Death and taxes are two certainties in life. Good cinema, unfortunately, is not â€" but leave it to the Japanese to make a film about death and everyday tragedies that will make you laugh until you cry, or cry until you laugh, or both in no particular order.Departures follows Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki), a cellist in Tokyo who finds himself at a loose end when his orchestra is disbanded. After moving back to his hometown with his wife Mika (Ryoko Hirosue), he answers a job advertisement for a career in “departures†at an “NK agencyâ€. As it turns out, NK stands for nokan: the Japanese rite of “encoffinmentâ€, which occurs prior to cremation.From there, Daigo is forced to confront both an instinctive fear of human decay, and the prejudices of his young wife, and society, against those who deal with the dead. Complicating Daigo’s return home further still, memories of the father who abandoned him as a boy are at once omnipresent and painfully inaccessible.The beauty of Departures is that plenty of comic relief is interspersed among the heavier scenes â€" and it’s not always entirely differentiated. No one in the audience knew if they were supposed to be laughing during a scene where Daigo, Daigo’s employer Sasaki (Tsutomu Yamakazi) and the office secretary (Kimiko Yo) sit around a table and gorge on chicken wings. While they tear flesh from bones with greasy mitts, it’s hard to know how you’re supposed to feel. Is it an ashesâ€"toâ€"ashes analogy? Is it a parody of the futility of life? Is it simply a light-hearted scene to pass time between funerals?These questions are never fully answered. Instead, Departures holds its focus and its sense of purpose with the dedication of Daigo in his encoffinments, imbuing a subject so often mishandled in cinema with dignity and wit.https://youtube.com/watch?v=6UFlWO5zhO8
2ser 107.3 has been a pillar of the airwaves in Sydney for 30 years now. This month they celebrate this 30th with a great lineup of shows all around town. The gigs seem to achieve the same diversity as the station itself, from Dubstep to folk and in between - check out the whole lineup here. For one such evening, they've enlisted the tall-as-hell troubadour Jack Ladder. Ladder has decided that instead of being a moody balladeer as he was on his debut Not Worth Waiing For, he'd quit the self pity and get himself a band, tapping into more of a Sam Cooke/Otis Redding vibe, but still with slight hints of post-punk weirdness and malady from his baritone. In 2008, Ladder - nee Tim Rogers - developed this new sound whilst living in the USA and Europe, putting it down on an album which came out earlier this year called Love Is Gone. The LP sees his bluesy stories on top of a bigger beat, with rollicking drums (courtesy of Pivot's Laurence Pike) and electric guitars all jangling along, conjuring up ideas of dusty saloons and smokey basements. The Cad Factory will be the setting for these electrified tunes this evening, and there's a great lineup of supports, specifically Adrian Deutsch (ex Red Riders) and Tired Hands (Moonmilk). It's all ages too so kids, come on down!https://youtube.com/watch?v=2BLC5yp1XjA
The Vikings didn't make it as far as Australia but the Nordic Film Festival is venturing to our shores for the first time this October. Films from the far northern lands of Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark will be stopping at the Dendy Opera Quays for your cinematic pleasure. The festival kicks off with Sauna, a rather gruesome-looking twist on Finnish bathing culture by Jade Warrior director AJ Annila. Also screening is Finland’s 2009 entry to the Academy Awards, The Home of Dark Butterflies, an adaptation of a best-selling novel about one boy’s troubled upbringing in a secluded boys’ home. Sweden dishes up the Golden Globe nominated Everlasting Moments, about an early 20th Century woman transformed by the burgeoning art of photography. While Susanne Bier’s Once in a Lifetime looks at an entirely different cultural adventure: the Eurovision Song Contest. Two big budget blockbusters represent the Nordic resistance fighters of WWII: Norway’s Max Manus is hot off the press from the Toronto International Film Festival and Flame and Citron is Denmark’s take.Denmark is also previewing its 2010 entry for the Oscars, Terribly Happy. A black comedy in the vein of David Lynch and the Coen Brothers, Terribly Happy has already been slated for an English remake, so be sure to check out the original. For the full line up of the Nordic Film Festival, head to the Dendy website. https://youtube.com/watch?v=si8IqpZc8Fo https://youtube.com/watch?v=WbK4WTQFf9U https://youtube.com/watch?v=JYEz1z86ePg https://youtube.com/watch?v=Iy7Sf6GlPp4
How many Australian films have been on your radar this year? Did Samson & Delilah’s win at Cannes pique your interest? What about the first Aboriginal comedy, Stone Bros? Surely the political and powerful Balibo got a look in, and now you’re rushing to see Bruce Beresford’s adaptation of Mao’s Last Dancer? Yes? No? Why? Why not?Metro Screen is holding a forum to toss around some ‘precious eggs’; discussing how and why there seems to be a schism between Australian cinema and Australian cinemagoers. Despite 2009 being a bumper year for local theatrical releases, for the most part it just hasn’t translated to the box office. Garry Maddox highlighted some sobering statistics in his article The Year in Pictures; also advocating for more Australian film heroes, and more marketing money. While Beautiful Kate director Rachel Ward* railed against the ‘dark and bleak’ monikers bestowed upon local fare, defending her ‘precious egg’ and suggesting Australian film critics need a vocabulary lesson. Both Maddox and Ward will be taking part on the panel to expand upon their thoughts. Moderated by Urban Cinefile’s Andrew Urban, other panellists include: Margaret Pomeranz (ABC At the Movies), Dr. Ruth Harley (CEO Screen Australia), Susan Hoerlein (Tsuki Publicity & Promotions manager), Tony Lum (Managing Director, Hopscotch Films), Kath Shelper (Producer of Samson & Delilah) and Anthony I. Ginnane (SPAA). Producer of Little Fish Liz Watts will also be guest speaker of the evening. Oz Film vs. Oz Audience isn’t going to be a group whinge, rather an animated and frank look at our film industry. Funding, filmmaking, marketing and distribution will all be up for discussion in an effort to source some solutions to overcome this cinematically great divide. *Read up on the debate:Lynden Barber's response to Rachel WardOn Beautiful Kate and Australian Criticism Michael Coulter: Screening the Same Old Dreary StoryLuke Buckmaster: Is Australian Film Still Down in the Dumps?OZ film vs. OZ audience. Forum by Metro Screen from Metro Screen on Vimeo. https://youtube.com/watch?v=PQ28vr7plFI
Charlie Sofo is a very talented artist out of Melbourne who makes slightly psychadelic 60’s style Op Art exploring colours and shapes. Mary MacDougal is a brilliant Sydney based painter who was recently shortlisted in the Lempriere prize for her watery portraits of wacked out 60’s Pop Svengali Phil Spector. Now, in what seems like the most inevitable crossover since Magnum P.I. swaggered onto Murder She Wrote, these two flower children have joined forces at Black & Blue Gallery to bring us Soft Glue. We went to the opening last friday and can tell you that this is a seriously impressive exhibition with beautiful paintings, printwork and huge ambitious sculptural installations dominating the space.An exhibition this good deserves two openings. So they are doing it all over again – tomorrow! Get down and check it out all over again this friday night with new work from Bababa International and Dara Gill among others.
When Oxford Art Factory opened, Sydney breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, a music venue large enough to house international acts but not too showy to make locals feel out of place. They also combined many people’s two loves – music and art – with a gallery space in the smaller bar area where large-scale murals were commissioned from some of the country’s best artists. The venue’s latest initiative is to turn Friday nights into something more than just getting drunk at the pub with your work colleagues. After Work Art is a new weekly Friday night gig where a band is rostered on to perform three sets a night for a whole month, with cheap cocktails and beer, student discounts and movie screenings.September saw Canvas Kites performing three sets a night for a month and for October Sideways Hitchhiker are playing the weekly shows. Get on down and celebrate Friday with some people cooler than Gary at the desk across from yours.
Around June 2008 El Perro Del Mar recorded a Take Away show for The Blogoteque with fellow Swede popstarlett Lykke Li. At the time buzz around Lykke was really thriving and El Perro’s performance took the backseat, despite being the older and more accomplished of the two.Literally translated as ‘The Dog From The Sea', El Perro Del Mar is the project of Swedish singer-songwriter Sarah Assbring. Her jangly saccharine twee-pop is charming and unthreatening. Songs like God Knows (You Gotta Give To Get) and It’s All Good are wonderfully catchy, fun, and easy to sing-a-long to.On tour with her third album Love Is Not Pop, she’s performing with Sarah Blasko on Thursday October 8 at OAF. If you’ve just seen 500 Days Of Summer, read a Miranda July novel or Yen Magazine, or bought anything quirky and pastel coloured, this is the show for you â€" expect smiles and cuteness with a welcomed edginess.https://youtube.com/watch?v=KXbq-76PKsQ
Already sponsors of the successful nation-wide V Festival, Virgin Mobile have just signed on as sponsors of Sydney's Metro Theatre. One of the most successful live venues in the country, this re-branding won't change much about the iconic venue for some, but if you are a Virgin Mobile customer you'll reep the benefits of an upstairs members lounge, priority seating, free drinks and food at certain shows and the occasional opportunity to meet performers back-stage. Urthboy is one of the first to perform at the venue after its new found virginity. A member of legendary group The Herd, Urthboy is also one of Australia’s best solo MCs and has just released his third album Spitshine. For the Metro launch show he’ll be performing some new songs and some old classics alongside newcomers Horrorshow.
Take a moment to think about the phrase "brand spanking new". Right away we're in advertising land with a familiar catchphrase, but if you look at the individual words you find something a bit kinkier underneath. Branding and spanking tend to be the practice of elaborately dressed figures in underground lairs, the type of folk who use museum pieces in ways that'd make a curator blush to blemish.What does this say about the plays involved in Brand Spanking New's 2009 season of freshly inked, up-and-comers? Perhaps they'll leave a mark on you. Maybe they'll even gag, chain or cuff you into a state of shocking bliss. That or it's just an advertising catchphrase. The only way you'll know is if you check them out. Each week promises a different line-up of pleasure and pain, so repeat customers are very welcome!
It's closing time at the pub and a party mix of bright young things carouse on to their next destination. In the time-travelling tradition of Proust, these sixteen Gen Ys will each tell their story to the audience over the scant 100 metres it takes to reach the next street corner. All are fuelled by their unique desires and surface concerns, and yet there is something that connects these people together beyond friendship. Their words come out from the same mouth. Tim Spencer brings his award-winning solo show back to Sydney for a single week of performances as part of the ATYP Under the Wharf program. Drawing on both his skill with words and a love of vaudeville, Spencer performs with an energy that is as unrelenting as it is fragile, wooing his audience into a world of fairy lights and tender tragedies. Read an interview with Tim Spencer on our blog. Image by Alex Vaughan.
Somewhere in his genealogy, Simon Carter must share a substantial puddle of DNA with both Mark Oliver Everett and Jarvis Cocker. It may be as inane as their choice of spectacle frame and the shifting length of their facial carpet or, just maybe, there is a deeper connection to be found resonating on the poetic frequencies. Since The Cops returned to the doughnut shop indefinitely in 2008, Carter has worked hard to sculpt his new, solo persona. Drawing inspiration from country, pop, rock, psych and prog, Carter's musical alchemy has birthed an enticing homunculus in the form of the album, Black Book of the Universe. A sneak listen to the single Hard Rain reveals the level of emotion lying in wait for Carter's fan base; the Black Book contains a dirty, big world where a few sexy power chords ride high above solemn shadows in urban steam. Think Blade Runner without Vangelis. Launching his career into the next decade, Carter will perform on Thursdays at the Oxford Art Factory for the next month. Fans can expect to hear work from both the new Carter and from The Cops' back catalogue. https://youtube.com/watch?v=pTgqJhy2cXQ
If you thought Abstract Art was a movement relegated to the history books and the minds of hairless historians at the end of the 1950s you would be right, and wrong. Thankfully history is not a stop and start game; the emergence of one thing does not force the cessation of another. There are of course many histories happening simultaneously, propelled and sustained through various sources and cultural artefacts. To coincide with the Asia Pacific Triennial in Brisbane, Slot window gallery is presenting Philippine Abstraction – featuring work from the ‘grandfather’ of the genre Hernando. R Ocampo (acclaimed as the founder of a new method of abstraction that absorbs science fiction, fantasy, as well as flora and fauna) alongside the younger artist MMYu.
Music, according to recent studies conducted by David Teie, a cellist from the National Symphony Orchestra, and Charles Snowdon, a professor of psychology from the University of Wisconsin, is species-specific. While such a theory seems a little self-evident and obvious, its ramifications become audible when we consider our taste in music is predicated on our biology and early existence in the womb. Is there a correlation between that heavy bass line of your favorite song and the repetitive beat of our mother’s heart? Can that high pitched swirl of the composition correlate to the bioelectric pulses speeding through the body? If you would like to test out such a theory (and possibly say goodbye to the human family) the Red Rattler will be hoisting An Afternoon of Difficult Music, that will most likely trouble aspects of our taste and the customs of our ears.
Phil Spector is a creative genius. And, yes, a convicted killer. The documentary The Agony & Ecstasy of Phil Spector was filmed after his 2007 murder trial which resulted in a mistrial, and would be taken back to court in 2009 where he would be sentenced to 19 years in prison. It was this time when Spector, infamously reclusive, finally allowed a filmed interview inside his own home (a 30 room mansion). On tape, he speaks candidly of his legacy as a singer/songwriter and producer, and about his relationships. No matter your opinion of the murder case, his self-confessed "insanity", or for that matter, his erratic hairstyles (which he discusses in the film!), his jawdroppingly, heartgrabbingly, kneebucklingly influential artistic output in the twentieth century is not up for argument. This is the guy who invented the Wall of Sound, the man that Brian Wilson felt was his rival, the producer who worked with The Ronnettes, The Crystals, The Righteous Brothers, John Lennon, Tina Turner, George Harrison, The Ramones, and — goddamnit! — gave us A Christmas Gift from Phil Spector. The content of Agony & Ecstasy is much better than the actual film making (its attempts at poignancy fall flat every time), but with a subject like this it's impossible not to be involved and occasionally, it's downright chilling. Having sold out its single session at the 2009 Sydney Film Festival, Popcorn Taxi is presenting this documentary alongside a live Q&A with the director from London. https://youtube.com/watch?v=LRmRBrnQq8o
Prepare to be lulled into a heady state of amusement. Daniel Kitson is bringing his self-deprecating, brilliant arrogance to Sydney for the second time in two months, with his latest one-man theatre show.Kitson is a comedian who makes the state of being slightly depressed seem like the ultimate way to get around in life. He’s won a ton of awards, shuns the spotlight and is self-professedly socially inept when it comes to fans.66a Church Road, which premiered at Edinburgh last year, has been lauded as a piece of theatrical comic genius. According to the man himself, "it’s a lovely show. With a beautiful set, with battered suitcases lighting up in quite magical ways, and obviously I’m saying awesome stuff at the same time, brilliant. Wallop."https://youtube.com/watch?v=TbUqhxPGFXY
‘You gave me my first glimpse of a real life and then you ask me to carry on with a false one. No-one can endure that.’ - Newland Archer, The Age of InnocenceAs an accompaniment to its current exhibition Printmaking in the Age of Romanticism, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is serving up â€" slightly warm and blushing â€" a free cinema series set to thaw even the coldest of hearts.Beginning with Luchino Visconti’s sumptuous 1963 film The Leopard (the full-length, Palme d’Or winning version), this cinema series boasts five romanticism-inspired period films: The Age of Innocence, Cyrano de Bergerac, Pride and Prejudice and Picnic at Hanging Rock. Together they possess a litany of cinematic accolades, so indulge guilt-free your pleasure for epic tales of romance, longing, honour and betrayal â€" this is serious cultural fareIs it really necessary to resist the delicious, Scorcese-driven pairing of a young Michelle Pfeiffer and Daniel Day-Lewis? Ah, put away your Bukowski, it’s Keats’ time again. All breathy women and impeccably erect men - you shall endure it.image: The Leopardhttps://youtube.com/watch?v=nri054ZsIPM
Always wanted to get your face on TV but not talented enough for Australian Idol? Advertised as “taking social photography to a whole new level†TV Club can turn that dream into a reality! The Neon Hearts team are turning Candy’s Apartment into a wacky social experiment by installing video cameras and photographers into the darkest club corners, ready to capture and broadcast your best and worst dance moves to the rest of the snappy-happy party goers. The Dirty Carpet Disco Band and MC Nikkita and DJ Kaputz are performing, and Sydney’s most photogenic DJs Sleater Brockman, Sirens, Jack Shit and the Neon Hearts DJ Team are keeping the music coming until the early hours.
My Disco have been somewhat AWOL from our discos of late but Sydney will be graced by their mathematical and minimalrock towards the end of September.They should be in astounding shape as this year they have played both a twenty five show run of the UK and Europe with with fellow Melburnites Skull Hazzards and an extensive tour of the USA with prodigious rockers Young Widows. In fact the fruits of their tour with Young Widows’ will not just be left in the ether of sweaty rooms in the US of A – the two bands have just released a split 7†with new My Disco track Antler – that’s right two bands on the one record just like in the old days. The record is the latest My Disco release since last year's acclaimed Paradise which was produced by uber producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, Mogwai) and followed on from their 2006 debut, the sunnily titled Cancer. Their live show is renowned as disciplined, loud and cathartic and has seen them travel to Mexico and throughout South-East Asia, so I would say get yourselves down to the dimly lit Ox Art and get a good spot while they are back up the Hume.
Lost Valentinos are a band who’ve been gigging in Sydney for forever-and-a-day, and after years of hard work and shows in grotty bars, finally have a debut album to show for their efforts. Their full-length EtcEtc released album Cities Of Gold is out now, and to celebrate they are throwing a party with their Fringe Bar friends F.R.I.E.N.D/s on the apocalyptic 09.09.09. Come Wednesday, we could be facing complete destruction and the end of the world, but then it’s also quite fitting that they launch the record on judgement day. Let’s just hope the party is a more spiritual occasion than catastrophic one. I love this band. Go cheers their album with them! If the end is indeed nigh, I can’t think of a more deserving band to spend my last hours with.
I am always super self-conscious about my music selection when I play tunes at parties. Firstly, you need to suit songs to the ambience of your venue. Tricky. Then, do you play your favourites first but risk late-comers missing the magic, or save all the best for last and hope people hang around long enough to hear them? And there is always the question of whether or not to take requests… That is why I am always so impressed at the Absolut 15 each year. At the annual event, 15 local DJs are allocated 15 minutes to impress the pants of their judging public, in the fight for $1000 cash for their favourite charity and $1000 for their pocket. Despite how uncomfortable I get for each of the competitors, it’s always a super fun night. And if you hate what the DJ is playing, you only have to wait 15 minutes for the next one to take over.
Serial Space is teeny tiny. Being fashionably late will just not fly: you need to arrive super early. Finish up work a few hours before you normally would, call in sick, fake death, just do whatever you need to do to. The upcoming Tenniscoats show is one of those shows you’ll be feigning-illness-and-getting-off-work for; listening to these Japanese pop gods play will have you floating away on soft, puffy white clouds and daydreaming of love, sunshine and all sweet things. Take your favourite person and get loved up.
Remember the days when you could snag ten red frogs for ten cents? Or ten scribbled maps from your friend if you crafted ten stick people? That was when economy meant something. When meaning something meant something. Well, now’s your chance to kick hard currency to the curb and shelve some soft clothing cash. At Rethreads, the only rules are that the ten clothing items you bring are not pilled, stained or pongy (woops, rules me out), and that you are ready to ‘let go’ (no embarrassing late night ex-texts, rules me out again). Oh, and knickers, togs and trackies will not be welcomed, weirdly. After that it’s a no-holds barred fashion free-for-all. As for the music and book swaps, the rules are a little shady. Yes to books about the Mile High Club, no Miles Franklin award winners? Yes to Christmas with RUN DMC, no to Christmas with Demis Roussos? If the bartering overloads your brain, don’t worry – there’s still some buy buy buy sell sell sell! available courtesy of Pigeon Ground, Venus in Furs and Newspaper Taxi. However whether there’ll be lollies from yesteryear, we don’t know … Perhaps bring your own. You might be able to swap ’em for something even sweeter.
It starts as a riot, the roar of young voices working themselves up into a frenzy of swearing, singing and stamping. They're demanding many things of you already: yes, that's right, teenagers are messy and loud, and they're going to ruin your night with a piece of angsty theatre, so grit your teeth and prepare for music that's too loud and streams of conciousness about drugs and underage sex being awesome.But the moment 17-year-old Charlotte De Bruyne walks onto the stage, the racket stops and you realise that there's something else happening here. Those voices, now quiet, already know that people are sick to death of pre-packaged adolescent cliches. Instead, the thirteen stars of Once and for all... want to share some of their own thoughts on what teenagers are, and what they think of what we think of adolescence, and then they'll pretend to be on drugs, because they know we want that, and...These Belgian teenagers, guided by director Alexander Devriendt, have created a wonderful piece of theatre that achieves the holy grail of performance - they actually excite the audience. Through the inventive uses of a simple, repeated sequence, Once and for all... rejuvenates those who see it, awakening their inner adolescent and filling the post-show foyer with a sea of giddy, enthusiastic faces. Brought to Sydney by award-winning Belgian company, Ontroerend Goed, Once and for all... can sit proudly beside its cousin, The Smile Off Your Face, which made a moving connection with theatre-goers back during the Sydney Festival in January this year. Take advantage of the wonderful stroke of serendipity that brought this show to Sydney and see Once and for all... before it finishes at the end of the month. It will leave you with an energised youthfulness that is more joyful than puberty and longer-lasting than Botox.Photo by Phile Deprez https://youtube.com/watch?v=irL5XeAikxw
Freshly squeezed is how I like my juice — pithy, colourful and frothy on top. It’s a good start to the morning. But how do you get the creative juices flowing? Sydney-based hybrid art collective stagejuice are onto it. Launched in 2010, freshly squeezed brings together some of Sydney’s most exciting emerging artists to mix, whip, taste and test new ideas, interdisciplinary art forms and collaborations in workshops with peers and mentors. More than 20 artists from film, sound, visual arts, dance and theatre are involved in freshly squeezed 2011, culminating in stimulating performances of experimental and raw ideas and pithy new work for all to see. 'Smoke' is this year’s springboard to stimulate inspiring, collaborative work and new thinking. The theme is responded to in any form, literally (or not) by artists including performance and video maker Nick Atkins, performance artist Lucia Giuffre and Beatnik poet Scott Sandwich. Can’t wait for your fix? Check out some of the smoking new works on the freshly squeezed artists' blog. Plus, you can get along and share your juice at a Q&A session after the performance on Friday, October 21. Image by Catherine McElhone.
If ever there were a movie that should have had joint investment with a pharmacy brand, it would be Contagion. Because without doubt, even the hardest cynic will reach for the antibacterial hand wash over the frangipani after seeing this film. Written after the worldwide SARS, swine and bird flu scares, Contagion takes its story from a new outbreak of a deadly virus, which spreads around the world quicker than it can be contained and brings in most of Hollywood's big-name actors along the way. Starring Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard — it could almost read as an Oscars guest list. All turn out very serious performances as each and every one is somehow touched by the deadly disease. This movie will remind many of Dustin Hoffman's 1995 film Outbreak, with a similarly untraceable disease killing off its carriers before there's a chance to be cured; however, that film's strength was the search for the original source, a monkey. In this film, the competing storylines do lose a driving force for the plot as we move between the average Joe, the doctors and the government officials trying to contain the disease. Without a doubt, though, this film is spooky. A group of people caught a lift after seeing it, and all quite visibly shied away from being the one to press the button, lest it be a harbourer of some vicious germs. Your usual disaster movie dramas make an appearance — young love, crazy naysayer, government secrets — but because of the hefty weight that the talented cast add to each storyline, the scales tip in favour of making this film one worth seeing. Just maybe not the best date movie — you might be turned off a goodnight kiss. https://youtube.com/watch?v=I5VfNKCQF60
Writer/director Kevin Smith (Mallrats, Chasing Amy) is no stranger to controversy. His 1999 film Dogma received more than 300,000 pieces of hate mail following its release, along with a number of deaths threats that he gleefully published online. Later, in 2005, Smith remarked he'd been mulling over a sequel to Dogma ever since the attacks of 9/11, and so it was that Red State finally emerged. It's casually referred to as a 'horror movie', but that's not quite right. In fact, Red State feels a bit like a movie grappling with an identity crisis: it's not gruesome enough to qualify as horror, just as it's neither exclusively funny enough to be comedy nor 'action-y' enough to tempt the Michael Bay crowd, yet it has more than enough of each to remain both gripping and entertaining throughout. The film is unusual for a number of other reasons, too, not in the least because there's no central protagonist for the audience to follow. Instead, it offers a story in three acts, each of which addresses one of the movie's key themes: sex, religion and politics. First up come the three horny, misguided teenagers Travis (Michael Angarano), Jarod (Kyle Gallner) and Billy Ray (Nicholas Braun), lured to a remote trailer park under the pretense of group sex with an older woman they met online (played to terrifying perfection by Melissa Leo). It feels like a standard setup for a standard horror flick, and when the boys end up drugged, bound and caged for the purposes of a religious execution, Red State seems squarely set on the path to torture porn. Thankfully, though, Smith instead uses the second act to make mockery of religious zealots who warp and misconstrue holy texts for their own perverse purposes. The boys find themselves prisoners of the Five Points Church — a militant version of the real-life Westboro Baptist nutjobs in the United States who (amongst other things) conduct the impossibly offensive protests outside the funerals of gays, atheists and US soldiers. Michael Parks in particular offers a phenomenal performance as the sect's charismatic leader Abin Cooper, and his 15-minute diatribe on the "ills of homosexuality" is as mesmerising as it is exasperating. Finally, the film turns to politics (and bullet-frenzied action) as the church finds itself besieged by an army of heavily armed ATF agents led by John Goodman. The allusions to the disastrous 1993 siege of David Koresh's Branch Davidians cult are unmistakable, and Smith throws subtlety to the wind with his harsh recrimination of both Christian fundamentalism and the heavily unregulated powers prescribed by the US Patriot Act. Overall, Red State delivers a captivating story unlike most of what finds its way to screens these days. It's a tense, unnerving, infuriating and even amusing film that pulls no punches when it comes to Smith's passionate sentiments regarding all things sex, religion and politics. Red State will screen at Popcorn Taxi on Wednesday, October 12 with a special introduction and post-screening analysis by Kevin Smith. It opens nationally on October 13. https://youtube.com/watch?v=uJ1v6oFHefc
Sydney’s WIM aren’t the kind of band willing to settle for their audience going home thinking “that was nice, what were they called again?”. Sure they share a bit of Grizzly Bear’s much imitated but rarely matched sound, but it’s more than harmonies and reverb here. WIM’s live shows are their own little worlds, enveloping and hypnotic. So, really, it’s about time they released an album. WIM will be celebrating the launch of their self-titled debut this Friday at Paddington United Church, supported by Load Universe, Aim at Brain and Fire Cannon. The choice of venue isn’t just symbolic either — the performance will make use of the Church’s full-size pipe organ and grand piano. Also present will be food! And drinks! As might be expected from such a package deal, tickets are strictly limited. Make sure to book in advance.
Director Wim Wenders is widely regarded as one of the leading auteurs to come out of the New German Cinema. He has a keen sense of how people relate to their surroundings, which he frequently employs to convey emotion. It appears throughout his work: from people confined by their space, and ergo their emotions, in the heart wrenching Paris, Texas; to those shut out, in the case of the angel in Wings of Desire, who wants to escape the shackles of his immortal existence on the periphery of human existence and enter it fully. His latest feature is a documentary about his long time friend and renowned choreographer, Pina Bausch, and her dance company at the Tanztheater Wuppertal, which she led for more than 35 years. Sadly, she passed away a few days before filming was due to commence, turning this project into a tribute, rather than a collaboration. Using 3D technology, Wim Wenders gets into the dancers' space, as they perform a selection of Pina's innovative and ground breaking pieces, along with individual solo performance by the dancers themselves, interviews and silent portraits. With their skilful movements they express a whole array of emotions. Pina Bausch was acutely perceptive and her choreography is an investigation into how humans project their feelings onto the space around them and onto each other. Her dancers were always actively involved in the creative process and you can see how they have channeled this into their movements. The 3D brings you so close to them, it is as though you are catching a glimpse of their souls. In this context, it hardly seems surprising that these two artists, Wim Wenders and Pina Bausch, should have experienced such a meeting of the minds. The challenge of capturing the essence of Pina Bausch's work on film is aptly met by the choice of 3D by Wim Wenders, though the technology is not without its pitfalls, as he freely admits. There is at times a slight feeling of distortion, the depth of field a little out, lending ironically this most "real" of mediums, a slightly "unreal" feel. Though this could be partly a trick of perception, the language of 3D as it is, yet to be defined by filmmakers or learned by viewers. With cuts between performances inside the theatre and outside around Wuppertal, along with interviews, silent portraits and solo performances, the structure of the documentary feels a little stilted at the start. However, it soon finds its rhythm, the editing technique somehow beginning to mirror the pace of the dancing and you are drawn in closer to the beauty and raw emotion on screen. Watching these very visceral performances in 3D, which at times feature the real elements of earth and water on stage, or take place outside, senses are heightened and it is almost as though you can to feel, touch and smell it all. It is a very intense experience, which brings you really close to the dance Pina Bausch created and to her unique insight into the human condition. https://youtube.com/watch?v=LGKzXUWAjnI
There is something wonderful about the fact that Matt Taylor drew his new comic, Lars the Last Viking Goes to the End of the World, completely by hand and on large pages. It conjures up images of old school comic publications, or even Dutch master workshops. Which is fairly fitting, given that Taylor will be launching Lars at China Heights gallery this week. Creative director by day, Taylor turned his design and art skills to creating comics after attending a graphic novel workshop in the US a year ago. The result of that inspiration is Lars: a viking who lives alone on a fjord, and whose adventures are rendered in bold black and white drawings. As part of the launch, there will be a short exhibition of the original pages that compose the book. What is immediately apparent about these pages is that Taylor's plump, cartoonish style gives the illusion of highly coloured sequences in a way far more effective that the actualy glossy colours of Marvel and DC publications. If you can't get enough of Taylor, you can catch him at this Graphic panel at the Sydney Opera House, and keep an eye out for his next work: it may or may not be a zombie love epic.
We can sometimes take the wonders of our modernity for granted, our jaded eyes failing to be entranced by the multitude of stimuli constantly available to us. Yet only a century ago, in 1920s Berlin, the foundations were laid for the modern world as we know it. In the turmoil and upheaval that followed the First World War, old ideas were cast away and creativity flourished, as people embraced a never before experienced freedom to express themselves. The Berlin Sydney programme, which is running concurrently with the Mad Square exhibition, celebrates these pioneers of the modern age with an astoundingly comprehensive array of events at venues across the city. You can experience first hand the vibrant art and culture of the Weimar period, with theatre and music performances, cabaret, exhibitions and films. The more inquisitive among you might enjoy the talks and lectures also taking place, which range from introductions to the main theories and concepts of the time to in-depth panel discussions and symposiums. Topping this all off will be a screening of the restored version Fritz Lang's Metropolis, accompanied by the Sydney Symphony. This is truly a unique opportunity to experience and learn about what is undoubtedly one of the most seminal and exciting periods of our cultural history. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y9TQkh6F4ZU
It's no wonder, really, that he was known as Mr Glamour. In this cheeky, anti-sexy and downright fun production, Gareth Davies is a force to be reckoned with. Flipping the theatre archetype on its head and then messing up its hair a bit, And They Called Him Mr Glamour is an unexpected insight into the universe of a rising (or perhaps remaining still) star. A startling rant that makes you rethink whatever you thought you were doing here, sitting in a theatre. All the paranoia, self-loathing and pure star quality is there. And the sound of actors treading the boards of the Upstairs Theatre only adds to the production. Davies last appearance at Belvoir Downstairs was one to remember, but this time he does away with the script and relies solely on one of his own making. As if that weren't enough of a challenge, the entire script is a monologue. In lesser hands, this would be a big mistake, but Davies carries it off with an overload of awkward charisma (which, surprisingly enough, isn't an oxymoron). Director Thomas M. Wright surely has no small hand in this either. That said, the set and lighting design is almost as endearing as Davies himself. This intricate and impressive array of bulbs, glass jars, wooden panels, miscellaneous instruments, grit and the occasional piece of Ikea furniture does exactly as it should: overwhelms, and then becomes nothing more than a tool in Davies' capable hands. If theatre is not at all your thing, there couldn't be a better introduction than this. The strange thing about it all is that it's definitely still 'theatre'. And great theatre at that. The whole thing is just the right level of confronting and the right level of laughs to make it all work out quite nicely. Image: Heidrun Lohr
Culture just gained a new semi-precious stone in the guise of a magazine. Here comes Ampersand Issue 4: From the Heart of the Forest to the Edge of the Road. If you're already plugged in the sell will be easy, if not here are the facts. Ampersand describes itself as a 'quarterly curiosity journal'. In other words it can be thought of as a collection of that which would otherwise be left behind, forgotten or simply misplaced. This is the kind of knowledge that slips between the fridge and the oven; cockroach company. But this is not a slur, it's a compliment. You'll find humor, absurd facts, errant investigations, malfunctioning journalism and all kinds of pictures you might otherwise miss. The launch party will be hijacking the New South Wales State Library Ballroom. Hosted by Jennifer Byrne (ABC's First Tuesday Book Club) and featuring readings from both reputable and questionable contributors alike. There is promise of drinks and selected cheeses, plus it is free entry and the magazine will be available for purchase on the night ($10). For a preview of the current issue click here.
If Health Care is the third-rail of US politics, then the education system must be a train, packed with school kids, hurtling out of control. No, this isn't a review of Unstoppable, but the analogy is ruthlessly apt when you consider Academy Award winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim's (An Inconvenient Truth) bone-chilling portrait of public schools in Waiting for “Superman”. Guggenheim is no stranger to the US school system, having followed five teachers for 180 days in the 2001 TV documentary The First Year. In his impassioned and unapologetically personal opening narration, Guggenheim cites these credentials, perhaps in an effort to counterbalance the shellacking he’s about to serve up to the Teachers' Union. Indeed in this damning chronicle of a system so broken it doesn’t even warrant the name anymore, the protectionist practices of the Teachers' Union provide a handy punching bag to vent the waves of incredulous rage that build up over the course of the documentary. But wait, this is about the kids. For all Guggenheim’s infuriating tales of ‘lemon’ teachers and the ‘terror of tenure’, his main aim is to give this reality some human faces. Following five kids rather than teachers this time, he sets their sunny hopes for the future against the woeful statistics that look set to steal their dreams. When the kids apply for the Holy Grail of public education: a chance to attend a successful, independent Charter School, which is decided via a lottery. This certainly provides the documentary a terrifying, heart-in-your-mouth climax, and one that is sure to raise some bile if the proceeding facts have failed to do so. If Superman provides the film’s overarching metaphor, then Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools Michelle Rhee and education reformer Geoffrey Canada come as close to real life, butt-kicking heroes as possible. Both straight-talking, committed and downright ballsy individuals provide glimmers of hope amongst the darkness that surround them. However their insights, plus the five kids, various animations and other talking heads spread Guggenheim much too thinly across this important ground. While he and his team of editors piece these strands together in undeniably compelling fashion, less might have ultimately proven to be more. Waiting for "Superman" is essential viewing. It's as simple as that. Though jam-packed and shamelessly earnest, it is a well-crafted and crucially effective call to arms against the reign of these 'failure factories.' Most importantly, it is impossible not to be touched, nay, radicalised by this devastatingly inconvenient truth.
You've got to admire the French love of cinema. It’s like a national sport, and their support for local fare is something that sorely needs translating to these shores. So it’s really no surprise that the Alliance Française is serving up another enviable cinematic celebration for its 22nd year. For the big draw cards in 2011, you can’t go past the festival’s Opening Night film Potiche. Directed by national treasure François Ozon (Eight Women) and starring Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu in a crowd pleasing comedy about a forgotten housewife forced to step up and run her husband’s company. Crowds will also flock to see Olivier Assayas’ (Summer Hours) critically acclaimed Carlos (Carlos, Le Chacal), which chronicles the twenty-year career of international terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez (played by Edgar Ramirez). Originally released as a five-and-a-half hour miniseries, this edited theatrical version may lack the exhaustive detail of its television counterpart, but the chance to see this masterpiece on the big screen should not be missed. Similarly sought after is Xavier Beauvois’ Of Gods and Men (Des hommes et des dieux), Marion Cotillard in Little White Lies (Les Petits mouchoirs), the equally delightful Audrey Tautou in Beautiful Lies (De vrais mensonges) and Francophile Kristin Scott Thomas in Love Crime (Crime d’Amour). For some lesser known film recommendations, festival goers should keep an eye out for Clotide Hesme’s beautifully calibrated performance as a newly paroled young mother in Angèle and Tony. Hesme is coming to Australia to attend a series of Q&A screenings, one of which should definitely be on your to-do list. So too should a session of actor/director Mathieu Amalric’s (The Diving Bell and The Butterfly) superb portrait of burlesque in On Tour (Tournée). If boys on tour are more your thing then check out the gorgeous selection on offer in Christopher Thompson’s rocking debut Bus Palladium. This film might include every wannabe rock band cliché in the playbook, but it does it with oh so much style and a scorching soundtrack. Another cracking debut comes in the form of Géraldine Nakache and Hervé Mimran’s witty love letter to best friends in All That Glitters (Tout ce qui brille). Nakache also co-stars as one half of a BFF-duo who come unstuck when their fervent attempts at Parisian social mobility prove polarising. A second fractious friendship is brought to the screen in the François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard documentary Two in the Wave (Deux de la vague), surely a must see for all cinephiles. Documentary fans might also want to check out Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud’s spellbinding Océans, which ventures into the deep blue to cast an eye over the extent of human impact, as well as simply to swim with the fishes. As with years gone by, audiences are truly spoiled for choice when it comes to the French Film Festival. May these suggestions help you on your way to finding something new to love about French cinema. Bon voyage! *The French Film Festival is screening at the Palace Verona, Palace Norton Street, Chauvel Cinema and Cremorne Orpheum.
Riding high on our Oscar wins, it's time to continue the celebrations, festival style. The Australian Film Festival will revel in its terrible twos over twelve days of films and frivolities, where seminars, food and even some squares of concrete vie for your attention with the silver screen. Making the Australian Film Walk of Fame this year are the beloved Jack Thompson, Gary Sweet and Sigrid Thornton, who all star in James F. Khehtie poignant portrait of the World War II homefront, The Telegram Man. This will screen as part of the Australian Short Film Competition on the festival's closing night. Other stars set to shine during the festival include Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), who returns from Tinseltown with not one but two local productions: opening night honours with The Wedding Party and the tale of a small town brass band in A Heartbeat Away. True Blood's Ryan Kwanten has also ventured home to co-star with the delightful Maeve Dermody (Beautiful Kate) in the utterly charming superhero fable Griff the Invisible. Another Australian abroad success story, Michael Rowe, has sent back his compelling Camera d'Or winning debut feature Ano Bisiesto (Leap Year) to screen at the festival, while Underbelly alums Gyton Grantley and Damian Walshe-Howling take to the seas in the terrifying true story The Reef. Other highlights include a Jack Thompson lead walk down memory lane with the Popcorn Taxi screening of The Sum of Us. This blue-collar father and son tale features a fresh-faced Russell Crowe, and is well worth a look or a revisit. Another film due a replay is Pixar's superb Finding Nemo, which will screen for free this Saturday (March 5th) down at Clovelly beach. The Australian Film Festival is packed with plenty more besides, so check out the website and order up a serving of patriotism along with your popcorn. https://youtube.com/watch?v=kPjFHXHV140
If you have never seen Mark Ronson live then I have to warn you, almost every performance you witness subsequently will feel like a rip off. The range and diversity of Ronson’s production catalogue spans several genres. In some ways his tireless production acumen is in step with today’s hyper stimulated, spoilt for choice lifestyle. What impresses most is the cutting edge that he demonstrates across the board, from big band to hip hop to electronic pop. Songs from Ronson’s current release, The Record Collection, feature collaborative efforts from artists including Boy George, Q-Tip, Miike Snow and others, all internationally acclaimed in their own right, and his band The Business Intl. One perceived drawback is that with so many big names understandably not in attendance how will the tracks stand up live? Rest assured, Ronson has a habit of sourcing incredible undiscovered talent and the occasional unexpected star to fill in wherever he goes. One advantage to his role as a producer performer is that he knows exactly what will work. His substitutes slot in seamlessly and their enthusiasm and often bemusing talent only add to the experience. Ronson himself also chips in with some of the vocals this time round. I liken them to breadsticks, in that not everyone enjoys them and they are really only there to give you something to nibble on before the main meal. The originality of The Record Collection is in some ways a response to criticism of Ronson’s previous album titled Version. Although most Version tracks were scarcely recognisable, they were all deconstructed and reassembled covers, leading some critics to assert that there was a ceiling to Ronson’s ingenuity. The popular success of original tracks 'Bang Bang Bang', 'The bike song' and 'Somebody to love me' have acquitted Ronson of any such notions. I can’t endorse what he did to his hair in the last 6 months, and I still question his judgement on that remake of The Smith’s Stop me, but few plan a performance as thoroughly and deliver it with the infections energy of Mark Ronson. The event is now sold out.
GFC: the diminutive acronym that represents a terrifying truth: 20 trillion dollars in losses and bailouts; in essence, more an Armageddon than a mere Global Financial Crisis. Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Charles Ferguson chronicles the creation of this financial black hole with the same cool and devastatingly incisive eye that he cast over the Iraq War in No End In Sight. With Ferguson comprehensive mind behind the camera and Matt Damon’s familiar, calmly authoritative tone in narration, Inside Job is likely to be one of the most shocking and edifying cinematic experiences of 2011. “This is how it happened," the audience is told, as Ferguson carefully states his facts in a five-part documentary of impressive detail and clarity. He opens with a cautionary tale in the form of Iceland, a once secure and stable economy, ripped to shreds by a heady foray into financial deregulation. This sets the disquieting scene for America, as Part I outlines 'How We Got Here,' before moving on to The Bubble, The Crisis, Accountability and, finally, Where We Are Now. If that sounds sandpaper dry, then you'll be pleasantly surprised, as Ferguson keeps up an enthusiastic pace, and his array of talking heads — from the Prime Minister of Singapore, the French Finance Minister, Ivy League and IMF (International Monetary Fund) economists, and a high class escort 'Madam' — are well able to keep your interest and attention. Unlike Michael Moore's histrionic Capitalism: A Love Story, Inside Job is less about pulling your heartstrings than it is concerned with getting everyone on the same page (though the two would make for a compelling double bill). This documentary feels a lot like 'GFC 101', but presented with enough spirit — particularly in the Accountability chapter — to let you know Ferguson is spitting with fury about the horrifying hubris that has lead Wall Street to reap ludicrous rewards during the bubble, then cry poor for federal bailouts and now cry foul about planned regulation. This seething incredulity is probably responsible for Ferguson's awfully trite ending, closing on an earnest shot of the Statue of Liberty, but as a call to arms he certainly landed on an arresting symbol. “Nothing comes without consequence,” Inside Job makes its thesis all too clear. But alas Ferguson also reveals a horrifying portrait of a financial system running amok. As Andrew Sheng, the Chief Advisor to the China Banking Regulatory Commission, highlights in an all too convincing analogy: this is an industry obsessed with feathering their nests by building impossible dreams, while others are forced to pay for the nightmares.
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood have a bit of reputation for being kinda sissy; all chicks looking moody in historical dress-ups and stuff. Art for and about women upon whom dudes project pretty heavily, one might say. But the PRB (not to be confused with PBR) do have their claims to badassery and virtuosity. They basically declared that painting from Raphael onward was overly precious, unnatural and dishonest. And they had a pretty legit set of goals, viz. - To have genuine ideas to express - To study Nature attentively, so as to know how to express them - To sympathise with what is direct and serious and heartfelt in previous art, to the exclusion of what is conventional and self-parodying and learned by rote - Most indispensable of all, to produce thoroughly good pictures and statues Their emphasis on quality and truth entailed a high degree of technical rigour, and this show zeroes in on the role of drawing in that return to what the Brotherhood regarded as the more wholesome and legit aesthtics of the Quattrocento. Doing things properly, in a Pre-Raphaelite way, was a pretty thorough process that involved doing sketches and studies and putting in details and working as closely as possible from physical recreations of the scenes they wanted to depict, so it was important to be able to draw well and they ended up drawing a lot, from basic sketches to fully-resolved watercolours. Image: Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1876. Edward Robert Hughes, 1893.
There is a tacit agreement (or valid argument, which I'm more than willing to take up) that Goodgod Small Club is the prize of the city, an inimitable addition to life after dark. To support this claim logically I'll move through the reasons with care. Firstly, one only has to walk down the stairs and into the bar to realise it looks like nothing else. In a sea of pleather upholstered seats, erratic chandeliers and overused design budgets, Goodgod stands out as an eccentrically pinched inner-city tropical den/island. Secondly, the music is varied in genre and covers most corners of the world. Thirdly, the jugs — of varied liquids, names and histories — consistently seem to satisfy the taste and psychology of their tenants. Fourthly, The Dip. Now, if you take these four reasons and add their latest venture - Goodgod Long Birthday Nights - you've reached somewhat of a foolproof conclusion to your social needs. Spread over the October long weekend, Goodgod will house an array of live music that you'll want to peruse for yourself. Also, be on the look out for the specially conceived, celebration-bent food emerging from The Dip. I know I'm stating this strongly, but some things deserve fervor. Three nights are ahead of you.
Pretty on the inside isn't something a girl wants to hear but it's exactly the right way to describe Dear Pluto — the new weekend venture by those kids from Hibernian House's successful vintage pop-up shop. Wandering in from the alley like a wet cat (its been a rainy weekend) to do some 'field research', it was swell to have room to wander around the new vintage wares H.Q. It's spacious and dainty and there's loads of interesting clothing sourced from roadtrips around the state. So much in fact, that you don't have to wish someone else would put it down so you can pick it up. Yup, there's plenty for everybody and this weekend there's going to be plenty more! For the first time ever, Dear Pluto are unlocking the door to the shop's courtyard and holding a sweet Outdoor Flea Market. There'll be over ten stalls selling clothes and accessories for the ladies and the boys — all gathered, found and recovered from the depths of the uncovered treasure chests of the past. Dear Pluto's outdoor flea market will be on every Saturday and Sunday from 10am - 4pm
The Fantastic Planet Film Festival is entering its terrible twos in spectacular fashion. Tears and tantrums may well spill forth both onscreen and off as a scarily good line up of sci-fi and generally fantastical films take over Dendy Newtown. It's Christmas come early with the creepy Finnish number Rare Exports taking opening night honours. A seriously twisted take on the Santa legend, it might well have you wishing you never believed in the big man in red. Another Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly) novel has been adapted to the big screen and this festival will host the world premiere of Radio Free Albemuth. With a strong performance from infamously 'ironic' singer Alanis Morrissette, director John Alan Simon's cinematic vision purportedly stays true to Dick's original vein of dark paranoia. Closing night takes the cake with Robert Rodriguez's gloriously gratuitous, 'Mexploitation' revenge thriller Machete. Born of a fake trailer in Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's exploitation experiment Grindhouse, the film stars Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez and Steven Segal (plus a cameo from Lindsay Lohan). As a prelude to the closing night party, seriously, what more could you ask for? Check out the program for further features (including Mortal Fools, an existential Aussie adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream), the short film contingent and info on the Fantastic Filmmaking Forum. A two year old has never been so accomplished. https://youtube.com/watch?v=I16020r--oM
The cinematically inclined are taking the floor for another year of filmmaking marathons, screenings and parties that make up Kino Kabaret. From seasoned pros to keen-bean first timers, filmmakers from all walks of life have signed up for the mad dash to bring an idea to screen in a mere 32 hours. Now you have the chance to join the fun. Three separate screening parties are taking place at Chippendale's Fraser Studios on October 20, 22 and 24, each with their respective party themes: Card Sharks, Hardcore Gamers and Roller Riot (cue appropriate puns). Each evening promises to have free-flowing beer, pizza and prizes to compliment the cinematic acts of daring do. As Artistic Director Matt Ravier reveals: "Kino offers an inclusive, non-competitive experience to give people a taste for filmmaking. Participants pool their resources, ideas, knowledge and equipment. To keep things interesting we're inviting Kino filmmakers from Adelaide, Paris and the US to join in the fun. The result is unpredictable, the energy is contagious ... and in true Kino spirit, the parties — which include live entertainment, snacks, giveaways and open bar — are awesome." The poster says it best: Game on!
One of the keys to successful collaboration is that everyone needs to bring something and preferably something unique, to the table. This is certainly the case with Branch Nebula: an ensemble that incorporates a martial artist, a designer, an acrobat, a footballer, a Parkour practitioner and a 'noicician', alongside your more traditional performers, stage manager, producer and dramaturg. Sweat blends these skills with a simple concept — 'life's tedious chores' — to create a relevant, contemporary and engaging performance that will literally have you off your feet. Branch Nebula are dedicated to making work which presents a multifaceted take on contemporary culture. They seek to create an inclusive form of performance that celebrates diversity and engages with new kinds of audiences. And by all reports, they are doing an exceptional job of it. Sweat is certainly a performance that it would make no sense to miss. Image: photo by James Brown
In 2009 London’s National Theatre launched National Theatre Live — live broadcasts of National Theatre productions, captured in high definition and screened via satellite all over the world. Phèdre was the first and returns this year for international encore screenings. In the absence of her husband — Theseus King of Athens — Phèdre is consumed with an uncontrollable passion for her stepson Hippolyte. Believing her husband dead, Phèdre confesses her desire to an unmoved Hippolyte. Upon the return of her husband, Phèdre accuses her stepson of rape — ensue inevitable carnage. Helen Mirren plays the title role in a Ted Hughes free-verse translation of Racine's text, seen on screen by over 50,000 people. Reviews of the live performance were mixed — generally positive, if not particularly enthusiastic — but National Theatre Live is being widely embraced, even hailed as groundbreaking, for opening up the hallowed halls of the theatre to a much larger audience.
Out to prove that small does equal beautiful, collective Synergy Percussion have assembled an enticing evening of performances from the 'underground'. Synergy Percussion will present new music, instruments and stories from their explorations across the waters over the past year. And just to hammer home the point, this group — impressive in their own right — have arranged some extraordinary special guests. Namely, jazz virtuoso and label head Simon Barker, bodywork movement artist Zsuzsanna Soboslay, and the exceptional dancer Martin del Amo. Not to mention that this will all take place in the stunningly beautiful surrounds of Newtown's St. Stephens Church. Touche — a point well made. https://youtube.com/watch?v=O-T0EmTVmqc
You should be familiar with version 1.0 already — their take on the political equals highly engaging and powerful theatre. Some will recall This Kind of Ruckus, which delved into sexual violence in contemporary culture, making links with sex scandals involving certain rugby league players. For those who aren't, think Wikileaks as live performance meets video art, with a dash of Boal. In other words, contemporary, democratic theatre at its best. Their latest offering branches out into new and more personal territory, as performer Kym Vercoe explores her unwitting visit to a Visegrad spa hotel, revealing the seething political history that lies buried underneath. Unsurprisingly, this work has already garnered attention from both theatrical and political spheres. I'd suggest you grab tickets (along with a beer and laksa) before you miss your chance. https://youtube.com/watch?v=sUhRNocDDjg
Pixar may be the dominating force in animation, but a showcase of artistic hopefuls will be on display at UTS. For its second year, the Sydney International Animation Festival (SIAF) opens its doors to the intricate world of animation, with a lineup that includes Pixar animator Rodrigo Blaas' gorgeously creepy directorial debut Alma as well as Oscar-winning short Logorama. Other anticipated Global Goodies are Jean-Christophe Lie's acclaimed short The Man in the Blue Gordini and Mathieu Bergeron and Yves Martel's (suitably, animated) documentary A Thorn in the Mind, which ventures behind the scenes of six renowned animators. Alongside the two days of screenings, SIAF will also run an inaugural one-day symposium on 'Animated Histories and Futures' as well as screening the finalists for the debut SIXTY40 Proto-ninja Nationwide Animation Competition. Local talent will be showcased in the Animaaate! program, plus the exciting digital vision of dreamtime, Wadu Matyidi. https://youtube.com/watch?v=DCmW4c40iK8
John Tonkin is an artist who takes the relationship between you and the moving image seriously. Currently on view at Breenspace, A Biology of Cognition is a new body of work by Tonkin relevant to his ongoing research into cybernetics and embodied perception. The work is comprised of four interactive video loops that react and change depending on your movements within the space. Playing with those moments of reality where you are contemplative yet distant, Tonkin offers scenarios from everyday life that skirt the poetic but do not fall victim to it. Anyone interested in image-human interconnectivity and perception will glean something from Tonkin's weathery domains.
A definitive example of New Hollywood cinema, Five Easy Pieces (1970) is a film that takes no measures to gild the lily — this is cinema served straight up. In line with other iconic features from the era such as Mike Nichols The Graduate (1967), director Bob Rafelson has managed to channel a particular mood of the time (such as the desire to shirk responsibility) into one personal scenario. Our guide is child-prodigy-turned-oil-rig-worker Robert Dupea (Jack Nicholson), as he makes his way back home to visit his dying father. During this road trip (of sorts) we discover a few crumbs about this cantankerous, always-drinking, apathetic man. Ultimately however, Dupea remains a mystery, both to himself, those around him and the audience — this is a man who has vacated himself. Part of The New Contemporary Galleries Film Program at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, New Hollywood is an ongoing series taking place every Wednesday as part of Art After Hours.
Stainless Steel Rat is the name of the comic book anti-hero thief/conman created by Harry Harrison in 1961. He's the perfect example of a good criminal; picking locks in order to access precious intel, lying profusely to deceive his enemies, slippery as butter when it comes to being caught and completely strident about his moral position. He's a character that manages to compress right and wrong into the same action — a dirty job but someone's got to do it. Sound familiar? Director Wayne Harrison and writer Ron Elisha have delved into the world of the largest information dump in history — Wikileaks — and the life of one of the most controversial figures of our contemporary moment, Julian Assange. While the play presents itself as an 'artistic interpretation' of the events that lead to this Queensland-born kid becoming a wanted fugitive, it promises to be a condensed and lively depiction of how Assange actually managed to overturn the way we understand information, technology and our access to it. Whether you have been engrossed by the release of diplomatic cables and confidential documents or simply tickled by the chaos of it all, this production should fuel any fire already burning. For those who have been in a bubble during the Wikileaks spill, this might be an opportunity to feel the prick.
