The directorial debut of British-Palestinian writer and director Farah Nabulsi, The Present follows the story of Palestinian father Yusef (Saleh Bakri) and his young daughter Yasmine (Mariam Kanj) as they set off across the West Bank to pick up groceries and find an anniversary present for Yusef’s wife. Facing relentless roadblocks, checkpoints, and apathetic IDF…
“PINE EP Analyses My Five Main Emotions That I Have Been Feeling Since I Felt Love for the First Time.” – In Conversation with CHE, a South Korean Singer-songwriter
“I was into all kinds of art when I was growing up. One time I wanted to be a painter, then I thought of becoming a fashion designer, I wasn’t sure about singing,” CHE, a Seoul-born singer-songwriter, says thoughtfully as he speaks about whether music was his intended career path from the start. Exposed to…
“Modelling is My Vocation in Life, My Calling.” – In Conversation with Gimu, a South Korean Model
It was 2019 when I met Gimu at Seoul Fashion Week for the first time. And, as bizarre as it might sound, it took me just 10 seconds to realise that he is one of the nicest and funniest models I came across. Although we have experienced a language barrier at times, his smile, positive…
The Unbearable Lightness of Being: BTS’ “BE” Album Review
BE is BTS’ fourth (Korean) studio album and follows the record-breaking Map of the Soul: 7 from earlier in the year (February 21). Released on the 20th November, six months after the later, BE is a project album that is best understood as a personal response to COVID-19. BE is grounded in reality; while the…
Hong Sang-soo’s “The Woman Who Ran” Review
While her husband is out of town on a business trip, florist Gam-hee (Kim Min-hee) decides to embark on a venture of her own to reconnect with three different old friends living across Seoul. Although reciting a script, Gam-hee routinely mentions to every friend how her and her husband haven’t spent a day apart since…
In Conversation with DONGKIZ, a South Korean Idol Group
“I was drawn to how I can express my own thoughts and emotions through the lyrics or the melody”, says Jaechan, a 19-year-old member of a South Korean group, DONGKIZ, when asked if music was his future. While not all of the members thought of starting their adult lives as a part of a K-pop…
“Artists Must Guard and Maintain One’s Own Style and yet Be Able to Show Various Colours.” – In Conversation with SURL, a South Korean Rock Band
It has been just over two years since SURL, a pop/rock band, debuted. Although they are fresh-faces in the South Korean music market, Ho-seung, Han-bin, Myung-seok and Do-yeon have already won over not only a domestic audience but also gained a decent European fanbase. In September of 2018, SURL released their 1st official song called…
Nomadland Review
Nomadland is a curious beast; a sobering look at the ramifications of an ageing, expanding workforce in the gig economy following the 2008 recession, critical of the corporations who have forced people into this position, while also feeling at first glance like it’s pulling some of its punches. At least, that’s how this writer interpreted…
“I Want to Definitively Develop My Colour as a Dancer so That I Become an Irreplaceable Master No One Else Can Copy.” – In Conversation with Jay Kim, a Contemporary Dancer and Choreographer
Dancing has been a way of life for Jay Kim, a former 1Million Dance Studio choreographer and contemporary dancer, since he was 13 years old. Known for his artistic choreography for K-pop idols such as Taemin of SHINee, Luhan (former member of EXO), The Boyz, Jay Park, and an emerging group called KAACHI, Jay Kim…
“I Will Work Harder to Grow Into an Incredible Artist.” – In Conversation with Kisu, a South Korean Singer-Songwriter
What really happens to idols after leaving their K-pop groups? Following several years of training and sometimes years of performing, regardless of their level of fame, the future is often bleak. There are various reasons for why idols part ways with their companies, but from what one has seen, it is often because of the…
Netflix’s His House Review
When Bol (Sope Dirisu) and his wife Rial (Wunmi Mosaku) arrive in England for the first time, they are coldly greeted by a board of gloomy detention custody officers who offer them a dreary congratulations as they’re released into the country on bail as asylum seekers. Fleeing from their home in South Sudan, Bol and…
“My Latest Album, UNITY II, Is the Beginning of My New Chapter as a Musician.” – In Conversation with Samuel Seo, a South Korean Artist
Neo-soul is believed to have originated in the mid-1990s with the exquisite work of Tony! Toni! Toné! and with D’Angelo’s debut album, Brown Sugar, released in 1995. While Tony! Toni! Toné! was well-known for their soul and R&B sound in the late 1980s, it was their 4th album, the last one they made as a…
I am Samuel Review
The criminalisation of same-sex relationships in Africa is commonplace. In 2013, 38 African countries made homosexuality a crime under the law. Opposition to people of different sexual orientation has become more and more visible, with Kenya being one of those countries where homosexuality is criminalised and socially unacceptable; if convicted, a person could face up…
“My Constant Wish Is to Make Good Music and Have a Lot of People Listen to It.” – In Conversation with Grizzly, a South Korean Singer-songwriter
R&B, like many other musical genres, has evolved over the years. Originally having its roots in blues, jazz and gospel, with time, it embraced a mixture of pop and soul with elements of hip-hop. And with many new emerging talents on the horizon, the R&B music market is experiencing a huge boom – just look…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 