Culture
Algerian cartoonist Slim: 'We have to protect human hands, not human rights'
Few Algerians don’t know who Slim is. Not a lot of Europeans know him. Yet the 67-year-old cartoonist provides the sharpest view on the society of his time, of the 'Arab spring' in Tunisia and Egypt, but also on the society where no revolution took place: Algeria
culture, morocco, comics, caricature, algeria, arab spring, tunisia
Dario Ivkovic: 'people don’t seem interested in roots of Balkan music'
Best-known as a member of both the German touring group Shantel & The Bucovina Club Orkestar and French band Les Yeux Noirs, the Serbian accordionist is an electrifying personality onstage. We talk music legends, Balkan beats and why 'girls like guitarists better'
Documentary 'Listening to Garzon': Spain’s most famous judge judged
‘Escuchando al Juez Garzón’ is an 87-minute documentary shot as a single interview with the high-profile human rights judge in Madrid in late 2010. Over a year later, he is going on trial for triple prosecutions on his abuses of power at his country's supreme court. International human rights activists argue that this 'Judge Dredd' case is one of Spanish science fiction
culture, berlinale, catalan, trial, franco, corruption, barcelona
Top three songs: Polish music legend Czesław Niemen
His John Lennon-style glasses and long hair were mandatory for a beat generation artist. An uneven beard completed the rock and soul musician’s look on the streets of Poland. 17 January 2012 marks the eighth anniversary of the death of the much-loved singer-songwriter, 64
culture, death, poland, music, hommage, rock, culture calendar
Arturo Ripstein: ‘Making films is like waking from a nightmare’
The Mexican director was the guest of honour at a French international festival of film schools in the town of Poitiers. Whilst he has been in the business for more than forty years, with twenty films under his belt and numerous Cannes appearances, the 68-year-old remains unknown for a European public
‘Desi Boyz’ and a German girl: am I now a bollywood star?
A European traveller who accidentally becomes an extra for the latest film of India's 'Tom Cruise', Akshay Kumar, winds up filming and reflects on her experience after watching the completed movie in the cinemas. Part II of a travel diary
culture, mumbai, cinema, bollywood, lifestyle, india, culture calendar
Steve James: 'In the 80s, I can’t imagine anyone wanted a documentary-making career'
The American director perhaps best known for his 1994 film Hoop Dreams is in Amsterdam for the city’s international documentary film festival. We talk 'new media', starting out in the eighties and why an oscars snub doesn't matter when you've got good old Europe to fall back on
culture, cinema, netherlands, brunch, united states, documentary, film festival
From San Diego to Vilnius: all Jew you need for a library in Lithuania
There is nothing more multicultural in Lithuania right now than the new library which opened in the capital of this Baltic state on 16 December. The concept is simple: all books, films and music must be about either a Jewish subject, writer or artist
culture, jewish, multikulti on the ground, judaism, vilnius, lithuania, society
Gallery
Multiculturalism in Italy: a Roman cocktail
Is Italy racist? This is the question posed by European media, some of which don’t hesitate to point to a lethal dose of racism particularly following the murder of two Senegalese in Florence. However, four journalists and a photographer sent to Rome by cafebabel.com chose instead to talk about the multicultural imprint of a nation which counts 5.4 million immigrants from non-EU countries. Of course, it’s not all sweetness. The Roma continue to battle for a decent future, while young Italians are fleeing a country which is losing its identity. However, second generation immigrants are aware of the civic role which they can play, while the piazza Vittoria in central Rome is a multicultural epicentre, a mixed drink shaken up in the most open of kitchens. In the view of these diverse facts, cafebabel.com is serving up a Roman cocktail which will warm you to embrace the ‘other’, turning away from the bar-side brawls stirred up by press-gang headlines. (Image: © Ehsan Maleki)
Most expensive EU TV production Borgia: outsiders from Spain in renaissance Italy
The fifteenth century Italian crime family is the subject of a hit Franco-German TV series originally filmed in Prague and screened as of this summer in three European countries. We discuss reality and fiction with French Borgia expert Pol Bruno at his welcoming home on the Breton coast
International Documentary Film Festival: Amsterdam cinema’s leading lady
In Amsterdam, there are coffee shops, bicycles, Rembrandt and a port. But between the paintings and the pedals lies the IDFA, the largest documentary film event in the world and one of the biggest festivals in the world you’ve probably never heard of
culture, netherlands, festivals, culture calendar, documentary, film festival, art
Montreal international poetry prize 'for poets by poets'
Poetry is enduring, if not a deep freeze, at least a hard frost. Austerity measures across Europe and Canada have led to severe cuts in arts funding. Amidst the scrabble to fund prizes whose state subsidies have been slashed, a brand new award has emerged on a different funding model, with the winner to scoop 50, 000 Canadian dollars on 15 December
culture, prize, writers, quebec, canada, nobel literature prize, competition
Brooklyn-based pop band Chairlift: once 'music for haunted houses'
Patrick Wimberly and Caroline Polachek probably never thought their music would end up on a commercial for an apple product. After meeting the duo in Paris, we are advised to go back to the future, turn the sound down on a silent film and crank up our headphones to their fresh electronic pop offering
Another 'new wave' of young European cinema
In the 1950s journalist Françoise Giroud coined the term ‘nouvelle vague’ in the columns of French weekly magazine 'l’Express' to describe a new group of insolent, revolutionary and incredibly talented directors. Now François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard are 'out of fashion', a new generation of directors are shaping the seventh art. These include a 22-year-old 'bobo' and pedantic Quebecer who is stirring up European cinema, whilst other French(wo)men jacks-of-all-trades act, produce, direct and sing in their own feature films. The award-winning Danes and Bulgarians pinpoint the problems of their times, be it about substances, sex or the sad end of the world, whilst one German director turns his nose up at the past and its worn-out refrains. Read the special edition (Image: © Kristof)
- Read the special edition Another 'new wave' of young European cinema
- Twins who row – more East Germany than The Social Network in ‘Westwind’
- French actress and singer Melanie Laurent’s directorial debut: ‘The Adopted’
- Hipster director, Quebecer, who cares? Welcome to Xavier Dolan's world
- Von Trier, Bier, Mikkelsen: Denmark cleans up at European Film Awards 2011
- Lowdown on Bulgarian cinema in 2011
Tearjerker tips for Europe in crisis
Read ‘em and weep: ‘tearjerker’ is a noun which translates practically perfectly into other European languages. It is used mostly to describe a film, book, play or song which moves us to tears. The entertainment industry gets an excessively sentimental Europe down, but these pearls could also abate our crisis-ridden depression
culture, cinema, economical crisis, tower of babel, entertainment, idioms, languages
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