's especially astute at illustrating how a pastime based on precision and strategy offers an orphaned girl a way to control one lone aspect of her tumultuous and constantly changing life. GLOBES Won: Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Anya Taylor-Joy) The Queen's Gambit is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review.
Vivid Sydney is really cranking it up this year. A kaleidoscopic festival program of light, music and ideas, Vivid's 2015 plans will have you squealing over social and locking in dates. Now staged in four new precincts (Chatswood, Central Park, Pyrmont and expansion in Sydney University), as well as the usual harbourside suspects, Vivid is back for another year of technicolour merriment and reignited appreciation of your city. So what's in store? LIGHT Alongside the predictably mind-blowing projections on the Sydney Opera House sails (Universal Everything), the Museum of Contemporary Art (Danny Rose and Rebecca Baumann this time), and Cadman's Cottage (a 20 multiplayer game this year, just casually), Vivid has some pretty talk-worthy surprises in store. Chatswood will be turned into an aquatic wonderland with giant 3D sea creature projections, you'll be able to 'paint' the skyscrapers in Circular Quay, and the ever-popular Light Walk will feature glow swings, an interactive game of duck, duck goose, musical 'beat dice', playable piano stairs, floating fibre optic dresses from Korean artist Taegon Kim and the obligatory selfie stage (with a 'You Are Here' arrow sign). At Central Park, artists Rekko Rennie and Beastman will project on to the Carlton and United Brewery Facade, and there'll be silent discos on the lawn every Friday and Saturday night. Martin Place will once again be a super pretty illuminated food precinct, and Pyrmont Park will let you let off 'digital fireworks' and project yourself on the casino singing karaoke. Plus, the BBC's Life Story projected on the Argyle Cut sounds just about as beautiful as a weeknight gets. MUSIC Music-wise, this year's Vivid program is equal parts supersuperstars in supersupervenues to loved and local party nights around the city. For Vivid LIVE, the big names came tumbling out of today's announcement. Joining the already announced king gloomsayer Morrissey, eclectic folk dreamboat Sufjan Stevens, immortal art rockers TV on the Radio, Aussie legends Hoodoo Gurus, gravelly folkster Bill Callahan, new album-touter Daniel Johns, longtime shredders The Drones, Sydney hypecards The Preatures, garage go-tos Royal Headache and electronic powerhouse Mad Racket. Red Bull Music Academy are throwing The Studio's opening night, where Future Classic are set to celebrate their tenth anniversary with Flight Facilities, Seekae, Hayden James, Touch Sensitive, George Maple and Flume's only Australian concert for the year; alongside all the Astral People, Elefant Traks label Studio parties we love. Around the city, there's a whole bunch of luminous shindiggery to be had, with Vivid Music this year curated by Sydney radio host, DJ and all-round legend Stephen Ferris. Modular's hugely successful Modulations mini-festival is coming back to Carriageworks after a huge Pet Shop Boys year in 2014, this time with Grace Jones at the helm. This year, the crew are also bringing together Sydney club nights Kooky, Motorik and Pelvis and inviting headliner American jazz saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders to make good use of those Carriageworks acoustics. Freda's will see the return of Sydney's favourite twist-happy party Jingle Jangle and the special performance of Andras Fox under his New Age alter ego A.R.T. Wilson. Goodgod Small Club will see newcomer Oh Reach's debut concert alongside Terry Serio's Ministry of Truth and Spookyland, while Oxford Art Factory showcases brand new Sydney label Personal Best Records (including the Personal Best Orchestra, a ten-piece all live disco electro orchestra with vintage sythesisers). One of the biggest Sydney parties around, Heaps Gay will hold an epic bash at Marrickville's Factory Theatre with the likes of KIM from The Presets, Black Vanilla DJs, Catlips and The Magda Subanskis, and Soul of Sydney are set to hold a huge block party just for Vivid (more details to come). IDEAS Switching on your brain as well as the lights, Vivid Ideas has a chockers program of talks, seminars and conferences to get you right into the global creative conversation. 'The Game-Changers' series will see Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, Monocle and Wallpaper founder Tyler Brule and Rolling Stones/HBO designer Stefan Sagmeister chatting about their wildly overachieving existence. There's going to be a huge one-day conference at Carriageworks to examine the key factors needed to create a 'Southern Hemisphere Silicon Valley'. And the ever-popular Vivid Ideas Exchange is back, with Cool Hunting founders chatting about connecting creatively with consumers, Auxilio Venture Lab talking about the ethics of data usage for Australian business and government (timely), Junkee teaching you 'How to Survive Without a Real Job' and MTV asking if boredom fosters creativity. Phew. There's plenty more to Vivid Sydney's 2015 program than we can fit here, running May 22 - June 8. For the full schtick, head to the Vivid website.
After you've wandered the laneways, marvelled at the MCA facade and Instagrammed every last installation, one of our favourite, favourite parts of Vivid Sydney is making our way to the annual Studio parties taking over the depths of Sydney Opera House. And this year, things have truly gone up a serious notch. The Studio has been taken over by the expert party purveyors at Red Bull Music Academy for a five-day explosion of the best dance and electronic acts around. That's right, FIVE back-to-back underground parties this year — and one is free. To kick things off, there's a free opening night party, featuring Onra, Dreems (live debut), The Goods, Sui et Sui and Physique. Sydney beats collective Mad Racket returns the following night, breaking a three-year absence with a nod to their formative roots from their days in the '90s at the Marrickville Bowling Club. Bringing back the crew's first ever international guest Matthew Herbert, expect classic dance tracks and appearances from Jimmi James, Zootie, Ken Cloud and Simon Caldwell. Goodgod's Minceteria! promises much New York-style voguing as Goodgod Small Club and House of Mince team up with House of Ladosha and Melbourne's funky junk duo Zanzibar Chanel to morph The Studio into a dungeon-like ballroom. Longtime Studio party throwers Astral People have invited Robert Owens, Amir Alexander, Ben Fester and Preacha to provide the deep house rhythms and dance party anthems. And last but not least, hip-hop/electro-fusion label Elefant Traks have invited Joyride, L-Fresh The LION, Jateehazard, DJ MK-1, Adit and Dggz to round out the RBMA roulette for this year. RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY VIVID STUDIO PARTIES: RBMA Free Opening Night Party feat. Onra / Dreems (Live Debut) / The Goods / Sui Et Sui / Physique 22 May, 9pm - Free (with registration) Mad Racket feat. Herbert (Live) / Zootie / Jimmi James / Ken Cloud / Simon Caldwell 23 May, 9pm - $40 Goodgod Minceteria! feat. House of Ladosha / Zanzibar Chanel / Victoria Kim / Sle Feat. Bhenji R? / Ariane / Kato 29 May, 9pm - $40 Astral People feat. Robert Owens (Fingers, Inc.) / Amir Alexander / Ben Fester / Preacha 30 May, 9pm - $40 Elefant Traks feat. Joyride / L-Fresh The LION / Jayteehazard / DJ MK-1 / Adit / Dggz 31 May, 6pm - $30
From shark-infested waters to the catacombs of Paris, Airbnb isn't short of peculiar places where you can spend the night. But for anyone who grew up in the late eighties or early nineties, their latest listing might be their most exciting yet. As part of the marketing push for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, visitors to New York can crash in an apartment inspired by the turtles' secret lair. Located in lower Manhattan, the three bedroom apartment has been decked out with all the amenities a turtle fan could desire. We're talking retro arcade games, bunk beds and a glow in the dark basketball court, as well as free swag on departure and pizza delivery free of charge. Of course if this was a true TMNT experience it'd be located in a sewer... but we suppose we can forgive them for playing fast and loose with the mythology under the circumstances. Best of all, for every guest that makes a booking, the half-shell hosts will make a donation to PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center. Now the bad news: the lair has already been completely booked up. Bummer bros. Bummer.
Those who were mad fans of Bill Cunningham, or watched and loved the 2010 documentary Bill Cunningham: New York (that Venn diagram is probably a single circle), would be unsurprised to hear that the legendary fashion photographer was still shooting less than a month before his death last Saturday. Cunningham's tenacity and single-minded focus, along with his modesty and warmth were just some of the things that made the street style photographer such a joy to watch. As a reporter and historian of fashion he displayed an extraordinary depth of understanding of his subject. It's a little dismaying therefore to discover that finding photos taken by Bill Cunningham is harder than you might expect. Trawl the usual channels (Google, Tumblr, Pinterest) and inevitably nearly every image will contain a telltale flash of blue — the French workman's jacket that Cunningham made his now-iconic uniform. Though I can't blame anyone for wanting to swoon over Cunningham himself, it seems fitting to honour the reluctant celebrity by turning our attention back to his work — if nothing else, there's no doubt that's what he would have preferred. [caption id="attachment_578295" align="alignnone" width="1280"] William J. Cunningham, Facades, Penguin Books, 1978.[/caption] NEW YORK IS ITS OWN STAGE Cunningham's muse, friend and co-star Editta Sherman poses in full Edwardian get-up in this shot from Cunningham's 1978 book Facades. Many of the photographs from the book depict authentic period costumes (which Cunningham himself had collected) placed against a backdrop of iconic New York architecture. The photos are contemplation on a city that, perhaps more than any other, has made progress and modernity into an aesthetic. Though Cunningham is better known for his (generally) unstaged street photography, this photo of the Lady Bracknell-esque Sherman includes elements of the photographer's sense of humour which are familiar. Note the advertisement hanging on the graffitied subway car above Sherman: "A woman of good taste". [caption id="attachment_578296" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bill Cunningham, Vogue, (Conde Nast, March 1974).[/caption] AMERICAN FASHION "OOZES VITALITY" If you're interested in 20th century fashion history then don't walk, RUN to watch this 2014 interview in which Cunningham describes "the most exciting fashion show" of his life. Cunningham is momentarily reduced to tears as he recalls details of the 1973 'Battle of Versailles' fashion show, in which French and American designers were pitted against one another. The two nations' designers represented two different fashion ideologies, and Cunningham wasn't shy about naming his victor. In the Chicago Tribune, he wrote that the Yanks "devastated" their French counterparts, with their "uncluttered American taste oozing vitality". Halston was among the American contingent who showed at Versailles, and though this 1974 photograph by Cunningham displays the more overt, embellished glam of the coming decade, one can still recognise in the dress' cut the kind of simplicity of design that Cunningham was still championing 40 years later. [caption id="attachment_578297" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bill Cunningham, 'Make Your Own Art: On the Street', New York Times (OCT. 31, 2014)[/caption] FASHION NEEDS EXPERIMENTATION TO AVOID SIMPLY BEING COMMERCE So here's a fun fact: Bill Cunningham literally invented the application of the word 'deconstructionism' to fashion (Bonnie English, Japanese Fashion Designers: The Work and Influence of Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, Berg, 15 Aug. 2013 , p.170). It is a rare thing indeed to encounter someone with so fierce, varied and long-lasting an appetite for fashion. In a 1989 video interview, Cunningham described how he first recognised parallels between the early 1980s designs of Rei Kawakubo, and the clothes worn by New York's homeless women. His tone is not uncritical as he makes this extraordinary observation, but you can also detect his exhilaration as he goes on to make a further link to the proportions of medieval European dress. More recently in his 'On The Street' video series for the New York Times, Cunningham showed his continued fascination with the avant-garde by comparing the red of mainstream fashion to Kawakubo's "blood and roses". He concluded: "Fashion as we know it today is absolutely commerce. Very little artistic expression. Lots of it is very beautiful and women look wonderful in it. There's nothing wrong with that! But you have to have this wild experimentation." [caption id="attachment_578300" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bill Cunningham, 'Dashing', New York Times (February 24, 2012).[/caption] COLOUR IS POWERFUL AND DEMANDS YOUR RESPECT Many of Cunningham's most enticing collage spreads for the New York Times were based around a colour theme. Cunningham sensitivity to and appreciation of colour was something else. In 1965, the New York Times reported on a presentation given by Cunningham at Carnegie Recital Hall (the same building in which he lived and from which he was evicted in 2010). Cunningham spoke to an audience of fashion designers and students and described the colours he had seen at the recent Paris couture shows. To illustrate the colours he "sliced a pumpkin in half, peeled a banana and held up a raw beefsteak to illustrate the major colours…", documented by Bernadine Morris in her 'Two Views on Fashions: One Scholarly, One Pop' piece. Cunningham never lost his voracious appetite for fashion, and it's hard to imagine that we'll see his like again.
The thought of Christmas shopping may send even the calmest among us into a panic stricken daze. Those final few weeks before the 25th approaches bring to mind memories of sweltering traffic jams in Westfield car parks, crabby sales assistants, tinny Christmas carols played on repeat everywhere you go and those condescending looks from the more organised folk who got their Christmas shopping done back in October. You know who you are. It's kind of hard to get into the Christmas spirit with all this pressure of buying your loved ones Christmas gifts that they won't secretly return. Fortunately, one of our favourite neighbourhood art collectives, Le Petit Bateau, has collaborated with Lais Marques and Party Collective to bring us something a little different this year. Introducing the M Market. Set in the beachside suburb of Maroubra Beach, the M Market is an outdoor cornucopia of art, music and food. Discover some local artists, listen to some live tunes (that aren't Christmas carols) and enjoy the unique fare from a food truck, or three. The market is proudly created and run by artists, and provides a great opportunity to pick up a unique gift handcrafted by the very human standing in front of you. Not a crabby sales assistant or plastic Christmas tree in sight. The M Market will be running on November 27 2016 at the Maroubra Bowling Club, Maroubra Beach. Festivities will start at 9am and kick on until 9pm. Entry is free.
Not content with a run-of-the-mill cuppa? Find your people at the Sydney Tea Festival, returning to Carriageworks this month for the third year running. Off the back of their successful venture into Melbourne this May, this wildly popular festival is back with a characteristically eclectic 2016 program. There's a number of offerings for seasoned specialty tea-lovers and advocates of the humble tea bag alike across its market and workshops. Entry to the tea market includes a tasting cup, which will almost certainly come in handy when sampling brews from over 50 stallholders, including T2 (who you'd be sneakily sampling in-store on a weekend anyway), Sticky Chai, T Totaler, Rabbit Hole, Bodhi Organic Tea, Tippity and LongLeaf Tea Vodka (which is exactly what it sounds like). In addition to a variety of specialty loose-leaf tea and herbal tisanes, visitors will find tempting food stalls and tea ware in the market from Black Star Pastry, Bloodwood and Bodum among others. Those wanting to delve further into the uses and brewing of tea should check out the festival's workshops. Try your hand at some divination while waiting for your Hogwarts letter with the tea leaf reading workshop. If you would rather drink the tea than read it, other workshop offerings include bespoke chai blending, tea and chocolate pairing, as well as talks about the history of tea. Cap off the day with a cup of tea in the brew lounge, knowing you've made a stellar contribution to the 7.7 billion cups of tea likely to be sold in Australia this year.
Next time you're catching up with mates for dim sum, take your outing to the next level. Learn to play an ancient Chinese game at the same time, at the Mahjong Room's Mahjong Playlunch. Every Saturday in February, the venue's Mahjong masters will be running three-hour educational sessions for newbies. You'll be sat down at a board, given an instruction booklet, fed a steady stream of dim sum, and let loose to play. All afternoon, your tutors will be on standby, doling out personal tips and tricks. Unfamiliar with the Mahjong Room? It was set up in 2002 by Hong Kong natives William Hui and Erika Chan, who wanted to share their childhood memories — consisting of fun, family, tradition and tasty, tasty food — with Sydney. The menu includes blue swimmer crab dumplings, tiger prawn and chicken wontons, and steamed XO rice paper rolls, among many other mouthwatering morsels. Note that you Mahjong takes four people to play, so bookings will be only accepted in multiples of four. You can brush up on your four times tables over here. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
In the most unlikely of suburban streets, S'more, hidden way up in Sydney's north shore, is a fun and laidback steakhouse with serious food and imagination to spare. The interior is kept to the bare minimum, with a few white curtains to give it that breezy suburban feel, while a large blackboard sets the tone for the evening with chef's specials galore. You may find the metal chairs a little stiff, but don't worry, as the smooth jazz soundtrack and easy Motown will have you mellowed out in no time. You don't have to dress up to come here, but you do have to book ahead, and when you book, be prepared to pay as there is a minimum for each diner. Opened by "Big" Sam Young and his partner Grace Chen, they bring years of experience from Sydney institutions such as Mr Wong. Totti's and Queen Chow. They're offering begins with a Siberian caviar menu, which can be paired with a bottle of 2015 Dom Perignon for a hefty fee. Alternatively, you can begin the night with some rock oysters with fermented hot sauce and grilled scallop 'cafe de smore' butter. Be sure to order some shallot bread with miso butter to soak up the salted egg yolk with potato cake. Small plates at S'more include soy honey butter sweet corn with sansho pepper and sweet and sour pork rib with aged vinegar caramel. Vinegar and caramel may be an unlikely pairing, but that's what these guys do best, pairing classics with fresh flavours, it brings a touch of sophistication to the otherwise casual vibe. The hibachi grill is the star attraction here, however, and the 550g O'Connor dry-aged bone-in sirloin is an absolute winner. There is also a 900g MB9 wagyu bone-in ribeye and a 1kg Jack's Creek t-bone to keep you honest. If steak isn't your thing, you're well looked after with romaine lettuce, yuzu ranch and shiso, a specialty lobster pasta and 150g Glacier51 toothfish with black bean and shimeji. S'more's wine list is impressive with plenty of juicy whites and an impressive selection of bubbles including a 1964 Dom Perignon which will set you back quite a lot. The reds have a strong Australian lean with some Barossa classics like 1999 Rockford Basket Press shiraz on offer as well as a magnum of 1986 Penfolds Grange. By the glass, there are plenty on offer across all grapes. The spirit list is impressive, with all kinds of whisky, gin, tequila and everything else inbetween. Images: Jiwon Kim Appears in: Where to Find the Best Steaks in Sydney
Tickled is, to put it mildly, pretty bloody weird. Brilliant and fascinating, sure, but also bloody weird. Directed by New Zealand journalist David Farrier along with fellow first-time filmmaker Dylan Reeve, the documentary purports to be about a strange and some would say rather homoerotic subculture that the pair discovered after stumbling across an online ad — an ad offering to fly young, fit men out to Los Angeles where they would be tied down and tickled on camera. In truth, however, the tickling is merely the tip of the iceberg. Indeed, Farrier and Reeve had barely started their investigation when they began receiving threatening emails from Jane O'Brien Media, the company responsible for the ads. Before long, the filmmakers found themselves neck deep in a story of bullying, intimidation, sexual fetishes and a search for the truth — one that is still very much ongoing, despite the film being out in theatres as we speak. Prior to the documentary's release, we sat down with Farrier at the Melbourne International Film Festival, where we spoke about everything from his first run-in with Jane O'Brien media, to being sued for defamation, to the moment when the film's villain crashed a Q&A screening in LA. Like we said… bloody weird. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOBXuCYB4jQ WELL THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY "All I've done for the last ten years are these two minute whacky subculture stories, and I just thought this would be one of those," says Farrier, when we ask about the origins of the project. "But that response I got back was so strange. I just remember being so blown away by it. And it happened very quickly. Within the first week I was getting legal threats." The threats weren't just legal, but personal too, attacking Farrier for being gay and even going after Reeves' wife and children. "I got quite upset," admits Farrier. "It was really stressful. It's hard to get across how non-stop all those emails were. It was unrelenting." Of course, the irony is that, had the company not reacted so viciously, Farrier would have probably dropped the whole thing. "If they'd responded like normal humans, there would have been no documentary. Even if they'd just said, 'We're a bit busy,' I probably would have just moved on to something else," he says. The other tipping point was when the pair found upwards of 50 websites featuring videos of former tickling competitors, complete with their names and personal information. "It was just a really clear example of doxing, where you suddenly had people's cell phone numbers and addresses, and all their tickling videos, mixed in with a whole bunch of lies about them," says Farrier. "Once Dylan found those domain names, that [existed] purely to bully people, we thought that a film was what we could use to expose this." A QUESTION OF ETHICS One of the challenges of making Tickled was the fact that many of its subjects — the people who worked for O'Brien, if she even existed — didn't want to be filmed. "When you're making a film about people who don't want a film made about them, there's going to be ethical questions," says Farrier. "If someone says, 'We don't want to be on camera, we don't want to give you an interview,' then of course you have to [ask], 'Okay, is there no film? Or do you proceed on and record them anyway?" Watching the film, you get the distinct sense that Farrier wanted to give his subjects a taste of their own medicine — that after exploiting and publicly humiliating so many people, it was high time sometime turned the camera on them. Ultimately, Farrier stands by the decisions he and Reeve made, saying that they were conscious of "the bigger picture, of what we wanted to expose," adding that he feels "very comfortable about the direction we took things." When asked to speculate on the motivations of the person who (the film purports) sits at the centre of the conspiracy, Farrier smiles before offering a carefully worded response. "I've already been sued twice for defamation, so I can't talk on my opinion on any of the characters in the film," he says. "I'd like to. I've got a lot of theories." THE STORY CONTINUES As strange as the content of documentary may seem, what's happened since the release has arguably been even stranger. Not only have the filmmakers been sued, but a website has appeared — www.tickledmovie.info — that aims to discredit the film. But the most surprising moment came at a screening in Los Angeles back in June, when two of the major players from Jane O'Brien media showed up unannounced and got into a heated discussion with Reeve. The film's US distributor posted footage of the confrontation on Facebook and, like everything else in this story, it is absolutely bizarre. "It's publicity for us, to the level where people think we've hired actors to do it," says Farrier. "I don't know. We're dealing with people who aren't fully grounded in reality, and who don't fully understand how the online world works… I genuinely don't think they were expecting us to have cameras there, but I'm sorry, you can live stream from your cell phone." Fittingly, Tickled is very much a film about that online world, and how it has become a breeding ground for harassment. "I think people respond to the film because we're super aware of online bullying at the moment," says Farrier. "It's always existed, but it seems to have reached a kind of extreme, whether it's Gamergate or this hate campaign against females because they're in a Ghostbusters film. We're at this peak level of harassment, and I think this is just another crazy reminder of that." Tickled is in cinemas now. Read our full review here.
Sonoma sourdough may be a staple on breakfast menus throughout the city, but if you want to try its signature miche loaf, slow fermented baguettes or flaky pastries you'll need to head straight to the source. Of the nine outposts in the Sonoma family (and five market stalls), the Alexandria one remains the most impressive. Set within a converted warehouse, the shopfront boasts high, slanted ceilings and a sleek monochrome fit-out, with shelves stocked with loaves like a gallery for gluten. If you need more than just a loaf of bread, Sonoma also offers up a range of pies which have earned a reputation right across the state. The beer braised chicken leak and potato pie is perfectly spiced while the chunky beef pie is exactly the classic pie you're after and goes well drenched in tomato sauce. For vegetarians there's an eggplant parmi pie or a verde quiche, and if you're just after a humble sausage roll its pork option is everything you could ask for and more.
Chef Matt Stone wants to you to make a bar out of your own backyard. Really. Melbourne's young gun head chef of Victoria's Oakridge winery, Stone made his industry name as head chef of Joost Bakker's Greenhouse, Silo and Brothl, then as the culinary brains behind IconPark's Sydney pop-up Stanley Street Merchants and a MasterChef regular. At his core, Stone's a stickler for ethical and sustainable cooking, so he's just released his first cookbook The Natural Cook to help fuel some of that philosophy in everyday Aussie kitchens. The (extremely well photographed) cookbook's brimming with recipes meant to make you rethink food, bring you back to basics, try traditional techniques, adopt new sustainable cooking habits and make the best of the bounty of native ingredients Australia's got going on (one of the most sustainable ways Australians can cook). Of course, the book champions Stone's infamous 'zero-waste' philosophy, whether you're making yoghurt, pickling things or making a Bloody Mary. We've taken a couple of recipes out of of Stone's book, to show you how easy it is to incorporate native Australian ingredients into your everyday — well, into your cocktails in particular. Here's a little humdinger of a recipe for a Bloody Mary using native Australian spices — a truly homegrown breakfast of champions. Once you've crafted this gem, try making Stone's ant-rimmed Aussie South Side too (recipe over here). NATIVE SPICED BLOODY MARY "For a fresh kick, you can also add finely chopped veggies such as tomato, cucumber, celery and chilli. Hangover be gone!" INGREDIENTS Serves one ice 3 dried bush tomatoes 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) vodka 15 ml (½ fl oz) lemon juice 6 dashes of Worcestershire sauce 5 dashes of Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce) 2 large pinches of ground pepperberry, plus extra to garnish 2 large pinches of Australian Seven Spice (recipe below) (see page 211), plus extra to garnish 1 pinch of pink salt, plus extra to garnish 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) tomato juice celery stalk or cucumber slice, to garnish Fill a serving glass with ice and let it stand. Muddle the bush tomatoes, and any other vegetables you feel like, in your cocktail shaker. Add all the other ingredients except the garnishes to the shaker and fill with ice. Slowly 'roll' your shaker end over end to mix and chill the ingredients without frothing things. Taste-test with a straw and add additional Tabasco if you'd like it spicier. Discard the ice from the serving glass and replace with fresh ice. Single-strain the liquid into the serving glass. Add the celery stalk or cucumber slice and finish with a pinch of salt, pepperberry and Australian seven spice. Note: Online bush food specialists offer a variety of Aussie fruits, herbs and spices, including bush tomatoes and pepperberries. HOW TO MAKE MATT STONE'S AUSTRALIAN SEVEN SPICE This is my version of Chinese five spice and it's perfect on barbecued meats, vegetables and fried bugs. If you don't feel like eating bugs with your beer then perhaps try it rubbed into barbecued chicken wings or slow-cooked beef ribs. The individual spices can vary due to season, availability and personal taste, so think of this as a rough guide. Use double the amount of mountain pepper if you like your spice mixes hot. 1 tablespoon ground bush tomato 1 tablespoon ground lemon myrtle 1 tablespoon ground wattleseed 1 tablespoon ground pepper leaf 1½ tablespoons ground mountain pepperberries 2 teaspoons ground aniseed myrtle 1 tablespoon ground mangrove myrtle Note: While most of the Australian ingredients used in this book can be substituted with something non-native, this is the one recipe I urge you to stick to (otherwise it will become 'mostly Australian seven spice'). Mix all ingredients. Store in an airtight container or jar. Recipe and image from The Natural Cook by Matt Stone (Murdoch Books). Photography by Mark Roper RRP $39.99 available now in all good bookstores and online.
Not sure if you're aware of this, but we're actually in the middle of the Olympic Games. True story. Rio 2016 has been stirring affair so far, full of incredible wins, heartbreaking losses and one incredibly well-lubricated Tongan. https://twitter.com/Deadspin/status/761740659577544704 But in addition to the incredible sporting prowess on display, we're also seen the competitors rocking a whole bunch of wearable tech — on the field, during training and while hanging out around the Olympic village. Below, we've put together a list of our five favourite innovations, to help us all get in shape ahead of Tokyo 2020. SOLOS SMART EYEWEAR Google Glass may have proved a bit of a bust, but the US national cycling team made us of similar technology in the lead-up to this year's games. This lightweight pair of sunnies features a tiny display screen that allows cyclists to keep track of their speed, heart rate and the distance left in the race. They're not actually permitted in races as of yet, but the good news is that the public can preorder a pair of their own. Who knows, this could actually be the things that finally motivates you to leave the car in the garage and try cycling to work instead. INFRARED LIGHT THERAPY Utilised by U.S. athletes to help treat joint and muscle concerns, the LumiWave Infrared Light Therapy Device flat out sounds like something out of science fiction. Made up of eight small pods, each of which contains 200 infrared LEDs, the device can be placed or strapped on a part of the body in order to provide short-term pain relief. Insanity. The device has already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and can be preordered online this very second. HALO SPORTS HEADPHONES Listening to music while working out is pretty common, but in future you might want to swap your iPhone buds for a pair of these. Created by Halo Neuroscience, these headphones send pulses of energy into the wearer's brain in order to stimulate motor neurons. The benefit? According to the designers, accelerated strength and increased skill acquisition. Yes, these headphones actually (supposedly) make you stronger, and Olympians from the US to Sierra Leone have been giving them a go. The headphones are already commercially available, although according to the Halo website they're currently out of stock. Netherlands beach volleyball women playing in full skins-type suits.Way more sun safe&comfy too I'd think. #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/Nj3M7pYDYa — Bri (@briiilliant) August 10, 2016 UNDER ARMOUR SPACE AGE UNIFORMS Dudebros on the internet chucked a big old tizzy during the women's beach volleyball after the Dutch pair team walked out not in bikinis but in neck-to-ankle bodysuits. Turns out there was a very good reason behind this decision – aside from not wanting to be objectified by random dickheads, of course. The Dutch pair were two of more than 200 athletes at the games this year – in sports from rugby to gymnastics – to be outfitted by Under Armour, in uniforms that use NASA spacesuit technology that help keep body temperature in check. VISA PAYMENT RING While not everyone gets to go home with a medal, at least 300 athletes were sporting sweet new rings. As part of their continued push into wearable payment technology, VISA designed prototype payment rings, which could be used to make purchases on any NFC-enabled payment terminal with the flick of the wrist (or fist bump). VISA also produced payment wristbands and watches, but only the rings let you run around like you're a member of the Planeteers, which is obviously half the fun.
Whenever Vivid takes over Sydney to kick off winter, the city instantly gets brighter. Unleashing a huge festival of lights and vibrant installations, live music, food and talks will do that, of course. Mark Friday, May 26–Saturday, June 17 in your calendars for 2023, with the annual festival returning with a typically massive program. One headlining event is an appearance from Mike White, creator and writer of HBO's The White Lotus alongside the hit show's star and entertainment icon Jennifer Coolidge. The duo is coming to the Harbour City's Aware Super Theatre at the ICC Sydney for an exclusive in-conversation session moderated by Benjamin Law as a part of Vivid Ideas. Lights-wise, more than 50 installations will be bringing bursts of colour to the Harbour City, with public installations, 3D projections and ticketed events all part of the lineup. The Vivid Light Walk is back with free public works inspired by nature popping up from over 100 light collaborators and 26 international light artists from 13 countries. First Light will also return, celebrating Australia's original custodians and opening the festival with a performance from Yolngu supergroup Yothu Yindi. Other notable installations include Written in the Stars, which will see over 1000 drones light up the night sky and a huge Tumbalong Park activation called Dance Together, which will have you shaking your hips underneath three giant floating rings suspended above your head. Plus, the previously announced Lightscape will also be a part of the program. The after-dark light festival will be taking over the Royal Botanic Garden from 5.30pm each night. 2023 marks the first time the festival has introduced Vivid Food, a dedicated lineup of culinary events, to the program. The next-level eats are headlined by a two-week residency from New York chef Daniel Humm f the three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park at Matt Moran's Aria. There will also be a range of collaborations as part of the Vivid Chef Series, a dedicated barbecue pop-up featuring Firedoor's Lennox Hastie, Chefs on the Harbour, a view-heavy overwater dinner on the luxury superyacht The Jackson with Nel's Nelly Robinson, plus popular chefs Khanh Ong and Mark Olive, and Mary's Group's one-day HERE NOW food, wine and music festival. Music is always a huge component of the festival, and this year's lineup does not disappoint. The Sydney Opera House has rolled out a predictably showstopping and diverse mix of artists, starting with Devonté Hynes (also known as Blood Orange) performing selected classical works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The bill also features José González celebrating the 20th anniversary of his album Veneer, Cat Power recreating and reinterpreting a 1966 performance by Bob Dylan, and appearances from the likes of Thundercat, Yaeji, Ella Mai, Weyes Blood, Hiatus Kaiyote, Ethel Cain, Sleaford Mods, Squarepusher, Iceage, Kimbra and Budjerah. Outside of the Sydney Opera House, Vivid's music lineup will include A Bend in the River: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Archie Roach at the Sydney Town hall with Paul Kelly, Emma Donovan, Dan Sultan, Kutcha Edwards and Becca Hatch among the friends, collaborators and contemporaries that will perform during the tribute. Tumbalong Park will again host 12 nights of free live music featuring Yothu Yindi, Hatchie, Kaiit, A.Girl, Ziggy Ramo, Cornelius and a celebration of 15 years of triple j's Unearthed High competition. And, Carriageworks has curated a genre-spanning lineup with the like soft Desire Marea, Flying Lotus, Molchat Doma, Liv.e, Floodlights and Soft Centre. [caption id="attachment_892843" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption]
UPDATE, February 5, 2021: Thor: Ragnarok is available to stream via Disney+, iTunes and Amazon Video. How many clues did you need before you knew that this one was going to be different? The choice of director alone ought to have gotten you most of the way there. New Zealand's Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, What We Do in the Shadows) doesn't do conventional. Then there was the trailer: a neon-infused, synth-rock-pumping Flash Gordon throwback that favoured humour over action. As it happens, so does the film – and it's a delight from the first frame to the last. Thor: Ragnarok is the third picture to focus on the eponymous God of Thunder, and the 17th in the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe. Led by Australia's Chris Hemsworth, it also stars Cate Blanchett as the Goddess of Death, Tom Hiddleston as the God of Mischief and Jeff Goldblum as the Oh My God He's Just Fabulous. Mark Ruffalo also returns as The Hulk, having not been seen since The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Rounding out the cast are franchise regulars Idris Elba and Anthony Hopkins in small but affecting roles. With Waititi at the helm, Ragnarok has a distinctly casual, cheeky and irreverent feel compared to Marvel's previous offerings, as well as a noticeable 80s aesthetic in both its style and soundtrack. It's a genuine breath of fresh air in a franchise within a franchise, and something that the MCU sorely needed. Waititi is obviously known for his sense of humour, yet what truly distinguishes him as a filmmaker is a pronounced absence of cynicism. No matter the theme or story (Wilderpeople dealt with some tragic issues amidst all the chaos), the overwhelming sensation upon leaving a Waititi movie is optimism. For Marvel, whose movies have grown darker as they hurtle towards the up and coming Infinity War, the contrast is as noticeable as it is necessary. Like a Roger Moore Bond film, Ragnarok still has its action and moments of gravity, but above all else it's fun. You can see it in the performances. Hemsworth's obvious comedic abilities – which were also on display in Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot – are given ample room to breathe in Ragnarok right from the opening scene. A significant portion of the film's dialogue was reportedly improvised, resulting in a free-flowing and naturalistic feel that also serves to accentuate the fractious relationships between the various lead characters – most notably Thor, Loki and Hulk. Then there's franchise newcomer Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie. Most recently seen in HBO's Westworld, Thompson proves a genuine scene stealer, which is no small accomplishment given hers is an almost exclusively human performance in a movie jam-packed with special effects and CGI-characters. Through Valkyrie we see Marvel's ability to create lethal, confident, independent, wise-cracking female heroes who are every bit as capable (if not more-so) than their male counterparts. There are shortcomings, of course. For all its strengths, Ragnarok is not a perfect film. Blanchett and Elba are both seriously under-utilised, Hopkins comes face to face with some bewilderingly bad special effects, and Karl Urban's character has a clunky pro-gun schtick that feels entirely out of place with the rest of the film. The humour is refreshing, but comedy is not every actor's greatest strength, and at times Ragnarok feels too heavily skewed towards laughs when instead the scene calls for something a little meatier. Still, what Waititi and his team have crafted here is a remarkable reimagining of the MCU, one that is at once respectful of its place in the world, but still self-aware enough to never take itself too seriously. It's a big movie that somehow still feels small and intimate, and a near-perfect example of a blockbuster done right. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue80QwXMRHg
The National Gallery of Victoria has revealed what will be on its agenda at the tail-end of this year, this evening announcing its summer centrepiece in the world premiere of Between Two Worlds | Escher X Nendo. Much like the NGV's 2016's Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei show, the blockbuster exhibition will celebrate two very different creators: Dutch artist M.C. Escher and Japanese design studio Nendo. It will be the first to unite the two, bringing them together in an assembly of immersive art and design. More than 160 different prints and drawings created by Escher during his career that ran from 1916 to 1969 will be shown, the first time the Dutch artist has had a major exhibition in Australia. Optical illusion being what he is known best for, and the images on display will be drawn from the world's largest collection of his work at the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague. In tandem, Nendo will create an environment to house the works, taking inspiration from Escher to manipulate geometry and space to warp perception. This'll create a fully immersive experience in which to be boggled by Escher's works. It doesn't stop there for the upcoming season, though — the NGV's spring/summer is bursting with art shaped fruit ready for you to pick.Australian artist Polly Borland will also be celebrated via a display of her works of recent times at the Ian Potter Centre. Borland is a locally born, LA-dwelling photographer notable for her photos of well-known figures like Queen Elizabeth II and Nick Cave. Gravitating lately more towards surrealism in her photography and producing disquieting and abstract images, both recent and new works of Borland's will be shown. This'll run from September 28 until February 3. Also on the lineup is an exclusive showing of British artist Julian Opie's mixed media works. To be set in the NGV's gallery and gardens, the exhibition was created specifically to fill these spaces and will incorporate sculpture, video, and art specifically for the children's gallery. Try Hito Steyeri's landmark video installation Factory of the Sun, about workers in a motion capture studio whose actions are used to create artificial sunshine, becoming a metaphor for the way digital screens use and emit light. Or take a bite out of Willian Wegman's work — a man whose Weimaraner dog became his artistic muse, William Wegman: Being Human highlights the artist's versatility across different artistic methods and mediums. And don't forget Designing Women, a 40 year highlight of the role of female designers in shaping the culture and fabric of the design world. Drawing from the NGV's permanent collection, over 50 significant works will be showcased, icons by name and affect, and united by gender. This summer's Triennial was the most visited exhibition in the NGV's 157 years, and this exhibition is sure to get similar numbers through the St Kilda Road doors. Start planning your art viewing now. Between Two Worlds | Escher X Nendo will run at NGV International, Melbourne from December 2, 2018 until April 7, 2019. For more info, visit ngv.vic.gov.au. Image: 'Day and Night', M.C. Escher, © The M.C. Escher Company, The Netherlands.
Tucked away under a tree on Brown Street in Newtown, the Pie Tin is located in a heritage building, with an interior flanked with glass cabinets brimming with pastry delights and a communal dining table where friends and strangers alike can bond over their mutual love of pies. Start with a savoury pie, with a plethora of options to satiate both carnivores and vegetarians alike. The flavours are offered up on a rotational basis (although you can order any ahead of time with a day or twos notice.) Meat options include classics such as chicken and leak; classic mince with carrots and herbs; shepherd's pie with mash potato; and steak and pepper with green peppercorn gravy. If you're keen to challenge your taste buds and try something a little more daring, more exotic options which may pop up include a pizza pie with ham, artichokes, olives, mozzarella and tomato sauce; Moroccan lamb with pumpkin, raisins and pepitas; and a chicken "parmi" pie which is exactly what it sounds like. There are plenty of options for vegetarians, too, with the Jerusalem artichoke pie with leek and gorgonzola dolce in a white wine sauce unlike anything you've ever had before. It also makes lentil and coconut curry pies; mac 'n' cheese varieties; Mexican bean pies with casserole and topped with sour cream; and a mushroom stroganoff pie with roast potatoes. As you devour your pie you'll notice your eyes glancing over at the cabinet housing the sweet pies. And truth be told, you will probably need that long to decide which of the two-dozen-or-so options to go for. The apple and salted caramel pie is famous in Newtown, with fresh apples poached in a spiced butter, home made salted caramel and a coconut oat crumble. Another to look out for is the Nutella and banana mud pie, which is exactly as indulgent as it sounds.
Your days of stealing liberating those tiny IKEA pencils may soon be coming to an end. According to reports, the Australian arm of the Swedish furniture giant will launch its online store by the end of 2016, ahead of a global e-commerce platform in the next two years. About damn time. Now here's hoping it's less stressful to navigate than their actual physical locations. Due to go live in the next six months, the online store will let shoppers order IKEA's unpronounceable furniture from the comfort of their MALM bed frames. The company plans to trial various pick-up methods, including smaller physical stores that double as pick-up points, as well as the use of third party depots. IKEA Australia hopes the web initiative will help boost profits, which, as it stands, are expected to pass the $1 billion mark for the first time later this year. Their online store in the UK is the most popular IKEA outlet in the country, presumably because you don't need to pack a week's worth of provisions to make it to the checkout. Speaking of provisions, it is currently unclear whether you'll be able to use the online store to order IKEA's meatballs. Fingers crossed though. Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
Sydney nights in summer are unbeatable: balmy weather, rooftop bars abuzz, late night art adventures aplenty. The MCA's late-night program is your go-to inner-city art adventure in Sydney, with this summer's program brimming with activity after hours for Lights On Later. Every Thursday evening until 9pm, enjoy late-night access to Grayson Perry: My Pretty Little Art Career and other MCA exhibitions. Discover and design your alter ego in a hands-on workshop, listen to MCA curators and guides, rediscover Australian New Wave Cinema, join a Subversive Tour of the exhibition led by a cast of diverse and eclectic guests. Then wind down over a glass of wine, a bite to eat and live music on the MCA's Sculpture Terrace. Downstairs you can kick back among garden greenery and British pomp in the pop-up Gin Garden, or go all out with seafood bouillabaisse and Bombe Alaska at Graze MCA — open for dinner Thursday to Saturday in January. Image: Grayson Perry, The Annunciation of the Virgin Deal (detail) from the series The Vanity of Small Differences, 2012, installation view, Grayson Perry: My Pretty Little Art Career, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 2015.
Merivale has already expanded their relatively new Enmore digs, Queens Hotel, revealing a new hidden upstairs bar for private bookings. Zebra Bar will join the two-level venue as a cosy, indoor space that caters to group bookings or private events for up to 40 of your nearest and dearest. The hotel, which opened late last year, is already home to Queen Chow restaurant and The Smelly Goat cocktail bar upstairs. Zebra Bar is located just off of the upstairs dining room and its catered menu combines the best of both levels. The food menu is straight from Queen Chow — led by the team behind Papi Chulo and former Mr. Wong dim sum master, Eric Koh — and can be pre-ordered or chosen on the day. Dishes will include the Queens duck spring rolls, salt and pepper squid with chilli bean mayo, Sichuan pork noodle boxes and, most importantly, pan fried or baked dim sum platters. The Smelly Goat bartenders are making their mark on the new space as well and have curated the cocktail list with their wacky takes on classic cocktails — think the Genghis Can, a Bloody Mary with the addition of hoisin, sriracha and shiitake mushrooms, or the Churchill's Delight, which combines tequila, rose liqueur and Chinese black tea. The fitout is dark and moody, with the horseshoe-shaped bar — made of luxe onyx marble — at the centre of the space. The bar is surrounded by dark stained timber panels and tables, green and gold embellishments and checkered tiled floors, as well as a safari-inspired mural. Guests can either hire out the full space or reserve tables for smaller group bookings — they do take walk-ins, but only if there are no existing bookings. But really, this looks like the kind of spot you'd want to take over for a big life celebration, and it nicely rounds out the Queens Hotel trio. Zebra Bar is located upstairs at the Queens Hotel, 167 Enmore Road, Enmore. Open Monday through Thursday, 5pm until late, Friday and Saturday noon until late and Sunday noon until 10pm. For group bookings, call (02) 9254 8088 or head to the website. Images: Daniel Boud.
The coveted Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year Award has helped launch the careers of some of Sydney's finest. This years Young Chef's Dinner is set to be the best yet. Previous winners Mark Best (Marque – 1995), Hamish Ingham (Bar H – 2004), Daniel Puskas (Sixpenny – 2006), Phil Wood (Rockpool on Bridge – 2007), Dan Hong (Mr Wong – 2008), Mitch Orr (ACME – 2010) and Lauren Eldridge (Marque – 2015) will be cooking every course. If that doesn't make you just a little bit emotional, we don't know what will. For bookings call (02) 9252 1888. This event is one of our top ten picks of Good Food Month 2015. Check out the other nine.
Enjoying a glass of wine might come with a few supposed medical benefits, but having a tipple isn't typically an exercise-heavy pastime. You sit. You drink. You get up, top up your beverage and repeat. You usually don't walk particularly far, let alone run. At a new series of wine-tasting fun runs about to take place around Australia, however, you'll put in the hard yards before you get the boozy rewards. The Grapest 5K run consists of two sections. First, you sprint, jog or set forth at whatever pace suits you best, making your way through scenic vineyard surroundings. Then, you walk another kilometre — yes, in addition to the first five, or ten if you're feeling extra energetic — while stopping at tasting stations along the way and sampling the good stuff. Don't worry, if you're not up to the first part and you're simply keen on wandering and sipping, that's an option too. The run will take place on Saturday, May 6 at Domaine de Binet in the Hunter Valley.
There's more to going to the movies than just seeing the flicks that fill megaplexes, as Australia's thriving film festival scene demonstrates. The country's third-largest capital city might've just been robbed of its major annual cinema showcase, but our love of films beyond the mainstream can't be thwarted that easily. As far as Hollywood's addition to the movie-making fold is concerned, that's where the American Essentials Film Festival comes in. Founded in 2016 as a way to fill select Aussie cinemas with the kind of US titles that don't usually make it to our shores, the touring festival returns for its second run with another lineup of noteworthy inclusions — 31 films and 20 Aussie premieres, in fact. Making its way around the country in May, with a complete run in Sydney at Palace Verona and Palace Norton Street, the fest kicks off with an Oscar-nominated performance, boasts a documentary dedicated to a talent who makes films (and TV shows) like no one else, and features everyone from Greta Gerwig (twice!) to Australia's own Bond to Ewan McGregor jumping behind the camera. Prepare for a busy movie-viewing month. Fresh from earning a nod for best original screenplay at this year's Academy Awards — and garnering lead actress Annette Bening a Golden Globe nomination, too — 20th Century Women will get the festival started, marking writer/director Mike Mills' first movie since 2010's Beginners. Bening stars as a mother coping with the fact her son is growing up, and calling in pals played by Gerwig and Elle Fanning to help. As promised, Gerwig also features in Todd Solondz's Wiener-Dog, which comes to the fest after having its Australian premiere at last year's Sydney Underground Film Festival. Also on the bill, and impeccably timed given that the third season of Twin Peaks starts airing during May, is highly anticipated doco David Lynch: The Art Life, while docudrama Becoming Bond keeps the factual fun going by delving into the Aussie that once played oo7. American Pastoral is the aforementioned McGregor's first stint as a director; California Dreams explores the real folks trying to make it in LA, La La Land-style; G-Funk dives into the style of hip hop started by Warren G, Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg; and 2016 Cannes hit The Transformation follows a 14-year-old who thinks he's a vampire. As well as highlighting new flicks, with Are We Not Cats' magical realism and Detour's crime thrills also on offer, American Essentials shines a spotlight on classic titles in its Masters & Masterpieces retrospective. That's where audiences can watch Lynch's inimitable debut Eraserhead for its 4oth anniversary, as well as his 2001 standout Mulholland Drive — plus the Carrie Fisher-written Postcards on the Edge; Andy Warhol's Bad, which is the last film the artist produced before his death; and a Charles Bukowski double of doco You Never Had It: An Evening with Bukowski alongside the semi-autobiographical, Mickey Rourke-starring 1987 favourite Barfly.
The act of making a movie in Iran is saddled with restrictions; however that hasn't stopped the nation's filmmakers soldiering on regardless. From the late, great Palme d'Or recipient Abbas Kiarostami to A Separation's Asghar Farhadi to banned director Jafar Panahi, Iranian film is thriving. So is Australia's only festival dedicated to their output. For the sixth year, the Iranian Film Festival Australia shines a spotlight on the country's cinematic voices, and on contemporary life as well. Kicking off in Sydney on Thursday, November 10, the four-day fest boasts yet another busy lineup of features, spanning opening night's highly anticipated drama Life and a Day, social-realist gang effort Lantouri and the award-winning Daughter. Elsewhere, Sound and Fury dives into the life of a pop singer who has an affair with a fan, Drought & Lies adapts a well-known Iranian play, and I follows a woman who acts outside the law under the police scrutiny. Add familiar faces and restored classics to the mix — including first Iranian New Wave feature The Brick and the Mirror — and audiences can explore both the history and the future of Iranian cinema. Opening night — which is a screening of Life and a Day — will be held at Event Cinemas Top Ryde, while all other screenings will be at Dendy Opera Quays.
You're bound to smell this one happening before you even get there. That's because barbecue master Carey Bingle is coming all the way from the U.S. of A. to light up Harpoon Harry's smoker for Good Food Month. Bingle is the man behind legendary Nashville restaurant Peg Leg Porker, where folk stars Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings dine regularly. And he has smoking running through his veins — he spent his childhood in the company of his barbecuing grandpa, hanging out at places like Bozo's Hot Pit Bar-B-Q, Lewis' Store, and Leonard's Pit Barbecue. For just 50 bucks, you'll be fed like royalty and given a welcoming drink to boot.
Early in Paris Can Wait, Anne (Diane Lane) and her busy film producer husband Michael (Alec Baldwin) take a start-stop ride to the Cannes airport. The sun streams down as they coast through the seaside town, but their driver, Michael's sometimes business partner Jacques (Arnaud Viard), keeps pausing to buy bread, sausage and strawberries for their flight. It's a kind gesture, and just the type of thing you'd expect holidays in France to include. Alas, they feel like frustrating interruptions for the visiting Americans. Far from improving their trip, the nitty gritty of actually embracing their surroundings gets in the way. Like characters, like filmmaker, like film. Jumping wholeheartedly into the narrative side of the family business by making her first non-documentary feature at the age of 81, writer-director Eleanor Coppola fills Paris Can Wait with detours and diversions. Unfortunately, they're unable to boost the final product, which is affectionately shot but uninspiringly scripted and assembled. While the film's premise revolves around an extended jaunt that takes its time to get to its eventual destination, tripping over cliches causes the leisurely romantic drama to stumble. A middle-aged woman doing some unexpected soul-searching, a connection arising out of nowhere, and broken-down cars prolonging the journey: Coppola throws them all in, along with long-held regrets, new awakenings and the difficulties of long-distance love. Inevitably they all arise as Anne treks across the country, not with Michael, who is always barking orders about his latest movie into his phone, but with the much more laid-back Jacques. The pair become unlikely road trip companions after an earache stops her getting on the plane, but their odd-couple awkwardness doesn't last long. He's a suave and shameless flirt fond of wining, dining and straying off the beaten path. Set free from her usual life, she soon finds her defences beginning to crumble. As a scenic travelogue complete with stopovers for picturesque picnics, swanky restaurant dinners and a visit to the Lumiere brothers museum in Lyon, Paris Can Wait is a Francophile's fantasy. If France's lavender fields and other rustic highlights weren't already on your must-visit bucket list, they will be after you've watch this film. Indeed, Coppola demonstrates a feel for both the road and for her locations, which is hardly surprising given that Paris Can Wait was inspired by her own post-Cannes Film Festival adventure back in 2009 (her husband Francis Ford Coppola had a feature screening at the festival that year). If only the story she spun had the same authenticity. Coppola might've taken the broad gist of the movie from her experiences, but the on-screen details prove disappointly stock-standard. And, if only her casting choices weren't so obvious. Lane is subtle and effective in rehashing territory that she previously played with in Under the Tuscan Sun. Baldwin, on the other hand, who is heard more than he's seen, may as well be playing Jack Donaghy from 30 Rock. Still, there's one area where choosing the easy option works, and it's one we'll choose to believe really is a case of art imitating life. As a soundtrack to her trip, Anne keeps listening to Phoenix. It's fitting: not only does the band's melodic pop-rock suit the mood of the film, but, thanks to her daughter Sofia, their frontman is Coppola's son-in-law. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EiPR0TtHv4
Given its title, audiences could be forgiven for thinking that The Promise is a Nicholas Sparks-penned romance. It's not, although in truth this tale of love in the time of the Armenian genocide isn't all that different from the sappy fluff the author of The Notebook, The Lucky One and The Choice tends to peddle. Indeed, the latest effort from writer-director Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) has a one-track agenda: bringing an attractive couple together, tearing them apart and then forcing them to overcome horrific obstacles in an attempt to reunite. Oscar Isaac and Charlotte Le Bon play Armenians during the First World War. He's Mikael, a poor village apothecary who agrees to marry a local girl so he can use the dowry to pay for medical school in Constantinople. She's Ana, a well-off tutor who was raised in Paris. When sparks fly, there's plenty of complicating factors keeping them apart — including his betrothed back home and her boyfriend Chris (Christian Bale), an arrogant but fearless American journalist. Then there's the matter of the Ottoman Empire's campaign of violence against their people, which hinders Mikael and Ana at every turn. If it sounds as though we're downplaying the horrors inflicted on the Armenian population, that's because we're taking our cues from the film. The Promise never pushes the Turkish military's eradication efforts to the side — in fact, there's plenty of bleakness and brutality on display. Yet by using the conflict as a backdrop for a sweeping love story, the end result is the same. Given that the movie is billed as the first major feature to explore these particular events, that's obviously an problem. It really should go without saying that such an awful chapter of history doesn't need to be packaged as a grand romance to evoke an emotional reaction, and that it clearly deserves more considered, thoughtful treatment. Of course, filmmakers have been pairing love and war for as long as they've been making movies. The problem is that The Promise doesn't even try to find the right balance. Instead, it turns a rising death toll into a glimmer of hope that the central duo will find a way to be together. When you think about what that could mean for the other players in their overlapping love triangles, it all seems not only calculated, but highly disrespectful as well. Two factors at least help The Promise look the part, even if it struggles elsewhere. Handsome cinematography gives the movie the requisite epic sheen, while Isaac, Le Bon and Bale all put in solid performances. There's energy in their portrayals that isn't evident in the material otherwise, although sadly the trio can't completely enliven bland characters. Rather, they're stuck being the best things about a film that doesn't know the difference between having good intentions and actually following through on them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxjkuy3c3Lw
Scouring every last corner of Etsy, scrolling through page after page, and stocking up on unique vintage and design items from the comfort of your home is all well and good; however when it comes to finding handcrafted wares, there's still nothing like browsing and buying in person. That's where the global online marketplace's IRL community market comes in. It gathers Australian makers, designers, artists and curators together in the one place, showcases their stellar goods and tempts your wallet. Taking over Brewery Yard at Chippendale Green from 10am on July 29, the day-long market promises your design dreams come true — aka Etsy come to life. Meet, chat, peruse and purchase, and then head home with all of the arty, crafty goodies your house and wardrobe can handle. More than 70 stallholders have been confirmed, which means that the physical experience of interacting with Etsy will be just like the virtual one: leaving empty-handed is impossible.
Common Spaces, Pocket City Farms and Acre Eatery are celebrating one year of farm-to-table goodness from Wednesday, June 21 through Sunday, June 25 with a whole lotta freebies. That means free talks, workshops, art, live music, tours and, of course, food. Wednesday, June 21 will welcome a community art installation titled Assembling Life, a collaborative project made of wild grasses and flowers that participants will contribute to while learning traditional weaving methods. Friday evening is a night of live music with tunes on the terrace and a separate 'kids disco' with toasties, snacks and supervision provided — so parents can let their hair down too. Saturday, June 24 brings a full day of free workshops, from DIY seed balls and still life drawing classes to compost, worm farm and native bee-keeping lessons. Tours, more live music, yoga ($15 per session) and a local's dinner at Acre ($30) are all on offer as well, along with free birthday cake from 2.30pm. While most events won't cost a thing, booking is essential for a good few of them. For a full list of happenings, check out the Camperdown Commons events page.
Think you've seen every underdog sports movie there is? Think again. The Golden Globe-nominated, Academy Award-shortlisted The Fencer doesn't quite thrust and parry its way into new territory, but it still does much more than offer an Estonian-set answer to The Mighty Ducks, or swap bobsleds for fencing foils. It's with tones of beige and grey that The Fencer tells its tale, made up of familiar components. Indeed, as a champion seeks a new life in a small town, largely by instructing eager students in the titular pastime, there's no escaping the been-there, done-that vibe that matches the film's colouring. And yet, feel-good sports films are typically shinier and more spirited as they work their way towards the uplifting outcome the audience knows is coming. Tempering Finnish director Klaus Härö's addition to the genre is the shadow of reality, with the film's narrative ripped from the plight of a man fleeing Soviet persecution in '50s-era Estonia. Part against-the-odds drama, part portrait of life after wartime, The Fencer doesn't attempt to brighten up the story of Endel Nelis (Märt Avandi). Instead, it offers a faithful depiction of a dark chapter in his life, coupled with hard-earned slivers of hope for viewers to hang on to. The bland shades that fill the film's frames reflect its quest to recreate a period and setting; however, emotionally, they couldn't be more fitting. Working with a script by first-timer Anna Heinämaa, Härö is keen to emphasise the dull drudgery that surrounds Endel in a place where fear or blind allegiance have become the only modes of thinking. The town is stifled, wearied and lifeless, and it's reflected in the film's visual palette. When Nelis takes a job as a sports teacher in Haapsalu, he's feeling much the same — and the way that his new headmaster (Hendrik Toompere) dismisses his fondness for fencing doesn't help. Add the fact that he's neither keen on children nor eager to get to know anyone, and he seems set for a dire time in hiding. Then he decides to start a weekend sports club, and is pleasantly surprised by the significant turnout. Standout pupils Marta (Liisa Koppel) and Jaan (Joonas Koff) prove particularly enthusiastic, welcoming the escape from their own respective troubles, and eventually pleading to participate in a national tournament in Leningrad. Despite its historical basis, there's little in The Fencer that doesn't play out as expected, but don't discount the impact a predictable tale can have when it's couched in empathetic performances and built from small, intimate moments. Even when the film threatens to overplay its hand — which is unsurprisingly often given the combination of a brooding protagonist, endearing kids, enduring hardship and a sporting competition — it still infuses recognisable scenes with intimacy and earnest affection. Here, seemingly simple exchanges between characters say more than clichéd training montages and climactic contests ever could.
