Film
What to catch at this year’s London Surf / Film Festival
Six of the best — Festival Director Demi Taylor picks her highlights from the 2018 lineup: from an epic exploration of cold-water surfing in Siberia, to Chas Smith’s celebration of surf icon Lisa Andersen.
Written by: HUCK HQ
Capturing teenage, feminine anger in small-town Canada
Firecrackers — Jasmin Mozaffari was inspired to write Firecrackers after enduring an abhorrent act of sexual harassment. Following its premiere at TIFF, we speak to the filmmaker and two lead actors about tackling the power dynamics of gender head-on.
Written by: Katie Goh
The neo-noir taking on sex, lies & corruption in Iran
Tehran taboo — In his dark directorial debut, Tehran Taboo, Ali Soozandeh uses animation to share stories from the Iranian capital’s underbelly.
Written by: Niloufar Haidari
A personal trip through Turkey’s punk scene
Where it all began — In his new film Arada, director Mu Tunc reflects on the movement’s early beginnings in Istanbul, telling the story of his brother’s radical career as a punk frontman.
Written by: Hannah Clugston
Vintage movie mags from the golden age of Chinese cinema
1921 - 1951 — A new book from film critic and historian Paul Kendel Fonoroff tells the story of Chinese film through an archive of historic magazines.
Written by: Niall Flynn
Desiree Akhavan is film's most exciting 'outsider'
Can't stop, won't stop — After winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance for a coming-of-age film about LGBT teens, Desiree Akhavan has battled self-doubt to realise her dream as a director. But in a medium with few opportunities for fresh voices, she knows that success is never straightforward.
Written by: Cian Traynor
What to watch at Open City Documentary Festival 2018
Eight of the best — From factory workers battling the Japanese government to the mysterious, online world of Morgellons disease: Oliver Wright, Head of Programming at the festival, picks his highlights from this year’s programme.
Written by: Liam Taft
Straight Outta Hull: Hope and hip hop in the age of austerity
A Northern Soul — In A Northern Soul, director Sean McAllister documents the life of Steve, a factory worker with dreams of making it as a rapper. Ahead of its release, we speak to the filmmaker about cuts, class and why counter-narratives are so important.
Written by: Liam Taft
The guerrilla gig-promoters who inspired Burning Man
Desolation Center — When a 20-year-old punk decided to put on a series of illegal shows in the desert, bands like Sonic Youth, Minutemen and the Meat Puppets agreed to play. Fans, meanwhile, boarded buses not knowing what to expect. The rest became music history.
Written by: Daniel Dylan Wray
The enduring legacy of Wild Style, hip hop’s first ever film
‘We took over the planet’ — As the 1983 feature – which brought New York’s hip hop scene to international attention – celebrates its 35th birthday this year, we talk to the people who made it happen.
Written by: Miss Rosen
