When January rolls around, New South Wales residents will have four new reasons to head out of the house, and they'll all come in voucher form. As announced on Tuesday, November 17 as part of the NSW Budget for 2020–21, the State Government will be giving every resident over the age of 18 $100 to use at restaurants, cafes, clubs, cultural institutions, performing arts, cinemas and amusement parks — via four vouchers worth $25 each, all to help support the state's hospitality and entertainment industries. It's called the 'Out & About' program, for obvious reasons. And it's due to run a pilot scheme first, before launching statewide in the new year. There are plenty of caveats, too. You'll have to use two vouchers on food and two on entertainment, for starters, and you can only use each voucher once and individually, including if your transaction totals less than $25. You also can't spend them on alcohol, but, with the two food vouchers, that's still $25 towards two meals outside of your house. And if you use your vouchers at one of Sydney Collective's eight venues, you'll actually score $50 per meal. The hospitality company has announced that it'll double the value of each voucher presented at every one of its sites — which includes Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, Balcony in Byron Bay, The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room, The Imperial Erskineville, Park House, Northies, Daniel San and The Republic Hotel and Taylor's Rooftop. Accordingly, when the scheme does come into effect, you now have a few places to add to your must-visit list. Sydney Collective's offer will have other conditions, which'll be available on its website — and obviously it won't be doubling any vouchers until the overall program itself starts. To access the government's vouchers, you'll need a MyServiceNSW account — and the corresponding app, so you can use the vouchers digitally. And the state's social distancing requirements and other COVID-19 hygiene practises will still apply to anyone venturing out of their house for something to eat, of course. For information about the 'Out & About' scheme, visit the NSW Government's website. For more information about Sydney Collective's offer, head to its website as well.
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If 50 of the world's most renowned street artists transform a derelict, glamorous 19th-century bathhouse-turned-nightclub into a temporary gallery space but no-one sees it, does it even exist? Paris's historic Les Bains-Douches building is steeped in history — built in 1885 as a civic bathhouse where Marcel Proust reportedly enjoyed a morning dip, the grandiose space became a pumping discotheque in the late '70s, until some overzealous renovation attempts led to the iconic club's closure in 2010. It's set to reopen as a mystery venue in 2014, but for now owner Jean Pierre-Marois has invited a stable of prominent urban artists, commissioned by the Magda Danysz Gallery, to reimagine the soon-to-be demolished space. Les Bain's fleeting metamorphosis as a gallery space will never open to the public; instead it's memorialised exclusively in the online exhibition platform Un Artiste Un Jour ('One day one artist), as captured by photographers Stephane Bisseuil and Jerome Coton. Perhaps a throwback to the pleasure-seeking days of disco when Les Bains was a playground for the debauchery of Andy Warhol, Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Grace Jones, Kate Moss, Mick Jagger and Johnny Depp, the beautifully decaying artwork is here for a good time, not a long time. Hedonistic? Perhaps, but what is art if not beauty for beauty's sake alone. Take a sneak peek below, no fake ID necessary. Lek and Sowat Thomas Canto Jeanne Susplugas Joachim Sauter Sten Lex Zeer Image credits: Sambre, Lek and Sowat, Thomas Canto, Jeanne Susplugas, Joachim Sauter, Sten Lex, Zeer by Jerome Coton and Stephane Bisseuil. See more images here.
My my, how can you resist this? MAMMA MIA! The Musical is bringing its Greek-set onstage party back to Australia in 2023 — and if you're a musical fan, an ABBA devotee or perennially keen to indulge in 70s nostalgia, you'll want to be there. By now, the hit production is well-known around the world, including from previous Aussie runs. It has spawned not one but two movies, too. And, its tale of a young bride-to-be's quest to find her father before her wedding will liven up Sydney Lyric from next autumn. So far, only a Sydney season has been locked in for MAMMA MIA! The Musical's Australian return, starting in May 2023. For folks outside the Harbour City, cross your fingers that this restaging of the popular 2017 production will also take its romantic chaos and 22 ABBA tracks around the country — or, you'll need to take a chance on a Sydney trip. Here we go again with one of the biggest jukebox musical hits of the past quarter-century, as seen by over 65 million people worldwide so far. The story, as theatre audiences have enjoyed since 1999, follows 20-year-old Sophie, who is about to marry her fiancé Sky on the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi. It's her dream for her dad to walk her down the aisle, but courtesy of her mother Donna's old diary, she learns that her father could be one of three men: Sam Carmichael, Bill Austin or Harry Bright. Calling all dancing queens, obviously — with that track, the titular number, and everything from 'Money, Money, Money', 'Thank You for the Music', 'Super Trouper' and 'The Name of the Game' to 'SOS', 'Does Your Mother Know', 'Waterloo' and 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' featuring (and 'Take a Chance on Me', 'The Winner Takes It All' and, of course, 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do', too). The new Australian run hails from producers Michael Coppel, Louise Withers and Linda Bewick, plus Helpmann Award-winning director Gary Young, choreographer Tom Hodgson and musical supervisor Stephen Amos. Exactly who'll be playing Sophie, Donna, Sam, Bill and Harry hasn't yet been revealed — but if you already know and love the show and the soundtrack, that won't matter. MAMMA MIA! The Musical plays Sydney Lyric from May 2023, with tickets on sale from Thursday, November 24. For further details or to join the waitlist, head to the production's website. Images: James D Morgan.
Whether you're travelling for work, leisure or something in-between, if you're a Brisbanite who has been in New South Wales lately, you've probably been happy to venture further than your own city. But with four Local Government Areas in Sydney about to be placed under stay-at-home orders from 11.59pm tonight, Friday, June 25 — yes, that's another term for a lockdown — the Queensland Government now requires anyone who has visited the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick council areas since Friday, June 11 to also abide by the same conditions. Yes, you should be feeling a bit of deja vu. This type of thing now tends to happen when another city goes into lockdown, so it has indeed occurred before. Queensland has already closed its borders to the Greater Sydney area in response to the city's current COVID-19 outbreak, but the state has now put a new stay-at-home requirement in place for anyone currently in Queensland who has been to the four specified LGAs. As announced in a Queensland Health public health alert released today, if you fall into that category, you're required to follow the same conditions that would be in place if you were in those four Sydney areas at the moment. The rules are the same as during Brisbane's three lockdowns, which means that you're only allowed to leave the house for select reasons. So, you can only head out for work or education if you can't do that at home, for essential shopping, for outdoor exercise, and for health care or to provide support for a vulnerable person. The City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick LGAs will be under stay-at-home orders until at least 11.59pm on Friday, July 2. https://twitter.com/qldhealthnews/status/1408274632910655496 Queensland is giving folks who've been in the four LGAs a little bit of extra leeway, though — if you're in the Sunshine State, the lockdown requirement won't kick in until 1am on Saturday, June 26. That said, Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young advised that "if you're one of these people, please don't rush off to another location on holiday — if you do, you'll still need to follow these rules wherever you are." And, although Greater Sydney has already been deemed a hotspot by Queensland, that declaration is being backdated for the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick LGAs as well. So, if you're a Sunshine State resident who returns home after 1am on Saturday, June 26, and you've been in the four LGAs since Friday, June 11 — even if that's not where you're arriving back from now — you'll need to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days. Dr Young is also advising Queenslanders to "reconsider their need to travel to New South Wales during this time." Residents of seven Sydney LGAs — not just the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick, but also Bayside, Canada Bay and Inner West — are not permitted to leave the metropolitan Sydney area. As always, the usual general advice regarding hygiene and social distancing applies in Queensland, as it has throughout the pandemic. For more information about Queensland's COVID-19 border restrictions, or about the status of COVID-19 in the state, visit the Qld COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
He's been a presence on comedy stages and screens large and small for decades. He has three Grammys to his name, four Emmys as well, and once made a loveable TV sitcom about his childhood. He's popped up in everything from Beverly Hills Cop II, the Madagascar flicks and Spiral: From the Book of Saw to Saturday Night Live and Fargo. And, he'll be now forever synonymous with the 2022 Oscars — as the entire world won't stop talking about. The performer in question? Chris Rock, of course. And if you're keen to see him bust out his comedic best without Will Smith in the room, he's coming to Australia and New Zealand in August. This'll mark his first tour in five years, with his latest show playing seven big arena gigs Down Under. Rock heads our way in-between a long run of US dates — and while his Australian and NZ tour was announced before the Academy Awards it is unsurprisingly getting more attention now. Wondering if he'll mention the obvious? Taking to the stage in America just days after the Oscars to kick off the tour, he didn't work it into his set. "I don't have a bunch of shit about what happened," he said, according to reviews. "So if you came to hear that... I've got a whole show I wrote before this weekend. And I'm still kind of processing what happened." AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND! After 5 years, I'm returning with my Ego Death World Tour 2022 this August. I can't wait. Tickets on sale Fri 18 March: https://t.co/H0deIjBRKR pic.twitter.com/BDYlxnqqhf — Chris Rock (@chrisrock) March 9, 2022 CHRIS ROCK 'EGO DEATH' TOUR DATES: August 7 — Spark Arena, Auckland August 8 — Christchurch Arena, Christchurch August 10 — Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne August 15 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney August 17 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide August 20 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane August 23 — Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast Chris Rock's 'Ego Death' tour will hit Australia and New Zealand in August 2022. For further details, and to buy tickets, head to the tour's website. Top image: Andy Witchger via Wikimedia Commons.
With the memory of 2017's shambolic Oscars ceremony beginning to fade, so too are the major contenders starting to slip out of Australian cinemas. But with the latest home-grown effort Jasper Jones copping it from all sides and the new Wolverine stalking the multiplexes yet again, the dedicated cinephile may well be thinking it's going to be a while between drinks. Not this year. The Sydney Film Festival may not kick off for another couple of months, but this time round it's getting an epic run-up. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Sydney Film Prize, Golden Age Cinema and Bar in Surry Hills will be screening all of the previous winners in the lead-up to the June festival — one a week for nine weeks. The Sydney Film Prize is the Festival's official competition, awarding $63,000 to a "provocative, controversial or cutting edge film that moves the art form forward". In its ten years, the Prize has recognised numerous works and artists that have gone on to bag acclaim at film festivals all over the world. If you still don't get how big this is, Steve McQueen's Hunger will get the ball rolling on April 4, with Nicholas Winding Refn's Bronson and Only God Forgives to follow. Others in the pack include Asghar Farhadi's Oscar-winning A Separation, last year's winner Aquarius, the Dardenne brothers' Two Days, One Night, starring Marion Cotillard, and Yorgos Lanthimos' Alps about a group of people paid by the bereaved to impersonate their deceased relatives. Or, you know, down the road they're showing one about a giant gorilla fighting dinosaurs. Your call. TEN YEARS OF THE SYDNEY FILM PRIZE PROGRAM April 4 – Hunger (2008) April 11 – Bronson (2009) April 18 – Heartbeats (2010) April 26 – A Separation (2011) May 2 – Alps (2012) May 9 – Only God Forgives (2013) May 16 – Two Days, One Night (2014) May 23 – Arabian Nights Volume I (2015) May 23 – Arabian Nights Volume II (2015) May 24 – Arabian Nights Volume III (2015) May 30 – Aquarius (2015)
Have you seen a perfect stranger perform a random act of kindness? A school kid give up their seat for a little old lady on the bus? Had some mystery Sydneysider, without expecting a word of thanks, paid for your flat white? Then the Kaldor Public Arts Projects wants to hear from you. For the last forty odd years, John Kaldor has been inviting international artists to bring their innovative ideas and public arts projects to our shores. Their most recent project was John Baldessari's Your Name In Lights, which gave Sydneysiders their chance to have their 15 seconds of fame, and quickly became the talking point of the 2011 Sydney Festival. Now, they have brought UK artist Michael Landy to Sydney to create his installation piece, Acts of Kindness. Landy's idea for the project is to collect everyday (and seemingly unnoticed) stories of random acts of kindness, then turn them into an artwork which will - both artistically and literally - return the stories to the busy Sydney streets from which they came. It may even inspire a few more. The work will be shown in the city centre for one month from September 23, 2011.
2023's working year might've only just begun, but it's already time to book in a big overseas holiday. Put in that leave request ASAP. Block out your calendar. Bust out your suitcase, too, and make sure your passport is up to date. Your destination: the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, because Coachella is back for 2023 with a characteristically impressive roster of acts. Mark April 14–16 and April 21–23 in your diaries — including if you you're just keen to check out the livestream. (Remember, Coachella was livestreaming its sets long before the pandemic.) The full bill is a jaw-dropper, as usual, with Bad Bunny headlining the Friday nights, BLACKPINK doing the Saturday nights and Frank Ocean on Sunday nights. Also on the bill: a stacked array of acts that also spans everyone from Calvin Harris, Gorillaz, The Chemical Brothers, ROSALÍA and Blondie through to The Kid LAROI, Björk, Fisher, Charlie XCX, Porter Robinson and Idris Elba. Whether you're after new tunes, the biggest music names right now or dripping nostalgia, it's on offer at Coachella 2023. Anyway, let's be honest, you haven't truly read any of those words — you'll be wanting this: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) For music lovers planning to watch along from home, Coachella will once again team up with YouTube to livestream the festival. That's no longer such a novelty in these pandemic times but, given the calibre of Coachella's lineup, it's still a mighty fine way to spend a weekend. For those eager to attend in-person, you can signup for access to tickets over at the festival's website — with pre-sales starting at 11am PT on Friday, January 13 (aka 5am AEST/6am AEDT on Saturday, January 14). At the time of writing, the festival advises that there are very limited passes left for weekend one, so your best bet is the second weekend. COACHELLA 2023 LINEUP: $uicideboy$ ¿Téo? 070 Shake 1999.ODDS 2manydjs A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Adam Beyer AG Club Airrica Alex G Ali Sethi Angèle Ashnikko Bad Bunny Bakar Becky G BENEE Big Wild Björk BLACKPINK Blondie Boris Brejcha boygenius BRATTY Burna Boy Calvin Harris Camelphat Cannons Cassian Charli XCX Chloé Caillet Chris Stussy Christine and the Queens Chromeo Colyn Conexión Divina DannyLux Dennis Cruz + PAWSA Despacio Destroy Boys Diljit Dosanjh Dinner Party featuring Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper and Kamasi Washington DJ Tennis + Carlita Doechii Dombresky Domi & JD Beck Dominic Fike Donavan's Yard DPR LIVE + DPR IAN DRAMA EARTHGANG El Michels Affair Eladio Carrión Elderbrook Elyanna Eric Prydz presents HOLO Ethel Cain Fisher + Chris Lake FKJ Flo Milli Fousheé Francis Mercier Frank Ocean Gabriels GloRilla Gordo Gorillaz Hiatus Kaiyote Horsegirl Hot Since 82 IDK Idris Elba Jackson Wang Jai Paul Jai Wolf Jamie Jones Jan Blomqvist Joy Crookes Juliet Mendoza Jupiter & Okwess Kali Uchis Kaytranad Keinemusik Kenny Beats Knocked Loose Kyle Watson Labrinth Latto Lava La Rue Lewis OfMan Los Bitchos Los Fabulosos Cadillacs LP Giobbi Maceo Plex Magdalena Bay Malaa Marc Rebillet Mareux Mathame Metro Boomin Minus the Light MK Mochakk Momma Monolink MUNA Mura Masa NIA ARCHIVES Noname Nora En Pure Oliver Koletzki Overmono Paris Texas Pi'erre Bourne Porter Robinson Pusha T Rae Sremmurd Rebelution Remi Wolf Romy ROSALÍA Saba Sasha & John Digweed Sasha Alex Sloan Scowl SG Lewis Shenseea Sleaford Mods Snail Mail SOFI TUKKER Soul Glo Stick Figure Sudan Archives Sunset Rollercoaster Tale Of Us TESTPILOT The Blaze The Breeders The Chemical Brothers The Comet Is Coming The Garden The Kid LAROI The Linda Lindas The Murder Capital Tobe Nwigwe TSHA TV Girl Two Friends UMI Uncle Waffles Underworld Vintage Culture Wet Leg Weyes Blood WhoMadeWho Whyte Fang Willow Yaeji Yung Lean YUNGBLUD Yves Tumor Coachella runs from April 14–16 and April 21–23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Find out more information and register for tickets at coachella.com — with pre-sales starting at 11am PT on Friday, January 13 (aka 5am AEST/6am AEDT on Saturday, January 14).
The World's 50 Best Restaurants for 2013 have just been announced, and it seems the trend towards all things natural and sustainable is here to stay, along with a speckling of Australian culinary talent working here and abroad. The Acqua de Panna award for Australasia's best went to Attica in Melbourne, a Ripponlea gem helmed by Patrick Shewry. The New Zealand-born chef has brought a certain sensitivity to his kitchen and earned a reputation for sustainable practice that showcases natural flavours and textures. Breaking into the list at no. 21, Attica was also honoured with the highest placed new entry. Peter Gilmore's usual suspect, Quay, came in at no. 48 to secure its fifth consecutive year on the list and rounded out our national presence. The result of 900 food journalist, restaurateurs, gastronomes and chefs working across the planet, the World's 50 Best Restaurants named Catalonia's El Celler de Can Roca as this year's premier international culinary destination. Run by the three Roca brothers — Joan (chef), Jordi (pastry chef) and Josep (sommelier), pictured — it has sat at no.2 for the last two years behind Denmark's Noma, which left the number one ranking for the first time in three years to slip to no.2. The United States and France confirmed their ascendancy with six restaurants in the top 50 each, including the celebrity-magnet Per Se in New York. Homegrown talent working abroad also nabbed a few spots, with Brett Graham's Notting Hill restaurant, The Ledbury, finishing at no. 13 and ex-Sydneysider David Thompson coming in at no.32 with Nahm in Bangkok. Thompson became the Sydney authority on Thai cuisine during the '90s with his well-remembered Darley Street Thai.
Sydneysiders keen to visit the Sunshine State can start making plans for February, after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced today, Thursday, January 28, that her state's borders will completely reopen to New South Wales. In response to NSW's most recent COVID-19 clusters, Queensland's borders closed down to folks from the Greater Sydney area over the Christmas period; however, come Monday, February 1, current restrictions on NSW residents heading north will lift. Premier Palaszczuk first revealed the news on The Today Show, before tweeting that "people have done a terrific job looking after each other through the pandemic and now Queensland is good to go". The news comes after the NSW Government yesterday, Wednesday, January 27, advised that gathering and venue restrictions would start easing within the state from Friday, January 29 — which was sparked by reaching ten days without any cases of local COVID-19 transmission. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1354532640729174019 The timing of Premier Palaszczuk's announcement isn't surprising — earlier in January, she had noted that the border situation would be reviewed again at the end of January, and that the state wouldn't reopen to NSW until the end of this month at the earliest. The latest statement regarding Queensland's borders comes as the state has 12 active COVID-19 cases — as last updated on Wednesday, January 27. For more information about Queensland's border restrictions and requirements, head to the Queensland Government website.
Aussies love going for a swim on a sunny day. That's a fact. So when an area has beaches and waterways as far as the eye can see, you'd best believe you'll find people flocking to the waterfront. That's the occasion for Lakes Festival, an 11-day celebration of the local waterways and beaches that make up the Central Coast. From Friday, November 8, to Sunday, November 17, 30+ events are popping up across the Central Coast by the water. On the program: live music and fireworks at The Entrance, a community cleanup of the lake at Long Jetty, a pre-loved swimwear swap, coastal runs, kayak ecotours and much, much more. For the full program, including specific dates and locations, check out the events page at LoveCentralCoast.com.
The Food, Wine and Arts Revolution's Bastille Festival is transforming itself this festive season with French gifts, food and drinks. The four-day festival will run out of the Customs House Forecourt from Friday, December 17 all through the weekend, concluding on Monday, December 20. All your classic fixtures of a Christmas market will be on the cards, as well as some much-loved elements of the Bastille Festival. Some of the exciting stalls that are coming to the festival are a champagne and oyster bar from Newtown's new wine bar and deli Pistou, French wine tastings and a pop-up creperie. Pistou's champagne and oyster bar will be offering a street degustation featuring oysters in champagne mignonette, apple and lemon, provencal and a bloody mary mix. Take-home oysters will also be on hand so you can create your own degustation with a few friends over. The $37 self-guided French wine tasting tour will take you on a journey through five different drops from across the European nation. You'll be fitted with a French passport to get stamps at the market's bars and your own Bastille wine glass. Entry is free and you can pre-purchase your tickets to the wine tasting tour online. [caption id="attachment_801716" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pistou, Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] Top image: Bastille Festival, The Rocks
Reg Livermore's one-man cabaret show, Betty Blokk-Buster Follies, certainly caused a stir when it debuted at the Balmain Bijou in 1975. In fact, The Sydney Morning Herald wouldn't even send a critic to review the performance, though The National Times went so far as to say it was "the greatest thing since Rice Bubbles." The reception for the last night of its original Sydney run was so overwhelming that Livermore said he "wished [he'd] been in the audience himself." Now, in a world premiere with former Home and Away actor Josh Quong Tart, the character of Betty is back to shock, provoke, amuse and, most of all, entertain. Betty Blokk-Buster Reimagined will run throughout Sydney Festival in the Spiegeltent. Image: Daniel Linnet.
When it was published in 2005, Dead Europe, the novel by Christos Tsiolkas, was pronounced both brilliant and completely unfilmable. Tony Krawitz, whose previous films include Jewboy and The Tall Man, took on the challenge and has produced what is at once a deeply beautiful and also one of the most viscerally disturbing films to have emerged from Australia in recent years. The film follows Isaac, played by Ewen Leslie, who returns to Greece after the death of his father to scatter his ashes. Isaac is gradually drawn deeper into the horror of the diseased underbelly of Europe, all the while pursued by the ghosts of family history. Very kindly, Tony Krawitz sat down one lovely afternoon to have a chat about what is a truly remarkable film with a girl who'd spent the past month writing on the novel. What was it that made you want to make Dead Europe into a film? Because some said it was unfilmable. Well, obviously I never felt that. The book, as it is, is unfilmable because it's so dense and beautiful and goes in so many directions. But it felt like the contemporary story had a road movie type of structure. I always knew it would be challenging but I didn't think it would be unfilmable. Did Tsiolkas have a lot of input or did he let you just run free with it? He was really free with us. He said, "I saw Jewboy, and I really like it, and I trust you. Go for it," which is freeing and also terrifying. I think he read the last two drafts, and was really encouraging, and then helped us through pre-production and acted almost as a consultant. And he's seen the finished film and he's really happy with it. I think it's because he loves film so much and he understands how different the adaptation needed to be. They're like companion pieces. The way he described it to me is that he kind of got lost in the film and forgot about the book, which is really nice to hear from the author. The film takes the curse of the book and gives it to the father's side of the family instead of the mother's, which reminded me of the connection between the absent father and the son in Jewboy. Why was it that you decided to place the family story at the centre of the film? The family curse is central to the book, and that's the main narrative. Folding them together helped to make it more streamlined. What it also did, which I really liked, is it made it more biblical — the sins of the father. The father was someone who said he was a rationalist, who didn't believe in religion, but felt that he was cursed, and Isaac is a rationalist who goes "I don't believe in any of that shit" but finds out that he does. Would I be right in saying that the protest scenes in the film were the real ones happening in Athens? Was that part of you wanting to try and engage with the reality of Europe, as a sort of documentary? Yes, that's what I loved about the book. It was such a prescient title. The stuff Christos was seeing seven years ago in the book have come to fruition now in difficult and unexpected ways. With the protests we were looking to update the book and ask, what are the issues now? The response some readers had to the book was almost one of possession, and I think the film has a similar effect. You feel possessed by it. It makes you feel before you can intellectualise anything. Was that your intention? Exactly. What we were trying to do as filmmakers was to get the audience past their intellect, to make it visceral. Some people will love that, some people will really hate that and come out going "but that isn't how I think about that, how dare you put that on screen." The reason we were doing that is because that's what happens to Isaac. He's saying, "I am in my intellect, I understand the world, I know what Europe is, I know what suffering is, I know what war is," but he's a sheltered boy from Melbourne. Did having to deal with such intense themes have an effect on the cast? Yeah it did. We filmed mostly in sequence, so especially for Ewen, as we got more tired and more run down we were getting to the more intense scenes. I think it was great for him as an actor to be able to go on that journey. What were your motivations in changing the ending? It's hard to talk about for people who haven't seen the film yet; I don't want to spoil it. But it changed. It took a lot of conversations to get to that hotel room scene. It does end with more hope than the book, and I like that because the story, for me, is about the forgotten people of Europe. It's about the victims of the past, whether they're Holocaust victims or victims in Yugoslavia or victims today in Syria. Christos is so passionate about human rights and it's like the book was a primal scream about those issues. The way it seemed to me was that there's this official version of history, which we're constantly curating, but the film is interested in exposing these other histories that we don't acknowledge, but which still exist and still haunt us. And what's so powerful about the film is it's putting up a mirror and saying, "you're implicated in this." Yes, because we're actually taught that it's other people who do that, and we have no agency or responsibility. And I think that's what's uncomfortable for people, because they want to go watch a film which says "everything's fine", while this is much more unsettling, which people will either really love, or hate. https://youtube.com/watch?v=XrNnofw8CQw Read our review of Dead Europe here. Image 1: Ewen Leslie as Isaac in Dead Europe. Image 2: Tony Krawitz with producer Liz Watts.
Backyard cricket, barbecues and water sports are all Aussie summer clichés for a reason: they're good, wholesome fun. Another one? Outdoor cinemas. And we're here to tell you the very good news that North Sydney's version of this al fresco activity is returning for another season. Sunset Cinema is once again taking over North Sydney Oval from Thursday, December 16–Saturday, March 26. Whether you're planning a cosy date night or easy family outing under the stars, this season's program has something for everyone — with the cinema releasing its lineup in batches. So far, the film selection spans December through til mid-February kicking off with Christmas flicks ('tis the season to watch Home Alone, Love Actually and Die Hard under the stars, clearly). Other titles getting a whirl include Dirty Dancing, Don't Look Up, Encanto, The Greatest Showman, The French Dispatch and The Card Counter — plus No Time to Die, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, West Side Story, House of Gucci, Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Spider-Man: No Way Home, too. BYO picnics are encouraged, but if you want to enjoy a sparkling, cocktail or brew throughout the film, the onsite bar will be serving a range of drinks. Didn't pack enough snacks? There'll be hot food options, which you can order online and then pickup, plus plenty of the requisite movie treats like chips, chocolates, lollies and popcorn. Tickets start at $21 for adults, and you can hire a foldout chair for $6, a bean bag for $10 and a lawn lounge for $22.
When the Korean Film Festival in Australia made its debut in 2010, giving the country the cinema showcase that movie lovers definitely knew it needed, it kicked off in Sydney. Since then, the fest has grown and toured, but the Harbour City has always remained a focus. In 2024, in fact — 14 years after launching — the New South Wales capital is the sole location for KOFFIA proper. From Thursday, August 22–Tuesday, August 27, Event Cinema George Street will welcome a feast of Korean movies; however, this year's event won't also hit up Melbourne and Brisbane, as it has on recent runs. Instead, the festival is launching the KOFFIA Touring Program, making stops in Canberra, Burnside, Benalla and Alice Springs from late-August till mid-October. Sydneysiders can look forward to a broader range of exclusive screenings, while folks where the touring lineup is headed are in for a four-film program. For the latter, there'll be another bonus: outside of Sydney, seeing a KOFFIA flick will be free. At all five spots, FAQ will open the fest, which means getting started with a family comedy that follows an elementary-school student broadening his understanding of the world via a talking bottle of rice wine. All locations will also catch serial-killer mystery-thriller Don't Buy the Seller, the canine-adoring Dog Days with Minari Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung and the friendship focused Picnic. Only in the Harbour City, cinephiles will be treated to Dr Cheon and the Lost Talisman, as adapted from the Naver webtoon; rom-coms Love Reset (with Project Wolf Hunting's Jung So-min) and Single in Seoul (with Cobweb's Lim Soo-jung); and the based-on-a-true-tale trio of Citizen of a Kind (an action-comedy about taking down a voice phishing scam), Troll Factory (which dives into election intervention) and The Boys (about wrongful convictions for a robbery-homicide). Also in Sydney only, first-time FAQ filmmaker Kim Da-Min, fellow debutant and Dog Days director Kim Deok-min and Picnic's Kim Yong-gyun (Reset) will be in attendance. Counting down the days until Squid Game returns sometime before 2024 is out? Here's how to get your Korean screen fix in the interim. Korean Film Festival in Australia 2024 Dates: Korean Film Festival in Australia Thursday, August 22–Tuesday, August 27 — Event Cinema George St, Sydney KOFFIA Touring Program Saturday, August 31–Sunday, September 1 — Palace Electric Cinema, Canberra Tuesday, September 10–Friday, September 13 — The Regal Theatre, Burnside Saturday, September 14–Sunday, September 15 — Benalla Cinema, Benalla Wednesday, October 9–Saturday, October 12 — Alice Springs Cinema, Alice Springs The Korean Film Festival in Australia 2024 runs in Sydney from Thursday, August 22–Tuesday, August 27, with the KOFFIA Touring Program hitting Canberra, Burnside, Benalla and Alice Springs between August–October. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the KOFFIA website.
When Quibi launched in Australia and New Zealand back in April, it added yet another streaming platform to the already lengthy list of services competing for your eyeballs, especially in this stay-at-home, pandemic-afflicted year. This newcomer came with a few twists — serving up its content in small chunks of up to ten minutes in length, designing it all for viewing on your phone, and eventually letting folks watch for free and allowing streaming from users' phones to their TVs, too — but it's now completely pulling the plug. Less than eight months after it kicked off, Quibi will close down, informing customers that it'll end "on or about December 1, 2020". In mid-October, it was revealed that the service would shutter after failing to both attract a big subscriber based and, once the company's powers-that-be realised that it was struggling, to attract a buyer. It shouldn't really come as a surprise that, when we're all spending more time at home during a global health crisis, folks didn't just want to view things by themselves on a tiny phone screen — and that by the time Quibi added Airplay and Chromecast capabilities, the world had largely dismissed the platform. There's also the fact that viewers have a seemingly never-ending array of new streaming services to choose from, so one dedicated to movies and TV shows in bite-sized pieces was probably never going to stand out. Quibi had big aims, both when it launched and in the years beforehand — including hitting 175 different shows and 7000 episodes in its first year. Boasting a name that's been shortened from 'quick bites', it was created by ex-Disney chairman and DreamWorks cofounder Jeffrey Katzenberg, and is led by former eBay president and CEO Meg Whitman. Before it launched, it had been in the works since 2018. And, it had earned ample attention thanks to its huge stash of cash (reportedly raising $1.75 billion to spend on content), as well as its hefty array of stars and shows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96mETd0NIIE If you still have a subscription and you're keen to check out Quibi's slate of shows over the next month — including new version of Punk'd hosted by Chance the Rapper, Chrissy Teigen presiding over small claims cases in the Judge Judy-style Chrissy's Court and a Reese Witherspoon-narrated documentary series about females in natural history — you can still do so. Your access won't be renewed once your bill period ends, though. So, for now, you still have a short amount of time left to watch Anna Kendrick befriend a sex doll, follow the twists of horror-thriller The Stranger or work your way through a new version of The Fugitive. Some of Quibi's other highlights include mockumentary Nikki Fre$h, which follows Nicole Richie's efforts to become a wellness-focused rapper; cooking competition show Dishmantled, where host and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Tituss Burgess shoots food at two culinary industry figures, then forces them to try to recreate the dish in question; and Lena Waithe-hosted documentary series You Ain't Got These, about sneaker culture. There's also Flipped, starring Will Forte and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Kaitlin Olson as a down-on-their-luck couple desperate to host their own TV renovation series; Most Dangerous Game, the latest twist on the humans-hunting-humans idea, this time with Christoph Waltz and Liam Hemsworth; and Survive, which casts Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner as a suicidal patient suddenly forced to fight for her life after a plane crash. Or, you can watch luxury dog houses come to life in Barkitecture. Quibi will shut down on December 1, 2020. For further details, visit the Quibi website.
Puppers. Woofers. Doggos. Pooch. It doesn't matter what you call your four-legged friend, dress them up and bring them down to the Easter Party hosted by Super Furry Festival on Saturday, March 24. This isn't just a celebration of canines, however. Taking place at Shannon Reserve between 9am to 2pm, the shindig's activities and stalls will be open for all pets. There'll be an eggcellent photobooth for you and your pupper to dress up, get snapped and take two polaroids home with you afterwards afterwards, plus an Easter egg hunt for humans and animals. And of course, even if you don't bring your pup down (or you don't have one), you can indulge in some pup-watching and patting, then make a beeline to both the kitty cuddle tent and the bunny snuggle tent. Entry is free, but registration is required. If you'd like to take part in the Easter egg hunt or snap a pic at the photobooth, they'll set you back $10 a pop.
If there's one thing the past couple of years have taught us, it's that sometimes, the best times can be had when you slow things down. That's why we've teamed up with American Honey to create The Slow Lounge: an exclusive, invite-only hideaway curated to help you and your mates disconnect from the outside world and stay connected in the moment. At this top-secret Bondi location, you won't need to wait around for the best intimate nook to open up — every seat is the best in the house. If you're on the list, you'll unwind in style with your favourite people, sip deliciously smooth American Honey, soda and fresh lime, and enjoy a soundtrack of golden hour live jams from some of the hottest emerging Aussie musical talent of the moment. The lineup includes the smooth vibes of DJ Shollywood on the decks, and live golden-hour sets by indie pop darling Essie Holt (pictured above) and acclaimed singer-songwriter Carla Wehbe. Each guest will be gifted a swag bag with all the ingredients you need to enjoy the perfect American Honey drink at home, plus a bespoke honey-scented candle and a set of conversation coasters. The Slow Lounge is taking place from August 27–28, making it perfect for a golden end-of-winter gathering. The only way in is to enter our competition, which you can do right here. Top image: Every Last Second
Do you like horror films? Australian director Mark Hartley obviously does. His infectious, gleeful enthusiasm for his popular if sometimes critically reviled genre of horror makes this a blood-soaked treat for like-minded fans. Having previously explored the rich if somewhat forgotten back catalogues of Australian exploitation cinema horror in his excellent doco Not Quite Hollywood, he takes the next logical step here, remaking Richard Franklin's 1978 cult favourite B-movie. The tagline of the original also serves as a neat plot summary: 'He's in a coma…yet, he can kill!' He is Patrick, a patient who somehow maintains his excellent condition while those around him waste away in a vegetative state in a creepy, isolated hospital. When a young nurse makes a ghoulish discovery that leads to her grisly end, the bright young Kathy 'Jac' Jacquard (Sharni Vinson) is recruited to the facility, which is overseen by Dr. Roget (Charles Dance) and his dead-eyed daughter, Matron Cassidy (Rachel Griffiths). Patrick rattles through genre tropes (creaky elevator shafts, dirty-looking syringes, zombie-like patients wandering blackened corridors, moments of silence shattered by a pounding at the door) with an expert's assurance and a fan's relish. This is a film that knows exactly what it is, and that recognises that some things are cliches for a reason. Patrick is in cinemas on October 17. Thanks to Umbrella Entertainment, we have one Patrick prize pack to give away, including a double in-season pass to see the film and a DVD set containing the original 1978 version of Patrick (Richard Franklin), Child's Play (Tom Holland) and Stake Land (Jim Mickle). Ten runners up will receive double in-season passes. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au Read our full review here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0N5iCcPGqoY
We've hit peak 2017 — where virtual cocktails are a thing, there's a karaoke Ferris wheel and dogs have been invited to chow down on beautifully presented raw fish with chopsticks. A sushi bar for dogs is popping up in Auckland. Dog sushi has been a thing since the early 2000s as a way for owners to ensure their pup is enjoying a holistic, all raw, all natural, preservative-free diet. Auckland's version, the appropriately-titled Poochi Sushi, will take place at the December edition of Parnell's weekend market just for (very good) dogs. There will be three sittings of ten to 12 pups on the day. Small dogs have been recommended to register for the 11am sitting, and medium and large varieties for 11.30am and 12pm. The main course will be a platter of sushi, sashimi and Pawl Ale for $15. The way to any dog's heart is through food, so the platters will of course use premium king salmon direct from the Marlborough Sounds along with hoki from the Coromandel. None of that cabinet stuff. Seeing as Sydney has a bakery just for dogs and Melbourne has a cafe that exclusively serves up dog treats, we're sure that pooch sushi isn't far away.
Along the 1200 kilometres of coastal glory that stretches between Perth and Exmouth, you can dive with whale sharks, meet some of the friendliest dolphins you'll find anywhere, visit the oldest living fossils in the world, get to know sea lions, lose yourself snorkelling in beachside coral gardens and drink as many cocktails at sunset as you can handle. With all the spectacular views, but much less of the population of Australia's east coast, the Coral Coast provides one wild, beautiful road trip. Here's our guide to making the most of seven days behind the wheel. From pristine beaches and bountiful wine regions to alpine hideaways and bustling country towns, Australia has a wealth of places to explore at any time of year. We've partnered with Tourism Australia to help you plan your road trips, weekend detours and summer getaways so that when you're ready to hit the road you can Holiday Here This Year. Under current COVID-19 restrictions in Australia, there are limitations on where you can go on a holiday. Bookmark this for when you can explore once again. [caption id="attachment_773124" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] DAY ONE: PERTH TO GERALDTON, 420KM From Perth, follow Indian Ocean Drive north. Two hours brings you to the white-sanded fishing village of Cervantes. From here, you can stroll among meadows crowded with wildflowers, nip out to local islands to laze about with sea lions and marvel at The Pinnacles — 30,000-year-old limestone formations within the desertscapes of the Nambung National Park. For the next 200 kilometres, the road hugs the coast, slipping through a collective of laidback beachside towns. Once you hit Geraldton, you'll be ready for a windsurfing lesson among ideal conditions and an over-water sunset, accompanied by a good dose of western rock lobster. It's arguably the freshest, tastiest seafood in Australia. [caption id="attachment_773133" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Australia's Coral Coast[/caption] DAY TWO: GERALDTON TO CARNARVON, 480KM By the time you reach your next destination, Carnarvon, you're in tropical WA. On the fertile plains of the Gascoyne River, more than 170 plantations produce over 4000 tonnes of bananas and 1300 tonnes of mangos annually, plus tomatoes, grapes, capsicum and more. That's why Carnarvon is known locally as the 'salad bowl of Western Australia'. Wander through lush farms before heading to a local restaurant to indulge in the seafood of your choice: prawns, scallops, crabs and fish are delivered to your plate direct from the sea. Your evening should also include a sunset stroll along the fascine. If you're there on a Saturday morning between May and October, visit the Growers Market, where farmers and producers pour in from all over the region to peddle their wares. [caption id="attachment_773142" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, Tourism Western Australia[/caption] DAY THREE: CARNARVON TO EXMOUTH, 370KM Make your first stop the Quobba Blowholes, just 75 kilometres north. Slamming against the coast with a mighty force, the swell is pushed through narrow rock openings and sea caves, creating spectacular water jets that spout as high as 20 metres. To decompress afterwards, pop just one kilometre south, where you'll discover a calm coral lagoon, known as The Aquarium, for swimming. Once you reach Exmouth, you're on the edge of the Ningaloo Reef. Kick back on idyllic beaches, jump aboard a glass bottom boat tour, join a snorkelling expedition or, if you're there between March and July, go diving with whale sharks. This would be a good point to treat yourself to a night of comfort at the Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort or go all out with a night at Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef Safari Camp. [caption id="attachment_773135" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] DAY FOUR: EXMOUTH TO CORAL BAY, 150KM Your return journey south starts with a short day on the road. There's so much to do along this section, it's best to keep driving time to a minimum. What makes the tiny town of Coral Bay so special is that an extraordinarily beautiful section of the Ningaloo Reef is accessible just a few metres offshore. Make tracks to Five Fingers Reef, then simply pop on your snorkelling gear and dive in. To step the action up a notch, take a 20-minute walk from Main Beach to the shallow waters of the local reef shark nursery, where hundreds of sharks gather between October and March. [caption id="attachment_773146" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] DAY FIVE: CORAL BAY TO SHARK BAY, 580KM Follow the Northwest Coastal Highway as far as the turn-off to the Shark Bay World Heritage Drive. Your first adventure along here — the stromatolites of Hamelin Pool — transports you 3.5 billion years back in time. You're looking at the oldest type of living fossils to be found anywhere on the planet. Also definitely worth a stop are the 70-kilometre-long Shell Beach and the dazzling views from Eagle Bluff. Come evening, Monkey Mia has a friendly school of bottlenose dolphins waiting to make your acquaintance, and there are ample opportunities for waterfront cocktails. [caption id="attachment_773139" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nature's Window, Tourism Western Australia[/caption] DAY SIX: SHARK BAY TO KALBARRI, 390KM At Kalbarri, the Murchison River runs into the Indian Ocean. Hop aboard a river cruise and go kayaking or canyoning among the steep gorges of the National Park. Hikers will enjoy the eight-kilometre Loop Track, which begins and ends at Nature's Window. Short on time? Visit the two new skywalks, which project 17 metres and 25 metres over the rim and 100 metres above the gorge. Alternatively, stay coastal with your own beach house at Kalbarri Seafront Villas and enjoy stunning walking trails, the legendary Jacques Point surf break and, between June and November, humpback whale spotting. Finish up your day at an outdoor cinema and start the next one with pelican feeding. [caption id="attachment_773950" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oakabella Homestead, Tourism Western Australia[/caption] DAY SEVEN: KALBARRI TO PERTH, 570KM Your seventh and final day brings you an inland experience in the form of the National Trust town of Northampton. Reach it via the coast, taking in the magnificent ocean views south of Kalbarri, or cut straight east through the Kalbarri National Park, keeping a lookout for thorny devils as you go. At Northampton, you can check out a bunch of renowned Western Australian attractions, including the state's oldest public railway and Oakabella Homestead and Tea Rooms. Afterwards, return to the coast and take your pick of sleepy villages for exploration, including the twin towns of Dongara and Port Denison, and the tranquil harbour of Jurien Bay. Whether you're planning to travel for a couple of nights or a couple of weeks, Holiday Here This Year and you'll be supporting Australian businesses while you explore the best of our country's diverse landscapes and attractions. Top image: Tourism Western Australia.
The annual festival Tiny Stadiums commissions emerging artists to transform the public spaces of Erskineville with their creative works (2011's was a blast). This year's festival again hopes to shake up the way that residents interact with the space around them, with a focus on place, site and access. Join festival curators Groundwork and the 2012 festival artists for a one-evening discussion at Newtown Library. Tiny Stadiums in Conversation will explore the importance of this socially engaged and site-specific art genre. Once you are prepped and knowledgeable on the subject, be sure to check out the public art sites when they are installed in June. Tiny Stadiums in Conversation is free, but you will still need to reserve a spot.
As anyone who has booked a flight, had to suddenly change their trip and been stuck paying handsomely knows, travel and flexibility haven't always gone hand in hand. But with the entire idea of making firm and definite plans undergoing quite the shift over the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Virgin Australia responded to the uncertain period by scrapping its change fees until January 2021 — and it has just announced that it's extending that plan until the end of June. Make a booking before March 31 for travel between now and June 30 and, if life gets in your way and you need to rearrange your trip before your travel date, you'll be able to make unlimited changes to your booking without being charged extra. It's worth noting, however, that this only applies to the usual change fee — that is, the amount travellers can be slugged with just for the act of altering their itinerary. If changing your flights involves a difference in fare, you will still have to pay any shortfall amount. Need to cancel your airfare completely? You can also do that — before either your travel date or June 30, whichever is earlier — and now receive a credit without getting charged for doing so, too. The motivation for the idea, unsurprisingly, is to continue to encourage Australians to get booking — even knowing that little is certain when it comes to leaving the house, restrictions, interstate borders or just life in general in these coronavirus-afflicted times. "We've seen many travellers' plans impacted by domestic border restrictions and so we're here to give them comfort when booking a Virgin Australia flight that they'll be able to change their travel date if they need to," said a Virgin Australia Group spokesman. When it first announced the fee-free plan last year, Virgin called the move its 'Passenger Promise', which spans a number of other measures designed to make travellers feel safer and more confident about taking to the skies. Also included: contactless check-in, pre-flight health screening questionnaires for all travellers when checking in, staggered boarding as part of social-distancing measures, distancing between passengers onboard where possible and minimising movement during the flight. Passengers will also receive free face masks and hand sanitiser kits, and be asked to scan their own boarding passes to limit their contact with crew, while increased cleaning protocols are also in place. To find out more about Virgin Australia's new change fee policy, visit the airline's website.
While New South Wales started easing out of lockdown a few months back, life definitely hasn't returned to pre-COVID-19 normality. Take the entertainment industry for example, with live performances still rare and cinemas operating in a socially distanced manner. But, come next week, the state is loosening some of its restrictions for theatres, picture palaces and concert venues. Along with other entertainment facilities, all three will be able to increase their capacity — hosting seated sessions up to 50-percent full. Announced today, Friday, September 25 by NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin, the change in patron caps has been agreed to by the Premier's Major Events Taskforce — as a way of both giving punters more events to attend, and to help the arts sector get back on its feet. "For workers across the full spectrum of the performing arts — from box office staff to ushers, from technicians and roadies to the artists — this change means more jobs," said Minister Harwin. "For audiences, it means we can soon enjoy the experiences we have all missed so much during the pandemic." Accordingly, venues that have already reopened will be able to welcome in more folks, while those that are yet to relaunch post-lockdown might now be able to so. Either way, patrons won't be gathering in massive groups, with the 50-percent capacity only available to a maximum of 1000 tickets. All relevant venues also need to have COVID-safe plans in place, and continue to abide by public health requirements. As for when the change comes into effect, the government announcement simply flags next week as the kick-off date — but the Sydney Morning Herald reports that it'll start on Thursday, October 1. The news comes just over a week after NSW announced that the state's major stadiums would be able to host 50-percent capacity crowds, but only for major outdoor events. That'll kick off on October 2, and is clearly timed to coincide with the NRL finals season. And, as also announced today, NSW will allow function centres to up their numbers for corporate events as well — to whichever is the lesser of 300 people, or one person per four square metres. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
The festival retreat of 2013 continues, with the Big Day Out announcing that their second Sydney event on Monday, January 27, will be cancelled and merged with the show on January 26. "Perhaps we were a bit ambitious expanding to two dates in Sydney for this year’s Big Day Out," promotor Ken West said in a statement. The Big Day Out has held two Sydney shows in three previous years, depending on the pulling power of its headliners. Ticketholders for the Monday event are automatically able to use their ticket on Sunday. Alternatively, they can get a refund until October 30, 2013, or exchange it for a Big Day Out in any other city. It all comes just a week and a half after the cancellation of Harvest. At the time, promoter AJ Maddah put poor Harvest ticket sales down to the lure of the 2014 Big Day Out lineup, but in light of this new information, it seems the competing festival can't have pinched that many of Harvest's followers. The 2014 Big Day Out lineup sort of lived up to the hype. Organisers spoke of their excitement at landing three "white whales", and the top of the ticket is pretty monumental. Pearl Jam is a classic choice for BDO headliner, Arcade Fire a welcome return visitor to the main stage, Blur a seriously impressive 'get' — and Snoop's good-natured, laaiiiiidbaaack style a nice counterpoint to the snarling grunge and indie-rock mania. For more information or to exchange your ticket, visit the Big Day Out website. By the Concrete Playground team.
Almost three decades ago, Spiderbait made Australian music history when they won Triple J's 1996 Hottest 100 with 'Buy Me a Pony'. They were the first local act to top the countdown. Now, that catchy track has a chance to again notch up a huge feat: taking out Triple J's new Hottest 100 of Australian Songs. Aussie tunes have emerged victorious in the station's annual countdown plenty of times since, of course. So, it isn't just 'Buy Me a Pony' that's in the running to be a two-time winner. That feat mightn't be achieved at all anyway — because there's no shortage of excellent Australian tracks that haven't topped a Hottest 100 before but might just come out in the number-one spot in the Aussie-only poll. Whichever song that you're certain should be named Australia's best, voting is open as at 8am AEST on Tuesday, June 17. You've got a month to pick your favourites — until 5pm AEST on Thursday, July 17, 2025. The results will then be broadcast from 10am AEST on Saturday, July 26, 2025 on not only Triple J, but also Double J, Triple J Unearthed and its dedicated Triple J Hottest station. Although no one needs a reason to celebrate Aussie music, Triple J has one: 2025 marks its 50th birthday. That fact ties into one big caveat when you're voting, you do need to choose a track that was released before the station hit that milestone on Sunday, January 19, 2025. [caption id="attachment_854346" align="alignnone" width="1920"] M Drummond[/caption] The Triple J and Double J voices that'll be counting down your picks include Ash McGregor, Dave Woodhead, Dylan Lewis, Yumi Stynes, Abby Butler, Tyrone Pynor, Concetta Caristo, Luka Muller, Zan Rowe and Lucy Smith. And if you're curious about which other tunes, aside from 'Buy Me a Pony', could score the double win, 'No Aphrodisiac' by The Whitlams, 'These Days' and 'My Happiness' from Powderfinger, 'Amazing' by Alex Lloyd, 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl?' from Jet, 'Wish You Well' by Bernard Fanning, 'One Crowded Hour' from Augie March, and 'Big Jet Plane' by Angus and Julia Stone are also in the running, for starters. Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used to Know', Vance Joy's 'Riptide', Chet Faker's 'Talk Is Cheap', The Rubens' 'Hoops', Flume's 'Never Be Like You' and 'Say Nothing', Ocean Alley's 'Confidence' and The Wiggles' 'Elephant' have also all topped the yearly poll before. Tame Impala's 'The Less I Know the Better' won the 2010s-centric countdown, while DMA's 'Believe' did the same for the Like a Version poll. Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs will broadcast from 10am AEST on Saturday, July 26, 2025 — with voting open between 8am AEST on Tuesday, June 17–5pm AEST on Thursday, July 17, 2025. Head to the Triple J website for further details. Top image: Ocean Alley, Neegzistuoja via Wikimedia Commons.
Summer is headed for us in full force. And, we all know it's never too early to start planning how to spend the warmer months — especially the bits that involve sipping cocktails by the water and loading up on art and culture. Thankfully, the Museum of Contemporary Art is again combining two of our favourite pastimes for its fifth annual summer pop-up bar. This year, the ground floor terrace has been transformed into an airy, garden-inspired bar, with top-notch tequila brand Patrón behind it. Plus, Patrón has partnered up with the MCA and is a sponsor of the gallery's retrospective exhibition of British artist Cornelia Parker, which is running from November 8–February 16 as part of the MCA's 2019/2020 Sydney International Art Series. At the bar, you'll be sipping on negronis, highballs and old fashioneds, but all with a summery twist. Instead of using your usual gin or whisky, the bartenders will be shaking and stirring drinks with Patrón tequila. Or, you can opt for a Patrón, lime and soda or the signature cocktail inspired by Cornelia Parker: the Cold Dark Matter, made with Patrón reposado, blackberry liqueur, lime and ginger ale. Not only will the pop-up offer modernised classic cocktails, but there'll be plenty of Mexican food to pair it with — think margarita-spiced popcorn and tostadas with pork, salmon or traditional mole. And those views across Circular Quay and the harbour add extra allure. Of course, there'll be entertainment in spades, too. Patrón and MCA have decorated the terrace with leafy decor, plus there'll be performances, installations, VR experiences for you to check out and tunes aplenty. The Patrón Pop-up kicks off on Thursday, October 31 and is open 4–10pm every Wednesday through Friday; from 2–9pm on Saturdays; and from 2–8pm on Sundays until February 16 (excluding public holidays and New Year's Eve). Visit Patron's website for more details. UPDATE: JANUARY 16, 2020 — The MCA x Patrón Pop-Up is now serving $15 cocktails every Sunday through Wednesday from 5–7pm as part of its happy hour.
The University of Technology, Sydney sure knows how to live up to its name. I mean, where better to find the Sydney International Animation Festival than at a uni specialising in technological, er, stuff? And with students in mind, the 2013 event — now in its fifth year — has made the excellent move to being totally free. It’s all happening amongst various UTS buildings from 25-28 September, with workshops, screenings and open discussions. Developing animation for adults, writing for kids and adapting for international markets are just some of the tricks of the trade you can expect to learn from industry experts such as Anthony Lucas (The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello) and John Andrews (duh, c’mon guys: Beavis and Butthead, Daria). The crossover with games gets a look-in, with a screening of Indie Game: The Movie to be followed by a panel discussion. So, budding animators, pen this one into your diaries. Although, do you even use pen and paper anymore?
When Secret Sounds, the crew behind Splendour in the Grass, gave Australia another massive multi-day music festival in 2022, it did so with a big aim: to get everyone dancing in a park in Adelaide each spring. That event is Harvest Rock, and it keeps putting on travelworthy lineups. 2023's second spin already features Jamiroquai and Beck doing Australian-exclusive shows, plus everyone from Sparks to Bright Eyes — and it just scored a few new additions. Joining the bill at Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina, Adelaide, on Saturday, October 28–Sunday, October: Tash Sultana, Bernard Fanning doing his last Australian show for 2023 and Jade Bird making her first trip Down Under. And, Babe Rainbow, Charlie Collins, Floodlights and Surprise Chef are hopping onboard, too. So, festivalgoers can expect to hear everything from 'Jungle' and 'Wish You Well' to 'Houdini' and 'Juice of the Sun' in the South Australian capital. Harvest Rock II, as 2023's festival has been dubbed, already boasted Rodgers & Chic, Santigold, Chromeo and Ladyhawk as well, plus Flight Facilities, Baker Boy, Julia Jacklin, Chet Faker, Ocean Alley, Bad//Dreems, Thelma Plum and Vera Blue. Paul Kelly was also part of the first lineup announcement, as was The Rolling Stone Revue featuring Adalita of Magic Dirt, Tim Rogers of You Am I and Tex Perkins — yes, all teaming up to play The Rolling Stones' greatest hits. A two-day blend of music, food and wine — well, it is in SA — Harvest Rock instantly proved a success upon debut last year, attracting 15,000 attendees per day. In addition to live tunes, the fest spans Adelaide's top restaurants and eateries serving up food at the Feastiville precinct, onsite eatery Wildwood led by arkhé's chef and co-owner Jake Kellie, a culinary-focused stage and wine tastings. There's also a wellness centre doing tarot readings and massages, and mini festival Little Harvest for kids. HARVEST ROCK II LINEUP: Babe Rainbow Bad // Dreems Baker Boy Beck (Australian exclusive) Bernard Fanning Bright Eyes Built to Spill Charlie Collins Chet Faker Chromeo Flight Facilities — Decades DJ set Floodlights Jade Bird Jamiroquai (Australian exclusive) Julia Jacklin Ladyhawke Nile Rodgers & Chic Ocean Alley Paul Kelly Sam Barber Santigold Sparks Surprise Chef Tash Sultana The Lemon Twigs The Rolling Stone Revue Thelma Plum Vera Blue Warpaint Harvest Rock 2023 will take at Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina, Adelaide, on Saturday, October 28–Sunday, October 29, 2023 — with tickets on sale now.
"Never go back" should be the default mantra for any movie studio with a surprise hit on its books. Rare as it is to bottle lightning once, capturing it a second time is nigh on impossible – which is why the list of memorable sequels is usually countable on just one pair of hands. 2012's Jack Reacher was a better than expected offering from Paramount, combining top-notch action with a few well placed comedic beats. Unfortunately, it's part of a million-book series by author Lee Child, meaning that the moment it did decent business, a follow-up was all but inevitable.. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back sees Tom Cruise again assume the role of the celebrated soldier turned drifter with the habit of getting in trouble. This time around he finds himself coming to the aid of an army officer accused of espionage (played by How I Met Your Mother's Cobie Smulders). Everyone seems to want her dead, so the pair need to figure out who's behind the apparent setup before they're both executed by dogged assassins. An alternate name for the movie would be Cobie Smulders Gets To Run Alongside Tom Cruise: A Lot, because that constitutes a significant part of both the plot and the action. There are a couple of key problems with this film. Firstly, Cruise plays Reacher with preposterous amounts of simmering menace, something that proves entirely unnecessary given the character is already so ridiculously calm and capable against any number of threats. In the original movie they got the balance right – at times, Cruise even playfully gave advice to the people he was fighting. But here he just glares and threatens before beating everyone up, thereby robbing the film's action scenes of any personality. Apologists will say that's how Reacher is written, but even in the books he shows moments of dry wit amidst the bitterness. Secondly, there's very little here by way of interesting plot. It ultimately feels like a double episode of NCIS, only with even less action or intrigue. Add to that the frequent schmaltz, particularly between Reacher and a young girl whose life he saves, and you end up with a dull, predictable and corny piece of cinema that rolls back all the good work of its predecessor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoCP_JHzBUM
Oh, 2003. It was the year when the American government served up 'Freedom Fries', when Apple launched a little music webstore called 'iTunes' and when a bunch of nerds spent 10 days building a website by the name of 'MySpace'. It also marked the arrival of a Sydney band now known as Dappled Cities — art rockers beloved for belting out lo-fi indie tunes with an off-pop bent. Their stage show garnered acclaim from critics and screams from fans, quickly leading to slots at SXSW and tours across the US and UK. They continued to cultivate their live theatrics, supporting the likes of Death Cab for Cutie and blowing minds with orchestrated baroque remixes. Now, after a decade on the road, the hardworking lads are ready to celebrate their aluminium anniversary by taking their tunes back to the sweaty underground club scene where it all began. The band will perform at the Oxford Art Factory on Wednesday, April 24, with fans able to request songs via the band's Facebook page prior to the show. Rumour has it that the boys will also be testing new songs from their unnamed fifth studio album, out later this year. Hallelujah. https://youtube.com/watch?v=dCnnWlFfYn0
In Brisbane, back in 2017, a simple idea was born: gathering a heap of beer and music-loving folks in a pub, teaching them the lyrics to a well-known song over the course of one night, and then communally crooning the tune in question the same evening. It's karaoke, but in a group. It's your school choir, but boozy. And it's little wonder that Pub Choir soon became not just a local but a national and international success. Of course, as Australia responds to COVID-19, mass groups of folks can't all spend time together in one room — even if they are drinking and singing a tune. So, Pub Choir has evolved into Couch Choir. It's the same basic concept, except everyone is giving their vocal cords a workout from their own homes. Running across Tuesday, March 19–Thursday, March 21, here's how it works. Firstly, at 7pm AEST on Tuesday, three videos will be released on the event's Facebook page. They'll show Pub Choir's organisers singing three different harmonies, and then hand things over to you at home. Next, you'll have two days to watch, listen and learn everything you need to know about your chosen part — or all three if you want — and record yourself singing it. Submit your video by 7pm on Thursday, and they'll all be mixed into one big compilation that'll be released for everyone to enjoy. Beer is usually a big part of Pub Choir so if you need a dash of liquid courage at home, prepare accordingly.
Amongst the many large-scale events that've cancelled or postponed in the wake of COVID-19, is perhaps the one we could all use the most right now — the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. With the government banning non-essential mass gatherings of over 500 people, and, today, indoor gatherings over 100, the huge annual laugh-fest was one of the first to be axed from the 2020 calendar. But if it's some chuckles you're after, fear not, because some of Australia's best-loved comedians, many of which were slated to perform at MICF, are coming soon to a streaming device near you. And even those bunkering down at home in a state of enforced self-isolation, or voluntary social-distancing, get to enjoy this little lineup as well. Hitting screens from next month is Amazon Prime's new special series of stand-up shows from ten big-name Aussie comics. Two specials will be released each week from Friday, April 10, including Tom Gleeson's sell-out show Joy, Zoë Coombs Marr with Bossy Bottom, Judith Lucy, Anne Edmonds and Tommy Little. Lano & Woodley, Celia Pacquola, Tom Walker, Dilruk Jayasinha and Alice Fraser are also on the bill, promising to inject a bit of sunshine into your socially distanced life. The comedy specials were all filmed last year at Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre and are set to stream worldwide. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz3dmDUeydw The ten new comedy specials hit Amazon Prime Video from Friday, April 10.
Mid-last year, we looked at a Kickstarter project involving the construction of a swimming pool in New York's East River. Now, London-based architects Studio Octopi have hatched a similar plan for London: the Thames Baths Project. The concept is a response to the potentially impending construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel, dubbed the 'Super Sewer'. Thames Water is awaiting approval to build a 25km underground tunnel, designed to divert the 39 million tonnes of sewage that enters the river each year. London's 150-year-old sewage system simply can't cope with 21st- demands. Studio Octopi proposes the creation of two sets of baths — one at Shadwell in the east and one at Blackfriars (fancy a quick dip before hitting the West End?). The architects collaborated with Civic Engineers on the nitty gritty construction details and with Jonathan Cook Landscape Architects on the aesthetics. Each site would see three tide-responsive pools, supported by concrete slabs and fringed with native foliage — reeds, rushes, yellow flag irises, sedums and valerians. "A lot of people screw their noses up at the thought of swimming in the Thames, but it already occurs within very controlled conditions, such as at Hampton Court and the Docklands," Studio Octopi director Chris Romer-Lee said in an interview with Dezeen. "Imagine the views from the waterline [from Blackfriars], downstream to the London Eye, upstream to the City. Whether it's for sport or leisure, bringing these alternative uses to the heart of cities unites diverse communities, encourages physical activity and invigorates the flora and fauna of our much overlooked river." Even though the Thames Baths Project does not depend on the Super Sewer, it does require a significant improvement in the river's water quality, which fails to meet European standards. The concept is one of five successful submissions to London As It Could Be Now, run by The Architecture Foundation and currently on show at the Royal Academy.
Eyes to the sky, Australia — it's time to catch one of the year's most-impressive meteor showers. Each autumn Down Under, the Eta Aquariids meteor shower sets the sky ablaze. And yes, it's happening right now. This vibrant astronomical vision starts in April every year, but is at its peak in early May. In 2024, the best date to mark in your diary is the early hours of Monday, May 6, which is when the shower will be at its most spectacular. If you're eager to catch a glimpse, even from just your backyard or balcony, here's what you need to know. [caption id="attachment_769233" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] What Is It? The Eta Aquariids might not be as famous as Halley's Comet, but the shower is actually a distant relation — because the bits and pieces you see flying around were on Halley's path a really, really long time ago. And, rather than only being visible every 76 years (the next Halley's Comet sighting is in 2061), the Eta Aquariids come around every year, usually between April 19–May 28. The shower's name comes from the star from which they appear to come Eta Aquarii, which is part of the Aquarius constellation. So, that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. Luckily, being in the southern hemisphere, we get some of the best views in the world. On average, you can see up to 20–40 meteors per hour. When to See It The shower will reach a peak in the early morning of Monday, May 6, but its best viewing window runs for a few days on either side. The optimal time to catch an eyeful is just before dawn after the moon has set, so around 3am AEST — but between 2am–7am is also recommended. At that time, you'll be in the running to see as many as 50 meteors every 60 minutes. Each will be moving at about 225,000 kilometres per hour, shining extraordinarily brightly and leaving a long wake. The shower's cause is, essentially, the Earth getting in the comet's way, causing stardust to fry up in the atmosphere. How to See It Usually, when a meteor shower lights up the sky, we'd tell city-dwellers to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the best view. If you can't venture out of town at the moment, you can still take a gander from your backyard or balcony. To help locate the shower, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Eta Aquariids. It has been updating this daily. The weather might get in the way of your viewing, though, depending on where you live. Sydney and Brisbane are set for showers until at least Thursday. Melbourne will be partly cloudy on Sunday and mostly sunny on Monday, and Perth partly cloudy across both days, with Adelaide mostly Sunny on Sunday and sunny on Monday. The Eta Aquariids meteor shower runs until Tuesday, May 28, 2024, and will be at its peak during the night on Sunday, May 5–Monday, May 6. For further details, head to Time and Date. Top image:
The Act of Killing screened last week as part of the official competition at the Sydney Film Festival. And the consensus of nearly everybody who has seen it has been that it's one of the most compelling, original and affecting documentaries they have ever seen. More to the point, in the two and a half hours you sit in company with it in the dark of the cinema, The Act of Killing rips up your idea of what a documentary is supposed to be. Principally, The Act of Killing, directed by American filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer, traces the aftershocks of the coup that brought President Suharto to power in Indonesia. The government was overthrown by the military in 1965 and the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) eradicated, alongside anybody accused of being a communist, including union members, 'leftists', intellectuals and the ethnic Chinese. "I started this project working in a community of survivors," Oppenheimer explains when he sat down with us earlier this week. "Trying to make a film about the horrors that had happened but also about the regime of fear and impunity and corruption under which they're still living. And every time we'd film together we'd be stopped by the military. But living in the same village as the survivors were the perpetrators. And they were boasting to me. I would meet them in the street, they would invite me in for tea, and they would boast about what they had done. That was the crack in the facade of normalcy. And I came to understand very quickly that the big story here is not what happened in 1965. This is about what's happening now." https://youtube.com/watch?v=zJ5_JAgoZ5Q Your friend, the war criminal The film's central focus is Anwar Congo, a self-styled gangster who made his money during the '60s as a ticket scalper at the local cinema in North Sumatra's capital city, Medan. When the coup began, the army used paramilitaries and gangsters like Anwar to carry out the massacre of what is estimated to be around 1 million people. With Anwar and his friends, Oppenheimer saw an "opportunity to document the nature of impunity honestly. It's a situation where the killers have won, they've been celebrated by the whole world, and therefore they're open about it. As opposed to what we normally see: killers either deny what they've done, or apologise for it." To try to understand the function of the men's boasting, he asked them to re-create scenes about the killings in whatever way they wished, and the men — fans of American films and culture — took to screenwriting and acting. "The film is my way of understanding a whole regime of impunity, the imagination of the impunity, the way they, like all of us, use storytelling to create their reality," says Oppenheimer. "And as part of that they use storytelling to escape from their most bitter truths." Turning Documentary On Its Head Documentary has a unique kind of power, if not exactly to reveal the invisible than to speak of things we prefer to ignore. And as media proliferate, diverge and splinter, non-fiction films seem to be finding a fresh voice. It isn't that documentary has ever really inhabited a magical land of objectivity and absolute 'truth'. The difference is that fact and fiction are increasingly hazy in our minds, and just about everything we once thought of as 'non-fiction' — politics, sport, celebrity, advertising — involves a certain amount of wavering between the real and the unreal. And waver between the real and unreal is precisely what The Act of Killing does, unfolding in a space that's both horrifyingly straightforward and technicolour phantasmagoria. The film flits between frank accounts of the men explaining and demonstrating how they killed their victims and surreal images from their re-creations — a line of women dancing in the mouth of a giant fish, Anwar's head decapitated but still speaking, a man in drag smoking a cigarette singing about taking his girlfriend to the movies. Many of the most powerful scenes in the film fit somewhere in between reality and fiction. "There were these moments of pure poetry that weren't scenes," says Oppenheimer. "They're observational scenes in a way — about how we're lost in our fantasies. They're documentary scenes, in a surreal space. So the film obtains a density and a richness because we have a sense that there are all these stories that are untold. There's a plot behind these scenes, but we don't know what it is and it doesn't matter." We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live Legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, who happens to be executive producer of The Act of Killing alongside Errol Morris, declared in 1999 that simply holding up a camera and capturing what's around you isn't sufficient in documentary filmmaking. "There are deeper strata of truth in cinema," he said, "And there is such a thing as poetic, ecstatic truth. It is mysterious and elusive, and can be reached only through fabrication and imagination and stylisation." That is precisely what The Act of Killing does. By asking Anwar and his friends to re-create scenes of the massacres, the filmmakers expose the unacknowledged complexity of the Indonesian genocide. "I think Anwar's trying to escape from his pain," says Oppenheimer, referring to many of the scenes where Anwar and his friends portray themselves as heroes for massacring thousands of people. "Every time he does it he re-avoids the moral meaning of the killing, and reifies his denial. It's a way of escaping the reality of what he's done, or so he thinks. But it also becomes the prism through which he recognises what he's done." What the film uncovers is that the stories told by the perpetrators are a product of something far more profound than simple cruelty. "Yes, those stories are instruments of fear and they keep everybody else afraid, but paradoxically they're not symptoms of the remorselessness of the perpetrators. On the contrary, they're symptoms of their humanity. The celebration of genocide can simply be a symptom of a stridency you adopt because you don't believe your own justification. And if there's a thread defining the film's development, it's Anwar's subtext — it's the look on his face showing he never seems to believe the things he's saying." What The Act of Killing does is take the storytelling process, and instead of using it as the Indonesian elite does — to keep people afraid — the film uses storytelling as an instrument of moral understanding. "Our entire world is made up of second-hand, third-rate stories. And I think we have no choice, since that's what our world is made of, but to recover these stupid stories for something humane. So the film is a kind of recycling, a kind of bricolage of shit, trying to make something beautiful out of the shit." When Art Makes A Difference The Act of Killing has received international acclaim since its premiere last September, but more importantly it has caused an upheaval in Indonesia. "It's screening every day," explains Oppenheimer. "As of March it had screened over 500 times. The Indonesian media is now publishing serious investigative reports about the genocide, whereas for forty-seven years they'd been silent about it. It's caused a sea change in how the country sees its past. It's come to the country like the child in The Emperor's New Clothes pointing to the king and saying "the king is naked". And everyone knew it. Maybe they didn't know the details. But now that it's been said so powerfully — and by the perpetrators themselves — there's no going back. The government has chosen to ignore it for the moment, although some army groups and some paramilitary generals have been threatening people screening the film, and threatening me. But it is making a real difference. "Werner [Herzog] said to me when I was talking about this to him over dinner, 'Josh, art doesn't make a difference.' And he looked at me for a long time and I felt rather deflated. And he smiled and then he said 'until it does'." The Act of Killing will get a limited Australian cinema release through Madman Entertainment on October 3, 2013.
Every single week, new releases grace the country's cinemas, spanning instant masterpieces, forgettable dreck and everything in-between. But as glorious as the silver-screen experience is — for watching a film, there's absolutely nothing like it — that's not the only place to see an ace movie. Plenty of standout flicks are now dropping in your streaming queue every single month without gracing a picture palace first. Sometimes, they've had small film festival runs beforehand — but definitely not always. Back in the day, these would've been dubbed 'straight to video' and come with an air of suspicion. But bypassing cinemas has never been synonymous with terrible films. It certainly hasn't been in 2022 so far, with the first six months of the year delivering a heap of highlights — 15 that we've picked, in fact — that rank among the year's best. Here's the full rundown of the straight-to-streaming gems that you need to catch up with. The added bonus: you can watch them all from your couch now. KIMI For the second year in a row, Steven Soderbergh has made one of the year's best movies and it has completely bypassed Australian cinemas. Unlike last year's No Sudden Move, however, Kimi was always destined for streaming. The latest in his series of paranoid thrillers that also includes Contagion, and once again female-fronted as Haywire, Side Effects and Unsane were too, this Zoë Kravitz-starring standout takes its cues from smart devices, humanity's increasing dependence upon technology, and the kinds of events that a virtual assistant like Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant might eavesdrop on. As a result, Soderbergh has crafted another movie that riffs on a growing area of real-life interest, then turns it into a tense, potent and devilishly smart feature. A bonus: focusing on a protagonist who doesn't feel safe leaving her house, Kimi couldn't better capture how the pandemic has felt without overtly needing to be a COVID-19 film. Kravitz (The Batman) plays Angela Childs, who works for Seattle-based tech corporation Amygdala from the comfort of her own sprawling loft — and from her own audiophile's dream of a computer setup — listening to snippets of conversation captured by smart speaker Kimi for quality assurance. In one clip, she hears what she believes to be a horrible crime and is compelled to follow up; however, her bosses aren't thrilled about her probing. Complicating matters: after being the victim of an assault a couple of years earlier, Angela suffers from anxiety and agoraphobia, making leaving the house to investigate a fraught task. As he did to particularly stellar effect in Unsane as well, Soderbergh styles his latest psychological thriller after its protagonist's mindset, making unease and suspense drop from every aesthetic choice — camera angles and placement, jittery frames and a voyeuristic perspective all included. Kimi is available to stream via Binge. FRESH Finally, a film about dating in the 21st century with real bite — and that's unafraid to sink its teeth into the topic. In this hit Sundance horror-comedy, Normal People's Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Noa, and once again gets entangled in a romance that'll leave a mark; here, however, the scars aren't merely emotional. Swiping right hasn't been doing it for Fresh's protagonist, as a comically terrible date with the appropriately named Chad (Brett Dier, Jane the Virgin) demonstrates early. Then sparks fly the old-fashioned way, in-person at the supermarket, with the curiously offline doctor Steve (Sebastian Stan, Pam & Tommy). Soon, he's whisking her away to a secluded spot for the weekend — a little too swiftly for Noa's protective best friend Mollie's (Jojo T Gibbs, Twenties) liking, especially given that no one can virtually stalk his socials to scope him out — and that getaway takes a savage and nightmare-fuelling twist. If Raw met Ex Machina, then crossed paths with American Psycho and Hostel, and finally made the acquaintance of any old rom-com, Fresh still wouldn't be the end result — but its tone stems from those parts, as do some plot points and performances, and even a few scenes as well. First-time feature director Mimi Cave doesn't butcher these limbs, though, and screenwriter Lauryn Kahn (Ibiza) doesn't stitch them together like Frankenstein's monster. As anchored by the excellent Edgar-Jones and Stan, there's care, savvy, smarts and style in this splatter-filled, satirical, brutal, funny, empowered and sweet film. Its twists, and its cutting take on predatory dating, are best discovered by watching, but being turned off apps, men and meat in tandem is an instant gut reaction. Fresh is available to stream via Disney+. COW As its name so clearly explains, Cow devotes its frames to one farmyard animal — and it's one of the most haunting films of the past few years. It's the third feature to take its title from a four-legged critter in the past 12 months, after the vastly dissimilar Pig and Lamb. It's also the second observational documentary of late to peer at the daily existence of creatures that form part of humanity's food chain, following the also-exceptional Gunda. And, it also joins 2013's The Moo Man in honing its focus specifically upon dairy farming, and in Britain at that. But the key to Cow is Andrea Arnold, the phenomenal filmmaker behind Fish Tank, Wuthering Heights, American Honey and the second season of Big Little Lies. She sees Luma, her bovine protagonist, with as much affection and understanding as she's ever seen any of the women who've led her projects. While watching, viewers do as well. Starting with the birth of Luma's latest calf — and, in the beginning, taking detours to see how it's faring as well — Cow unfurls with the rhythm of its agricultural setting. It's the rhythm of Luma's life, too, as she's milked and fed, moos for the offspring that's taken away too quickly, and is soon impregnated again. There's no doubt where the documentary is headed, either. There's simply no shying away from the fact that Luma and cattle like her only exist for milk or meat. Without ever offering any narration or on-screen explanation, Arnold stares at these facts directly, while also peering deeply into its bovine subject's eyes as often as possible. The result is hypnotic, inescapably affecting, and also features the best use of Garbage's 'Milk' ever in a movie. Cow is available to stream via DocPlay. I'M YOUR MAN Since 2013, any film that's involved making an emotional connection with artificial intelligence has brought Her to mind. Since 2014, any movie about human-android relationships has conjured up Ex Machina as well. And, since 2007, any flick that focuses on the companionship that a lonely human soul might find in an artificial companion has walked in Lars and the Real Girl's footsteps, too. In smart, perceptive and warmly humorous German gem I'm Your Man, however, it's a woman who is opening her life to a male presence — an AI-run robot designed to be her perfect match — and she's not too happy about it. Archaeologist Dr Alma Felser (Maren Egger, I Was at Home, But) is merely and begrudgingly testing out the technology that brings Tom (Dan Stevens, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) into her life, for three weeks at the behest of her boss at Berlin's Pergamon Museum, and solely for the good of science. I'm Your Man is a rom-com, which means exactly what viewers think it does going in: that Alma slowly starts rethinking her position on Tom. But that's about the only aspect of this thoughtful, witty and yearning exploration of what it means to be human and to truly connect that does what's expected. Fresh from winning an Emmy for directing Unorthodox, German filmmaker Maria Schrader helms a charming and insightful take on what's beginning to be an oft-considered topic, and is unpacked in a moving and delightful way in her hands. Her film is also extremely well cast, with Egger thoroughly deserving her 2021 Berlinale Silver Bear for Best Acting Performance as Alma, and Stevens pitch-perfect as the supposed robotic man of her dreams — who just wants love himself. I'm Your Man is available to stream via Binge. HELLBENDER Meet the Adams family — no, not the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky characters that've featured on pages and screens for decades (including in two terrible recent animated flicks), but the filmmaking collective comprised of couple Toby Poser and John Adams, plus their daughters Zelda and Lulu Adams. The quartet might be missing a letter from their well-known counterparts' names, but they're just as fond of all things horror. Case in point: their second feature Hellbender, a self-financed standout that's both a spellbinding tale of witchcraft and a clever coming-of-age story. It starts in a house in the woods, and also spends most of its time there. It includes the arrival of an unexpected stranger, shattering the status quo. But formulaic and by-the-numbers, this must-see isn't. In making first-rate use of its setting, and of a cast that's primarily comprised of Adams family members, it's also a masterclass in lockdown filmmaking. In the most expected aspect of Hellbender, the film's name does indeed refer to a punk-metal band, with 16-year-old Izzy (Zelda Adams, The Deeper You Dig) and her mother (Toby Poser) its sole members. No one else has ever heard them play, either, given that Izzy is both homeschooled and confined to the family's sprawling mountainside property, as she has been since she was five. Her mum tells her that she can't venture into town or around other people due to a contagious autoimmune disease; however, when a lost man (John Adams) wanders their way and mentions that his teenage niece Amber (Lulu Adams) lives nearby, Izzy gets the confidence to go exploring. As both written and directed by three out of four Adams family members — all except Lulu — Hellbender proves an impressive supernatural affair from its opening occult-heavy prologue through to its astute take on teen rebellion. Here's hoping this Adams family spirits up more DIY horror delights soon, too. Hellbender is available to stream via Shudder. APOLLO 10 1/2: A SPACE AGE CHILDHOOD In 1969, the year that Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood is set, writer/director Richard Linklater was nine years old and living in Houston, Texas. This lovely animated film happens to follow a boy around the same age in the same city — and trust the filmmaker behind Boyhood, Dazed and Confused, and the glorious trio that is Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight to make viewers who weren't there then (who weren't even alive and have never been to America, too) to feel as nostalgic about the place and era as he clearly does. As narrated by his Bernie and The School of Rock star Jack Black, the film's entire middle section dances through memories of the time and city with infectious enthusiasm, but its biggest dose of affection radiates towards the technological promise of the 60s. The Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions were rocketing into space and it patently felt like anything was possible, a sensation so marvellously captured in each second of Apollo 10 1/2. Jumping back into the rotoscoped animation that served Linklater so well in Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly, this loving ode to years and moods gone by also sports a delightful premise. As his older guise (Black) explains, young Stan (debutant Milo Coy) was an ordinary Houston kid with a NASA-employed dad (Bill Wise, Waves), doting mum (Lee Eddy, Cruel Summer) and five older siblings when he was approached by two men (Shazam!'s Zachary Levi and Everybody Wants Some!!'s Glen Powell) to help them with a problem. In the lead up to Apollo 11, it seems that NASA accidentally built the lunar module a couple of sizes too small, so they need a kid — Stan — to help them by going to the moon to test things out before Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins make their famous trip in a bigger version. That fantastical idea feels ripped from Linklater's childhood dreams, and it well might be; it also makes for a warm and charming entry point into a movie that's as much about life's ups and downs, the bonds of family and the wide-eyed optimism of youth as it is about heading to space. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood is available to stream via Netflix. THE JANES In the perfect version of 2022, watching The Janes would resemble unpacking a time capsule. In this documentary's frames, remnants of life during 60s and 70s America flicker across the screen — visions of what the US was like for women before the Supreme Court's landmark 1973 Roe v Wade ruling. But, devastatingly, that's not how viewing this Tia Lessin (Citizen Koch)- and Emma Pildes-directed film feels like now thanks to recent developments with America's current conservative-skewed highest judicial body. Accordingly, this powerful doco might just offer a window into the possible future by cataloguing a dark and heartbreaking part of the past. Its focus: members of Chicago's The Jane Collective, who stepped in to provide safe, affordable but also highly illegal abortion services when terminating pregnancies, and therefore giving women agency over their choices and their very existence, was a crime across the nation. Fellow 2022 highlight Happening has charted the same territory at around the same time, but in France and fictionalised. Back in 2020, the phenomenal Never Rarely Sometimes Always examined the situation in the US recently — well, before this year's Supreme Court ruling undoing Roe v Wade — as well. Each of the above, and The Janes as well, unsurprisingly makes for harrowing, infuriating, heart- and gut-wrenching viewing. In this instance, the film sticks with current-day talking heads and archival footage to step through why the service provided by Jane, aka the Abortion Counseling Service of Women's Liberation, was necessary and important. The brave and heroic women involved talked through the details with clarity and potency, as do some of the men who assisted, whether as husbands who were also lawyers, doctors, or construction workers-turned-abortionists. Of course, unlike in the times chronicled, women never come second to men in this gripping and resonant doco. The Janes is available to stream via Binge. CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH With Freshman Year, Cooper Raiff cemented himself as a talent to watch, both on- and off-screen. The writer, director, actor, editor and producer wore many hats on the likeable romance-meets-coming-of-age film, and he wore them all impressively and effortlessly. With Cha Cha Real Smooth, he hands over splicing duties, but he's just as ace in every other guise yet again. Winner of the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival, in the prestigious event's US Dramatic competition, this comedy also focuses on the fact that no one really knows how to handle life — this time centring its tale around the just-out-of-college Andrew (Raiff, Madeline & Cooper). The character returns home after graduating with the sole aim of making enough cash to follow his girlfriend to Spain, but falls into a gig hosting Bar Mitzvahs for his younger brother David's (Evan Assante, Dinosaur World) friends. Andrew falls in another way, too: in love with Domino (an exceptional Dakota Johnson, playing a mum again after The Lost Daughter), mother to Evan's classmate Lola (debutant Vanessa Burghardt). Lola has autism, is bullied by the other kids and usually finds herself ignored at parties, somewhat happily so; however, Andrew makes her feel comfortable and accepted, which doesn't go unnoticed. His growing fondness for Domino is complicated, though. So is the object of his affection herself — and, while more than half a century ago The Graduate splashed in a similar pool, Johnson brings her own shades and depths to a woman who is yearning for stability yet rallying against it. Everything also remains complex about Cha Cha Real Smooth's portrait of being a fresh college graduate with everything ahead of you and zero ideas of how what to truly do — and proves always-earnest as well, a description that applies to Raiff's work as Andrew and this low-key, insightful and charming movie alike. Cha Cha Real Smooth is available to stream via Apple TV+. FIRE ISLAND Pride and Prejudice, but set on New York's Fire Island. That's it, that's the queer rom-com that shares its setting's name. Fire Island, the movie, even comes with its own Mr Darcy — here called Will and played by How to Get Away with Murder's Conrad Ricamora, who should enjoy the same career bump that Colin Firth did in the 90s when he stepped into the part in a far-more-faithful TV adaptation. Updating Jane Austen isn't new, of course. Bridget Jones' Diary, also famously starring Firth, did the same with Pride and Prejudice. Stone-cold classic Clueless, which gets a shoutout here in a perfectly co-opted line of dialogue, did it with Emma, too. One of Fire Island's best traits is how new yet comfortable it feels, though, like thumbing through a favourite but seeing it afresh — with hot tubs full of praise deserved by director Andrew Ahn (Spa Night, Driveways) and screenwriter/star Joel Kim Booster (Loot). Booster also boasts a writing credit on The Other Two, one of the best new TV comedies of the past few years — and that bitingly smart, laugh-a-minute tone shines through in Fire Island, too. He takes Austen's tale about love and class and steeps it within the queer community, its subdivisions and subcultures, and issues of race and socio-economic status that ripple through, as they do in America and the world more broadly. That's what Booster's self-confident Noah finds himself navigating on a week-long annual getaway with his best friends, and after he decides to put his pal Howie's (Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live) romantic prospects above his own. If you know the OG story, you know what happens next, including Noah's path towards the initially stern, quiet and standoffish Will. The end product here is witty, funny, heartwarming and sincere, as well as supremely well cast, energetic from start to finish, and bursting with queer pride. Fire Island is available to stream via Disney+. ASCENSION Ascension may not be one of this year's Oscar-winners, losing out to the also fantastic Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), but it'll always be among 2022's nominees. More than that, this two-time Tribeca Film Festival winner will forever remain one of the most arresting documentaries of the past 12 months as well. Helming her first feature-length doco, filmmaker Jessica Kingdon turns her gaze to the Chinese dream — and what she sees, while situated in a very specific cultural context by design, is a clear and easy sibling to its American counterpart. That's part of the statement her film makes, all just by watching on patiently but meticulously as people go about their lives. Starting with factory recruitment on the streets, then moving into mass production, then climbing the social hierarchy up to the rich and privileged, Ascension explores employment and consumerism — and what they mean in an everyday sense in modern-day and modernised China. It's a portrait of the needs that make working on assembly lines a necessity, and of the dreams that inspire every climb, rung by rung, up the societal ladder. Some folks build sex dolls, their uncanny valley-esque forms adding an eerie mood. Others take lessons on etiquette for service jobs, including about not letting your face betray your emotions, and the tone is also unsettling. Observational to a mesmerising degree, Kingdon's exceptional film lets its slices of life and the behaviour, attitudes and patterns they capture do the talking, and they all speak volumes. Indeed, what a clever, telling, incisive and surreal story they unfurl. Ascension is available to stream via Paramount+. THE HOUSE Not to be confused with well-cast but decidedly unfunny Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler-starring comedy of the same name, The House dedicates its weird and wonderful stop-motion animated frames to three tales all set in the same abode. In the anthology film's first chapter from directors Marc James Roels and Emma De Swaef, a poverty-stricken family mocked by richer relatives luck into a deal with an architect, which results in the movie's central dwelling being built — and its new inhabitants getting more than they bargained for. In the second part by Niki Lindroth von Bahr, a developer, who also happens to be a rat, finalises his renovations and readies the place for sale; however, two odd prospective buyers won't leave after the first viewing. And in the third section from Paloma Baeza, the home towers above an apocalyptic future flooded with water, with its owner, a cat, struggling with her fellow feline tenants. Each of The House's films-within-a-film hail from a different creative team, boast different voice casts and splash around their own aesthetics — and they're all a delight. The constants: the titular structure, the fabric-style look to the animation (even as each director comes up with their own take) that makes you want to reach out and touch it, and mix of creativity and emotion in its dark-skewing stories. This is a movie that questions the comfortable mindset that bricks and mortar are expected to bring, and where where just trying to get by is recognised as the struggle it is in a variety of wild and inventive ways. And as for that vocal talent, Matthew Goode (The King's Man), Mia Goth (Emma.), Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown), Susan Wokoma (Truth Seekers) and Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker all do ace work. The House is available to stream via Netflix. TURNING RED What'd happen if the Hulk was a teenage girl, and turned into a giant, fuzzy, super-cute red panda instead of going green and getting ultra-muscular? Or, finding a different riff on the ol' werewolf situation, if emotions rather than full moons inspired a case of not-quite-lycanthropy? These aren't queries that most folks have thought of, but writer/director Domee Shi certainly has — and they're at the core of Pixar's Turning Red, her debut feature after winning an Oscar for 2018 short Bao. As many of the animation studio's movies do, the film takes its title literally. But, it also spins the usual Pixar question. Turning Red does indeed wonder what'd happen if red pandas sported human-style emotions; however, the Disney-owned company has been musing on people becoming other kinds of critters of late, with particularly astute and endearing results here. The movie's focus: 13-year-old Chinese Canadian Meilin Lee (Rosalie Chiang, also making her film debut). The year is 2002, and she loves meeting her strict but doting mum Ming's (Sandra Oh, The Chair) expectations, hanging out with her pals and obsessing over boy band 4*Town. And while her mother doesn't approve of her friends or her taste in music, Mei has become accustomed to juggling everything that's important to her. But then, after a boy-related mishap, the red panda appears. Mei goes to bed feeling normal, albeit angsty and upset, only to wake up looking like a cuddly creature. Like werewolf tales about teenage boys tend to be, Turning Red is all about puberty and doesn't hide it — and whether it's tackling that head-on, pondering generational trauma or showing its rampant love for boy bands, it sports sweetness, soul and smarts. Turning Red is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. HUSTLE When well-deserved Oscar predictions came Adam Sandler's way for the astounding Uncut Gems, the actor and comedian said that he'd make the worst movie ever if he didn't win one of the Academy's shiny trophies. He didn't, and then Hubie Halloween arrived — and now Hustle. No, neither is the most terrible film on Sandler's resume. In Hustle's case, it happens to be home to one of his best performances. He has plenty to his name, including in Punch-Drunk Love, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) and, of course, Uncut Gems, so it's in good company. There's also an element of art reflecting life in this new sports drama, even though basketball isn't what Sandler is famous for IRL. He knows more than a thing or two about only being seen one way, however, when his talents span much further. Whenever he branches away from the style of comedies that made his name, starting with Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, he knows plenty about being the underdog, too. On-screen, Stanley Sugerman is Hustle's underdog. A scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, he jets around the world scoping out new talent in the hope of finding a future match-winner, but it's not the job he wants. He loves basketball, he used to play and he's long dreamed about being a coach — but when good news arrives, then tragedy strikes, then the calculating Vince Merrick (Ben Foster, Galveston) takes over as the team's owner, it seems he'll be on the road forever. Bo Cruz (real-life NBA player Juancho Hernangómez) might be his ticket to better things, though, if he can get the Spanish construction worker signed or drafted. There's nothing that's surprising about director Jeremiah Zagar's (We the Animals) choices, or screenwriters Taylor Materne (video game NBA 2K20) and Will Fetters' (A Star Is Born) either, but Hustle remains a strong and lived-in character-driven drama as much as a tense against-the-odds sports film — and it's as entertaining and engaging to watch as the playoffs. Hustle is available to stream via Netflix. LUCY AND DESI Icons celebrating icons: when Amy Poehler directs a documentary about Lucille Ball, as she does here, that's the end result. It's fitting that Lucy and Desi includes a letter read mere days after Desi Arnaz's death, about his ex-wife and longterm professional partner, that included a touching line: "I Love Lucy wasn't just the name of the show". Poehler loves Lucy, too, understandably. Watching the compilation of clips curated here — spanning Ball's movie career in the 30s and 40s, as well as her TV shows such as the pioneering I Love Lucy, follow-up The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, and later sitcoms The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy — it's impossible not to see Ball's influence upon the Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation star, and upon the generations of female comedians that've followed Ball. Lucy and Desi loves Arnaz as well, though, and truly adores the pair's tumultuous love story — one that changed the course of comedy history. Forget Being the Ricardos, the average-at-best Aaron Sorkin film that inexplicably earned Oscar nominations — including for its one-note performances — and doesn't even dream of being funny. A deeper, meatier, far more interesting dance through Ball and Arnaz's life comes from Lucy and Desi, which benefits not just from Poehler's affection and her eagerness to ensure that her subjects' personalities shine through, but also from previously unreleased audio tapes of the pair talking about their ups and downs. Recent interviews pepper the film as well, including with daughter Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, and the iconic Carol Burnett. Still, this doco's points of focus truly do speak best for themselves, whether chatting frankly or seen in all of those wonderful sitcom snippets. Lucy and Desi is is available to stream via Prime Video. THE FALLOUT As a next-generation scream queen, Jenna Ortega has had an eventful 2022 so far. She proved one of the highlights of the latest Scream, in fact, then popped up in Foo Fighters horror movie Studio 666. And, she also made a firm impression in 70s-set, porn-shoot slasher X. Similarly a recent highlight: The Fallout, which earned both jury and audience awards for Best Narrative Feature at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival, and is horrifying in a completely different way to its star's other roles of late. To be precise, it's devastating. Here, the former child actor plays an American teenager who endures what must be every American teenager's worst nightmare, then understandably struggles to process the aftermath. Surviving a school shooting isn't something that anyone should be expected to come to terms with, to move on from, or to slide easily back into their everyday life — including going back to the same classes — after, obviously. When that terrifying incident occurs, Vada Cavell (Ortega) happens to be in the bathroom. As soon as the first shots are heard, she's hiding in a toilet stall with the school's resident dance star Mia Reed (Maddie Ziegler, thankfully worlds away from Music), and both emerge physically unscathed. But the trauma and emotional scars run deep, with The Fallout chronicling Vada's post traumatic stress disorder-affected headspace in the days, weeks and longer that follow. Written and directed by actor-turned-feature filmmaking debutant Megan Park, this is an immensely powerful portrait of grief on several levels — for classmates lost, lives forever changed and innocent views of the world instantly shattered. Every choice made by Park, and also by Ortega and Ziegler, plunges viewers into their Vada and Mia's internal tussles, including the score by Finneas O'Connell. The Fallout is available to stream via Binge. Looking for more viewing highlights? Check out our list of film and TV streaming recommendations, which is updated monthly. We've also picked our top 15 movies that hit cinemas in the first half of 2022, as well as the 15 best new TV shows and 15 best returning TV shows of the year so far.
The winning artwork of the latest Kaldor Public Art Project has been announced, and it's no small feat. Winner of KPAP's 45th anniversary project competition, 'YOUR VERY GOOD IDEA', local Indigenous artist Jonathan Jones will create a full-scale replica of the Garden Palace in Sydney's Botanic Gardens — a structure which burned down under suspicious circumstances in 1882. The forthcoming work, entitled Barrangal dyara (skin and bones), will be a temporary installation consisting of the bare structures of the forgotten building. And, though the work seems minimalist and unobtrusive, the ideas it represents evoke something much larger. Though the Garden Palace was only standing for three years, it contained a great deal of significant Indigenous artefacts. Part museum, part gallery, the Palace was a proud home to much of Australia's early colonial history. Though the source of the fire was not known, rumours circulated that wealthy local residents could be involved due to their complaints the building blocked their harbour views. "It would be like someone torching the art gallery, the MCA and the Mitchell library today," the artist told SMH this morning. With the history of the site, the conceptual implications of Jones' artwork are more than clear. A melancholy monument to cultural erasure, Barrangal dyara has a deep resonance with the nature of Indigenous history at large. In fact, though the work was this morning compared to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 1961 Kaldor project Wrapped Coast, it has stronger similarities with more overtly political pieces like Sophie Calle's Detachment series. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Calle travelled around newly-reunited Germany documenting the sites where various GDR monuments had previously stood. Photographing the now empty spaces, Calle asked local residents to narrate their memory of the space as it had once been. Exploring the swift political change and cultural erasure of the time, Calle's artworks stood as testament to the ever-present nature of memory. While similar in concept, it's telling that Jones' work won't have such intimate narration. The people who witnessed the structure burn are now long gone, and those who were affected by it have long been rendered voiceless. The white bones of the Palace will no doubt offer a stark reminder of this — the skeletons we like to keep hidden in our national closet. Barrangal dyara (skin and bones) was unanimously chosen as the winning artwork by a panel of judges this morning. The project is scheduled for completion in 2016.
First postponed from July to October last year, and then ditching 2020 altogether, Splendour in the Grass has announced today, Tuesday, March 2, that its next event will now be held in spring 2021. The last time the festival updated its plans, it was intending to take place in July 2021; however, it'll now go ahead between Friday, November 19–Sunday, November 21. So, get ready for a much warmer trip to North Byron Bay Parkland than usual. Get ready to see The Strokes and Tyler, The Creator, too. Both acts were originally set to headline the cancelled 2020 fest, and will now hit the stage on the Saturday and Sunday nights, respectively. They'll be joined in the top slot by Gorillaz, who'll do the honours on the Friday evening. Announcing the change of dates via its website, Splendour in the Grass co-founders Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco noted that they "had so hoped to bring you Splendour's 20th anniversary edition this July, but we can't stage the event that you know and love within the current restrictions and international border closures. Since March 2020, not a single festival in Australia has been able to run at full capacity and the industry is currently operating at a fraction of pre-COVID levels." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Splendour in the Grass (@splendourinthegrass) Just who else will be on the bill is still up in the air, but we'll let you know as soon as anything else is announced. If you had already purchased a ticket for SITG 2020, you'll be happy to know that it's valid for the 2021 edition. If you've bought one for this year, for the July dates, it's still valid for November, too. And if you don't have a ticket yet, you can head to the festival's website to nab a pre-loved ticket now. Splendour in the Grass has been postponed again and will now take over North Byron Bay Parkland from November 19–21, 2021. All 2020 tickets and July 2021 tickets are valid for November, with pre-loved tickets currently available via splendourinthegrass.com. Top images: Splendour in the Grass 2018 by Charlie Hardy / Splendour in the Grass 2019 by Dave Kan.
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are starting to reopen — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane (and, until the newly reinstated stay-at-home orders, Melbourne as well). During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsWV2qTX21k NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS In the scene that gives Never Rarely Sometimes Always its name, 17-year-old Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) sits with a counsellor at Planned Parenthood in Brooklyn. The teen hails from Pennsylvania, but has taken the bus east with her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) upon discovering that she's pregnant and realising she only really has one option — knowing that her family is unlikely to help, and after her local women's clinic has advised that she should just have the baby. Before she can obtain the New York facility's assistance, however, she is asked questions about her history. The queries broach tough and intimate subjects, but Autumn only needs to answer with one of the words from the movie's moniker. While they're simple and common, those four terms explain much about why a small-town high-schooler is engaging in a practice that's been dubbed 'abortion tourism'. So too does the silence that punctuates her responses and the heartbreaking expression on her face that goes with them. From its opening frames, which sketch out Autumn's everyday life — the taunting peers, the awkward dynamic at home, the attentions of her boss at her after-school supermarket job, and the efforts to be seen by performing at her class concert — Never Rarely Sometimes Always is an intricately observed and stunningly detailed film. Accordingly, when the aforementioned scene arrives, it's the latest potent, compassionate and revealing moment in a movie filled with them. But filmmaker Eliza Hittman (It Felt Like Love, Beach Rats) refuses to give viewers even the tiniest reprieve here. Autumn can't escape these difficult questions or the entire experience she's dealing with, and the audience is forced into the same situation. Maintaining the feature's unobtrusive, naturalistic, almost documentary-esque style, cinematographer Hélène Louvart (Happy as Lazzaro) doesn't look away, while first-time actor Flanigan pours out an entire lifetime's worth of feeling under the film's unrelenting gaze. As intimated by its protagonist's name, as taken from the season when the leaves fall, warmth fades and the weather's frostiest period approaches, this is a film about decay, loss and change in multiple ways — and it's as grim and gripping as it is outraged, empathetic and affecting. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxZ774gziwU THE CRAFT: LEGACY Written and directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Zoe Lister-Jones (Band Aid), The Craft: Legacy is clearly the product of someone who knows and appreciates its 1996 cult-favourite predecessor. It's also the work of someone keen to pay tribute to the original — a horror-thriller about teen witches using and abusing magic to cope with high school's troubles — and embrace what she sees as its strengths, as well as redress its wrongs, update it for a new time and a new generation of teens, and verbally and visibly champion inclusivity at every turn. But it's possible for a 24-years-later follow-up to show affection, make some smart changes, move with the times and still feel like the remnants left in a cauldron. Or, for it to recall one of The Craft's famed moments — one that The Craft: Legacy recreates, briefly — in an unintended fashion. When this feature's coven play with levitation, the words "light as a feather, stiff as a board" aren't heard; however, by the end of the movie, they best describe everything that's just happened. Starting as its inspiration did, The Craft: Legacy begins with Lily (Cailee Spaeny, Devs) and her mother Helen (Michelle Monaghan, Saint Judy) arriving in a new town, to move in with the latter's self-help author boyfriend (David Duchovny, playing a character who has penned a book called 'The Hallowed Masculine') and his three sons. Navigating school, Lily soon finds herself taunted by resident jock and bully (Nicholas Galitzine, Share) — but she's also found by witchy trio Lourdes (Zoey Luna, Pose), Frankie (Gideon Adlon, Blockers) and Tabby (Lovie Simone, Selah and the Spades), who are looking for the west to their north, south and east. Rather than seeing these young women become consumed by their blossoming power, and also punishing those who refuse to conform, it's a welcome shift that The Craft: Legacy calls out the patriarchal norms and attitudes that routinely put teenage girls in that situation. And yet the film just seems happy enough to have made that switch, instead of giving it any true weight or substantial depth. It's light thematically, visually, tonally and emotionally, and it also sports a stiffness — as though it's trying so hard to be loose, open, breezy and upbeat that it actually proves bland, strained and wooden instead. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcvdq3WeHBc&feature=emb_logo THE MYSTERY OF HENRI PICK A new book. An enigmatic author. A twisty mystery involving not only the scribe of said novel, but the publishing and marketing process that's so pivotal in delivering the text to the adoring public. These three elements were key parts of The Translators, which hit cinemas Down Under in September, and now they sit at the heart of The Mystery of Henri Pick. In lightly comedic rather than tense and thrilling mode this time around, the focus falls on a manuscript found in a small town in Brittany. Eager young publisher Daphne (Alicie Isaaz, Elle) spots the unpublished work in the local library of rejected books, a repository for all the writing that's been lovingly penned but turned down by the industry's powers-that-be. Fresh from failing to turn her writer boyfriend Frederic's (Bastien Bouillon, Jumbo) first novel into a hit — or even getting famed newspaper and TV literary critic Jean-Michel Rouche (Fabrice Luchini, Slack Bay) to review it on air — Daphne instantly falls in love with her new discovery, called The Last Hours Of A Love Affair. So too do readers and pundits, with the book garnering buzz not just for its romance set against the death of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, but also for the fact that the wordsmith behind it is a provincial pizza chef who died two years prior. On his regular television show, amid all the fanfare about Henri Pick and his book, Jean-Michel questions whether the story behind the story holds up. Within hours of making that controversial claim, he has lost both his wife and his job, and he's determined to show that something about this hit novel doesn't seem right. Jean-Michel is the type of character that no one is meant to love, with veteran French star Luchini playing the part in the spiky and arrogant way he has become known for — ensuring that viewers follow the character's amateur sleuthing hoping he'll proven wrong. It's a tactic that ensures the audience's investment, even with both unconvincing and highly predictable twists popping up along the way (including Jean-Michel's blossoming bond with Pick's adult daughter Josephine, as played by Call My Agent!'s Camille Cottin). Stemming from the page itself, with writer/director Remi Bezancon (A Happy Event) and his co-scribe Vanessa Portal adapting David Foenkinos's 2016 novel, this is an easy-going caper and a quickly involving whodunnit — and the source of eye-catching cinematography that brightly lenses its coastal French setting as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg4zGf3_F1Q RAMS It's easy to see how Australian filmmakers watched Rams, the 2015 Icelandic movie about duelling sheep-farmer brothers, and realised that they could bring its story Down Under. In fact, it's easy because director Jeremy Sims (Last Cab to Darwin) and screenwriter Jules Duncan (a feature first-timer) make certain that that's the case — ensuring that viewers can see every choice they've taken in giving the story the Aussie treatment. It's all to be expected, of course, but it feels not only overt but also calculating. Indeed, Rams often seems like a remake that only exists because someone gleaned just how simple it'd be to make it happen (and noticed that the Cannes prize-winning initial flick had picked up quite a following, too). It swaps the original movie's frosty blizzard for drought, heat and bushfires, and its Nordic scenery for Western Australian tourism brochure-style shots. It brings in a cast of familiar faces, spanning both beloved local talents (such as Michael Caton and Asher Keddie) and actors we've virtually claimed as our own (Sam Neill). It leans into Aussie dialogue, scenes in pubs, small-town stereotypes and larrikin behaviour, localising every element possible, while also sticking steadfastly to the bulk of its predecessor's main narrative details (as anyone who has seen the latter will swiftly spot). For decades, brothers Colin (Neill) and Les (Caton) haven't spoken. They lovingly tend to their flocks on adjoining properties, send messages to each other via sheepdog when absolutely necessary and cross paths at local livestock competitions, but a lingering grudge has long since soured their familial bond. Then Les wins the latest contest, Colin notices that the applauded ram might be plagued by a contagious disease, and the duo are forced to band together or face the complete decimation of the only lives they've ever known. Instead of thoughtfully unpacking a plethora of contrasts — between the central siblings, by juxtaposing their close proximity with their strained relationship, in both prosperous and struggling times, and in trying to control nature in various ways — this version of Rams struggles with balance. That includes its efforts to juggle quirky comedy with its more serious dramatic sections, and in offering thoughtful commentary on men coping with their emotions and rural communities battling tough times. Cast-wise, Neill fares best thanks to a lived-in performance, with Caton in stock-standard cantankerous mode, and British actor Miranda Richardson (Churchill, the Harry Potter franchise) wasted in a thankless supporting part. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmb9V2aibsQ&feature=emb_logo ALONE In one of the rare bright spots in this chaotic year, Bill & Ted returned to remind us all to be excellent to each other. If you're wondering what could happen if we don't take that advice to heart, two thrillers have hit screens in 2020 to show us the consequences, too. As seen first in Unhinged and now in Alone, a very particular type of behaviour is on display: driver courtesy, or the lack thereof. In the latter, Jessica (Jules Wilcox, Bloodline) is moving across the country to escape the lingering memory of a recent tragedy. With no company in sight — as the title advises — she packs a U-Haul trailer and hits the bitumen, tackling the multi-day trip in stages. That's all the invitation that a male fellow driver (Mark Menchaca, The Outsider) needs in this cat-and-mouse thriller from director John Hyams (Universal Soldier: Regeneration and Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning) and screenwriter Mattias Olsson (Gone), with the menacing on-screen figure first toying with her on the road, then following her, then kidnapping her. Thankfully, Alone sits several notches above Unhinged; it isn't trying to posit that men stalk and attack women they've never previously met because they aren't treated nicely enough by either the opposite sex in general or this increasingly angry world that no longer has a place for them, for starters. But it does fall into the valley between generic and committed — with the film happy to stick to a recognisable template, but also devoted to executing its well-worn formula as leanly and efficiently as possible. More often than not, Alone hits its marks. It can feel repetitive, prolonged and like much of its bulk has been seen before; however, each scene sports a primal simplicity that's key to the movie's stripped-down nature. It's rarely surprising, including when it's trying to offer up twists and turns, but it's precise in its violence, tension and suspense. Wilcox turns in a memorable survivalist performance, but the standout element here is the feature's sound design. Endeavouring to echo the mounting paranoia, the spreading chaos, the pumping emotions and the pulsating adrenaline, Alone's acoustics are rich and layered — far more, in fact, than its stock-standard thriller storyline, and the texture that the script tries to add through Jessica's haunting sense of loss and alienation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk6u9X1bW30 THE EMPTY MAN At the beginning of 2020, after the two companies merged the year prior, Disney announced that it was ditching the 'Fox' part of the 20th Century Fox name. So when The Empty Man begins with the latter's moniker and famed roving searchlight title card in place as though nothing has changed, it shows how old this supernatural horror thriller is, having been shot back in 2017. It also demonstrates how little the Mouse House seems to care about a movie it only revealed would hit cinemas this year a mere month before it did just that. Adapting the graphic novel same name, this film definitely could've used some care and attention. Clocking in at 137 minutes and making viewers feel that length, it could've used a few edits, too. Instead, in the second long-delayed Fox horror movie to reach screens in 2020 — after the immensely forgettable The New Mutants — The Empty Man delivers a curse flick that's also a detective film and a creepy cult movie, and plays like a dull and derivative blend of The Ring, Candyman, Slender Man, Urban Legend and even the most recent season of Twin Peaks (completely absent any David Lynch-esque touches, obviously). In a prolonged prologue set in 1995, a group of friends hiking in Bhutan literally stumble upon a creepy corpse in a cavern. Across the three days afterwards, unpleasantness naturally results. Next, in 2018, a number of small-town teens go missing — including Mandy (Sasha Frolova, Little Women), the daughter of Nora (Marin Ireland, The Irishman), who has a history with grief-stricken ex-cop James Lasombra (James Badge Dale, Hightown). He's soon unofficially on the case, which leads him to a spooky tale about a shadowy figure who appears if you blow into an empty bottle on a bridge, then to a creepy sect with secretive and sinister plans. First-time feature writer/director David Prior serves up a suitably eerie mood, several effectively unsettling pieces of imagery, and an anxiety-inducing soundscape and soundtrack to match, but there's no overcoming a narrative that wants to be too many things at once — and consistently takes the silliest yet drabbest option as a result. And while Dale plays his part with a very apt everyman sensibility, and Barry's Stephen Root is always a welcome presence, too, they can't improve this drag of a movie either. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; and October 1, October 8, October 15 and October 22. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle. The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done and Corpus Christi.
In Japan the stars Altair and Vega lean across the flowing Milky Way to kiss each other once a year. To celebrate the kiss there's a festival on earth called Tanabata. Wishes are written out on coloured papers and hung off a bamboo tree. Impro Melbourne's Rama Nicholas discovered the tradition in Osaka, and turned it into the core of an improv show she developed and toured around the world. Impro Australia are bringing her show to life here in Sydney for one night at the Bondi Pavilion, and you're invited to come and add your wishes to the night's bill. In the lobby before the show, the audience will be invited to write their wishes anonymously on bits of paper and pin them to the wishing tree. When the show starts, the performers pluck random wishes from the tree and make a show out of it. Some wishes are funny, some are sincere. Sometimes they're even heartbreaking: "I wish my husband would stop drinking and love me again" was a wish one night when creator Nicholas ran the show. If you have a wish inside, a need, desire or profound whim, bring it along and commit it to paper. Original image by Chao Jikazu.
UPDATE: Thursday May 6, 2021 — New COVID-19 restrictions have been announced. We'll keep you updated on this event as the situation changes. For the latest information, visit NSW Health. Turn up the treat-factor this Mother's Day and take your mum, or a mother figure in your life, to a luxe long lunch at Watson's Bay Hotel. Settle in for a three-course share-style menu paired with a two hours of free-flowing bubbles. A spot is a neat $110 per person and $25 for any children under 10. You'll start with the likes of pizzetta, bruschetta and burrata caprese. To follow there'll be milk braised pork penne, wagyu rump la tagliata, mushroom duxelles and crispy-skinned ocean trout. Make sure you save room for dessert — tiramisu with whipped mascarpone cream with coffee-infused biscuits. You'll also receive a Chandon Floral Spritz on arrival and cascades of Chandon Brut and Chandon Rosé throughout the afternoon. Booking is essential as spots are limited. So, secure your spot for Sunday, May 9 here. Then, get ready to spoil the matriarch in your life with bubbles and bites while overlooking Sydney Harbour. Images: supplied
Get your laughs at Marrickville's Factory Theatre when Sydney Fringe Comedy takes over from Tuesday, August 28 to Sunday, September 30. More than 100 Australian and international acts will appear, with five venues hosting up to 20 shows every night. Watch out for Aaron Chen in The Crushing Defeat and Public Humiliation of Aaron and Cassy Workman in Giantess, a fable about a kidnapped six-year-old whose only hope of salvation is a giant – which happens to double as an exploration of struggling with gender identity. Meanwhile, Break Out NZ will bring together accomplished Kiwi comics David Corroes, Donna Brookbanks and Jamie Bowen. These funny guys are just the tip of the iceberg; check out the rest of the massive program over here — most tickets are a steal at $10–$15.
Whether you're a political junkie or simply appreciate the 44th American President's annual end-of-year culture lists, block out your diary for March: you've got a date with Barack Obama. The former US leader is heading Down Under in autumn 2023 for a two-date, two-city speaking tour about leadership — marking his first Australian visit since 2018. President Obama is making the trip for an event dubbed An Evening with President Barack Obama, as presented by business leadership and events provider Growth Faculty. He'll be the organisation's first headline speaker as part of its return to in-person events, in fact — and restarting with the ex-US leader is quite the statement. Obama will take to the stage on Tuesday, March 28 at Aware Theatre in Sydney and on Wednesday, March 29 at Melbourne's John Cain Arena. For folks who can't make it, won't be in either city or miss out on tickets, the Sydney session will also be livestreamed. As for exactly what Obama will be focusing on — leadership is a broad topic — Growth Faculty quoted the man himself, from back in November 2019, as a guide. "Being a leader is not a matter of having your name up in lights, making speeches or corralling power at the top. It's identifying the power in other people and unleashing it," Obama said. The former US President will also cover unpredictable futures and how to navigate them, something that comes with his past job. In-person tickets start at $195, or there's a VIP option in Sydney with a pre-speech cocktail party — although Obama won't be there sipping drinks before taking the stage. AN EVENING WITH PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA 2023: Tuesday, March 28 — Aware Theatre, Sydney Wednesday, March 29 — John Cain Arena, Melbourne An Evening with President Barack Obama heads to Sydney and Melbourne in March 2023, with tickets on sale from 9am on Thursday, November 24. Head to the Growth Faculty website for further details. Top image: Carol M Highsmith via Wikimedia Commons.
The iconic Sirius building will remain standing — at least for the time being — after the State Government's plans to have it demolished were defeated in court on Tuesday afternoon. One of the more famous examples of brutalist architecture left in Sydney, the apartment block in The Rocks has been the subject of fierce debate since the NSW Government announced its intentions to demolish the building to make way for luxury apartments. But according to judge Simon Molesworth, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, former heritage minister Mark Speakman failed to correctly apply the Heritage Act when he opted not to list the building on the State Heritage Register. According to SMH, the verdict was greeted with cheers by public campaigners in the courtroom. This marks a major victory for the Save Our Sirius group, who have long held that the building is an important part of Sydney's history. Current heritage minister Gabrielle Upton will now be forced to reconsider the building's heritage status with proper consideration to the Heritage Act. However Save Our Sirius president Shaun Carter has called on Premier Gladys Berejiklian to let the building stand. "Gladys, we ask you to hit pause," said Carter outside the courtroom following the ruling. Labor MP Luke Foley said the decision was a great win, telling reporters, "We need to find more social and affordable housing in this city and the Sirius should and can be part of that." Via The Sydney Morning Herald. Images: Barton Taylor, Katherine Lu.
Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard are an unlikely but very compelling band of environmental radicals in Night Moves, from director Kelly Reichardt (Meek's Cutoff). The trio collaborate in an intense operation to blow up a dam in Oregon, as a protest against industrialism and resource exploitation. Night Moves is a suspenseful thriller that explores the concept of political radicalism and the consequences of your actions, despite good intentions. The film has had some great reviews since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival last year, currently sitting on 85 percent certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Night Moves is in cinemas in Brisbane and Melbourne on September 11. Thanks to Curious Distribution, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=4OQ7jjkY3tE
Once you've self-proclaimed your next album as the "album of the life" (see tweet), the next logical step is to create an epic, worldwide premiere party for its release. Well, it is if you're Kanye West (and, really, Kanye is the only person who could pull this off). So for the release of his upcoming album Waves — which was, up until a few hours ago named Swish — he'll be debuting it with a show at Madison Square Garden in NYC on February 11. And he'll be broadcasting the performance live in cinemas around the world. Yep, Kanye is literally going cinematic — and if you're in Melbourne or Sydney, you can get in on the action. Hoyts Broadway are screening Kanye West / Season 3 / Waves which, according Hoyts' synopsis, will feature the "world premiere of the album Waves in its entirety, live from Madison Square Garden". He's also expected to present his new fashion line, Yeezy Season 3 at the show. The screening will take place at 8am on Friday, February 12. On Monday, Kanye tweeted a handwritten page detailing the tracklist for the then-Swish, now-Waves album. It's set to be broken into three acts and include collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Sia, Ty Dolla $ign, Vic Mensa and Post Malone. Amazingly, there are still a few tickets left to the screenings, so head over to the Hoyts website to snap some up. This is the greatest album of your whole life, after all.
Wondering how, exactly, Numskull managed to execute his epic seven-storey Here Now mural for Art and About? Whether or not you caught him in action in situ between September 8 and 19, you can now see the whole event in one fell swoop. A brand new and utterly awesome time-lapse video has compressed the entire process, step-by-step, into thirty crowded seconds. It's pretty much poetry-in-motion. Watch the Sydney artist contemplate the enormous space, paint bucket in hand, before he completes the job at breakneck speed. It's probably fair to say that the video's out-of-control (and super fun) tempo is pretty much the opposite of the artwork's message, which is actually a call for stillness. "Modern society is fast paced," Numskull (real name: Elliott Routledge) states on the Art & About site. "Time is precious and often neglected. We need to slow down, take it all in and start living in the moment. This mural will inspire onlookers to challenge their perspective about how precious life's moments are." If you're looking to take a break, while basking in Here Now’s brilliant colours and striking typography, get yourself to 307 Pitt Street before Art and About packs away on Sunday, October 12. You'll catch the best view from the corner of Park and Pitt Streets. Art and About is on from September 19 – October 12.
So Joseph Bueys and the Energy Plan is a pretty little exhibition. Make that: this is a little exhibition. But this array of photos and sculpture from Sydney Uni's permanent collection, tucked away atop a spiral staircase in the upper reaches of the historic quadrangle, is a little gem. Some of the pieces said nothing to me. But there was one piece that really sang out. It’s a sculpture with a difference. Okay that makes it sound like a new kind of shampoo but trust me it’s very cool (and, no, I’m not going to say which one because I know your sleuthing ways and a google image search just doesn’t do it justice). Beuys’ Weltanschauung (world view) was conceived in terms of energies and alchemical polarities - cold and warm, soft and hard, life and death, past and present - and the ways in which energies are transferred through natural materials, plants and animals. He did things like melt chocolate easter bunnies with light bulbs and present the semi-fleshy skeleton of a herring in a margarine packing crate hermetically sealed in perspex. In art speak, gross is generally shorthand for interesting. For anyone camping out in the library slaving over a hot desk, head to the gallery for your smoko (you’re not allowed to smoke at Syd Uni anymore and next best way to clear your head is getting some art into you). And if you’re not a sydney uni homeboy/girl, it's worth the visit for the May 5 Symposium “A Battery of Ideas: Reading Beuys Today.” The University of Sydney Art Gallery is open Monday-Friday 10-4.30, first Saturday of the month 12-4. Image Joseph Beuys; Filzanzug from JW Power Collection, The University of Sydney
