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Month: November 2016

Battlefield 1: review

Written by David Edwards on . Posted in Games.

It’s been just over a month since the highly anticipated launch of Battlefield 1, so what’s the skinny? Was it worth the wait?

EA and DICE are back once again to take over our screens with their latest release, Battlefield 1. Set amongst the desperate strife and bloodshed of World War 1, the game tackles a period all too often neglected by game developers. However, it does this flawlessly, creating a unique style of game play while simultaneously shaking up the world of first person shooters. The winning combination of dynamic large-scale warfare and objective driven game play returns in this instalment of the battlefield franchise, creating jaw dropping theatrical battles that will leave you in awe and most definitely wanting more.

Battlefield 1’s campaign is short but sweet, consisting of seven separate story lines. Each of these serves as a poignant reminder of the human side of a conflict that claimed the lives of over 17 million people. Despite this range of stories, the missions were far too short to develop any kind of emotional attachment with the different protagonists and I often found myself skipping scenes just to get back to the action. The story is littered with interesting insights into some of the major battles that took place during the war, but this isn’t enough to realise the true potential that the campaign had.

DICE clearly tried to stress the truly global aspect of World War 1 by shifting the focus away from the trenches and onto numerous unexplored conflicts that raged across the world. This has allowed the developers to produce some visually stunning environments, which in true Battlefield style are almost completely destructible. Expect to see everything from Sikhs fighting for king and country, to Arabs revolting against the Ottomans, or even the Harlem Hellfighters showing the role of black troops during the War. There’s no Hollywood whitewashing here.

Missions are linear, with players being directed from checkpoint to checkpoint with very little truly emotive story telling in between. This left the campaign feeling more like an extended tutorial, with each story line focusing on teaching you about the different features of the game such as vehicles or tactics to prepare you for playing online.

Now we come to Battlefield 1’s main selling point – the online element of the game. With up to 64 players in one match, Battlefield 1 provides countless hours of entertainment in which no two rounds are ever the same. DICE have kept their class system, offering four choices: assault, medic, support and scout. Each with their own advantages and limitations, allowing players to tailor their load-out and tactics to suit their playing style. The EA servers run smoothly once you make it through the loading screens that last for what feels like an eternity. There are still a few issues with the matchmaking, and some loitering bugs remain, such as flying tanks or planes that float in the air after crashing, but these are rarities that hardly detract from the immersive and beautiful maps of Battlefield 1.

The numerous game types on offer make clever use of the relatively limited number of maps that come with the game. Splitting maps into segments and restricting game modes such as domination to them produces fast-paced, exhilarating game play that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. The game mode ‘Operations’ is a personal favourite, allowing players to attack or defend objectives at each segment as you battle across a map. Destructible features and dynamic weather can change a map in a matter of seconds. Fog can roll in at any moment to reduce visibility to a matter of metres, forcing players to adapt tactics accordingly; you better have that shotgun at the ready.

Many developers would have fallen flat at the task of incorporating a restrictive old-school arsenal into a modern first person shooter. Yet EA and DICE do this perfectly and, most importantly, it hasn’t been done at the expense of the fluid and fast paced game play that the Battlefield franchise is known for. Many weapons, however, do require a certain level of skill on behalf of the player, but once mastered they provide hours of entertainment. Nothing beats a perfectly placed head shot from halfway across the map with a rusty old bolt-action rifle or, if subtlety isn’t your strong suit, why not charge your enemies from horseback while wielding a sabre?

Battlefield 1 is the historical first-person shooter that the market has been crying out for. EA’s decision to head off in the opposite direction to other market leaders has proved an undeniable success. If you’re looking for a visually stunning and realistic shooter that requires a little more skill than button mashing then look no further. Battlefield 1 is undoubtedly the new king of the genre.

Bar San Juan

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

Bar San Juan has long been at the top of TripAdvisor’s best Manchester restaurants list, however, I do not normally trust TripAdvisor, least of all when trying to find some good, cheap food. Aside from its chart-topping ability, Bar San Juan has frequently been mentioned in my ear by my trustworthy housemates: “When are you going to try the best tapas there is?” they’d ask. So, on Tuesday, I did.

Beech Road in Chorlton is full of bars and restaurants that are bustling any night of the week, hence when I heard you could not book at Bar San Juan, I was a little bit apprehensive. Despite my better instincts, my dining partner Dylan and I made the trip to this trendy part of South Manchester and were met by this tiny, absolutely packed tapas bar. Its painted exterior—canary yellow and red—was brash and somewhat in-your-face, but it really worked, and immediately, I just wanted to get inside.

When we opened the door and apologetically let a gust of the winter wind blow inside, that almost froze the nearest table, we were pleased to find out we could wait at their ‘bar’ and a table would likely become free within the next half an hour.  We were ushered to the back of the restaurant, perched on some small wooden stools, and ordered two pints of San Miguel. I couldn’t help but compare the interior to a classic tapas bar I went to in Barcelona and almost thanked the waiter with an overenthusiastic ‘Gracias’ (Check out El Xampanyet if you are ever in Barcelona!)

By the time we had finished our drinks, we were beckoned over to a newly emptied table and presented with a traditional-looking menu. By looking around at some fellow diners tables, we had already spotted a few tapas dishes we were certain on getting. I wished it was socially acceptable to ask tables next to you what it is they have ordered, but I reigned myself in as I knew Dylan would be totally embarrassed. Instead we guessed, and did a pretty decent job of it.

Before we knew it, our lovely waiter filled our table with little plates of goodness. First, we dived into Saquitos Cordero: filo parcels packed full with slow cooked lamb, and were taken by the textures of the crisp pastry mixing with the soft succulent meat. We knew from then onwards that Bar San Juan was going to the top of our ‘favourite restaurants list’. Next, we fought over the Pisto Manchego: a small dish full of a vegetable sauce made up of tomatoes, aubergine, and onions, topped with delicious, earthy cheese, a hands-down winner in our eyes.  We went on to order, Calamari, Gambas Pil-Pil—our favourite Spanish prawn dish—Albondigas: lamb and pork meatballs, and then, Solomillo: garlicky potatoes topped with steak and Padron peppers, and Conjundo Murciano: chorizo with quail’s eggs.

When we had finished our multiple outstanding dishes, we realised we were sticking out from the crowd like sore thumbs. Everyone else in the restaurant had decided to take a classic Spanish approach and eat slowly, savouring every bite of each expertly executed plate. We laughed at our overt Englishness but did not for one minute regret our eating style, and even if we had, we wouldn’t have been able to stop ourselves from demolishing our food in what must have been record time.

We stayed for a while, sipping on our drinks and continuing to soak up the warming atmosphere for as long we possibly could before we reluctantly realised the other eager customers waiting at the bar for a table just as we had been doing a while before. We were waved off by the kindly staff and set off on our journey back to the now less appealing Fallowfield to ask our other friends: “When are you going to go to try the best tapas there is?”

 

@hungoverhabits

Top 5: Songs to introduce you to classical music

Written by Stuart Grantham on . Posted in Music.

5. Piano Trio No. 2 by Franz Schubert

A piece from the Romantic period, in just nine minutes Schubert gives us a comprehensive introduction to the capabilities of the piano, violin and cello through exploring one simple line of melody.

4. Piano Sonata No. 8 by Ludwig van Beethoven

Light, airy, charming, and with an easy to follow motif throughout. This piece is a perfect introduction to Beethoven’s Classical and Romantic compositions.

3. Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy 

One of the most played piano sonatas ever written, and well deserving of its popularity. This Romantic-era track overflows with beauty.

2.Clapping Music by Steve Reich

This track perfectly sums up minimalist modern classical music, so simply you and a friend could perform it, yet its weaving rhythms can entertain you far more than the 3:49 run time.

1. Tannhäuser Overture by Richard Wagner

One of the best overtures from one of the best opera composers ever born, its bombastic brilliance is emulated in many modern film scores including Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

Haseeb Hameed: England cricket’s rising star

Written by Guy Williams on . Posted in Sport.

The England cricket team is currently two games into a five-Test tour of India.  Having secured a winning draw in the first Test two weeks ago, England collapsed in the second game last week.  That England managed to slip from 87 for 2 at the end of day four to 158 all out half-way through day five was alarmingly quick, even by England’s standards.  But it is often said in sport that losses teach a team more than a victory.

Eddie Jones, the sharp-talking, disconcertingly endearing Australian overseeing England rugby’s 12-match winning streak, had this to say after his side’s annihilation of Fiji last Saturday: “It’s always fun when you are winning. Our big test is when you lose a game. We’re not frightened of losing … we know if we do we will learn a lot from it”.  As it happens, England’s cricket team have learnt a lot from their defeat to India.  More specifically, they have learnt a lot about one particular player: Haseeb Hameed, captain Alastair Cook’s latest batting partner.

Some context: followers of English Test cricket like myself have long been in a bind.  On the one hand, England have captured the imagination with their aggressive style (their ‘brand of cricket’).  The likes of Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow have, since 2015, spearheaded a renaissance.  England are no longer stodgy.  Their batters bat with style and panache; their bowlers have rediscovered that ‘something’.  In spite of, or perhaps because of, this improvement England have been unable to fill the opening batting slot.  Aggressive players like Alex Hales and Adam Lyth have all been tried and discarded.  The number of players who have lined up alongside Cook to open the innings has reached double figures.  Madness.  Mildly fanatical fans like myself were beginning to wonder: would there ever be an answer to Opener-gate?

This is where Haseeb Hameed comes in.  Catapulted into the side for the first Test against India after the failure of yet another opening partner, Hameed was allowed, if not expected, to fail.  India are the highest ranked team in the world.  They possess in Ravi Ashwin the highest ranked bowler in the game.  Since the start of 2015 Ashwin has taken 117 wickets in 18 games.  India have not lost at home for four years.  Hameed, a 19 year-old from Bolton, with only a year of first-class cricket for Lancashire behind him, faced up to the Indians.  An impossible task? No.

Hameed made 31 and 82 in his first game for England.  In so doing, he created history.  Not since Alastair Cook’s own beginning in India exactly ten years ago had an England opener scored a 50 on debut.  There is something poetic about this symmetry.  Cook has enjoyed a prolific career, and he will go down as an England great.  Hameed is very much in the Cook mould.  His defensive technique is, like Cook’s, the foundation of his game. This offers him a solid base from which to attack: if you can keep the good balls out, you will be there to score off the bad ones.  That Hameed has started on a similar path to Cook is promising.

The symmetry does not stop there, however.  Hameed made his debut in Rajkot, in India’s Gujarat state.  As fate would have it, this was the state from which Hameed’s father Ismail emigrated to Lancashire in 1969.  Just a few days before the game, Hameed’s elder brother was married in Gujarat, and the whole family was at the ground to watch their lad play for England.

When Hameed scored his 50, his father could be seen crying tears of joy, the culmination of a long journey, 47 years in the making, from Gujarat to Bolton and back again.  It is a powerful tale which speaks to the resolve of the family (Ismail Hameed gave up his job to ferry Haseeb to cricket practice).  But it also reveals a significant dimension of modern Britain.  Hameed joins three other British Muslims in the England side.  Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and now Zafar Ansari and Haseeb Hameed represent the contemporary face of English cricket and the strength of our multicultural society.  That has to be celebrated.

This article began with a quote from an Australian.  It ends with one from another, the famously belligerent wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist, one-time slayer of English bowling attacks.  Following Hameed’s 82 at Rajkot, Gilchrist tweeted: “Looks like England have found an absolute beauty in Haseeb Hameed”.  If there is any doubt regarding Hameed’s class, trust Gilchrist’s judgement.  He is Australian.  They know a thing or two about cricket.

Basketball and netball the university’s standout performers

Written by Ben Ryan on . Posted in Sport.

As the end of the semester nears a close, the two court sports of basketball and netball have shone as two of the most successful so far. A cynic would perhaps suggest that the dreary weather in Manchester has given indoor sports somewhat of an advantage over their personal rivals within the University’s Athletic Union, yet what a gross disservice this would do to the outstanding hard work, commitment and attitude it takes to even compete in the highly competitive BUCS, let alone parade in their respective leagues as unbeaten.

A closer look at the remarkable feats these two clubs have achieved and notable player performances which have helped these clubs to perform so successfully so far shows a wealth of talent, as well as an ever valuable winning mentality at the university.

Netball could, first and foremost, be praised for the sheer size of their club, amassing and consolidating six teams for competition in BUCS. With only five returning players this year, a special mention has to be given to the 25 raring freshers who have joined and become the core of the club in such a short space of time. With a look down the six teams, the firsts compete in the Northern Premier League, competing against the likes of Loughborough firsts and therefore clearly doing very well at third in the table. This has been no doubt down to the defensive efforts of Honor De Wintion and Claudia Payne. Last weekend the firsts competed in Red Bull’s Switch Up tournament. With an altered format allowing fast paced games, the team excelled. They raced through the group stage and semi-final with ease to set up a varsity showdown with Man Met, where they would later be crowned the first ever Switch Up champions in a 6-4 win.

The seconds are also performing well as they have reached the last sixteen of the Conference Cup having already knocked out two teams, whilst boasting four wins already this year. A scoring average of 95 per cent for fresher Olivia Leach demonstrates the remarkable talent not just within the Netball club but even within the University. Perhaps the best performing team within the club is the thirds. Having only won two of their games last year, to come out this term and remain undefeated at the top of the league is outstanding.

Fresher Hannah Coward has been the standout performer for them, being awarded Player’s Player on two different occasions and even three times from other teams. It should be mentioned that thirds are also through to the last 16 of the Conference Cup having defeated two previous teams. The fifths are also currently top of their league with four out of four wins and through to the Last sixteen of the Conference Plate so we should be seeing more sterling results from them. For the thirds, their first showing in the BUCS after playing campus league last year further demonstrates the remarkable winning mentality within the Netball Club. They are also currently top of their league Northern 9A, with four wins out of four.

But what should be highlighted is the sheer goal difference they have accumulated: 193 goals with the next best team’s being 86. First year shooters Fay Hully and Becca Titterington have definitely shown class in the shooting department. An outstanding showing across the board for netball can only be further exemplified by the fact all teams achieved victories in the same week in late October.

Basketball have had a similarly remarkable showing so far this term. The men’s first team are currently undefeated in their league and have their biggest game of the season so far away against Chester coming up next Wednesday. Chester are also undefeated and so a win there would promote their credentials as the best in the league. Some notable standout performers have been Tadgh and Cain O’Hickey, twins who have arrived at UoM this year from Ireland. Renfei ‘Jo’ from China has also been a fantastic addition to the squad and Coach Wayne is optimistic about their chance for promotion this year.

For the women, Sonia Lei and new American exchange arrival Sierra Schwellenbach have been standout. The Women also remain undefeated after recently beating Keele and again, this demonstrates the sure winning mentality within the club. The men’s second team have shown great spirit in rallying to win in overtime against Newcastle seconds in the first round of the cup before they were drawn against our firsts in the next round. The clubs only loss so far has come in a closely fought match for the seconds played against Lancaster firsts, and so this has little negative impact on the winning nature of the club. Captain Meirin Evans has come up with big three point shots to seal the win in multiple games, whilst new Turkish point guard Yeler has shown fantastic potential. All three teams are still gunning for promotion at the end of this season and so with very little to be disheartened about so far this term, basketball have become one of the standout clubs in the University.

For that matter, both clubs have little to be disheartened about. With numerous undefeated records, league leaders and talented individuals to boast about, basketball and netball can surely stake a claim to take the crown at the university so far this term.

Video refereeing in football is long overdue

Written by Alex Whitcomb on . Posted in Sport.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s announcement that the 2018 World Cup in Russia will be the first to use video referees should not be too much of a surprise. The technology has been available to broadcasters and other sports for years, and it has already been trialled in various competitions and international friendlies.

However, despite all of this, FIFA taking this final step is still a major event, and puts to an end years of speculation and controversy.

This was in part, due to Infantino’s predecessor as FIFA chief. Sepp Blatter — a man not known for having much of an appetite for innovation or transparency — expressed his disapproval of technology, and that the “human element” of the game should be maintained.

Former UEFA President Michel Platini was also vehemently opposed to introducing technology, and instead chose to use extra officials on the goal line. UEFA eventually relented and introduced goal-line technology at the 2016 Champions League and Europa League finals.

Since Infantino became the sport’s top administrator, he has been keen to put some clear blue water between him and his predecessor, and technology is one area where this has been most evident. Non-live tests on the logistics involved in video replays have already been carried out by the Premier League, and video replays have been available to referees in two international friendlies this year.

Part of the reason this should have happened eventually is the fact that football is one of the most televised sports in the world. The top events are covered with the most comprehensive camera coverage available to broadcasters, with ever-increasing camera angles with which to analyse the play.

The presence of large screens and multiple cameras at stadiums has already caused embarrassment for referees and football administrators, particularly at the biggest events. This was particularly evident at the 2010 World Cup, where Carlos Tevez was given a goal that was clearly offside, and video replays were shown on the television screens for the whole crowd — and the referee — to see.

This did not lead to as quick a response as the goal disallowed in England’s match against Germany — with Blatter apologising, and goal line technology being used for the first time at the following World Cup.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Often managers call for the introduction of technology immediately after their team has been at the wrong end of human error by the referee, which can lead to accusations of hypocrisy if they have not spoken out on the issue before. However, this should not hinder the march of progress in a sport which has been reluctant to change.

Professional football’s lack of uptake in technology is in stark contrast to much of the sporting world.

Instant replays have been used in various sports for years. Rupert Murdoch’s Super League introduced them to rugby as far back as 1996 and it has become an indispensable part of the professional game. This was an occasion where rebellion against the sporting establishment — similar to Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket — was responsible for rapid change. With FIFA’s level of control over all forms of the game, this was unlikely to ever happen in football.

Of course, videos have not eliminated controversy entirely. Mark Cueto’s 42nd minute try being disallowed in the 2007 World Cup final was greeted with uproar in England. Cueto’s foot had strayed marginally across the touchline — which was only visible from one camera angle — and England were denied seven points. The consensus now is that it was the right decision, but due to language difficulties between the Australian referee and the French television producers controlling the footage, he could not view it frame by frame, which potentially could have led to an inaccurate decision in the biggest match in the world.

Another accusation put against its use in Rugby Union and League is that it slows the game down and is used for far too many decisions. However, implementing a time limit on the use of videos or limiting the kinds of decisions that could be used for — such as offside or penalty offences.

Perhaps this and other teething problems is why FIFA have chosen to wait it out before introducing it to football.

Also, inevitably people will be hostile to new technology at first. Now, it seems odd that people ever objected to hawk-eye reviews in tennis, but Roger Federer actually asked (with no success) for it to be turned off during the Wimbledon final in 2007.

So FIFA should press ahead with their new embrace of technology, and videos will surely improve decision making at the next world cup.

It will be an even greater surprise if football becomes the first major sport to adopt, and then abandon video referees. Although given that this is FIFA, we may just have to wait and see.

Top 5: Books that shaped my year

Written by Roma Havers on . Posted in Books.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

I didn’t just read this once this year, I read it three times. If nothing else sways you to take a look, it should be this, I’ve read fifty books so far this year and this one won the top spot. This tragicomic (or graphic novel) is an autobiographical account of Alison Bechdel’s relationship with her father. The story spans three different timelines, as a young girl, her time at college and as an adult the same age her father was when he died. The graphic novel is funny and poignant and one of the most honest portrayals of family relations I’ve ever read, and this is from the woman most known for her infamous Bechdel Test to see if a film is worth seeing. I’ll be honest, this book really was a bit of a miracle, it echoed so many of my own life experiences and so many of Bechdel’s thoughts comforted me and empowered me in a time of personal upheaval. Just read it. There is also a broadway musical of Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic with an amazing soundtrack.

Pansy by Andrea Gibson

In 2015 I saw Andrea Gibson perform at The Deaf Institute, I was just starting out on my own performance poetry and it inspired me to continue. When I got this book for Christmas, it was like a pocket-full of joy, so much of what inspires me as an artist is in this book, but the openness and vulnerability they show through their poetry amazes me. This book is the kind of book you need on your bedside table when you wake up in the middle of the night petrified.

The Golden Gate by Vikram Seth

This book surprised me a little, it was another Christmas present that was given to me based on a Radio 4 suggestion. I didn’t really know what to expect, the whole novel— and it’s a novel— is written in verse. It is intricate and funny and not what you would expect from what is essentially an epic poem for a contemporary audience. Following one man’s life over a series of years it forges astounding characters and relationships all without breaking form. It is a feat of poetry that inspires me to just keep on going.

Hold Your Own by Kate Tempest

Three poetry books in a row, I guess you’re sensing a pattern, but I thought I’d still add this one. If anyone is aware of Kate Tempest’s poetry she generally performs live, or on albums, and her work generally creates narratives of characters often in London. This book is completely different, there is so much of her in it, you forget how often she takes herself out of the narratives she weaves. Each of these poems recounts a side of her life we don’t get to see very often; from her tragic and often violent relationship with her partner for many years, through to her early years being bullied. It is always wonderful to get a true insight into another side of a person and something about this book felt so personal that I can’t help but get that warm feeling when someone trusts you with a secret.

I’ll Give You the Sun by Randy Nelson

This is the odd one of bunch, I picked it up after a long library shift over the summer, it was on the Young Adult section but the cover was interesting and I was looking for a lighter read. I went through this book in one sitting, despite it being over 400 pages. It tracks the story of two twins from ten to sixteen as their relationship falls apart in the wake of their mother’s death. I’ve never read a Young Adult novel that engages so intimately with the effects of trauma and with such an imaginative beautiful use of language. It also just made me really really glad that I’m not a teenager any more.

Review: The 20th UK International Jewish Film Festival

Written by Eloïse Wright on . Posted in Film.

A few days ago, the 20th annual Jewish Film Festival took place in Manchester. A variety of diverse films were shown at HOME.

Attentive to family dynamics, Shemi Zarhin’s latest film The Kind Words is a story set in Jerusalem. Based around two brothers and a sister, who each discover in their own ways that any notion of identity they have is in fact a lie. Each of the siblings are dealing with their own individual issues: the first scene introduces Dorona, the female lead played by Rotem Zissman-Cohen, a young woman that has given up on motherhood, having suffered multiple miscarriages; the eldest brother of the trio, Nethanel (Roy Assaf) has recently become religious to please his new wife’s standards and raise his triplets, although he seems conflicted about this decision; and Shai, the youngest (Assaf Ben-Shimon), is dealing with a recent breakup, and trying to balance fathering his son via Skype, who lives in Hungary with his ex-partner.

A death in the family is followed by a startling discovery, that brings the siblings to an impromptu trip to Paris, then to Marseille, in search for answers to questions that shed new light onto their perceptions of themselves and each other. Although the plot has potential and shows us the storytelling talents of the Israeli director, its development lacks density. The complexity of the protagonists’ relationships to any other character builds the viewer’s interest in the many layers of the film, but the conclusion is vague and unresolved, the story’s buzz falls flat.

The film’s serious core matter is balanced out with underlying dry sarcasm, jokes and digs about religion, sexuality, and identity in general is a refreshing touch in the tense current socio-political climate of the world. This does not make the film light-hearted as such, as the gently thought-provoking script reminds us how Israelis are perceived by the world and how they perceive it in return.

The Kind Words does not distinguish itself from the customary cluster of melodramas, as we follow once again a linear progression of events with some heated fights, witty jokes, and romantic interests. This is Zarhin’s sixth feature film, and one can’t help but feel somewhat dissatisfied in his failure, this far into his career, to exhaust the full potential of his very real talents.

In the same milieu of melodrama, coming to us from the Netherlands is a sweet Jewish comedy entitled Moos. As one can guess, the central character’s name is Moos (Jip Smit), a young woman who aspires to be accepted into the most influential, well regarded drama school in Amsterdam, yet fails miserably at the auditions due to her song being in Hebrew. The story begins on the first night of Hanukkah — everything is ritualistic and familiar. Childhood friend Sam (Daniel Cornelissen) shakes up the monotony by returning from Israel, surprising Moos and witnesses the series of peculiar events that take place in Moos’ life.

Director, Job Gosschalk, explained his idea for the movie to originally focus on two protagonists, Sam and Moos, the story shifting its point of view from one to the other. Though the film now only focuses on Moos as the main protagonist, the title — a sort of inside joke amongst Dutch Jewish people specifically, who are generally familiar with the stories of fictional figures Samuel and Moses, “Sam and Moos” for short — hints at the origins of the script. Samuel and Moses are renowned for dealing with their daily mishaps through self-mockery and sarcasm, a trait we pick up on between the characters Sam and Moos in the film. Other typical Jewish stereotypes come forth, as many scenes take place in the loud, bustling and almost always busy family delicatessen, the centre of gossip and life in the movie.

The film is heart-warming, with the typical rise and fall and rise again of the main character, as she overcomes her fears and faces her problems, mixed with the traditional Jewish rituals such as a young boy’s Bar mitzvah or the circumcision of a new born baby, and with the guest appearance of small Hebrew-singing sensation Asaf Hertz, the guilty pleasure felt whilst watching Love Actually is not experienced when the credits roll on screen.

Kind words aside, this is no Hollywood film. Intended for television, not for cinema release, the director’s standards are not aiming for highbrow cinema. Moos is not your typical heroine, she is unpolished, clumsy, lost. By no means is she the family’s pride and joy, although the ending obviously fixes that with a touching Father-Daughter scene. Gosschalk stated that his aim was to feature ordinary people with everyday issues, steering clear of anything excessively grave or that required intensive reflexion, so the wider public could relate in some way to one or multiple characters and situations.

These are merely two of many other films presented during the 20th annual Jewish Film Festival in Manchester, but definitely worth seeing. Managing to take away from the taboos and blindness to a heritage that is widely overlooked and skirted around by the media, it is refreshing to observe in the modern daily life of Jewish people in different parts of the globe, in the form of melodramas, which simultaneously celebrate and offer a new perspective of this rich culture.

Album: Sleigh Bells – Jessica Rabbit

Written by Calum Pinder on . Posted in Music.

11th November via Torn Clean Records

4/10

In 2010 Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller stepped onto the scene with their debut album Treats. It was a colourful expedition into noise-pop. Krauss’s playful vocals floated over the distorted guitars and simple drum lines Miller had crafted. Treats was well received and proved that the formula the duo had crafted worked well.

A year later Sleigh Bells released their sophomore album Reign of Terror. Given the success of Treats it was no surprise that the band chose to stick with their established style. A few things were tweaked; complex drum lines and more confidence in Krauss’ heavier vocal delivery gave the project a more developed sound. The counter-side of this was a loss of the primalism that made Treats so appealing. Hits like ‘Riot Rhythm’ and ‘Infinity Guitars’ that basked in their own simplicity were replaced with more thoughtful tracks like the nostalgic ‘End of the Line’ or the sinister ‘Never Say Die’.

The trend was not unsurprising. Keeping the original sound that had served Sleigh Bells so well, whilst trying to branch into more experimental territories seemed logical. The problem is that the success of Treats was partly due to its rejection of the experimental rhythms or genre blending that begins to creep into their later albums

That’s where Jessica Rabbit enters. Named after the mysterious and enigmatic cartoon icon, this album is packed with sharp dynamic changes, gimmicky tempo shifts, clashing melodies and absurd lyrics. With many artists this sort of endeavour into experimentalism, whilst trying to develop old formulas, would be necessary. But this is Sleigh Bells. Mix these interesting features into Sleigh Bells signature sound and the result comes off less mysterious and enigmatic, and more embarrassingly cartoonish. Instead of an intriguing LP waiting to be unravelled, this feels like a plea from a pop band wanting to be taken seriously.

That’s not to say the whole project is a disappointment. On ‘Loyal For’ we catch a glimpse of what Jessica Rabbit could have been. Urgent cellos, echoing pianos and dark synth fill the space between Krauss’ cries in an atmospheric interlude. ‘Rule Number One’ manages to capture a little of Sleigh Bells old magic, but even this effect begins to wear thin quickly.

Loyal fans and dedicated NME readers may still enjoy the attempts at experimentation from this album. Particularly as it never deviates too far from the established Sleigh Bells formula. However, to the less attached listener Jessica Rabbit comes off as an underwhelming fourth album, devoid of anything particularly remarkable.

Nintendo Classic: Review

Written by Alec Wilby on . Posted in Games.

When the NES Classic Mini console was announced, I knew I wanted one. Not for nostalgic reasons (I wasn’t alive when most of these games were released) but because, for £50, you get many of the best games from that era on one unit. I pre-ordered one the next day assuming that, like most Nintendo products these days, stock would be hilariously limited. The release date has come and gone, it seems I was correct. My local GAME store had in exactly enough for pre-order customers and the situation appears to be the same all over again.

The console itself is very true to the original, just significantly smaller. The controller is exactly the same, other than having a Wii compatible connector on the end rather than the original NES connector. A second controller was available for an extra £7.99, though I find it a little odd that they didn’t just package it with 2 in the first place. The console itself is powered by micro-USB — it’ll probably run itself from your TV’s USB port if it has one — and runs the games very crisply over HDMI. The interface is quite well designed and offers you 4 save slots on each game which you can save to or load from at any time, as well as allowing you to alter the picture to look like an old TV, or display the games how the designers intended.

30 games are built into the unit with no capability to add more, and while Nintendo has received some criticism for this, I don’t see it as much of an issue. Most of the 30 games on there represent some of the best and most famous titles for the console and the combined play time is huge. The only game I particularly wish it could play which isn’t present is the 1991 Star Wars game for the NES but presumably there would have been licensing issues, or it just wasn’t deemed popular enough.

After about two weeks with it, my early impression is that I’m quite bad at most of the NES titles I’ve tried. I still haven’t got round to playing everything (essays) but so far ‘Gradius’ and ‘Ghosts and Goblins’ have been my favourite.

‘Gradius’ is fairly similar to other side scrolling space shooters such as ‘R-type’ and is punishingly difficult. Waves of enemies come at you and killing all of them generally results in a power-up dropping. If you can find the time away from shooting the other stuff that fills the screen, pressing B spends that power-up on an upgrade for your ship (faster engines, missiles or a shield). The most devastating aspect of the game is that when you die (you will, a lot) any upgrades disappear, and you have to continue from a checkpoint with nothing. In the first level, you will fight two volcanoes, followed by a boss that fills 1/3 of the screen. After that, things got weird pretty quickly (the enemies were mostly the Easter Island heads) and I haven’t managed to get much further.

Like I said, the second level got really weird.

‘Ghosts and Goblins’ is basically 2D Dark Souls. The premise seems to be that some bad guy has kidnapped a princess (your girlfriend?) and so you don a nearby suit of armour and fight your way through endless waves of zombies, crows and gargoyles (I have yet to see any ghosts or goblins). 1 hit removes your armour and another kills you: surviving a minute in this hellish universe seems like a major accomplishment. At one point I made it to the second level, before promptly dying to what might have been a flying burrito.

Other games present like Super Mario Bros 1, 2 and 3, ‘Metroid’ and ‘Double Dragon II’ are undeniably classics, and still hold up today (particularly when played 2-player to share the pain of defeat). Other games such as PAC-MAN and ‘Galaga’ are decent but do seem a little like filler, particularly considering they can be played pretty much anywhere on the internet. A few of the titles are, at least in my opinion, quite bad though; I’m no American Football fan but ‘Tecmo Bowl’ is incredibly confusing, for example, play is interrupted around once per second for you to choose an action for your team from the screen and I didn’t manage to score once. ‘Bubble Bobble’ — highly critically acclaimed at the time — is a bizarre, brightly coloured, platformer that perhaps just hasn’t aged well.

For £50, the NES Classic is worth buying. Most of the time I’ve spent on it has been 2-player and the frustrating nature of most of the games makes you want to keep going. As is all too common with Nintendo products however, it seems that the available stock has been too low to satisfy eventual demand, resulting in ridiculously high resale value and disappointed customers. Hopefully Nintendo will pick up on this and approach the (surely inevitable?) SNES Classic release with more finesse.

Our University has turned into a creche

Written by Colm Lock on . Posted in Opinion.

Well, I hope you are all bloody proud of yourselves. Well, are you? You have behaved like petulant, spoilt children, and there is no one to blame for this mess but yourselves. You bunch of self-centred, virtue signalling, “oh look at me I’m so righteous” students. You as a group have, over the course of the last year and a half, shown exactly why the older generation seem to have such contempt for the young of today. To be honest, I do not blame them. I wince at the thought of being associated with the student body as a whole. You must be questioning why this is — why I, a fellow student, am so disappointed with the behaviour of my peers. It is because ever since the general election back in May 2015, you have all been shown to have the emotional maturity and self-control of a tantrum-throwing toddler.

We are in a dire situation in the western world. We face unparalleled levels of idiocy and arrogance from students at every turn. I will start with the most odious event that has occurred recently — the fracas in the SU on the US election night. The strength of feeling involved was not proportional to the effects on the people in that room. I entered the bar that night at around 11 and struggled to find anyone who was actually American, or knew about the election in enough detail to warrant them staying up all night to see the results through. It was simply a gathering of people who wanted good old red vs. blue drama, with their goody Clinton vs. the baddy Trump. Few people there actually understood what was going on, as was made apparent by the loud cheers following anything remotely in the Democrats’ favour happened — even if it was just a Senate seat.

Now my candidate, Gary Johnson, did not win. In fact he only got 5 million votes. However, did this mean that my disagreement with the other sides boiled over into a physical expression of rage? No, because I am a bloody grown up.  Even though I am an American who travels to the States regularly and has family who may suffer because of Trumps victory, I did not feel the need to lash out against the tit wearing a flag and donning the infamous red cap. Neither, however, did I feel the need to publicly revel in the loss of Clinton and so antagonise her already defeated supporters — I am not in the business of kicking people when they are down. Clearly the Trump side — none of whom were American — were not gracious in their victory and behaved like asses the entire night. However, that does not excuse the behaviour of the Clinton camp, with their throwing of water and physical abuse.

We saw similar behaviour from youths when the Conservatives won a majority back in 2015 and some young people seemed to lose their collective minds. They protested, blocked London’s streets, and some even vandalised a war memorial.

But, the prize for biggest collective idiots of the year goes, once again, to the SU. These people, our student leaders, do nothing to calm down the student body and bring them back to reality. They are alarmist and quick to label enemies. They seek to coddle us from opinions deemed “dangerous.” Anyone who disagrees with them is immediately a racist, sexist, transphobic, islamophobic Nazi. Yet, in spite of such ridiculous accusations, there are those who will pick up this mantra and parrot it, only spreading the plague of regressive ideas further. These are the sorts of people who would probably stand up for participation trophies and reward failure.

Now, I may still not be getting through to you about the problem with our age group. So, I will take a different tack to get my message across. For all the many reasons we are an embarrassment, however, there is one reason which pervades all aspects of society and demonstrates the sickness that these types are helping to inflict on our society. From both the right and the left, we are seeing the triumph of cultural Marxism, whereby everything in life is now political. It is a very sorry state of affairs when people can feel threatened by a statue, get triggered by being called “he” or “she”, and even consider normal Halloween costumes offensive. Why does our generation believe in these things? Well it is simple. We have never faced or seen real adversity or experienced a world on someone else’s terms. We have grown up in a world free from large scale tyranny, free from conflicts near to home, free from actual racism, bigotry and oppression.

So, what we now do is invent these grievances. We concoct and conjure up problems where there need be none. It shows a glaring level of ignorance on the part of the student body that they are quite happy to isolate themselves so completely from the real world — leaving university is going to come as a shock. We now politicise everything in society. What’s next? Will I be told my favourite tea and scones are racist and imperialist? Will I be told that I need to use gender neutral pronouns when addressing my cat?

Where will it end? And when will we all grow up?

Live: Matthew Whitaker

Written by Liam Killeen on . Posted in Music.

17th November at Anthony Burgess Foundation

Matthew Whitaker is an overlooked, under-appreciated, yet artistically under developed singer-songwriter from Manchester. Having been involved in a number of bands that have failed to make any large impact, Matthew has decided to try his hand at a solo career with an album that highlights his creative potential yet remains slightly incoherent at times with disparate genres and moods being presented by a minority of tracks that–for lack of a better phrase– stick out.

Prior to attending Matthew’s gig to promote his new album The Man With The Anvil Hat I had listened to the record multiple times and come to the conclusion that, though in an embryonic state as a solo artist, Whitaker could develop in a similar fashion to Father John Misty in a few years due to his comparable-genre fusing abilities. This could only happen, however, if he is able to hone in on the definable style that very almost became uncovered in the album.

Upon realising that the album launch was at the Anthony Burgess Foundation which I knew to be a fairly small venue, I had expected a stripped-back set of just Matthew on his acoustic. This presumption turned out to be wrong with Matthew being supported by a double bassist, a pianist, an electric guitarist and a musician that joined in for a couple of songs playing a saw with a bow. The set was made up of a number of tracks that inspired hope for a first time listener of Matthew defining himself as an artist, but also contained seeds of doubt.

The set began with a western-sounding electric riff juxtaposed against Matthew’s flamenco acoustic and Nick Drake-esque vocals, one of his more effective genre-blending songs, ‘Bones’, from the new album. The set, however, also contained a few songs he had written in previous bands along with a few songs from the album that did not translate well to his new blossoming solo sound, such as ‘Team Games,’ ‘Settle Down Blues’. These few songs were outweighed by a number of songs that reflected the creative direction that Matthew appears to be taking, the most notable ones played from his new album at the gig being ‘The Man With The Anvil Hat,’ ‘Penny Dreadful,’ ‘Ball n Chain,’ and ‘You Can Only Let Us Down.’

Having been in a series of fusion bands such as Gypsies of Bohemia and the Whiskycats, it’s easy to see how Matthew Whitaker would find it difficult to develop a coherent style for his solo career. But, with the majority of tracks indicating an identity on his new album, and emulated successfully live without any compromises, he is one to watch over coming years. If he is able to cement the style presented by a number of tracks on the album and present more experimental instrumentation, he will be making ripples in the music industry being as accomplished as accomplished a musician and lyricist as he is.

War on drugs: Fabric reopens the debate

Written by Elliott Mills on . Posted in Opinion.

There may be some readers who are too young to remember having read anything that does not relate in some way to Brexit or Trump. To those people this may come as a surprise, but this article concerns something entirely different, and in all regards is about a far more shocking event: Fabric will be reopened.

And in just the utterance of the phrase ‘Fabric reopens’, the drug market re-emerges from the depths and begins to grow stronger. This is sad news, as the announcement some weeks ago that the UK wanted out of Fabric all but decimated any trade value that drugs had prior. An explosion of graphs, after the initial revoking of Fabric’s license, showed share-prices calling it quits and jumping off the cliff edge in the most slapstick and carefree of manners. Fabric was then unravelled, the jig was up; the war on drugs had been won.

This war, dating back to the beginning of time itself, seemed to be finally over. As we know, the conflict originally arose long ago, in Biblical times, when Eve ate drugs off a tree with the only excuse being that a talking snake, that was also Satan, told her to do it. Such was the strength of the drugs.

However, rumbles of the conflict re-emerged, as the idea gained momentum that the permanent closure was not in fact permanent, and that some form of ‘soft closure’ could be negotiated. This seems to be the standard operation nowadays — the leftists and liberals were not happy with people having opinions differing from their own and believed that the wrong decision had been made.

One novelist, claiming to be Scottish, yet named Irvine Welsh, went so far as to suggest that “It’s not a war on drugs, it’s a war on people. The war on drugs is a war on you. It’s a war on alternate lifestyles. It’s a civil war —the State against the citizens.” But then again, the novelist will be likely to have an overdeveloped imagination overwhelming his perception of the truth. It is also likely that, as a Scottish person, he will have an overdeveloped partiality to drugs.

Accusations were put forward that those in favour of saying goodbye to Fabric were misinformed and had been fed false claims about how the club was damaging to the UK. In fact, even the present writer became embroiled in the accusations of falsity when left-wing radicals cited a prior article on Fabric’s closure. They highlighted some small inaccuracies, namely that the club never purported to be “a laser quest arena,” nor did a night at Fabric ever entail “dolphins and humans merrily having it off with each other whilst on a melange of substances.”

Moreover, Islington Council’s claimed to invest the £350 million per week saved from the Fabric wear and tear allowance into the NHS.  Those rallying against the decision to revoke Fabric’s license said that this claim was, for various reasons, fanciful at best.

But surely over-analysing the actual claims that were made as to Fabric’s closure is simply a diversion strategy. Even worse, it is a strategy that conveniently ignores the fact that it was originally decided that Fabric was to be closed! In my eyes, Fabric’s closure means Fabric’s closure. No ifs, no buts, and certainly no “you have completely falsified your statistics regarding how many tigers had to be released into the club by the authorities as a deterrence against illegal drug taking.”

Many started attacking the legal process itself by which the license was revoked just because things did not go their way. Maybe the decision to close down Fabric did not quite get the popular vote, but the decision was nonetheless made, and should have therefore been supported by all self-respecting citizens. News alert: That is how democracy works. Or, well, it is not exactly quite how democracy works, but it is how things go.

As it stands however, those in power have shamelessly softened and are now allowing the club to reopen on the grounds that security procedures are tightened. Significant among the changes is the new rule that only those over the age of 19 will be able to enter and that IDs will be scanned by a machine. To ensure that they work on the machine, a man with a towel will be on hand to wipe clean your IDs and indeed any other cards from whatever states they were previously in. There will also be lifetime bans for those who are caught taking drugs, buying them, selling them, or using them as seasoning on any foodstuffs. Those caught making snow angels in illicit substances will be escorted out of the UK.

Additionally, the level of surveillance is set to increase. In terms of standard surveillance, one hundred golden eagles will be in rotation on club nights, flying above the crowds whilst using their highly accurate eyesight to identify anyone taking drugs. They will then use their speed of descent, mighty talons, and sharp beak to attack and eat the miscreant.

Regarding covert surveillance, an F-117 Nighthawk stealth reconnaissance aircraft will sit undetected in the centre of the dance floor.

All this just seems like typical Fabric bureaucracy to me, and I for one will be starting my ‘#SaveLuxuryApartments’ campaign right away.

Evening wear for men

Written by Jai Joshi on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Winter is filled with a plethora of events, from birthday parties to society dos right through to the annual Christmas ball and other themed bashes. It can be difficult to find appropriate outfits for every occasion. Fear not, we have you covered. Whether you choose to splash the cash or simply find a stylishly-savvy outfit continue reading to discover the most coveted evening-wear available for men.

For formal evening-wear opt for suit jackets in navy, grey or black and do not shy away from trying various textures such as velvet or satin. For those super glamourous events, a tuxedo jacket with velvet lapels is an appropriate way to make a statement. Dare to be different? If so, opt for a patterned blazer or one which has embellished collars which will definitely make you stand out in the crowd. Style tip: do keep in mind to maintain the same colour accessories. For instance, if your belt is black ensure that your shoes are too. Take note of the finer details like the metal of the buckle and correlate that with your jewellery.

Accessories are vital to perfecting that glamourous evening-wear look whether it be formal or smart casual. Ensure you purchase a belt that is made of good quality leather so that it is long lasting. You should have several, each for individual occasions from the simple buckle belts to iconic showstoppers that you only wear to the finest soirees. Ties, cravats, pocket squares and silk scarves are dependent on what type of occasion you are attending. Tired of wearing a tie all the time, then choose a cravat instead. Be sure to add a pop of colour to your pocket square and coordinate your tie/cravat colour to make your evening look complete.

Finally, to finish your look, take care of footwear and outerwear, as they are just as important. Be sure to choose the appropriate shoe, mostly the derby shoe goes with everything but you can always switch it up with velvet loafers instead. When wearing navy tones, choose a brown shoe to complete your look. The classic pea coat is a formal outerwear favourite and available at both high-end and high-street stores.

For high-end looks visit Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. To discover suitable options from Paul Smith, Armani Collezioni, Turnbull & Asser, Dolce & Gabbana and Tom Fow. For high-street options visit H&M, Mango, Reiss, Topman, T.M & Lewin, PINK and Gives & Hawkes.

 

Denim doesn’t have to be just for the day

Written by Tarun Daryanani on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

‘FADE’ denim is a rebellious, creative canvas of washed, hugging denim jackets emblazoned with pop culture emojis and studs that impersonate a die hard rock fan. The birth of the brand arose from the creative minds of a group of third year University of Manchester fashion marketing students. The underlying inspiration? Denim is a hot trend and being able to express its versatility through day and evening wear is a key, unique fashion statement. The creative minds behind the brand are: Marcia Wiggins, Katherine Elizabeth, Nicole Olive, Isabel Pegg and Chelsea Saunt, all of whom exude their ideas and inspiration through a line of denim jackets.

Denim jackets are a piece that can be paired with, and layer, evening body-con dresses, or sheer jumpsuits; why not channel Gigi Hadid or the Kardashians? Stand out of the crowd.

Fusing distressed day wear with glitzy party wear births a powerful creation; one that makes heads turn the minute you strut down the street. The ‘FADE’ denim jackets come in many variations – try channelling vintage Paris Hilton vibes with a white faux fur lining. Others came with shiny studs, tracks of pinned on pockets – channelling your inner rock star has never been more appealing. The hot favourite? A Simple dark blue jacket paired with a significantly large glittery eye on the back, as if you were the member of a new, secret fashion cult; symbolic and powerful. Children’s jackets reflect the same styles as those for the adults; perfect idea for matching parents and their stylish kids.

FADE denim. Photo: The Mancunion

The jackets are so versatile they can channel any look: hipster, mod and even straightforwardly provocative. Priced at £45-50 for adults and £25 for children, this line mixes high quality craftsmanship with affordability.

‘FADE’ denim isn’t afraid of pushing creative boundaries; the existing designs can be customised even further whether the look channels Japanese anime — hello kitty emojis — or the lust for an ice cream cone, an emoji for that too! Showcasing their vision, with a hint of ironic humour, upon a simple garment shows that this brand has a chance to inject individual messages into a denim jacket.

Whether it be freedom, self-expression or even downright fun, ‘FADE’ denim never fears standing out. “The collaborative team effort and the idea of putting our own inspirations and thoughts was truly enjoyable,” says Marcia Wiggins who casually wore the brand’s glitter lip emoji jacket. In the height of the festive season, embellishment and beading is truly fitting! For the fashion forward in your life ‘FADE’ denim makes for the ideal gift.  Creative rebellion is spreading across the youth and there are no boundaries; beaded cuffs and worn rips accentuate the staple wardrobe piece. Scan their Instagram @fadedenim to lust over their uber chic, diverse denim outerwear.

The brands signatures will be sold at the Christmas market at the Manchester Students Union on 13th December.

Artist Rooms: Andy Warhol at the Whitworth

Written by Georgia Welch on . Posted in Arts.

The Whitworth Art Gallery has been host to a range of interesting and widely-discussed exhibitions since its renovation and reopening in early 2015, but perhaps none more hotly-anticipated than Artist Rooms’ new Andy Warhol exhibition, presenting a plethora of his works, many of which have never been seen before in the UK.

I attended a preview to the exhibition in which art dealer, curator and longtime friend of Warhol, Anthony d’Offay introduced the works he kindly donated to the Tate, now on loan to the Whitworth. He explained, as is evidenced in the works displayed, the extent to which Andy Warhol’s near-fatal assassination by playwright and radical feminist, Valerie Solanas, in 1968 affected the tone of his work. Warhol was ultimately pronounced dead as a result of this attack, and subsequently revived, so it is unsurprising that ideas of mortality and death feature so heavily in his work in the wake of the event.

With this core theme in mind, one of the most recognisable items from the collection was his 1981 piece, ‘Gun’, depicting the exact model of revolver used in his attempted assassination. His familiar striking screen print style is as visually resonant as ever in this piece, reminding us once again why his pop art techniques became such a hallmark of 20th century counter culture. Continuing this theme in a far more visceral manner is Warhol’s self-published photograph of the shocking scars etched across his torso following the bullet wounds he garnered as a result of his 1968 attack. The gravitas of the event is vividly manifested throughout much of his later work, and many of the pieces on display in the exhibition.

The thematic diversity of Warhol’s work does not end here, however, with other clusters of work instead focusing on more complex and grandiose ideas about America, its politics and religion, with pieces such as ‘Are You Different?’ casting a spotlight on the issues surrounding Warhol’s own sexuality and the way it conflicted with his heavily Catholic background.

Naturally, his screen print ‘Dollar Sign’ pieces make an appearance — capturing Warhol at perhaps his most iconic, exploring ideas of consumerism and capitalism in 20th century America. The varying tones and different concepts explored within the exhibition act as an excellent, all-encompassing representation of the multitudinous facets of Warhol’s artistic career, and the influence of significant life events on his world views. Thanks to the carefully-considered curation by Anthony d’Offay and the Whitworth, people of all ages and backgrounds now have the opportunity to see some of Warhol’s most important, poignant and stirring works of art right here in the heart of Manchester.

Artist Rooms: Andy Warhol at Whitworth Art Gallery – 19th November 2016 – 16th April 2017

Diego Garcia & Camp Thunder Cove: The UK’s Dark Secret

Written by Madeleine Jones on . Posted in Features.

You may know about the island on which, a couple of years ago, one conspiracy theory believed the missing Malaysian airlines flight MH370 to have landed. But I’m not here to talk about that.

Diego Garcia is the biggest island in the Chagos Archipelago, a collection of small islands in the centre of the Indian Ocean. It was formerly occupied by the British and French during a time when slavery still existed. The inhabitants of the island are numbered at roughly 2,000. That is until 1967 when the UK, who still technically owned the island, decided to force the indigenous population to leave so that the USA could build a military base there.

People don’t often realise that during the slavery era, the Caribbean Islands were not the only places to which European colonisers took those from African countries. They were also taken to islands in the Indian Ocean to work on plantations.

As far as historians can tell, many Indian Ocean islands were uninhabited before European colonisers decided to make use of them. European powers took people from their colonies, including India, East Africa and even China, to work on the Indian Ocean islands, hence why countries in this region are now so ethnically, linguistically and religiously diverse.

The Chagos Islands are a key example of this. When slavery ended and the population continued living there, they made a happy home. Elsewhere, many of the islands were actually submerged, meaning that Diego Garcia had the highest land mass and was therefore the most populous of them all.

Since the early 18th century, Diego Garcia was a territory of nearby Mauritius where it was governed from. However, Mauritius was not independent from Britain until 1968, so Britain had always technically owned Diego Garcia. One condition of Mauritian independence was that the British gained full control over Diego Garcia, a move which led to the Chagos Islands becoming part of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

This was when things started to get tactical. There was a reason European colonisers chose to colonise many of the Indian Ocean islands. They were strategic gems. Located with direct access to southern Asia, eastern Africa, Australasia and the Middle East, this gave the colonisers reliable control over their colonies. By the time the British had full control over Diego Garcia, the Middle East was their key target in mind. The UK leased Diego Garcia to the US, who needed a military base that was close (but not too close) to the Middle East. A remote location was perfect.

Just one problem: the people who lived on the island. The answer? Simple – remove them.

UK and US officials removed all Chagossian people using brute force. It’s clear that the British government still saw the Chagos people as colonial subjects. The remote location was chosen deliberately. They knew no one would notice or care.

As a privileged Westerner, one cannot even begin to imagine the horrific ordeal the Chagossian people, and those living on the surrounding Chagos islands, had to endure. Western authorities forced them onto ships, similar to those used to transport slaves hundreds of years ago, like cattle to take them to slums in either Mauritius or the Seychelles. Before boarding the ships, pets were gassed to death in front of their owners. The Chagossian people were simply left on the shores of foreign islands with no money and no help from anyone.

The Mauritian government has never seemed to care for the Chagossians either. Compensation of £650,000 was given to the Mauritian government in 1972 to be distributed amongst the Chagossians. It wasn’t given until five years later, and that amount of money across 2,000 people is hardly enough to start life in a brand new country against ones own will. Regardless of how much money the Chagossians were given, nothing could erase their trauma.

So what has the US military been up to on the island since the military base was built?

According to the website Commander, Navy Installations Command, the mission on Diego Garcia is “to provide logistic support to operational forces forward deployed to the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf AORs [areas of responsibility] in support of national policy objectives”.

The base is known as Camp Thunder Cove (formerly Camp Justice) and has become a reportedly multi-billion-dollar Navy and Air Force base for the Middle East and its supplies. It has been essential to the US’s role in the Gulf War, the Iraq and Afghan Wars, and intervention in Libya and Syria. According to Global Security, as of May 2016, the island has 1,700 military personnel and 1,500 civilian contractors. Most are American, with a handful from Britain.

Numerous reports from publications such as Time Magazine, The Guardian, The Telegraph and many other less-established media sites have gained evidence indicating that the island has been used for torturing terror suspects as part of the USA’s “Global War on Terror”.

Unlike other torturing sites (such as Guantanamo Bay), the media can get nowhere near it. It is strictly off-limits to any non-military personnel. However, in recent years, many images have been in public circulation, due the rise of the internet.

After decades of tireless campaigning by the Chagossian people, last week the British government announced yet again, unsurprisingly, that it would not allow the islanders to return to their home. The only way they could do is if the USA and UK decided that they no longer needed the military base and, realistically, this won’t happen any time soon. Though, on a more positive note, it was announced that £40 million would be given in compensation. The sad truth is that, for the Chagossian people, compensation will never rectify the damage already done.

Speaking about the compensation, Allen Vincatassin, president of the provisional government of the Chagos Islands, told the BBC: “We will need to discuss further [with the UK] how this money will be spent to change the lives of our people. This should have been given to us years ago. But in no way will we be accepting this as an exchange of our right to return.”

The British government maintains that it did not act illegally by forcibly removing the Chagossian people. But since when did something being legal automatically make it right? If dragging people from their homes and forcing them into slums is legal, then perhaps it is the British government’s moral standing that we should be calling into question.

Intergenerational grief from the trauma still hangs over all Chagossian people. Their fight is nowhere near over. Approximately 4,000 Chagossians have been born into exile. When Chagossians talk of their family members dying, though it may be in medical terms (often due to the poverty of living in slums), they often add that they died of “sadness”.

It is a little too early to fully know or understand the magnitude of President-elect Trump’s foreign policy. However, if his cabinet is anything to go by, the USA’s stance on the Middle East isn’t likely to soften.

We tend to think of colonisation as something of a time gone by, given that slavery was abolished well over 150 years ago, but what happened to the people of the Chagos Islands is clear evidence that Western powers are still trying to exercise their colonial rule.

The taboo around tattoos and piercings at work

Written by Araddhna Patel on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Imagine this. You’re the owner of your own company looking to hire someone to work for you. There are two applicants in particular that you cannot choose between — let’s assume that both are very similar in terms of academic records and experience. However, one of the applicants has an eyebrow piercing and tattoos on their arm that you notice when they push up their sleeves during the interview. Would this affect your decision on who to hire?

Tattoos and ‘unconventional’ piercings — anywhere other than the earlobes — used to be associated with rock stars, gang members, and bikers for a long time. Nowadays, they are more widely accepted, but there is still a certain stigma around them in the workplace. Skinfo.com found in their research that 37% of Human Resources managers cite tattoos as the third-most-likely physical attribute to limit career potential. In the UK, the law on workplace equality does not protect people with tattoos, meaning that employers are allowed to choose whether or not they want to hire someone based on body art.

Acas state on their website that some employers do not think tattoos and piercings fit with the ethos of their company. In 2014, Jo Perkins, a 38-year-old consultant at Salisbury FM, had her contract terminated because of a visible butterfly tattoo on her foot. The chief executive Ed Swales claimed that the company did not ban tattoos, but required them to be covered in the workplace to “ensure employees and contractors project the professional image we want customers to see in Salisbury.” Ms Perkins considered legal action for the discrimination she faced; however, it was doubtful that she would win because the company policy clearly stated that tattoos needed to be covered.

Despite not being protected by the law in this country, certain company policies do allow tattoos. The NHS Dress Code and Uniform Policy states: “It is recognised that in today’s society many individuals now have tattoos. Where a staff member has a tattoo in an area that remains exposed when wearing their uniform this must not be offensive. Where a tattoo is considered inappropriate or likely to cause upset to patients, carers, visitors or other staff the individual will be requested to cover the tattoo.”

It’s clear that tattoos and piercings are more popular than ever in today’s society. Around one in five Brits are thought to have a tattoo, and one in ten have a piercing somewhere other than their earlobe. It certainly looks like employers will have to alter their dress code policies at some point in the future. Because, honestly, does a visible tattoo tell you anything significant about an individual that is relevant to the job? Does having a piercing mean you won’t put in as much effort into your job as everyone else? As an employer, are you less likely to trust someone who has permanently inked themselves? I th-ink not.

Review: I, Olga Hepnarova

Written by Mritunjay Sharma on . Posted in Film.

The first thing that comes up when you google this film is that it is about a Czechoslovakian mass murderer who mercilessly killed 8 people on the 10th of July 1973, using a truck as a weapon. This description leads you to imagine and expect a high adrenaline film with mystery and violence.

But the film is mostly the opposite to what is being described above. This is a film shot on a black-and-white reel, and the adrenaline taken out of the soul is by the little or no movement of the camera, very slow and stable cuts. The absence of any kind of background score is complemented with most of the film being shot indoors, which adds to the silence of the whole film. This silence can also be treated as a silence of the main character that is Olga Hepnarova and with the risk of sounding clichéd, I must say the silence is also an indicator of the storm that comes in the end, and takes away the lives of 8 people.

When we think of mass murderers we always have the image of them being cruel and emotionless people who can kill for no reason. But this is not the case of Olga. Olga is full of emotions, yes she is socially awkward and doesn’t know how to react to the common situations of life. But she definitely has emotions, and this film helps us to understand the kind of emotions this mass murderer goes through before committing her crime.

It is these emotions that makes her fall in love with a fellow car driver, a woman of almost the same age, but more socially active, and more friendly than Olga. It is these emotions that help her take her bra off in the club and dance, and make out with her girlfriend. The intense love she has for her is because of these emotions. She also felt the pain of not being loved by her father, and being thrashed by the inmates in jail for no apparent reason. This film is also a critique on society in general, the way we treat people who are unable to communicate their feelings, who don’t know the difference between right or wrong, the constant pressure of being good and doing everything right. Olga is fed up of all of this and constantly feels choked and uncomfortable. She, in one of her last letters to the newspaper, summons the society and writes: “I, Olga Hepnarova , the victim of your bestiality, sentence you to a death penalty”.

This film was shown at the panorama section at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. And I am sure this film still has a long journey to cover.

Interview: Daisy Lewis

Written by Brogen Campbell on . Posted in Theatre.

1)      How did you first hear about the National Youth Theatre (NYT)?

I first heard about it as someone put it up on a noticeboard at my school. My drama teacher told me to give it a go.

2)      Did you know much about it before you auditioned?

There had been Chinese whispers amongst us students about what it was and I heard that lots of famous people did it. That was pretty much all I knew about it. I knew that some famous actors had done that and so I wanted to try to.  That’s pretty much the only reason why. I came from a family who couldn’t have less to do with acting. The closest thing my family had to do with the acting profession was watching Corrie (Coronation Street). There was absolutely nobody in the Dorset village that I grew up in who was involved with the profession. I think the closest they got to a stage was watching ‘panto’. I was just like how do I get into this. I think this is what I want to do. I know that I love it. I know I’m happiest when I’m in the school play. How do I keep doing this outside of my school holidays? In the village I grew up in there was nothing in the holidays. When I saw this and I could do it outside of school time and have an excuse to go to London and check that out, I was on it like a car bonnet. I was like, this sounds great.

3)      Did you get in on your first attempt or did it take you a few tries?

I didn’t get in on my first attempt. I will tell anyone who didn’t get in on their first attempt to just try again. Just keep going until they turn you away at the door. If you want something fight for it. Like anything in life you are not going to be good at something the first time you do it, that’s not how life works. The first time I tried to walk I’m pretty sure I fell on my arse. And then I tried again and again. The first time I tried to speak I was not delivering Shakespeare. But I think we live in a culture nowadays where we expect so much of our selves and we expect ourselves to be the best immediately.

4)      How many attempts did it take you in the end?

Okay I made it sound like I had to try like 15 times, I didn’t: I did get in on my second go. I had never done an audition before in my life. I didn’t even know what an audition was. The first time I was there I was just like okay what do I do. They said to me “I don’t think you are ready for this” and I wasn’t. The second time I went I had done some more work on my speeches, I was a year older and that makes a big difference in your teens. When I came to do the course in London it was the first time I was away from my family, my first time in London, it was a big deal. I will thank the National Youth Theatre forever for not being like “yeah sure you’re 13 years old and you want to just come hang out in London for the summer, fantastic have a go”. They have a responsibility of care to the kids who come and audition and they told me I wasn’t ready and I should come back next year and they were right. It’s a big deal. You are being pushed when you do your courses. It’s the most fun you’ll ever have and it’s also the most frightening experience you’ll ever have.

5)      What is your advice for young actors who want to audition but are scared by the process?

There is not one actor I know who doesn’t spend the first time they pick up a text or the first three weeks of rehearsals terrified. Everyone is scared. Every actor, whether they have been acting forever like Ian McKellen, or only a couple of years, every single actor when they pick up a new speech or play, are terrified. But you know what, you do it anyway. You feel the fear and you do it anyway.  You go, okay, I’m going to be scared of this the first time I do it, because the first time I do anything it’s going to be scary. The first time I had sex I was scared, I then got very good at it. But you know what I mean, any first is frightening. So the moment you pick up a monologue no you are not going to be good at it, no it’s not going to be perfect, yes it’s going to be frightening. Just give yourself a break, read it through, learn it so that you know those words better than you know your own thoughts. Then they come out automatically. Just learn it. Learn it. Then when you know the words, that is when you can start having fun with it. The only time I’m frightened is when I know I haven’t put in the work and I’m winging it. I get frightened on exams when I know I haven’t put in the work. I get frightened of performing when I haven’t learnt my line properly. I get frightened when I’m running a half marathon and I haven’t trained for it. So what I would say to people is accept the fact that you are going to be frightened, know that is frightening, give yourself a huge pat on the back for even doing this, and then push through. Push through the fear and learn your monologue.

6)      What is the best production you’ve ever been involved in with NYT?

Silence by Moira Buffini. It was my last show I did with NYT and it was the most special production to date that I’ve been in. The costumes were so cool, the set was worked by the actors, the play dealt with themes like sexual identity, feminism, love, sex and drugs. We got to tour it. The costumes were amazing and they were designed by Chloe Lampford who is now the most sought after designer in England. It was one of those moments where the stars align and you’re given a role and you just go for it and it’s all very special. There are so many moments in the National Youth Theatre that were like that.

7)      Did you make friends whilst being a part of NYT and do you stay in touch?

Yes, 100 per cent. A lot of them aren’t actors. A lot of them decided they didn’t want to do this as a job, because it is a really tough job. It’s not tough in the ways of being a soldier is tough, we are lucky in a lot of ways to be able to do this. But it is psychologically tough. It’s not for everyone. It’s very unstable. It means you don’t know where you are going to be living. You don’t know what you are going to be doing, 99 per cent of actors are out of work at any time. It will make you re-evaluate the things that you think are important in your life. Like living in a nice flat, being able to afford clothes, being able to eat anything except for tuna. But you get moments of beauty, honesty and exhilaration where you get close to other human beings and get vulnerable and make art that touches people’s lives and that’s worth living for I think. And that’s what the NYT is. The NYT is a place for young adults to learn how to be themselves. It’s a place where you fall in love. It’s a place where you fall out of love. It’s a place where you laugh and you will definitely cry. You’ll probably drink too much.  Well you’ll definitely drink too much. You will party. You will think you never ever want to stand on a stage again. You will never want to leave the stage. You will form friendships. You will break friendships. It’s life concentrated. It’s the most exciting and challenging thing you’ll ever do.

8)      What are your plans for the future?

There are a few things that I have in the pipe line that I’m not allowed to talk about. I have just written my debut novel. Again that’s something else that NYT inspired, it’s not just about actors, it’s for writers too. Lots of actors are encouraged to write as the majority of shows are devised. That’s where I was encouraged to think about writing.

National Youth Theatre Acting Auditions for anyone aged between 14-25 are taking place in February in Manchester. To book your audition click here.