FILM: The Turning
“An incredible cast. The books are a depiction of what Australian coastal life is like and the film does that justice”
Tara Judah, film criticThe top tier of Australian film talent convenes in The Turning, a collection of 18 short stories by author Tim Winton put to celluloid and each one steered by a different director. Those calling the shots range from Hollywood A-lister Mia Wasikowska to more unconventional picks such as artistic director of the Bangarra Dance Theatre Stephen Page, whose short Sand is pictured above. And the talent on screen is just as rich – look out for Cate Blanchett appearing alongside actors more well known to Antipodean screens such as Richard Roxburgh.
DANCE: Tango Fire at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London
“Tremendously liberating and exciting”
Louise Levene, dance critic of the Financial TimesYes, we’ve all had a go (with varying degrees of success) but it never hurts to be reminded of how to perfectly carry off the ramped up tension and dramatic beauty of one Argentina’s most distinctive cultural exports – the Tango – with the nation’s best dance company Tango Fire currently in London to show it off. Set to the music of the great composers of the genre such as Astor Piazzolla and Carlos Gardel, Tango Fire is a contemporary take on a historic dance that somehow never goes out of style.
Listen now to this week’s dance and theatre picks on Midori House
PHOTOGRAPHY: Florilegia, Grimaldi Gavin Gallery, London
“A glorious celebration of nature”
Sue Steward, photographic critic for The Evening StandardThis group exhibition of contemporary photography aims to frame our perceptions of flora and fauna in a new light. Goldschmied & Chiari’s “Nympheas” (above) might look like a serene interpretation of a Claude Monet floral scene but look closer and those delicate blooms are actually old plastic bags floating in the polluted currents of Rome’s Tiber River. The name Florilgia comes from the Latin “flos” (flower) and “leger” (to gather) and this eclectic selection of images is a beguiling and surprising collection showing that innovative photography in full bloom.
Listen now to this week’s art and photography picks on Midori House
BOOK: William S Burroughs: A Life
“Absolutely fantastic. By a hundred pages in you feel like you’ve known the man your whole life”
Alexander Starritt, author and book critic for The SpectatorBarry Miles, the British writer and counterculture figure profiles one of the US’s most iconic personalities of a similar realm, William Burroughs in William S Burroughs: A Life. Burroughs, a subversive force whose book Naked Lunch is considered a milestone work for modern writers (and also landed the author in hot water under allegations of violating US sodomy laws) was a personal friend of Barry Miles. And this life-story is written from the perspective of an author who knows both his subject’s flair and flaws only too well.
MUSIC: Jus Now
“A great dynamic and a very interesting duo”
Crispin Parry, CEO at British Underground music development agencyAmong the music picks on Midori House this week from Crispin Parry of the British Underground music development agency are Jus Now (pictured above). The duo made up of producer Interface from Bristol, UK, and percussionist and producer Lazabeam from Trinidad create intense rhythms influenced by both Caribbean culture and European dance music. Those looking for a more sedate listen can enjoy another of Parry’s picks: the traditional Brazilian sounds of Mestre Lourimbau.
