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Day: 21 April 2017

Review: Indique

Written by Miriam Mizzi on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Over the past four years that I have resided in Manchester, I have, until very recently, been frustrated by the Indian cuisine options I have encountered. Many may say I’m crazy and that my prime location within walking distance of Rusholme’s Curry Mile means I have a plethora of diverse and quality choices close by. However, apart from a select few instances, I have been disappointed by various restaurants that boast of serving fine Indian food.

(Other restaurants that serve grilled meat have actually far out achieved the curries I have tasted – namely Antalya Café’s cheap and succulent chicken kebabs, served in soft bread and with a large, fresh salad.)

Whilst scouring TripAdvisor for any new additions to their ‘best restaurants in Manchester’ section, I realised a name I have increasingly come across – Indique. Situated on the food hub of Burton Road, close to Fallowfield, I thought it was about time I tried this highly rated, talk about curry house.

With a partner in tow, I entered Indique on the Tuesday following the recent bank holiday, I therefore expected it to be somewhat subdued. However, we were met with an impressive half-full restaurant with smiling waiters and a cheery background hum of Indian music. The inside is a fairly strange layout, consisting of a wholly inside section and then a few tables located in the attached conservatory, glass roof section. We sat happily in the latter section and I was facing colourful wall paintings that continued the good impressions.

We quickly chose to order two pints of Cobra, the classic lager to pair with curry and began inspecting the food menu. I’m not a fussy eater, so I normally find it a struggle and toss-up between meal choices, however, this time it was especially hard. Indian cuisine, full of meat, spices, onions and tomatoes, combines many of my favourite ingredients and Indique’s menu seemed to have been created especially to meet my dinner desires.

After a record amount of toing and froing we decided to share three starters consisting of onion dall bhajis, Kathi chicken tikka rolls, and Peshwari lamb chops. We decided a variety of meats and a vegetarian starter would allow us to have the fullest experience.

Whilst we waited for our starters to arrive, our attentive waiter brought over a dish of complimentary poppadums and dips. The smooth sweet mango chutney paired expertly well will the slightly spicy tomato dip and the finely chopped onion mix to create small mouthfuls of flavour-filled enjoyment.

When our starters were brought out we firstly appreciated their simultaneous arrival, something that is becoming less and less common in modern restaurants. Next, we were hit with our first course of Indique’s beautiful presentation. Our kathi roll dish was served on a grey slate tile and was accompanied with slashes of bright green and pink chutneys, and not only was the presentation impressive, but the taste of the sauces were not redundant but added to the overall dish with sweet and minty notes. The Peshwari lamb chops were small, however, packed a powerful tang. The paprika filled coating left us wanting more. Finally, the onion bhajis were satisfactory, they would have benefitted from being slightly crispier, but the tamarind sauce that was squeezed over the plate more than made up for it.

Happy and more than contented by our starters, we eagerly looked forward to our mains. Earlier we had ordered: a chicken tikka makhani curry, a lamb rogan-e-nishaat curry, a garlic naan, a plain naan, and some rice. We had been almost tempted to order a delicious sounding vegetarian option such as Bhindi-do-piaza, however, the amount of food we had order was already enough to feed an army.

Without a long wait, our mains appeared. Two deep pots of oppositely coloured curry and full-to-the-brim wicker baskets full of naan bread made us feel instantly excited. My renowned to be fussy partner commented on the flavour and silkiness of the butter chicken tikka makhani curry being ‘tasty’ and my melt-in-the-mouth lamb was engulfed by rich layers of complimentary spices. We dipped and wiped every last inch of sauce from our dishes and sat back with a quiet sense of achievement.

Indique’s flavours, textures, presentation and waiters impressed me no end, my only question is: when can I go back?

Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival 2017 Short Interview: Found

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Film.

One of the highlights of day two of Lift-Off was Found, a truly fantastic thriller about a man who spent ten years searching for his kidnapped daughter. I had the privilege of interviewing director Richard Hughes about his film, if you would like to read a review of this short before progressing to the interview click here

What makes the short worthy of even more praise is the fact the story is entirely original and not adapted from a book or real life events. “We took inspiration from films like Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners and Man on Fire” he told me. “Dave Christian and I actually wrote the film back in 2015, whilst on a road trip through Montana in the United States”.

Going through the process of turning their idea into the finished product, they found the whole process raised very few issues. “We were confident in our script and found it was flowing well with the actors. As a result, we are able to shoot the film without any changes.” The shoot was not without its problems though as he went on, “it was touch and go during the final scene when the house was set on fire. With wild winds on the way, the Fire Brigade we close to shutting down the filmset which would’ve resulted in a totally different ending to the script”.

Hughes demonstrates his fantastic ability to control tension throughout the film with it being a large factor in making it so gripping. He takes inspiration from directors such as the Coen Brothers and Denis Villeneuve who seem to have a deep understanding of tension. “A technique they have mastered is to introduce it during silence. This technique, along with visuals to play out tension and suspense is a film craft that I want to execute.”

Alongside tension, Hughes also has great cinematographic skill extending past this short and covering all of his projects. “I think I’m a very visual director. I loved photography from a young age and always have a camera by my side. I love exploring the technique of ‘Mise en Scene’, or hidden meanings that may or may not be visible to everyone in the audience but can sway a viewers mind subliminally through framing, props and wardrobe. It can be powerful and used with boundaries.”

Away from the craft of the film, the cast deserves high praise for their performances. I asked if they two lead actors Richard Cawthorne and Shane Connor shared the vision or whether there were bumps along the way. “They did share the vision, both were extremely passionate about the film” he said. “In particular I learnt a lot about directing performance with the lead Richard Cawthorne. He used a method approach, which is basically when an actor aspires complete emotional identification with the part.” This, while a new experience for Hughes, lead to a great partnership. “Although emotionally taxing, we definitely connected on another level through the shoot. It felt as though we were inside our own intimate bubble, allowing us to break down his character’s motivations without influence.”

In a look to the future, I asked what film he would make, given free range and budget. “As a young child I was obsessed with cowboys and pirates. I have always had a dream to make a gutsy pirate film with no frills and true grit. An honest, dark and disturbing portrayal of how these fascinating barbarians rule the seas.” For now though he is working on transitioning from short to feature film. “We have dreams of one day turning this film into a feature length. Currently we have a two feature scripts and we’re pursuing both. The other film is a modern day pirate film ‘Friday Freedom'”. His dream of a pirate film may not be out of reach.

Finally, I ended by asking his top five films of all time and unsurprisingly the Coen Brothers and Villeneuve both feature in the form of No Country For Old Men, The Big Lebowski and Sicario. The rest of the top five is made up of Leon and The Truman Show.

Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival 2017 Documentary Interviews: Cabby and The Botanist

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Film.

This years festival saw four documentaries featured in the program covering a wide range of topics. I had the privilege of speaking to the directors of two of those films in particular, Daniel Watts of Cabby, and Maude Plante-Husaruk of The Botanist. If you are interested in reading the reviews of each before progressing to the interview click here to find Cabby and here for The Botanist.

Cabby

Cabby’s showing at Lift-Off was perfect given its Manchester setting. It contained shots of many locations that would be familiar such as Fifth nightclub during freshers week. Giving an interesting insight to the people who aren’t often noticed, I’m sure it’ll spark more people to chat to their taxi drivers on their next night out.

Your film was also shown at Manchester International Film Festival in 2015, why was there such a gap between that and Lift-Off this year?

I made the film whilst at University and after I left I decided to set up my own production company. Since then I have just been doing corporate work for companies like Speedo, with the intention of becoming a documentary filmmaker and hopefully one day doing a feature film. It’s been two years since we filmed Cabby and it just makes me reflect, giving me motivation to make more films.

When you do reflect on Cabby are there things you see now and think ‘if only I didn’t include that’ or vice-versa?

I’m a massive perfectionist, so when I’m watching it I just shake my head at all the mistakes. In the development of making the film I spoke to at least 70 taxi drivers and they can be quite flakey and hard to track down at times. There was one in particular who dropped out last minute which was a shame as they had some really interesting stories.

Was Cabby your first attempt at a documentary?

I’ve done a few documentaries before, for example one about the street art in Manchester. Cabby was my final project though. I love meeting people and always had experiences of going on nights out chatting to taxi drivers and just having random conversations. It’s because of this that I wanted to document the characters.

As you progress through your career, what are the shorts you would really like to make given free range?

Personally I really like obscure cultures and scenes. The different ways that people act that are unique. In the same way I’m a big fan of Louis Theroux’s social commentary documentaries.

Do you watch lots of films or do you concentrate on documentaries like Theroux’s to get filmmaking ideas?

We are starting to see more and more documentaries incorporating a cinematic style which is taken from films. I love both and watch a diverse range of things in order to learn about different styles I could use. I can only see myself making documentaries though. The stripped back feel, just getting to know people and learning about their life experiences. There are lots of topics which have already been done so I try to find the more out-there people.

Are you working on another film? Or have plans for the next one?

Not currently. I want to be a filmmaker but I want to make a living being a filmmaker and sometimes you have to compromise in order to make the films that you want to make. As I said I’m such a perfectionist and once I meet person or subculture I’ll immediately know. Wherever I go I’m always on the lookout for my next topic. Everybody I meet I try to read them and suss them out to try and see if they are short worthy. There is a gut feeling I get when I know I’ve found the right thing.

 

The Botanist

This was my favourite documentary of the four. Surrounding a former botanist turned part time teacher in rural Tajikistan, we watch as he shows us the inventions that have helped make his life, and the lives of those around him, better. His ever-positive attitude makes this a wholesome watch and I can’t recommend it enough.

How did you initially hear of Raimberdi and his story?

Raïmberdi had been interviewed for a short French TV program about Central Asia. We only saw him briefly on screen but thought he was a very interesting man and that there was definitely more to his story. We were planning a trip to Central Asia and Iran that year (And always research interesting subjects to document beforehand) so as soon as we arrived in Tajikistan, we started inquiring about the « old Kyrgyz man who had built his own hydro electric power station ». Eventually, we got lucky and met a German researcher who knew him and he pointed us in the right direction. His village was two full days of driving away from us at that moment and we didn’t know if he was going to be home at that time or how to reach him, but we decided to do the trip anyways. We felt it was worth trying!

Once you decided to make this short, did you meet him before you began filming?

Before going to Shaymak (his village), we arrived in Murghab, the most populated village in the area. The locals we were staying with had some relatives in Shaymak, so they made a few calls a within minutes we were able to get in touch with Raïmberdi and let him know that we were interested in doing a documentary about him. He seemed enthusiastic and even offered us to stay at his home. In the following hours, we arranged for a translator/driver and the next day we left for Shaymak.

What were the logistical challenges you faced getting to the isolated location?

Transport is an issue, there are very few means to get around in the Pamir and hiring a private driver can be quite expensive. Moving from one place to the next takes some time because roads are not developed nor paved and the terrain is difficult. It took us half a day to get from Murghab to Shaymak even though we were only about 100 km away.

Was the language barrier difficult whilst filming?

The language barrier was definitely a challenge. Our interpreter only had a very basic understanding of english. Knowing this, we had made sure to write our questions in advance and had them translated by an english teacher in Murghab before going to Shaymak. Also, there are other ways than words you can communicate. We’re all human beings and have other ways of understanding each other. Sign language, laughs, smiles, voice intonations. We also knew a few Kyrgyz and Russian words that were quite helpful. However, since our translator had not been able to translate Raïmberdi’s answers very well on the spot, we definitely had a few interesting surprises when we had the film translated afterwards. Thankfully, they were mostly very good surprises.

Raimberdi appears as an incredibly humble and generous person, is there any other qualities that didn’t come across on film?

Raïmberdi has a wisdom that seems to go beyond the boundaries of his own education, age and culture. He is one of a kind and that’s what inspired us to make the film in the first place!

We went back to Tajikistan last summer to show the film to Raïmberdi (The Botanist). We posted this update earlier this year:

“Last July, we decided to go back to Murghab, Tajikistan to show our film to Raimberdi, the botanist himself. We organised transportation so he could come visit us from his recluse village in the Pamir, and organised a small projection event with a few Kyrgyz students. 2 years had passed since we had first met him. He had inspired us with his ingenuity, sense of humour, curiosity and sensibility and it was truly touching to see him again after all this time. When we noticed the tears in his eyes as he was watching the story of his life unfold before him, we knew our mission was accomplished!

The fact of having foreigners coming from the other side of the world, taking interest in his story, his environment and his small daily gestures rooted in a rural lifestyle, inspired him to start a conversation with the students that were present. He discussed the importance of their ancestral practices, of self-sufficiency and of having knowledge of the fauna and flora on which they’re entirely dependent. We have been inspired by Raimberdi’s story and we’re happy to see that he continues to inspire a young generation of Kyrgyz that will have to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world.”

Did you have any moments that you missed as the camera wasn’t rolling? Or you wish you included?

We are happy with the footage we captured while we were there, but there is definitely more to Raïmberdi’s story. We had a very interesting two hour interview we had to cut down for the 20 minute film.

Was the narrative style of your short predetermined or was it a result of going over the footage afterwards?

Being with Raïmberdi and his family in Shaymak was very inspiring for us. We remember having the idea of the chapters while we were shooting, right after he showed us his beautiful herbariums and explained each plant’s part’s benefits. We already had an idea of what story we wanted to tell but a lot of the storytelling structure came about while we were editing the film.

The animations you used were very beautiful, how did you decide to add that to separate the narrative?

The titles are a way to draw a parallel between his passion for plants and the different stages of his life. The plants that are displayed in the titles are all plants that you can find in the Pamir and each one of them has attributes pertaining to the specific part of the plant the chapter is metaphorically presenting.

Are you currently working on another project?

We are now working on a short project we filmed in Nepal last year.

Do you see yourself/yourselves progressing to a feature length documentary?

We’re discussing it, we’ll see!

Live: Sun Ra Arkestra

Written by Sophie Billington on . Posted in Music.

15th April at Band on the Wall

8/10

You arrive at Band On The Wall to see Sun Ra Arkestra, but you’re a song late. The silver lining is that when you make your way into the gig, the band is in full swing. If there wasn’t a  sea of heads in your way, you would have been immediately dazzled by the sequins that coat the members onstage. Colourful doesn’t quite describe it; glistening sounds too delicate. Sun Ra are glamorously gaudy.

You had held a hat-themed party the night before, and your mate whispers to you, “they definitely would’ve won the prize for best hat”. “Which guy?”, your other friend asks (they’re all wearing variations of hats), but your first mate just shrugs. All their hats are pretty incredible. You settle into the music. It’s finger clicking stuff, real jazz stuff. But it’s Afrofuturist. The movement of non-Western cosmology was basically pioneered by the late Sun Ra, so this is no surprise. The part-extraterrestrial, part-cultural costume of the ensemble is perfect for the sounds you hear. They’re unfamiliar, but seductive. You’re transported to another world.

‘Space is the place’. It’s impossible not to notice the feline voice that curls round the blare of brass. It’s softer and smoother than you would expect of a lady wearing forest green lipstick, but it’s also a voice as striking as one would imagine. Entranced by her personality, you search her for clues and note that although her shoulders are all a-sequin-verde, she wears a t-shirt that says ‘ASTRO BLACK’. As the performance continues, you begin to feel that you understand Sun Ra’s obsession with space, but you can’t actually have understood it on more than a surface level, because really you’re dazed and confused by it. In a good way, in a great way in fact, but your spirits are dampened, for you can only long to be a part of the scene.

The galactic theme that runs through the jazz vacuum adds a whole other dimension of special to the orchestra’s rendition of the Disney hit ‘When you Wish Upon a Star’. Pinocchio has never been sexier. But at moments, it’s never been squeakier. The band isn’t consistently smooth, and can be quite offensive on the ears at times. You wonder if this is part of the statement they’re making; you didn’t find it unpleasant, but your nose would get longer if you said that you thought the experience wouldn’t have been made better by a quieter approach.

Sun Ra just wouldn’t be Sun Ra if they weren’t so experimental though, so there’s no real way to get around this minor conflict. It’s jazz, you tell yourself. Jazz is freedom: it’s a genre that tells you to put the cat in a bag and throw it down the stairs. Jazz ought to be unsettlingly loud and it ought to be confusing. Just don’t go with a hangover next time, perhaps.

You were so mystified by the brilliance of the group that you look around to find yourself separated from your friends. Suddenly there’s brass behind you. A trio of trumpeting and tromboning bandmembers emerge. They find their way past you, right next to you, within centimetres of you. The brassy tones come in rhythmic threes too. The pace of the music slows. It’s calmer, but it’s thrilling. You’ve made real contact with the third kind: casual, fun contact. You feel a bit ashamed of yourself for filming it.

You feel absolutely no guilt for getting footage of the alto-saxophonist, Marshall Allen. At 92 years old, although he’s a gemstone of a relic, he’s also the Arkestra leader, and lead he does. Allen has remarkable command of his mouthpiece, as well as your attention. The band in its entirety offers soulful riffs and sharp interludes to take you back, way back into a decade of bar culture, but its energy and youthful sass carry you into the future. Sun Ra Arkestra is space soul personified.

Review: Raw

Written by Alasdair Bayman on . Posted in Film.

Viewing cannibalism and cinema, they share a close relationship with one another. Most famously springs to mind Hannibal Lecter and his conniving schemes. Working to unearth humanities darkest side, the consumption of human flesh has mostly served something greater and more meditative than simply shock horror entertainment.

Similarly, in Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death, cannibalism is used as a vice to explore the boundaries in which women faced in 80s consumerist society. Also adopting the use of cannibalism as an allegorical study of humanity is Raw, created by first time feature writer-director Julia Ducournau.

Not only does the film analyse what it means to consume fellow humans, but too works to explore the strangeness of university, the discovery of one’s own sexual identity and the restrictions that our social environments place upon us.

Although this appears a mouthful of thematic elements when listed, Raw deals with such issues in nuanced manner — perfectly merged with the horror elements. Like any great horror genre piece, Ducournau’s first feature film does much more than scare you — it fascinates and seek to be much more than entertainment.

Opening in a longshot of a misty road, iconic of the horror genre, Raw appears to be going in one straight forward direction, like the road itself. Yet, with an abrupt cut, the narrative shifts to Justine (Garance Mariller) who is travelling to veterinary school in Belgium. Her campus is isolated and no traces of society can be found surrounding the university.

Stopping at a road side restaurant with her parents, all Justine gets to eat is a plate of mash potato. Like her parents, she is a vegetarian. Arriving at night, her new environment is obscured by the darkness. After being inaugurated into the veterinary fraternity via glorious red gloop, she proceeds to the final stages of being accepted into this frat group.

Confronted with jars of rabbit liver, she is forced to eat a small piece. Her new life instantly challenges all the ideas to which her parents have created for her. Eating the meat, she proceeds to throw it all up, leading to the appearance of a grotesque rash.

Awaking an inner urge for human flesh, eating this rabbit liver is the start of Justine’s discover of self-pleasure and indulgence. Yet, the boundaries of the fraternity dictate her life. Students are constantly awoken in the middle of the night and are forced into acts of humiliation and mockery of their innocence.

Extending the atmosphere initially felt after arriving at university, Justine’s isolation in the frame extends such an impression of her loneliness. It is only until Justine is reunited with her party animal sister Alexia (Ella Rumpf) at a student party, in one of the decaying sections of the campus, that she starts to open up.

Alexia is at the same university as Justine and is one year ahead, both in terms of education and recreational activities.  Like Mia-Hansen-Løve’s Eden, Ducournau in numerous party scenes creates a visceral experience of youth nightlife. Like the youthfulness reflection of house/ garage music on Félix de Givry’s Paul in Eden, Raw’s diegetic soundtrack reflects the lively vigour of its student setting.

Using The Dø – Despair, Hangover & Ecstasy in one sequence demonstrates the liberation and freedom experienced at university. The aggressiveness of Justine’s cannibalism is expressed through ORTIES – Plus Putes que toutes les Putes. Working in harmony with the demented movement of Justine in her bedroom mirror, this hip-hop song works to emphasis cannibalisms freeing of her female sexuality and inner desires.

Lastly, the orchestra score of Jim Williams harks back to classic horror. Used in one of the film’s best scenes, the music’s emphatic qualities further Laurie Colson production design and lighting. Taking an Argentina and giallo approach, lighting the grey walls of the halls with deep reds alludes towards the iconography of the horror genre. Moreover, it represents Justine submersion into her obsession with human flesh.

As her cannibalistic urge grows, so does her sexual desire for her gay room-mate, Adrian. Similarly, Justine’s bond between her sister also develops. Strengthened in a waxing scene, the best since A 40-Year-Old Virgin, it is chiefly through this pampering that unearths a commonality between the two sisters.

Using the vacuous spaces of the university to her advantage, Ducournau’s eerie corridors and rooms filled with living and dead animals evidently references the nightmarish quality of Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Ducournau doesn’t see her film as a gore fest, and rightly so. With moments of dark comedy, family drama and bildungsroman, the film covers a wide spectrum of genres. Raw has been labelled as a ‘barf fest’ by some audiences and critics alike in the US. One theatre in LA gave out ‘doggie bags’ before some screenings.

This publicity could be seen as a positive in it is mainstream attention towards an independently created film. Yet, it holds a negative impact in my eyes as its ignores the film’s intelligence in being more than just blood and guts.

Ignore the sceptical media coverage and enjoy this fascinating exploration of humanities’ darkest cravings.

4/5