From children playing in the sea near Arnhem Land to an elderly man cleaning his suburban pool, Australians from all walks of life are represented in the 22 stunning images chosen as finalists in this year's Australian Life photography contest. An initiative of Art & About Sydney, the competition is the second largest photography contest in the country, with a cash prize of $10,000. The winner will be announced on September 17, while all the finalists will be on display along the St James walkway in Sydney's Hyde Park from September 18 to October 11. The judges for this year's competition are previous winner Tamara Dean, ARTHERE founder and Stills Gallery curator Sandy Edwards, Australian Centre for Photography curator and exhibition programmer Mark Feary, and interior stylist, author and lifestyle blogger Jason Grant. Organisers have also partnered with Tourism Australia for a special Instagram competition, which last year drew more than 30,000 entries. Amateur photographers can submit their entries using the hashtag #australianlife and go in the running to win $5000. The Instagram competition closes on October 1, with winners announced on October 9. Image: Mark Pokorny, ‘Dad's Pool’, 2015 (detail).
Their outdoor cinema season may be coming to an end, but there are still plenty of reasons to swing by The Greens in North Sydney. Case in point: the coolest lawn bowls club turned garden bar and eatery in town is celebrating its one year anniversary with summery morning yoga sessions and a revamped breakfast menu. What more motivation could you possibly need to haul yourself out of bed? Yoga at the Greens will give you the chance to start your day off on the right foot, with hour-long yoga sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings starting at 9am, 8am and 9am, respectively. The classes are $20 per person and are designed for beginner to intermediate yogis – and don't worry if you don't own a yoga mat, because The Greens will provide one for you. Once you've found your centre, you can reward yourself with a bit of brekky, courtesy of The Greens' new head chef Nathan Tillott (formerly of Pink Salt and GPO). Highlights of the new breakfast menu, available Fridays through Sundays, include apple sweetened five grain porridge with spiced poached pears, rhubarb, almonds and honey; wild mushroom and quinoa omellete with marinated feta, cress, white truffle oil and toasted sourdough; a breakfast salad of hot smoked trout, wild rice, pickled cucumber, crumbled egg, preserved lemon and dill; and choc crackle French toast with stewed plums, lemon curd and cream. That last one isn't exactly in keeping with the health theme – but then again, after yoga, we reckon you'll have earned it. Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings starting at 9am, 8am and 9am.
Australia's Greek Film Festival is rolling back into town with its latest lineup of contemporary and classic cinema from the Mediterranean nation. Presented by Delphi Bank, this year's program features a wide selection of comedies, dramas, documentaries and shorts, as well as a career retrospective of one of Greece's most iconic stars. The festival gets under way with opening night film Alex and Eve, a local production filmed in Sydney's inner west about a Greek Australian man who falls in love with a Lebanese Muslim woman — much to the chagrin of his Greek Orthodox family. Other standouts include Athenian gangster flick Wednesday 04:45, romantic drama Riverbanks and father-son road trip movie Magic Men. Audiences in Sydney and Melbourne will also be treated to a survey of the films of '60s bombshell Aliki Vougiouklaki’s, including risqué rom-com Ace of Spades and escapist musical Lady and the Tramp. For the full Delphi Bank Greek Film Festival program, visit the festival website.
You have to hand it to Peter Strickland, he doesn't make films like everyone else. The British-born, Hungarian-based writer/director makes features that are precise in both sound and vision, and use all aspects of both spectrums. If you didn't witness it in in his acclaimed second effort, Berberian Sound Studio, then you might not know quite what you're in for in his third and latest, The Duke of Burgundy. The movie's opening scene, featuring a woman ostensibly reporting for work at the stately home of her strict boss, gives a glimpse of what will follow. Strickland and his regular cinematographer Nicholas D. Knowland hone in on the details surrounding what looks to be a terse employment exchange, though apart from the meticulousness of the imagery, little is as it appears. It's soon revealed that the seemingly dutiful Evelyn (Chiara D'Anna) and the stern Cynthia (Sidse Babett Knudsen) are actually in a relationship, and that this is the first step in their regular sensual role- and game-playing. They're trying to find fulfilment by indulging their fetishes and exploring the limits of submission and domination, though the ever-curious younger woman just might be looking for something beyond her caring homebody partner's comfort zone. If The Duke of Burgundy sounds like a puzzle waiting to be pieced together, that's because it is — as well as a study of the shifting boundaries of passion, and the way pursuing them can be both limiting and freeing. Crucial to mystery is Cynthia's real profession as an entomologist specialising in moths and butterflies, with Evelyn doubling as her student. Their shared field of interest offers much about the notion of transformation so central to the story. A puzzle similarly springs from Strickland's use of his influences, again steeping his work in the hallmarks of times gone by — and adhering to one of the filmmaker's repeated flourishes. Where his last offering both paid tribute to and appropriated the style of Italian giallo horror movies, this time around '70s European art cinema is in the spotlight. Think decadent surroundings and a seductive mood, plus ample prolonged shots at pivotal moments mixed with flourishes of frenetically edited butterfly wings. Think a sometimes-comedic tone as well. Yes, really. As it treads obsessively and feverishly through its tale, The Duke of Burgundy swiftly proves an accomplished and immersive work from someone who knows how to both achieve the unusual on screen and plunge viewers into a different world. It also proves a considerable showcase for the talents of his leading ladies, the former a veteran of Berberian Sound Studio, the latter perhaps best known for TV's Borgen. In lesser hands, their characters might've played as caricatures — and anyone who has watched Fifty Shades of Grey knows that that's an outcome no one wants to see. Thankfully, D'Anna, Knudsen and Strickland are as far from this year's other big screen account of erotic bondage as they can get. Once again, that's a good thing.
On October 31 at 6pm, Mrs Macquaries Road will transform into a beautifully illuminated cyclists’ paradise for the second annual Light the City. Thousands of riders are expected to jump on their bikes and head along for an evening of nocturnal two-wheeling. “It kicked off last year with about 2,500 people coming along, and this year we’ve already far more people RSVP,” says Fiona Campbell, cycling manager at City of Sydney. A 2.5 kilometre loop along Mrs Macquaries Road will be lit up with spectacular installations, back dropped, of course, by harbour views. For five glorious hours, you’ll be able to ride the route as many — or as few — times as you like. All riders, be they newbies or in training for the Tour de France, are welcome. As Campbell says, “First and foremost, the Sydney Rides Festival is about having fun. It gives bike riders and those who haven’t ridden in a while the opportunity to take part in fun and safe community events that celebrate bike riding in Sydney.” But Light the City won’t be all about cycling. In fact, it’s a bit of a mini-festival. A gathering of Sydney’s favourite food trucks — including the Veggie Patch, Cantina Mobil, Cherry Hwy and Monster Rolls — will keep your hunger and thirst at bay, while the Nomadic Cafe tricycle will be providing coffee. And to keep you entertained between rides, there’ll be live music, interactive video displays, films, a silent disco and a roller racing stage. Given that the event happens to fall on Halloween, the organisers are encouraging you to get your blood and gore on. Best-dressed participants will be in the running for a stack of prizes, including a $1,000 gift voucher to spend at a local bike shop. Don’t have two-wheels of your own? Despair not. You’ll be able to hire onsite on the night. If your fitness levels happen to be at rock-bottom, ease yourself into action with an electric bike. Light the City forms the finale of the Sydney Rides Festival, a three-week celebration of cycling in Sydney. “Back in 2011, we started with a one week event, that’s now grown to three weeks and more than 30 events,” says Campbell. “This year we’ve expanded the Festival to include events all over Sydney, including Marrickville, Hunters Hill and the Sutherland Shire.” Check out the full program at the Sydney Rides website.
The Russian Resurrection Film Festival is back for 2015, showcasing the best of Russian cinema from Vladivostok to Moscow. The largest festival of Russian filmmaking anywhere outside of the motherland, this year's lineup features a wide mix of genres and includes a program stream dedicated to classic and contemporary war films. Because nobody makes war movies like the Russians. Headlining the program — and opening the festival in both Melbourne and Sydney — is Dmitriy Meskhiev's Battalion, which tells the real-life story of the First Russian Women's Battalion during the height of WWI. Other films in the sidebar include 1959's Oscar-nominated Ballad of a Soldier, and Sergei Bondarchuk's 1975 epic They Fought for Their Motherland, as well as the recent Russian-Ukrainian co-production Battle for Sevastopol. Moving beyond the canon fire, other standouts on the program include Teacha, a thriller about a high school teacher holding her students hostage, and Sunstroke, a three-hour historical drama about the last days of the Russian Empire.
They couldn't stay away could they? Melbourne's cult southern-style fried chicken joint, specialising in "really fucking hot" chicken, Belle's Hot Chicken, popped up in Sydney at Harpoon Harry, Bondi Icebergs, then back to Harpoon Harry with Bondi Icebergs. Now, they're opening a nine-month-long pop-up at Barangaroo, opening Wednesday, November 25. If you yet haven't experienced Belle's Nashville-style hot chicken, or you've wolfed it down at a previous pop-up, this time you won't have to squeeze your chickening into a couple of hours. The nine-month residency will see BHC pop up at the south end of Barangaroo's lifestyle hub, Wulugul Pop Up, alongside a bunch of casual eateries. They'll be showcasing a smaller version of their Fitzroy menu to Sydneysiders, featuring of course, dat hot chicken, alongside housemade lemonade, iced teas, kombucha and natural wine. "After witnessing an overwhelming positive response since opening Belle's in Melbourne, and giving Sydneysiders a taste with the small pop ups over the last year, we knew it was only fair to bring some of the fried chicken goodness up to Sydney permanently, and the Barangaroo precinct felt like the perfect location," says BHC founder Morgan McGlone. The brainchild of renowned Australian chef and former Nashville resident McGlone, Belle's has been combining spicy, spicy fried chicken with cool, cool natural wine and a bunch of hip hop since opening on Gertrude Street. They've since opened their own award-winning wine bar next door, Bar Clarine, because they know what they like, and a second Melbourne store. All hail BHC. Belle's Hot Chicken pop-up will be open seven days a week, eat in and takeaway. Mondays to Thursdays, 11am to 10pm; Fridays and Saturdays, 11am to 11pm; and Sundays, 11am to 6pm.
Get a last minute glimpse at 20 gorgeous one-off couture gowns at an exclusive fashion exhibition at Westfield in Bondi Junction. Located on level six of the Westfield complex, the BAZAAR in Bloom Couture Fashion Exhibition combines the talents of some of the biggest names in Australian fashion, all working for a phenomenal cause. But with the gowns only on display until Monday, November 9, you'd best get in for a stickybeak quick. A partnership between Westfield Bondi Junction and Harper's BAZAAR as part of the latter's first annual BAZAAR in Bloom fundraising initiative, the exhibition features never before seen designs by leading Australian designers including Alex Perry, Carla Zampatti, Dion Lee and J’Aton Couture. The free exhibition marks the only time the gowns will be available for public viewing. Best of all, all the designers involved in the exhibition gave their time and expertise in support of the Royal Hospital of Women Foundation, who are currently raising money to build a new, holistic Fertility Research Centre. For more information on the BAZAAR in Bloom Couture Fashion Exhibition, hit up @westfieldbondijunction or search #westfieldbondijunction.
Looking for the perfect gift to get your loved ones for Christmas? Why not give them something that you actually made yourself? Purveyors of all things hand-made and delicious, Cornersmith in Marrickville are running a series of yuletide workshops, helping you create the perfect stocking stuffer just in time for the holidays. Set for select weekends in late November and early December, Cornersmith's trio of Christmas workshops will run for between two and three hours, and are designed to be both relaxed and hands-on. Bottle fruit, pastes and glazes, create the perfect fruit mince pies, and learn the secrets of Christmas baking from Finnish gingerbread and Italian panforte. The sessions vary in price between $70 and $150, and can be booked via the Cornersmith website. You'll have to be quick about it though, since they're already starting to sell out.
If you've never heard of Salon - Zur Wilden Renate, you might still have the words 'stay up for days in a Berlin nightclub' on your bucket list. The multi-level, labyrinthine club in the Friedrichshain district takes underground party production to new theatrical levels, attracting regular sets from the likes of Todd Terje, Nicolas Jaar and Soul Clap paired with some seriously avant-garde performances. But the crew are no longer content shaking up the house music scene in Berlin; they're keen to try their hand at hosting a handful of secret parties in Australia. Launching on Thursday, May 28, Number56 is a brand new series of events curated by the Wilden Renate team, attempting to recreate the abstract, underground culture scene that your friends rave about every time they return from the German capital. With no fixed address for the series, each event will pop up at secret locations around Sydney. Once you've registered for free tickets, you'll have to hunt for the party using clues on the @Number.56 Instagram channel (don't worry, you'll nab an email on the day too). To kick the series off, German electronic icon and longtime Berghain and Watergate resident Steve Bug will spin a set, alongside Berlin-based Australian expats Deepchild, Claire Morgan, Baron Castle and Christian Vanc — who you'll normally find playing all the beats at Berlin's Stattbad club (an old swimming pool now famous for its Boiler Room parties). Sydney's own Murat Kilic (Spice, FBi Radio) will be spinning too. Plus, there'll be Berlin-style street food and drinks on offer, to round out the whole sensory experience. "We can’t wait to share the essence of Berlin nightlife with the people of Australia," says Wilden Renate's Tom Ettelt, whose actual title is 'Head of Craziness'. "We have some pretty far-fetched ideas for this melting pot of music, creativity, art and self-expression so hopefully they won’t get lost in translation ... It’s the people that liven the party so we’re just asking them to bring their A-game and secondly, make sure they find the venue.” Number56's first chapter hits Sydney on Thursday, May 28. Each party runs from 6pm-midnight in a secret Sydney location. Tickets are free but you'll have to register here. NUMBER56 SYDNEY DATES: Thursday, May 28 — with Steve Bug, Deepchild, Murat Kilic. Thursday, June 11 — Claire Morgan & more TBA Thursday June 25 — Christian Vance, Baron Castle & more TBA Thursday, July 9 — 'The Ultimate Adventure' with Secret Berlin International, Michelle Owen, Ben Drayton and more
Catch some of the most influential Asian films of the past three decades at a free biweekly screening series at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Showing in conjunction with the gallery’s current Go East exhibition of contemporary Asian art, Taking Flight: The Arrival of East Asian Cinema features iconic titles from Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, Hong Kong and China, in genre flavours to suit every cinematic taste. The season begins on Wednesday, June 17, with Juzo Itami’s Tokyo noodle-shop comedy Tampopo. Other highlights in the series include Tran Anh Hung’s gorgeous low-key drama – and the first Vietnamese film to be nominated for an Oscar – The Scent of Green Papaya and Eric Khoo’s Be with Me, a wistful romantic anthology film containing less than three minutes of spoken dialogue. Fans of Asian genre cinema will also be happy to see Park Chan-wook's quintessential South Korean revenge thriller Oldboy in the mix, along with Johnnie To's Hong Kong mob drama Election. The Taking Flight screenings are scheduled for Wednesday and Sunday afternoons as well as select Wednesday evenings. For the full program, go to the Art Gallery of NSW website. Image: Election
Influential photographer Rosemary Laing has a long-held interest in place and landscape. Her photographs are like dreamscapes — familiar subjects or settings with a fantastical twist. You might remember her 2002 Flight Research series, featuring a bride with a bullet wound hanging like a puppet against blue skies. In further exploring notions of flight and travel, Transportation at the Art Gallery of NSW will bring together two bodies of work: Greenwork (1995) and Brownwork (1996-7). The first series consists of lush wilderness scenes, which are digitally enhanced, and jet streams against the bright sky. The second series is all about in-between spaces and capturing the materials associated with flight, such as metal shipping containers and wooden crates in transit. Between romantice and reality, the combination of these large-scale images will likely have you reflecting on the natural wonders of travel as well as the technological logistics.
Australia has been responsible for many important inventions. The black box flight recorder. The ultrasound machine. Even the electric drill. Yet one Aussie contraption towers above the rest. We’re talking, of course, about the goon bag. A simple silver sack in a durable cardboard exoskeleton, for decades this unsung alcohol container been a symbol of our fair country’s greatest attributes: innovation, inclusiveness and fiscal responsibility, as well as our overwhelming desire to get pissed as quickly as humanly possible. In celebration of this national icon, The Lord Gladstone Hotel in Chippendale is hosting its very own goon bag festival. Boxfest: A Festival of the Goon Bag kicks off at 2pm on Sunday, July 5, and will feature top vintages from such box wine all-stars as Yalumba, Stanley and Berri Estates. There will also be food available throughout the day, including a killer selection of cheese and cabanossi plates. Classic. This being a classy affair, you’ll obviously want to pair your food and drink appropriately. For brie we recommend a nice chardonnay, while sauvignon blanc goes best with a gruyere. And of course we don't have to tell you that, to guarantee that traditional heady sensation, the goon should be consumed straight from the bag. Music will be handled by Money for Nothing DJs, who’ll make sure that you’ve got something fun to stumble around the dance floor to as the afternoon wears on. And before you assume that this whole event is just one big excuse to get sloshed, we should point out that money raised from tasting tokens throughout the day will be donated to charity. So basically the more goon you inhale, the better you are as a person. If that’s not a philosophy to live your life by, then we don’t know what is. Image: 8 Tracks.
You've feasted upon endless bags of crustacean at The Norfolk's House of Crabs. Now Cleveland Street's seafood palace is delving into another, more traditional means of all-you-can-eat tomfoolery: yum cha. For one whole day of serious feasting on Sunday, June 7, House of Crabs is throwing its own oceanic version of yum cha. Expect lobster doughnuts with XO mayo, salt and pepper bug meat with lime, prawn toast with okra and popcorn, steamed Alaskan crab legs with creole butter, clams with black bean sauce and celery, alongside 'The Boil' (South Australian mussels, Little Neck clams, Queensland prawns, Blue Swimmer Crab, Snow Crab and King Crab). If seafood isn't your only yum cha preference, there'll be buttermilk chilli chicken ribs, charcoal chicken skewers, grilled corn with cotija cheese, pulled pork buns and steamed pork and truffle dumplings. Being a long weekend Sunday, you'll want to grab one of the Norfolk's Bloody Marys or a sweet, sweet Fire Engine and get cracking.
What has happened to the well-tailored fabric of intelligent society? These days the kids are downloading outrage and pornography, clicktivising their weather forecasts and swiping right to determine their political stance on The Issues. What we need is a good smack in the news feed, boot out the trolls and fetid comment swill of the bottom half of the internet, and return to the hard-facts, balanced thoughts and completely unbiased agendas of mass media. The above may not be quite what the St James Ethic Centre has in mind for its upcoming IQ2 debate, but as the viability of large media corporations stacks up against the growth of lean online operations, it's definitely time for a robust head-clash on the subject. Arguing in favour of the proposition are editor-in-chief of Private Media Sophie Black, Sound Alliance content director Tim Duggan and citizen journalist Margo Kingston. For the negative are former Media Watch presenter Jonathan Holmes, investigative journalist Kate McClymont and Daily Telegraph columnist Sarrah Le Marquand. There's even an opportunity for the audience to weigh in on the debate, so get ready to be “taken as a comment” in the best possible way.
Sydney multimedia artist Daniel O'Toole, aka EARS, is best known for his chimerical faces; however, his skilled hands have also been playing and producing music for the past 12 years. A violinist, self-taught pianist and eclectic collaborator, EARS produces chilled electronica with equal parts glitchhop and floating ambience. EARS will be launching his new six-track EP Floating Tokyo, an ode to Japan's contemporary digital atmosphere and its traditional folk roots, as part of the Central Park precinct of the 2015 Vivid Festival. The launch features EARS performing live alongside a screening of his film clip for the titular track. Filmed during a recent trip to Tokyo, Floating Tokyo collages different photographic techniques, blending the eye's experience of Japanese architecture, weather effects and human faces in a dream-like flow. Not only is this an apt accompaniment to EARS' music, the style is intelligently contiguous with his painted aesthetic.
Cult UK comedian Daniel Kitson knows how to tell a story. True to form, his latest show is less a stand-up act than it is a play, or rather an elaborate radio production. With somewhere in the realm of 20 different actors recorded in isolation and played back on tape, Polyphony promises to be Kitson’s magnum opus, described by the comic himself as “a real humdinger”. Notorious for avoiding the press, he's kept the plot of the show strictly under wraps, but early reactions from audiences in the UK have been unsurprisingly stellar.
City-dwelling fans of a solid Sydney brewed growler won't need to venture to the west for a tipple this winter. Masters of wild inner west brewing Young Henrys and the CBD's go-to basement danceteria Goodgod Small Club are teaming up for one hell of a pop-up, dubbed the Young Henrys Roadhouse. A monthly tasting bar themed around the American roadhouses you might have seen on your travels but more likely in Patrick Swayze's Road House, The Blues Brothers and Footloose — yeah, those sexy, sexy abodes where dancing is legal, bar fights abound (leave that out) and pelvic thrusting is commonplace — the Young Henrys Roadhouse will see growlers over the bar, special Young Henrys brews on tap, peanuts errrrrrwhurrrrr and rock 'n' blues bands playing on a 'stage in a cage'. Yep, bands in cages. Kicking off Thursday, June 4, the Roadhouse will see Melbourne's Twin Beasts in the cage while Bottled Lightning Co. launch their collaborative Young Henrys brew. Best bit? The first 100 punters through the door get their first brew on the house. Following weeks will see rock 'n' blues band Los Tones, rockabilly crooner Pat Capocci and Sydney's own Jack Carty — all in the cage. Remember, Thursdays are the only day you can get Belly Bao's insane Baoger, so wins all round. We'd usually leave the poster out, but this one's too good to omit.
Undies: everyone wears them. Well, almost everyone. Queen Victoria did, and now you can see proof. An item of the monarch’s underclothing is among the star attractions at Undressed: 350 Years of Underwear in Fashion — a historical celebration of the kind of garments that are usually seen by a much, much smaller audience. Presented in collaboration with London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, the exhibition spans back to a time of restrictive iron corsets and homemade intimate apparel; it explores the mindset of the modern exhibitionist and touches upon everything in-between. Over 80 pieces from the V&A collection are on display, with many rare items making their public debut. If looking at old-fashioned bloomers and wondering at the construction of Wonderbras is your thing — and we know it is — then why not combine the experience with a party? MAASive Lates: Undressed ramps up the revelry with live music, cocktails and a live showcase by local lingerie designers Palindrome Studios and Silent Assembly.
King Street staple Kammadhenu boasts delicious, aromatic dishes in south Indian, Sri Lankan and Malay styles. Whether you crave sweet or spicy, there's something to suit all palates. Go hard with fiery Malaysian-style fish sambal and mop it up with buttery roti, or opt for Sri Lankan-style kothu roti with egg, chicken, lamb and prawn mixed through. Keen to try a bit of everything? Order a thali, a south Indian-style platter that comes loaded with chana curry, dhal, papadum, rice and sides. The snack game is strong here, too, with vadai (a savoury doughnut), egg bonda (a South Indian delicacy of hard-boiled eggs coated with chickpea batter and deep-fried) and pani puri all gracing the menu. Nasi goreng, a Malaysian classic, is the go-to if you're feeling for something a little less curry-fuelled, but that still packs a punch when it comes to flavour. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Don't be fooled by its name: Student Biryani's dishes stand the test of time and are enjoyable years after graduation. We may no longer have the stamina — or the alcohol tolerance — we once had as students, but on those days when you long for an eight-hour seminar instead of being knee-deep in deadlines and client meetings, you can seek solace here. This low-key eatery, which has another outpost in Surry Hills, is part of a hugely popular global chain that began in Pakistan way back in 1969. Unsurprisingly, the signature dish here is the biryani, which you can get with a can of drink for just $12, or you can add raita and a salad for an extra $4. If you're feeding a flock, you can also get a bucket of the stuff to serve ten, plus zarda (sweet rice), two salads, two raita and two 1.25-litre soft drinks, for $90. Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find traditional Pakistani-style curries — again with serving sizes up to a whopping 2.5 kilograms — alongside whole deep-fried fish and chargha (marinated chicken that is steamed and deep-fried).
Jaw-dropping ocean views and the stylish Hamptons-esque pool aren't the only reason Sydneysiders and Brisbanites flock to Halcyon House — a luxury boutique hotel on the Tweed Coast. It also boasts hatted restaurant, Paper Daisy, with executive chef Jason Barratt taking the helm from his previous post at Rae's on Wategos. During the North Coast Festival of Flavour, Paper Daisy will be hosting the Halcyon House Lunch, — a four-course share menu for $125 per person. There'll be a wine pairing option and an extensive list of cocktails available, too. Be warned — it'll be hard to resist a visit to the luxe hotel spa or retreating to one of the eclectically styled suites for a night or two during your visit.
Let's just call it here and now: Robert Duvall will be nominated for Best Supporting Actor at next year's Academy Awards. It'll be his seventh nomination, and it'll be entirely deserved. The Man. Can. Act, and in his latest film — The Judge — you get the privilege of seeing that ability up close and incredibly personal. As the title suggests, Duvall is 'the Judge' — an elderly statesman of the justice system who's presided over the legal affairs of a small town in Indiana for over 40 years. When his wife passes away, the judge dutifully farewells his sweetheart only to then find himself accused of a hit-and-run that very same night. Thankfully, his high-flying, big-city lawyer son Hank (Robert Downey Jr) is in town for the funeral. Hank is, at least publicly, master of his domain, king of the jungle, pisser on the pants of his opponents. Privately, however, his marriage is crumbling, his daughter pines for more attention and the death of his mother has done nothing to assuage the chasm of estrangement between him and his father. They can scarcely look each other in the eye, let alone share any form of actual dialogue or physical contact, which makes establishing any form of legal defence markedly challenging. Throw in the attentions of the ex-girlfriend (Vera Farmiga), the grumpy brother (Vincent D'Onofrio), the mentally challenged brother (Jeremy Strong) and the unrelenting prosecutor (Billy Bob Thornton), and Hank's already reluctant return home fast becomes an almost unliveable nightmare. The Judge was directed by David Dobkin, whose previous films have largely fallen into the comedy/action arena (most notably: Wedding Crashers and Shanghai Knights). Here, he wields the direction with a split personality: sometimes hitting home runs, other times swinging and missing with wildly misfiring scenes. When the latter happens (and, regrettably, it's probably more than the former), The Judge descends into by-the-numbers schmaltz and dials up the cheese. Surprisingly this is often in the courtroom scenes where, traditionally, drama is most at home. The revelations are either too insignificant or heavily flagged, meaning the jurors' gasps and gallery's sighs are more comical than convincing. Downey Jr is well-cast as Hank, bringing the swagger of Iron Man without the bells and whistles to protect him. His scenes with Duvall carry the movie entirely, and whether by design or misstep, every other character becomes little more than background noise. It's not a film with a lot to offer by way of innovation, but it knows how to jerk the tears on more than a few occasions and (despite its unjustifiable length) keeps you engaged enough right through to the end. Most of that engagement, though, comes via Duvall, whose layered and moving performance is right up there with the best of the year. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZBvK6ni97W8
"I don't gravitate towards records that keep me in one mood," said Kimbra in a recent Guardian interview, explaining new LP The Golden Echo. "I like to be taken on a journey and that's what I wanted to do with the album." She can say that again. Shifting away from the quirky yet somehow unified jazz-inspired pop sound of Vows, the Kiwi singer's sophomore offering is an ambitious, kaleidoscopic, one-hour long extravaganza through, it seems, every influence that's ever possibly influenced her and every feeling she's ever possibly felt. Rock, R&B, funk, electronica, bizarre sound effects: you name it, you'll find it on there. Perhaps the input of a huge cast of collaborators has something to do with such immense sonic variety. Along the way, Kimbra worked with Daniel Johns, Thundercat, Matt Bellamy of Muse, Van Dyke Parks and John Legend, among many others. To find how it all manifests live, catch Kimbra at one of her three upcoming Antipodean shows, happening in late November, in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4K1hoMlxQmg
Scoring three triple j Hottest 100 tracks from just one album is no mean feat. But Leeds-based band alt-J made it happen after releasing their debut LP, An Awesome Wave, back in May 2012. The Brits loved it, too, awarding it the prestigious Mercury Prize — just casually. And now, on the heels of launching sophomore record This is All Yours, the boys are coming back to woo their sizeable Aussie fan base. Spooky single 'Hunger of the Pine' (and its suitably creepy video) has clocked up more than three million hits, while the more fun and eccentric 'Left Hand Free' has already hit high rotation on many a spring playlist. But you can be sure Enmore crowds will be waiting for that epic 'Breezeblocks' singalong. Alt-J will play just two shows in Melbourne and Sydney ahead of their Falls Festival appearance alongside SBTRKT, Royksopp and Robyn and Big Freedia. Stunning Perth-based singer Grace (Grace Woodroofe) is joining the lads for their two Australian performances, one of the most wanted support slots around. https://youtube.com/watch?v=dCCXq9QB-dQ
If you think 'the quarter acre block' and 'Sydney' are about as laughable a pairing as 'affordable housing' and 'the inner west', then think again. Art & About is upon us, and to kick off the three-week festival of public art is the Quarter Acre Block Party in Martin Place, a new incarnation of launch event Friday Night Live. This year's program for Art & About focuses on things that are 'at risk' or endangered. And what better way to reminisce about the surely extinct Australian dream of the quarter-acre block than to spend an afternoon soaking up the ole fashioned neighbourhood barbecue vibe as you drink up thanks to Cake Wines and dig into a spread by Barrel and Beast owner and sustainable chef extraordinaire Jared Ingersoll. With free entry, it all takes place in one of the CBD's most stunning acreages, Martin Place. Shaun Parker & Company's brilliant new work Trolleys will keep BBQ-goers entertained with performances at 5.30pm and 7pm. Expect breezy tunes from The Morrisons, Bustamento and Hot Potato Band. Even Double J is helping a neighbour out with a special mixtape — cue the awwws. And when the smell of slightly burnt-but-still-good sausages is no more, art can be your dessert, with the City of Sydney providing free 'vintage' shuttle buses from Martin Places to various galleries, who are also staying up past their bedtime. You can duck into the Art Gallery of NSW to finally check out the Archibald Prize, buy some locally crafted knick-knacks at the Artists Market at the State Library of NSW or drop in to the Late Night Library at Customs House for some tactile, architectural learning. The Quarter Acre Block Party is on Friday, September 19, from 5pm - 10pm. The festival continues in Sydney's public spaces until October 12.
Sydney trio Little May could be Australia's answer to folk warblers First Aid Kit. They've certainly been compared to the Swedish duo, and to New Zealand's Tiny Ruins, but at the moment they are carving out their own path. They've recently put out their debut, self-titled EP and just wrapped up an Australian tour with the legendary Rodriguez. But there's no rest for the wicked (or the wickedly charming, in this case). Little May are about to embark on a 12-date national headline tour to promote the EP. They'll be spreading the good vibes around Newtown Social Club on both November 27 and 278 supported by Winterbourne. To find out more, check out our interview. We asked them for their best tips for summer road trips.
A woman enters a theatre, damp from wild weather and flustered from running late. The man she sees is polite but clearly put out from waiting, as his complaints make clear. She is actress Vanda (Emmanuelle Seigner); he is playwright Thomas (Mathieu Amalric); their shared purpose, an audition. From their meeting, Roman Polanski's Venus in Fur lays bare their dramatic tryout. But is a budding stage star simply showing her wares to the person who could make her dreams come true, or are their respective gender positions — sexual, societal and otherwise — on trial? That question and the film's complicated power dynamic stems from a complex, comprehensive history, most plainly its adaptation of David Ives' Tony Award-winning production. Ives took inspiration from author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's semiautobiographical novella, Venus In Furs, the 1870 work credited for coining the term masochism and making it stick. His book is the starting point for Thomas's material within the movie too, the characters attempting to interpret the text on stage in a feature based on a play that does the very same. The sensual themes of the source may shine through as the duelling duo of leads quite literally circle around each other, treading the boards, flitting through the aisles and weaving in and around the backstage ephemera; however, it is the second phase of its evolution that proves most influential to Polanski's film. Blatant describes the setting, and the structure as a dialogue-heavy two-hander more so. In the filmmaker's second effort in a row based on a stage property following 2011's Carnage, and third overall after 1994's Death and the Maiden, only a flurry of camera angles and flashes of visual trickery distinguish the tale as cinematic. Seigner and Amalric generate commandingly clashing energy worlds away from their last pairing in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, endeavouring to overcome the inherently staged nature of the content with their vivid verbal sparring. Fire burns between them in impassioned performances, but the spotlight truly belongs to the erratic wannabe turned formidable temptress, as the narrative demands. Whether the strength of her portrayal stems from a husband offering his wife an exceptional opportunity, or from her flowering under his loving gaze, the married team of Polanski and Seigner make a fine pair. By design, Amalric is cast into the shadows, a suitable everyman foil. In a work teeming with comedy, carnality and cleverness, what threatens to strip Venus in Fur of its potency is its repetitive persistence and overt theatricality. Though the point is entertainingly made, it is done so continually and without subtlety. Intrigue and inertia are the opposing results, contemplating the battle of the sexes in careening fashion yet cobbled by embrace of indulgence. https://youtube.com/watch?v=-gluI5-GLZLw
Under stark lighting and to the beat of a throbbing soundtrack, a dancer and a bodybuilder come together in an unlikely pas de deux that tests the boundaries of physical endurance. This is MAXIMUM, the aptly named piece by Australian choreographer and dancer Natalie Abbott, recently returned from the Festival d’Avignon in France to showcase her performance in Sydney as part of Score season by Performance Space. The unique dance work developed when Abbott began collaborating with bodybuilder Donny Henderson-Smith. "I originally wanted to be lifted off the ground for a 45-minute show and thought it would be a strong contrast to work with a bodybuilder," explains Abbott. "When I began to work with Donny, though, I realised how much more information and personality he could bring to the work. We still include a pretty long and devastating lift; however, the piece is really more about us working together to find unity and a common language for performance. Given such an unexpected collaboration, the differences between dancing and bodybuilding are hard to ignore. Initially, MAXIMUM appears to be a performance of contrasts: light and heavy, small and large, grace and grunt. Despite this, the two performers find a unique harmony through mental focus and physical strength. The challenging choreography tests dancer and bodybuilder equally, and the whole idea of what happens to the human body at physical extremes is what fascinates Abbott. "My training as a dancer was quite intense and I really had to push my body to get through that," she says. "I know that the training is probably even more intense for a bodybuilder and this is why I was interested in exploring the relationship between both practices. Both forms are so intense and focused, yet yield such dissimilar results. I was super interested in exploring the dynamics of placing both bodies next to each other. The connotations of a massive male next to a smaller female, the traditional context of a man partnering a woman and what these images automatically imply for a viewer. My vision was then to override these assumptions and reveal us as humans, rather than performers, a bodybuilder and a dancer." You’d expect the performers to have endured intense physical training to prepare for such a gruelling performance. Not so, says Abbott, who points out “we need to be challenged during the [show]”, and so while the two prepared by tuning their bodies into sync, they avoided additional fitness training. That means the exhaustion we see on stage is real; the charade of a performance is stripped away to reveal the humans behind the choreography, lending the show its raw physicality that has both challenged and captivated audiences. ("Beautifully achieved, exhilarating work," wrote ABC Arts after the premiere at Next Wave.) Maximum plays as part of Performance Space's Score season of works driven by dance, movement, music and noise. Abbott is particularly “curious and excited” to see One Thing Follows Another... by Gail Priest and Jane McKernan, a performance inspired by the 1960s avant-garde that plays on ideas of independence and collaboration between music and dance. Other highlights include the genre-defying fusion piece Keep Everything by critically acclaimed dance company Chunky Move, as well as Psychic Synth, a digital work by Pia Van Gelder that will read your mind. Score is on from August 1 to September 7 at Carriageworks. See MAXIMUM from August 27-30. Single tickets are $25 adult/$15 concession, or you go all out and buy a season pass for $130. See the website for details.
Over his 17-year tenure as the host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart has become known as one of America’s shrewdest political commentators. From behind his fake news desk, armed with a mix of satire and editorial scorn, the comedian and his team of writers have exposed hypocrisy and corruption, ridiculing dictators, presidents and CEOs alike. You’d imagine, then, that his first foray into filmmaking would be a similarly tongue-in-cheek affair — full of all the snark and cynicism that his viewers have come to expect. Instead, Stewart plays it straight, and in doing so reveals a side of himself that audiences rarely get to see. A powerful true tale told with grace and endless compassion, Rosewater is an outstanding directorial debut. Gael Garcia Bernal plays Maziar Bahari, a Canadian-Iranian journalist detained by Iran’s security forces amid the widespread civil unrest following the country’s 2009 elections. Held for more than four months, Bahari was accused of being an American spy, in part because of a satirical interview he gave on Stewart’s program just a week before his arrest. “Why would a spy have a TV show?” the baffled journalist asks, a question that perfectly encapsulates the absurdity of his situation. For weeks on end, Bahari is beaten and berated, unable to provide the answers that his captors wish to hear. In his moments alone, his memories turn to the plights of his father and sister, both of whom were imprisoned under previous Iranian regimes. Garcia Bernal gives a first-rate performance as Bahari, a man out of his element who discovers a remarkable inner strength. But the standout of the film is Danish actor Kim Bodnia, who plays Bahari’s nameless interrogator. While the man’s actions are often appalling, he’s never depicted as anything less than human. Like Bahari, he’s a person trapped by circumstances; a working stiff with a boss to answer to and a wife who wishes he was home. In humanising Bahari’s captors, Stewart helps us to understand them. The cruelty and stubbornness of those who propagate oppression is not born out of inherent evil, but rather out of fear. Fear of weakness. Fear of change. As the movie progresses, we increasingly come to pity these men, whose desperate attempts to cling to an old way of life seem all but destined to fail.
The acquisition of good vintage clothing can be a difficult feat. Much like the metaphoric fog, sometimes you have to sort through a whole bunch of crap until you find something good. Fortunately for us, the guys behind Foe, Like The Enemy have trawled through Asia and the Americas to source the best vintage clothing they could get their hands on. After a wildly successful first pop-up instalment in Surry Hills, Foe have been staging their second pop-up store in Regent Street, Redfern since September. For a limited time you've been able to walk into a real-live shop and try on vintage clothes in an actual changeroom — we're talking Jurassic Park denim details, well-worn flannos, as many retro sunglasses as you can predict to lose at a music festival. Before they relocate to a fresh new 2015 venue and to celebrate a year of sardine-like parties and pop-ups, the lads are raising a crispy bev to their first year of FOEing. Teaming up with the RUN THE BLVD crew, FOE are staging a Christmas party brimming with free Bulleit Whiskey. Tunes aplenty with Astral People's Mike Who on the decks, alongside Batesy, GCO and FOE residents, Brudo and HUX. Best part, you can shop while you party — all remaining stock will be reduced on the night, including vintage Levis, Nike, Adidas, Harley Davidson and more. Swing down to Regent, get amongst the beats and one-of-a-kind threads and celebrate the worldly fashion travels of one of Sydney's best merchants of vintage. Entry via RSVP only. Words by Natalie Freeland and Shannon Connellan.
Two men stare directly at the screen and tell their stories. Their expressions are open, their tone is matter-of-fact, and they speak of fact, not fiction. They are Palestinian Mosab Hassan Yousef and Israeli Gonen Ben Yitzhak. The tales they share start on opposite sides of the still-raging Middle East conflict, but don’t end there. Modest and unassuming perhaps best describes writer/director Nadav Schirman unfolding of a narrative that could easily furnish a Hollywood blockbuster. The director recognises, however, that the most powerful plots speak for themselves, presenting his film largely unadorned and unembellished. No bells and whistles, nor fancy footage or special effects, dress up a scenario already simmering with thrills and suspense. As the duo interweave their versions of events into one complete, complementary account, Schirman offers sparing glimpses of archival, re-enactment and surveillance vision as a break from talking heads — but in The Green Prince, it is the truth that matters, not the packaging. Mosab is the son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, one of Hamas’s co-founders and most outspoken leaders. Gonen Ben Yitzhak was a Shin Bet agent for the Israeli military, charged with cultivating intelligence and recruiting informants. When the former was a teenager, filled with anger at the treatment of his father in fighting for a cause he believed in, he was detained and approached with an offer to assist the other side. The latter was his handler during much of his decade-long stint colluding with the enemy. Mosab’s nickname in his undercover work: 'The Green Prince'. As the Errol Morris-style documentary relates their combined experiences, it focuses on the micro rather than the macro; this is a film about the impact of lives lived in the war-torn climate, and the deeds done in the name of survival, rather than the broader circumstances. Accordingly, the feature hones in on shame and subterfuge as recurring themes — the fear of disgrace that fuels actions and attitudes on both sides (most notably in driving Mosab to betray his upbringing and struggle with the aftermath) and the duplicity employed by him and Gonen alike. Plenty of questions are raised in The Green Prince, and never does it make the mistake of pretending to present all the answers. To say the film never satisfies is to recognise the unease that drives its real-life details, as Schirman astutely captures. Perhaps the inevitable fictionalised movie version will bring everything together neatly; reflecting actuality, the documentary couldn’t, shouldn’t and doesn’t.
The average Australian household throws out one bag of garbage for every five bags of groceries bought. It's a terrifying statistic. But at least our extravagant wastage has been drawing some attention of late. Even some of the big guys are getting on board, with initiatives like Harris Farm's half-price 'ugly fruit and veg' and Woolworths' ambitious plan to divert all food waste from landfill by next year. At the more micro-level, there's a 23-year-old woman in New York who's made it her personal mission to live trash-free for two years. It's no secret that Christmas, despite its loving, happy, cheery vibes, can be a serious waste-creating machine. We get so enthusiastic on December 25 that many of us are inclined to cook up more than we'll ever be able to eat. The good news is, though, that there's a workshop to help you out. OzHarvest, Australia's first perishable food rescue organisation, in conjunction with the City of Sydney's Green Villages, are hosting a free session where you'll learn tips for reducing your festive waste footprint from edible-garden expert Sarah Brill. Attendance is free, but online registration is essential.
Ariel Pink is one name in music that is often lauded as it is met with absolute derision. He's a bit of a weirdo, and has made some absolutely shocking 'jokes' in the past, but, well, he does make some admittedly catchy pop songs. Despite tracking in at a whopping 17 tracks and more than an hour long, Ariel Pink's newest LP, pom pom, is the artist at his most accessible. Touring off the back of his newest success, he's playing just one Sydney show tonight along with his seven-piece band, with Pond's Nick Allbrook in support. It's going to be a sure-fire night of quality tunes (and antics abound).
Despite recently launching an all-day breakfast menu and ice cream sandwiches, we still think fries are the best thing about Lord of the Fries. And this Saturday, July 13, the vegan fast food joint is giving away free serves of 'em. Free. Fries. The chain is choosing this day to give them away because it's (supposedly) International French Fry Day. While we're not a big fan of 'food days', we are big fans of free food. So, to snag free fries on the day, just head down to any one of the LOTF stores around the nation between 1 and 2pm and you'll be gifted a bucket of deliciousness with a classic sauce of your choice thrown in, too. You don't even have to purchase any vego nuggets to redeem them. If you're in Sydney — which we'll assume you are, reading this post — you can either head along to one of the CBD stores (on Lee or George Street), to the Newtown spot or to the chain's outpost in Parramatta Westfield. Lord of the Fries is giving away free fries from 1–2pm on Saturday, July 13 at all of its NSW stores.
If, when weekends roll around, you look for any excuse to don a nice outfit, sip fine wine and eat delicious food, listen up — Saké Restaurant & Bar Manly is celebrating its first birthday with a very fancy champagne lunch. On Sunday, November 24, the Japanese restaurant is serving up a special 12-dish feast with two hours of endless rosé-themed cocktails, wines and tap beers. To start, you'll receive a glass of Veuve Clicquot (of course) and canapés, which you can enjoy while soaking up the stunning Luchetti Krelle-designed space inside and panoramic ocean views of Manly Cove outside. Then, you'll sit down for the aforementioned 12-dish shared feast by Head Chef Shoji Toru. Salmon sashimi with lotus chips, beef tartare, seared scallops, Japanese-style chicken wings and kingfish with yuzu and jalapeño are all on the Sunday lunch menu. As are bao filled with pork katsu, a crunchy soba noodle salad and wagyu patties topped with cheese. You'll need to wear your fanciest stretchy pants for this. You can pair all this with two hours of never-ending cocktails, wine and beer, too. So, maybe, restock your Berocca supply for Monday. All of this will set you back $139 a head. If you can't make it to the lunch, though, you can still by heading to Saké Manly's bar for $15 cocktails and $99 bottles of Veuve — available all day. To book your table at this birthday lunch, call (02) 8099 7076 or email reservations@sakerestaurant.com.au.
With those mornings getting fresher by the day, you're probably after a little extra motivation to hit the pavement for your pre-breakfast jog. And the inaugural Western Sydney Parklands Trail Run might be just what you need to set your sights on. The brand new event hits the sprawling grounds of Western Sydney Parklands on Saturday, June 22, with distances to suit novices and running fiends alike. Start training for the 35 kilometre, 19 or 11 race, or sign up for the friendlier 4 kilometre Family Fun Run. Affectionately known as 'Sydney's Biggest Backyard', the 5000-hectare bushland site has tracks and trails to suit all degrees of running skill — plus, plenty of breathtaking views for when you need a distraction from your burning lungs. Put away the kilometres as you run between picturesque markers like Moonrise Lookout, Sugarloaf Ridge, The Dairy, and Plough and Harrow.
How long has Charles Boyle been dreaming of Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago's wedding? What did Rosa Diaz do before she was a cop? Who keeps swooping in and taking the Nine-Nine crew's cases? Which one is Scully and which is Hitchcock? If you can answer all of the above — and name Captain Holt's dog, Terry's twins, Gina's dance troupe and Jake's favourite movie — then you're set for the Ess's latest trivia night. Yes, it's all about the hit cop sitcom we all know and love. You know, the one that was cancelled and then resurrected in the space of 36 hours. We'd keep asking Brooklyn Nine-Nine questions and dropping tidbits, but we'll save some for the big night. Ess, if you haven't heard of it already, is the sparkly new(ish) rooftop bar atop Macquarie Park's Governor Hotel. With its neat cocktail list, Japanese robata grill and themed trivia, we're liking it already. The big night in question is free (huzzah) with a heap of prizes up for grabs. The main event will kick off at 7pm on Wednesday, March 27. Book a table — through the website or by calling (02) 9287 1418 — for you and your mates and it may be your night to shine (and that can be the title of your sex tape if you'd like).
Japan meets Mexico in a delicious culinary clash, when contemporary Woollahra izakaya Izy and all-vegan eatery Bad Hombres team up for a two-night 'tacoyaki' pop-up. Happening at Queen Street's Izy Izakaya on Wednesday, February 27 and Wednesday, March 6, and helmed by chefs Jack New (Icebergs, Sokyo) and Toby Wilson (Bad Hombres, Ghostboy Cantina, Duke of Enmore), this is one affordable, tasty and boozy affair you'll want to reserve a spot at ASAP. Clocking in at just $50 per person, the menu takes the form of an eight-course shared feast, filled with plenty of bold flavours. You'll catch dishes like DIY spiced confit duck carnitas, smoked eel teamed with salsa verde, a reworking of Bad Hombres' famed cauliflower dish and, for dessert, a rice pudding with candied cherry blossom. In keeping with Bad Hombres' plant-based ethos, there'll be an all-vegan version of the menu on offer, too, while the bar gets into the spirit with bargain booze like $5 Jamaican draught beer, $3 vanilla-infused tequilas, and a cracking assortment of margaritas (including a yuzu version). To reserve your spot at the one-off dinner, you'll need to message Izy Izakaya on Instagram. A word of warning: this was initially a one-off event, but it proved so popular that Izy and Bad Hombres announced a second date. Expect it to book out quickly. Updated March 2.
It might sound like some bleak apocalyptic scenario, but Hill End's arts, culture and heritage festival The End is anything but. The annual fiesta takes over the historic regional town from April 12 to 14, located just under four hours' drive out of Sydney, but well worth the weekend road trip. You'll catch a diverse program of tunes for free, with the legendary Golden Age stage playing host to a lineup of blues, country and folk acts. Enjoy them while sampling top-notch beers, wines and ciders from the surrounding regions of Mudgee, Bathurst and Orange. Stacks of local food and produce will also be there for you to enjoy, too. Those keen to turn back the clock can try their hand at some traditional trades, with workshops in basket weaving, leather belt making, poetry, tin-type photography and more. Or, explore the town's past, with an eerie ghost tour or hands-on gold-panning experience. Each evening will kick off with a sunset lantern parade through the village, while a jam-packed after-dark program features the likes of a roving theatre production, a square dance and a music-filled opening night gala. Make a weekend of it and stay on site in one of two campsites — you can bring your own tent, or book one stocked with all the trimmings for a comfy outdoor getaway.
The savoury branch of Sydney's cult-favourite gelateria is at it again. Next up on the Messina Eats world tour is the brand's first Italian collab. This time around, it's teaming up with longstanding Brisbane Italian spot Beccofino, which is popping up in Sydney for the first time on Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6. Beccofino head chef Cordell Khoury has been specialising in woodfired pizza for more than 14 years. He also happened to attend chef school with Messina's own head chef Donato Toce (previously at A Tavola), and the duo is looking forward to getting back in the kitchen together after 15 years apart. As usual, the party will go down in the carpark of Messina's Rosebery headquarters, which will, this time, be modelled after 'Nonna's place', complete with red chequered tablecloths. Expect woodfired margherita and cacciatorini salami pizza, handmade pasta — including garlicky mushroom gnocchi and pappardelle in confit duck ragu — and fried calamari. For dessert, always a highlight at a Messina-run event, there'll be tiramisu made with whipped mascarpone and espresso-soaked savoiardi. The pop-up will run from noon until late each day and entry is free, so you can just rock up and chow down.
Fancy yourself a bit of a gin freak? Reckon your blood could be more G&T than plasma? This one-off aperitivo evening is for you. South Australia's Never Never Distilling Co just took home World's Best Classic Gin at the 2019 World Gin Awards, and it's packing up its award-winning bottles and popping up in Bondi for one evening this March. Taking over the recently opened Rosenbaum & Fuller on Wednesday, March 6, Never Never will be serving up three cocktails — each made with one of its gins — alongside a tasting of its coveted Southern Strength Gin. The aforementioned, world-topping gin, according to World Gin Awards officials, tastes like pine leaves and resin, with hints of thyme, cinnamon and tree bark. It also goes for $75 a bottle, so this evening may be a good way to try before you buy. Tickets to the event will set you back $59 and include three Never Never cocktails as well as snacks by Rosenbaum & Fuller — and a chance to chat everything gin with Never Never Brand Director Sean Baxter. Evening Aperitivo will run from 6–8pm. You can book your spot by emailing hello@rosenbaumandfuller.com.
Sydney's beloved Hungarian pop-up is back again, this time taking on the kitchen of Waterloo's plant-based favourite Paperbark. Ételek head chef Adam Wolfers will join Paperbark's Joey Astorga for just one night on Saturday, March 16 from 6–11pm. Ételek's latest installment follows several successful pop-ups at The Gretz, Bar Brosé and, most recently, in Potts Point. This time around, the purely vegan collab menu will span eight courses, and focus on the native ingredients and seasonal produce that Paperbark is known for. While the dishes have not been revealed, we suspect Wolfers' signature parsnip schnitzel and lángos (Hungarian fried bread) will make the cut. To pair with the eats, guests can purchase minimal intervention wines from the Paperbark list, which will include a few special drops from Ételek sommelier Marc Dempsey (Cornersmith Marrickville). Tickets will cost $95 a pop and seating is limited, so get booking while you still can. Images: Hellene Algie and Trent van der Jagt.
Get your fill of the best vegan food in town at the Vegan Day Out. Come March 9and 10, The Cruelty Free Shop is putting together another walking tour of vegan cafes, restaurants and retailers, many of which will be offering discounts, deals and free samples to anyone who stops by. For Saturday and Sunday, socially conscious eaters can stop by The Cruelty Free Shop on Glebe Point Road, and grab a map outlining their route. From there, it's all about making your way to to plant-based delights aplenty — and making a day (or two) of it. Whether you're a dyed-in-the-wool vegan or just curious to give it a go, you'll find a whole world of retailers catering to animal-free eating, offering meal deals, two-for-ones, coffee, wine tastings and savings on vegan groceries. The Cruelty Free Shop will also be running its own tastings throughout the day, as well as offering discounts on some of its 3000+ products. The Vegan Day Out runs from 9am–5pm on Saturday and 10am–5pm on Sunday.
As the sun sets over Bondi Beach on a Sunday evening, the jazz is just getting started at Mamasan. This Japanese eatery — which has a sibling in Surry Hills — hosts free Sundown Sessions from 5pm. Take a seat at the bar or in a cosy booth, and make the weekend last as long as possible. Behind the music programme is double bassist Jonathan Zwartz, who won the 2018 ARIA for Best Jazz Album with Animarum. Every week, he invites a bunch of Sydney's top-notch musicians to join him for a couple of sets of jazz, blues and groove. Designed for sharing, the menu offers tapas, sashimi, maki and mains. Start with steamed dumplings, followed by tuna maki with tenkatsu, coriander and onion or duck pancakes with red miso sauce. There's also a handpicked selection of sake, wine and craft beer, as well as signature cocktails. On a warm evening, try a Lychee Sau Wau (a refreshing concoction of Ketal 1 Vodka, sake, lychees, fresh mint and yuzu) or a Jade Margarita (tequila, Grande Marnier, fresh mint and pineapple).
Making a powerhouse acting debut, Zain Al Rafeea carries the entire weight of Capharnaüm on his slender shoulders. Playing a young Lebanese boy also named Zain, the untrained talent puts in a raw, soulful performance that nearly bursts off of the screen, all while capturing a truth that is rarely uttered. With a weary expression where an impish smile should be, he conveys the toll of simply existing, a burden that nobody initially asks for. Indeed, when Zain is introduced in court, suing his parents for bringing him into a life of relentless hardship, Al Rafeea's exasperated face alone sells the character's existential angst. While Zain's unconventional lawsuit provides Capharnaüm's entry point, writer-director Nadine Labaki (Where Do We Go Now?) is quick to explore the basis for the 12-year-old's legal challenge. In his dismal Beirut home environment, his parents (Kawthar Al Haddad and Fadi Kamel Youssef) make him work to support the family, his baby sibling is kept in chains, and he witnesses his beloved younger sister (Cedra Izam) sold into marriage for a few chickens. More than that, his birth was never registered, so he can't get the necessary identifying paperwork to attend school or to even prove that he exists. Running away, he's soon caught in another difficult domestic situation — taken in by kindly Ethiopian immigrant Rahil (Yordanos Shiferaw), he cares for her infant son (Boluwatife Treasure Bankole) while she works, but is left stranded when she suddenly doesn't return. Scripting the film with four co-writers, Labaki puts the despairing yet resourceful Zain through even further misery — the type that'd be badged 'poverty porn' if it wasn't drawn from reality and told with such empathy. Those traits prove Capharnaüm's main strengths, aside from the highly sensitive work by the movie's non-professional actors. Much of the cast, including the mesmerising Al Rafeea and captivating toddler Bankole, have lived lives that hew much too close to the events seen on screen, while Labaki's commitment to bringing their plights to light shines through in her narrative. Ranging beyond the feel-good charm of Slumdog Millionaire and the tender reunion of Lion, Capharnaüm actively wants viewers not just to engage with its bleak story, but with the truth behind it. From crumbling shanties to overcrowded juvenile jails, this is a fictional tale wrought from the toughest type of real-life pain, and it's designed to feel that way from start to finish. The key word there is feel. Labaki wants audiences to be moved by her gritty, warts-and-all portrait — and given everything that Zain experiences, that's exactly what happens. Alas, although the actor-turned-filmmaker clearly recognises the potency of her material, she doesn't seem to trust it to get the job done alone. Every stylistic decision, from the lingering camerawork to the button-pushing score (by her husband and producer Khaled Mouzanar) to the lurching narrative structure, is calculated to poke and prod viewers. Every choice cajoles those watching not just to react with sympathy, but to respond harder and deeper, eventually to the point of overkill. There's a difference between stressing the point in an earnest and affecting way, wallowing gracefully to truly communicate the enormity of a character's struggle, and hitting people over the head. Bluntly bludgeon someone for long enough, and they might just stop feeling anything. As a result, even with a Cannes jury prize and an Academy Award nomination to its name, Carpharnaüm can't overcome its obvious contradictions. It knows that it's spinning a worthy tale, but isn't confident that anyone will care about the gruelling minutiae without applying force. It possesses two of the most authentic, endearing child performances committed to celluloid in recent times — on par with its thematic sibling, The Florida Project — and yet packages their naturalistic work with overtly manipulative storytelling. It argues that unthinkingly birthing kids into a downtrodden life is a heinous crime, while also championing a boy whose engaging persona and enduring resilience was forged through weathering immense difficulties. Although it's impossible to ignore these clashes, when Al Rafeea lights up the screen, he'll make you wish otherwise. Stirring but never self-assured enough to be subtle, Capharnaüm is a heartbreaking movie that stops well short of being a heartbreaking masterpiece. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBecbs52Fpo
Before 2020 hit, you probably didn't realise just how much you enjoyed sipping drinks while standing. Those were the days. Yes, 'vertical consumption' — as the practice has been dubbed — is one of the ordinary, everyday parts of life that fell by the wayside over the past year, with knocking back brews and cocktails while upright off the cards under COVID-19 restrictions. Until now, that is. In the latest eased rules that came into effect on Wednesday, March 17, Sydneysiders are once again able to stand and drink. And, the Merivale hospitality group thinks that this change is well worth celebrating. Until Sunday, March 21, you can head to select venues — including Ivy Pool Club, The Newport, El Loco Excelsior, The Paddington and Coogee Pavilion's rooftop and ground floor — and nab $7 pints and $12 margaritas. The specials are available all day, so you can enjoy a cheap lunchtime beverage or an after-work brew, or settle in for a long weekend afternoon. Other venues taking part include Allawah Hotel, Angel Hotel, Establishment Bar, Royal George, The Collaroy, The Grand, The Tennyson, Vic on the Park and York 75. You can also go to the ground floor of Hotel CBD and Queens Hotel Enmore, and to The Royal Bondi's front bar.
Do jungle vibes while shopping for greenery sounds like your perfect outing? Do you still need to buy your mum something for Mother's Day? Head along to the Jungle Collective's indoor plant sale on Saturday, May 8–Sunday, May 9, and you can tick both boxes. It's the latest greenery-filled Sydney market from the Melbourne nursery, which stocks all kinds of weird and wonderful species. Yes, it is trucking its way up north again for another venture — and this sale is a 100-percent in-person affair. Whether you're after a hanging pot plant, some palms for the garden or a giant Bird of Paradise, chances are you'll find it here. Does your mother have a reputation for killing cacti or overwatering ferns? Don't worry — there'll be horticulturalists on site on the night to give you advice and chat through any questions you might have. Get inspired by greenery aplenty and learn to incorporate plants into your home and living spaces, all while browsing and soaking up some tunes. Jungle Collective wants you to bring your mother along, too — and if you do, you'll both get $5 off your purchase once you spend at least $20. Best get in quick, though. These markets are always popular, with more than 170 different species usually on offer. Due to expected demand, the sale will be held in 30-minute sessions across both days, and attendees will need to register for free tickets in advance.
Good food and drinks, moseying far and wide, learning new skills, hanging out with your nearest and dearest: that's what exceptional weekends are all about. And, if you're looking for something to do on Saturday, March 13, the brand new Fermenta festival also ticks all of the above boxes. It's dedicated to fermented foods, as the name points out, and it's taking place in Rylstone and Kandos in the Mudgee region, around a three-and-a-half-hour drive out of Sydney. Yes, you'll be heading out of town for this one-day affair, and either satisfying your stomach or adding to your knowledge — or both — while you're there. The big highlight is the twilight picnic, which'll see you sit by the Cudgegong River at the Rylstone Showground and tuck into gourmet hampers filled with produce and wine from the area. For your $85–150 ticket (depending on whether you want a hamper for one or two people), you'll also listen to live tunes. That's how Fermenta will finish up for the day. Beforehand, though, there are plenty of other parts of the program, so you can pick and choose what you'd like to do (and pay accordingly). At the Globe Hotel, the Globe Beer Festival will be in full swing. Or, depending on your area of interest, you can book into a workshop — including sessions on kombucha, honey ginger beer, sourdough crumpets, sauerkraut, pickling and preserving, and chocolate fermentation.
To celebrate its 75th anniversary, The National Trust (NSW) is hosting a bunch of free open days at its properties across New South Wales. This includes Earth and Sky at Old Government House on Sunday, April 18. Set within 200 acres of Burramatta Darug land, this stunning heritage-listed building will be bustling with family-friendly fun. When you arrive, you'll see an Aboriginal sand painting being created by First Nations artist Walangari Karntawarra. Next, head inside and upstairs to discover a new science exhibition, Enquiring Minds, coupled with complementary activities to help deepen your scientific learning experience. Once you've toured the historical house and its collections, head outside for lawn games, which include bowls and a giant Lego set. Then, grab yourself a spot on the picnic rugs to enjoy the music as you usher in the late afternoon with a glass of complimentary wine served at 2pm. If you get hungry, the on-site restaurant Lachlan's will have you covered with its a la carte menu and high tea, too. Earth and Sky at Old Government House will run from 10am–4pm on Sunday, April 18. The event is free to attend but booking is essential. To register, head over here.
