City Hub 11 May 2017

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Students get short straw in budget

BY GEORGIA CLARK In a controversial bid to salvage the debt ravished economy, the Coalition on Tuesday evening announced higher education will once again draw the short straw, with sweeping cuts set to shake up the sector in the 2017 budget.

The cuts mark the end of a long campaign and swathe of reforms that affect students, including a welfare crackdown and housing affordability crisis. The shakeup has prompted nationwide protests and reached tipping point last week when the education Minister, Simon Birmingham, responded complacently to protests against the cuts at the Canberra National Press Club, deeming the uproar a “rite of passage.” Sophie Johnston, President of the National Union of Students (NUS) said the cuts will see students paying more for worse education.

“These proposed changes would make it harder for young people to access higher education and that is terrifying for the nation’s future. This budget is a war on young people,” she said.

The changes will see the compulsory payment income threshold decline from $55,000 to $42,000, at a payment rate subject to each person’s income. Minister Birmingham said last week that the shakeup would shift the onus back to students to pay back their HELP debt by increasing the percentage of payments made by students from 42% to 46% and saving the economy $2.8 billion over four years.

But some fear the cuts are effectively further privatising higher education by stealth. Chris Nash is the Foundation Professor of Journalism at Monash University.

“People should not underestimate the extent to which universities are corporations in a highly competitive environment where effectively… they engage with the market and they’re in a deeply competitive situation with each other.”

The news sparked widespread outrage, with fears raised that both the cuts and government’s support of negative gearing stack the odds against young people entering the property market.

While the Treasurer Scott Morrison has hinted at a policy to assist first home owners, the details are

In a game changing move, the 2017 Federal Budget has slashed funding to higher education.

Credit: Francisco Osorio, Flickr

still shrouded in secrecy and concerns remain that it will only place more debt pressure on the future workforce.

“It is outrageous that the government wants to push an even greater financial burden onto struggling students when the cost of living is already at record highs. This generation will be the first generation priced out of the housing market, we’ve had low-wage growth for decades, underemployment is rife and now, the government wants students to pay even more while they gut the quality of the education sector”, said Ms Johnston.

The cuts will see students paying 1.8% higher university fees as of January 2018, after which they will rise to 7.5% by 2021. Coinciding with the Treasurer’s plans to reach a surplus by 2021.

But Minister Birmingham said the changes don’t further disadvantage poor communities.

“The student loan scheme that’s available ensures that nobody, regardless of their economic or social circumstances, has to pay one dollar upfront to go to university,” he said.

But the Australian Council for Private Education argue that the cuts lack equity. CEO of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET), Rod Camm said “equity

should also be at the heart of the design.”

Others fear the cuts could widen the gender pay gap. The NUS argue that it’s women who will be the worst off given the total earnings nationwide for women is only $52,000 compared with $72,000 for men.

“The fact that in 2017 women are still locked out of the workforce and paid less than men is outrageous and this government budget is only going to perpetuate that disadvantage,” said Ms Johnston.

The cuts will also see a small portion of Commonwealth Grant Scheme funding for universities subject to university retention levels, and performance in key areas. But Ms Johnston says these performance indicators could hurt regional universities, and that the key to a surplus in 2021 isn’t higher education cuts.

“If the government wants to talk about bad debt they should reverse their decision to give big corporate businesses a $50 billion tax break.

Education provides massive returns for the Australian economy and should always be seen as an investment, not a debt burden. Australia needs to invest in education if we expect to keep up with the rest of the world.

“This budget is fee-deregulation through the

back door; creating a two-tiered education system, cutting government funding and increasing fees, does the government think we are stupid?”

Steve Shepherd is the CEO at TwoPointZero, a career coaching and guidance company. He says the cuts will also add pressure to the poor graduate employment rates.

“Currently, youth unemployment is more than double the national average, at 13.3%, and underemployment amongst this age group is at an all time high. Further exasperating the problem is the stagnation of full-time jobs, particularly for young people, which have decreased by 2,213 per month, on average, over the last five years,” he said.

Professor Nash fears the cuts will only add to the existing pressure on universities and in particular, academics.

“Academic work has been thoroughly industrialised in the worst possible way because academics are totally individual. They’re hanging off a virtual assembly line,” he said.

According to Mr Shepherd, the Government should also be shifting its focus towards generating graduate jobs.

“Instead of looking at claiming back the $52 billion in outstanding student loans, the government should be looking to create sustainable full-time jobs for young people, so they can start their careers. If we can offer young people consistent work, more will be able to repay their debts and in greater quantities.

The move will see Minister Birmingham negotiating with Senate crossbenchers to ensure the cuts will pass both houses. But the position of some of the crossbenchers, such as One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson, is still unclear. While for others, such as Greens Senator Sarah HansonYoung, the move is to be staunchly opposed. But Ms Johnston says NUS will be lobbying crossbenchers to try to block the cut from passing.

Whether the package will swing Senate votes, Professor Nash says, only time will tell.

“It will be interesting, particularly in regional areas, to see how the national party respond to this,” he said.

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BY ALEXANDER YUJIN The battle against Westconnex roadworks continued last weekend, but this time with messy outcomes for protestors and wildlife alike.

Tree cutters at Campbell Road, Alexandria last Saturday morning began to extend the caged off area without notice, and within minutes had partially fenced a group of protestors inside the demolition area.

Andrew Chuter, a representative of the No Westconnex: Public Transport action group says workers had no intention of stopping until Jenny Leong, Greens MP stepped in.

“Jenny intervened and spoke to the supervisor, and made it clear it was unacceptable to cage people without first explaining what was happening. After a while the contractors realised they didn’t need to extend the cage and gave up,” he said.

But the workers had not completely sealed off the demolition area. To the alarm of protestors, a dog made its way into the area and ran around while trees were being lopped.

To make matters worse, branches were falling outside the fenced off area coming dangerously close to people standing by. Then protestors noticed a possum in one of the trees about to be lopped, and informed the workers, who ignored the advice and continued felling trees.

“There was no wildlife officer there and protestors had to inform [the demolition company],” said Mr Chuter.

To top it all off, destruction barraged on, according to Mr Chuter.

“Across the road, demolitions continued in the St Peters interchange sending up big plumes of smoke, but it was not being watered.”

The shocking incident comes just days after action groups felt they made had made progress, when Westconnex tycoon Denis Cliche was ordered to appear in parliament and reveal his whopping salary. It is reportedly almost a million dollars a year, more than the Prime Minister makes.

Mr Cliche was forced into the admission after a successful petition by No Westconnex: Public Transport was heeded by the government.

The group are now working on another petition calling for a

Greens MP Jenny Leong intervened as tree loppers endangered protestors and animals on the weekend. Credit: Andrew Chuter

full parliamentary inquiry into the road project, and have already gathered over 1,000 signatures.

“Glady Berejiklian refuses to listen to residents, experts and politicians at local, state and federal levels. We can only win this by building it into a mass movement. We all know that public transport is the only way to fix congestion,” said Mr Chuter.

The Greens, who are also pushing for a Senate inquiry, said in a recent statement on their website “The Greens oppose Westconnex because of the negative social, environmental and economic impacts it will have. We oppose the compulsory acquisition of people’s homes for this dirty tollway, and the destruction of precious parklands and green spaces. We support the redirection of public funds into world-class sustainable public transport.”

Professor James Weirick from the UNSW Built Environment Department is promoting an alternative vision for the roadworks.

He says that the tunnels being dug can be converted into a metro line. UNSW are currently hosting an exhibition entitled Civilising Westconnex to showcase the alternative plans. city hub 11 MAY 2017

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Sydney Morning Herald journalists return to work after week long strike

BY GEORGIA CLARK AND ALEXANDER YUJIN Wednesday May 10 marked the end of a one week strike by one of the nation’s biggest media conglomerates, Fairfax. But Fairfax reporter and former City Hub editor, Michael Koziol says he’s confident the strike will have an impact on the proposed number of job cuts.

“From experience, we learn that we do manage to claw back some jobs through [negotiations], so I’m fairly confident that will happen,” he said.

Mr Koziol stood in solidarity with a team of journalists who petitioned against the entities’ proposed axing of 125 jobs, dubbed “executive neglect” and a blow for the fourth estate.

Dr Alexandra Wake, Senior Lecturer in Journalism at RMIT’s School of Media and Communication expressed doubt about whether Fairfax will amend the proposed cuts.

“I doubt that the strike action had any impact at all on management’s decision to cut 125 staff. I do believe, however, it has had an impact on the public who are concerned about it and I note that Labor, Greens and crossbench senators have established an inquiry into the future of journalism to support the public interest,” she said.

Fairfax’s journalists were under no illusion about the $7.2 million Fairfax CEO, Greg Hywood earnt in 2016. Nor were they under any illusion about the dire future of journalism, with Fairfax’s plans to make cuts around the board.

According to Mr Koziol, the week away from work was bittersweet, and for many of his

Fairfax journalists have gone back to work after a week long strike. Credit: Wikimedia commons

colleagues it was particularly difficult refraining from covering the federal budget, which was released while they were still on strike.

“I think given the amazing public response, we’re in a pretty strong position to say ‘hey, people who consume our work have spoken clearly saying that they don’t want this to go ahead,” he said.

Fairfax, along with News Limited, have a stronghold on the Australian media landscape, and ultimately make up up what the Finkelstein Inquiry in 2012 found to be one of the most concentrated newspaper industries in the developed world.

The strike came as the Fairfax board deliberates over a proposed $2.2 billion

takeover by an overseas partnership led by TPG, who already holds a small interest in the company. Under the unsolicited proposal, TPG would acquire Domain, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, amongst other assets. In a media release, Fairfax expressed reluctance over the potential impact of the takeover on shareholder value.

“The Fairfax Board notes that there is no certainty that the indicative proposal is capable of being implemented given the complexity involved in splitting the businesses. This proposed split of businesses may not optimise shareholder value,” they said.

The company said they are still confident that they can continue to deliver shareholder value. Many of the current shareholders do not support the proposal, with one company, Henderson, saying it would be too risky.

But it’s not just the shareholders who are uneasy about the proposal. Mr Koziol said the proposal has added to the atmosphere of tension in the office.

“Everyone’s pretty edgy about this potential TPG deal and what that means … if that were to go ahead we’re in a whole new ball game,” he said.

Mr Kozial said journalists will continue to fight for the future of the industry.

“I think I can speak for all of my colleagues in saying that the passion I see in our newsroom every day, the hunger to break stories, to have stories first, to find out surprising things...you can really see it in people’s eyes. That’s what I love about working at the Herald, and doing it with all my colleagues,” he said.

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TAFE library to stay

BY ALEXANDER YUJIN A battle that has been raging between TAFE students and its corporate branch has been won this week. The Ultimo TAFE level two library was threatened with closure last year after plans were made to send the books packing to make way for corporate offices.

But the shocking news was met with fierce resistance from the Public Service Union and a groundswell of students who immediately began campaigning to save the library.

This week Paul Williams, Deputy Regional General Manager of TAFE NSW, announced at a Student Action Group meeting that he had met with Jon Black, Managing Director of TAFE NSW and received confirmation that the office plans had been scrapped and the library would stay.

The Greens member for Balmain, Jamie Parker has praised the move.

“Students and staff came together with the support of the Public Service Association and the Teacher’s Federation and beat back this ridiculous proposal. Thank you to everyone who supported the campaign.

“Under this Liberal government we have seen enormous cuts to TAFE funding, which has undermined the provision of services to students, cut staff and casualised the workforce. It was very inspiring to work with these students and staff [who stood up] for their right to a quality education environment,” said Mr Parker.

A spokesperson for Ultimo TAFE also told City Hub that part of the plan was axed as a result of the uproar.

Sydney’s Ultimo TAFE is set to stay, after being threatened with closure last year.

“As a result of an options analysis, level two of the Ultimo campus library is not being considered as an accommodation option for corporate office staff and other opportunities are being explored,” they said.

But members of the student action group felt an “options analysis” should have been done before slating their library space to be pushed out.

A representative of the Save Ultimo TAFE Library student action group said that this never occurred.

“There was no analysis or understanding of the range of services provided by the Ultimo TAFE library to the students, teachers and the community.

Nor was there any analysis of the way in which the space on level two was actually used by the TAFE and local community.

“Management seemed to be completely unaware of the social, intellectual, health and economic benefits libraries bring to a community or institution,” they said.

The representative, who did not want to be named, said there had been staff shortages, constantly broken equipment and a poor level of service in IT, enrolments and course information for years, but all had been ignored by upper management.

“It’s so easy for management to distract themselves with finding lovely new office space for their top-heavy corporate operations, rather than

Credit: Wikimedia commons

rolling up their sleeves and addressing issues which have not been adequately dealt with by TAFE for years,” they said.

Mel Avanzado, a student who completed a Business Certificate IV at Ultimo TAFE in 2016, still uses the Ultimo library even though he now studies at St Leonards TAFE because it is closer to his home.

He believes the corporate offices wanted level two for its natural light and balcony space.

“Level two has windows and a balcony and the natural sunlight helps our physiological well being hence why TAFE corp wanted it for their functions,” he said.

He said it was also one of the few quiet spaces available to students.

“My colleagues and staff were worried our learning and ability to be in a serene environment would be severely kneecapped by closing one entire floor of the library. One only needs to go across the road to the UTS library [to experience] their chaotic loudness.

“In today’s digital world students still need to get together to discuss and debate ideas, and get help from encouraging and knowledgeable librarians to do our work. Education is not just retaining data, it’s a people-concentrated activity. A library is an indispensable platform of that education,” he said.

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student action group which Mr Avanzado was part of met with Rob Long from the Teacher’s Federation twice a month to keep on top of the issue.

The group felt TAFE’s plans were underhanded, after a ‘consultation’ for students about the move was held one day after the term finished and most of them would not be on site.

Stephanie Calabornes, a social work student who led the Save Ultimo TAFE Library campaign, said Paul Williams had promised to “sign off” his comments about the library being safe within two days, but a week later had still not done so.

“How can students get the best academic outcomes?” she said.

“Corporates must know that if not for us, [they could not] receive a paycheck. Yet they deny us quality education and transparency. They are failing to ensure basic equipment is functioning and up to standard for staff and students. They are failing to follow their ethical code of conduct.”

The TAFE spokesperson claimed that the organisation’s expenditure would be $94 million higher than the previous financial year.

However, they did not give any breakdown of what the money would be spent on. Students are still waiting for confirmation in writing that the level two library will stay, and for any indication that their services will be improved or upgraded.

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Affordable housing debate

BY PAUL CLARK A reform of negative gearing and the Capital Gains Tax is part of the Federal Labor party’s approach to tackling Australia’s affordable housing shortage. Federal Shadow Minister for Housing & Homelessness, Senator Doug Cameron, discussed tax reform at a forum hosted by the St Vincent de Paul Society at St Columba’s Church in Leichhardt last week.

The forum discussed the impacts of unaffordable housing on the community, and in particular, on homelessness and the severe financial pressures on the working poor. The St Vincent de Paul Society says there is a need for 100,000 new social and affordable homes in NSW over the next 20 years to combat the current 10 year waiting list for social and affordable housing.

Also addressing the forum were Greens Member for Balmain Jamie Parker, Reverend Bill Crews of the Exodus Foundation, CEO St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, Jack de Groot, and the Deputy General Manager Community and Engagement for the Inner West Council, John Warburton.

Reverend Crews warned that more people than ever are at risk of financial hardship.

“Costs have gone up but wages have not,” he said. “A lot of people are only one paycheque away from catastrophe.”

Revered Crews criticised government efforts to assist people only after they became homeless, instead of addressing the causes of the problem.

“Letting the market regulate housing does not work,” he said.

Greens Member for Balmain Jamie Parker criticised what he said was a lack of NSW Government action on housing since an inquiry established by the NSW Legislative Council in 2013. “Only the State Government can impose affordable housing targets,” he said. “Local councils cannot.”

Representing the Inner West Council, Mr Warburton described the large profits available to developers from rezoning decisions, and said that this value uplift was rightfully a community resource which could be used to fund social and affordable housing.

A forum in Leichhardt last week discussed reforms around affordable housing.

Credit: Paul Clark

“The only way Councils can access these windfall gains is through a voluntary planning agreement with the developer,” he said.

Although such agreements are sometimes reached, such an agreement is too rare to make available the amount of housing needed.

In his address to the forum, Senator Cameron said that the current federal government had abandoned housing to market forces, and was only now taking a belated interest because of voter backlash.

“The implications of the housing market were ignored by the Coalition until middle class parents discovered their children would have no chance of living in the suburbs they were brought up in, unless the parents were rich enough to support them,” he said.

“For nearly four years the Coalition Government has been silent on housing and homelessness until their political base reacted with concern on housing prices.”

Senator Cameron identified tax reform as an urgent issue that could help solve the housing crisis, one of a number of issues which Federal Labor would address if elected to government.

“Labor clearly understands that any housing affordability plan that does not reform negative gearing and capital gains tax is a sham,” he said.

Other measures that Senator Cameron said would improve housing affordability and reduce homelessness include limiting direct borrowing by self-managed superannuation funds and the introduction of a vacant property

tax and increased fees and penalties for foreign investors.

Mr de Groot flagged a positive development in that NSW Government asset sales contributed $1 billion to the Social and Affordable Housing Fund. As part of this initiative, he said, St Vincent de Paul will build or purchase 500 houses over the next 3 years. 70 per cent of the houses will be social housing with affordable housing, making up the remaining 30 per cent.

Mr de Groot also said that the society will provide long term support to residents.

“In the next 25 years we will be supporting residents to make homes. This is not a bricks and mortar campaign alone, it is about providing the support services people need to flourish,” he said.

Slam dunk in Woollahra

BY ANDREW WOODHOUSE V is for victory, and it comes in many forms. Woollahra Council has slam-dunked its own planning staff’s proposal for a massive $1 million bitumen basketball court, concrete skateboard park, ping-pong tables and youth facility in sensitive heritage-listed Rushcutters Bay Park. This is a victory. This cherished 1880s park, from where rushes were collected in colonial times for roof thatching, hats, brooms and matting, will continue just as it was. It is a place for fun and casual relaxation.

It is the people’s’ backyard and a place of quietude, a catharsis from the hum and thrum of our high octane inner-city living.

The battle was hard fought and like wars, truth was the first casualty. Claims of underprivileged youth needing more playground spaces were supported by other claims that the park is hardly used and has plenty of space. These were countered by allegations the park is over-used with only 10% of remaining open space left and with skateboarders demonised as recidivist, dopesmoking outlaws and unconvicted criminals.

More personal claims were cannonballed that objectors are snobs but were deflected with accusations about local Richie Rich, self-entitled 10 year-old boys and unwashed, barefoot unemployed, layabout, hair-braided hippy 32 year-old skateboarders.

One councillor was not immune from this juvenile name-calling describing objectors as “people in their late 70s and 80s who just don’t want young people to have fun.”

8

city hub 11 MAY 2017

A plan for a skatepark in Woollahra has been written off, after members of the community voiced concerns. Credit: Seattle Parks, Flickr

All complete nonsense on stilts.

The plain fact is everyone should have fun but not at other people’s expense.

Council’s motion to proceed with original proposal was overshadowed and overwhelmed

at last Monday week’s meeting by a new motion put by “elder statesman,” Councillor Andrew Petrie, OAM, to reject the park location entirely and seek another site, perhaps in Lyne Park, Rose Bay, or Centennial Park,

Opinion

whose trustees have a skateboard design already slated for their own park masterplan.

The Council chamber was crowded with little children playing i-games whose slim sleek, botoxed and carefully-coiffured, Mercedesdriving parents pushed their little, too-cute, blonde-boy darling from Darling Point to lodge a petition and read a pre-prepared speech using sophisticated vocabulary way beyond their year five primary school years. His petition lay on the table unopened where it fell silent.

Robbie Hall, a local resident for over 30 years and public palladin for residents’ rights said the decision is welcome news.

“The decision is a welcome relief for 20,000 residents living nearby. It had three serious problems: location location, location.

Skateboarders never understood the heritage or importance of this precious open space”.

So despite all the huffery and puffery and intervention from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, resident ratepayers can get on with their lives. Skateboarders, who might think at first glance they lost, can now ask council for skateboard parks in Lyne Park, Rose Bay and for a second mega-facility in Centennial Park, facing Oxford Street as well. It’s a win-win decision. They can do what they do best away from residents, go around in circles on their roller-bearing pieces of plank.

Now can we can get on with our lives?

Andrew Woodhouse is President, Potts Point and Kings Cross Heritage and Residents’ Society

city hub 11 MAY 2017

9

Costly conditions in refugee camps

BY SATHSARA RADALIYAGODA AND TOMMY BOUTROS Over the past decade, a strong contingent of Australian politics has been focused on offshore processing and mandatory detention.

On Monday night, The Refugee Action Coalition hosted a public forum to discuss Australia’s border protection, the treatment of refugees and the government’s resistance to resettling refugees in Australia.

Larry Vincent, a co-contributor to the forum highlighted the importance of such events.

“The idea of a public forum is just really to inform people through an alternative medium about the issues surrounding mandatory detention...the main objective is to provide people with a voice in a public space that is objective,” he said.

Monday night’s forum aimed to bring justice to refugees, by analysing the impact of government campaigns on the vetting of refugees. The impact the 2007 Labor Party refugee campaign had on government policy was used as one example.

Offshore processing has seen a new generation of refugees mistreated and rejected by the Australian government and forgotten by the Australian public.

Alanna Maycock, the manager of the Refugee Clinic in Westmead Children’s Hospital, has been outspoken about the lasting impact mandatory detention centres have on refugees, particularly on children.

“Children are self-harming, a young girl tried to hang herself at six years of age.

We have never seen children of that age self-harming in any of our paediatrician experience...these are alarming statistics of children at a very young age,” she said.

Debate has been sparked over Australia’s mandatory detention policy. Credit: Flickr

Ms Maycock said that a study conducted by the Refugee Clinic indicated “horrendous” sexual assault rates in detention centres.

“Every 13 and a half days there’s sexual assault on a child and every two days there’s a physical assault, a majority involving children,” she said.

The proliferation of assaults and the mistreatment of children in offshore detention centres like Nauru has seen an increase in Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder(PTSD). A study conducted by the clinic

highlights that 99% of children in detention scored “in the highest risk of PTSD.” Ian Rintoul, a spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC), believes that offshore detention centres should be abolished.

“Detention itself breeds the abuse for which the camps have become notorious. The camps should be abolished. The Liberals privatised the running of the detention centres partly to ensure the government could not be held

accountable for the day to day horrors of detention,” he said.

The Australian Refugee Association Incorporation was not willing to comment regarding the conditions in detention centres and the impact these conditions have on refugees.

A lack of representation for refugees and those in mandatory detention is the foundation for public forums, like the one conducted on Monday night, that seek to voice the concerns of many refugees.

Ms Maycock, who is also aligned with the RAC said that the conditions within detention centres lack transparency.

“We have a shroud of secrecy over detention centres….where there’s no media scrutiny, there’s no public scrutiny, you have a system that’s open to mistreatment and abuse. They haven’t stopped the boats, that’s nonsense.

That’s why these forums are so important; it relies on people like us to explain this to the public,” she said.

Michael Grewcock, the guest speaker at Monday night’s forum, believes nothing positive has been done to help the situations in detention centres.

“Detention centres haven’t changed, they remain isolated, violent institutions,” he said.

To further shut down any publicity over issues regarding the offshore processing and mandatory detention of refugees, the Australian government have threatened institutions like Westmead Children’s Hospital with budget cuts.

“The government is threatening the health of Australian children if they’re threatening with budget cuts, and that is unforgivable,” said Ms Maycock.

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FEATURE

Rita Bratovich Arguably, if not for SBS, Australians might never have known about Eurovision. “Communities across Australia have been watching The Eurovision Song Contest on SBS for more than 30 years, and we continue to see interest and audiences grow,” says a spokesperson for the network.

It was first broadcast in 1983.Australia’s interest and participation increased with a customised presentation of the event.Then in 2014, Jessica Mauboy was invited as a guest performer, Guy Sebastian a wild card entrant in 2015, and Dami Im an entrant in 2016 and achieving 2nd place.

This year’s entry is Isaiah Firebrace with It Don’t Come Easy.

“The theme for Eurovision this year is ‘Celebrate Diversity’, and it is a global event that is closely aligned with SBS’s own purpose and values.”

The bigger question is why do we care about Eurovision?

“Australia has always had gay people and we’ve always had immigrants…it makes sense that Eurovision is big here,” is an explanation offered by Bina Bhattacharya, a local film maker who has made a short film, Wild Dances, which is based on a story a friend once shared.

He was a closeted gay boy in a rural, Catholic high school in Taralga, just outside Goulburn.At his school dance he convinced the DJ to play “Wild Dances”, the Ukrainian song that had just won Eurovision (2004).When he was joined on the dance floor by a Ukrainian girl in his year, they danced shamelessly and became - and remain - firm friends.

Ukraine won again last year and the contest is being held in Kyiv this year, making the Ukrainian theme to the film even more relevant.

Bhattacharya cites even more reasons: “There was something very specific about Ukrainians and how hungry they are to promote their language and culture because of the direct threat of Russian aggression at the moment.”

The Ukrainian community in Australia - as with many ethnic communities - hold tight to their roots and celebrate the wins of their home country. For many people Eurovision holds the same currency as World Cup Soccer.

“Every Ukrainian could remember where they were standing and what they were wearing when Ruslana won,” says Bhattacharya.

Paul Karen was involved with Wild Dances and is a member of the Ukrainian community.

“A sense of pride rippled throughout the Ukrainian hromada (community) as a result of Ruslana’s win,” he says.

Karen is not at all surprised by Australia’s love of Eurovision.

Myf Warhurst, Isaiah Firebrace, Joel Creasey.

Image supplied by SBS

Sydney’s Own Eurovision

“It reminds me of Australian’s enthusiastically embracing ABBA in the 1970s and again in the 1990s,” he says, adding “Australians, as a rule, are always ready and brave to accept and to try new things.”

That said, for a long time he believed only a very small minority even knew what Eurovision was. So he was surprised when he once offhandedly mentioned he was going to watch it to a work colleague and the middle-aged, Anglo-Saxon woman replied ‘Oh my God.You too?!’

“We became firm Eurotrash comrades from then on,” says Karen.

So with this growing popularity does he feel it will sell out and become mainstream?

“Never! There will always be the white pants, sequins and wind machines that will never be in style.”

In what must be considered inevitable, Eurovision fever has led to appropriation in a localised event called Sydneyvision. Organised by the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre this is a song contest where

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VACANT DELIVERY PEOPLE

entrants are asked to write and film a performance of a song based on their suburb. Ken Saunders, founder of Sydneyvision, explains that the idea ensued from a conversation in a cafe.

“We thought Sydney with its 500 plus suburbs was more than able to outdo the 50 odd countries of Europe.”

The concept was a hit from the start and continues to be popular.

Songs submitted represent all styles, genres and subjects, with the only provision being they must reference their local suburb. There are of course, Eurovision parodies…and then some that are just strange.

“Last year’s winners had an all-alien band landing at Luna Park, stop-action Beatles figurines wandering through Glebe and an inspired animation about Newtown grumbling about housing un-affordability and the length of the lines at the Marley Bar… Australia is possibly the best place to be for Eurovision. We understand the celebration of absurdity.”

Saunders does feel concerned that more and more Eurovision songs are being sung in English and that songs are becoming highly produced and homogenous.

“No worries along that line for Sydneyvision though,” he reassures.

“Our pool of wildly enthusiastic amateur and semi-professional entries and their ingenious use of meagre resources will keep Sydneyvision fresh.”

Eurovision screening parties are probably the most common way for people to share their fandom. Mark Jones of Gay4Play has been holding screening events for 11 years and has watched popularity grow. Eurovision holds special significance for the LGBTQI community, and the contest itself has seen some extraordinary shows of diversity.

Sydney has a very large LGBTQI population and that manifests in the number of Eurovision events in Darlinghurst alone - and Australia’s inclusion in the contest has accelerated the enthusiasm. This year’s theme “Celebrate Diversity” speaks directly to the community.

“Everyone is welcome at our Eurovision party not just LGBTQI… It’s about diversity…” says Jones.

Wild Dances: www.facebook.com/wilddancesfilm Sydneyvision Contest: www.newtowncentre.org/ sydneyvision-song-contest.html Eurovision – May 14, 5:30pm. Hello Kyiv this is Sydney calling, Oxford Art Factory. Info: www.g4p.com.au SBS broadcast: May 10-14, Various times, check local listings.

Info: www.sbs.com.au

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Motherlode Photo: The Foto Factory

In a semi-circle on the stage, each actor sits before a small table holding a scented candle, set against a backdrop of a galaxy of a million stars, the characters speak in turn, accompanied by ambient celestial music.We are cocooned in a womblike atmosphere, a trusting safe place for sharing raw, honest, sometimes sad, confronting and often funny tales. It’s a bit like being a fly on the wall in a holistic counselling session, definitely no holds barred.This is a women focused play with a strong female force.

In the very comfy state of the art venue,The Forum Theatre, home of the Actors Centre Australia, is the play Motherlode, director Dean Carey’s 15th verbatim show.The joint production by Hub Studio and Rue de la Rocket searched for seven women who agreed to be interviewed and have their personal stories told, all from completely different demographics in terms of their backgrounds and ranging between the ages of 30 and 90.

Seven experienced, talented actors, all mothers themselves, tell these real life stories, everything in

the script is word for word from the transcribed interviews. Motherlode is about being a mother, how having a child changes your life, how there is little acknowledgement of the sacrifices and importance of the role that mothers play in society. Motherhood can be isolating, terrifying, frustrating, beautiful, liberating and enlightening.You can no longer ignore the starving children in Africa or be a free spirit, when you have your own child.You have responsibility for the rest of your life.

The single mum lesbian sex worker who conceived through IVF, the 90 year old from England, the Russian immigrant, each is a distinct character.

Although very positive things are said about their mothers, their unconditional love above all, their relationships with their fathers are mixed, especially the fraught, graphic story of sexual abuse. (MS) Until May 13,Various performance times.

Actors Centre Australia - Italian Forum Cultural Centre, 23 Norton Street, Leichhardt. $25-$35.

Tickets & Info: www.thehubstudio.com.au

Nazeem Hussain Public Frenemy Comedian Nazeem Hussain doesn’t shy away from issues such as racism or prejudice against ethnic and religious minorities in his hard hitting but hilarious routines.

Nazeem’s stand up comedy is particularly satirical and politically charged, full of puns and plays on words like the title of his latest tour: Public Frenemy. This is not the first time he has referenced the radical hip-hop group Public Enemy either. He use to tour with fellow comedian Aamar Rahman as the comedy duo Fear Of A Brown Planet.

In the last few years Nazeem has found success on his Logie nominated SBS TV show Legally Brown and is an official correspondent on the US Netflix program Bill Nye Saves The World but he still loves cracking jokes in front of a live audience and continues to perform regular stand up shows at the Comedy Store and various festivals around the country.

Nazeem told the City Hub that Public Frenemy is “a show broadly about me living in Australia and my

frustrations with a lot of things around me, whether personally or just beyond my circle of influence, whether it’s global politics or Pauline Hanson. I think Public Frenemy fits the theme of that”.

Like many of the great Australian comedians, Nazeem’s comedy comes from a personal place and he is honest about his own experiences so the audience can directly relate to the issues he’s bringing up in his shows. Just as Nazeem jokes about issues directed at him he also jokes about his own hypocrisies and what’s silly or funny about his own community putting the comedy first and foremost but always making sure it has a message for you to chew on.

Comedy is one of the few mediums where you can have a positive experience whilst exploring some pretty dark areas and Nazeem does that brilliantly so don’t miss out on Public Frenemy when he tours it this month. (DJ) May 12 & 27.The Enmore Theatre, 118-132 Enmore Rd, Newtown. $30-$35 Tickets & Info: www.enmoretheatre.com.au

a&e

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city hub 11 MAY 2017

12 STAGE 13 Sounds 14 SCENE 15 SCREEN

Educating Rita An 80s classic, Educating Rita, both the stage play and film adaptions won numerous awards at the time.

It’s a play for two actors, set in an office in an open university. Written by playwright Willy Russell, it explores the relationship between working class hairdresser, Rita, who is trying to better herself through education and Frank, a middle aged university professor. The two are from completely different worlds, but end up having a profound impact upon one another.

In a role made famous by Julie Walters, Emily McGowan is up to the challenge of playing Rita.

“I think I feel a lot of weight to do her justice as well to do the script justice”, she says.

It seems the production has chosen to stay true to the script, going into fine detail to create a set that is reminiscent of the 80s.

But times have changed since this play was written, and education is no longer a guarantee of social class position.

“With education comes choice, when you are educated you understand the choices as well, and that’s where her [Rita] and her family have been limited in the past…. they don’t understand the other options out there” says McGowan.

For young people seeing the play for the first time, McGowan hopes they will feel empowered to be able to make decisions.

“They are in that stage where they are thinking

Photo: Peta Addy

about education, and making choices which will have a big impact on the rest of their life…. to think about how education might help them or not help them.” (VP) Until May 20.Various performance times.

The Depot Theatre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville. $22-$32.

Tickets & Info: www.thedepottheatre.com

Guru Of Chai Guru of Chai is set to be an extraordinary display of acting stamina and skill : Jacob Rajan will take the stage at Belvoir to present a one-man show in which he plays 17 different characters.

That might sound like a daunting role for some actors, but Rajan says after working on creating the play for two years, by the time he hits the stage, “It’s not so much figuring out how to get into character, but the characters are screaming to get out of you.”

The show will also feature a live musician on stage.

Indian Ink Theatre company’s use of live music has become a well-loved virture of their idiosyncratic style. They are now in their 20th year, and are unarguably one of New Zealand’s most successful theatre companies.

Transporting the audience to India, Guru of Chai tells the story of a tea seller who claims to be a highly spiritual guru, who has come to “take away all that is wrong in your life”, but throughout the evening reveals stories about his own experiences that are at times sad,

Arts Editor: Jamie Apps For more A&E stories go to www.altmedia.net.au and don’t forget to join the conversation on Twitter at @AltMediaSydney

romantic and hilarious.

The show claimed Play Of The Year, Composer Of The Year and Actor Of The Year when it first opened in New Zealand. It also hit the big time in North America touring coast to coast, recieving standing ovations throughout.

Tickets have almost sold out for this short run of shows at Belvoir, so get in quick. (AY) May 16-Jun 4, Various performance times.

Belvoir St Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills. $25-$48. Tickets & Info: www.belvoir.com.au or 02 9699 3444

Contributors: Alannah Maher, Alicia Sim, Athina Mallis, Barbara Karpinski, Caitlin Burns, Chantal Walsh, Craig Coventry, Daniel Jaramillo, Emily Shen, Georgia Fullerton, Greg Webster, Irina Dunn, Jade Morellini, James Harkness, Joseph Rana, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Olga Azar, Peter Urquhart, Rita Bratovich, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Shon Ho, Zeiya Speede, Jade Morellini,Vanessa Powell, Olivia Lyle, Alexander Yujin.

Photo: Robert Catto

Doubt: A Parable

As an artist, it seems that Charmaine Bingwa can do anything and probably does. As a singer and guitarist she has supported international performers like Demi Lovato, Rachel Platten and Fifth Harmony. She writes, she produces, she acts for the small screen, big screen and stage. Currently, she is bringing her seemingly endless energy to her role as Mrs Muller in Doubt: A Parable. “It’s a real actors piece”, says Bingwa, “I think that all too often these days we see theatre that is embroidered. You see performances as

opposed to truth. Doubt is really stripped back - so raw, so truthful.”

Winning a raft of awards, including a Pulitzer prize when it first appeared in 2005, Doubt takes us to the turbulence of 1964, to a clash of worlds and a clash of truths. A stern Catholic nun and Bronx school principal suspects improper relations between a priest and a male student. “You have this sister who loves tradition and is set in her ways and this priest who represents this new world order. She is trying to solve this mystery and make people accountable but is also trying to stop the world from changing.” According to Bingwa, it is a special gift to play opposite Belinda Giblin. “She is so cool - such a generous actor in terms of her time and energy and spirit. She is so talented – she knows her craft inside and out.”

The almost claustrophobic intimacy of the Old Fitz, seems to be the perfect space for Doubt. “It’s almost filmic” says Bingwa, “You’re in medium close-up all the time so you have to see what’s going on inside people.” (GW) Until 3 June, Tues-Sat 8:15pm, Sunday 6:30pm. Old Fitz Theatre, 129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo. $30-42, www.redlineproductions.com.au

Sydney Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE

By Jamie Apps The Angry Anderson Band: Recapture the sweaty, alcohol soaked, intense assault on the senses of the 80s when the classic lineup of Aussie rockers Rose Tattoo come together for a special performance tonight.

Thu, May 11,The Bridge Hotel Band Of Frequencies: The roots rockers from the Sunshine Coast arrive in Sydney tonight to launch their new album/soundtrack Men Of Wood & Foam which was recently used on Foxtel’s historical surf documentary of the same name.

Thu, May 11, Moonshine Bar William Crighton: The vision behind the Hope Recovery live performances is to create a musical feast for those that attend. Crighton explains,“Expect a host of special guests and a mixture of unplugged and electric sounds, but essentially it’ll be unlike anything else we’ve ever done.”

Fri, May 12, Leadbelly The Vampires: Sydney’s widely acclaimed world-roots jazz group launch their fifth and most ambitious album The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke tomorrow night. The new album is the result of years of musical development and ambitious preparation, as the band set out to make something special to celebrate ten years.

Fri, May 12, Foundry 616 Berry Jazz Festival: Now in its third year, Berry Jazz Festival is a meeting place for local residents and visitors to experience some of Australia’s finest jazz artists. Berry is thrilled to be centre stage as host of a three day program of exceptionally talented and internationally recognised musicians. If past experience is anything to go by, Berry will be alive with all things jazz.

Fri-Sun, May 12-14, Various Venues In Berry Your Shot Registration: The grassroots, homegrown competition

has launched the international careers of DJs such as Tigerlily, J-Trick and New World Sound with the competition capturing the attention of renowned DJ Tiesto.This weekend aspiring DJ’s have the chance to register and begin their own journey.

Sat-Sun, May 13-14, Greenwood Hotel Rosie Burgess: Hailing from Melbourne, the trio bring their unique brand of folkroots to centre stage in a collection of catchy harmonies and off-beat humour.

Often times they are mistaken for brother and sisters, and whilst they’re regrettably not, there is no mistaking the joy they share on stage.

Rosie Burgess

Sun, May 14, Petersham Bowling Club Baiba Skride: The violinist, who last performed with the SSO in 2010, will make her welcome return this week to perform Prokofiev’s brilliant First Violin Concerto with conductor Andris Poga, who also happens to hail from Latvia.

Mon, May 15, Sydney Opera House - Concert Hall Gradz: Fresh off debuting an unforgettable live show a month ago this rapidly rising producer from Wollongong will be performing in Sydney mid-week. Gradz’s new show incorporates live percussion and vocals, further breaking him out from the pack of DJ shows. This new format has Gradz feeling reinvigorated and inspired so this show is bound to be highly energetic.

Wed, May 17, World Bar

Lilly Singh How To Be A Bawse Global entertainer Lilly Singh is coming to Australia for her How To Be A Bawse tour.

Kick starting her career as a Youtuber, Singh is a versatile comedian and entertainer who has reached worldwide fame. She has collaborated with celebrities such as Jimmy Fallon, Selena Gomez, James Franco and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

Her tour aims to inspire positivity amongst girls throughout the world with her humerous acts and motivating talks on real life. The show is based on her book How to Be A Bawse: A Guide to Surviving Conquering Life and she uses her own personal experiences to communicate her message, verifying there are no alternative routes to reach success. (JM) May 17, 7:30pm. Enmore Theatre, 118-132 Enmore Rd, Newtown. $64.85-$95.95+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.enmoretheatre.com.au

Grenadiers

By Jamie Apps Aussie rock is seeing a resurgence recently and Adelaide’s own Grenadiers have been playing their part, the most recent example of this being their new film clip for single Suburban Life.

Despite essentially no planning ahead of shooting the film clip frontman Jessie Coulter said it “was the least shit film clip” he has been a part of. This mentality comes from past experiences shooting music videos which Jessie said “look fun on camera but are usually a real pain in the arse because they take a long time, they’re uncomfortable, you’re either too hot or too cold, you’re getting shit thrown at you and you have to deal with extras, equipment failures and things blowing up.”

For the Suburban Life film clip, which is essentially the band singing in the centre of a speedway track, the Grenadiers managed to pull it all together in a very short span of time which they credit to Speedway owner Dave.

“The guy there, Dave, was very accomodating, he turned the lights on for us and let us do some burnouts and kick up some dust.”

Although the band are incredibly proud of the film clip the importance of the medium is on the decline in Jessie’s opinion.

Larissa Tandy – The Grip

“Film clips are a pretty unessential part of being in a band, far more so now than they were 15-20 years ago when you needed to have them.”

For Jessie performing live has become a more critical part of being a band than film clips.

Luckily for Grenadiers and their fans they will be doing just that in Sydney tomorrow night.

When asked to describe what fans can expect from this show Jessie said, “Three guys playing

This album is clear, chill, low key mental clarity.

Larissa Tandy’s lyrics are descriptive but despite the subject matter, her delivery is not agitated. She rolls and rises through the music like ripples in a lake, a small feature that spreads out over the surface, introducing texture and running its natural course.

Her tone fits in the ear with a relaxed attitude, moulding around the ear drum, speaking thoughts through it while rippling gently inwards and rolling away without leaving a mark.

The pattern is subtle but strong, holding all of the components fast in its current. So constant and soothing, it is difficult for listeners not to fall right into water, swimming out to the middle and treading water for the duration of the album. Enveloped in the slight drift that will eventually bring them back to shore. (SP) WW1/2

music that is loud with everything turned up as loud as it will go.” Again this is further proof of their throwback to the attitude of rock and roll bands of the 80s, “We don’t have any kind of pyrotechnics, costume changes, backgrounds or preconceived banter.

We literally just plug in turn up and do it.”

May 12, 8pm.The Chippo Hotel, 87-91 Abercrombie St, Chippendale. $13.30.

Tickets & Info: www.thechippohotel.com.au

Rosie Burgess Handful, Part Two

Handful, Part Two is a versatile EP composed

by Melbourne musician Rosie Burgess.

Her songs Run Through Fire, Raise You Up and On You Ride take on an acoustic approach and explore a variety of tempos. Each song explores her constant recognition of the displeasure and concern which appears to fill the contemporary world. The songs develop with the addition of new instruments which act to engage the listener as the songs progress. They each have a beautiful melody which is relaxing and comforting to listen to and when looked at in union, they complement each other.

Rosie’s vocals stand out, tying the songs together and creating a noticeable style across the EP. This acoustic style follows up her previous EP Handful, Part One really well. (JM) WWW city hub 11 MAY 2017

13

THE NAKED CITY

THE ART OF THE HOMELESS

With Coffin Ed Everybody loves a party but when the annual cost is around $760,000, paid for out of the public purse and strictly invite only, the celebration is definitely not universal.That’s been the case with the Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s annual knees up at the Opera House for New Year’s Eve, where last year catering alone came in at a cool $177,000.That’s a whole lot of canapes and French Champagne but sadly, for those lucky enough to be on the exclusive invite list, the party is over!

The Lord Mayor has officially pulled the plug on this annual extravaganza much to the joy of some members of the City Council, like Labor Councillor Linda Scott who has long campaigned against the event and regularly donated her own tickets to charity. However as one questionable use of public funds is quashed another raises its ugly head in the shape of the somewhat controversial giant milk crate destined for Belmore Park (aka Tent City Central).

The Lord Mayor seems intent in leaving a legacy of public art projects, that will stand long after she finally departs the Town Hall.

The ‘crate’ is part of a trilogy of installations that will decorate the CBD, including a massive cloud arch outside the Town Hall, designed

by UK artist Tracey Emin.

Regardless of their aesthetic appeal all these arty pieces cost a motza – the milk crate alone rumoured to run up a $9 million bill. It’s no secret that the current City Council is flush with surplus funds, but when it comes to priorities you have to question whether for example the plight of the City’s homeless comes before gigantic art works.

Ironically the whopping milk crate pavilion will probably cast a shadow over the row of tents, occupied by the homeless who still occupy the perimeter of Belmore Park.

Nine million dollars could go a long way to building another hostel to accommodate the homeless, especially during the cold winter months. It could even be staffed and managed by the homeless themselves given the example of the “safe sleeping/resting place” currently situated outside a building site at the Macquarie Street end of Martin Place. Here you’ll find a twenty four hour coffee and soup kitchen as well as a dormitory of beds assigned by the organizers who include former Occupy Sydney founder Lanz Priestly.

The Martin Place crew have proved that for virtually nothing, bar a few small donations of food and money, they can look after an increasing number of homeless men and women as well as providing them with some basic nourishment, a safe place to sleep and a sense of community. Imagine what they could do if they were actually funded by the Council, who are currently doing their upmost to remove this “eyesore” from one of Sydney’s most prestigious public areas.

Maybe in another decade or more some brave Council or Government will actually try that experiment – actually empowering the homeless to look after each other, complete with funding, a degree or guidance and the provision of at least a temporary facility. In the Sydney of 2050 the only reminder of a once homeless population would be a bronze statue of a homeless man occupying the top end of Martin Place.

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Structures and Passages reflects the metal infrastructures around us in everyday cities, taking us from one place to another. Why not go to New York City for a day in Sydney and experience it through another set of eyes.

Isidro invites you to the Black Eye Gallery exhibition of Structures and Passages where you will experience the hard, sharp structures of New York City in a very harmonic, classical design. (OL) Until May 20, 11am-6pm. Dominik Mersch Gallery, 1/75 McLachlan Avenue, Sydney.

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Isidro Blasco is an artist who is fascinated with shapes and the architecture of buildings, bridges and highways. When I spoke to this New York City artist, he inspired me to look at the world around me with slightly different eyes.

Our world “changes all the time” Blasco says and this is where he wants to help people see “what is around you, not just in front of you” he explained. Blasco has often been inspired by European cities such as Spain, where Blasco was born and raised. Then Blasco thought, “Why am I looking outside and not looking inside with what I have here?”

“I like to wake up early in the morning and go to the studio early…I find that necessary, to transfer from one location to the other” Blasco speaks of his daily routine in New York City.

What does he do all day long other than drink coffee and listen to AC/DC in his studio? Well, he takes not just one but multiple images of something and then builds three dimensional pieces from that. A lot of his time is spent on the NYC subway system, which “changes all the time” according to Blasco.

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As work on the controversial Westconnex project continues so to do the demonstrations against it. This weekend these demonstrations move into the field of arts when a new exhibition by 40 artists and activists alongside a continuous screening of Ivan Hexter’s rousing documentary Tunnel Vision opens its doors.

The show’s title is a play on Westconnex’s own beige jargon - sensitive receivers are

those ‘in the zone’ - people, homes and businesses under threat from the gargantuan tollway’s proposed routes across and beneath Sydney, those whose close-knit communities are being wrought asunder, whose health and environmental amenity face years of disruption, dust, noise and vibration.

The exhibition’s organiser, Rozelle-based artist and activist David Watson, has spent the past nine months close to the antiWestconnex front line and says “The energy is palpable amongst the community, reminiscent of some of Australia’s most legendary social and environmental battles, many of which the work of artists and photographers was pivotal in focusing the public’s mind by cutting through the corporate and government spin.”

This exhibition is a must see for anybody that may be impacted by the Westconnex project. (JA) May 13-14, 11am-5pm. Salon Callan, 44 Callan St, Rozelle. FREE. Info: www. rozelleagainstwestconnex.org

Isidro Blasco Structures and Passages

Licence No. 173676c

Sensitive Receivers: Rejecting WestCONnex

A Dog’s Purpose

This film is clearly pitched to a young audience and plays nicely for that demographic. The shrewd device of having a dog return as incarnations of itself takes the sting - and parental explaining - out of the inevitable death of a pet.

It has a pristine, 1950s sensibility about it; very heavy on the tropes and tokenism, fairly light on substance and insight. The story begins and ends with Bailey who is rescued from a hot vehicle and then adopted by

a young Ethan and his mother. Ethan is a teenager at college by the time Bailey dies, but the dog comes back again and again, living as different species with different owners presenting different aspects of life until he finally returns to Ethan when Ethan is an old, lonely man, and helps him find love.

There are a lot of ideological problems with this film, but it feels self aware enough to know it’s a watch and forget kid’s flick. (RB) WWW

Get Out

Get Out is a rare thriller which follows Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), an African-American photographer from New York, as he travels with his white girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) to her family home in order to meet her parents.

Upon arriving at the Armitage’s home things almost immediately begin to feel slightly off.

Get Out embraces social awkwardness, in particular the uneasiness of meeting a partner’s parents but with the added element of racial tension in the air. Everybody Chris meets during his time at the Armitage’s give their best efforts to make him feel comfortable but often times they go one or two steps too far thus making it uncomfortable or awkward. The stereotypical white pointed hoods never make an appearance,

despite always feeling just a moment away, which plays into the tension brilliantly as the viewer is manipulated along with Chris.

Director Jordan Peele, best known for his comedy work Key and Peele, masterful blends horror elements with comedy much in the vein of the Key and Peele ethos. The comedy elements work by preventing the tension levels from rising too rapidly and as a result allows the film to work on multiple levels, from horror to comedy to social commentary.

Aside from this review try to head into Get Out with as little knowledge as possible and simply submit yourself to the awkward, tension filled ride. (JA) WWWW

Pork Pie New Zealand has produced some wonderful films recently, with quirky, sharp humour and well-written scripts - this, alas, breaks the trend. Pork Pie is a remake of the 1981 original Goodbye Pork Pie. Three strangers are haphazardly brought together in a yellow Mini Cooper and end up going on a turbulent but exciting journey literally and metaphorically.

A Mini featured in the original and so an updated Mini Cooper legitimately features in this version, but it makes the film look like one long car commercial. Dean O’Gorman as the

hopelessly love-struck Jon is likeable and funny and could probably have carried the film on his own. James Rolleston is handsome but insipid as delinquent, Luke. He doesn’t quite bring the roguish charm that would boost his character. Ashleigh Cummings is given a thin, unintuitively written young vegan activist named Keira to work with.

The scenery and photography are stunning, and there are some promising ideas, but overall, a bit of a gear-cruncher. (RB) WW 1/2

city hub 11 MAY 2017

15

7–18 JUNE FROM EVERY ANGLE

FULL PROGRAM ON SALE NOW INGRID GOES WEST

CHAVELA

WIND RIVER

SAT 10 JUN 9:15 PM STATE THEATRE WED 14 JUN 9:10 PM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST SAT 17 JUN 6:15 PM DENDY NEWTOWN Aubrey Plaza is hilarious as awkward loner Ingrid, a social media addict who heads to LA to meet her Instagram idol. Winner of the Sundance Screenwriting Award.

THU 8 JUN 6:30 PM DENDY NEWTOWN WED 14 JUN 8:45 PM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST The uncompromising life story of openly lesbian Latin American singer Chavela Vargas - an inspiration for director Pedro Almodóvar and others - is revealed for the first time.

WED 14 JUN 9:15 PM STATE THEATRE FRI 16 JUN 8:25 PM RANDWICK RITZ SUN 18 JUN 2:00 PM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST Straight from Cannes, this intelligent crime drama with Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen is the directorial debut of screenwriter Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water, Sicario).

THE BEGUILED

LAST MEN IN ALEPPO

WE DON’T NEED A MAP

SAT 17 JUN 8:40 PM STATE THEATRE SUN 18 JUN 11:55 AM STATE THEATRE Fresh from Competition in Cannes, Sofia Coppola’s latest is a seductive thriller set in the Civil War era starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning.

SAT 10 JUN 9:30 AM STATE THEATRE WED 14 JUN 6:00 PM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST An unforgettable and visceral portrait of White Helmet volunteers toiling amidst the rubble of the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo.

A Grand Jury Prize winner at Sundance.

WED 7 JUN 7:30 PM STATE THEATRE SUN 11 JUN 1:35 PM STATE THEATRE TUE 13 JUN 4:35 PM STATE THEATRE Filmmaker Warwick Thornton investigates our relationship to the Southern Cross, in this fun and thought provoking ride through Australia’s cultural and political landscape.

ROLLER DREAMS

WET WOMAN IN THE WIND

SAVE TODAY WITH A FLEXIPASS

LOVE FILM? SUN 11 JUN 7:15 PM EVENT CINEMAS GEORGE ST Venice Beach, California, 1984, and the birth of a new phenomenon: roller dancing! The beyond-hip talent draws massive crowds, but politics, money and gentrification conspire to end the dream.

MON 12 JUN 6:05 PM DENDY OPERA QUAYS FRI 16 JUN 8:45 PM DENDY OPERA QUAYS A non-stop energetic sex comedy, this is part of Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno Reboot project, paying homage to the softcore porn films of the 1970s and ’80s.

The cheapest way to book lots of tickets is to buy a Flexipass of 10, 20, or 30 tickets. Share with friends, flatmates, colleagues, the one you love, or just keep it for yourself!

1300 733 733 SFF.ORG.AU 16

city hub 11 MAY 2017