Grab a drink and join digital illustrator Bianca Beers to design your own piece of sneaker art at the Butter x Impossible pop-up in The Rocks. On two Sundays — from 12–2pm on March 20 and March 27 — Beers will be at Butter x Impossible's plant-based burger joint to run a two-hour afternoon class, guiding attendees through the process of creating sneaker art. Beers — an accomplished artist from Western Sydney whose client list includes activewear companies such as Nike and Puma as well, as software companies Adobe and Sony — will teach participants how to sketch and draw a sneaker design on paper step by step. Your $40 ticket includes a drink on arrival from the Butter Bar and all of the necessary art materials — and, if you're feeling peckish while you're there, plant-based burgers will be available for purchase from Butter x Impossible's menu.
What do you get when you cross two Hunter Valley winemakers and one taco king? Love, Tilly Devine's al fresco fiesta of tacos, wine and a good time. Taking place from 5pm on Tuesday, March 22, Hunter v Hunger will feature Sydney's taco king Toby Wilson, plus winemakers Aaron Mercer and Angus Vinden, all in a takeover of restaurant and wine bar Love, Tilly Devine. Wilson, of Rico's Tacos in Chippendale, will be serving a variety of Mexican dishes — including octopus and potato deep-fried tacos, mini tostadas, and dark chocolate mousse and chipotle ash for dessert. The winemakers will be offering a variety of selections to pair with your Mexican feast. Aaron Mercer of Mercer Wines will be pouring five of his winery's 2021 drops, while Angus Vinden will accompany him with five selections from his experimental label The Vinden Headcase. The event is walk-in only and wines will be available only in super-limited quantities — so arriving early for the best chance at getting a taste is strongly recommended. Images: Bruno Stefani for Buffet Digital.
When Dolly Parton sang about pouring herself a cup of ambition in the giddily catchy 80s hit '9 to 5' — the song that accompanied a film of the same name four decades back, now echoes in a stage musical as well and will never, ever get old — she wasn't talking about wine. But Zimbabwean quartet Joseph Dhafana, Tinashe Nyamudoka, Marlvin Gwese and Pardon Taguzu have lived up to those lyrics one glass of top-notch vino at a time, despite not drinking alcohol as Pentecostal Christians. Clearly, these men have quite the story to tell. It starts with fleeing their homeland under Robert Mugabe's rule, and then sees them each make new homes at considerable risk in South Africa, where they all also eventually found themselves working with the grape. In the process, they discovered a knack for an industry they mightn't have ever even dreamed of contemplating entering otherwise — and, in 2017, they took Zimbabwe's first-ever team to the World Wine Blind Tasting Championships in Burgundy, France. In the words of the always-great and ever-quotable Parton again, Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon waited for their ship to come in, and for the tide to turn and all roll their way. '9 to 5' doesn't actually have a single thing to do with Blind Ambition, the film that splashes through the Zimbabwean sommeliers' story, but their against-the-odds journey is equally infectious and uplifting. The Australian-made documentary about the foursome has also been likened to another on-screen underdog tale, this time about Black men seeking glory in a field that isn't typically associated with their country of birth. Blind Ambition isn't the wine version of Cool Runnings for numerous reasons — it hasn't been fictionalised (although it likely will be at some point) and it isn't a comedy, for starters — but the comparison still pithily sums up just how rousing this true story proves. The reality is far more profound than a Disney flick, of course. Making their second wine-focused doco of the past decade, Warwick Ross and Rob Coe — the former the co-director of 2013's Red Obsession, the latter its executive producer, and both sharing helming credits here — decant emotion aplenty from the moving and inspiring Blind Ambition. It flows freely from Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon's plights, which the film begins to drip out individually, harking back to before the quartet had even met, then blends together. Getting across the border was especially harrowing for Joseph, for instance, while ensuring that his new life honours his parents back home is particularly important for Pardon. Overcoming poverty and adversity echoes through their stories, as does the hope that their newfound affinity for wine brings — including via Tinashe's desire to plant vines on his grandfather's land one day. From those histories grows a keen eagerness to turn vino into their futures, and amid those dreams sits the World Wine Blind Tasting Championships. The activity that gives the competition its name is serious business; the first word isn't slang for getting black-out drunk or even just knocking back drinks to the thoroughly sozzled stage of inebriation, but describes how teams sample an array of wines without knowing what's rolling over their palates. Every national squad, all with four people apiece, is given 12 drops. From the six red and six white varieties, they must pick everything they can just by sipping — the grape, country, name, producer and vintage — to earn points. And, they also need to spit out the answers quickly, within two minutes of taking a taste. Yes, it's an event that you need to train for. No, it doesn't involve getting sloshed. As stressed verbally and visually throughout the doco, there's a specific — and very white — crowd for blind wine-tasting. It's also a pursuit marked by wealth and privilege, and by the access to a vast selection of different wines that springs far more easily when you come from or have access to both. Accordingly, Team Zimbabwe instantly stands out, not that its members ever let that stand between them and their next tasting glass. While Blind Ambition could've just stuck to the feel-good angle that gushes from Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon's efforts as outsiders within this insular realm, it smartly dives further, knowing that anything else would be too superficial and tokenistic. Accordingly, while the film celebrates their achievements, it also ensures that the racial and class divides that are as inherent to this part of the wine world — and to the wine world in general — as grapes fermented into alcohol remain as prominent as a red wine stain on a white tablecloth. That makes Blind Ambition a multi-layered movie with something to say as well as a heartwarming true tale to share, aka the kind of real-life situation that documentarians fantasise about. Heralding diversity and exposing its historical absence rank high among Team Zimbabwe's feats, and the footage that follows them training in South Africa and navigating the competition in Burgundy speaks volumes about the Eurocentric and money-driven industry they've plunged into. Competitive blind wine-tasting is a sport that requires coaches, too, and developments arise when both South African coach Jean Vincent Ridon and French wine expert Denis Garret become involved. All the way through, however, Joseph, Tinashe, Marlvin and Pardon's contagious joy, pride and enthusiasm for the field, for competing at the Olympics of the wine world, for the fact that their journey has taken them from refugees to finding a new calling, and for opening up the world to African vino, is never anything less than resonant. Like any standout plonk, wine or otherwise, Blind Ambition leaves viewers wanting more, though. Ross and Coe cover plenty in the film's 96 minutes, including postscript glimpses into the team's lives following their World Wine Blind Tasting Championships debut, but wishing for deeper notes at several stages along the way — the tension of the contest and its ins and outs, noticeably — is the prevailing aftertaste. While moderation is a wise approach to imbibing, parts of the film feel like just a sample themselves. It's still a delightful doco drop that lingers long on the cinematic palate, but another pour wouldn't go astray.
It's one of the city's best-known landmarks, so when the Sydney Opera House illuminates its sails, it stands out. You've seen the venue lit up for Vivid, to launch Mardi Gras and to support bushfire relief — and, as part of Badu Gili, the nightly showcase of First Nations artwork that was first launched in 2017. The harbourside spot is decking out its sails with projections every night until the end of March for its new Badu Gili series. This time around, Badu Gili: Wonder Women is back, focusing on the work and stories of six female First Nations artists. Curated by Coby Edgar, the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, Badu Gili: Wonder Women is a creative collaboration between the Opera House and AGNSW to mark the latter's 150th anniversary. As the sun sets each day, the Opera House's eastern Bennelong sail will illuminate with a vibrant six-minute animated projection. The animation will repeat three more times each night — approximately every hour, but the timing changes every evening depending on the season, events at the Opera House's Forecourt and daylight savings. The visual component of Badu Gili — which translates to 'water light' in the language of the site's traditional owners, the Gadigal people — will also be accompanied by a return of Badu Gili Live. The free outdoor music series will run throughout February and March, with performances each Saturday night and a pop-up bar run by the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence Kitchen. [caption id="attachment_753266" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ken Leanfore[/caption]
Films about war are films about wide-ranging terror and horror: battles that changed lives, deaths that reshaped nations, political fights that altered the course of history and the like. But they're also movies about people first, foremost and forever: folks whose everyday existence was perpetually shattered, including those lost and others left to endure when hostilities cease. Quo Vadis, Aida? is firmly a feature about both aspects of war. It homes in on one town, Srebrenica, in July 1995 during the 1992–95 Bosnian War, but it sees devastation and a human toll so intimate and vast in tandem that heartbreak is the only natural response. A survivor of the war herself, writer/director Jasmila Žbanić (Love Island, For Those Who Can Tell No Tales) knows that combat and conflict happens to ordinary men and women, that each casualty is a life cut short and that every grief-stricken relative who remains will never forget their magic ordeal — and she ensures that no one who watches Quo Vadis, Aida? can forget the Srebrenica massacre, or the fact that 8372 civilians were killed, either. A teacher-turned-interpreter, the eponymous Aida Selmanagic (Jasna Đuričić, My Morning Laughter) is Žbanić's eyes and ears within the demilitarised safe zone established by Dutch UN peacekeepers. The film doesn't adopt her exact point of view aesthetically — we see Aida, and plenty; Quo Vadis, Aida? wouldn't be the same without the tenacity and insistence that radiates from her posture and gaze — but it lives, breathes, feels, roves and yearns as she does. What she translates and for who around the UN base varies but, as she roves, she's primarily a channel between innocents scared for their lives and the bureaucracy endeavouring to keep the Bosnian Serb Army away. She visibly feels the weight of that task, whether speaking for the injured, scared and hungry all crammed into the facility or passing on instructions from her superiors. Aida has a mother's and wife's motivations, however: above all else, she wants her husband Nihad (Izudin Barjović, Father), a school principal, to be with her and to be safe — and the same for their sons Hamdija (Boris Ler, Full Moon) and Sejo (Dino Barjović, Sin), obviously. It's a mission to even get them in the base, with Colonel Karremans (Johan Heldenbergh, The Hummingbird Project) and his offsider Major Franken (Raymond Thiry, The Conductor) determined to not show any appearances of favouritism, especially with so many other refugees pleading to be allowed in outside. But Aida hustles, including getting Nihad sent to negotiations with Serbian General Ratko Mladić (Boris Isaković, Last Christmas) as a town representative. And as the General's brash, cocky, swaggering troops start escorting out the base's inhabitants and putting them onto buses depending upon their gender following those talks, Aida makes every desperate move she can to save her family. Quo Vadis, Aida? equally chronicles and shares Aida's reaction to the chaos and trauma around her. With Nihad, Hamdija and Sejo's lives at stake, the peacekeepers that Aida is helping refusing to assist by expanding the protections she enjoys to her loved ones, and the UN making moves that bow to Mladić — refusing to act otherwise, more accurately — Žbanić's film was always going to bustle forward in lockstep with its protagonist's emotional rollercoaster ride. That said Quo Vadis, Aida? is also an exacting movie in laying bare the complexities bubbling within the base, and the broader scenario. Unflinchingly, it sees how ineffective the UN's actions are, as ordered from far away with no sense of the reality on the ground. It recognises how outnumbered the peace effort is in Srebrenica, too. It spies the ruthlessness of the General and his forces, as was destined to happen when given even the slightest leeway. And it also spots how determined Aida is to safeguard her family, all while hurrying around thousands of others in the same precarious circumstances but without the possibility of anyone even trying to pull strings in their favour. Unlucky not to win the Best International Feature Oscar in 2021, and also nominated for the Best Director BAFTA the same year — losing to Another Year at the former and to Nomadland's Chloé Zhao at the latter — Quo Vadis, Aida? is a taut, rigorous, resonant, unshakeably potent balancing act. Žbanić's narrative works with such a wealth of moving parts, and such a mass of complications within everything that the storyline juggles, that the result is an intricately packed powderkeg of a movie. And, it's a relentless onslaught, always hurtling along like its lead. Quo Vadis, Aida? doesn't flit by too quickly or fail to give attention to everything that needs it, though. Rather, it's an urgent picture poised around something that happened more than a quarter-century back, but will forever demand to be given weight and gravity — as the murder of so many people always should. Žbanić's regular cinematographer Christine A Maier perfects her own balancing act as well, her imagery rushing with Aida but eschewing lensing with anything but a grim, plain, naturalistic air. To look at, the combination is intense and also grounded, evoking the sensation of stepping into the scene as closely as possible. As edited by Cold War and Never Gonna Snow Again's Jarosław Kamiński, similarly with a pace and rhythm to match Aida's, the film is also tense to a heart-pounding, sweat-inducing, nerve-shredding degree. Quo Vadis, Aida? takes its title from the traditional Christian story that states that the apostle Peter, fleeing crucifixion in Rome, passed the risen Jesus and asked him "whither goest thou?"; in Latin, quo vadis? The answer he received: to Rome to be crucified again. Viewers don't need to know that tale going in to feel the depth of the movie's probing, but Žbanić couldn't have given her feature a more meticulous moniker. Amid the empathy and clear-eyed candour that marks the unforgettable Quo Vadis, Aida? again and again — as Aida peers through the barbed-wire fencing keeping not-so-fortunate townsfolk out, speaks words on behalf of Karremans and Franken she knows will prove false, and begs for anyone's assistance — Đuričić is remarkable. She's fierce, brave, resolute and resilient while wading through practicalities, horrors and stolen moments of hope alike, and every fibre of her being conveys Aida's torturous emotional journey. Traversing every move with her, and every feeling, is simply a foregone conclusion. That's as true in Quo Vadis, Aida?'s epilogue, too, which layers the film's despair and outrage with a survey of the reality for the genocide's survivors. Žbanić once again walks an unnerving tightrope with mastery: whither goest thou indeed.
Finishing work on a Thursday afternoon, you can feel the weekend coming. You might want to hit the town, but you're looking for the right excuse. Enter: Powerhouse Museum, offering up a run of free late-night events happening every Thursday. The festivities are on till 9pm each week, and you can expect talks on music, art and design, alongside musical performances and exhibitions. On Thursday, September 29, Powerhouse Late will celebrate the launch of the Powerhouse's new Culinary Archive Podcast, a six-part audio journey through Australian culinary history with beloved local food journalist Lee Tran Lam. To commemorate the launch of the pod, the Powerhouse has pulled together a lineup of some of Sydney's best restaurants and craft breweries. Bush, Maiz Mexican Street Food and new Martin Place spot AALIA will all be running food stalls, while Wildflower will be hosting beer tastings. Tempeh tastings with Ferments' Lab, a coffee tasting led by Tinsae Elsdon of the Blue Mountain's Djebena Coffees and a discussion on brewing from members of the Grifter, Heaps Normal and Wildflower rounds out the program. On Thursday, October 6, the activation will explore the Powerhouse's sonic archives. There will be an Ableton Live School workshop centred around sampling sounds from the collection; live performances from Lucy Cliché, Moe Aung and Dakota Feirer; a talk on the archive and two screenings. Throughout the rest of October, other nights will focus on photography, Indian textiles and Pacific Island creatives. Highlights from these nights include Indian food stalls, live performances from Tongan-Australian dancer Sela Vai and Cook Island drummers, Mãori arts workshops, Pacific Island-focused hair-styling by Dan Tafeuni, Bollywood dance classes, and a screening of Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams. Come November, the Powerhouse will hold sessions revolving around music during its upcoming exhibition UNPOPULAR which will unearth historic images and footage of iconic 90s bands performing in Australia. It's all kicking off on November 3, with a huge punk and experimental rock showcase featuring performances from Loose Fit, Party Dozen and 1-800-Mikey, followed by FBi Radio's annual Sydney music, arts and culture awards ceremony on November 10. Check out the full program at the Powerhouse website. All events are free and each week there will be a Grifter beer bar on-site so that you can enjoy a pale ale or Serpents Kiss while you take in the festivities. [caption id="attachment_811875" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] Images: Jordan Munns Updated Wednesday, September 28, 2022.
2021 swarmed with historic achievements for women in film, including Nomadland's Chloë Zhao becoming the first woman of colour and only second woman ever to win the Oscar for Best Director, that category's nomination of two female filmmakers for the first time in its then 93-year history and the Cannes Film Festival awarding the Palme d'Or to a woman — Titane's Julia Ducournau — for only the second time. But before all of that, Kosovo-born writer/director Blerta Basholli achieved something at the Sundance Film Festival that'd never been done either: winning the US fest's World Cinema Dramatic Competition Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award and Best Director gong for Hive. It was a well-deserved feat for a movie that'd stick in memory even without such an achievement, and it's easy to see why Sundance's jurors and viewers responded with such a show of support. A powerhouse of a true tale that's brought to the screen with a devastatingly potent lead performance, Hive is simply unshakeable. In Basholli's first feature, to peer at star Yllka Gashi (Kukumi) is to look deep into a battler's eyes. Hive directs its attention her way frequently. The also-Kosovan actor plays Fahrije Hoti, a woman who has never been allowed to stop fighting, although the men in her patriarchal village would prefer she'd keep quiet. They wish she'd just attend to her duties as a mother and do what's expected. They think she should be a silent, compliant wife, although there's a significant problem with that idea. With her husband missing for years due to the Kosovo War, she can't be a meekly obedient spouse even if that was in her nature — which it isn't — because the man she loves is gone, no sign of him either dead or alive has been recovered, and she's trapped in limbo as she waits, tries to keep caring for her family and endeavours to go on. Those dismissive, misogynistic attitudes flung at Fahrije by her community join the litany of roadblocks that she's forced to rally against with every word, thought and breath she has. In her husband's absence, her father-in-law Haxhi (Çun Lajçi, Zana) is eager to maintain the status quo, but Fahrije has been trying to make ends meet anyway, all in a town — and amidst a male-dominated culture — that couldn't be more unsympathetic to her plight. She isn't alone, however, with many of the locale's other women also widowed due to the conflict, and similarly expected to survive without upsetting traditional gender roles. So, with the beehives that she dutifully attends to unable to keep providing enough income to pay her bills, the enterprising Fahrije and her friend Nazmije (Kumrije Hoxha, The Marriage) decide to start a female-run co-operative to make and sell ajvar, a pepper relish. A picture of stinging resilience, unflappable fortitude and baked-in sorrow, Gashi is phenomenal as Fahrije. Not only does Hive keep gazing her way but, thanks to the raw compulsion of her performance, viewers eagerly do the same. The skill required to play stoic but also persistent, passionate and simmering with internalised pain can't be underestimated, and watching Gashi navigate that balance like it's the only thing she knows — because, for Fahrije after her husband's disappearance, it now is — is affecting on a gutwrenching level. Lived-in fury and resolve buzzes through every facet of her portrayal, all as the woman whose shoes she's walking in weathers derision, violence and attempted sexual assault for daring to dream of attempting to support herself. It comes as no surprise that various film festival prizes have been sent Gashi's way among Hive's collection of accolades, with ample merit. Such masterful and moving work is never an actor's alone, though — and, behind the lens, Basholli puts in just as magnificent an effort in making Fahrije's story, and Gashi's performance along with it, so commanding and all-consuming. Both the filmmaker and her lead play with reality, drawing upon the real-life Hoti's stirring and inspiring experiences; however, Hive could never be mistaken for a standard biopic. Basholli's script may trace a familiar narrative arc, as many tales of rallying against adversity and oppression do, but nothing about her film feels as if its beats are being faithfully hit to chart a straightforward path and evoke an easy emotional reaction — not at any time, and not even once. Instead, the meticulous care that's been put into every exactingly staged and observed scene is evident at every moment, resulting in a movie that's not just rousing but thoroughly lived-in. Understated in its style and unfurling of its story alike, if the blistering Hive shares similarities with any other features, it's with the work of Basholli's fellow Kosovan filmmakers who've also used their movies to grapple with the impact of the war, the way women have historically been treated, the dynamics within relationships as a result, the reality of life in the post-conflict Balkan republic and/or bits of all of the above. Perusing the country's list of Academy Award submissions paints that picture clearly, including 2014's Three Widows and a Hanging, 2018's The Marriage and 2019's Zana — all films that are as culturally specific about their setting as any can be. But, again, Hive is its own achievement. Perhaps it's more accurate to see Basholli's film as building upon the portrait that past features have started to shade in of her homeland, complete with its own layers and colours. It also adds to the snapshot-within-a-snapshot that've depicted what it means to be a woman on Kosovan soil as well. Defiance, determination, sporting both in the face of dispiriting and overwhelming forces that want the opposite of what's truly in your best interests, rebelling against convention and the patriarchy, doing just what needs to be done: that's what pulsates through Hive, Gashi's performance and Basholli's directorial choices. So does a shatteringly astute exploration of wading through grief so thick that it may as well be an ocean — of honey or ajvar, take your pick. That's where this deeply resonant film's intimate stares in its protagonist's direction pierce even sharper, seeing everything she's feeling, and just her in general, when so few in her midst will. It's why its scenes of Fahrije and her fellow widows disregarding everything they're told, soldiering on despite the backlash they receive physically and emotionally, and just sitting and making their pepper relish are so fierce and unforgettable, and yet also hopeful, too.
North Sydney rooftop bar Green Moustache is transforming into a pink-hued floral oasis for spring to give you a dose of cherry blossom season with an activation running throughout October and November. The spring celebration includes a collaboration with Roku Gin for a limited-edition cocktail menu. Highlights of the cherry blossom-inspired drinks list include the Roku Garden, a combination of gin, creme de violet, lemon juice and egg white reminiscent of a gin sour; and the Spring in Osaka, which pairs Haku vodka, Skura syrup and lemon. You can book yourself in for a bottomless brunch which Green Moustache runs every Saturday and Sunday from 11.30am at $75 per person which includes a grazing board of cured meats, cheeses and olives, plus salt and pepper squid, ligorio cavatelli with smoked chorizo and two hours of bottomless rosé, prosecco and beer.
In Sydney bottomless brunches, lunches and dinners come in many shapes and sizes. From affordable affairs with reserved spreads, to next-level rooftop lunches that will set you back $100+ per head. While eastern suburbs spot Rocker has bottomless brunches on Thursday–Sunday, its Sunday afternoon special Rocker Sundays sets itself apart with a fun summer-ready selection of food and drinks alongside live tunes. Round out your weekend with a feast of share plates for you and your friends accompanying free-flowing bottomless rosé for $75 per person. On the menu, you'll find tasty treats like Sydney rock oysters, cauliflower hummus and fermented potato flatbread, burrata, and sweet pumpkin. Top the whole meal off and really embrace the warmer weather with happy hour deals on the restaurant's frozen margaritas. The weekly special is on offer each Sunday afternoon with happy hour running from 5–7pm. If you're heading earlier in the day, you can hit up Rocker's classic bottomless brunch which includes unlimited mimosas and house wine, plus a heap of Rocker favourites including oysters, roast chicken with celeriac puree, and chocolate fondant for $85 per person. Top image: Katje Ford
Paddington mainstay the Paddo Inn is marking Australian Gin Week with a limited-edition gin cocktail list. Each day from Monday, November 15–Friday, November 19, a different Australian distillery will take centre stage, with a range of cocktails showcasing their best and most exciting gin creations. Kicking off the week is Syndey's Archie Rose and Poor Toms on Monday and Tuesday respectively. Also in the mix, Victorian favourite Four Pillars on Wednesday, Byron's Brookies Gin on Thursday and local husband and wife team Ester Spirits on Friday. Take your pick of which day you'll head in, and which gin you'll sample. Alternatively, head to the venue on Saturday, November 20 or Sunday, November 21 and make your way through a selection of cocktails created with all five gin-maker's spirits. The inn's bar staff will be on hand to walk you through each distillery's quirks and characteristics, as well as the cocktails you can choose to sample. In order to ensure you nab a spot, you can book a table at the Paddo Inn website. Images: Nikki To
While it's hard to stay motivated in lockdown, now is a great time to learn something new. If you've baked your sourdough, worked your way through that puzzle and used up the home ceramics kit you bought in July — maybe its time to relive your best memories in the club and get your dancing shoes on. The Sydney Dance Company is here to help with a series of on-demand and live online dance classes to get you moving at home. Sign up to the dance company's On Demand membership program and you'll receive access to a host of classes covering contemporary, ballet, lyrical, tap and jazz. There are classes available for a range of skill levels from beginner to more experienced dancers, and new classes are available each week. If you're looking for more at-home workouts to mix things up during lockdown, dancing is a great way to stay fit and the library of classes includes videos focusing on pilates, yoga and body conditioning. During lockdown, On Demand members will also have access to live-streamed classes from the Sydney Dance Company. Each day of the week, seven days a week, a different genre of dance class is live-streamed. Monday–Friday the live-streamed classes start at 6pm, allowing you to join after a day at work, while the Saturday's jazz live stream and Sunday's beginner's contemporary live stream begin earlier in the morning so you can start your day right. Membership starts at $29.95 a month, or if you're looking to commit you can sign up for three months for $79.95 or a year for $199. Find out more details and view the full live stream schedule at the Sydney Dance Company website.
The hospitality industry is well and truly back after an incredibly challenging couple of years. So what's next for the bar staff, chefs, restaurateurs and behind-the-scenes heroes of the local hospo scene? We're going to get the skinny from the ones in the know — and you're invited to join. On Monday, November 29 at 1pm, book in your lunch break and join Concrete Playground's livestream event Hot Takes & Takeaways: Episode 2 (relive the entertaining chaos of the first live show captured in the depths of lockdown here). In partnership with Uber Eats, Hot Takes & Takeaways is a series where we talk to some of the most fascinating — and opinionated — members of Australia's food community to tackle the big questions, live and uncensored. Swears are likely and no topics are off-limits. THE LINEUP Comedy star Gen Fricker returns as host, with special guests Jeremy Blackmore (owner and drink maker behind Cantina OK!, Tio's and the Cliff Dive), one of Sydney hospo's behind-the-scenes queens Kobi Morris (Operations Manager at Paramount Coffee Project and the Paramount House Hotel, as well as Reuben Hills and Shwarmama), and Instagram burger king Issac Martin AKA Issac Eats-A-Lot. Throughout the show, we'll test your food trivia knowledge so you could nab a $20 Uber Eats voucher. Head to our Facebook event and hit attending to get a reminder just before it kicks off. In the meantime, check out Uber Eats' Enterprise Hub if you'd like to learn more about what restaurants are doing.
Sometimes, they do still make 'em like they used to: action-adventure rom-coms in this case. Drive a DeLorean back to 1984, to the year before Robert Zemeckis made DeLoreans one of the most famous types of movie cars ever, and the director's Romancing the Stone did huge box-office business — and it's that hit that The Lost City keenly tries to emulate. This new Sandra Bullock- and Channing Tatum-starring romp doesn't hide that aim for a second, and even uses the same broad overall setup. Once again, a lonely romance novelist is swept up in a chaotic adventure involving treasure, a jungle-hopping jaunt and a stint of kidnapping, aka exactly what she writes about in her best-selling books. The one big change: the writer is held hostage, rather than her sister. But if you've seen Romancing the Stone, you know what you're in for. Movies that blandly and generically recreate/riff on/rip off others will never be gleaming cinematic jewels; the good news is that The Lost City is neither dull nor dispiritingly derivative. Cinema has literally been there and done this before, but directors Aaron and Adam Nee (Band of Robbers) are gleefully aware of that fact and don't even pretend to pretend otherwise. Rather, they wink, nod, serve up a knowing tribute to the 80s fare they're following, and repeatedly make it as blatant as can be that everything they're doing is by design. Their tone is light, bouncy and breezy. Their cast, which also spans Daniel Radcliffe and a delightfully scene-stealing Brad Pitt, is always on that wavelength. Indeed, swap out the vibe or The Lost City's four biggest on-screen names and the film would fall apart, especially without Bullock and Tatum's charisma and chemistry. With them all, it remains by the numbers but also terrifically likeable. As penned by the Nees, Oren Uziel (Mortal Kombat) and Dana Fox (Cruella) — based on a story by Baywatch director Seth Gordon — The Lost City's plot is ridiculously easy to spot. Also, it's often flat-out ridiculous. Anyone who has ever seen any kind of flick along the same lines, such as Jungle Cruise most recently, will quickly see that Loretta Sage (Bullock, The Unforgivable), this movie's protagonist, could've penned it herself. Once she finds herself living this type of narrative, that truth isn't lost on her, either. First, though, she's five years into a grief-stricken reclusive spell, and is only out in the world promoting her new release because her publisher Beth (Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The United States vs Billie Holiday) forces her to. She's also far from happy at being stuck once again with the man who has been sharing her limelight over the years, Fabio-style model Alan (Tatum, Dog), who has graced her book's covers and had women falling over themselves to lust-read their pages. Loretta is hardly thrilled about the whole spectacle that becomes her latest Q&A as a result, and that makes her a distracted easy mark for billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe, Guns Akimbo) afterwards. He's noticed her new work, spotted similarities to the ancient riches he's chasing IRL, and gets his underlings to swoop in and snatch her up. His plan: leaning on Loretta's past as a serious historian to help him find his holy grail on a remote Atlantic island. She's given zero choice, but once the puppy dog-like Alan notices she's missing, he calls in expert assistance from devilishly suave and competent mercenary Jack Trainer (Pitt, Ad Astra). Of course, it doesn't take long for Loretta and Alan to be fleeing as an odd-couple duo, attempting to find the treasure, and endeavouring to avoid Abigail and his minions — and stay alive, obviously. 'Obviously' is a word that could be thrown at almost everything that occurs in The Lost City, but there's a gaping difference between being drably dutiful to a well-worn setup and having as much fun as possible with recognisable parts. Case in point: how Radcliffe enthusiastically hams it up in a part that's a simple next step from his TV work on Miracle Workers, but is always a joy to watch. See also: how the movie uses the long-locked Pitt, who clearly enjoys toying and parodying his own image, and is even introduced on the phone, unseen but audibly eating — which immediately deserves its place in the supercuts dedicated to his fondness for acting and noshing. And, another example: the liveliness that accompanies Pitt's big rescue scene, which is equally exciting and amusing. All of this epitomises The Lost City at its best. Well, that and the rapport between Bullock and Tatum. They're game for their tasks, which largely rely upon their familiar on-screen personas — she's sharp, he's a himbo, that contrast sparks screwball banter aplenty — and yet they shine as brightly as any long-lost gems. Also welcome: the fact that the age gap between The Lost City's key couple skews Bullock's way — she's 16 years Tatum's senior — and isn't turned into a big deal. Neither is the idea that a middle-aged writer could be attractive, or that wearing glasses, not always caring about your appearance and being smart don't instantly stop the same outcome. Having a 50-something female lead, treating her like an actual human, letting her intelligence and warmth be her defining traits: these shouldn't all feel as revolutionary as they do, but they're as dazzling as the pink sequinned jumpsuit that Bullock spends much of the movie traipsing around the jungle wearing. The Lost City knows that whole setup is ludicrous, too, in a film that unpacks the cliches that've always come with its chosen genre, updates its tropes for 2022 and still embraces goofy escapism. Bullock is comfortable in her role because she's played brainy rom-com women before; The Proposal and Miss Congeniality quickly come to mind. As for The Lost City itself, it's comfortable all-round because Bullock is its anchor — even with the joyously self-aware Tatum and Pitt, and the eagerly entertaining Radcliffe, always proving just as engaging to watch. Viewers can forgive the Nee brothers, then, for stretching the film out longer than the material genuinely supports. You can excuse the flabby spots because they're rarely flat as well, and because something new and silly tends to pop up seconds later. The movie a little too bluntly advocates for its own modest pleasures, courtesy of a speech by Alan about learning not to be embarrassed about modelling for Loretta's books, but it really didn't need to: Hollywood should still make thoroughly predictable yet still well-executed and gleaming-enough fare like this, and more often.
Penélope Cruz didn't score an Oscar this year for Parallel Mothers. Her husband Javier Bardem didn't win one for Being the Ricardos, either. And, just a couple of years ago, Antonio Banderas also didn't nab a shiny Academy Award for Pain and Glory — but the three acclaimed actors are all winners at the 2022 Spanish Film Festival. The annual cinema showcase spotlights not just Spanish but also Latin American cinema, and it's back for another Aussie tour throughout April and May — hitting up Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema from Tuesday, April 19–Sunday, May 15. On the bill: 34 movies that hail from both regions, or tie into them in one way or another, including several with Cruz, Bardem and or Banderas at their centre. Kickstarting this year's Spanish Film Festival with the Cruz- and Banderas-starring Official Competition must've been the easiest programming choice in the fest's history. A filmmaking satire, it casts Cruz as a famous director entrusted to bring a Nobel Prize-winning novel about sibling rivalry to the screen, and enlists Banderas as a Hollywood heartthrob. Throw all of that together and it's clearly film festival catnip, as the movie's berths at overseas fests such as Venice, Toronto and San Sebastián have already shown — and it'll enjoy its Australia premiere as the Spanish Film Festival's opening night pick. The aforementioned — and sublime — Parallel Mothers is also on the lineup after releasing in Aussie cinemas earlier this year, if you missed it then. And, so are two Cruz-Bardem collaborations: Jamón Jamón, the pair's first film together, which marks its 30th anniversary in 2022, and 2017's Loving Pablo, which sees Bardem play Pablo Escobar. Of course, the Spanish Film Festival spans plenty of movies that don't star Spanish cinema's best-known acting names, too — with 2022 Goya-winning political drama Maixabel, fellow Goya-recipient Mediterráneo: The Law of the Sea, psychological horror flick The House of Snails, road-movie comedy Carpoolers, and the coming-of-age-focused Once Upon a Time in Euskadi also on the program. Or, there's Girlfriends, about childhood pals reuniting; dramatic thriller The Daughter, which hones in on a pregnant teen; mother-daughter drama Ama; the Himalayas-set Beyond the Summit; and The Cover, about a pop star impersonator. From the Cine Latino strand, ten films hail from the likes of Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic — including rom-com The Big Love Picture, thriller Immersion, the footballer-centric 9 and Goya-winner (yes, another one) Forgotten We'll Be. Plus, the lineup also includes Language Lessons, which is directed by and starring Natalie Morales (The Little Things), and also features Mark Duplass (Bombshell) — with the pair navigating an online setup to play a Spanish teacher and her student. And, there's sessions of the Spanish-language version of Disney's Encanto as well.
Love to twirl underneath the shimmering lights of a mirror ball along to the sweet sounds of disco? Us too. And soon, we'll be elevating those dance floor dreams to do it all atop a Sydney highway — for free. As part of Elevate Sydney — the city's new six-day celebration on the Cahill Expressway — a disco-fuelled event is taking over the sky-high stage on Thursday, January 2. So, bust out your favourite flares. For the event, the road will be transformed into a glamorous 70s nightclub filled with live entertainment, excellent tunes and non-stop dancing, of course. Sydney's fabulous drag queen Courtney Act will be taking you back to the fabulous sounds of disco as the Elevate Discotheque host. Plus, Sydney disco royalty, Marcia Hines and Leo Sayer, will be stopping by to make sure you feel like dancing. Keen to start the New Year with some 70s glitz and glamour? While the event is free, you need to book a ticket to attend. Tickets are available from Thursday, December 2. For more information and to stay up to date, visit the website.
Art of either great or dubious origins. Airport facilities where items can be stored — art masterpieces included — without their owners abiding by taxation rules. Both played parts in Christopher Nolan's Tenet; however, it's no longer the only recent thriller to include the two. The Lost Leonardo doesn't feature a phenomenal heist of a disputed piece from a freeport, but it is as tense and suspenseful as its 2020 predecessor. It also tells a 100-percent true tale about the artwork dubbed the 'male Mona Lisa'. Exploring the story of the Salvator Mundi, a painting of Jesus that may hail from Leonardo da Vinci, this documentary is filled with developments far wilder and stranger than fiction (sorry not sorry Dan Brown). And while there's little that's astonishing about the film's talking heads-meets-recreations approach, it still couldn't be more riveting. Although the Salvator Mundi itself is thought to date to the 15th century, The Lost Leonardo only jumps back as far as 2005. That's when the High Renaissance-era piece was sold for US$1175, and when Alexander Parrish and Robert Simon, art dealers eager to dig up sleepers — works from renowned masters that've been mislabelled or misattributed — suspected there might be more to it. The pair tasked restorer Dianne Modestini with tending to the heavily overpainted and damaged work, which revealed otherwise unseen details in the process. Cue a now-prevailing theory: that the Salvator Mundi sprung from da Vinci's hands. That's a shattering revelation given that, despite the prominence that the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper enjoy, the list of surviving works attributed to da Vinci barely hits 20 — and that's with questions lingering over his involvement in quite a few. Uncovering one of his previously unknown paintings was always going to be huge as a result; locating it in such a way, and for so cheap, only bolsters the extraordinary tale. Debates over the painting's provenance have continued for the past 16 years, although that's not the only reason that The Lost Leonardo exists. The piece has increased in fame over the last decade thanks to two factors, including the Salvator Mundi's inclusion in a 2011–12 da Vinci exhibition at the National Gallery, London, placing it alongside the author's accepted works — and its sale for US$75 million in 2013, then for US$127.5 million, and finally again in 2017 for a whopping US$450.3 million. Its unglamorous discovery, the ongoing argument over authenticity, the legitimacy gained by exhibiting in one of the world's most influential galleries, that it's now the most expensive painting ever sold: these details are unpacked and analysed by writer/director Andreas Koefoed (At Home in the World) via his array of interviewees — and so is the fact that, when that mind-blowing sale occurred, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the secretive buyer. It's little wonder that the filmmaker has chosen to unfurl the ins and outs of these remarkable events as if he's joining the dots and puzzling together the pieces right in front of viewers' eyes, making The Lost Leonardo a detective story of a doco. It isn't a new approach, let alone a unique or unusual one, but it savvily relies upon the combined force of a ripping yarn and rollicking storytelling. Within all those twists and turns also sits a vital examination of art, money and power. That works by artists such as da Vinci can end up lost at all is a marker of art's links to wealth and class, and of pieces being controlled by the rich behind closed doors to the detriment of the artistic greater good and public access. The same notions play out in the jaw-dropping Christie's auction, as bids rise to more than double the expected amount (which still would've made it the most expensive painting ever sold) and it becomes evident that the Salvator Mundi won't be purchased by a gallery for public display. The frenzied atmosphere, which the auction house stages like a piece of theatre, is all about control and status. Letting the world see a masterpiece isn't even an afterthought. An entire documentary could be made about that auction alone, and the techniques deployed to turn it into such a production. Case in point: a Christie's promotion that showed the emotional reactions of art lovers peering at the piece — ordinary folks all visibly moved, and also Leonardo DiCaprio. The reality that art is a business couldn't be painted on a larger canvas. That art is about prestige, too. In getting these points across, Koefoed's choices aren't always subtle — Sveinung Nygaard's (Huss) score would suit a heist film, there's a slow-drip pace to the documentary's early sections to ramp up the intrigue, and sparking a future fictionalised feature based on The Lost Leonardo feels like a clear aim — but everything about the film is always entertaining and effective. Here's hoping that certain-to-arise dramatisation turns out more like American Animals than The Goldfinch; the former was based on a true story, the latter on a Pulitzer Prize-winner for fiction, but the details here are so juicy, gripping, layered and important that they deserve to be told with the greatest care. As one interviewee puts it, it's the tale of finding a spaceship with unicorns on one's lawn. As the whole cast of talking heads explains — dealers, academics, restorers, art critics and buyers alike, vocal naysayers included — it's the story of commerce usurping creativity and history, regardless of the mystery behind the potential da Vinci work. Perhaps there'll even be a sequel: an NFT of Salvator Mundi now exists, because of course it does.
It seems a pretty hard task to follow Hannah Gadsby's international smash-hit show, Nanette. After all, the one-woman stand-up performance copped serious praise on its 18-month travels across Australia and the UK, even scooping the top honours at both the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It also spawned its very own Netflix special. And when Gadsby used the show to announce she was quitting comedy for good, we thought that was it. In the end, the beloved Aussie comedian managed to back it up with her follow-up Douglas. While Nanette pulled apart the concept of comedy itself, dishing up an insight into Gadsby's past, Douglas took comedy fans on a "tour from the dog park to the renaissance and back". It hit stages across Australia and New Zealand in late 2019 and early 2020, and then made its way to Netflix a year ago. Now, Gadsby is returning the the stage for a four-night, six-show run of her latest set Body of Work. The new live show is a reflection of the last two years, from the devastating bushfires to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gadsby looks back over these events, which've have dictated every aspect of life, and also looks towards the future. Getting things started across the six shows will be the equally funny Zoë Coombs Marr. Plus, if you're the type that doesn't like to miss their bedtime, there are early sessions popping up on the weekend, kicking off at 5pm on Saturday, December 11 and 4pm on Sunday, December 12. [caption id="attachment_797497" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton Lund[/caption] First image: Jim Lee.
Natty wines are all the rage right now. From fizzy pét-nats to dry orange varieties, the organic and naturally fermented wines are now mainstays at wine bars, vibrant restaurants and independent bottle shops around the city. As part of its big summer lineup of events, Stanmore Road pub Public House Petersham is dedicating a Saturday in December to these tasty drops with the return of its Natty Wine Social. On Saturday, December 11, the inner west venue is showcasing an array of local Australian wine-makers creating natural drops. You'll be able to sample selections from producers like Doom Juice, Imbibo and Vinsight, who will all have members of their team on site to walk you through the wines. Alongside the wine experts, you and your friends will also be treated to tunes from Public House's roster of fantastic DJs, setting the mood throughout the day. Tickets are $49 and include all of your wine tastings plus antipasto and snacks throughout the afternoon. Once you've tasted your way through all the exciting wines, you can buy your favourites by the bottle to take home.
Whether you are a south coast local or a city slicker who needs a quick getaway to paradise, the Huskisson Hotel is the place to be this summer. Situated right on the sandy shores of Jervis Bay, the Husky Pub is a much-loved institution. And if you are looking for an excuse to plan a pub visit, we've got some good news. Veuve Clicquot is taking over the Huskisson Hotel lawn to bring a touch of luxury to that enviable laid-back coastal lifestyle. Until the end of February, you can relax on a deck chair under a bright yellow Veuve umbrella and enjoy sweeping ocean views while sipping on quality bubbly. A cheeky glass of Veuve Clicquot will set you back $30, or you can splash out on a full bottle for $140 — you're on holidays, after all. Pair your bubbles with some top-notch snack from the bar menu — think, freshly shucked oysters topped with wakame and Japanese dressing, tiger prawns with caper lime aioli or a charcuterie grazing board. Veuve Clicquot in the Sun x Huskisson Hotel is running until Monday, February 28. To make a booking, head to Husky Pub's website.
Finding the right New Years plans can be tricky — especially in a city as lively as Sydney, where hectic crowds can swamp your dreams of clinking champagne flutes and catching the fireworks. If you're after an elegant night out with good food, delicious cocktails and uncompromised views, you'll be happy to hear that tickets have been released for NYE at Watersedge at the iconic Campbell's Stores at The Rocks. Taking place from 7pm to 1am, the event is a surefire way to see in the new year in style. Expect a complimentary cocktail on arrival, bottomless wine and beer throughout the night, plus bubbles at 11:30pm to toast the new year while taking in the iconic Harbour Bridge views in front of you. The food menu is equally as exciting — a steady flow of canapés such as spicy tuna sushi and peking duck crepes will be making the rounds, while angus beef sliders and lamb ragu gnocchi will see you through the night — along with live performers and DJs curated by Rodd Richards Presents bringing you tunes on the dance floor. If you're after a more intimate affair, you can hire your own fully furnished VIP igloo for you and up to ten of your mates. It includes bottle service, a private entrance and cuisine from award-winning Japanese restaurant Bay Nine Omakase. First-release NYE Gold tickets start at $475. You can book your tickets here.
Western Sydney could use a love letter right now, and that tribute arrives in Here Out West. The product of eight up-and-coming screenwriters from the area, it celebrates a place that has spent much of the past year garnering attention for a reason no one wanted: thanks to the tighter rules applied to the region during Sydney's four-month stretch of stay-at-home conditions in 2021, it was home to New South Wales' strictest lockdown of the pandemic to-date. Thankfully, COVID-19 isn't this movie's focus. Instead, as told in nine languages — Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Kurdish, Tagalog, Turkish, Vietnamese, Spanish and English — and helmed by five female filmmakers, Here Out West dwells in everyday lives. It champions by seeing and recognising, and by trumpeting voices that have always been there but are infrequently given a microphone. Of course, as thoughtful and meaningful as Here Out West is — and as welcome a move it makes with sincere multicultural representation in Australia — it really shouldn't stand out as much as it does. There shouldn't have needed to be a concerted effort to champion western Sydney voices to make a film like this. It shouldn't grab attention as a rarity, either, and it shouldn't feel so timely because of the events of the last 12 months. Here Out West does all of these things because it's an outlier in Australia's homegrown filmic output, but it also clearly makes a case that's already apparent and inherent anyway: that presenting more than just the stereotypical image of Australia, and opting for a genuine picture of the country as it actually is instead, should always be the baseline and status quo. Opening shots of suburban houses and looping highways set the scene: viewers aren't journeying to an Aussie beach or the nation's parched outback expanse, aka two of the prevailing visions of this sunburnt, sea-girt continent on-screen. Rather, Here Out West unfurls its octet of intertwined vignettes in spaces far more ordinary — not to downplay the importance of surveying western Sydney, but to clearly note that these are its daily playgrounds. It's here that mothers have babies, neighbours look after the kids next door, grandmothers worry about their grandchildren, dads struggle to connect with their sons, and sport and food are among the ways that people come together. It's here that adults bicker among themselves over love, and with their parents about their futures. It's where lives begin and end, and where folks with dreams both big and modest also try to start anew. And yes, all of these scenarios are covered by the film's narrative. Initially, Here Out West spends time with Nancy (Geneviève Lemon, The Tourist), who takes care of her eight-year-old neighbour Amirah (debutant Mia-Lore Bayeh), but wasn't actually planning to help out today. She has a newborn granddaughter to meet — one that the authorities are planning to take away, so Nancy makes a drastic decision that'll ripple throughout the community across the movie's one-day timeframe. In the film's second segment, hospital carpark security guard Jorge (fellow first-timer Christian Ravello) is brought into the wider story, and also gets a snapshot chapter of his own. His instalment then intersects with friends Rashid (Rahel Romahn, Moon Rock for Monday), Dino (Thuso Lekwape, Book Week) and Robi (Arka Das, Babyteeth), who run through the streets arguing about Rashid's cousin. Next, their section links in with Ashmita (Leah Vandenberg, The Hunting) and her dying Bengali-speaking father back at the local hospital. Returning to specific spots comes with territory, because it comes with living anywhere; paths cross, people are drawn to the same busy and central locations, and some facilities — such as Here Out West's pivotal hospital — are always a hive of activity in any community. That truth continues to drive the film as it meets Kurdish refugees Keko (De Lovan Zandy) and Xoxe (Befrin Axtjärn Jackson), who are hoping to make a new beginning that still involves his penchant for music and her skills hand-weaving carpets, before jumping to Tuan (Khoi Trinh) and his brother Andy (Brandon Nguyen), who possess varying ideas about what it means to be Vietnamese Australian. Then comes a glimpse at nurse Roxanne's (Christine Milo, It's a Cult!) day as she works a double shift and misses her family in The Philippines. And, there's also Winnie (Gabrielle Chan, Hungry Ghosts) and Angel (Jing-Xuan Chan, Neighbours) as the mother and daughter close their Chinese restaurant for the last time. The common threads linking Here Out West's chapters are the ties that bind everyone: family, place and hope. But writers Nisrine Amine, Das (who acts as well as pens his section of the film), Bina Bhattacharya, Matias Bolla, Claire Cao, Dee Dogan, Vonne Patiag and Tien Tran find their own takes on the movie's common elements, sometimes by drawing from experience — and, unsurprisingly, the feature frequently feels personal. That sensation connects each of the picture's segments, too, with every section peering intimately at western Sydney residents, their lives and their emotions, and showing both the specific and the universal in the process. That isn't a revolutionary overall approach, and has long made so many stories strike a chord on pages, stages and screens, but the way that Here Out West uses such sparks of recognition is equally astute and moving. As directed by feature first-timers Fadia Abboud, Lucy Gaffy and Julie Kalceff, as well as the more seasoned Ana Kokkinos (Blessed) and Leah Purcell (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson), Here Out West also charts a route that most anthologies do — because not every part matches the last or next. Each of its eight vignettes bring engaging people to the screen, and function as perceptively drawn character studies, but there's more to some than others. That's as fitting as the movie's naturalistically shot look, however, because that too reflects the reality that Here Out West so determinedly channels. Some tales are slight, others are immense and plenty sit in-between, but in this powerful, authentic, diversity-celebrating ode to western Sydney, they're all worth telling and sharing.
Looking to make the most out of the upcoming long weekend? Grab your mates and head to Barangaroo HAUS Party for a banging all-weekend-long celebration. Forget about Friday and start a little early — the grooving kicks off on Thursday, September 29, and continues all weekend through to late on Monday, October 3. Drinks will be flowing, beats will be spinning and you'll be wondering if you took a trip to Ibiza. [caption id="attachment_871572" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] All three levels of Barangaroo House are playing host: newest hot spot Rekōdo will be dishing up Japanese bites, sake and cocktails while vibey DJs spin vinyl; rooftop bar Smoke will be channelling Manhattan energy with elegant cocktails under the stars; and ground-level House Bar is the easy-breezy spot for waterside bevs in a lush environment. Over 40 DJs will be taking to the decks, with the likes of Phil Smart, Milky Tea, Taras, Baby Gee and Madami all slated to play. The best bit? Entry's free — but we recommend you make a booking, because it's set to be the party to be at this long weekend. Barangaroo HAUS Party takes over Barangaroo House from Thursday, September 29 till Monday, October 3. Head to the website to secure your spot.
Sydney nightlife precinct YCK Laneways, which encompasses 15 bars located across York, Clarence and Kent streets, will be popping up in Sydney's historic GPO building for two evenings this October. Making its home in The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, favourites including Since I Left You and Stitch Bar have teamed up to create a 1920s-inspired cocktail bar, complete with a bespoke drinks menu. Expect the likes of a Premier Cru French 75 with Bombay, lemon juice, sugar syrup and bubbles. Visitors will also be able to enjoy art from the likes of visual creator George Rose, Melbourne muralist Justine McAllister and illustrator Sarah McCloskey while they sip. Live music will fall to house music vocalist Arrnott Olssen with The Potbelleez's DJ Dave Goode, as well as Angela Rosero from Sydney dance band Cumbiamuffin. The initiative is in partnership with real estate group CBRE and Bacardi. It will form part of Wynyard's Flow and Glow event program across October 13-14, which is free to attend and includes access to pop-up art galleries, immersive experiences and panel talks on creating conscious cities. [caption id="attachment_805685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Since I Left You on Kent Street[/caption] YCK Laneway's pop-up will run from 5pm on Thursday, October 13 and Friday, October 14.
It feels as though event season has popped off earlier than usual in Sydney. Perhaps the start of daylight savings and some blissful days of sunshine will do that to a city that hasn't had a proper summer in two years. In anticipation of your increasingly stacked social calendar, Tribe in Quay Quarter — a hair salon tucked away like a calming oasis from the rush of Circular Quay — is offering customers a blow-dry and glass of sparkling wine for just $55 on Thursdays and Fridays until the end of October. Make a booking to get one of Tribe's expert stylists on your mane for beach waves or Hollywood glam finish — whatever you desire — to get that salon finish for your next after work event for when you want to treat yourself. Tribe also uses environmentally sustainable, socially responsible products as a bonus. Tribe Lifestyle is offering customers the bubbles and blow-dry experience on Thursday's and Friday's for a limited time until October 28. Make your booking here under the 'styling' section.
Some films are long, slow and serious. Others are brief, quick and fun. There's a place for the former, of course; however, Radical Reels champions the latter category, combining the most action-packed mountain movies it can find into a compilation of high-octane shorts. Radical Reels is the adrenaline-loving little brother of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, the prestigious international film competition and annual presentation of short films and documentaries about mountain culture, sports, and environment. From the most recent festival's batch of submissions, a subset of daring displays have been singled out for not just one evening at the cinema, but two — one at the Hayden Orpheum, the other at the Randwick Ritz. Between Wednesday, October 19–Thursday, October 20, Radical Reels will approach the very edge of action sports and natural highs: the wild rides, long lines, steep jumps, and skilled stunts, as well as the rugged playgrounds thrill-seekers explore on their mountain bikes, paddles, ropes, skis, snowboards and wingsuits. 2022 highlights include ski flick Maneuvers; Always Higher, about high diving; Arves-En-Ciel, focusing on walking between two rock towers on a slackline; and the wingsuit flying-centric Trustfall. Expect the world's best extreme athletes getting fast and furious — and expect quite the thrilling ride from the comfort of your cushy cinema seat, too. Top image: Arves-En-Ciel.
Whether you're catching a stone-cold classic or a brand-new release, if you're heading out of the house to see a movie, your picture-watching location is important. Everyone has their favourite cinemas — and, beyond the tried-and-trusted spots, plenty of pop-up venues keep getting in on the flick-screening action. Still, it isn't every day that you get to watch recent and retro features in an 18-metre dome. That's currently on the agenda in Wollongong thanks to the Winter Warmer Cinema Dome, which runs through until Sunday, August 28. Even if you're not usually the kind of movie to hit the road just to see a movie, this is one cinema-fuelled getaway you'll remember. On the bill at MacCabe Park: Top Gun: Maverick, aka a big-screen must-see that'll have you feeling the need for speed; the Marvel antics of Thor: Love and Thunder; and Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, thank you, thank you very much. You can also catch nostalgic sessions of Mean Girls, The Holiday, Frozen 2, Love Actually, Ice Age, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Grease, with tickets costing $30 per adult. And as well as the Cinema Dome, snacks are also on offer, because it wouldn't be a trip to the movies otherwise. And, the full Winter Warmer setup includes dining igloos and a winter market from Thursday, August 25–Sunday, August 28.
Back in 1988, when John Waters wrote and directed Hairspray, he couldn't have known what'd follow. The cult filmmaker's flick was a modest hit to begin with, but really became a sensation on home video in the early 90s. The film's star Ricki Lake, who made her big-screen debut playing 60s teen Tracy Turnblad, also became one of the decade's big talkshow hosts. That's a wild path for any movie to take, but Hairspray's story doesn't end there. A theatre adaptation followed in 2002, as did eight Tony Awards. Then came a new 2007 movie based on that stage musical. Yes, Hairspray has lived many lives — and in its latest, it's coming to Sydney. In its on-stage, all-singing, all-dancing guise, it'll spin the dance-loving Turnblad's tale of teen dreams and making a difference at Sydney Lyric from late summer, kicking off on Sunday, February 5, 2023. Turnblad has one specific fantasy, actually: to dance on The Corny Collins Show. And when she makes it, it changes her life — but she has more change to fight for, too. The story unfolds in 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland, where racial discrimination is an everyday part of life. So, Turnblad uses her newfound fame to advocate for a different future for everyone. Hairspray's Sydney run is a local staging of the original Broadway production, and with director Jack O'Brien (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots) guiding the show. Appearing on-stage in the new Aussie version, which comes to Sydney after premiering in Melbourne: Shane Jacobson, swapping Kenny's overalls, his numerous TV hosting gigs and appearing in seemingly every Australian movie made over the past decade for the role of Edna Turnblad, Tracy's mother (which was played by the inimitable Divine in Waters' movie, Harvey Fierstein on Broadway and John Travolta in the 2007 film). He's joined by Carmel Rodrigues as Tracy, Todd McKenney as Wilbur Turnblad, Rhonda Burchmore as the villainous Velma Von Tussle and Rob Mills as Corny Collins. Images: Jeff Busby.
Putting a spring in your step on an average Tuesday isn't the easiest thing to achieve. The last weekend is well and truly over, the next one seems forever away and you haven't even hit hump day yet. Putting some spice in your life is simple from 5pm on Tuesday, August 23, though. Your zesty escape: Salt Meats Cheese's Spice Meats Cheese dinner, a one-night-only affair that's all about drinks and dishes that pack a punch. On the menu: four courses of chilli-, nduja- and Sriracha-filled Italian dishes, starting with a spicy antipasto platter featuring chilli-marinated olives, spicy pecorino, sopressata, hot tromba and a homemade spicy capsicum dip. You'll also tuck into spicy beef polpette topped with Sriracha, spicy 'nduja and hot sopressa pizza, and a spicy rigatoni alla vodka made with Archie Rose's native botanical vodka. To wash it all down with, there are four cocktails to choose from — with your pick included in the $55 price. Sip a chilli-topped spritz, opt for a Tabasco margarita, or see what a cosmopolitan tastes like with a bit of that same hot sauce, too. Some are made with Archie Rose's native botanical vodka as well, including the Rhuby Tuesday, which includes fig and rhubarb syrup. Fancy more drinks? They'll cost you $18 a pop after your first one. Bookings for the Spice Meats Cheese dinner are essential — and Sydneysiders can hit up Salt Meats Cheese at Circular Quay and Cronulla.
How fitting it is that a film about family — about the ties that bind, and when those links are threatened not by choice but via unwanted circumstances — hails from an impressive lineage itself. How apt it is that Hit the Road explores the extent that ordinary Iranians find themselves going to escape the nation's oppressive authorities, too, and doesn't shy away from its political subtext. The reason that both feel ideal stems from the feature's filmmaker Panah Panahi. This isn't a wonderful movie solely due to its many echoes, resonating through the bonds of blood, and also via what's conveyed on-screen and reality around it, though. It's a gorgeously shot, superbly acted, astutely written and deeply felt feature all in its own right, and it cements its director — who debuts as both a helmer and a screenwriter — as an emerging talent to watch. But it's also a film that's inseparable from its context, because it simply wouldn't exist without the man behind it and his well-known background. Panah's surname will be familiar because he's the son of acclaimed auteur Jafar Panahi, one of Iranian cinema's best-known figures for more than two decades now. And Jafar's run-ins with the country's regime will be familiar as well, because the heat he's felt at home for his social commentary-laden work has been well-documented for just as long. The elder Panahi, director of This Is Not a Film, Closed Curtain and more, has been both imprisoned and banned from making movies over the years. In July 2022, he was detained again merely for enquiring about the legal situation surrounding There Is No Evil helmer Mohammad Rasoulof and Poosteh director Mostafa Aleahmad. None of the above directly comes through in Hit the Road's story, not for a moment, but the younger Panahi's characteristically defiant movie is firmly made with a clear shadow lingering over it. When filmmaking becomes a family business, the spectre of the parent can loom over the child, of course — by choice sometimes, and also purely thanks to their shared name. In the first category, Jason Reitman picked up his father Ivan's franchise with Ghostbusters: Afterlife, for instance; Gorō Miyazaki has helmed animated movies for his dad Hayao's Studio Ghibli, such as Tales From Earthsea, From Up on Poppy Hill and Earwig and the Witch; and Brandon Cronenberg's Antiviral and Possessor are chips off The Fly and Videodrome great David Cronenberg's body-horror block. Panahi's Hit the Road also feels like it has been handed down, including in the way it spends the bulk of its time in a car as Jafar's Tehran Taxi and 3 Faces did. That said, it feels as much like the intuitive Panah is taking up the same mission as Jafar as someone purely taking after his dad. Hit the Road's narrative is simple and also devastatingly layered; in its frames, two starkly different views of life in Iran are apparent. A mother (Pantea Panahiha, Rhino), a father (Mohammad Hassan Madjooni, Pig), their adult son (first-timer Amin Simiar) and their six-year-old boy (scene-stealer Rayan Sarlak, Gol be khodi), all unnamed, have indeed done as the movie's moniker suggests — and in a borrowed car. When the film opens, there's no doubting that the kid among them sees the world, and everything in general, as only a kid can. The mood with the child's mum, dad and sibling is far more grim, however, even though they say they're en route to take the brood's eldest to get married. Their time on the road is tense and uncertain, and also tinged with the tenor of not-so-fond farewells — and with nary a glimmer of a celebratory vibe about impending nuptials. If the boy senses the sorrow hanging thick in the van, it doesn't trouble him; existence is simple when you're just a kid in a car with your family. Initially, he plays with a makeshift keyboard drawn onto the cast over his dad's broken leg. Throughout the ride, he chatters, sings, does ordinary childhood things and finds magic in the cross-country journey. He throws a tantrum when, not long after the feature starts, the family has to stop to hide his mobile phone. And, he shows zero knowledge about what eats at the rest of his relatives. But mum worries they're being followed, and just worries overall; big brother has little time for any frivolities, preoccupied as he is with the future ahead; and dad is gruff but caring, torn between his physical ailments and the vastly different situations surrounding his two offspring. In the back, their dog Jessy is also unwell, another truth that's being kept from boy and complicates the vehicle's dynamic. Every venture away from home, whether during a leisurely drive or for more serious reasons, spills out its joys, thrills, woes and secrets as it unfurls; that's the best way to watch Hit the Road as well. Cinema's second-generation Panahi crafts a bittersweet and beautiful film that's alive with minutiae, and with moments that overflow with insight and emotion — and, as lensed by Ballad of a White Cow cinematographer Amin Jafari, with as much feeling conveyed visually as via the movie's pitch-perfect performances. Sarlak's lively portrayal and the detail that comes with it says everything that's needed about trying to claim a slice of normality within Iran today, and how tricky that is. The feature's stunningly shot frames are just as telling, every sequence adding meaning and spectacle. Three in particular, all late in the piece and involving fraught exchanges, nighttime stories and heartbreaking goodbyes, rank among the most mesmerising images committed to celluloid in recent years, in fact. In one such standout scene backdropped by a misty field, the camera remains at a distance as it observes the family splintering. In its sense of remove, it lets their ordeal act as a broader portrait, serving up a statement via a microcosm. In another glorious moment, father and son take in the evening sky and also appear to surreally float within it — in a nod to 2001: A Space Odyssey, which the other son names as his favourite movie. In the third scene, light and movement carve through a hillside like much has carved through the film's central family and their country. Hit the Road includes delightful to-camera sing-alongs, too, and deadpan humour, plus striking shots of both sandy and verdant landscape. It's clear-eyed and also dreamy, weighty yet comic, intimate as well as sprawling, and realistic but playful. It's a fable, a snapshot and a message in one, and it's as tender as it is heartbreaking. Hit the Road is a movie to travel along several routes with, as Panahi does, each fork along the way as revelatory as the end destination.
There's only one Wes Anderson, but there's a litany of wannabes. Why can't David O Russell be among them? Take the first filmmaker's The Grand Budapest Hotel, mix in the second's American Hustle and that's as good a way as any to start describing Amsterdam, Russell's return to the big screen after a seven-year gap following 2015's Joy — and a starry period comedy, crime caper and history lesson all in one. Swap pastels for earthier hues, still with a love of detail, and there's the unmistakably Anderson-esque look of the film. Amsterdam is a murder-mystery, too, set largely in the 1930s against a backdrop of increasing fascism, and filled with more famous faces than most movies can dream of. The American Hustle of it all springs from the "a lot of this actually happened" plot, this time drawing upon a political conspiracy called the White House/Wall Street Putsch, and again unfurling a wild true tale. A Russell returnee sits at the centre, too: Christian Bale (Thor: Love and Thunder) in his third film for the writer/director. The former did help guide the latter to an Oscar for The Fighter, then a nomination for American Hustle — but while Bale is welcomely and entertainingly loose and freewheeling, and given ample opportunity to show his comic chops in his expressive face and physicality alone, Amsterdam is unlikely to complete the trifecta of Academy Awards recognition. The lively movie's cast is its strongest asset, though, including the convincing camaraderie between Bale, John David Washington (Malcolm & Marie) and Margot Robbie (The Suicide Squad). They play pals forged in friendship during World War I, then thanks to a stint in the titular Dutch city. A doctor, a lawyer and a nurse — at least at some point in the narrative — they revel in love and art during their uninhabited stay, then get caught in chaos 15 years later. Amsterdam begins in the later period, with Burt Berendsen (Bale) tending to veterans — helping those with war injuries and lingering pain, as he himself has — without a medical license. He once had a Park Avenue practice, but his military enlistment and his fall from the well-heeled set afterwards all stems from his snobbish wife Beatrice (Andrea Riseborough, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) and her social-climbing (and prejudiced) parents. As he did in the war, however, Burt aids who he can where he can, including with fellow ex-soldier Harold Woodman (Washington). That's how he ends up lending a hand (well, a scalpel) to the well-to-do Liz Meekins (Taylor Swift, Cats) after the unexpected death of her father and their old Army general (Ed Begley Jr, Better Call Saul). The bereaved daughter suspects foul play and Burt and Harold find it, but with fingers pointing their way when there's suddenly another body. Two police detectives (The Old Guard's Matthias Schoenaerts and The Many Saints of Newark's Alessandro Nivola), both veterans themselves, come a-snooping — and Burt and Harold now have two tasks. Clearing their names and figuring out what's going on are intertwined, of course, and also just the start of a story that isn't short on developments and twists (plus early flashes back to 1918 to set up the core trio, their bond, their heady bliss and a pact that they'll keep looking out for each other). There's a shagginess to both the tale and the telling, because busy and rambling is the vibe, especially with so much stuffed into the plot. One of Amsterdam's worst traits is its overloaded and convoluted feel, seeing that there's the IRL past to explore, a message about history repeating itself to deliver along with it, and enough mayhem to fuel several romps to spill out around it. The pacing doesn't help, flitting between zipping and dragging — and usually busting out the wrong one for each scene. Among all of the above, there's also no shortage of characters; that lengthy list of well-known names has to get up to something, and that jam-packed story has to get as many cogs whirring as possible. Valerie Voze (Robbie) sweeps back in just as pandemonium kicks in, under her brother Tom (Rami Malek, No Time to Die) and his wife Libby's (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Northman) watch. Old war buddy Milton King (Chris Rock, Spiral: From the Book of Saw) warns Burt and Harold about helping Liz from the start, but autopsy nurse Irma St Clair (Zoe Saldana, The Adam Project) — who Burt is visibly fond of — dutifully assists. Also popping up: celebrated army buddy General Gil Dillenbeck (Robert De Niro, The War with Grandpa), as well as intelligence officers Paul Canterbury (Mike Myers, The Pentaverate) and Henry Norcross (Michael Shannon, Bullet Train). Russell uses his supporting players to inject as many quirks and as much energy as he can, including via Canterbury and Norcross' cover as purveyors of glass eyes — something that Burt needs, in dark hazel green — and their keen and genuine interest in birdwatching as a hobby. Those and other eccentricities are also sprinkled around heartily as flavour, setting up and deepening the madcap mood with more than a tad too much force, particularly given that the score by Daniel Pemberton (See How They Run), roving and Dutch-tilting cinematography from Emmanuel Lubezki (Song to Song), and intricate production and art design more than do their showy and flamboyant part. Still, there's little faulting the spirited actors circling around Bale, Washington and Robbie — Malek, Saldana, Riseborough and De Niro especially — or that lead threesome. Whenever Amsterdam lags or rushes, the performances bring viewers in. Alongside Bale's engaging sense of comedy, Washington wears understated charm as well as a suit, and Robbie is just as charismatic playing free-spirited yet tenacious. Lubezki's floating lensing truly is magnetic; if ever given the option to go large or go home, Russell is rarely known for holding back or getting his collaborators to. The filmmaker is fond of idealistic protagonists making their way through a trying world with their sizeable personalities, hopes and hearts shining bright, recognisably so — and contemplating what his boisterous bounces through fictionalised/dramatised blasts from the past say about America today. Being aware of how quickly fascism can infiltrate, and via whom, isn't a new or novel message for 2022. Amsterdam is never as simplistic in stating the obvious as Don't Look Up was about climate change, though, and it isn't patronising, insulting or irritating, thankfully. It's no The Grand Budapest Hotel or even American Hustle, either, but worse can happen, a notion that the screwball flick's characters keep learning.
Come on Barbie, let's go party — at Sydney's one-night-only Barbie-themed shindig. Add this to the pile of events that never want you to grow up; if you've been to an adult Lego night, enjoyed Disney-themed shenanigans or gotten nostalgic with some So Fresh-soundtracked revelry, you'll know the feeling. Here, life in plastic, it's fantastic. So is pink as far as the eye can see. Also on the bill at Manning Bar from 8pm–2am on Friday, September 16: 'Barbie Girl' sing-alongs every hour, because what else is going to pump through the speakers? Actually, you can expect pop tunes aplenty. Amid the shape-making, attendees can also add some sparkle at the free pink glitter station. Drinks-wise, you'll be sipping Barbie-themed cocktails — think: 'Barbie juice', 'Ken's punch' and 'doll drank'. Free Chupa Chups and fairy floss are on the menu as well. Dressing up in Barbie-style attire, or pink at least, is clearly a must — and yes, you'll get plenty of chances to take snaps as part of your $29.10 ticket. And if you're wondering why this event even exists, the Barbie Party is getting in early to celebrate the Greta Gerwig-directed Barbie movie. So, channelling your inner Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling is on the agenda, too.
A hatted favourite in New Zealand, White + Wongs is a new addition to Sydney's hospo scene, arriving at the city's latest dining precinct. This colourful spot located at 25 Martin Place doesn't stray too far from the formula that's made it such a success across the ditch, with an eclectic menu that draws influences from classic street food from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. On Monday, September 26, the inner-city eatery is celebrating International Dumpling Day with a pair of dumpling offers. The first is an all-you-can-eat dumpling menu that will set back diners $25 a head. You'll be served dumplings yum cha-style for an hour, and be able to sample as many dumplings as you can from both White + Wongs' standard dumpling menu and its Fun Dumpling Menu. On the Fun Dumpling Menu, you'll find weird and wonderful takes on dumplings including mac and cheese xiao long bao, Vegemite and emu dumplings, prawn and parmesan toast, and hot fried jam doughnut buns. While you're indulging in bottomless dumplings, you can also pull together three of your closest dumpling-loving friends to share the 10-inch giant xiao long bao which has been added to the menu. Each giant dumpling is filled with pork mince and a pork-based broth and can feed four people. It even comes with a straw so you can suck out the soup before you cut it open. There will only be 30 available on the day for $35 a pop, so make sure to preorder your giant dumpling in advance. The festivities kick off at 11am and go until late. Make sure to book a table at the White + Wongs website if you're heading in for the dumpling feast.
Sydney's urban oasis Pocket City Farms is opening up its greenhouse this weekend and selling $1 seedlings for all you aspiring green thumbs out there. The sale includes nine different seedlings, including curled green dwarf kale, red beetroot, purple kohlrabi, rainbow chard and broccoli leaf spigarello. And you can nab them in packs of five for just five bucks. All of the farm's veggies are grown using chemical-free practices too. With social distancing in mind, all seedling sales will be available through pre-purchase only. Two pick-up slots are allocated from 10am–12pm on Saturday, August 1 and 11am–12pm Wednesday, August 5. Free delivery is also available from 12–4pm on the Wednesday (with a $20 minimum purchase). While walk-up sales will not be permitted, you can complete your order while waiting in the queue on the day. But the seedlings are subject to availability, and you'll be able to list your preferences when you pre-order. Substitutions may be necessary — but for one dollarydoo a pop, you can hardly complain. Apart from the seedlings, you can also add any other offerings from PCF's online shop to your order, including pickles, preserves, honey and merch. It'll all be ready for you to pick up during your designated time slot. https://www.facebook.com/pocketcityfarms/photos/a.325775257516821/3169631103131208/?type=3&__tn__=-R Image: Luisa Brimble
If you made your way through most of Netflix during iso and are now wondering how else to while away winter, never fear. Regional NSW town Orange is bringing a brand-spanking-new streaming service to your screens. An antidote to all the hours spent at home, it'll offer a bunch of locally produced shows that celebrate the region. With Orange recognised as one of Australia's finest culinary regions, you can expect food and drink content aplenty. Aptly dubbed Very Local, the subscription-style service will transport you to the depths of the Central West's winter. It's set to launch on Friday, July 31, coinciding with the annual Orange Winter Fire Festival, and will feature everything from A-class chefs and winemakers to artist studio sessions and stunning cinematography of the local landscape. You'll catch veteran winemaker Phillip Shaw in conversation with renowned wine critic Peter Bourne and, to really be a part of it, you can get a wine pack delivered. Be warned, though, it'll set you back a cool $477, but comes with four seriously good drops. Another highlight is Fire, Family and Friends, where former Rockpool chef Dom Aboud, who now runs The Union Bank restaurant and bar in Orange, and Michael Chiem of lauded Sydney bar PS40 prep a mean feast. There'll also be a stargazing session that focuses on First Nations peoples' knowledge and stories of the skies and a tasting with Pioneer Brewing's Pete Gerber. For the latter, you can get the brews delivered, too, so you can join in the fun from the comfort of your couch. There'll also be a dedicated Slow TV channel that'll showcase the likes of the traditional Japanese technique of making miso, scenes from local vineyards, scapes of mountainside forests and a 24-hour bonfire, which will bring the hygge vibes in spades. It'll run for a month and set you back $25 for a season pass, which will give you unlimited access to the program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYTdsN7oyWU&feature=youtu.be The inaugural season of Very Local launches on Friday, July 31 and will run till Monday, August 31. To sign up, head here. Images: Orange360 and Destination NSW
Fond of Betty's Burgers and its Shake Shack-style burgs? Keen to share the love with someone you love? From Wednesday, July 8 to Sunday, July 12, the chain of eateries wants Sydneysiders to come in for a bite — and to bring their besties in as well. To mark Betty's Bestie Burger Fest, the brand's new Parramatta Square joint will be serving up two-for-one burgers, with a different version on offer each day. Pay $11.50 for the crispy chicken burger — with southern-fried chicken, lettuce, tomato and special sauce — on Wednesday and you'll score a pair of them. The two-for-one offer also applies to the $10.50 Betty's Classic — which stacks angus beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese and Betty's special sauce on a soft bun — on Thursday, and the Betty's Deluxe, which'll set you back $15 for two, on Saturday. The crispy chicken will be on offer again on Sunday and the 'supreme' version of the chook burger (with cheese and bacon) will be two for $15 on Friday. The two-for-one deal is available from 11am until 9pm, so if you and your favourite fellow burger fiend are especially eager, you could always hit up one for lunch and another for dinner.
We've had our eyes on talented multidiscplinarians and conductors of happenings zin for some time. But as they've plied us with shots at the Sydney Festival and induced us to party at Underbelly Arts, we've wondered, when are they going to stop with these shenanigans and go pro? Finally, the duo of Harriet Gillies and Roslyn Helper is listening to the demands of the public and synergising to optimal efficiency. With their one-night only art event Really Professional, they are announcing to the world that they are truly, properly, really professional. If you are in any doubt as to their professionality, just look at them in the picture above with power suits on and what looks like hair that is brushed. Such professional. Much sponsorship prospects. Clearly, we know nothing of what we're in store for on Tuesday, May 27. Just count us in.
The Chaser team recently cut the red tape on the Giant Dwarf, the restored Cleveland Street Theatre, as a hub for satirists. Enter the self-proclaimed '#QandA on crack', A Rational Fear, who'll be taking on one of Australian politics' most talked about former ministers of late: Bob Carr. Led by Dan Ilic of Hungry Beast and Can of Worms, the politically-focused comedy outlet takes to Giant Dwarf monthly with some of the wittiest minds around taking on today's top stories. ARF recently hit a $50,000 funding goal on Pozible, so expect slow-burning world domination (or at least Australian daily political satire domination) to follow, as A Rational Fear becomes a ten-week digital comedy series. Following the release of his controversial autobiography Diary of a Foreign Minister, the former federal Labor minister Bob Carr will be this month's special guest; to be grilled by Ilic and the ARF panel about everything from ICAC to pyjamas. This month's instalment will also feature Greg Fleet, Lewis Hobba (triple j, Spicks and Specks), James Colley (Junkee) and Hannah May Reilly (Girls Gone Mild). If you can't make it to Giant Dwarf on Monday, April 28 or if you can't muster the 20 clams for a ticket, FBi Radio will be broadcasting the show live from 8pm. The next instalment won't land until early June, so don't sit on your hands.
Record stores aren’t just retail outlets. They’re alternative schools for the musically challenged, sites of identification and rebellion, and burning hot crucibles for new bands — if not entire movements. For a while, however, we feared that the digital revolution would turn all of that into a relic of the past — a thing relegated to nostalgic, drunken reruns of Empire Records, High Fidelity and Good Vibrations. To an extent, the fear was justified. We’ve seen quite a few legendary institutions kick the bucket. Bondi, for example, lost one of the few remaining portals into its more bohemian past when its Campbell Parade record store closed. But as the old adage goes, you can’t keep a good man, woman or album collection down, so record stores have been making a serious comeback. And to keep the punters off downloads and onto discs, they’ve been doing things in even quirkier, bigger ways than ever before. One of these is annual international Record Store Day, now in its sixth year. On Saturday, April 19, music shops all over the world will host live gigs, interviews, special sales and much-anticipated new releases. In Sydney, The Record Store Darlinghurst, will be transforming into one enormous turntablism showcase featuring Broke, Raine Supreme, Clockwerk, Katalyst, Speedracer and Morphingaz. The party will continue after 6pm at Play Bar. Utopia, Kent Street, will be selling more than 100 exclusive RSDA titles and giving away all kinds of goodies, from Golden Tickets to The Enmore to box sets. At Repressed, you can expect a bunch of exciting new releases, including the Oh Sees' latest album and reissues from Dead Moon. And if you’re spending Record Store Day at the Royal Easter Show, catch ambassador Marcia Hines singing at WOW Music at 1pm.
The Affectors define themselves as a group of individuals capable of moving hearts and minds, and they certainly do with their multisensory exhibitions. Their latest event, Affected, sets out to do this through the use of multimedia. Members of the Affectors team will sift through web content to deliver the best and most affecting the internet has to offer, from YouTube clips to music videos. Taking place at the collaboration-driven workspace The Hub, the event sees the Affectors working in conjunction with The Loop to pose questions like what aspects of ad campaigns drive emotions or what creates inspiring and entertaining music clips. Participants are invited to discuss how popular online content both appeals to emotions and embraces multiple online platforms. Discounted tickets are available for Loop and Hub members. Free gelato provided by Messina will be dished out throughout the event.
In today's unpredictable world of infighting, internets and readily available guitar tabs, it's more probable than ever before that the biggest fan of a band will end up actually in the band. Ron Wood joining the Rolling Stones, Robert Trujillo joining Metallica, and now Jon Davison joining English progressive rock legends Yes (that's right, Yes) as their latest vocalist. "I'm still a Yes fan," he says from somewhere in Los Angeles. "I can't help it, these things happen. In instrumental sections where I'm holding back, I get caught up in thinking 'wow, here are these amazing musicians I've always admired just a few feet away from me — and I have a better view that anyone in the audience!'" With the sprightly American as frontman, the 50-million selling princes of prog are heading to Australia to perform their two finest releases, Fragile and Close to the Edge, from start to finish. I've played with bands for which these albums were like holy texts, and Davison doesn't dispute it. "Close to the Edge is, I think, based on the teachings of Siddhartha — a soul's journey through many lifetimes. It's very beautiful but there's a lament in it, about what the soul must endure, the challenges and the hard lessons we face as we go on. That's how I interpret it." There has been a "touch of the metaphysical" in most of Yes' output, and Davison still decodes their evocative and often cryptic lyrics from the stage. "It's not always a clear meaning. I approach the lyrics more emotionally I guess, but there are parts of songs that I very much relate to. 'And You And I' is heart-expanding, and I love 'Starship Trooper'. Those uplifting ones." Dotted throughout Fragile, meanwhile, are tracks focused on individual band members, the vocal showcase being 'We Have Heaven' — a gloriously overdubby affair. "I'm working on my own version of it now actually, in my home studio. I won't do any of [founding member of Yes] Jon Anderson's tracks, but I'll loop my voice a lot, and possibly Steve and Chris will do some other vocals too. We're going to make it as much of a live track as it can be." Anderson was an expectedly huge influence for Davison while he was finding his own voice, though they haven't become acquainted at any Yes parties yet. "I haven't had the privilege of actually meeting him, but a few who know him quite well say we would be good friends. I hope it happens eventually." The upcoming album will be the band's first with Davison, and they're champing at the bit to keep being, well, progressive. "I was very much encouraged by the others not to try to reference anything in the past, because then you compare and end up restricting yourself creatively. We've been aiming to only move forward and break new ground. Even in their heyday the band were making mindblowingly distinct albums, and we're aiming for that now. There's a real freshness to it; it moves in a new direction and accurately reflects this five-member line-up, just as it should." Despite being the lone American in a band comprised of people old enough to be his English dads, Davison is unfazed. "It's surreal but I seemed to fit in right away. They're very accommodating. What we share in common, of course, is the music — we both speak that language, despite our ages." And in a perfect world, would he sing in any other of his favourite bands? "I'd love to be a part of early Genesis. I wouldn't mind being Freddie Mercury for a day either, that would be pretty exciting." https://youtube.com/watch?v=_RJYxDfsvdg
NAIDOC Week happens in the first full week of July every year, and this year there's a packed program of events to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. One of the biggest drawcards is NAIDOC in the City, which invites Sydneysiders down to Hyde Park for an afternoon of festivities on Monday, July 7. The event is a sensory delight (seriously). Two underground earth ovens will be temporarily installed in the park, cooking up slow-cooked samplers of crocodile, kangaroo, emu, chicken and fish (as well as corn and sweet potato, representing your serving of veg). Chefs from Goanna Hut and Fred’s Bush Tucker will be up from 5am prepping the ovens, which use rocks heated by fire to cook the foods under a blanket of banana leaves, branches, wet hessian and sand. While you're there, watch traditional dance, try weaving or seashell art, and hear music from the likes of Marcus Corowa, Evie J, Jimblah and Horrorshow with Georgia Humphries. If you're feeling active, you can even make your way there by way of bicycle tour (bookings essential). Aboriginal guides from the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority will lead you around some of our city's most historic sites, finishing up in Hyde Park so you can join in on the fun. There's plenty else going on throughout the week, too. See John Pilger's Utopia at the Opera House or take a wander through the Art Gallery of NSW. Their special edition Art After Hours on July 9 features pop group Pirra, actor Luke Carroll and a tour of the Yiribana collection.
If you're ready to share a deep, dark, dirty secret that you've been harbouring your entire life, there's only one way to do it: on a stage, in front of a crowd. Well, that's the idea behind Confession Booth, anyway. Once a month at Giant Dwarf, writers, musos, actors, comedians and all-round creative types spill the beans on their most embarrassing, outrageous and top-secret moments. And if you've got a story you're dying to share, you can divulge during the audience confession segment — dig deep enough and you might find yourself carrying home a prize. In the hosts' chairs, you'll find AH Cayley and Matt Roden.
It seems so easy these days to make new friends and contacts — online. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tindr, Grindr: it's all as easy as a swipe right or a follow. But what about that old-fashioned, chaotic mess of serendipity that is meeting people in real life? That, you're probably doing far less often. What do you even say to start chatting to a stranger without sounding creepy, weird, desperate or simply too networky? Some tips from communication expert and social coach Russy Ross from the Social Collective should get you on your way. He’s coming to Redfern’s Work-Shop HQ to run a class by the name of The Coffee Shop Networker: The Art of Meeting People, Anywhere, Anytime. You walk in there with a pen, a notebook and the fiercest case of social awkwardness since Napoleon Dynamite. You walk out with the tools to turn on your charisma, ease and smarts, whenever you need them. Russy Ross will demonstrate that approaching people and keeping a conversation flowing is a much easier and more enjoyable task than you think.
ATTN: Curious kittens, nosy parkers and those on a tight budget, your favourite day of the year is back. Wellington Open Day, when the capital throws open her doors for locals and tourists alike, lets punters catch up with the city's museums, bars, and attractions for no more than a gold coin. Ever wanted to meet a Red Panda, peek behind the scenes at Wellington's most famous church or trawl through the BNZ museum's history of banking? Well, you're in luck as the zoo, Old St Pauls and the BNZ Museum (who even knew we had one of those?) will be among the 20 spots open to the public. Those of a more hedonistic bent, the Harbour City has not forgotten you. You can brush up you cocktail skills at bars Motel and Library, where a gold coin will get you a lesson in mixology - Masterful mojitos at Motel and classic Champagne cocktails at Library. Alternatively, if you're keen to commune with nature, Zealandia, the zoo in Newtown, Walk Wellington and Stagland's Wildlife Reserve are all yours for the hiking, for a mere buck or two. And that's just for starters. More than eight of the Capital's museums are in on the big day, along with Toi Whakaari Drama School , the Carter Observatory and plenty more. And before you feel too selfishly overindulgent, the gold coins do go to charity - so it's a double whammy of culture and good deeds. Bonza. It's likely to be a popular day so start early and expect a bit of a queue.
Melbourne's gentlemen of synth-pop are out spreading the good vibes and, as always, packing out the dance floor. Cut Copy's fourth album, Free Your Mind, was released last year and is probably the closest thing they have to a concept album, as it is hugely influenced by the Summers of Love in 1967 and 1989 according to lead singer Dan Whitford. It's strange to think that it's been 10 years since Cut Copy's debut album, Bright Like Neon Love, was released but at the same time exciting to see a band that tackles new ground while staying true to their original ideals. If their latest performance at this year's Golden Plains is anything to go by, punters can expect plenty of the new stuff and past favourites such as 'Hearts On Fire', 'So Haunted' and 'Need You Now'. Touch Sensitive and Nile Delta will be joining Cut Copy for a night that is sure to be all about the lights and music. Read our interview with Cut Copy. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xPRJVKtrCCk
Get ready rock fans, for the Arctic Monkeys are returning to Australia and New Zealand. The British band will embark on their biggest down under tour to date this autumn for their latest album, AM. The album, which was released this past September, is the band's fifth consecutive number 1 in the UK and also debuted at the top spot in the ARIA Albums Chart. So, Aussie and Kiwi fans, get stoked because you'll soon have the chance to hear their awesome collection of new jams, including chart toppers such as 'R U Mine?' and 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?' Original fans needn't worry, because the Monkeys never forget to pay tribute to their old school favourites. You'll probably still get your chance to belt out 'Fluorescent Adolescent's, "Oh the boy's a slag / The best you ever had / The best you ever had." https://youtube.com/watch?v=6366dxFf-Os
Here's your chance to thank a major enabler of your binge TV habit. The man responsible for bringing you 3720 hours of glee, revulsion, frustration and satisfaction, Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, is coming to Australia. He'll be making one exclusive appearance at the Sydney Town Hall as part of the Sydney Writers' Festival (an early part; he's here May 1 while the rest of the festival kicks off May 19). The discussion will zero in on Gilligan's creative process and presumably provide a platform for all your Better Call Saul-related questions. Even though Gilligan might be the most 'read' writer at the festival, there's plenty else in the program announcement to warrant attention and ticket-getting. Big international names include that other confounding New Zealand prodigy, 2013 Booker Prize winner for The Luminaries Eleanor Catton (who is, we're constantly being reminded, 28). There's also right-of-passage author Irvine Welsh, journalist/press freedoms fighter Jeremy Scahill, Super Sad True Love Story writer/famous blurbist Gary Shteyngart, and Eimear McBride, who in 2013 threw out the laws of grammar and emerged with the bizarrely comprehensible A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing. Artistic director Jemma Birrell doesn't appear to be trying to reinvent the wheel or tweet the wheel or performance art the wheel; the 2014 Sydney Writers' Festival is geared towards solid programming that mixes interesting minds. "Over 400 writers will bring their insight and knowledge, their creativity and contemplation, to help us see life from a different perspective," she says of the festival. Bondi Beach and Bowral are new venues, and there's a fun-looking series putting the spotlight on Literary Friendships (it generously counts siblings as friends, so writers Benjamin and Michelle Law are included). Now a fixture of the festival, the Chaser-run Festival Club is where things will get relaxed and sweary at the end of the day. The Sydney Writers' Festival is on May 19-25 (apart from lone wolf Vince). Tickets are on sale from 9am on Friday, April 4, via the festival website. Check out our picks of the top ten events at the Writers' Festival,
While they’re among our closest neighbours, the cinema of Indonesia doesn’t get a whole lot of attention in Australia, save for the martial arts carnage of The Raid and its recent sequel. Yet there’s a lot more to the Asian archipelago’s movie industry than broken limbs and severed tendons, as is demonstrated by the program at this year’s Indonesian Film Festival. Although unable to rival other national film fests in terms of size, the IFF aims to showcase the diversity of Indonesia’s national cinema through a selection of films across a variety of genres. Amongst the most intriguing entries on the 2014 program are Something in the Way, a drama about a devout Muslim taxi driver who falls in love with a prostitute, and What They Don’t Talk About When They Talk About Love, a coming-of-age story set in a school for the blind. The festival will also welcome several filmmakers, producers and actors as guests, with many screenings being followed by audience Q&As. For the full IFF program, visit the festival website
Transcendence feels like a movie out of time. For one, it seeks to pack far too much into its 119-minute run-time, but — more to point — it feels like a movie that's 14 years too late, and not just because it specifically references Y2K without any irony or reminiscence. Set in the 'could be today, could be tomorrow, but in no way distant' future, it concerns itself with married couple and MIT-supergraduates Will and Evelyn Caster (Johnny Depp and Rebecca Hall). They, along with friends and colleagues Max (Paul Bettany) and Joseph (Morgan Freeman), are amongst the world's leading engineers in the pursuit of a fully functioning, self-aware artificial intelligence. Opposing them is a group of militant luddites operating under the banner of 'Unplug', which again — in the age of wireless — seems markedly dated for such a forward-thinking movie. When these 'Unpluggists' (as they're definitely not called) launch a series of coordinated attacks against AI-focused research centres, Will winds up mortally wounded, albeit in a manner so unnecessary and bewildering that it's a genuine mystery how and why it was ever included in the plot. As his final days draw near, Evelyn decides to upload his consciousness to a mainframe in the hope that he can live on inside the machine. It's at this point that things turn bad for both the characters and the film. The compelling ethical questions raised in the first act largely fall away, dismissed with the apathetic resignation of 'oh well, we went and did it so what does it all matter now?' As Will's intelligence rapidly surpasses that of humanity's — a theoretical moment known in conventional science as 'the singularity' and in the film as 'transendence' — his aspirations and ideas become, just like the movie, too broad, too incorporeal and too numerous. Moments of extraordinary innovation and emotion, such as the bestowing of sight upon a man who'd only ever known blindess, are shown and then dispensed with absent almost any sentimentality or drama. It's not that any of the ideas are necessarily bad, it's just that any one or two of them would have made for an excellent film, whereas all of them combined prove little more than a confusing and threadbare mess. The glue that binds it all together is the delightful Rebecca Hall, whose performance as the dutiful, then grieving, then wilfully blind accomplice to Will's increasing 'transcendent interventionism' instills some much-needed humanity to the film. Her stubborn refusal to acknowledge the possibility of confirmation bias in believing the AI she's interacting with is anything but her dead husband is both moving and unsettling, demonstrating how important objectivity is in any scientific pursuit, let alone one with global implications. The recent, exceptional Her raised many of the same questions relating to artificial sentience, and — to put it plainly — did it much better. Given the rate of technological advancement, there's an undeniable sense of inevitability when it comes to the singularity, and doubtless we'll soon see many more films exploring the possibilities (and dangers) of blurring the lines between man and machine. The issues are genuinely fascinating, though future films would do well to learn lessons from Transcendence and explore just one of them instead of all of them. https://youtube.com/watch?v=QheoYw1BKJ4
Now is your chance to learn from the best of the best in the photography world with a seminar from three Canon Masters. Featured speakers are husband-and-wife team Jackie Ranken and Mike Langford and Australian photographer Darren Jew. Listen to them share their experiences capturing some of their best photos and soak up their tips and techniques. The seminar will be followed by a question-and-answer session. Native New Zealanders Ranken and Langford have been photographers for over 30 years, with their focus being fine art and landscape photography, and Canon masters for 10 years. They founded the Queenstown Centre for Creative Photography, where they teach others the knowledge they've collectively gained throughout their careers. Darren Jew's photographic focus is nature and wildlife, with a specialty in underwater photography. He has shot for Australian Geographic and conservation organisations around the world, receiving numerous accolades for his work. All participants in the seminar will come away with knowledge of many kinds of photography, from portraits to landscapes. Image by Mike Langford.
