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Month: October 2017

Manchester Black cab drivers protest ‘illegal out of town’ drivers

Written by Matt Wynne on . Posted in Opinion.

Over 200 Black cab drivers took to the streets of Central Manchester this afternoon to protest the amount of ‘illegal’ private hire drivers that have flooded the city in recent years.

Luckvear Singh, 47, a Manchester driver of five years, said: “This is having a big effect. They are coming into Manchester because there is more business but they need to have a Manchester licence.

“We have lost a lot of revenue, 30 to 40 per cent, a lot of drivers are now struggling to make ends meet and some are giving up. Manchester City Council needs to take action against this and take our protest seriously. The public also needs to be aware what is happening.”

The deregulation of taxi licensing along with cutbacks to local authority funding enables drivers to apply for a license from a Council that has the least stringent rules and operate in Manchester which has the highest demand for private hire cabs within the region.

This is especially true with a large number of Uber drivers in the city, which hold a license from Rossendale Borough Council in rural Lancashire — a district that lies 17 miles north of Manchester’s city limits. This influx has caused discontent amongst local drivers who feel they are being undercut and that loopholes in licensing regulations are being taken advantage of. This also raises concerns that drivers that come in from outside of the City do not know the areas they are working in, causing a race to the bottom in skills and knowledge.

It is also worth noting that Manchester City Council can only stop and check drivers who are licensed within the city, which poses safety and welfare concerns. After an investigation into the licensing regulations in Greater Manchester, Trafford Council’s website states that prospective drivers need to have a GCSE equivalent in English and there is at current a two year waiting list for a licence. Rossendale Council however has no such requirements or limitations. As the occupation usually attracts those who have recently arrived into the country, that have little knowledge of the language, it is not surprising that drivers are going down the Rossendale route for a quick way to a licence.

It is clear, then, that is Uber that win from this. By pointing drivers in the direction of loopholes in local authorities taxi licensing laws and signing up cheap, unorganised labour they are a symbol of the flaws of this neoliberal approach to taxi licensing in Greater Manchester. These flaws are only apparent due to the inequality in economic activity and distribution of wealth in the region.

Uber drivers aren’t amassing over on Newton Heath high street are they? They are concentrating on the City Centre and more prosperous Southern districts of Manchester, and if Greater Manchester addresses this it will only ease the animosity, rather than the only solution be a mass of new regulation on who can and can’t drive a cab. For drivers to come over 25 miles for jobs shows the concentration of demand and it is easy to see why local drivers are disgruntled.

Central and local government also has to urgently address why there is such a high demand on private hire taxis. Why do the trains stop at 11.30pm on a Friday and Saturday night? Why is it cheaper for four people to get a taxi than it is a bus? These are all the questions that we need answers to.

Andy Burnham professed at his manifesto launch in May that he understood the transport and logistical nightmares Mancunians face, but with him rubber stamping 6 per cent a year Metrolink fare increases on Friday, the Bus Services Act white paper probably stuck under a pile of Brexit negotiation memos and the byzantine ‘Get Me There’ travelcard that has half been rolled out it honestly doesn’t look rosy for public transport to provide a solution anytime soon.

The 200 Manchester black cab drivers rolling out across town today may just be the start of a fightback against deregulation and the power that Uber wields in cities across the North, now that they’ve fallen in London. Watch this space.

Review: FIFA 18

Written by Jeremy Bijl on . Posted in Games.

FIFA’s reception is usually split broadly into two camps: those who think it’s ‘the same as last year’ because ‘it’s just football’, and those who staunchly defend its title as the premier footballing experience.

However, whilst I would normally speak on behalf of the latter, there is a definite sense that the changes and updates in this year’s iteration are incremental rather than innovative.

FIFA’s gameplay remains largely the same, maintaining the added mechanics of previous versions whilst tweaking and refining some of the older issues. Crossing, in particular, has been given some much-needed attention and, whilst still far from perfect, is an improvement that sees target men finally emerge as viable attacking tools.

However, this is somewhat contravened by EA’s failure to balance some other areas of the title’s gameplay: the potency of the driven shot (and the keeper’s chronic inability to deal with them) allied with the ever-present overemphasis on pace and dribbling means that certain styles of playing remain firmly impractical, with the gameplay forcing a largely homogenous playing style on its players.

The low shot remains a trump card. photo:easports

‘The Journey’ was arguably FIFA’s boldest, most ambitious and most innovative feature of this generation.

Without the novelty of last season’s story, however, ‘The Journey’ struggles to impress as much this time around. Although the star-studded cast EA has assembled impressively includes the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Rio Ferdinand and… Gyasi Zardes, the direction of the story seems very much driven by the cameos of these players than by a desire to explore Alex Hunter himself.

Indeed, FIFA’s evident awe at its own cast is only exceeded by that of Hunter’s, whose gaping amazement at meeting his stars goes slightly beyond endearing and — at times — into nauseating.

The illusion of having any control breaks down very early in ‘The Journey’ as Hunter is shunted around clubs on EA’s whim. Whilst this operates in an interesting way to expose the relative powerlessness of young players in a market dominated by avaricious agents and inflated transfer fees, it does mean that the journey becomes a linear ride rather than a compelling player-orientated narrative.

Nevertheless, ‘The Journey’ presents a tightly written if slightly generic and predictable story, whilst Alex Hunter is a likeable, albeit uncharismatic, protagonist.

FIFA’s career mode also returns largely unchanged, save for the way you negotiate player deals. This is now done by a cutscene, where you — the manager — negotiate with the player and his agent in person. This sounds like an interesting addition, but the execution slightly misses the mark.

EA — for understandable and no doubt practical reasons — subtitles the cutscenes rather than using voice actors, but this, along with EA’s relatively primitive facial animations, makes the scene eerily mechanical and ultimately not that different from its previous system aside from the gurning delight on the face of the prospective parties.

Face to face negotiations don’t quite land. photo:EAsports

Other than that, FIFA’s career mode is more or less what you’d expect. It doesn’t do much wrong, but it lacks a bit of personality. The menus are well presented and navigation is not as hectic as in PES, but the transfer market and scouting system are unwieldy.

Perhaps the biggest problem with FIFA’s offline game modes, though, is how dull it is to play the AI, who continue their footballing ideology of emulating Tony Pulis in each and every game. Whilst they are fallible, and the difficulty can be adjusted to the needs of pretty much any player, this makes the offline experience a lot more monotonous.

EA’s biggest draw is once again online game-mode ‘Ultimate Team’, which does well to expand on its options of ‘squad building challenges’, as well multiple other competitions and challenges.

Whilst the premise of ‘Ultimate Team’ (to build your ultimate team) is somewhat flawed by the chemistry system’s stifling effect on squad building, it remains oddly addictive and still holds the title of the ragiest game in the world – not necessarily a good thing, but a sign it is engaging, at least.

It would be a lot better, however, if EA could keep their mitts out of our wallets, or at least better obscure the fact that Ultimate Team is based solely around burrowing ever deeper into the consumer’s pocket. Every small mechanic and ever-diminishing resource is based around manipulating the player into buying “FIFA points” (a transparent intermediate currency that costs real money).

Is it optional? Yes, of course. But regardless, the whole system is constructed carefully around making you shell out a bit more, which detracts from the experience as a whole by replacing hard-earned rewards with easy shortcuts, all the while dangling the potential rewards of splashing out.

EA provides a solid but unspectacular instalment of FIFA, which provides just enough to justify its price tag without really innovating. The game remains a lot of fun to play with friends and online despite its flaws and has some interesting offline modes.

Is it £50 of progress? Probably not. Is it £50 of game? I think so. But when FIFA’s only competition is its own obsolete predecessor and the increasingly niche PES, it can probably afford to rest on its laurels — for now.

6.5/10

 

Review: RUINER

Written by chrisglover on . Posted in Games.

As my character entered another grim hideout full of tooled-up cyberpunk maniacs, the words “DIE” are emblazoned across his LED-facemask. And die I did. A lot.

RUINER is a brutally unforgiving top-down shooter developed by Reikon Games and published by Devolver Digital. You might remember Devolver Digital as the guys who used their stage time at E3 this year to satirise the gaming industry, poking fun at money-hungry developers by showing a gamer throw literal money at his computer screen.

This lovable reputation garnered by Devolver Digital — that they are comprised of honest people who really love games — is very much upheld by RUINER.

From the niche gaming slang used by your hacker guide (simply named ‘Her’) to the immense faith the game has that you’ll stick out its infuriating missions without much help, RUINER plays like a love letter to hardcore gamers of the genre.

The premise of the game is pretty simple – your brother has been kidnapped by an evil corporation, and you must rescue him with the help of Her. If you needed any confirmation that RUINER is all about gameplay over story, look no further than its very first mission which throws you right into the midst of enemies with no introduction other than a simple command: “KILL BOSS”.

Photo: Devolver Digital

RUINER’s roughly 6-7 hour duration will see you follow a pretty similar pattern: travel down a corridor, enter a room, get locked in that room with waves of enemies, fight your way out.

While this did get rather repetitive, the huge arsenal of guns and melee weapons combined with various abilities with their own skill trees means there is plenty of variety between the many chaotic gunfights you’ll encounter.

Visually, the game is striking. RUINER’s bleak dystopian world is drenched in neon red lighting, and everything from the bustling town which serves as the game’s hub to the factories and dens that make up the game’s combat areas look fantastic.

The art designers have done a tremendous job of capturing the classic cyberpunk aesthetic of Blade Runner and Judge Dredd whilst forging their own unique style with bold uses of colour and cartoony character models.

RUINER’s world is one in which technology has beaten nature into submission, and the music choice reflects that. Every track is heavily electronic and often deliberately dissonant to the point of sounding more like noise than music.

The intended effect of keeping players constantly on edge whilst conveying the hopelessness of RUINER’s world is certainly there, but there were times the jarring soundtracks actually detracted from my experience.

Photo: Devolver Digital

RUINER doesn’t just refuse to hold your hand, it snatches away from you and then laughs in your face. They’re pretty clear about their stance on difficulty; the official twitter for the game tweeted: “we received complaints that RUINER is too hard. We know it. It was meant to be.”

I like a difficult game as much as the next guy, but too many times RUINER’s vague feedback mechanics meant I died without really understanding why. This reduced a large portion of my countless deaths to annoyances rather than the learning experiences they were no doubt intended to be.

That’s not to say that RUINER was never a rewarding experience. One of the game’s bosses in particular – Shadow – gave me a really hard time; killing me over and over whilst the game’s incessant teasing made me want to throw my controller at the wall.

“That was embarrassing to watch”, says Her after my character falls dead to the floor for the 20th time, whilst the subsequent loading screen passive-aggressively reminded me that I “can lower the difficulty at any time”.

Without the teasing, I probably would have lowered the difficulty. Instead, I gritted my teeth and redistributed my skill points (something you can do at any time) to try out some new tactics. After some more attempts I managed to kill Shadow, and my 28 deaths netted me a pitiful ‘E’ rating for that level.

This didn’t matter though — I felt like a king. RUINER had forced me out of my comfort zone and given me no choice but to get creative with new abilities and adapt to the challenge.

In short, RUINER offers an enjoyable but somewhat unremarkable twin-stick shooter experience. Its fast-paced, punishing gameplay will be a hit with some, but its biggest strength lies in its immensely cool cyberpunk style.

Be warned, though: this is a game that very much knows its audience — fans of the genre who love a challenge — and will do little to ease outsiders into the experience.

7/10

In solidarity with university staff over job cuts

Written by Matt Wynne on . Posted in Opinion.

Academic staff on campus today voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action in reaction to the announcement made by the University to make 171 staff redundant in May this year.

The University announced the redundancies as students were busy revising for and taking exams at the end of the academic year, and today’s strike ballot is the first move by UCU since the end of the summer.

Standing in the quadrant off of Oxford Road, below the offices guarded by several Estates security staff in which the Board of Governors were meeting, alongside lecturers and professors from across schools on campus, the results of the ballot were announced by the UCU Committee and welcomed by those present.

The concerned members then utilised the PA system they had brought to amplify the result to blast and sing along to a rendition of Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ with the lyrics altered in an effort to lampoon Vice-Chancellor Nancy Rothwell, and ridicule the priorities of a university that returned a surplus of over £59 million in 2015-16.

As the song was played a second time, a senior professor turned to me and explained how the collegiate ethos of the University has evaporated in recent years and how morale has been rock bottom in recent months – indicating at what cost the drive to be a ‘world-leading institution’ has had on those that really make this institution a success.

One of the first things I witnessed on campus at the start of my academic journey was redundancy-threatened IT staff from the University, represented by UNISON and UCU, assembling outside the Alan Gilbert commons to discuss the short-sighted actions of the senior management at this University, and here I am nearing the end of it witnessing a different set of staff with their backs against the wall as the University once more feathers its nest.

The decisions made will indeed throw 171 families into chaos and they will probably be forced to move out of this great city in search for work elsewhere.

Industrial action in the coming weeks will just be one part of a fight back against these proposed redundancies. Students will stand in solidarity on the picket lines with staff against the arrogance of the decisions made by The University of Manchester’s senior management.

The dice has not even been rolled on Brexit yet, and the level of construction and cranes in the sky around campus as well as the record amount of international students enrolled say differently about the health of this University’s finances and therefore the necessity of these proposed redundancies.

West Indies in Lancashire, a home far from home

Written by Arthur Salisbury on . Posted in Sport.

Every other Saturday, give or take, I get the train from Rectory Road up to Enfield Town to see a football team of the same name. Should I choose to get off a stop early at Bush Hill Park, I can walk up through a stretch of aspirational suburbia and past a cricket ground on my way to the match. In August and September, I sometimes stop off to peer over the fence and take in a few overs. Attendance is sparse, single figures, always including a man with a flask and a scorebook, whether from obligation or a sheer love of recording data it’s genuinely unclear. It’s a humdrum scene, and it’s strange to imagine that not long ago, the best players in the world were playing in similar surroundings at this level.

League cricket has always been stronger in the north of the country, and probably the most famous and significant of these was, and is, the Lancashire League. The BBC’s ‘Race and Pace: The West Indians in East Lancashire‘ followed the influx of West Indian cricketers into the league, beginning with Nelson CC, on the verge of bankruptcy, deciding to gamble on bringing a black man in as their professional player in interwar Britain. Learie Constantine signed in 1928 for £500 a season — making him most probably the best-paid sportsman in the country, according to his biographer Jeff Hill — and guided the side to seven titles in nine seasons, drawing 7,000 in one game against Todmorden, and later becoming Britain’s first black peer.

Proponents of cricket have generally put a lot of stock into the idea that the game is improving. Not as in getting better itself — Race and Pace makes a fairly strong case that it has, at least at league level, gotten far worse — but as in improving the people who play it and subsequently their environment. It’s a slightly exaggerated notion, which has interestingly ambiguous political implications. This is why you can read CLR James or John Major on cricket and know that neither is writing fraudulently. Race and Pace highlights cricket’s value as a social cohesive, positioning Constantine as an important figure in the integration of black immigrants into Britain, laying some of the groundwork in the pre-Windrush years.

Once Constantine had broken the duopoly of South African and Australian professionals in league cricket, many more followed. Wes Hall (Accrington), Charlie Griffith (Burnley) and most famously Sir Viv Richards (Rishton) are all dealt with here. It’s a story not just of England’s slow — and incomplete — acceptance of the West Indian people, but also of their struggle to acclimatise to life in cold, grey Lancashire. Wes Hall eventually became the best fish and chips eater in the North West, but you get the sense Viv Richards didn’t get much out of his mushy peas and pie experience.

Over the years, the list of West Indian cricketers playing in the Lancashire League is formidable. In the 50s and 60s, 12 of the 14 clubs had a West Indian professional. Sir Garfield Sobers (Radcliffe), Sir Clive Lloyd (Haslingden),  Michael Holding (Rishton), Joel Garner (Littleborough), Weekes, Worrell, Walcott, Headley, Roberts, and more, all came to bat or bowl against postmen from Manchester’s satellite towns.

These days, both West Indian cricket and Lancashire League cricket are in steep decline. It’s obvious how beneficial Viv Richards arriving by helicopter to play for Rishton CC was to the league, but less explored in Race and Pace is the effect of the Lancashire League on the West Indies. Young men living in a foreign country, bearing the weight of being the professional — that is, the one expected to bring in crowds and win games. The experience toughened them up and made them into the greatest side in the world. League cricket has reverted to its traditional South African and Australian tendency, though not with anyone of note, and one can’t help but feel that cricket is a poorer place for it.

America vs. North Korea: who really misses out?

Written by Charlie McKinnell on . Posted in Opinion.

The ongoing feud between North Korea and America is not necessarily a recent one. The Kim family has despised America for many years, however, the disagreement seems to have progressed recently from a rivalry between cultures to one between individuals.

President Trump’s inauguration in January of this year spelt trouble for most American and international stakeholders. His short rule has thus far been one filled with rhetoric and dogma, with careless remarks being thrown around without any significant consideration of their effects.

It is precisely this recklessness of the current president of the United States of America that has perhaps caused the tension with North Korea to escalate, and which now causes fears of a potential nuclear war.

One of the most obvious examples of President Trump’s reckless remarks landing him in hot water can be seen through his threats towards North Korea earlier this year in his reaction to Kim Jong Un’s repeated nuclear missile tests, stating he would meet such actions with “fire and fury.”

It would be naïve to place the blame for the conflicts solely on either of the two men. However, it is clear to see that an increasingly dangerous tit-for-tat game is beginning to be played by two near-omnipotent leaders. Kim Jong Un’s obsession with nuclear weapons may have deeper causality than him simply wishing to own weapons of mass destruction.

Kim Jong Un’s pathology is that the West has spent decades looking down on the way North Korea has operated, politically and socially. It may be, therefore, that Un’s obsession with gaining nuclear warheads is not simply to have and use the weapons but may instead symbolically indicate that North Korea is in no way subservient to America. President Trump does not in any way alleviate North Korea’s feelings of degradation by the West, and his public rhetoric has done little more than throw gasoline on an already burning fire.

So, what does the conflict between these two country’s actually mean for the rest of us? This is an interesting question that can be assessed in numerous ways. Politically speaking, the conflict is something of a hot potato with foreign powers being reluctant to comment or side with one man or the other. This is potentially due to some key and substantial economic motivations.

Theresa May has appeared in press conferences with President Trump pledging her allegiance to America — not directly in relation to the conflict, though this is a logical inference to make. May’s decision to immediately side with Trump can possibly be explained through Brexit terms.

The uncertainty and trepidation of Brexit has required May to pick her allies in a wider international sense. Economically speaking, Brexit could be significantly damaging for the UK, the main reason for this being that as a small island, the UK relies heavily on importing goods from countries that have comparative advantages in their production process.

It is for this reason that trading blocs such as the European Union are vital in successful free trade due to the lack of a tariff and the logistical benefits of trading with those that are geographically close. Therefore, the UK’s decision to leave the EU has forced May to begin making friends with other nations to try and create future favourable trade; a possible explanation for May’s display of tactical fondness.

Amongst all the conflict, however, there is one key nation who many argue are the deciders of the outcome of the fighting. China has become the fastest growing major economy in the world, with an unparalleled skill in manufacturing. China usually experiences an economic growth and a GDP growth in the double digits, proving China to be one of, if not the key, significant nation in the developing world.

However, despite all this economic success, China may also be the most unstable economy. Friedrich Von Hayek — famed classical liberal economist — would argue that China’s monstrous growth over the last few years has caused an overheat in their economy, an overheat that will eventually cause China’s economy to experience drastic demand-pull inflation and a catastrophic recession.

These economic concerns prove interesting when applied to China’s positioning in the conflicts between Trump and Un. America owes over 2 trillion dollars to China, a debt that continues to climb to this day. Therefore, should China’s economy fail, the government would look to cash in on the debts owed to them around the world.

Due to the lack of support for North Korea by any major international power, and the fact that all owe significant capital to China, it may be safe to conclude that should hostilities peak between America and North Korea, China may choose not to help Un as many fear, and instead either accept no role in the hostilities or side with America in order to not risk an embargo between the two great nations and result in America’s debt to China being wiped. China has in fact already stated that they will take no role in the potential hostilities.

However, many believe that China will not allow America to enforce political reform within an ally like North Korea, with political writers fearing that China may take issue with America’s insistence to “police the world”.

To conclude, tensions are high between North Korea and America, or, more specifically, between Un and Trump. It is also clear that countries are beginning to take sides in the event of a war, and hopefully, this article has helped illuminate the psyche of the most influential nation, China.

Only time will tell the outcome of the hostilities, whether this is nothing more than a political urination contest between two men who clearly have inferiority complexes, or whether the hostilities will escalate. In any event, we must look with haste towards silencing the two dictatorial figures in the interest of politics and economics globally.

Review: Home Again

Written by Esther Hamilton-Ivory on . Posted in Film.

Home Again is the debut film of Hallie Meyers-Shyer, daughter of rom-com moguls Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer. Meyers and Shyer are the brains behind classic, much loved rom-coms such as The Holiday, The Parent Trap and It’s Complicated to name a few. They have created films which are often silly and frivolous but nonetheless enjoyable. However, it seems Meyers-Shyer has fallen short of this mark with Home Again.

Home Again follows the newly separated, forty-year-old Alice (Reese Witherspoon) on the aftermath of a raucous birthday night out. After a boozy celebration, she ends up with three, attractive, twenty-something budding filmmakers (one of whom takes a particular shining towards her) living in her palatial poolside guest house while they work on their latest project.

However, even Witherspoon, renowned for her roles in female-led rom coms (Legally Blonde), struggled to give meaning to the insincere and often cringe-worthy writing. This is not to say a film like this requires a beautiful, poetic script.

But what it does necessitate is well written lines which can act as the foundations on which the emotions of the characters, no matter how ridiculous and far-fetched they may be, can be conveyed with some sense of meaning and legitimacy. Instead, at the emotional climax of the film, audience members could be heard to be sighing or laughing, revealing just how greatly the script failed to deliver and consequently just how unbelievable the story appeared.

Obviously, by virtue of the nature of the genre of the film, a bit of fantasy and wish fulfilment can be forgiven. However, it desperately needs to be backed by lines and characters that have integrity and meaning, of which Home Again just didn’t have. This isn’t to say that the script didn’t deliver in other areas though; there were a number of witty lines perfectly displaying Witherspoon’s character’s sarcastic nature. Ultimately though, the script was lacking in the areas which are necessary create a long lasting and much-loved rom-com.

Yet, where the script was lacking, the subject matter certainly attempted to make up for it. One of the film’s main redeeming qualities is the relationship between Alice and her love interest, Harry (Pico Alexander). Alice has just turned forty, Harry is twenty-six and although their age difference is briefly noted in the script, it is not made into be a fetish of Harry’s or the case that Alice is a ‘cougar’. Harry just happens to be younger than Alice and that’s all that Meyers-Shyer makes of it. It is refreshing to see such a relationship portrayed on the big, Hollywood screen; a screen which often praises and idolises men for having far younger, prettier girlfriends but which chastises women for doing the same.

Having said this, although the subject matter did make amends for the film slightly, it wasn’t enough to carry the heavy weight of the second-rate script. Unfortunately for Meyers-Shyer, the odd witty line and feminist subject matter could only take her so far, leaving her far behind the mark her parents’ legacy has left.

Dolce & Gabbana: from controversy to cannoli

Written by Sophie Walsh on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Dolce & Gabbana. The youthful Italian fashion house was founded in Milan in 1985 by designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Since then, the fashion house has become one of the biggest international corporations in luxury goods, drawing in an A-list celebrity clientele. Aside from clothes however, advertising campaigns have been most successful in drawing attention to the brand.

In the recent 2017/18 Dolce & Gabbana campaign, stiff poses in clinically white studios, frosty stares and jutted chins have disappeared. Instead, the label goes back to its Italian roots. It is shot in various locations across Italy by world reporter Franco Pagetti who usually covers international conflicts (a slight veer from his usual work then). Models laugh, eat, dance, hug and give off a suitable impression of careless Mediterranean merriment. The campaign goes beyond a glossy image, it is a sensory experience. You are transported to an Italian market town where the sun is always shining, you can hear the music of street performers, smell the Sicilian lemons and taste the Spaghetti alla vesuviana. Rosy-cheeked models of various colours and sizes (and celebrity-status parents) interact with local restaurateurs, fishmongers, street vendors and passers-by. It’s clever, it’s enticing. It shouts, ‘you can wear these clothes and have an amazing time, don’t worry about a spaghetti splash on a €3000 all white outfit just enjoy’.

However, this is a far cry from the less than wholesome campaigns of yesteryear. I’m not just talking about an accidental nip slip. In 2007, a Dolce & Gabbana advertisement was banned in the UK by the Advertising Standards Authority following 166 complaints of knife and gun related violence. Supposedly influenced by the Napoleonic era, scenes included a meat knife held over the throat of a semi-conscious woman and a man intertwined with a naked woman, directing a pistol at a guy sprawled on the floor with a bloody shot wound to the head. The advertisement was said to glamorise weapon related violence. Nevertheless, the ad continued to run in other countries, after all there was no more violence than you may find in a costume drama, and Dolce & Gabbana collections are known to be inspired by history.

It gets worse. Barely a month later the label was slammed once again, but this time world-wide in an ad said to closely resemble a gang rape. The image depicted a woman being pinned down by one shirtless man while three others watched. It was harder to talk themselves around this one and the ad was subsequently banned in both Italy and Spain. The Advertising Self-Discipline Institute stated that it “offended the dignity of the woman” as the female figure is shown as “passive and helpless” compared to the men surrounding her, possibly representing “abuse or the idea of violence towards her.” Many have since argued that it is a misogynistic romanticising of rape culture.

It seems hard to believe then that today’s peppy, sun-soaked Dolce & Gabbana campaign can bear any relation to its dark portfolio. Perhaps after public outcry, they decided to go for something a little less scandaloso. They seem to have gone down the typical route of using celebrity faces (or their children), including Jude Law’s son Rafferty Law and Pamela Anderson’s son Brandon Thomas Lee, to draw in attention. Is this then the new Dolce & Gabbana? Are we to expect lighthearted joviality? Or will the label return to twisted themes we all know very well it is capable of creating. Will it be a case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde? Only time will tell.

Convincing win for University of Manchester Hockey in league opener

Written by Sam Cooper on . Posted in Sport.

On a windy afternoon at the Armitage Centre in Fallowfield, University of Manchester’s Hockey First Team began their 2017-18 season with a victory over local rivals University of Liverpool.

The contest started with the home side on the front foot and it was not long before they were in front. Reece Jecketts produced a good turn of pace down the left flank before crossing the ball to Rowan Poots who happily converted the chance into the net.

The away side seemed to struggle to get going and the opening stages consisted of them making many mistakes and releasing possession back to Manchester. The home side looked to capitalise on these mistakes with Poots looking very lively. First by working space into the box and then firing wide. A few minutes later he was firing another shot into the side netting but from a difficult angle.

The ten minute mark saw Liverpool’s first attempt on goal but it was a tame effort. Three minutes later, they had a penalty but also failed to convert it. A minute later again and they did manage to equalise. Again this was through a penalty, but this time around the shot was deflected on its way into the net.

After their equaliser, Liverpool were the team on top. Pushing Manchester back into their own half but it was actually the home side who were to score next. A dribble from Alex Lord allowed him time to finish tidily into the bottom corner and restore Manchester’s lead.

The goal changed the momentum back in Manchester’s favour as they regained control of the ball. Andrew Robinson saw his shot go wide and a good cross but was unable to find anyone on the end of it.

With half time approaching, Manchester managed to double their lead. James Bennett was found by Toryn Whitehead from the penalty and Bennett slotted the ball into the goal. The half time whistle blew with the score at 3-1.

The opening stages of the second period were a much more evenly balanced affair as it turned into a very stop-start game. With Manchester trying to protect their two goal lead, Liverpool began to pen them in their own half. A good blanket coverage made it hard for Manchester to both mark all the players and subsequently hard to counterattack.

The home side looked happy to weather the storm as the full time whistle drew nearer. Both teams were failing to convert penalty chances and the fifth goal of the game came from a good passing exchange.

After a neat one-two with his teammate, Poots proceeded to hit the ball hard to the keeper’s left and all but secure the win for the home side.
Liverpool did manage a late consolation goal but it was a comfortable win for Manchester, who have gotten their season off to a roaringstart.

Review: Daphne

Written by Lucas Hill-Paul on . Posted in Film.

After a cinematic year dominated by masculinity — whether challenged in Dunkirk, ridiculed in Free Fire or celebrated in Transformers — it’s refreshing to sit down and be rewarded by a genuine and earnest female presence. While Wonder Woman’s success at the box office looked male-dominated cinema square in the face and demanded it move, her character never felt as tangible or true as Emily Beecham’s Daphne.

A disillusioned, thirty-something Londoner, Daphne is a junior chef who drinks to avoid the stupidity of daily life and dabbles in psychology, healthy cynicism, and Slavov Žižek. “You had to Google him, didn’t you?” Daphne asks of both her boss and the audience, firmly establishing her character as wilfully, yet healthily pretentious and, later, nihilistic. Once Daphne witnesses an act of violence, she comes to realise that her scepticism and motivated detachment has bred a feeling of emptiness. Though the focus on such a passive and neurotic character removes some of the narrative thrust the film needs, Daphne works as both an ode to the well-read, cynical intelligentsia and a warning that life is ultimately about making connections.

Proceeded by skillful rooftop shots of a drunk or hungover Daphne meandering around London that lend the film some visual splendour and establishes her isolated role within the sprawling city space, the connections that our protagonist does succeed in making are a mixed bag. It’s obvious that Beecham is the film’s best performer, with many of the supporting players struggling to keep up with her piercing realism. Scenes intended as improvisational banter are frequently in danger of becoming too awkwardly British, though thankfully the most prevalent supporting presence, Nathaniel Martello-White’s David, is likeable enough to forgive his clunky missteps.

Though Peter Mackie Burns’ feature debut could easily be mistaken for a particularly well-produced episode of television, the shooting manages to find a balance between filmic and practical. Daphne’s style is simple without being clinical, and frequently manages to find some unexpected beauty in the grime of backstreet London, the flour and sweat of the kitchen and the peaceful solace of Daphne’s squalid and homey apartment. Nico Mensinga’s scripting is suitably sharp, full of natural monologues and competition, colourful language and sarcasm, it made for easy watching knowing that, if the cinematography fell short of stimulating, the dialogue was always in safe hands.

Despite wishing the film to explore the seediness of London a little more, it manages to subtly navigate race and class relations that pertain in modern Britain. The man involved in the critical moment of violence is an Asian shopkeeper, and the film successfully, but not forcefully, highlights the violence faced by working-class migrants. Though it loses some of this edge throughout the subsequent narrative, themes of connectivity and cultural divides culminate wonderfully in the film’s well-earned final moments that play so convincingly, it’s hard to imagine the film ending in any other way.

Daphne’s slow and occasionally uncaring pace often clashes poorly with the slow awkwardness of her supporting performances, but Beecham is biting, and strangely likeable enough to hold attention. Her contempt and self-destruction may prove grating for some viewers, but taken as a deconstruction of the pessimistic intellectual it’s largely successful. Beecham and Burns work hard to construct Daphne as endearing and substantial character, despite her emptiness, to invariably fulfilling results. A great character study before a great film, Daphne introduces an exciting new talent whilst effectively challenging the smug neuroses of embittered intellectuals.

3.5/5

George Osborne makes a quiet first trip to Manchester

Written by Kirstie O'Mahony on . Posted in News.

Former Chancellor George Osborne made his inaugural guest economics lecture to postgraduate students the day before the Tory conference started, however no other students were invited and many seemed to be unaware of its occurrence.

A University of Manchester spokesperson told The Mancunion that it’s not university policy to advertise guest lectures, and that his lecture contained discussion on “the difficulties of applied economic policy, in the context of a world economy that suffered from a significant financial crisis, in general but also from the perspective of the Chancellor of the Exchequer in particular. A lively Q&A session contributed to an event that the Manchester postgraduate students valued significantly.”

However, criticism has been directed at the university and the now editor of The London Evening Standard, as the lecture itself was closed to all other students other than postgraduate economic students. The spokesperson clarified that “The event was by invitation only” but that “all Economics postgraduate students were invited.” 60 tickets were released and the event reached capacity.

The University of Manchester released a video afterwards of George Osborne talking about his experience, and how much he enjoyed his first visit to the university.

George Osborne told The Mancunion “It was great to get on the campus and talk with lots of students. I opened with my thoughts on how economic thinking comes to shape decisions in a modern democracy like ours – and then the students took the discussion to all sorts of issues, from the impact of Brexit to the rise of China. Some students agreed with my thoughts; others wanted to question them – that’s as it should be at a great university like Manchester.”

When asked why the lecture wasn’t open to all students, he responded: “This was a seminar with economics postgrads; next time it can be undergraduates or PhD students. I’m going to be coming a few times a term, so there’ll be lots of opportunity to meet different groups of students in different formats.”

The lecture took place at the Manchester Museum. A member of staff who chose to remain anonymous expressed their distaste at the choice of venue: “[it’s] ridiculous as his policies actively cut funding to cultural and arts institutions… I wanted to say something about it because I was fuming at how secretive it was, and fuming that he was taking advantage of the museum, that he had helped make sure there was no funding for.” She continued to describe it as ironic.

She also alleged that Mr Osbrone was snuck in the back door with a security detail. The Mancunion has requested comment from the Manchester Museum.

Many Manchester students were frustrated at the lack of publicity surrounding his visit, such as David Cheetham who said he “knew nothing about this lecture” and he “would have been very keen to see it.” Amy Nguyen told The Mancunion that the closed nature of the event was “such a shame” as “having access to expertise whether you agree with his previous policies or not is so important for the future generation of leaders.”

Some were more critical however, such as Iqra Chowdury who said “I’d love to sit in on Prof [sic] Osborne’s lectures and ask him why he thinks he’s an expert on economics when his austerity policies have been criticised by a UN report, and damned public sector workers to a real-time pay cut.”

Campaigns Officer of the Students’ Union, Deej Malik-Johnson, told The Mancunion: “As an officer of the SU I am disappointed by the lack of communication from the university about the inaugural lecture from our esteemed friend Gideon as I’m sure students would have benefitted greatly from knowing more about this learning opportunity, I could only wildly speculate about how this may have been overlooked.”

Petition calls for a safer Fallowfield

Written by Rosa Simonet on . Posted in News.

Matt Harvison, student at the University of Manchester, created the petition on Thursday the 5th of October. He told The Mancunion,  “I thought it was important to finally raise some sort of awareness of the daily issues facing students living in and around the Fallowfield area.

“Burglaries, muggings, sexual assault and other violent crime are all real issues happening regularly within Fallowfield, however since the start of the latest academic year there has been an influx of house burglaries.

“Some action needs to be taken”

Incidents of violent crime have taken place this week. The Mancunion reported on a recent spree of muggings. One victim said “he was hit over the head with a crowbar and then received a surface knife wound after refusing to give over his phone and wallet, whilst his friend had his phone stolen.

The victim told The Mancunion “I noticed there was two men in front of me, both around 25, one white, sort of skinny with what I think was a gingery beard and one of darker skin colour with a mask and a bit bigger build. One had a knife, one had a crowbar.”

In the early hours of Monday the 9th of October, one student told Fallowfield Students Facebook group to “be careful tonight in Fallowfield,” claiming there had been “been 4 attacks in the fallowfield area by a group of lads on mopeds with machetes.”

The petition has reached nearly 6000 signatures. “It is pretty simple, I want to feel safe in my own home and on the streets of Fallowfield, particularly after dark,” said its creator.

Another said “the student community is an important part of Manchester and should not be the hunting ground for petty criminals.”
Burglaries too have been on the rise. Reports on Facebook have described broken windows and students being locked in their rooms while intruders robbed valuables in the house.

Some have asked whether this is a case of poor safety precautions taken by students or a result of poor maintenance by private landlords and/or letting agents. One of those who signed the petition asked “how might police and universities work with private landlords to ensure decent doors and back gates are fitted?”

G4S presence in Fallowfield has also been questioned. The notorious security company were hired to stop house parties. The Police and University’s priorities have been criticised and it has been questioned why more hasn’t been put into stopping assaults and burglaries.

Matt Harrison said, “I’m not very well acquainted with the G4S in Fallowfield, in fact I didn’t even know this was a thing until people posted it on the Facebook discussion. I can only think these guards are patrolling the university owned halls and accommodation, not on the dark roads that many of Fallowfield’s students live down.

“Our streets are dimly lit and there are little to no police patrolling the area, only stood at bus stops checking whether people have paid for their £1.50 bus tickets!”

Matt spoke on BBC radio Manchester about crime in Fallowfield and encouraged people to sign the petition.

To sign the petition follow this link.

We’re still waiting for comments from Greater Manchester Police, The University of Manchester, and the Student’s Union. The Mancunion is conducting a wider investigation into the assaults happening in Fallowfield. Please help by filling out our survey.

 

Let’s talk about mental health

Written by Megan Ritchie on . Posted in Lifestyle.

One in four adults are likely to develop a mental health issue this year. This shocking statistic highlights the growing problem the population faces at recognising when things are getting that little bit too tough and opening up about it.

World Mental Health Day — organised by the World Federation for Mental Health — aims to educate, spread awareness and combat the stigma surrounding mental health issues. Everyone runs the risk of developing a mental health issue at any time during their lives so it’s important to recognise that this event is for everyone and not just those that are suffering from a mental health issue.

This year’s theme – set by the World Federation for Mental Health – is mental health in the workplace. A staggering 260 million people suffer from anxiety whilst 300 million battle depression and both of these mental health issues can be caused by work and can affect our ability to work effectively.

For many young adults here in Manchester, the university is both their workplace and their home whilst studying in the city. So, here are some top tips for taking care of your mental health whilst living as a student and studying here in Manchester:

  • Ensure you have a balanced diet. Fast food is an easy go-to for students but sugary foods can make your blood sugars rise and fall rapidly and this has an impact on your mood. As well as a cutback on the sugary stuff, the right amount of protein is essential; amino acids produce chemicals in the brain responsible for regulating thoughts and feelings. Eating cleaner will not only help your mental health but it’ll help you feel good physically too.
  • Try to exercise a few times a week. The recommended amount of exercise is two and a half hours per week and whilst a big group of us are hardly Manchester’s next great athlete, it’s important we fit some exercise into our busy student schedules somewhere. Just a brisk walk in the fresh air can help us feel good and if you bring along some friends too it’s a great time to catch up! Studies have shown a brisk walk can reduce stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins. Did you know a brisk walk has the same effect as anti-depressants?
  • Stay organised at university. Organising that pile of notes, books and folders will make you feel so much better! Likewise, keep to a routine in the week so you don’t allow yourself to fall behind with work. Attend all lectures and seminars where possible and set yourself a time each week that is dedicated to doing your readings. Keeping notes and files organised and sticking to time targets and deadlines will ensure poor organisation does not become a cause for stress.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help! If there’s anything academically you’re struggling to get to grips with, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to ask. Staff will have heard it all before and they’ll have been through a similar academic experience as you at university so no question is too big or too small. And as for personal or mental health issues, speaking to a friend or a family member who can offer some advice or reassurance will help. Remember, family and friends care about you and are there as a source of support. There are also useful links provided below if you would prefer to talk to someone else or find help online.

Here at the University of Manchester, the Student Union Wellbeing Officer alongside the Open Mind Network have put together some events across campus on the 10th October 2017 in order to get people talking about mental health. You can find them here:

9am-11am: Morning coffee in the Student Union Council Chambers

11am-4pm: Mental Health Fair at University Place

5pm-7pm: “Liberate My Mind” panel talk that includes the likes of staff within the University of Manchester and consultant psychiatrist Dr Louise Theodosiou in University Place 6.207.

Whether you want to express an issue of your own and share your own experiences, air an opinion about the support available for students or simply show some support for the awareness of mental health issues then please do take part!

Some useful links:

If you would like some advice and information on wellbeing visit: http://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/taking-care/wellbeing/

Visit the Mind.org website for information and advice at: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/

Visit the Student Minds website for information and advice at: http://www.studentminds.org.uk/find-support.html

Use the counselling service on campus by going to:

https://www.counsellingservice.manchester.ac.uk/get-help/appointments/

Contact the Student Union Advice Service on 0161 275 2952

Take part in RAG’s Raid for Action Against Hunger

Written by Rosa Simonet on . Posted in News.

RAG Manchester will be heading to Liverpool this Friday to “fight for a world free from hunger.”

Current Chair of RAG said “This is a chance to join our awesome team, get in some fancy dress and have a fun day out in Liverpool while raising for the lifesaving work of Action Against Hunger. Since it is World Food Day, we have an incredible opportunity to raise even more, with every donation being doubled by the UK Government! Come along, have fun and double the impact!

“Manchester RAG is the University’s fundraising society – every year we raise hundreds of thousands for different charities, and we want as many people as possible to join the team for our first event of the year, which is a RAG RAID in Liverpool to raise for Action Against Hunger.”

The matched funds will go towards Action Against Hunger’s Healthy Mums Healthy Kids appeal. Mums and Kids in Senegal will be provided with the nutrition and support they need.

How do your donations help?
Action Against Hunger said one pound “could feed a malnourished child for a day”.
“£42 could provide a malnourished child with the life-saving treatment they need to regain health”.
“£200 could pay for basic cooking demonstrations so 20 mums-to-be can learn to create healthy, diversified diet on very limited resources.”

Last year, Action Against Hunger helped over 14.7 million people. Taking part would not only help RAG and Action Against Hunger’s appeal but would look great on your C.V. Representing RAG for a major fundraising appeal opens many doors and provides opportunities to network within and beyond the fundraising society.

To find out more, here’s a link to the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1515661901804905/permalink/1515702281800867/

Live: Mr Jukes serves up sass and brass

Written by Millie Nettleton on . Posted in Music.

There’s a rather blurry photo of myself, my best mate, and Jack Steadman at Leeds Fest 2014 about 161 weeks down my Instagram feed. We were waiting to watch Kelis, who was an hour late — probably still warming up her milkshake — when we spotted him climbing the tent’s central support pole.

When he was finally coaxed down, we chased him through the crowd, snapped a quick photo, thanked him profusely, and then ran away, out of the festival arena, so overwhelmed at our audacity we forgot to stick around for Kelis.

She was supposed to join me on Sunday the 24th, when Jack Steadman would grace the stage again, newly christened as Mr Jukes — but she had resits. What a bummer.

Expecting to miss her the duration of the concert, I was thrilled to return home at midnight, tired and sweaty. I had danced my little booty off, as had the rest of us gathered at Manchester Academy Two. It seemed, as an audience, we even surprised Mr Jukes and his entourage, all of whom were grinning like fools by the time the night was through.

Steadman even told us “No really, you are the best audience yet.” The beauty of a gig like that is, the more they enjoyed themselves, the more we did.

After a little routing around and finding out what had prompted this seeming rebirth of who was once Bombay Bicycle Club, I discovered à la his own article in the Guardian, that Steadman had travelled to America from Europe, only going east and not using air travel. It was on this global voyage that he wrote most of the music for his new Album, God First.

He talks about his discovery of Japanese ‘jazz kissas’, apparently cafés with collections of american Jazz which was too expensive to own privately. It was here he heard the ‘Grant Green’ track that inspire the song titled — you guessed it — ‘Grant Green’.

This song, the album’s most popular single, is emblematic of the Mr Jukes sound: an electronic backbone reminiscent of BBC, and a powerful brass section that has the ability to take hold of your body and make you shake what your mama gave ya.

The whole gig was a firecracker from alpha to omega, but I particularly enjoyed their performance of Lauryn Hill’s ‘Doo-wop That Thing’. Perhaps it was the element of surprise, but when one female vocalist not only sassed her way through the chorus, but rapped the lyrics flawlessly, I was left in a state of awe.

The talent on stage was truly incredible, each member having the opportunity to freestyle solo, followed by rapturous applause and whooping.

If I were made to pin point my favourite thing about the night, it was probably watching Steadman smile bashfully as we lapped up every lashing of funk and soul that was thrown at us.

I’ve always hypothesised when listening to him sing on BBC tracks that you can literally hear the smile in his voice. That night, my theory was tested and proven.

His smile was probably the physical manifestation of that amalgamation we all desire; he was doing the thing he loved so well that he was making an entire room love it too. That smile was the knowledge that, in Manchester Academy Two, his music had moved us all, to a literal extent. He hit it out the park.

Chancellor announces extra £400m investment in the ‘Northern Powerhouse’

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News, Opinion.

On Monday at the Conservative Party conference, Chancellor Philip Hammond announced plans to further invest in the ‘Northern Powerhouse.’

Hammond explicitly promised an extra £400 million of funding directed towards improving transport within both the North and the Midlands.

The Northern Powerhouse has been a focal point of Conservative Party policy since the Chancellor’s predecessor George Osborne announced it in 2014. It was at the heart of the party’s main policy pledges at the conference, as some are critical that the government has become predominantly focused on the Brexit negotiations, neglecting Northern Interests.

Hammond’s speech was one of many at the party conference in Manchester attempting to modernise the Conservatives after the disappointing general election result and the general feeling of negativity surrounding the party regarding policy and leadership.

The Chancellor’s speech did not start off as he might have hoped as he appeared to make an unplanned gaffe referring to Manchester being in the North East.

The speech’s key focus was on transport and infrastructure, specifically focusing on rail networks and roads. The Chancellor promised £100 million for new road plans in the North. This extra funding is projected to enable 33 new road networks across the North which includes 10 in the North East, ten in Yorkshire, and 13 in the North West.

The primary focus of the new investment is the high speed rail network with £300 million being pledged to be spent connecting HS2 rail networks with those outside the HS2 parameter such as the East Midlands and the North East as HS2 in its current form will only connect Manchester and Leeds and excludes many other areas covered in the ‘Northern Powerhouse’.

This reflects the government’s aim to create a ‘Northern Powerhouse Rail Network’ connecting the entirety of the North of England and the Midlands. The motives behind the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ could not have been clearer as the Chancellor stated that he wants to close the economic divide between the North and the South East, creating similar economic and transport structures to London.

The North remains unconvinced. Responding to Hammond’s £400 million pledge, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, stated that “electrification across the Pennines was promised in 2011 but today the Chancellor was silent on this.”

Tim Farron did not let Hammond’s Manchester gaffe go unremarked: “At the beginning of his speech Hammond made it clear that he thought Manchester is in the North East. Maybe the Conservatives also think Cumbria is in Sweden? It would explain why they’ve stopped giving us any money.”

He added: “£400 million is a paltry amount… under the Conservatives the North is being left in the dark.”

Five talking points from Malaysian Grand Prix

Written by Jack Greeney on . Posted in Sport.

Max Verstappen in dominant victory

Let’s start at the end: Max Verstappen finishing in first position to win the Malaysian Grand Prix (GP). The Dutch youngster, the day after his 20th birthday, succeeded in both a dominant victory over Hamilton and generally making everyone feel ancient. The surprise result was a highly welcome one after a torrid season of reliability issues for the Red Bull man. From P3, Verstappen fended off Bottas then shocked pole-sitter Hamilton with a late inside lunge on lap four and never looked back.

Lucky Hamilton ahead but fearful

Hamilton may be 34 points ahead but will be concerned about Mercedes’ recent lack of pace. Singapore qualifying was a relative disaster for the usually dominant German team and, despite qualifying strongly in Malaysia, Hamilton admitted to a ‘pace deficit’ after the race; Verstappen overtook and comfortably extended his lead. So far, luck and talent have dragged him through but Vettel will have Hamilton worried. He started last but flew to fourth in an impressive Ferrari. “We have some work to do,” said Hamilton.

Vettel and Stroll: post-race collision

An ease for Hamilton’s worries, however, would be the possibility of a gearbox change five-place grid penalty for Vettel after a truly bizarre crash with Stroll occurring during the cool-down lap after the race had finished. The Ferrari was destroyed, left-rear wheel detaching and removing the rear wing. Vettel accused Stroll of “not looking”; in truth, neither driver was solely responsible, both moving into one another. Vettel rode Pascal Wehrlein’s Sauber back to the pits.

Perez battles illness to compete

Sergio Perez drove through illness to finish a strong sixth, describing the race as “the most physically demanding” of his career. Struggling to breathe during Friday practice and feeling unwell all Saturday qualifying, Perez required intravenous drip to continue — with intense heat and humidity, the Malaysian GP is tough enough already! The Mexican dedicated the result to his country after its horrendous September earthquake.

Goodbye Malaysia

After 19 years on the calendar, the Malaysian GP will be dropped from the 2018 season after a government funding withdrawal. The palm tree engulfed Sepang circuit has provided plenty of memories over the years, Räikkönen eating ice-cream under red flag surely the most treasured among them. Vettel will leave with good memories too, winning here more than any other. Max Verstappen, however, goes down as the final victor of the Malaysia GP.

Review: On Body and Soul

Written by Jamie McEvoy on . Posted in Film.

Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi has broken all the rules of romance films with her latest project.  Winning the Golden Bear in Berlin earlier this year, On Body and Soul follows the disjointed, awkward yet beautiful relationship between an abattoir manager, Endre — played by big screen debutant Morcsányi Géza — and new quality-control inspector Maria.

Endre is a reserved character, who lives a passive life with a disabled left arm.  He appears to live a lonely life, livened up only by his tiresome and garrulous HR supervisor Jenö.  However, after glimpsing Maria stood outside his window, hiding in the shadows, his monotonic life is illuminated.  The flirtation between the two characters starts off slow and dysfunctional, mostly due to the socially awkward nature of Alexandra Borbély’s Maria.

Yet, after the revelation that they both share the exact same dreams every night — Endre dreams he is a stag and Maria that she is a doe – their romance blossoms.  In their connected night-fantasies they run together through a picturesque snowy forest, foraging for food, and sipping from icy streams.

Enyedi’s surreal and mesmerising feature is an exquisite blend of the banal and the abnormal.

The unusual backdrop of a slaughterhouse is somehow turned into an ethereal and living organism, captured marvellously by the cinematography of Máté Herbai. On Body and Soul is not of the same ilk of anti-meat films such as Netflix’s Okja or Simon Amstell’s Carnage, yet it without a doubt creates sympathy for the bovine subjects that are waiting to be slaughtered, through beautiful close-ups of cow eyes and muzzles.

At times. the film adopts an almost documentary-type feel to it, and the way in which the mundane working activities of the abattoir are transformed into poetic movements is reminiscent of Mercedes Álvarez’s Mercado de Futuros (2011).  Despite the juxtaposition between the tangible slaughterhouse scenes and the soothing, divine dream sequences, there is just as much delicacy and tranquillity in both worlds.

On Body and Soul is an excellent feature which, with the introduction of the shared dreams concept, goes from understated realism to romantic fantasy.  It has quite rightfully been selected as Hungary’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Films at the 2018 Academy Awards, and will hopefully make it onto the nominee shortlist.  An unconventional love story, Enyedi’s beautiful picture will pluck at the heart strings as much as it does boggle the mind.

An unconventional love story, Enyedi’s beautiful picture will pluck at the heart strings as much as it does boggle the mind.

4/5

Banquets binned while rough sleepers go hungry and food bank reliance soars

Written by Madeleine Coffey on . Posted in Opinion.

Manchester’s issue of homelessness remains impossible to ignore. According to recently conducted research, the numbers of rough sleepers in the city have quadrupled since 2015.

One in five people in the UK are living below the poverty line, and since opening its doors in 2013, the Manchester Central Food bank has given out 4014 three-day food parcels to families across the city.

These are problems we witness around us day in and day out. Although, what many of us remain oblivious to is the shocking scale of corporate food waste, which remains very much behind the swanky closed doors of many Manchester hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets.

The ‘food waste scandal’ has popped up from time to time in certain sections of the media but I wonder how much of it is really entering our collective consciousness. Perhaps it is something that has to be seen to be believed.

I became aware of the sheer magnitude of this waste first-hand while working a catering shift at one of Manchester’s most prestigious hotels. Even after the staff had tucked into the ‘leftovers’ there remained trays and trays of untouched food. My instructions were to simply to bin it all and be quick about it.

I asked if this could be packed up and handed out to those on the streets that I passed on my way into the hotel, but my supervisor simply muttered something about practicalities and the ticking clock.

My supervisor was not a bad person, and the organisation she works for, whilst not driven by a social mission, would very happily bask in the good PR of a well-publicised food-recycling scheme. So I wondered, what are the barriers to tackling the profligate waste of food that occurs every day in our cities?

As highlighted by Tristam Stuart, founder of ‘FeedBack’, an environmental organisation that campaigns to end food waste at every level of the food system, this is not about “rotten stuff” being thrown away.

I’m sure as students, we are all guilty of the crime of allowing the needless wilting of perfectly good salad leaves, and have discovered many a forgotten loaf in the bread bin. However, these minor misdemeanours pale into insignificance when compared with the sheer scale of daily corporate food waste. This food is fit for human consumption and yet gets sloshed to the bottom of bins, fated either to join the UK’s 400 million tonnes of waste buried in landfills and shipped overseas per year, or to be scooped up by one of the many rough-sleepers taking their chances with potential illnesses in order to fill their bellies for the night.

It is estimated that around one-third of all food produced is wasted. This amounts to approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food waste per year, as stated in the UN Food & Agriculture Report in 2011.

With 5.8 million people in the UK living in ‘deep poverty’, unable to afford everyday essentials like food, and the homeless currently fearing the worst winter crisis for 20 years, action must be taken to address such astronomical squander.

“We need to move away from our broken food system where food that is fit for human consumption is ultimately going to waste while thousands of people in the UK and globally go hungry,” says Ben Murphy, a spokesperson for FeedBack in an exclusive Mancunion interview.

Charities, such as FeedBack and ‘The Real Junk Food Project’ (TRJFP), are among those who have recognised the potential of food waste to provide aid to those in need, such as the homeless. These charities attempt to overcome the cosmetic standards of supermarkets placed on farmers, overcautious sell-by dates of supermarkets and general poor planning of food shopping by consumers — both at household and corporate levels — through redistributing this waste and placing pressure on big corporate names.

From TRJFP’s food waste pop-up restaurants that provide meals “for anyone and everyone, with a focus on those in need on a pay-as-you-feel basis” to FeedBack’s ‘Gleaning Network’ that reallocates rejected fresh fruit and vegetables from farms to those struggling, efforts to change how we view our “waste” are clearly increasing.

However, more remains to be done. With the hospitality and food service sector accounting for the third largest producer of food waste in the UK (WRAP statistics, 2017) and the number of homeless people in need ever-growing, the concept of valuable, nutritious food needlessly being cast aside can no longer be a model that we simply live with.

Soubry: We need “intelligent discussion” on international students post-Brexit

Written by Alex Whitcomb on . Posted in News.

Anna Soubry has made an impassioned plea for the government to take a lenient approach towards immigration post-Brexit.

At a conference fringe debate organised by liberal-conservative think tank Bright Blue, the former Health Minister said that Britain should stay within the single market, and that the arguments that immigration has put a strain on areas such as public services were based on “myth”.

When asked specifically about students, she said that the way non-EU students are currently treated should not be the model the government applies to EU students once post-Brexit.

“Certainly in relation to students from India, they have felt unable to get places because of exactly that, the restrictions that are places on the places, and so they have gone almost in their droves to Canada and Australia.”

Soubry stated that the UK would benefit on fewer restrictions on student migration.

“If we have an intelligent discussion about the huge values of overseas students to our country we’d make progress.”

“Here’s some facts: we know the overwhelming majority of students return home to their countries, in some instances sadly they’re not able to be get to their home country.

“Having students from overseas to come to this country is something we should be profoundly proud of, and we should be opening up our borders and saying we welcome you.”

Professor Rob Ford of the University of Manchester, who was also on the panel, stated that this is in line with public opinion.

“The public, first of all thinks students are economically beneficial, secondly support them coming, and thirdly, if you ask them straight up if you think student migrants are migrants, they say no.”

Ford added that flawed use of opinion polls with regards to immigration may lead to international students being treated within the generality of immigration.

“Some sections of immigration have never been an issue to the public, but they get pulled into the debate because they never get asked about separately.”