40th BFI FLARE: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: “Satisfaction” Review

Something is unsettling about Satisfaction, not because it shocks in obvious ways, but because it does not offer simple answers. It stays in discomfort, in silence, in the spaces where language fails, and in doing so, it asks one of the most difficult questions a film can pose: what does consent really mean, and what…

40th BFI FLARE: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: “What Will I Become?” Review

Across both the United States and the United Kingdom, the mental health crisis affecting transgender young people has become increasingly difficult to ignore. Studies consistently show that trans youth experience significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts than their cisgender peers. In the U.S., research from organisations such as The Trevor Project has…

Homecoming and Healing: BTS’s “ARIRANG” – Album Review

ARIRANG is BTS’s first studio album in four years. At the height of their fame in 2022, the group announced a hiatus in order to complete their mandatory military service: Jin enlisted in December of 2022, with the others in 2023. Jung Kook and Jimin were the last to serve their terms, finishing June 11th,…

40th BFI FLARE: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: “Beyond the Fire – The Life of Japan’s First Pride Parade Pioneer” Review

Japan is one of those societies where discussions about sexuality have traditionally remained private. However, the country has made visible progress in LGBTQ+ awareness in recent years; local partnership systems now exist in dozens of prefectures, Pride celebrations are held in cities across the country, and public discussion around marriage equality continues to grow. Yet…

40th BFI FLARE: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival: “Body of Our Own” Review

Presented at this year’s BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, the documentary Body of Our Own follows three members of the Hijra community: Momo, Neshi, and Jannat. Directed by Rahemur Rahman and Lily Vetch, the film gives us a beautifully observant portrait of identity and friendship. Filmed over seven years, Rahman and Vetch take a…

The Magic of moon tang: An Intimate Show in London – Concert Review

Inside the nice surroundings of EartH in Hackney, the stage was set with simplicity: a small table, a chair, soft lighting, and at the centre of it all stood Hong Kong singer moon tang, dressed in a breathtaking purple evening dress. I Hate You was the first song performed, and from moon’s 2023 album WATER…