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Month: April 2014

Club: Lo-Fi presents Cosmin TRG / Floating Points

4th April

Sound Control

7.5/10

Despite having launched in 2014 and being newcomers to the Manchester dance music scene, Lo-Fi have built a considerable rep and are pulling in the big guns already. Tonight’s double headliner bill of Floating Points and Cosmin TRG certainly showcases that.

For a promoter that identifies as “mostly techno”, Floating Points doesn’t seem the most obvious booking. He’s a DJ well versed in building lengthy sets filled with jazz and funk, not exactly your pounding 130bpm. And whilst soulful funk is still at the forefront of his selection – with the likes of Alicia Myers’s ‘I Want To Thank You’ typifying the upbeat, vocal driven tracks he favours – as the set progresses it feels more muscularly driven and at a greater tempo than I’ve previously experienced from the Manchester born DJ. Possibly a response to the promoter’s identity and shorter than usual set time. The airing of ‘King Bromeliad’, a track from Floating Points’s next Eglo Records release, proves a set highlight. The layering of grooving, lively and soaring textures combine and are amplified through the club system into an intensely danceable number.

Next up is headline act Cosmin TRG: you can file him right alongside previous Lo-Fi guests Boddika and Surgeon as he immediately thumps the room with the spinning of fine techno cuts. As the man responsible for the very first release on Hessle Audio, presently one of the most influential labels around, and now frequently releasing on Modeselektor’s admired 50Weapons imprint – Cosmin TRG is an artist that has been perfecting his craft for some time and is now a master. TRG is markedly more aggressive and dark than Floating Points. The cascading bells of Planetary Assault System’s ‘No Exit’ envelope Sound Control to produce that mind-bending effect on the crowd only techno truly provides as everyone present loses themselves in the sound. As his set progresses the kick drums remain booming, the bass remains distorted and reveller’s fists remain pumping: what more could you want.

Lo-Fi are on a break now for the summer; I wait with excited anticipation to see the no doubt high calibre of artists they bring to Manchester next year.

Album: Kylie Minogue – Kiss Me Once

Released 14th March

Parlophone

0.5/10

Not exactly being a hardcore fan of Miss Minogue, I sat down ready to be fairly disappointed but not exactly surprised by her latest offering. The first song ‘Into The Blue’ left me in a cold sweat. This is not music. I’m sorry Kylie I know you’re a national treasure and all after you went on that program with the twisty chairs, but please for the sake of all that is just in the world do not pursue a further career in singing.

Willing to give everyone’s favourite 3 foot high songstress another try, I skipped ahead to “Les Sex” – which I can only assume is a raunchy ode to the one and only Les Dawson – but after being told repeatedly by Kylie to “work it, push it baby” I just wanted to sit down and have a cup of tea to recover. Not only is the horribly artificial screeching autotune of her wailing vocal cords grating on one’s nervous system, but the lyrics leave you depressed and angry at the state of modern popular culture today. If the only thing that sells records these days is Kylie squeezing her ample derriere into a red leather baby grow and instructing you very forcefully to “sexercise! Feel the burn!” then I despair for future generations.

Described as an “R&B reboot” for the 45 year old self-proclaimed goddess, the singer thanks her many fans who “always inspire” her. Funny that as upon closer inspection, none of the songs in fact were written, produced, or even edited, by Kylie herself. But after all, what more is a pop star than a pretty face to lord about in gold hot pants thrusting her aging genitalia in the faces of anyone who’ll watch.

Never one to judge, I sat through the rest of the album, intrigued by “Sexy Love”, the fourth wonder on the album. I forced myself; teeth gritted, to see it through to the end.  As a child of the noughties, I have sat through a fair few Liberty X cassette tapes, and I am no stranger to the honeyed tones of Tina, Paul; Rachel, Jo, Hannah, Bradley and Jon, but I think it has been a while since I have endured such dirge. As a young girl I was not adverse to a bit of Australian pop – everyone likes some Kylie at the year 6 disco – but this is something else. Truly, utterly, terribly abysmal. There are no words strong or grotesque enough to describe the jaded horror of this monstrous album. Kylie’s thin, perpetually high-pitched yelps screech out over the top of over-produced, over-edited filth. Without meaning to be rude, I would simply beg of you, Kylie if you’re reading this, please desist. I have given this album 0.5/10 for the simple reason, that Kylie undeniably has the best brows in show business.

Club: Project 13 Secret Sessions Part II

22nd March

Secret Warehouse Location

7/10

Replicating the success of last year’s Secret Sessions, tonight’s event is sold out. As the text announcing the location comes though at around 10pm I head off to Salford excited and intrigued about what’s in store for tonight. ‘2 labels 4 headliners’, hailing from Bristol, is all the line up details known.

Entering the Secret Warehouse Location doesn’t feel all that different to any basement club in Manchester such as Soup Kitchen or 2022NQ: there are pillars through the room, the walls are bare and there’s even a bar at one side – one that remains surprisingly busy considering the BYOB allowance tonight.  Indeed, the only noticeable difference to this location is that everyone inside is carrying big rucksacks stacked with booze, an allowance that raises SWL from a gimmick to an ideal feature for many of the cash strapped students in attendance.

A set list on the wall reveals the headliners: Ipman, Pinch, Batu and Beneath. A fine selection, and by my estimations that makes Tectonic and Cold the two labels represented. A night of dubstep and techno is on the cards it seems.

Ipman immediately confirms these expectations as he gets the room moving with a hard, bass heavy set. This is typified by the dropping of Special Request’s ‘Hackney Parrot VIP’, an appropriate choice considering its sound bite samples from illegal raves. The baton then passes to Pinch and he picks up where Ipman left off, releasing a ferocious set that shakes the room. Techno and dubstep are blended expertly, the pinnacle of the set arriving with the selection of future-classic ‘Mercy (Boddika’s VIP)’ . Next up is newcomer and young gun Batu, an artist who released his first ever record on Cold Recordings last year. His sound is more crunchy than the previous 2 DJs but it retains strong grooves. The selection of ‘Null Results’ by Demdike Stare for example highlights this, with pulsing acid emerging from the relentless percussion. Final headliner Beneath brings down the tempo slightly as the night draws to a close, opting to spin many of his own productions as well as those by the likes of Alex Coulton.

It’s easy to see from tonight why on reputation alone Project 13 were able to sell out this details undisclosed event, bring on Secret Sessions Part III.

Club: Selective Hearing x Hi Ku presents Dense & Pika / Jay Daniel / Alex Coulton / Palms Trax

28th March

Underland

8.5/10

Underland is the setting tonight for the joining of forces of two of Manchester’s best loved promoters. With their collective might they’ve pulled in a very strong line up, stacked with four headline acts.

On my first visit I was eager to see what the “brand new art club and venue experience” had to offer. The top room is fairly unorthodox: the dance floor is located on a raised platform; this left half the room below, stretching from the bar at one end to the back wall, in an odd no man’s land state in which no one appeared comfortable to dance. A bit gimmicky. As I ascended the platform stairs however, the atmosphere was vibrant and Palms Trax was kicking off the night in style.

As the man behind one of the best releases of 2013, Palm Trax’s position as the lowest headline name on the bill really highlighted the quality of the bookings. His set impressively had a peak time feel early on with the whole room – well, platform – responding enthusiastically to the prime selection of techno classics such as Larry Heard’s ‘The Sun Can’t Compare’ and newer tracks such as his own infectiously euphoric ‘Equation’.

Moving downstairs to the basement provided a more familiar dance space, dark and level – perfect for some techno which Alex Coulton duly provided. Seeing the resident Mancunian had been a long time coming after my first attempt in May of 2013 ended dismally with just 4 people turning up to Joshua Brooks for the night. Consequently the bouncers sensing an early night kicked everyone out and shut up shop before he even got to the decks. Thankfully the sell-out crowd tonight stopped a repeat and Coulton delivered a strong set showcasing the influence of his local upbringing sliced with that of his Bristolian label mates by dropping tracks from the likes of Akkord and Beneath.

Next on upstairs was the latest hyped Detroit talent Jay Daniel. It’s easy to forget that Daniel is a relative newcomer with only two releases under his belt with all the attention he’s received of late. If the pressure of expectation is being felt, he certainly doesn’t show it. Indeed, his often arrogant social media updates display he has the character to take this all in his stride.  Admittedly it must be said, his confidence is certainly well placed: his set resembles that of established Detroit stars, namely his chief-championer Theo Parrish and frequent collaborator Kyle Hall. The forefront of his sound remains percussion heavy and pounding, and the penetration of acidic undertones adds immersive depth and danceability.

Closing the night downstairs is techno duo Dense & Pika. They prove worthy of their headline status and, for me, are the highlight of the night. If you’re familiar with their ‘hit’ – ‘Colt’ – then this track serves as a perfect example of their sets. The emotive piano chords punctuating the uncompromising percussion reflects the dark techno that dominates their set being spliced with moments of vivid clarity. One such example provides me with a defining club moment: the airing of one of my all-time favourite tracks, Oni Ayhun’s ‘OAR003-B’. The soaring, blissful masterpiece slots in seamlessly amongst the more aggressive cuts. Achieving this blend evenly and effectively proves the adeptness of the duos mixing capabilities.

The teaming up of Selective Hearing and Hi Ku was highly successful with all acts impressing and the night retaining a consistent feel with no loss of either promoter’s identity. Let’s hope they maintain this relationship.

Club: Moodymann & Levon Vincent

14th March

Sankeys

7/10

“WHATUPDOE? WHATUPDOE? What’s happening Manchester?”  asks an upbeat Kenny Dixon Jnr. aka Moodymann as he takes to the booth in Sankeys’s main room, the alias proving to be a misnomer. Despite being covered in a thick black hoody and sporting a black eye mask on his face, there’s no mistaking this man from that famous voice.

“I want y’all to know I’m bar tending tonight” he announces, raising a bottle of Grey Goose above his head, “I’ve got some liquor for y’all up here. Every now and then I’ll pour a shot for whoever love with me here – hey I hope you’re all having a good time.” On the second installment of Music Is Love’s monthly residency at the club, Moodymann really encapsulates the mindset of the promoter.

This theme carries right through his set. The opening track, Isaac Hayes’s ‘Zeke The Freak’, sets the tone for what continues to be a gloriously funk & soul driven set. The crowd groove to the abounding rousing trumpets and rhythmic bass lines as Moodymann spins – somehow expertly mixing with what looks like iPod headphones – the likes of Supertramp’s ‘Cannonball’. Those at the front receive the added bonus of the occasional shot of premium vodka from the man behind the decks. An unfortunate programming overlap means it’s almost a struggle to pull myself away up to Spectrum to watch another American house and techno master – Levon Vincent.

Upon entering the intimate Spectrum, and immediately getting lost in the mind-bending sounds he constructs from his records and mixer, all qualms over the decision are washed away. Displaying a strong focus on thudding kick drums and snares, Vincent justified his cult status (I’ve never seen anyone scribble their autograph on a begging crowd member’s shirt mid-mix before) with a pounding set that triggered relentless dancing.

Tonight proves Music Is Love’s nights are the pinnacle of the Sankeys calendar this year.

Album: Taking Back Sunday – Happiness Is

Released 18th March, 2014

Hopeless Records

7.5/10

Taking Back Sunday returns with Happiness Is, the band’s follow-up to 2011’s  self-titled album.  As well as being their first album released on an indie record label (Hopeless) since 2004’s Where You Want To Be, this album appears to get back the emo pop punk roots that made them famous.  While this similarity of sounds will certainly make long time fans happy, the album doesn’t give the impression that Taking Back Sunday has simply resorted to this formulaic approach.  In fact, it feels somewhat like a homecoming, as track ‘Stood a Chance’ suggests with the lyric ‘you’re going forward looking back’.

While Adam Lazzara clearly hasn’t lost his propensity for angst-ridden lyrics, he almost seems to mock this stereotype in ‘They Don’t Have Any Friends’ when he sings “I keep my head down and hope for a hit / open the flood gates for all those smug little kids / it’s not their fault / they don’t have any friends / they can’t help themselves / undressing themselves / alone in their room / thinking that no one will ever love them”.  The album focuses on Lazzara’s attempt to cope with broken relationships and unfulfillment despite his success (‘I can’t believe how strange it is to be alive right now”).  Granted, lyrics such as “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go’ from ‘Beat Up Car’ aren’t exactly the most inventive or original in the book, and lot of the songs don’t seem that dissimilar from one another (one other complaint- there is genuinely no reason to have included instrumental introduction ‘Preface’, which encompasses about thirty seconds of forgettable noise).  However, Lazzara’s unmistakable voice and the collusion of instrumentals from all the original members of the band show that the method Taking Back Sunday has is still working, and the reminiscence the listener gets of past songs and albums is reassuring- they’ve still got it.

Interview: BBC reporter Jon Sopel

When TedX came to the University of Manchester on the 2nd of March BBC World News correspondent Jon Sopel gave a talk on reporting in war zones. The Mancunion’s Haider Saleem caught up with him after his talk to discuss war photography, the risks of reporting in war zones and the disney effect of war.

You mentioned in your talk that ‘war is ugly’. Then how would you describe your job? What is it like reporting if war is ugly?

My job can be exciting, scary, tedious it can be everything. You often have long periods of waiting for something to happen and then all of a sudden jaw-dropping adrenaline. It can be upsetting, seeing things that are difficult to absorb, whether it be death or other people’s pain, which I find very difficult when you see people who are really suffering. But you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. They always say the most miserable solider when a war is going on is the one who’s stuck in barracks. If you’re a journalist and there’s a big story, then you want to be where the big story is.

“You can’t take good photos if you got a tear in the view finder”

I think it was the English war photographer Don McCollum, I couldn’t find definitively the quote. However it is one quote that I have always grown up with in my journalistic career. I think he meant ‘you must never show any emotion, you must stay cold and distant’

As if you’re a ghost?

Yeah – like you’re just an observer, you’re not there to feel. It is like you’re in the Roman Colosseum and the lions are about to tear apart the Christians. You don’t feel anything – you’re just watching what’s happening, you’re just a spectator. I think that’s true up to a certain point but I think there are times when you have a degree of emotional involvement and commitment because you are watching people suffer. You can’t just say ‘get over it, you just had your legs blown off, your wife and children have just been raped.’ I don’t think you can be cold and impassive to what you see around you. That doesn’t mean you are taking sides, but it means there is a blend of the two, is what you have to do.

You said you were worried about the ‘Disney effect of war’ – what exactly is this?

I think you can show war as a theme park, you can show things going bang, rockets being fired and bullets whizzing past and you never show what the effects are of what has happened and I think that is what creates the ‘Disney style’ effect of war. That it all looks kind of harmless – no one gets hurt. For a reporter, ideally, if you want to live, you don’t want to be standing underneath where a shell lands – you’re going to be blown apart. There are realistic constraints about showing – you’re going to be a pretty unlucky correspondent if the bomb lands on top of you, because it means you’re not going to be able to file your report and your dead. However, I think that we have to show that war involves suffering as well and real pain and that’s why I showed a clip in my talk of what the effect of the chemical weapons strike were because it was shocking to see that small child shaking and covered in burns. I think it is incumbent upon us not to sanitise war, that is what I meant.

In Syria, North Korea and other places, journalists and reporters are being captured and imprisoned. How does it make you feel – that journalists are being kidnapped for doing the same job as you? Does that upset you?

Of course it does and it affects other people’s judgments about whether we are willing to go down there. I think at the moment the BBC is thinking that Syria is too dangerous, and believe me we got some pretty brave reporters and cameramen who are prepared to go there, but just the risk of capture – if you’re out in certain areas, the risk is so great and so unclear who is doing the capturing (we had the same problem in Baghdad) that it mean it is very, very difficult to report in these places.

Do you not feel like people look at you and insanity recognise that ‘yeah, there another westerner here to report what’s happening’?

 I feel that often people want to show their conflicts. If you give people a camera and a microphone and a change to explain why and what they are doing, whether that is in Africa or the Middle East, for most of the part people are receptive. There’s no way I can mask myself and pretend that I’m a black African or an Arab. A lot of thought and you would be amazed about how much thought goes into what we call ‘high risk areas’. The planning, execution, where we are going to stay, the methods of exit, what contingency plans are in place. We also have kidnap plans, those things are talked about when you go there.

You have previously talked about the effects of social media and journalism. Who do you think is becoming more powerful, social media or Murdoch?

(Laughs) What a good question. I’m not going to answer, I’m going to be a bit of a politician. I’ll tell you what I think, I think that 20 years ago, Murdoch had huge, massive undeniable power and now I’m going to say to you that it is much more balanced and that social media is immediate and instant, and if you don’t deal with it you’re a fool. Your going to see in the next election social media play a more prominent role than it has done. People who say social media is irrelevant are wrong.

Harry Fear, who had also spoke, said ‘when the blood in the middle east spills, it doesn’t really bother us’ – is he true in saying that?

I didn’t hear the quote; I’m not going to comment directly when I haven’t heard the context. What I would say the Middle East is one of the most important geo-political issues of our age. The idea that we don’t care what happens  n the Middle East strikes me as wrong. The Middle East is one of the stories that people feel is hugely important, a lot of resources are devoted to and we have a very good bureau and reporting in the Middle East.

Inside Nightline

It’s after midnight, the students are sat quietly drinking cups of tea and maybe having a biscuit, or two.  A shrill noise breaks the quiet, it’s the phone.  One of them confidently leans forward to pick it up, ‘Hello Nightline’ …

University isn’t an easy period in many people’s lives.  It can be really enjoyable, but it comes with its own set of pressures such as, moving away from home, exam stress, housing issues and money troubles – the list is endless.  Proof of the difficulties plaguing many people during this period in their lives is demonstrated by a recent NUS study finding that 20% of students identified themselves as having a mental health problem.  But even worse are the fears revealed by recent Priory Group research that many students suffer in silence and don’t feel they can share their problems, for whatever reason.  This is why organisations such as Nightline play a vital role in helping with student wellbeing.  Nightline represents a voice at the end of the phone, a voice that will neither judge nor advise.  They recognise that sometimes all that is needed is having somebody to talk to and for someone to listen.

Volunteers are not trained in any official counselling capacity; they are all students who volunteer their time because they believe that the service is of vital benefit to the university community. The volunteers receive rigorous training so that they are equipped to handle any call in a calm and empathetic manner.  The training is completed over a number of weeks and allows for prospective volunteers to learn about a range of concerns students may face and gives the opportunity to listen to speakers on topics ranging from student issues, mental health, and gender identity.

I’ve been given the opportunity to speak to some of the volunteers and find out why it is important for them to be involved and what the service actually does.  Due to the confidential nature of Nightline none of the identities of the people giving their stories will be revealed however they are all committed members of the service.

Why did you join Nightline?

Volunteer A – When I started university it was my first time away from home without the security provided by my friends and family.  There were times I really enjoyed myself but at others I felt alone and down but didn’t feel I could talk to the people I was still getting to know.  At the time I didn’t feel my problems were worth bothering Nightline about, so I didn’t call, but ended up getting involved as a volunteer because the ethos of being a non-judgemental, non-advisory and confidential listening service really attracted me.  For me, Nightline represents the type of safe listening space I once needed.  Now as a volunteer I know that anyone can and should call if they want, however large or small they might view their problems Nightline is there to listen.

Volunteer B – In my first year I rang Nightline when I was suffering from mild depression.  Earlier that day I’d gone to see a Doctor but I really didn’t feel he understood my problems and how difficult I was finding it to motivate myself.   However when I rang Nightline they seemed to really understand and were happy to listen. It was great to have a friendly voice that was on my side.  I later decided to join as I thought it would be a great opportunity to help others and return the support Nightline offered me when I was feeling vulnerable.

 

Why do you think providing a service like Nightline is important?  (A service for students, run by students)

Volunteer C – I think that it’s important to have someone available for the people who need it at the most isolated times when everyone else is probably asleep.  Sometimes you just need someone to talk to or someone to care about what you’re going through, just having someone to talk to can make a big difference!

Being students ourselves, I feel that we can relate to our callers better than adult volunteers from other organisations.  Other organisations might not be as familiar with student issues or things discussed. I like to think that being staffed by student volunteers means our callers feel more at ease talking to us (well, hopefully). Having such a service just generally improves the mental wellbeing of students, which is extremely important for their time at university.

Why is Nightline useful, given the fact they can’t give advice?

Volunteer A – We aren’t qualified in any formal capacity, thus making it difficult to sanction giving advice.  We are a large group of students who want to help people and who have the ability to empathise.  We only know as much as the caller chooses to tell us, so don’t know the specific situations callers are in.  Therefore if we gave advice it could be irrelevant or potentially cause harm to the caller and the person offering it.  Also one of the aims of Nightline is to provide a uniform service so that students on any given night can call and receive the same standard of professionalism and helpfulness every time they call; if we started offering advice then this aim wouldn’t be achievable.

Sometimes though it’s not about people wanting advice at all, what’s needed is just to let all those bottled up feelings out to someone who’s willing to listen.  It also helps that we’re strictly confidential, non-judgmental and anonymous, so our callers don’t have to worry about opening up to us about anything and everything.  Finally, although we can’t give advice, we are allowed to give information so people can phone asking for things such as options of who to contact for student related services, taxi numbers and more.

Why is it important to maintain confidentiality?

Volunteer C – We understand there are some things it can be hard to discuss.  It may have taken a lot of courage for someone to call and we want to ensure no matter what is said, it will remain safe.  We are taught from the beginning that confidentiality is a foundation of Nightline, and will never disclose the content of your call to third parties.  This aims to create a trusting relationship between caller and volunteer, where callers feel comfortable sharing anything they want to get off their chest.  Volunteers will not discuss calls with their friends, as this would be a violation of the confidential, non-judgemental service we pride ourselves in delivering.  This confidentiality covers to the identities of volunteers as well. As individuals can’t be recognised with Nightline, we have a mascot – Noel the Nightline Bear as the face of the organisation, who can be seen around campus, advertising the service.

What happens when a person calls?

Volunteer D – When a person calls Nightline, they will be put through to one of our volunteers. The volunteer will discuss anything the caller wishes, for as long as they like.  Our hope is that talking one on one, with someone in a similar position to you could provide that little extra support, that some may find difficult to come by in their student years. For those who don’t fancy talking on the phone, we also provide E-listening, offering the same service via email.

What kind of things can people call for?

Volunteer D – People can call for absolutely anything. Our volunteers are happy to listen to anything you want to talk about, for as long as you want. We understand students can have a hard time, and we offer a non-judgemental space to discuss your thoughts and feelings. If there’s a particular issue you are having a hard time dealing with we’ll talk it through with you. Common topics include stress, low mood, money, relationships or drugs and alcohol, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. Equally if you just want a chat, or can’t sleep, that’s fine too! We’ll never tell you what to do, though we can offer information if you ask.

Whatever is on your mind, we are here to listen, open 8pm-8am every night during term time.  The number is on the back of your library card.  Or you can email us at [email protected]

For more information about the service and student well-being in Manchester you can find Noel the Nightline mascot on Facebook – Noel Nightline Bear or Twitter – @MancNightline

The author of this piece has chosen to be anonymous.

Keeping the Faith

2014 sees the release of not one but two biblical blockbusters. Darren Aronofsky’s Noah opened in cinemas last Friday, with Russell Crowe as the most famous boatbuilder of all time, and later this year, Christian (no pun intended) Bale is set to star as Moses in Ridley Scott’s Exodus.

Hyped up to the eyeballs it may be, not least because it marks Aronofsky’s first venture into epic filmmaking, but Noah has most recently been hitting headlines due to its controversial subject matter. Indeed, it’s been banned in several countries for its warts n’ all representation of the biblical events, marking something of a departure from the classic “two by two” Sunday school version.

This of course is not the first (or last) time film has ‘done’ the Bible. What’s more, when it does, controversy is always the sub-text – the Bible is a touchy subject, and invariably films which trespass onto biblical territory get mixed and uneasy reactions. Films like Scorcese’s The Last Temptation of Christ and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ or even Ron Howard’s The Da Vinci Code have all suffered from controversial backlash prior to their release.  However, these films have also all then gone onto achieve great critical success, with all three films receiving Oscar and/or Golden Globe nominations. Given such controversy, however, the question arises – is there room for faith in film?

Film is a powerful medium, accessible and engaging, and for this reason tailor-made for challenging audiences.  But there is no reason why taking inspiration from the bible has to be controversial.  That book is jam-packed with ripping yarns and film has done a lot worse in the past and present than retelling a bible tale!  A filmmaker’s particular interpretation of a bible story need not engage with the whole ‘faith’ thing, it can be taken simply as an artistic engagement with or interpretation of a good story. Adaptation has a major role to play in cinema – fiction and non-fiction, old and new, religious or secular – and this is because film is the perfect medium to revive and enhance well-loved stories, allowing us to re-engage with them in new and dynamic ways.

Cinema has a history of controversy, that’s what makes it so exciting. But what is just as exciting to witness is its power to move audiences and test the boundaries of what cinema can do. There is room for faith in film, not as the butt of a lazy joke or a target for skepticism, but as the basis for audiences to reengage or encounter for the first time stories that may have had massive global impact throughout history.  Ben Hur was perhaps the paradigm example, with its epic portrayal of one man’s life interwoven with that of Christ without the latter ever being a direct part of the story.  In a completely different way, Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth with Robert Powell engaged completely and directly with its subject without preaching at any level.

What these biblical remakes do teach us is that film is now the major artistic and cultural medium of our generation.  It alone perhaps has the power to bring these monumental stories to the attention of an entire world.  It puts a lot of responsibility onto a filmmaker’s shoulders.  Film is of course entertainment, but nowadays it is much, much more, too; a key cultural and academic activity, with the power and authority to educate and engage audiences across the globe.  Noah was always pretty impressive, but now he’s going global everyone!

Whatever your religious views, go see these biblical blockbusters with an open mind.  Take them at face value.  Enjoy them simply as stories so good they have lasted thousands of years.  If something deeper comes through, if the director manages to challenge or inspire you, then all the better.  That should be enough to restore your faith in film. But at least, if nothing else, it’ll be worth the crack to see Russell Crowe attempt to manoeuver an army of CGI’d animals!