Prepare to be lulled into a heady state of amusement. Daniel Kitson is bringing his self-deprecating, brilliant arrogance to Sydney for the second time in two months, with his latest one-man theatre show.Kitson is a comedian who makes the state of being slightly depressed seem like the ultimate way to get around in life. He’s won a ton of awards, shuns the spotlight and is self-professedly socially inept when it comes to fans.66a Church Road, which premiered at Edinburgh last year, has been lauded as a piece of theatrical comic genius. According to the man himself, "it’s a lovely show. With a beautiful set, with battered suitcases lighting up in quite magical ways, and obviously I’m saying awesome stuff at the same time, brilliant. Wallop."https://youtube.com/watch?v=TbUqhxPGFXY
Saying that your island is the funniest in the world is a big gamble. For one, you're competing against places with funny names, such as Intercourse Island. Then there's the quantative issue of islands that have a higher population of comedians, such as Great Britain.Luckily, the World's Funniest Island isn't legally bound to accurately representing its name, though it does go to great lengths to reach the mark. For two whole days comedy-lovers have the option of being trapped on an island with an assortment of hilarious acts, running from stand-up comedy through to cheeky burlesque. Top of the list are the international past blasters, Alexei Sayle (of the Young Ones) and The Goodies. But definitely check out local produce, such as the dubbed darlings of the Imperial Panda Festival - the Mad Max Remix, Edinburgh-storming rock act, the Axis of Awesome, and the most highbrow of events, the Erotic Fan Fiction readings.Also, if you want to engage in an activity that is rife with pun opportunities, you're welcome to grab a camping pass for the two days on the island. Choice phrases like "Put it in there," and "I can't get it up high enough," will never be the same again.Video of Erotic Fiction Favourites: Shia Labeouf by Nuclear Palm Comedy (not performing at World's Funniest Island)https://youtube.com/watch?v=p5OHPnRBUD0
Having never quite managed to be in the right place to see a Kaldor Public Art Project in the flesh, I'm pretty excited about the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Kaldor retrospective. Seriously. Sure, tucking some glossy photographs neatly into the old white cube seems slightly anathema to the Kaldor ethos, but after 40 years of "yep, that's pretty great" projects, Kaldor is indisputably a significant part of the history (and present) of contemporary art in Australia. A major exhibition accompanied by a substantial publication is just the thing to remind us. In 1968 there was no MCA, no ACCA, there were no publicly funded contemporary art spaces at all, just John Kaldor twiddling his thumbs wondering how to connect Australia with the international avant-garde. One year later Kaldor brought out Christo and Jeanne-Claude and their Wrapped Coast - one million square feet, Little Bay, Sydney transformed attitudes towards large-scale public art projects and contemporary art more broadly. Gilbert & George's The Singing Sculpture, Jeff Koons' Puppy, Gregor Schneider's 21 beach cells. Ah yes, we've much to be thankful for. And, if you were worried it was going to be all flat stuff on walls and in books, the latest Kaldor project is being launched to coincide with the exhibition. Berlin-based Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi is transforming the equestrian sculptures outside the AGNSW with his new work War and Peace and in between. It will be amazing. Image: Christo and Jeanne-Claude (Christo pictured), Wrapped Coast - one million square feet, Little Bay, Sydney, Photo: Harry Shunk, Courtesy: Kaldor Public Art Projects
‘You gave me my first glimpse of a real life and then you ask me to carry on with a false one. No-one can endure that.’ - Newland Archer, The Age of InnocenceAs an accompaniment to its current exhibition Printmaking in the Age of Romanticism, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is serving up â€" slightly warm and blushing â€" a free cinema series set to thaw even the coldest of hearts.Beginning with Luchino Visconti’s sumptuous 1963 film The Leopard (the full-length, Palme d’Or winning version), this cinema series boasts five romanticism-inspired period films: The Age of Innocence, Cyrano de Bergerac, Pride and Prejudice and Picnic at Hanging Rock. Together they possess a litany of cinematic accolades, so indulge guilt-free your pleasure for epic tales of romance, longing, honour and betrayal â€" this is serious cultural fareIs it really necessary to resist the delicious, Scorcese-driven pairing of a young Michelle Pfeiffer and Daniel Day-Lewis? Ah, put away your Bukowski, it’s Keats’ time again. All breathy women and impeccably erect men - you shall endure it.image: The Leopardhttps://youtube.com/watch?v=nri054ZsIPM
Always wanted to get your face on TV but not talented enough for Australian Idol? Advertised as “taking social photography to a whole new level†TV Club can turn that dream into a reality! The Neon Hearts team are turning Candy’s Apartment into a wacky social experiment by installing video cameras and photographers into the darkest club corners, ready to capture and broadcast your best and worst dance moves to the rest of the snappy-happy party goers. The Dirty Carpet Disco Band and MC Nikkita and DJ Kaputz are performing, and Sydney’s most photogenic DJs Sleater Brockman, Sirens, Jack Shit and the Neon Hearts DJ Team are keeping the music coming until the early hours.
My Disco have been somewhat AWOL from our discos of late but Sydney will be graced by their mathematical and minimalrock towards the end of September.They should be in astounding shape as this year they have played both a twenty five show run of the UK and Europe with with fellow Melburnites Skull Hazzards and an extensive tour of the USA with prodigious rockers Young Widows. In fact the fruits of their tour with Young Widows’ will not just be left in the ether of sweaty rooms in the US of A – the two bands have just released a split 7†with new My Disco track Antler – that’s right two bands on the one record just like in the old days. The record is the latest My Disco release since last year's acclaimed Paradise which was produced by uber producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, Mogwai) and followed on from their 2006 debut, the sunnily titled Cancer. Their live show is renowned as disciplined, loud and cathartic and has seen them travel to Mexico and throughout South-East Asia, so I would say get yourselves down to the dimly lit Ox Art and get a good spot while they are back up the Hume.
Lost Valentinos are a band who’ve been gigging in Sydney for forever-and-a-day, and after years of hard work and shows in grotty bars, finally have a debut album to show for their efforts. Their full-length EtcEtc released album Cities Of Gold is out now, and to celebrate they are throwing a party with their Fringe Bar friends F.R.I.E.N.D/s on the apocalyptic 09.09.09. Come Wednesday, we could be facing complete destruction and the end of the world, but then it’s also quite fitting that they launch the record on judgement day. Let’s just hope the party is a more spiritual occasion than catastrophic one. I love this band. Go cheers their album with them! If the end is indeed nigh, I can’t think of a more deserving band to spend my last hours with.
I am always super self-conscious about my music selection when I play tunes at parties. Firstly, you need to suit songs to the ambience of your venue. Tricky. Then, do you play your favourites first but risk late-comers missing the magic, or save all the best for last and hope people hang around long enough to hear them? And there is always the question of whether or not to take requests… That is why I am always so impressed at the Absolut 15 each year. At the annual event, 15 local DJs are allocated 15 minutes to impress the pants of their judging public, in the fight for $1000 cash for their favourite charity and $1000 for their pocket. Despite how uncomfortable I get for each of the competitors, it’s always a super fun night. And if you hate what the DJ is playing, you only have to wait 15 minutes for the next one to take over.
Serial Space is teeny tiny. Being fashionably late will just not fly: you need to arrive super early. Finish up work a few hours before you normally would, call in sick, fake death, just do whatever you need to do to. The upcoming Tenniscoats show is one of those shows you’ll be feigning-illness-and-getting-off-work for; listening to these Japanese pop gods play will have you floating away on soft, puffy white clouds and daydreaming of love, sunshine and all sweet things. Take your favourite person and get loved up.
Remember the days when you could snag ten red frogs for ten cents? Or ten scribbled maps from your friend if you crafted ten stick people? That was when economy meant something. When meaning something meant something. Well, now’s your chance to kick hard currency to the curb and shelve some soft clothing cash. At Rethreads, the only rules are that the ten clothing items you bring are not pilled, stained or pongy (woops, rules me out), and that you are ready to ‘let go’ (no embarrassing late night ex-texts, rules me out again). Oh, and knickers, togs and trackies will not be welcomed, weirdly. After that it’s a no-holds barred fashion free-for-all. As for the music and book swaps, the rules are a little shady. Yes to books about the Mile High Club, no Miles Franklin award winners? Yes to Christmas with RUN DMC, no to Christmas with Demis Roussos? If the bartering overloads your brain, don’t worry – there’s still some buy buy buy sell sell sell! available courtesy of Pigeon Ground, Venus in Furs and Newspaper Taxi. However whether there’ll be lollies from yesteryear, we don’t know … Perhaps bring your own. You might be able to swap ’em for something even sweeter.
For the biggest dance event of the year, you can’t go past Stereosonic, which will be making its '09 appearance as the sun heats up, touring the nation with such a massive line-up of local and international guests that your blue suede shoes will need re-sole-ing.In no particular order as there are so many big name dance, electronic, house and even Italian pop acts that you could poke a very small stick at and still hit something worth catching, we have: Deadmau5, Fedde Le Grand, The Crookers (you would have heard their hit Day N Nite remix), their fellow Italians The Bloody Beetroots, Sweden’s Axwell and France’s Miss Kittin and The Hacker, not to mention local acts Cut Copy, Andy Murphy and Grafton Primary. Warm up those calf muscles and be ready to go for Stereosonic at the beginning of summer, touring from 28th of November.
Ambitious indie band Gomez and true global citizens of the world. Originally heralding from Southport, England, they now have members scattered over two continents from Brooklyn to Brighton. The boys have visited us so many times they’d qualify for honorary Aussie status, and Ben Ottewell (guitars/vocals) spread his musical wings by recording sounds at a Cambodian Street Fair that would end up on the group’s sophomore album, In Our Gun. In October the freewheeling Brits will return for the seventh visit in support of their sixth studio album, A New Tide. The record builds on the group’s eclectic and experimental musical directions, as their enviable discography features everything from Delta blues, psychedelia, Krautrock, folk, indie rock and more. A New Tide provides the perfect fusion of these varied influences, boasting multi-faceted textures, pitch-perfect harmonies and melodies. They were last here in January to pay homage to their debut, Mercury-Award winning album, Bring It On (no relation to the awful cheerleading film from 2000). These shows were an extra special opportunity to celebrate the record’s 10th anniversary. Fans can catch the Gomez juggernaut in October before they jettison off to explore new exotic territories. Bring it on. https://youtube.com/watch?v=fKJJRnuCwF4
It starts as a riot, the roar of young voices working themselves up into a frenzy of swearing, singing and stamping. They're demanding many things of you already: yes, that's right, teenagers are messy and loud, and they're going to ruin your night with a piece of angsty theatre, so grit your teeth and prepare for music that's too loud and streams of conciousness about drugs and underage sex being awesome.But the moment 17-year-old Charlotte De Bruyne walks onto the stage, the racket stops and you realise that there's something else happening here. Those voices, now quiet, already know that people are sick to death of pre-packaged adolescent cliches. Instead, the thirteen stars of Once and for all... want to share some of their own thoughts on what teenagers are, and what they think of what we think of adolescence, and then they'll pretend to be on drugs, because they know we want that, and...These Belgian teenagers, guided by director Alexander Devriendt, have created a wonderful piece of theatre that achieves the holy grail of performance - they actually excite the audience. Through the inventive uses of a simple, repeated sequence, Once and for all... rejuvenates those who see it, awakening their inner adolescent and filling the post-show foyer with a sea of giddy, enthusiastic faces. Brought to Sydney by award-winning Belgian company, Ontroerend Goed, Once and for all... can sit proudly beside its cousin, The Smile Off Your Face, which made a moving connection with theatre-goers back during the Sydney Festival in January this year. Take advantage of the wonderful stroke of serendipity that brought this show to Sydney and see Once and for all... before it finishes at the end of the month. It will leave you with an energised youthfulness that is more joyful than puberty and longer-lasting than Botox.Photo by Phile Deprez https://youtube.com/watch?v=irL5XeAikxw
Russian Resurrection Film Festival director Nicholas Maksymow has a good sense of timing. Presenting a screening of Russian Ark in 2003, he suggested that a Russian film festival mightn't be a bad thing to have in Sydney. As it happened, the then NSW Premier Bob Carr was in the audience. The next year, Sydney got a Russian film festival. Russian Resurrection is in its eighth year now, and for its 2011 season it brings you an elegant sufficiency of modern Russian cinema. Innocent Saturday drops viewers into the bureaucracy of Chernobyl during the first 24 hours after the accident, opening night film Elena explores morality in post-Soviet Russia and Milla Jovavich stars in the romantic comedy Lucky Trouble. Dark, train-heavy period piece The Edge explores a fairytale-like story in a remote village in Siberia, while Dark World is fairy-tale in the more traditional vein of Night Watch. Night Watch's director Timur Bekmambetov, meanwhile, takes a break from fantasy and sews together lives across Russia in a multi-layered anthology set during New Year's eve, Six Degrees of Celebration. 3D sessions will screen at Event Cinemas in Burwood and Bondi Junction during the festival.
Freshly squeezed is how I like my juice — pithy, colourful and frothy on top. It’s a good start to the morning. But how do you get the creative juices flowing? Sydney-based hybrid art collective stagejuice are onto it. Launched in 2010, freshly squeezed brings together some of Sydney’s most exciting emerging artists to mix, whip, taste and test new ideas, interdisciplinary art forms and collaborations in workshops with peers and mentors. More than 20 artists from film, sound, visual arts, dance and theatre are involved in freshly squeezed 2011, culminating in stimulating performances of experimental and raw ideas and pithy new work for all to see. 'Smoke' is this year’s springboard to stimulate inspiring, collaborative work and new thinking. The theme is responded to in any form, literally (or not) by artists including performance and video maker Nick Atkins, performance artist Lucia Giuffre and Beatnik poet Scott Sandwich. Can’t wait for your fix? Check out some of the smoking new works on the freshly squeezed artists' blog. Plus, you can get along and share your juice at a Q&A session after the performance on Friday, October 21. Image by Catherine McElhone.
If ever there were a movie that should have had joint investment with a pharmacy brand, it would be Contagion. Because without doubt, even the hardest cynic will reach for the antibacterial hand wash over the frangipani after seeing this film. Written after the worldwide SARS, swine and bird flu scares, Contagion takes its story from a new outbreak of a deadly virus, which spreads around the world quicker than it can be contained and brings in most of Hollywood's big-name actors along the way. Starring Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard — it could almost read as an Oscars guest list. All turn out very serious performances as each and every one is somehow touched by the deadly disease. This movie will remind many of Dustin Hoffman's 1995 film Outbreak, with a similarly untraceable disease killing off its carriers before there's a chance to be cured; however, that film's strength was the search for the original source, a monkey. In this film, the competing storylines do lose a driving force for the plot as we move between the average Joe, the doctors and the government officials trying to contain the disease. Without a doubt, though, this film is spooky. A group of people caught a lift after seeing it, and all quite visibly shied away from being the one to press the button, lest it be a harbourer of some vicious germs. Your usual disaster movie dramas make an appearance — young love, crazy naysayer, government secrets — but because of the hefty weight that the talented cast add to each storyline, the scales tip in favour of making this film one worth seeing. Just maybe not the best date movie — you might be turned off a goodnight kiss. https://youtube.com/watch?v=I5VfNKCQF60
Writer/director Kevin Smith (Mallrats, Chasing Amy) is no stranger to controversy. His 1999 film Dogma received more than 300,000 pieces of hate mail following its release, along with a number of deaths threats that he gleefully published online. Later, in 2005, Smith remarked he'd been mulling over a sequel to Dogma ever since the attacks of 9/11, and so it was that Red State finally emerged. It's casually referred to as a 'horror movie', but that's not quite right. In fact, Red State feels a bit like a movie grappling with an identity crisis: it's not gruesome enough to qualify as horror, just as it's neither exclusively funny enough to be comedy nor 'action-y' enough to tempt the Michael Bay crowd, yet it has more than enough of each to remain both gripping and entertaining throughout. The film is unusual for a number of other reasons, too, not in the least because there's no central protagonist for the audience to follow. Instead, it offers a story in three acts, each of which addresses one of the movie's key themes: sex, religion and politics. First up come the three horny, misguided teenagers Travis (Michael Angarano), Jarod (Kyle Gallner) and Billy Ray (Nicholas Braun), lured to a remote trailer park under the pretense of group sex with an older woman they met online (played to terrifying perfection by Melissa Leo). It feels like a standard setup for a standard horror flick, and when the boys end up drugged, bound and caged for the purposes of a religious execution, Red State seems squarely set on the path to torture porn. Thankfully, though, Smith instead uses the second act to make mockery of religious zealots who warp and misconstrue holy texts for their own perverse purposes. The boys find themselves prisoners of the Five Points Church — a militant version of the real-life Westboro Baptist nutjobs in the United States who (amongst other things) conduct the impossibly offensive protests outside the funerals of gays, atheists and US soldiers. Michael Parks in particular offers a phenomenal performance as the sect's charismatic leader Abin Cooper, and his 15-minute diatribe on the "ills of homosexuality" is as mesmerising as it is exasperating. Finally, the film turns to politics (and bullet-frenzied action) as the church finds itself besieged by an army of heavily armed ATF agents led by John Goodman. The allusions to the disastrous 1993 siege of David Koresh's Branch Davidians cult are unmistakable, and Smith throws subtlety to the wind with his harsh recrimination of both Christian fundamentalism and the heavily unregulated powers prescribed by the US Patriot Act. Overall, Red State delivers a captivating story unlike most of what finds its way to screens these days. It's a tense, unnerving, infuriating and even amusing film that pulls no punches when it comes to Smith's passionate sentiments regarding all things sex, religion and politics. Red State will screen at Popcorn Taxi on Wednesday, October 12 with a special introduction and post-screening analysis by Kevin Smith. It opens nationally on October 13. https://youtube.com/watch?v=uJ1v6oFHefc
Sydney’s WIM aren’t the kind of band willing to settle for their audience going home thinking “that was nice, what were they called again?”. Sure they share a bit of Grizzly Bear’s much imitated but rarely matched sound, but it’s more than harmonies and reverb here. WIM’s live shows are their own little worlds, enveloping and hypnotic. So, really, it’s about time they released an album. WIM will be celebrating the launch of their self-titled debut this Friday at Paddington United Church, supported by Load Universe, Aim at Brain and Fire Cannon. The choice of venue isn’t just symbolic either — the performance will make use of the Church’s full-size pipe organ and grand piano. Also present will be food! And drinks! As might be expected from such a package deal, tickets are strictly limited. Make sure to book in advance.
There's a lot of idiosyncratic work knocking around the creative industries, hidden from view by the demands of client vision and in-house style. It's easy to get so absorbed in work that the art and style intended to be made gets lost in a cycle of the day-to-day. While the pace of the commercial whirl can tend to overwhelm the individual's art, a new gallery is opening in Darlinghurst which aims to draw these artists' art out of the shadows and into the embracing glare of the public gaze. Showcase Gallery aims to let you see what creatives make happen when they're away from the office. For their Launch show, Mark Mawson is going old school with frozen moments of liquid smoke, Bianca Chang will make paper make words, spreading it in spirals like the most delicate of papal stairs, and Chuck Bradley's close-up photography will make the micro macro, resolving every piece of rust, dirt or tiny bump into giant focus in a collection mysteriously titled Really Tiny Things. Paul Meates' broad-drooped drawings and Nicholas Alan Cope's fiery black and white abstract photos also feature. The launch party is at 6pm on July 28, RSVP is essential. Image by Bianca Chang.
The Farnsworth Invention tells the story of the fight for the patent for television. The battle plays out between two poor-boys-come-good, Philo T Farnsworth (Damian Sommerland) and David Sarnoff (Patrick Connolly). In the early 1920s, RCA manufactured radios, and made a radio network to go with them called NBC. As Television became a tantalising inevitability, Philo Farnsworth worked to bring this vision to life, while Sarnov competed, as the head of NBC, to beat him to it. While Sommerland and Connolly's lead characters each draw you into the ins and outs of their competition, the best part of this production is the ensemble itself. Each player has few enough roles to play, but their strength lies in the way their presence crowds around the two leads. Most of the cast is on stage most of the time, tittering and gasping at the action, and leaving you with a sense of the fears and buzz that permeated that era's preoccupations, much as present-day media moguls and disasters occupy us today Explaining complex systems is a specialty for writer Aaron Sorkin, best known as the author of the Social Network and the West Wing. Here, he takes what might have been a dry story, interesting only to technology wonks, and made it engaging. As his leads explain the inventions behind cathode-ray televisions, it's easy to understand the intricacies of a TV's phospherecent image. Throughout, the play uses science and music as metaphors for technology and its uses. Farnsworth is more interested in making a TV, but Sarnoff has a stronger vision for what to put on it, despite Farnsworth's own musical talent which straddle both fields. The Farnsworth Invention lets you join them there, in an evening where art explains, and argues about, science with you. And leaves you excited about it to boot.
What can an archive reveal? Certainly something of the past, of course, but what can it say about the present? For Melbourne-based artist Brook Andrew, the ethnographic postcards and novelty items from early to mid twentieth century hold particular interest for the way they represent indigenous people as well as their colonising counterparts. Converting found postcards into colourful and signature-patterned boxes, Andrew will build a wall of these boxes in Artspace, allowing the viewer to look at the images as a kind jumbled puzzle to be deciphered and contemplated. Andrew's artistic territory combines race, history and the baggage that comes with these themes using text, neon and found ephemera. The artist will be talking about his installation, Lives in Paradise, on July 20 @ 5.00pm at Artspace.
Director Wim Wenders is widely regarded as one of the leading auteurs to come out of the New German Cinema. He has a keen sense of how people relate to their surroundings, which he frequently employs to convey emotion. It appears throughout his work: from people confined by their space, and ergo their emotions, in the heart wrenching Paris, Texas; to those shut out, in the case of the angel in Wings of Desire, who wants to escape the shackles of his immortal existence on the periphery of human existence and enter it fully. His latest feature is a documentary about his long time friend and renowned choreographer, Pina Bausch, and her dance company at the Tanztheater Wuppertal, which she led for more than 35 years. Sadly, she passed away a few days before filming was due to commence, turning this project into a tribute, rather than a collaboration. Using 3D technology, Wim Wenders gets into the dancers' space, as they perform a selection of Pina's innovative and ground breaking pieces, along with individual solo performance by the dancers themselves, interviews and silent portraits. With their skilful movements they express a whole array of emotions. Pina Bausch was acutely perceptive and her choreography is an investigation into how humans project their feelings onto the space around them and onto each other. Her dancers were always actively involved in the creative process and you can see how they have channeled this into their movements. The 3D brings you so close to them, it is as though you are catching a glimpse of their souls. In this context, it hardly seems surprising that these two artists, Wim Wenders and Pina Bausch, should have experienced such a meeting of the minds. The challenge of capturing the essence of Pina Bausch's work on film is aptly met by the choice of 3D by Wim Wenders, though the technology is not without its pitfalls, as he freely admits. There is at times a slight feeling of distortion, the depth of field a little out, lending ironically this most "real" of mediums, a slightly "unreal" feel. Though this could be partly a trick of perception, the language of 3D as it is, yet to be defined by filmmakers or learned by viewers. With cuts between performances inside the theatre and outside around Wuppertal, along with interviews, silent portraits and solo performances, the structure of the documentary feels a little stilted at the start. However, it soon finds its rhythm, the editing technique somehow beginning to mirror the pace of the dancing and you are drawn in closer to the beauty and raw emotion on screen. Watching these very visceral performances in 3D, which at times feature the real elements of earth and water on stage, or take place outside, senses are heightened and it is almost as though you can to feel, touch and smell it all. It is a very intense experience, which brings you really close to the dance Pina Bausch created and to her unique insight into the human condition. https://youtube.com/watch?v=LGKzXUWAjnI
There is something wonderful about the fact that Matt Taylor drew his new comic, Lars the Last Viking Goes to the End of the World, completely by hand and on large pages. It conjures up images of old school comic publications, or even Dutch master workshops. Which is fairly fitting, given that Taylor will be launching Lars at China Heights gallery this week. Creative director by day, Taylor turned his design and art skills to creating comics after attending a graphic novel workshop in the US a year ago. The result of that inspiration is Lars: a viking who lives alone on a fjord, and whose adventures are rendered in bold black and white drawings. As part of the launch, there will be a short exhibition of the original pages that compose the book. What is immediately apparent about these pages is that Taylor's plump, cartoonish style gives the illusion of highly coloured sequences in a way far more effective that the actualy glossy colours of Marvel and DC publications. If you can't get enough of Taylor, you can catch him at this Graphic panel at the Sydney Opera House, and keep an eye out for his next work: it may or may not be a zombie love epic.
We can sometimes take the wonders of our modernity for granted, our jaded eyes failing to be entranced by the multitude of stimuli constantly available to us. Yet only a century ago, in 1920s Berlin, the foundations were laid for the modern world as we know it. In the turmoil and upheaval that followed the First World War, old ideas were cast away and creativity flourished, as people embraced a never before experienced freedom to express themselves. The Berlin Sydney programme, which is running concurrently with the Mad Square exhibition, celebrates these pioneers of the modern age with an astoundingly comprehensive array of events at venues across the city. You can experience first hand the vibrant art and culture of the Weimar period, with theatre and music performances, cabaret, exhibitions and films. The more inquisitive among you might enjoy the talks and lectures also taking place, which range from introductions to the main theories and concepts of the time to in-depth panel discussions and symposiums. Topping this all off will be a screening of the restored version Fritz Lang's Metropolis, accompanied by the Sydney Symphony. This is truly a unique opportunity to experience and learn about what is undoubtedly one of the most seminal and exciting periods of our cultural history. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y9TQkh6F4ZU
It's no wonder, really, that he was known as Mr Glamour. In this cheeky, anti-sexy and downright fun production, Gareth Davies is a force to be reckoned with. Flipping the theatre archetype on its head and then messing up its hair a bit, And They Called Him Mr Glamour is an unexpected insight into the universe of a rising (or perhaps remaining still) star. A startling rant that makes you rethink whatever you thought you were doing here, sitting in a theatre. All the paranoia, self-loathing and pure star quality is there. And the sound of actors treading the boards of the Upstairs Theatre only adds to the production. Davies last appearance at Belvoir Downstairs was one to remember, but this time he does away with the script and relies solely on one of his own making. As if that weren't enough of a challenge, the entire script is a monologue. In lesser hands, this would be a big mistake, but Davies carries it off with an overload of awkward charisma (which, surprisingly enough, isn't an oxymoron). Director Thomas M. Wright surely has no small hand in this either. That said, the set and lighting design is almost as endearing as Davies himself. This intricate and impressive array of bulbs, glass jars, wooden panels, miscellaneous instruments, grit and the occasional piece of Ikea furniture does exactly as it should: overwhelms, and then becomes nothing more than a tool in Davies' capable hands. If theatre is not at all your thing, there couldn't be a better introduction than this. The strange thing about it all is that it's definitely still 'theatre'. And great theatre at that. The whole thing is just the right level of confronting and the right level of laughs to make it all work out quite nicely. Image: Heidrun Lohr
UTS produces all sorts of interesting things: plausible, yet probably false, rumours about its infamous tower being designed to prevent student protests, projects to bring the expert to the everyday and a chunky design department that produces architects, fashionistas and animation. That final component is being brought to the fore for four short days in September, as UTS hosts its 2011 Sydney International Animation Festival. Though popular sites like YouTube, Vimeo — or even Atom Films — made what was once the domain of late-night TV or occasional film festivals into the sort of thing you can get a hold of with the click of a mouse, the flicker of bright colour on a blank screen still works better in company. The festival has brought together animated films from across the world and closer to home. Its international program of Global Greats shows shorts from across Europe, Asia and North America, including I Love You by Waking Life animator Katy O'Connor and the squirrel-worrying Traumdeutung. France gets a special focus with graduation programs from French animation super-school Supinfocom jostling for attention with all the latest shorts from across Korea's venerable animation industry. Also up are nights of local action from UTS and further afield, an evening of stranger stuff and shorts ostensibly reserved for children. Stills from I Love You by Katy O'Connor. https://youtube.com/watch?v=JKcWG-x1q5w
Culture just gained a new semi-precious stone in the guise of a magazine. Here comes Ampersand Issue 4: From the Heart of the Forest to the Edge of the Road. If you're already plugged in the sell will be easy, if not here are the facts. Ampersand describes itself as a 'quarterly curiosity journal'. In other words it can be thought of as a collection of that which would otherwise be left behind, forgotten or simply misplaced. This is the kind of knowledge that slips between the fridge and the oven; cockroach company. But this is not a slur, it's a compliment. You'll find humor, absurd facts, errant investigations, malfunctioning journalism and all kinds of pictures you might otherwise miss. The launch party will be hijacking the New South Wales State Library Ballroom. Hosted by Jennifer Byrne (ABC's First Tuesday Book Club) and featuring readings from both reputable and questionable contributors alike. There is promise of drinks and selected cheeses, plus it is free entry and the magazine will be available for purchase on the night ($10). For a preview of the current issue click here.
If Health Care is the third-rail of US politics, then the education system must be a train, packed with school kids, hurtling out of control. No, this isn't a review of Unstoppable, but the analogy is ruthlessly apt when you consider Academy Award winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim's (An Inconvenient Truth) bone-chilling portrait of public schools in Waiting for “Superman”. Guggenheim is no stranger to the US school system, having followed five teachers for 180 days in the 2001 TV documentary The First Year. In his impassioned and unapologetically personal opening narration, Guggenheim cites these credentials, perhaps in an effort to counterbalance the shellacking he’s about to serve up to the Teachers' Union. Indeed in this damning chronicle of a system so broken it doesn’t even warrant the name anymore, the protectionist practices of the Teachers' Union provide a handy punching bag to vent the waves of incredulous rage that build up over the course of the documentary. But wait, this is about the kids. For all Guggenheim’s infuriating tales of ‘lemon’ teachers and the ‘terror of tenure’, his main aim is to give this reality some human faces. Following five kids rather than teachers this time, he sets their sunny hopes for the future against the woeful statistics that look set to steal their dreams. When the kids apply for the Holy Grail of public education: a chance to attend a successful, independent Charter School, which is decided via a lottery. This certainly provides the documentary a terrifying, heart-in-your-mouth climax, and one that is sure to raise some bile if the proceeding facts have failed to do so. If Superman provides the film’s overarching metaphor, then Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools Michelle Rhee and education reformer Geoffrey Canada come as close to real life, butt-kicking heroes as possible. Both straight-talking, committed and downright ballsy individuals provide glimmers of hope amongst the darkness that surround them. However their insights, plus the five kids, various animations and other talking heads spread Guggenheim much too thinly across this important ground. While he and his team of editors piece these strands together in undeniably compelling fashion, less might have ultimately proven to be more. Waiting for "Superman" is essential viewing. It's as simple as that. Though jam-packed and shamelessly earnest, it is a well-crafted and crucially effective call to arms against the reign of these 'failure factories.' Most importantly, it is impossible not to be touched, nay, radicalised by this devastatingly inconvenient truth.
You've got to admire the French love of cinema. It’s like a national sport, and their support for local fare is something that sorely needs translating to these shores. So it’s really no surprise that the Alliance Française is serving up another enviable cinematic celebration for its 22nd year. For the big draw cards in 2011, you can’t go past the festival’s Opening Night film Potiche. Directed by national treasure François Ozon (Eight Women) and starring Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu in a crowd pleasing comedy about a forgotten housewife forced to step up and run her husband’s company. Crowds will also flock to see Olivier Assayas’ (Summer Hours) critically acclaimed Carlos (Carlos, Le Chacal), which chronicles the twenty-year career of international terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez (played by Edgar Ramirez). Originally released as a five-and-a-half hour miniseries, this edited theatrical version may lack the exhaustive detail of its television counterpart, but the chance to see this masterpiece on the big screen should not be missed. Similarly sought after is Xavier Beauvois’ Of Gods and Men (Des hommes et des dieux), Marion Cotillard in Little White Lies (Les Petits mouchoirs), the equally delightful Audrey Tautou in Beautiful Lies (De vrais mensonges) and Francophile Kristin Scott Thomas in Love Crime (Crime d’Amour). For some lesser known film recommendations, festival goers should keep an eye out for Clotide Hesme’s beautifully calibrated performance as a newly paroled young mother in Angèle and Tony. Hesme is coming to Australia to attend a series of Q&A screenings, one of which should definitely be on your to-do list. So too should a session of actor/director Mathieu Amalric’s (The Diving Bell and The Butterfly) superb portrait of burlesque in On Tour (Tournée). If boys on tour are more your thing then check out the gorgeous selection on offer in Christopher Thompson’s rocking debut Bus Palladium. This film might include every wannabe rock band cliché in the playbook, but it does it with oh so much style and a scorching soundtrack. Another cracking debut comes in the form of Géraldine Nakache and Hervé Mimran’s witty love letter to best friends in All That Glitters (Tout ce qui brille). Nakache also co-stars as one half of a BFF-duo who come unstuck when their fervent attempts at Parisian social mobility prove polarising. A second fractious friendship is brought to the screen in the François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard documentary Two in the Wave (Deux de la vague), surely a must see for all cinephiles. Documentary fans might also want to check out Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud’s spellbinding Océans, which ventures into the deep blue to cast an eye over the extent of human impact, as well as simply to swim with the fishes. As with years gone by, audiences are truly spoiled for choice when it comes to the French Film Festival. May these suggestions help you on your way to finding something new to love about French cinema. Bon voyage! *The French Film Festival is screening at the Palace Verona, Palace Norton Street, Chauvel Cinema and Cremorne Orpheum.
Food, glorious food! You can take your music festivals, writing festivals, mountain, flower and tree festivals — give me a food festival every single day of the week. Taste stands alone as the king of travelling food festivals, because not only can you taste a vast array of delicious food, it offers you the opportunity to get behind the scenes with some of Sydney's most illustrious chefs and try their more amazing creations (without the usual corresponding bill). See Manu Feildel, Tony Bilson and Peter Kuruvita create their dishes live on stage, right before you head to the Jaguar Wine Theatre to swish it down with a fine drop and learn more about what you drink. And that's not all. The Festival also includes the artisan's producers markets for the best morsels to take home, an exploration from percolator to pot with Nespresso's Journey Through Coffee, the Sensology Art of Cocktail Making courses to learn how to mix the classic drinks, and for those of you with a sweet tooth don't miss out on the De Dietrich cooking school where you'll learn how to make the finest French pastries with chef Vincent Gadan. So pick up your fork, dust off your chopsticks and prepare your buds for the Taste sensation this festival will bring.
Art and the mind — it's a collaboration that isn't always directly celebrated but it makes perfect sense when you think about it. The mind is the source of all artistic endeavours, so works of art reflecting back on this wellspring of creativity seem to offer a lovely symmetry, yes? The Brain Art Exhibition aims to showcase the work of talented young artists while simultaneously promoting brain awareness in the community. We're all interested in how our brains function in the realms of work, play, creativity and relationships and the 'Unconference' attached to this unique exhibition will include a series of explorations of these universally appealing issues. On opening night, March 3, you'll get to peruse the work of finalists in the 2011 Brain Art Awards and play voyeur as Julie Doye wields her live portraiture skills on some interesting minds ranging from a rock photographer (Tony Mott) to a psychiatrist (Amanda Wilson). Julie is a renowned painter, illustrator and installation artist with a pop/street-art sensibility and a penchant for performance art. So come enjoy a free glass of vino, check out the hot up-and-comers on the Sydney art scene, and contribute to the proliferation of brain awareness in the community. Can so many boxes really be ticked in one evening? Winners of the Brain Art Awards will be announced at the Fundraising Awards Night on Friday March 11, and you can purchase art from the exhibition during a live auction. Proceeds will contribute to the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse at RPA. Image: Julie Doye
Riding high on our Oscar wins, it's time to continue the celebrations, festival style. The Australian Film Festival will revel in its terrible twos over twelve days of films and frivolities, where seminars, food and even some squares of concrete vie for your attention with the silver screen. Making the Australian Film Walk of Fame this year are the beloved Jack Thompson, Gary Sweet and Sigrid Thornton, who all star in James F. Khehtie poignant portrait of the World War II homefront, The Telegram Man. This will screen as part of the Australian Short Film Competition on the festival's closing night. Other stars set to shine during the festival include Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), who returns from Tinseltown with not one but two local productions: opening night honours with The Wedding Party and the tale of a small town brass band in A Heartbeat Away. True Blood's Ryan Kwanten has also ventured home to co-star with the delightful Maeve Dermody (Beautiful Kate) in the utterly charming superhero fable Griff the Invisible. Another Australian abroad success story, Michael Rowe, has sent back his compelling Camera d'Or winning debut feature Ano Bisiesto (Leap Year) to screen at the festival, while Underbelly alums Gyton Grantley and Damian Walshe-Howling take to the seas in the terrifying true story The Reef. Other highlights include a Jack Thompson lead walk down memory lane with the Popcorn Taxi screening of The Sum of Us. This blue-collar father and son tale features a fresh-faced Russell Crowe, and is well worth a look or a revisit. Another film due a replay is Pixar's superb Finding Nemo, which will screen for free this Saturday (March 5th) down at Clovelly beach. The Australian Film Festival is packed with plenty more besides, so check out the website and order up a serving of patriotism along with your popcorn. https://youtube.com/watch?v=kPjFHXHV140
If you have never seen Mark Ronson live then I have to warn you, almost every performance you witness subsequently will feel like a rip off. The range and diversity of Ronson’s production catalogue spans several genres. In some ways his tireless production acumen is in step with today’s hyper stimulated, spoilt for choice lifestyle. What impresses most is the cutting edge that he demonstrates across the board, from big band to hip hop to electronic pop. Songs from Ronson’s current release, The Record Collection, feature collaborative efforts from artists including Boy George, Q-Tip, Miike Snow and others, all internationally acclaimed in their own right, and his band The Business Intl. One perceived drawback is that with so many big names understandably not in attendance how will the tracks stand up live? Rest assured, Ronson has a habit of sourcing incredible undiscovered talent and the occasional unexpected star to fill in wherever he goes. One advantage to his role as a producer performer is that he knows exactly what will work. His substitutes slot in seamlessly and their enthusiasm and often bemusing talent only add to the experience. Ronson himself also chips in with some of the vocals this time round. I liken them to breadsticks, in that not everyone enjoys them and they are really only there to give you something to nibble on before the main meal. The originality of The Record Collection is in some ways a response to criticism of Ronson’s previous album titled Version. Although most Version tracks were scarcely recognisable, they were all deconstructed and reassembled covers, leading some critics to assert that there was a ceiling to Ronson’s ingenuity. The popular success of original tracks 'Bang Bang Bang', 'The bike song' and 'Somebody to love me' have acquitted Ronson of any such notions. I can’t endorse what he did to his hair in the last 6 months, and I still question his judgement on that remake of The Smith’s Stop me, but few plan a performance as thoroughly and deliver it with the infections energy of Mark Ronson. The event is now sold out.
While nearly every Australian is surely familiar with the quintessential Aussie portrait of the beachgoer — Max Dupain's 1937 black-and-white icon The Sunbaker — not so many are familiar with Dupain’s mentor, the British/Australian photographer Cecil Bostock. Now's your chance to get to know him with a comprehensive exhibition of Bostock's work currently showing at Manly Art Gallery & Museum. Having moved to Australia in 1888 at the age of 4, Bostock became enchanted with Sydney's Northern Beaches and was to later document his love for their pristine beauty in his photography. Taking to the art form in 1915, Bostock was a pioneer of art photography in Australia, producing visionary images of nudes, landscapes and urban scenes. He was also a founding member of the Sydney Camera Circle, which would meet and organise photography trips around the city and its suburbs. From documentary to portraiture, Bostock's work encompasses a range of themes and approaches and his skill behind the lens is most evident in those images that appear to be flippant holiday shots. He depicts his children playing by the water and captures both the spontaneity of his family along with the constancy of the landscape. Not only was Bostock making a document of the city and its glorious features, but he was, and still is, allowing the viewer front-row access to intimate moments. Guided tour Sunday 27 February, 3 pm Image: Cecil Bostock, Manly Beach opposite Dungowan (Mary, Joyce and Peter), 1927
GFC: the diminutive acronym that represents a terrifying truth: 20 trillion dollars in losses and bailouts; in essence, more an Armageddon than a mere Global Financial Crisis. Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Charles Ferguson chronicles the creation of this financial black hole with the same cool and devastatingly incisive eye that he cast over the Iraq War in No End In Sight. With Ferguson comprehensive mind behind the camera and Matt Damon’s familiar, calmly authoritative tone in narration, Inside Job is likely to be one of the most shocking and edifying cinematic experiences of 2011. “This is how it happened," the audience is told, as Ferguson carefully states his facts in a five-part documentary of impressive detail and clarity. He opens with a cautionary tale in the form of Iceland, a once secure and stable economy, ripped to shreds by a heady foray into financial deregulation. This sets the disquieting scene for America, as Part I outlines 'How We Got Here,' before moving on to The Bubble, The Crisis, Accountability and, finally, Where We Are Now. If that sounds sandpaper dry, then you'll be pleasantly surprised, as Ferguson keeps up an enthusiastic pace, and his array of talking heads — from the Prime Minister of Singapore, the French Finance Minister, Ivy League and IMF (International Monetary Fund) economists, and a high class escort 'Madam' — are well able to keep your interest and attention. Unlike Michael Moore's histrionic Capitalism: A Love Story, Inside Job is less about pulling your heartstrings than it is concerned with getting everyone on the same page (though the two would make for a compelling double bill). This documentary feels a lot like 'GFC 101', but presented with enough spirit — particularly in the Accountability chapter — to let you know Ferguson is spitting with fury about the horrifying hubris that has lead Wall Street to reap ludicrous rewards during the bubble, then cry poor for federal bailouts and now cry foul about planned regulation. This seething incredulity is probably responsible for Ferguson's awfully trite ending, closing on an earnest shot of the Statue of Liberty, but as a call to arms he certainly landed on an arresting symbol. “Nothing comes without consequence,” Inside Job makes its thesis all too clear. But alas Ferguson also reveals a horrifying portrait of a financial system running amok. As Andrew Sheng, the Chief Advisor to the China Banking Regulatory Commission, highlights in an all too convincing analogy: this is an industry obsessed with feathering their nests by building impossible dreams, while others are forced to pay for the nightmares.
It must be an exciting time to run an Arab film festival this year, while the Arab Spring cascades across the region. But nail-biting too, not knowing if this year's selection of films will still be relevant two months from now. The 2011 Arab Film Festival got lucky: opening the Festival this year is The Cry of an Ant. It's the first film to cover the Egyptian popular revolution, which culminated in dictator Hosni Mubarak's resignation in February. Cairo Exit touches on Egypt's broad social mix, drawing a romance across religious boundaries between Coptic Christian Amal and her Muslim boyfriend. In sheer scale, cultural mix, riches and poverty, Cairo so big as to be almost unimaginable from here. But it's just one city in the festival's huge world. Stray Bullet takes in a story of a young woman's future during the Lebanese Civil War of the 1970s, In the Belly of the Whale shows the claustrophobic world of the Palestinian-made tunnels under the border to Gaza's south, while Colourfest-winner Show & Tell brings an Australian perspective. It's wide terrain for one Festival to cover, but for four days it'll take you into a larger world. Image from the short Once by Nayla Al Khaja.
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood have a bit of reputation for being kinda sissy; all chicks looking moody in historical dress-ups and stuff. Art for and about women upon whom dudes project pretty heavily, one might say. But the PRB (not to be confused with PBR) do have their claims to badassery and virtuosity. They basically declared that painting from Raphael onward was overly precious, unnatural and dishonest. And they had a pretty legit set of goals, viz. - To have genuine ideas to express - To study Nature attentively, so as to know how to express them - To sympathise with what is direct and serious and heartfelt in previous art, to the exclusion of what is conventional and self-parodying and learned by rote - Most indispensable of all, to produce thoroughly good pictures and statues Their emphasis on quality and truth entailed a high degree of technical rigour, and this show zeroes in on the role of drawing in that return to what the Brotherhood regarded as the more wholesome and legit aesthtics of the Quattrocento. Doing things properly, in a Pre-Raphaelite way, was a pretty thorough process that involved doing sketches and studies and putting in details and working as closely as possible from physical recreations of the scenes they wanted to depict, so it was important to be able to draw well and they ended up drawing a lot, from basic sketches to fully-resolved watercolours. Image: Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1876. Edward Robert Hughes, 1893.
There's a divide in Italy, the North and the South. Sharper than the Sydney-Melbourne rivalry, the North is epitomised by the industrialised Milan of the original Italian Job, the South by the feudally impoverished Basilicata of the post-war Christ Stopped at Eboli. Both South and North dominate the selection at this year's Italian Film Festival. The South has staked out opening and closing nights, with Welcome to the South focusing on the regions' rivalries and John Tutturo's musical Passione confining itself to the southern, Vesuvius-shadowed town of Naples. Borderline Rome is represented by Son's Room director Nanni Moretti, who offers absurd comedy Habemus Papam about a new and reluctant Pope. The House by the Medlar Tree, based on the same book as neorealist classic La Terra Trema, tells a generational story in a small fishing village, while in A Second Childhood, a love story brings past into present as an older man's memories fade and draw him slowly to childhood, with his lifelong partner along for the journey. As Venice slowly empties of its residents, its everyday things displaced by tourist needs, documentary Six Venice follows six Venetians and through them tells the story of the modern city. Sorelle Mai was shot over ten years, with Good Morning Night star Marco Bellocchio's family as its actors, and from closer to home comes an internment story from World War 2 era Australia in We Stick Together.
There is a tacit agreement (or valid argument, which I'm more than willing to take up) that Goodgod Small Club is the prize of the city, an inimitable addition to life after dark. To support this claim logically I'll move through the reasons with care. Firstly, one only has to walk down the stairs and into the bar to realise it looks like nothing else. In a sea of pleather upholstered seats, erratic chandeliers and overused design budgets, Goodgod stands out as an eccentrically pinched inner-city tropical den/island. Secondly, the music is varied in genre and covers most corners of the world. Thirdly, the jugs — of varied liquids, names and histories — consistently seem to satisfy the taste and psychology of their tenants. Fourthly, The Dip. Now, if you take these four reasons and add their latest venture - Goodgod Long Birthday Nights - you've reached somewhat of a foolproof conclusion to your social needs. Spread over the October long weekend, Goodgod will house an array of live music that you'll want to peruse for yourself. Also, be on the look out for the specially conceived, celebration-bent food emerging from The Dip. I know I'm stating this strongly, but some things deserve fervor. Three nights are ahead of you.
Pretty on the inside isn't something a girl wants to hear but it's exactly the right way to describe Dear Pluto — the new weekend venture by those kids from Hibernian House's successful vintage pop-up shop. Wandering in from the alley like a wet cat (its been a rainy weekend) to do some 'field research', it was swell to have room to wander around the new vintage wares H.Q. It's spacious and dainty and there's loads of interesting clothing sourced from roadtrips around the state. So much in fact, that you don't have to wish someone else would put it down so you can pick it up. Yup, there's plenty for everybody and this weekend there's going to be plenty more! For the first time ever, Dear Pluto are unlocking the door to the shop's courtyard and holding a sweet Outdoor Flea Market. There'll be over ten stalls selling clothes and accessories for the ladies and the boys — all gathered, found and recovered from the depths of the uncovered treasure chests of the past. Dear Pluto's outdoor flea market will be on every Saturday and Sunday from 10am - 4pm
The Fantastic Planet Film Festival is entering its terrible twos in spectacular fashion. Tears and tantrums may well spill forth both onscreen and off as a scarily good line up of sci-fi and generally fantastical films take over Dendy Newtown. It's Christmas come early with the creepy Finnish number Rare Exports taking opening night honours. A seriously twisted take on the Santa legend, it might well have you wishing you never believed in the big man in red. Another Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly) novel has been adapted to the big screen and this festival will host the world premiere of Radio Free Albemuth. With a strong performance from infamously 'ironic' singer Alanis Morrissette, director John Alan Simon's cinematic vision purportedly stays true to Dick's original vein of dark paranoia. Closing night takes the cake with Robert Rodriguez's gloriously gratuitous, 'Mexploitation' revenge thriller Machete. Born of a fake trailer in Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's exploitation experiment Grindhouse, the film stars Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez and Steven Segal (plus a cameo from Lindsay Lohan). As a prelude to the closing night party, seriously, what more could you ask for? Check out the program for further features (including Mortal Fools, an existential Aussie adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream), the short film contingent and info on the Fantastic Filmmaking Forum. A two year old has never been so accomplished. https://youtube.com/watch?v=I16020r--oM
The cinematically inclined are taking the floor for another year of filmmaking marathons, screenings and parties that make up Kino Kabaret. From seasoned pros to keen-bean first timers, filmmakers from all walks of life have signed up for the mad dash to bring an idea to screen in a mere 32 hours. Now you have the chance to join the fun. Three separate screening parties are taking place at Chippendale's Fraser Studios on October 20, 22 and 24, each with their respective party themes: Card Sharks, Hardcore Gamers and Roller Riot (cue appropriate puns). Each evening promises to have free-flowing beer, pizza and prizes to compliment the cinematic acts of daring do. As Artistic Director Matt Ravier reveals: "Kino offers an inclusive, non-competitive experience to give people a taste for filmmaking. Participants pool their resources, ideas, knowledge and equipment. To keep things interesting we're inviting Kino filmmakers from Adelaide, Paris and the US to join in the fun. The result is unpredictable, the energy is contagious ... and in true Kino spirit, the parties — which include live entertainment, snacks, giveaways and open bar — are awesome." The poster says it best: Game on!
Paper is the unsung hero of the last two thousand years and it will continue to prevail despite claims of its obsolescence. Looking beyond the scribbles and characters printed on it, there is a tactile dimension to paper that is almost impossible to trump. Remember your joy when you first discovered gsm, satin gloss and embossed surfaces — all properties of paper Steve Jobs is yet to replicate. The Paper Mill is a shrine to the sheaf, in prime position at Sydney's heart, and from this Wednesday it hosts its second exhibition, lies/lions/lines. For the past two weeks, a brains trust of artists has taken residence at Angel Place in an effort to explore paper's many creative merits. For some this is a direct relationship with paper itself, bending and cutting the flat muse into sculptural dimensions. Others have wedded ink and sheet to show that doing it the traditional way still flings the spice. lies/lions/lines will be exhibiting Bababa International, Lionel Bawden, Bonita Bub, Biljana Jancic, Adrian McDonald, Andrew Moran, Ivan Muniz Reed & Benjamin Warren, Tom Polo and Teo Treloar. If those names mean nothing to you, pencil in Saturday, October 23rd for a hot bout of artists talks at 4pm. Image by Garry Trinh
One of the keys to successful collaboration is that everyone needs to bring something and preferably something unique, to the table. This is certainly the case with Branch Nebula: an ensemble that incorporates a martial artist, a designer, an acrobat, a footballer, a Parkour practitioner and a 'noicician', alongside your more traditional performers, stage manager, producer and dramaturg. Sweat blends these skills with a simple concept — 'life's tedious chores' — to create a relevant, contemporary and engaging performance that will literally have you off your feet. Branch Nebula are dedicated to making work which presents a multifaceted take on contemporary culture. They seek to create an inclusive form of performance that celebrates diversity and engages with new kinds of audiences. And by all reports, they are doing an exceptional job of it. Sweat is certainly a performance that it would make no sense to miss. Image: photo by James Brown
On hearing that he was to be executed in Bolivia, Che Guevara reportedly turned white and said "It is better this way." Dying Capuchin monks made churches with their deaths, their bones used for the deeply serious skeletal collages which still sit oddly in their Italian crypts. The point was to be an artistic momento mori — a Latin reminder to remember death, and presumably the coming judgement. Most talk about death is less immediate, but just as urgent. Morte — Lo-Fi Collective's next exhibition — invites you to gaze on images of skulls and other paraphernalia of death. But, unlike the capuchins, it leaves the judgement up to you. Like life, a good night out or the Lo-Fi itself, the exhibition is transient. Staged off Taylor Square for one night only — Thursday, October 21 — this exhibition features work from over twenty-five Australian artists, versed in tattoos and other visual arts. It's curated by internationally sought-after tattoo artist Josh Roelink. Lo-Fi's weekly, second-floor series of exhibitions give you the chance to get up close and personal with Sydney artists and their work. The life of Morte is brief, but ambitious. Don't let it finish before you go. Image via perpetualplum.
All hail! The (self-crowned) queen of comedy is coming to a cinema near you! But before you baulk in fear of damaging your corneas with exposure to the notorious nightmare that is Joan Rivers' plastic face, you'll do well to know that Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg's documentary is quite remarkable indeed. Chronicling the 75th year in the life of the indefatigable and utterly incorrigible Rivers, Stern and Sundberg locate the comedienne's demand for the spotlight and increasingly desperate schedule alongside an illuminating trip into the archives of her distinguished career. Upon witnessing the impressive strides Rivers' took in what was really a man's profession, as well as the personal tragedy experienced en route, it becomes difficult to dismiss her as merely that loudmouth on the red carpet; she is patently so much more. Complex, driven and oftentimes downright hilarious, Rivers can quip about living in more luxury than Marie Antoinette, yet she too fears when the crowd will turn (as one riveting stand-up scene shows all too well). This documentary leaves no doubt that Joan Rivers is a piece of work, but she wouldn't have it any other way. Screening in limited release at the Chauvel and the Hayden Orpheum. https://youtube.com/watch?v=j92Rka-FtUw
In 2009 London’s National Theatre launched National Theatre Live — live broadcasts of National Theatre productions, captured in high definition and screened via satellite all over the world. Phèdre was the first and returns this year for international encore screenings. In the absence of her husband — Theseus King of Athens — Phèdre is consumed with an uncontrollable passion for her stepson Hippolyte. Believing her husband dead, Phèdre confesses her desire to an unmoved Hippolyte. Upon the return of her husband, Phèdre accuses her stepson of rape — ensue inevitable carnage. Helen Mirren plays the title role in a Ted Hughes free-verse translation of Racine's text, seen on screen by over 50,000 people. Reviews of the live performance were mixed — generally positive, if not particularly enthusiastic — but National Theatre Live is being widely embraced, even hailed as groundbreaking, for opening up the hallowed halls of the theatre to a much larger audience.
Out to prove that small does equal beautiful, collective Synergy Percussion have assembled an enticing evening of performances from the 'underground'. Synergy Percussion will present new music, instruments and stories from their explorations across the waters over the past year. And just to hammer home the point, this group — impressive in their own right — have arranged some extraordinary special guests. Namely, jazz virtuoso and label head Simon Barker, bodywork movement artist Zsuzsanna Soboslay, and the exceptional dancer Martin del Amo. Not to mention that this will all take place in the stunningly beautiful surrounds of Newtown's St. Stephens Church. Touche — a point well made. https://youtube.com/watch?v=O-T0EmTVmqc
You should be familiar with version 1.0 already — their take on the political equals highly engaging and powerful theatre. Some will recall This Kind of Ruckus, which delved into sexual violence in contemporary culture, making links with sex scandals involving certain rugby league players. For those who aren't, think Wikileaks as live performance meets video art, with a dash of Boal. In other words, contemporary, democratic theatre at its best. Their latest offering branches out into new and more personal territory, as performer Kym Vercoe explores her unwitting visit to a Visegrad spa hotel, revealing the seething political history that lies buried underneath. Unsurprisingly, this work has already garnered attention from both theatrical and political spheres. I'd suggest you grab tickets (along with a beer and laksa) before you miss your chance. https://youtube.com/watch?v=sUhRNocDDjg
Verge arts festival just hosted a disco without sound and this Tuesday, Curiousworks will host a dance without lights. No Lights, No Lycra have finally made it to Sydney. Started in Melbourne, they’ve popped up in San Francisco, Berlin and Brooklyn. No Lights, No Lycra creates a weekly space to dance where you don't have to worry about how you do it, what you're wearing or who you're with. Instead, you can concentrate on the pure joy of sound and movement. Free, strange, funky, dorky, slow, wild or understated. Whatever you like to do when you're dancing, No Lights, No Lycra wants you to do it and enjoy. With a strict no drugs, no alcohol policy, any Dutch courage you need will have to come from the silky tunes and the embracing darkness. They're on every week from this Tuesday and are sending money raised to some of Curiousworks' community endeavours. So if this anonymous dance bacchanal seems like your thing, get down to Surry Hills, put your five dollars in the box and get dancing.
