“I have romantic ideas, but [when I make films] I am not really a romantic person,” Chen Yu-hsun admits with a chuckle. The Taiwanese filmmaker came to fame in 1994 with his debut feature, Tropical Fish, a razor-sharp comedy-drama, for which he was awarded the Golden Horse Award for best original screenplay as well as…
“Music Is Something None of Us Can See, Yet It Is So Powerful.” – In Conversation with Touched, a South Korean Rock Band
One has to understand that Korean music encompasses more than just K-pop with artists paving their own way into the entertainment world by combining various genres. For instance, although the genre of K-rock hasn’t been a part of the country’s culture for as long as it has been in Europe or North America, rock music…
“Pray Away” Review
Wandering around a car park, Jeffrey McCall approaches strangers offering to pray with them. With him, he’s holding a placard reading ‘trans 2 Christ’ which shows before-and-after photos of when Jeffrey used to live his life as a trans woman and now where, after discovering Christianity, he lives his life as a straight cisgender man….
“Being Artists Made Us Realise That the Road Towards Becoming a Great Band Isn’t Easy” – In Conversation with m1sty as1oth, a Singaporean Rock Band
We don’t often hear music from Singapore, but why? Is it a lack of musicians in the country or not enough exposure to the Western world? I am sure it’s not the shortage of talent as Singapore is overflowing with gifted artists, including The Observatory, Arif, A-do, Aspidistrafly and Falling Feathers, just to name a…
“I’m Your Man” Review
Stories about artificial intelligence in cinema are often told from a distinctly male point of view. From recent indie hits like Spike Jonze’s Her and Alex Garland’s Ex_Machina, to a history of more fantastical narratives like John Hughes’ Weird Science, films about AI always seem to posit a relationship between user and machine – the…
“I Just Try to Follow Where My Instincts/Taste Lead Me, Whether That Be in a Very Pop-centred Lane or an Avant-garde Alternative Direction.” – In Conversation with Traces, a Singer-Songwriter
What makes one a good singer? A sense of rhythm and an ear for music are important, however, technicality is not enough. We expect an artist to charm and delight the audience with their voice. Tim Dehnert, a.k.a. Traces, a singer-songwriter from California, comprises both: a talent for song-writing and captivating vocals. In addition, Tim’s…
“I Feel That Listening to Different Music Expanded My Mind to Being Open to Trying New Sounds as Well.” – In Conversation with Deshawn Visionz
Much of the conversation around what it means to be an original artist centres around being “yourself”— being genuine and authentic without attempting to be someone you’re not. Deshawn Visionz, a hip-hop artist based in California, is unafraid to speak the truth with his songs. He has the confidence to vocalise his own feelings, and…
74th Cannes Film Festival: “Olga” Review
To this day, Ukraine pays for the Euromaidan protest and the Revolution of Dignity that took place in November of 2013 and February of 2014, respectively. Both ended with blood, lowering the standard of living of Ukrainian citizens and the loss of a part of the country’s territory. The first revolt began when President Viktor…
Get Up and Dance: “Take me where the rhythm is racy / Let me be a dancin’ fool” – BTS’ “Permission to Dance” Single Review
Permission to Dance is BTS’ third English language single. It follows last year’s hugely successful Dynamite and this year’s follow-up Butter which topped the Billboard 100 for seven weeks in succession (17 July 2021), surpassing the achievements of Dynamite in so doing. And at the time of writing, Butter has passed the baton to Permission…
74th Cannes Film Festival: “La Traviata, My Brothers and I” Review
14-year-old Nour (Maël Rouin-Berrandou) trudges across his council estate, flip-flops smacking against the concrete as he struggles with a hefty laundry bag and a five-litre bottle of water. It’s the height of summer, and while other kids are out playing or attending summer camp, Nour spends his days either completing community service work or looking…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 