City Hub 25 April 2019 by Alt Media

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WestConnex class action BY JOAN HENSON The world’s largest law firm may lead the first class action on property damage related to WestConnex tunnelling. Claims of severe cracking have been routinely rejected by the M4 East contractor. But for residents who are waiting to be impacted by Stage 3 construction, and are suspicious of the existing compensation claims process, there exists a sense of powerlessness. To join a class action you must first incur damage.

Sit up and take notice On Wednesday evening, about 300 residents met for the first time with Dentons partners, John Dalzell and Ben Allen, to gauge the merits of entering a class action. Allen told residents that, with collective bargaining power, they could “get the government or get the defendant to sit up and take notice in some forum they can’t ignore. It’s not a process they design, it’s not a process a contractor designs. It’s a process that’s set up already under the class action schemes”. The forum will likely be the Federal Court. In the current scheme, the M4 East contractor assesses damage claims. A rejected claim can be appealed to the same entity. Further appeals must also be made to the people the claimant suggests damaged their home. Annandale resident, David Moran, told City Hub, he would “definitely” join a class action, and even a test case. After returning from an overseas trip in January, Moran got the first definitive statement that his home would be impacted. A flyer from Greens MP for Balmain, Jamie Parker, stated that the M4-M5 link would tunnel beneath his house. Moran used the WestConnex online tool as confirmation. He hasn’t received a notice for substratum acquisition, and current information suggests the tunnel will be less than 20 metres below ground.

defences to statutory claims related to a project of state significance. Local solicitor, Christina Valentine, presented residents with the instrument of approval for the WestConnex M4-M5 link, which indicates that the proponent of the planning approval, the RMS, must perform rectification. Valentine is a member of Leichhardt Against WestCONnex, which successfully campaigned against a second dive site in Leichhardt for the Stage 3 tunnel. WestCONnex Action Group spokesperson, Rhea Liebmann, who is also a solicitor, told City Hub that the RMS has made contractors contractually responsible for damages, and that RMS would likely ask that contractors be awarded damages in a class action, leading to “a huge number of parties”.

Cracks appear in Westconnex claim to be a good neighbour. Photo: Kathryn Calman

Most homes on his street are over a century old and expected subsidence is between three and seven millimetres. “If one side of my house subsides by seven millimetres and the other by three I will have cracks all through my house,” Moran said. St Peters resident, John Bartholomew, is also considering joining.

As soon as you take something out everything else is going to slump down into the void He said that although his home’s foundations are adequate, tunnelling would cause it to “collapse or subside so much that it might as well collapse”. The earth below him is a mixture of “lumps of shale in a sea of clay… as soon as you take

something out everything else is going to slump down into the void you’ve just left”. The notice he received for acquisition of his substratum land indicates pictorially that the substratum that will be acquired starts from five metres below surface. An independent property impact assessment panel was commissioned in response to community activists questioning the fairness of the current complaints scheme. It will assess appeals to claims rejected by contractors. This month the Roads and Maritime Services agency (RMS) said that satellite data acquired by Otus Intelligence Group may be used by the panel. Images show that tunnelling has damaged land and houses up to 300 metres from construction sites. John Dalzell told residents that claims like negligence and nuisance are applicable to this class action, and unaffected by limitations and

Class action infinitely better The claims of Beverly Hills resident, Kathryn Calman, were routinely rejected and she has become an advocate for damages victims. She tabled testimonies of seven families at the recent WestConnex parliamentary inquiry. For her family, “class action is infinitely better [than seeking personal compensation in court] because if we took the RMS to court ourselves, we’d face bankruptcy”. While a sub-contractor appointed engineer said that the severe cracks around Calman’s home were caused by excess moisture from sources like a dripping tap, an engineer she commissioned found that new WestConnex drains and channels were actually drying the soil. In 2016, the government scrapped charging residents rent while waiting to leave their compulsorily acquired homes. Independent Inner West Councillor, Pauline Lockie, is hopeful that a class action could have indirect policy ramifications. “We’ve already seen how negative publicity around compulsory acquisitions for WestConnex led to legislative changes designed to make the system fairer.”

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BY MICHAEL HITCH Gay conversion therapy (GCT) could soon be a punishment of the past, with Labor promising to outlaw the practice in the lead-up to next month’s election. As the federal election looms near, Bill Shorten has vowed to put an end to the “dangerous and discredited” practice, as well as to introduce funding and changes to legislation to help the queer community. Mr Shorten will also announce a dedicated LGBTIQ human rights commissioner, the cancellation of discriminatory legislation which fails to protect Trans and Intersex people, and $10 million in annual HIV funding. Ex-Pentecostal preacher, founder and CEO of Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International (ABBI), and the oldest living survivor of gay conversion therapy Anthony Venn-Brown, welcomed the promise with open arms. Mr Venn-Brown said that while people still harbour the unhealthy idea that same sex attractions are “evil,” changing legislation sends the strongest argument against these beliefs. Prejudice no longer acceptable “There was a time when prejudice towards sexual

They tried to cure me”. Photo: Anthony Venn-Brown & ABBI

orientation and gender identity was common. Legislation sends a very clear message that this is no longer acceptable and will not be tolerated in Australia in the 21st century,” he said. “When you are a Christian living with a belief that your attraction to the same gender means something is wrong with you, or you’re evil, you will do anything to change that or deliver yourself from it. And so, the harm begins. It’s the fundamental belief that is the source of the problem. “I’d say that if you’ve been through conversion therapy and don’t have some level or trauma or PTSD it would be a miracle. There is a huge backlog of people who’ve been harmed and are only now speaking out. I call it the ex-ex-

gay closet. Some will never tell their stories because they are too painful. The harm must cease.” “Gay conversion therapy” is the term used for the attempt to change someone’s sexuality or gender identity. Normally carried about by religious groups, these “therapies” can vary and include counselling, prayer, hydro-therapy and even exorcisms. This major commitment from Labor to end GCT is the first of its kind in Australia and would involve working with survivor groups, as well as states and territories to develop strategies to end conversion therapy practices. Labor has admitted that criminalising such practices is unrealistic, citing the need for a balance between enforcement and education.

Christian lobby backlash Unsurprisingly, the move to ban GCT does not sit well with everyone. Backlash from major religious organisations such as the Australian Christian lobby are already predicted and members of the public and the press have already criticised Labor’s promise as a political ploy. Founder of SheQu and advocate for queer migrant women, Kamalika Dasgupta, believes that while a political ploy may be in play, the banning of conversion therapy falls in line with Australia’s global reputation as a “progressive” nation.

If you’ve been through conversion therapy and don’t have PTSD it would be a miracle “Australia as a progressive county should waive this medieval law that hinders human rights, just like what happened with marriage equality. And Federal governments should not just roll the ball onto state government courts. They should make an informed decision. Period.” city hub 25 APRIL 2019

FEDERAL ELECTION

Grayndler electorate profile By ALLISON HORE Sydney’s inner-city seats are home to some of the federal government’s most high profile politicians. The seat of Grayndler is no exception. Grayndler covers the inner south of Sydney’s CBD and includes Leichhardt and parts of Ashfield, Canterbury and Marrickville council areas. Labor powerhouse Anthony Albanese has been sitting in the seat since 1996. He served as a senior minister in the last Labor government, and was even briefly Deputy Prime Minister under Kevin Rudd’s second stint as leader. Under Shorten’s party leadership in 2013, Mr Albanese was given the roles of Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and the Shadow Minister for Tourism. In 2014, he was given the additional duty of Shadow Minister for Cities. Greens targeting Grayndler again In theory, Grayndler is a safe seat for Mr Albanese as it has been red since its inception. Mr Albanese won 46 per cent of the primary vote in the 2016 election, and after preferences, won just under 66 per cent of the two-candidate preferred vote. The Greens have long targeted the seat of Grayndler, and on a state level they have been very successful in the area, with Jenny Leong and Jamie Parker sitting in Newtown and Balmain respectively. When Labor’s popularity was slipping in 2010, the Greens came within 4.2 per cent of winning the seat. Triple-threat firefighter, environmentalist and union activist Jim

Anthony Albanese (Labor). Photo: Supplied

Derek Henderson (Liberal). Photo: Supplied

Jim Casey (Greens). Photo: Supplied

Casey is running for the seat this year. In the last election, he managed to win just under 35 per cent of the vote on a two-candidate preferred basis.

are not achieving the climate change progress that the Grayndler constituents are yearning for. “We care about the environment, but both of the major parties are beholden to big mining companies which are driving carbon emissions and climate change.” Before the 2016 election, a controversial video surfaced of Mr Casey denouncing the Labor party as it is run under Bill Shorten. He told the ABC, “We’re a rich country, we should be doing better. I’ve very little confidence that a Bill Shortenled government will do that, unless it’s being encouraged to, and pushed to, by social movements.” Last month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison travelled to Ashfield in the seat of Grayndler to announce the

government would be committing $40 million for youth and indigenous affairs, mental health research and support services at the local Headspace mental health centre. Liberal candidate for Grayndler Derek Henderson joined Mr Morrison for the announcement. Mr Henderson has worked as a police officer for more than 20 years in the New South Wales police and Australian federal police. He holds a Masters of Transnational Crime Prevention. And that’s not the only ammo the Liberal party has loaded for their shot at Grayndler. According to analysis by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (Natsem), people within Grayndler are among those who are forecast benefit the most from the Liberal government’s new tax plan.

Both the Liberal and Labor parties are not up to doing the job required Mr Casey has been living in Sydney for most of his adult life and says that most of his family and friends live in the inner west. He works at the local fire station. “I want to represent our community in Canberra because both the Liberal and Labor parties are not up to doing the job required,” he says. Mr Casey believes both major parties

R O Y

O R T U S O

Annual gains will range from $262 to $291 per capita in disposable income between 2022 and 2023. According to research from the Australian Futures Project, the people of Grayndler rated improving health services and addressing global warming as their two main concerns for the coming election. Reducing taxes was not one of the top five concerns for those in the electorate. Labor is making hot promises to retain the seat, with an undertaking to provide $5 million to upgrade Marrickville’s historic Henson Park rugby league ground should it be elected. The funding would “transform” the ground into a “multi-purpose sporting facility that could host major AFL matches”. Encouraging women’s participation The project would include construction of women’s change rooms that would allow the park to be used for AFLW games which Mr Albanese says would be crucial in encouraging greater female participation in sport in the inner west. “With professional sport increasingly dominated by elite national competitions and mega-stadiums, Federal Labor values that suburban sporting facilities continue to perform a vital role in our communities,” Mr Albanese said in a press release. Mr Albanese’s high profile and Grayndler’s red-banded history make it very likely that Labor will retain the seat, but whether a swing towards the Greens continues in the seat remains to be seen.

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Why your preferences matter BY MERRILL WITT Proportional representation in the NSW Legislative Council or Upper House ensures that seats are allocated to minor parties, and optional preferential voting all but guarantees its motley makeup. But is the election of candidates from minor parties a true reflection of the democratic will of the voters given that a few MPs will scrape in with votes less than half the eligible quota of 4.55 per cent of the total votes cast? The night before the election, former Opposition Leader Michael Daley was grilled on Channel Ten’s The Project about why Labor was preferencing the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party. Daley tried to explain that under NSW’s optional preferential voting system, “the voters have the power to direct their preferences or not”. Recommendation only In fact, since 2003, parties have only been able to recommend how to allocate preferences by handing out “How to vote” cards for both the Lower and Upper Houses. Members of the Legislative Council serve eight-year staggered terms and every four years half the house or 21 members are elected. On the ballot paper for the Upper House, voters have the option of just placing a “1” above the line. This assigns their vote to at least 15 party candidates listed in the column below in an order of preference that is decided by the party. Alternatively, voters can preference

voters whose parties largely cooperated on preferences.” He was right. Stronger preference flows among the left-of-centre parties secured two of the three remaining seats for Labor and the Animal Justice Party. One Nation picked up the third. The Coalition now has 17 seats in total, down three seats from the last election. With a crossbench of 11 MPs, the Government will have to secure at least five of their votes to pass legislation in the Upper House. One Nation, the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party and the Christian Democrats have five seats between them, making it possible for the Government not to have to rely on votes from the six other left-of-centre crossbench MPs, which include three Greens, two members from the Animal Justice Party and the Independent Justin Field, who recently defected from the Greens. Did NSW get the Legislative Council you prefer? Photo: Wikimedia Commons

below the line a minimum of 15 candidates from multiple parties in any order.

A lower rate of exhausted preferences did swing results in favour of the more progressive parties At the 2015 election, 83 per cent of voters placed only a “1” above the line even though they could have assigned their second, third and fourth preferences etc to other parties.

This created a scenario where preferences were quickly exhausted, allowing minor party candidates to be elected on very low primary votes and without meeting the initial eligible quota. It also meant that the 17 per cent of ballots with more than one preference assigned either above or below the line stayed longer in the count and were crucial to deciding the few remaining seats. ABC election analyst Antony Green says that the rate of exhausted preferences has added “a whole new variable to elections”.

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The final count for the most recent election of the Upper House was only announced on Monday. Surprisingly, this time around the number of ballots with multiple preferences above the line doubled from 15 to 28 per cent. Below the line votes also increased, from 1.8 to 2.7 per cent - a jump of almost 50 per cent. The Tally Room’s Ben Raue predicted that the increase in the number of preferences would favour the left-of-centre parties. “It seems likely that preferences will flow more strongly among progressive

Coalition’s majority reduced Perhaps not the outcome desired by the voters, who after all reduced the Coalition’s majority in the Legislative Assembly to only two seats? So would encouraging voters to preference more parties above the line make a difference to the outcome? Early analysis of the most recent election certainly suggests that a lower rate of exhausted preferences did swing results in favour of the more progressive parties, at least for the few remaining seats in the Upper House not decided in the early counts. So yes, preferencing more than one party above the line really does matter.

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Rushcutters Bay on the nose

BY ALANA LEVENE Sydney Water is urging residents to watch what they’re flushing down their toilets after a recent sewer blockage caused wastewater to drain into Rushcutters Bay, blocking the area to swimmers for weeks. This is the fourth choke in the in Paddington area since the beginning of November, according to a Sydney Water spokesperson. The chokes happen when people flush rags, wet wipes and other materials that don’t belong down the drain. “People need to understand that the wastewater system is not a rubbish disposal and that anything other than what it’s designed for has to be removed so that it doesn’t end up in the environment,” a Sydney Water spokesperson said. The organisation initially advised the community of the contamination on 8 April. The advisory remained active on 23 April, a spokesperson confirmed, even though the choke had been cleared. In the meantime, the Water Department is asking people to avoid swimming due to the lingering possibility of pollution.

Sewage overflows common Sewer overflows occur frequently across Sydney, particularly after heavy rainfall, when the sewage system becomes overloaded. “It is fairly common when we have heavy rain events,” said Michelle Rose, an environmental education officer for the Woollahra Council. As a general precaution, swimming in Sydney Harbour is discouraged for up to three days after rainfall or for as long as stormwater is present. If there are signs of water pollution, like discoloured water, odour, oil, scum, or floating debris, swimming should be avoided. “This is a real problem for Sydney Water,” said a Sydney Water spokesperson, “which is why our ‘Clean up not down’ campaign stresses that we

monitoring is likely taking place to monitor these concentrations.” The warning will be in effect as a precaution until the test results come back completely clear. A Sydney Water spokesperson could not say on Tuesday whether faecal coliform bacteria is present in Rushcutters Bay. “The results from the most recent testing show dissolved oxygen levels are typical, which would indicate no impacts to the aquatic environment,” the spokesperson said. The organisation ordered a CCTV inspection of the wastewater pipe to identify blockages and faults, and analyse the current system’s performance. “Sydney Water takes its responsibility to protect public health and the environment seriously,” the spokesperson said.

Sign at Rushcutters warns of sewage overflow. Photo: Alana Levene

should always use a rubbish bin and not dispose of wipes or any other bathroom products down the toilet.” This also includes tissues, the spokesperson said. This is not a problem unique to Sydney, according to Dr Serena Blyth Lee, who has constructed hydrodynamic models of water movement in the Sydney Harbour. Sections of Sydney’s complex sewerage infrastructure are old. With age comes maintenance problems, said Lee. “Older components of the infrastructure may not have been designed to carry the present population load,” Lee said. “Like roads, the network has likely been retrofitted to widen pipes etcetera, but as with any large infrastructure, upon which we rely, this has to be done a piece at a time.” There are several overflow points at which

sewage can overflow into the stormwater network. Since Rushcutters Bay isn’t a well-flushed locality, among other factors, overflow and subsequent contamination will likely continue with current rates of sewage discharge, according to Gavin Birch, an expert on pollutants in the Sydney Harbour. This is because it is located a few kilometres away from the estuary mouth. “The most likely issue related to sewage contamination would be faecal coliform virus,” Birch said. E. coli — which is a type of faecal coliform bacteria — triggers beach and bay closings, Lee said. The signage will remain in place likely until e. coli concentrations, or other bacteria capable of affecting human health, fall below the acceptable limit for a few successive days,” Lee said. “Daily

Continuing to monitor “Sydney is blessed with one of the most beautiful harbours in the world,” Birch wrote back in 2007 in a book chapter that outlined Sydney’s geological and environmental history. “However, like many large, capital ports world-wide, this environment has been exposed to relentless stress due to a rapidly increasing population density and extensive residential, commercial and industrial expansion,” he wrote. Since 1972, the Clean Waterways Act has controlled discharge into the Harbour’s estuaries. Since 1990, sewage has been dispersed into the sea about four kilometres from the coast, according to Birch. Sydney Water is also continually conducting water tests to detect sewage. To avoid future blockages, the organisation says that nothing should be going down sinks and toilets other than wastewater. For the sinks, no fats oils, and greases, the spokesperson said. And for the toilet, “that’s the 3Ps: only Pee, Poo and Paper.”

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Food without strings By ALLISON HORE It’s a chilly Autumn night in Sydney’s CBD. But the warmth from a barbecue and friendly conversation offer some relief from the cold wind. Every weekday night volunteers from the grassroots charity group Will2Live set up their barbecue on the corner of Eddy Avenue and Pitt Street to serve up food to Sydney’s homeless. Will Hawes started the initiative in his mother’s garage in 2012. He brought home-made sandwiches to homeless people around the city, funding the venture himself using his Centrelink payments. “I ran out of ideas of what I wanted to do with my life. I tried and failed everything and I got fired from every job I did,” Will tells City Hub. “And I thought if I want to make something of my life I had better make it happen myself and so I thought deeply about what I was going to do and I wanted to do something that was going to help others.”

Seven hundred meals a week Now Will2Live serves up more than 700 meals a week from its barbecue at Central Station. It also distributes water, clothes, toiletries and bedding to those who are sleeping rough. He says it’s consistency that really helped the charity to grow. “Oz Harvest used to drive by and see me here every night, and then one of the drivers started stopping once a week. They started giving me food one night a week and now it’s every night,” he explains. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were 116,000 homeless people on census night in 2016, or 50 people for every 10,000. This number includes people sleeping on the streets, in cars, at crisis centres and in overcrowded boarding house style accommodation. More than 43,500 homeless people are under the age of 25.

Other major charities offering assistance to homeless people are also religiously affiliated. Mission Australia, for example, is a nondenominational Christian charity. Recently, more grassroots groups have been coming down to Central Station to serve food with bibles in hand. It’s a bit of a “turf war,” says Will. In contrast to the church organisations, Will2Live is secular, serving up food without strings attached. Will says this is what makes them so popular with the homeless community.

A volunteer serves food to homeless people at Will2Live’s barbecue outside Central Station. Photo: Allison Hore

The City of Sydney’s last street count in August 2018 found almost 280 rough sleepers in the local council area. To reduce homelessness in Sydney, the Council has a dedicated homelessness unit - the first of its kind in the country - and invests $2.2 million every year in the operations of this unit.

Will2Live is secular, serving up food without strings attached The Council has also committed a further $3.5 million over the next three years to support homeless services through the NSW government’s Department of Family and Community Services.

In February this year, the Council announced that it was contributing $100,000 to help the St Vincent de Paul Society establish an Institute of Global Homelessness office in Sydney. The institute aims to end homelessness in 150 cities around the world by 2030. Sydney is the 10th city to sign on to the project. St Vincent de Paul doesn’t receive any direct funding from the Catholic church but it has a close relationship with the church’s parishes and schools. But St Vincent de Paul says it gives aid to those in need regardless of their religion. “Members and volunteers assist people in need and do not discriminate against cultural, religious or political beliefs,” St Vincent de Paul says on its website.

Praying for your supper “There was a gap in the market for someone who has similar life experiences to them, who was around their age, young and wasn’t going to come and preach religion. You go around the corner when other charities get here and they’re reading the bible to them before they give them food.” The volunteers come from all walks of life. One tells City Hub he became involved with Will2Live after walking past drunk after a night on the town five years ago. He thought it looked interesting and promised he’d come back the next day. Since then he’s helped out every week. The restaurants and cafes around Central Station also lend a helping hand, passing leftover food and ingredients to Will at the end of each day to distribute to the barbecue guests. Will2Live has a vision beyond Sydney’s CBD and is looking to expand its operations to other areas of the city as well as regional NSW over the next three years. Its five-year plan is to operate across Australia. But to reach its goal, the organisation need funding, says Will. “We’re trying to run a campaign of getting people to donate $15 a week. It’s not a lot of money but it helps us with the barbecue and with the day-to-day operations.”

Opinion

Protection for the Victorian ring By Peter Hehir With the pro developer NSW Government refreshed following their narrow win in the recent election, we can now expect a renewed attack on the historic suburbs that ring the CBD. Thanks to the Greater Sydney Commission, the legislation exists to increase the density of these historic and visually attractive precincts by 35 per cent. With planning controls taken away from local councils and vested in the State Government, this further distances the community from the decision making process, making a mockery of democracy. As both major parties now have little or no credibility with the inner west electorate, evidenced by the significantly increased margins for both Green candidates in the State seats of Balmain and Newtown, the door is flung open wide for both Liberal and Labor to seek revenge on their admonishers and set about to demolish the Victorian era landscape and replace it with high rise. The open council concept that was fought so hard for, here in the former Leichhardt Municipality by such working class champions as Nick Origlass and Issy Wyner, has been almost totally eviscerated by the demonstrably antipeople Labor/Liberal coalition that presently rules the Inner West Council; an amalgamated entity that simply wouldn’t exist today had it not been volunteered by Labor Mayor Darcy Byrne. Was this just a cynical move in an attempt to increase his power base? Does he have aspirations to higher office? Could he possibly be grooming himself to step into Albo’s shoes? Or has he already become a liability in the eyes of the Sussex Street power brokers? The fact that the progenitors of WestConnex on both sides of the political divide have no interest in the preservation of history – or in the stunning examples of Victorian and Georgian architectural precincts that surround the CBD

city hub 25 APRIL 2019

Sydney’s heritage terraces could be toppled. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

from Woollahra to Hunters Hill – ensures that many such structures will fall to the developers wrecking ball. This cavalier approach to Items of the Environmental Heritage was clearly demonstrated in the manner that the Sydney Motorway Corporation treated at least 60 such buildings, individually classified by the National Trust, and hundreds of other period homes, when they clear-felled housing precincts for the WestConnex tollroads. So it seems pretty obvious that architectural vandalism and contempt for history are core elements of the Neo Liberal psyche. It is telling that the words heritage and history rarely appear

in any of the documentation that concerns itself with development. The worker’s cottages and terraces that make up much of the remaining 19th century housing stock in the CBD ring are ripe for the plucking. There have already been instances of developers attempting to buy rows of weatherboard cottages and terraces for demolition so that 18 or more stories can stand in their stead. At what point does a suburb totally lose its identity and cease to be what it once was? Where is the tipping point? Amenity is an intangible thing. A combination of visual and aural sensations, built form, light, sounds, access, traffic, air, trees, birdsong, smells,

open space and invested people. Hard to define – but instantly recognisable when it is taken from us. As a resident of almost half a century here in the Inner West, I’ve seen the rise of the open council format – an approach that was the envy of other areas and its subsequent recent destruction through amalgamation and the cynicism and hostility to residents expressed by the majority of its recently elected representatives. The concept of grass roots democracy is sound. Especially so in a democracy. Allowing residents to have control over the precincts that they collectively own is fundamental to true local democracy. The alienation of power is the hallmark of fascism. I wonder what Nick and Issy would make of all of this? I’m sure they’d be shaking their heads in disbelief. Former mayors themselves who fought so hard to allow ordinary people to have the right to shape their own destiny. I know what they’d think of Berejiklian, Abbott and Morrison. And I have a pretty good idea of how they’d react to what the Labor Party has become. The great male moving right show was on the march while they were both still with us – meanwhile the mainstream party ideologies continue to converge. I’d happily endorse a grass roots campaign encompassing all of the suburbs in the Victorian ring, to implement a blanket historic conservation area, thus ensuring that any future residential development was sympathetic to the existing 19th century structures and encouraged the construction of a mix of reproduction terraces and cottages – at the present density and floor space ratios, with a height restriction of 7.2 metres. This would achieve the sort of heritage protection and preservation of amenity that the community yearns for and would so willingly support.

FEATURE

Language Of Laughter

By Jamie Apps With the Sydney Comedy Festival now underway City Hub spoke with Scottish comedian Danny Bhoy and festival director Jorge Menidis about comedy’s ability to bridge both language and cultural divides. Danny Bhoy has been touring Australia since 2003, which was before the Sydney Comedy Festival even existed. Through the years though he has developed quite the bond with our country and the audiences here. One must ask then, why does a comedian from Scotland have such a strong connection with an Australian audience? “You’d have to ask them that to know for sure but I think there is a little bit of a connection between Australians and Scottish people. I don’t know what it is but I think there is maybe a love of a good yarn,” answered Bhoy before elaborating, “I tend to find that I don’t need to change too much of my material when I come here, in the sense that I don’t need to change my style only the odd reference. On the whole, it’s quite a similar sense of humour here, which is weird because I sometimes find that I have to change more of my act when I go to England than I do in Australia.” This year the Sydney Comedy Festival is welcoming an incredibly diverse array of artists from all around the globe, which is something Menidis said was a major focus in their planning this year. “It was very very important to us that we had a cosmopolitan and multicultural festival because we feel that the festival should reflect Australian society.” As part of this planning, the festival organisers obviously had to consider the

universality of comedy, which Menidis and Bhoy both agreed boils down to one key caveat. “Fundamentally, funny is funny!” said Menidis. “If it’s good it’s good and people will like it universally because you can’t predict what is going to make you laugh, it’s an instinctual reaction,” added Bhoy. According to Bhoy, the shift towards universality in comedy is something which has accelerated in recent years thanks to social media. “Comedy has changed a lot now compared to when I started, there’s a lot more nuance. With social media and online outlets, people have found and know what they like now. People like to go and see the things that they already know they’re going to like, whereas there was more of a tendency to take a chance on a show 10-15 years ago.” Danny Bhoy. That statement Photo: Supplied suggests a dark

side to this shift though when it comes to comedy festivals. With audiences now being much less willing to take a chance on a random show, it has become infinitely harder for emerging acts to breakthrough. With this in mind, Bhoy urges Sydneysiders to expand their horizons this month when there is a wealth of great comedy in town. “They don’t have to [come to a show]”, said Bhoy with a big laugh, “but I mean I would like them to come to my show because I think this is the finest show I’ve ever written, even as my own worst critic. There is also so much good comedy out there and with the Sydney Comedy Festival, you’re absolutely spoilt for choice. So go and see one thing you know you’re

going to like but then also take a chance on something else because you can only really do that during a festival.” If you enjoy topical comedy then Bhoy’s show, Age Of Fools, is certainly the one for you to plan a night around. Age Of Fools is a show Bhoy says he has been consistently writing, performing and rewriting for the past year in order to ensure it remains topical and relevant. This is the first time he has done a show this way and is a style which he likely won’t be employing again, so this is likely to be your only opportunity to see this style from him. “I would never do this again, it’s been a nightmare, there is so much work required to do a show that has to stay up to date and remain relevant. The one thing that is topical in Britain at the moment is Brexit and from my point of view the only good thing about Brexit is that nothing has changed in the past year, we’re still having the same arguments, so that little bit of material hasn’t had to change much, but everything around it has changed.”

Danny Bhoy - Age Of Fools May 2-6. State Theatre, 49 Market St, Sydney. $60.93+b.f. Tickets & Info:

www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au Sydney Comedy Festival

Until May 19.Various Venues & Prices. Tickets & Info:

www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au

HIV Work Ready Program Supporting people living with HIV to engage in training and mentoring to prepare for paid or voluntary work roles To find out how you can get involved contact Positive Life NSW Phone 02 9206 2177 Freecall 1800 245 677 Email workready@positivelife.org.au

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Tom Allen - Absolutely Tom Allen hits Sydney’s Factory Theatre this week as part of his first solo tour of Australia. The British comedian has sold out almost 200 shows in the UK and now brings his critically acclaimed show Absolutely to Australia. Allen says in three words he would describe his comedy as “posh, gay and common.” In Absolutely he tells stories of his experiences living with his parents. “I can get a lot of comedy out of living with my parents because they are very different from me. I’m posh haughty and gay and my parents are very working class people,” he tells City Hub. “I talk about how you try to cope when you’re 35 and you say to your parents ‘Why don’t you give this room a mid-century Danish theme’ and they say ‘Why don’t you get your own house?’”

Pygmalion

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city hub 25 APRIL 2019

Photo: Bob Seary

Pamela Rabe, Zahra Newman and Hugo Weaving. Photo: Rene Vaile

This epic Pulitzer Prize-winning play by renowned playwright Tennessee Williams comes to the stage, proudly presented by The Sydney Theatre Company for discerning theatregoers. Deemed as one of Williams most famous works, the play is set in the plantation home in the Mississippi Delta of cotton tycoon Big Daddy Pollitt (Hugo Weaving) and his wife Big Mama (Pamela Rabe). The relationships within the family are explored, principally between Brick, the darling golden child of the family and his wife Maggie, who’s an outsider and doesn’t come from a rich family. “A lot of what we’re exploring with the play in our production is family dynamic and lies and truth – the lies that we can live with and the truth that we cannot,” explained Zahra Newman who plays the role of Maggie. “It’s an exploration of how we lie to one another and ourselves in relationships. It’s a big operatic, almost Grecian epic family dynasty drama. Maggie hasn’t had any children and Brick is descending into alcoholism. There’s a lot of whispering that they don’t have children and she’s fighting to maintain legitimacy amongst the family.” When asked why this play was universally labelled a classic Newman responded earnestly, “Because it’s so bloody well written! The language is incredible, and the relationships are not neatly tied up, they’re not easily explained. The characters contradict and are paradoxical in moments. It’s huge, it’s big emotions. These people have a way with words!” Newman said it’s a privilege and a joy to work alongside Hugo Weaving and Pamela Rabe, “they’re incredible! It’s an honour to watch them rehearse and how they investigate the story. It’s a learning experience and they’re very supportive.” Ultimately, will this American classic resonate with Australian audiences? “Of course! Because we all have family and fears, we all struggle to express ourselves and we all have challenges, wins and losses in life.” (MMo) Apr 29-Jun 8. Roslyn Packer Theatre. 22 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay. $83-$124+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneytheatre.com.au

He says his themes of class struggle, especially housing, are something that people in Sydney can relate to with housing prices meaning people are living at home longer. “I often say I live with a couple, and they’re called dad and mum.And I think that’s something a lot of people can relate to,” Allen explains. He kicked off his tour in Melbourne as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival where his unique storytelling style had him nominated for the Most Outstanding Show award. He says so far audiences have been really positive about the show. “I think Australians really celebrate quirkiness and difference, and they’re very genuine.” (AH)

The New Theatre brings George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion to the stage in Sydney this week. The play tells the story of aspirational young flower seller Eliza Doolittle, who is looking for an opportunity to escape from her lot in life. Linguistics Professor Henry Higgins, famously wealthy and brash, seemed like just the ticket.

12 STAGE 14 SCENE 15 Sounds 15 SCREEN

April 26-28. Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville. $38.90+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au

Director Deborah Mullhall says she hopes to reinterpret Bernard Shaw’s original work and present a more gritty version than the beloved musical adaptation of the work My Fair Lady. “I always keep telling myself, Dickens not Disney,” she says. The set and costume design of the production will embrace the aesthetic of steampunk, a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates elements of style and technology from the 1800s. “It’s a pseudo-Victorian melange of ideas and notions and possibilities. The idea of steampunk begins with an idea of ‘what if?’ and it continues with a question of ‘how might?’” Mullhall explains. “What if the world didn’t move on from

steam? How might we then construct a world with what we’ve got, with things that are powered by steam.” The creative team chose the steampunk aesthetic as a way to explore class divisions and themes of independence from the story in a visual way. “What really hooked me is the idea that you wear your living, they all have these tool belts which have tools from their trade or things they use in their everyday life,” she says. Mullhall thinks that the themes of class from the classic story will translate well and are just as relevant for a modern audience. “What makes a classic a classic is that it is still relevant all these years later.” (AH) Until May 25.The New Theatre, 542 King Street, Newtown. $20-$35+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.newtheatre.org.au

confronting, yet there’s more to this musical than blue humour. “The bawdiness of the show does get a lot of the headlines, but really it’s a great story that’s being told, fundamentally, and certainly great tunes that get cracked out,” says Meredith. The plot centres around Princeton, a young college graduate who moves to a

neighbourhood in Brooklyn, New York, and discovers things about people and life that he never learned in school. “We deal with one particular character being homeless…one particular character being depressed; we deal with a group of people addressing homosexuality,” says Meredith. Though there are plenty of laughs, the issues are dealt with in a thoughtful way. “Amongst the silliness and bawdiness and hilarity there’s a couple of really sweet, honest, truthful moments that I think the show has to have, and I think it’s landing really nicely.” The show has been marketed as “R-rated” with a warning about offensive language, adult themes, and on-stage puppet sex, so does Meredith believe audiences will come along knowing exactly what to expect? “I hope not. I really hope not!” (RB) Apr 26-May 4.The Independent Theatre, 269 Miller St, North Sydney. $40$47.50+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.northshoretheatrecompany.org

Avenue Q

Avenue Q is Sesame Street in the bad part of town; the adult’s only, uncensored version. Written by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, with a book by Jeff Whitty, the musical won critical acclaim - and some Tony’s - when it debuted in 2004. It’s a musical that is rarely produced, not just because of the edgy content, but because many of the characters are puppets. When North Shore Theatre Company decided to stage Avenue Q, one of the first challenges for director, Peter Meredith was testing the actors’ boundaries. “It certainly was in the back of my mind that I had to work around what my cast was prepared to do and what they weren’t prepared to do,” he explains.“I started off with a very softly softly approach, only to have my cast turn around and say “C’mon mate, tell us what you want us to do and we’ll do it!” What these puppets and people say and do on stage is outrageous, irreverent, and

Photo: Jiksaw

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

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

Contributors: Irina Dunn, Mark Morellini, Olga Azar, Rita Bratovich, Erika Echternach, Joseph Rana, Madison Behringer, Allison Hore, Renee Lou Dallow, Alannah Maher.

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Tickets $35 | $28 | $15 Quintessential works by master and lesser-known composers of the Baroque period: Virtuosic Italian Baroque, the experimental 1600s, and the unique tonal colour of scordatura. 3 different violins tuned 3 different ways and a featured French double manual harpsichord by C. Beebe.

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city hub 25 APRIL 2019

Kanan Gill - Teetar!

Making his debut trip to Australia for his solo show Teetar! is Indian comedian Kanan Gill. The stand-up comedian and YouTube superstar will be bringing his solo show to the Sydney Comedy Festival this April, transporting fans on a deeplypersonal and observational hour-journey of entertainment. Gill is coming to Australia after a triumphant few years on the global comedy circuit. Of his feelings toward the Australian

tour, Kanan said, “[I’m] nervous and excited! I’ve been trying to come down to Australia to do stand-up for the longest time.” He went on to say, “Stereotypically I’ve already been to see kangaroos and koalas so now I’m spending all my time drinking the coffee here.” After starting a career in software engineering, Kanan decided to quit his job and try his hand at comedy, creating his hugely popular YouTube channel Pretentious Movie Reviews. Since its inception, Kanan has spent his time on both the channel and stand-up comedy, taking his solo shows around the world. Speaking about this career change, Kanan said, “The job was good but I knew from the first day that it wasn’t for me. So stand-up comedy was something I started to do on the side. And when I quit my job I had too much time on my hands so I started YouTube.” Kanan’s show Teetar! will feature for one-night-only at the Factory Theatre in Sydney, and Kanan is anticipating, “lots of laughter and hopefully even the occasional knee slap!” (MB) Apr 26. Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Road, Marrickville. $45.90+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au

Ivan Aristeguieta The Fourth Floor Venezuelan comedian Ivan Aristeguieta immigrated to Australia in 2012, after living his dream of being a fulltime comedian back in his home country. After the big move, Ivan believed that stand-up comedy would simply become a hobby, but seven years later he is still performing to packed audiences around the country. His newest show The Fourth Floor centres around his thoughts on turning 40, the four decades that make up his lifetime and filling in his fans on what’s been going on in his life over the past year. “My shows are kind of a yearly report on my life. Not that many people get to share that with a bunch of people

in an audience,” Ivan said. “I write about things that I’ve been thinking about most over the past year.” Ivan will be performing for a third year in a row at Sydney’s Factory Theatre for the Sydney Comedy Festival and spoke about his journey leading up to The Fourth Floor. “I did comedy in Venezuela for six years and then I actually lived as a full-time comedian there. But when I moved here I thought it might become my hobby…I did an open mic night a few months after I arrived here and I’ve done it ever since!” Ivan’s shows are tearjerkingly funny, however, for the Venezuelan

comedian his performances and standup shows run deeper than the puns and oneliners. “It’s fun! However, I think that’s what’s special about it. It’s not all about jokes, it’s about connecting as a person

with your audience.” (MB) May 2-5. Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Road, Marrickville. $28-36+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneycomedyfest. com.au

THE NAKED CITY

Nic and Francesca

With Coffin Ed Many aspiring young Australian musicians, across a wide variety of genres, dream about making it big in the USA. Some set off on an odyssey that involves courting various agents and record companies and exposing their talents on the small club circuit. Every now and then one of them gets that lucky break but many others return to Australia with their plans for international recognition dashed.

A BIG APPLE LOVE AFFAIR For young jazz musicians, the American pilgrimage is also appealing, but one city stands out as the preferred destination. New York has long been the jazz capital of the world, home to numerous wellknown musicians, recording studios, jazz clubs and educational facilities. From the 60s and 70s onwards there are numerous stories of Australian jazz musicians chancing their luck in the Big Apple with many arriving with only limited financial resources. Scuffling to survive they sometimes reverted to busking or washing dishes, as they sought to establish themselves in perhaps the most competitive jazz environment in the world. These days the romantic notion of arriving in New York without some kind of bankroll to survive seems to have long disappeared. Some Australian musicians are lucky to win scholarships or jazz fellowships that enable them to study and play in the US. Others save for years to pay their way in a city notorious for chewing up your dollar. Pianist Francesca Prihasti and guitarist Nic Vardanega are two young musicians currently living and working in New York, after first meeting at the Sydney Conservatorium jazz studies course in 2009. By 2011 they had played their first gig together at Glebe’s Coulbourne Avenue, with the musical partnership

soon developing into a romantic one. In 2016 Francesca and Nic married and not long after made the bold decision to relocate to New York.As Nic notes: “We had already done three trips together to New York City and found we really loved it and were inspired by the scene.We felt the time was right to give it a try and so we made plans to get married first, then move over soon after. Being a couple certainly helps in pooling expenses and with experience you soon learn little ways to live in New York while stretching your dollar further. It has definitely been a great exercise in developing frugal habits and prioritising the essential things.” Both Francesca and Nic have pursued their own careers in New York with Francesca selected as an artist to represent the New York University jazz department with performances and masterclasses in Costa Rica with the East Eleventh Collective. Nevertheless, they have still found time to combine their musical talents as they both explain. “In the past year or so we have actually been billing some gigs as the Prihasti/Vardanega Quartet, essentially co-leading one band that dovetails compositions from both us into the one set and occasionally featuring a special guest.We both have

Citizen Writes

This weekend 10 emerging writers from culturally diverse backgrounds will share their works of short fiction in an innovative project which speaks to the power of the community. The writers involved in the Citizen Writes project were selected by an independent judging panel with representatives from the top literary institutions such as Sydney Story 14

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our own plans for future projects but will of course call on the services of one another and collaborate when necessary!” So what has the rather bold gamble of following in the tracks of many other Australian jazz musicians taught them. Francesca and Nic are both very positive. “From this experience of moving to New York, we have learned to not think too far ahead.When we first arrived, there were doubts whether we could last the first six months financially but now almost three years on, we find ourselves still here and inspired by more possibilities for us career-wise in New York. For now, it is wise to embrace our journey one day at a time and see what unfolds.” Both Francesca and Nic have released their own new albums this year. Francesca’s album Adriana is dedicated to her late mother and is her third album to date, featuring some of New York’s finest musicians. Nic’s album Point In Time is the follow-up release to his 2014 debut, Inverno and has already attracted some great reviews. Both albums are available at iTunes and CD Baby.The good news is that Francesca and Nic will be back in Sydney, for a visit, around the middle of this year to play a number of club shows.

Factory, Writing NSW, Westwords, Sydney Writers’ Festival, Asia Pacific Writers & Translators, Peril Magazine and Southern Crossings. Upon selection, the writers were given the opportunity the participate in a series of writing workshops led by awardwinning writer Dr Roanna Gonsalves. “All the writers selected for this project are telling enchanting stories that are not

heard often. It was such a privilege to work with them. No doubt, the literary world will be hearing more from them soon,” said Gonsalves. The aim of the Citizen Writes project is to increase the diversity of working writers in Australia as recent studies have shown that as of 2015 only 8% of professional artists are from a non-English speaking background. (JA) Apr 28. 107 Projects, 107 Redfern St, Redfern. FREE. Info: www.carnivalofthebold.com

Photo: Matt Holyoak

Sloan Peterson Midnight Love Vol 2

Finn Andrews

was beginning to emerge in his writing.This new streak led to him returning from London to begin working on his first solo album, One Piece At A Time. Speaking with City Hub ahead of his performance at The Lansdowne Hotel next week Andrews explained that there was some hesitation before following this solo path. “I resisted this whole going solo thing for a while because I never really saw myself doing that. I was trying to cram these songs into The Veils world for a while but after trying a few times that didn’t last too long.” Despite the hesitation towards becoming a solo artists Andrews eventually reached a point where he had so many songs that the jump became inevitable. “I had written 10 or so songs, then suddenly there was 15 and 20, so I realised this had gone By Jamie Apps down a whole other rabbit hole that I wasn’t Since signing a record deal at just 16 years old, Finn expecting… In the end, there were so many Andrews and his band The Veils have released five songs that I couldn’t resist it anymore and had to albums together, appeared in David Lynch’s reboot make my own little word for them that was of Twin Peaks, as well as on soundtracks by luminary separate from The Veils.” film directors Tim Burton and Paolo Sorrentino.Yet During this time Andrews was also feeling a that still didn’t exhaust all of Andrews’ creative juices. “magnetic pull” back to his native New Zealand. While writing 2016’s Total Depravity the New During this time Andrews was also feeling a Zealand-raised musician realised a different streak “magnetic pull” back to his native New Zealand.

A place which came to be a great source of both belonging and inspiration, something which Andrews says he never felt in London. “This was the first time that I felt part of a scene. The scene [in London] is so transitory that I never felt much of a connection to what was happening in town musically.” With this record being his first outing as a solo artist Andrews says he has noticed that “something seems to profoundly change when you put your own name on the marquee rather than it being a band to hide behind.” This has meant that he has had to for all intents and purposes relearn how to be a performer on stage, “it feels more direct and I have nothing to hide behind anymore, which can only be an improvement.” For the upcoming live show Andrews says, “I’ve never felt so confident with a live show. Anything that has come out of my head in the last 25 years is fair game. There’s a really dynamic mix of songs from the solo album and some reimagined songs from The Veils as well, so the show gets pretty rowdy by the end.” May 2.The Lansdowne Hotel, 2-6 City Rd, Chippendale. $39.77+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.thelansdownepub.com.au

In a follow up to her previous EP, Midnight Love, Sydney’s Sloan Peterson has released Midnight Love Vol 2. This new record once again draws upon her musical idols for inspiration but again blends and contorts all of the various parts together to create something uniquely her own. Peterson draws on influences from vintage pop, synth and modern alternative garage rock sounds. By blending these two distinct eras of music together and combining them with her incredibly dreamy and enthralling vocals throughout Peterson has created something incredibly catchy. The Midnight Love Vol 2 EP is short but special.You’ll most certainly want to give this one repeat spins. (JA) WWW

CPAC Live - Indie Rock

Sydney’s newest live music event CPAC Live returns for its next outing this weekend, this time with a focus on guitar-driven indie rock bands. Introduced by Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (CPAC ) to tackle the lack of local live music opportunities, CPAC Live shines a spotlight on the hottest up-and-coming artists

Pet Sematary

The mood of Pet Sematary is so creepy, gathering flowers would have menace. It’s full of boos and squeaks, as befits a well-made scary movie. Hinges screech, thunder arrives, and the worst of actions are enacted on a forbidden hill in the dead of night. Welcome to Stephen King country, where little makes sense and the gloom is galore. Mildly altered from the original story, this adaptation features a road-killed feline to introduce the Creed family to the phenomenon of creature resurrection – and their cat, Church, returns with quite a yowl. Pet Sematary is no masterpiece, but it is a satisfying scary movie. No fancy special effects, but rather a reliance on old-school uses of music, light and pained expressions to evoke an overall sense of imminent danger.And if you like your terrible schlocky horror films to have a bit of levity, the final scene is faintly hilarious.Who can resist a grumpy cat? (OA) WWW

from the Western Sydney region, in the industrial grandeur of the Turbine Hall. Performing this weekend are Bloods on headline duties with support from Ash Prats, Avalanche, The Factory, The Elevator District and The 902. After February’s fantastic launch, which

focused on locally grown hip-hop, this weekend is set to raise the bar even higher. Get out and support some of Sydney’s hottest rising local bands at this awesome FREE event. Apr 28. Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, 1 Powerhouse Road, Casula. FREE. Info: www.casulapowerhouse.com

Irish Film Festival Now in its fifth year, the Irish Film Festival is going from strength to strength, with an expanded program of 10 features, a short film competition and a program of LGBTQI shorts from Ireland. The Irish know how to celebrate, so the opening night party will be held before and after the film, Float Like A Butterfly, with respected Sydney band The Last Aurochs playing Celtic and Irish music. Food and beverage will also be served. Festival director, Dr Enda Murray said that Irish cinema had seven Irish connections in the Oscars last year. “The program this year is really strong right across the board. Irish cinema is doing quite well internationally and that has raised the bar for locally produced films.” Short film competitions are quite popular in film festivals and this year’s submissions won’t disappoint. “We put a call out to filmmakers with Irish

background around the world to submit short films, the aim being to encourage creativity within the Irish community and to support people who want to express their Irish identity.” “It’s often quoted that onethird of Australians have Irish connections and so they should connect with the humour and the tone of the Irish films, which is black and sardonic,” explained Murray. “These are small films, incorporating minimal computergenerated graphics and simple plots with stories surrounding Irish people and I believe Aussie audiences will get that.” (MMo)

Float Like a Butterfly. Photo: Martin Maguire. Copyright Samson Films and Port Pictures

DR ENDA’S HOT PICKS FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY: The opening night Toronto awardwinning film is set in 1972 and is about a young Irish female traveller who dreams of becoming a boxer. But she must overcome her family’s and society’s conventions to succeed.

DUBLIN OLDSCHOOL: Delves into the weekend of a wannabe DJ. A combination of film, theatre, and pop culture. A Rock ‘n’ Roll style of film for music enthusiasts.

BETWEEN LAND AND SEA: The rise of surf culture beneath the majestic Cliffs of Moher on the west coast of Ireland is explored in this exhilarating documentary. Captivating photography. A must for surf junkies.

May 1 – 5. Chauvel Cinema, 249 Oxford St, Paddington. Opening Night film/party: $28-$35 Tickets & Info: www.irishfilmfestival.com.au city hub 25 APRIL 2019

city hub 25 APRIL 2019