City Hub 7 March 2019

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Join us for the 2019 hockey season!

established in 1931, Glebe is one of the oldest hockey clubs in sydney.

At Glebe we value Family, Equality, Commitment and Contribution and pride ourselves on delivering a positive sporting and social experience for everyone. The Club fields teams in the Sydney senior competitions for all abilities of men and women and mixed gender teams in junior competitions from U9 to U17. We also cater for younger players with our popular Minkey/Hookin2hockey program that takes place each Saturday morning at Jubilee Oval Glebe attracting kids as young as 4 years of age.

for more information visit: www.glebehockey.org.au email our Junior Director glebejuniorhockey@gmail.com or our Administration Director glebesecretary@gmail.com for seniors.

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 2

city hub 7 MARCH 2019

Authorised by A.Vithoulkas, SBP, 34/110 Sussex St, Sydney, NSW, 2000

Wrecking balls hang in the balance

BY WENDY BACON On Wednesday the NSW Land and Environment Court found that the Minister’s consent to begin demolition of the existing stadium was valid, leaving the possibility that the part of the roof could be removed in the lead up to the State election. The court is considering an appeal.

Outside the Court, Mike Dailey, the Leader of the Opposition, argued that if the Premier cared about democracy she would not send in the wrecking balls two weeks before an election.

If NSW Labor wins government on March 23, the Sydney Football Stadium could still stand without a roof, but the Chairman of its Trust Tony Shepherd and most of its Board will be out the door.

Labor to sack trustees Opposition Leader Michael Daley’s intention to sack the trustees was revealed during an exchange with broadcaster 2GB’s Alan Jones, who has been on the Board for 30 years.

What was already a big election issue catapulted up the news agenda.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian defended the Board, calling Daley’s announcement “hot headed”.

On air, the Daley decision did not sound as though it were a spur of the moment.

In five seconds, he demonstrated that he could stand up to Alan Jones, who is notorious for standing over NSW governments, both Liberal and Labor.

While Alan Jones is an enthusiastic cheerleader for the knockdown, Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust (SCSGT) Chairperson Tony Shepherd and Premier Gladys Berejiklian stand together at the heart of the unpopular $730 million deal.

Back in early January, Shepherd was

Studios, NSW Racing and a huge road interchange that will channel cars from the Transurban WestConnex tollway interchange at St Peters.

Shepherd’s interests in tollways and sport perfectly straddle this vision. The then O’Farrell government appointed him as the Chair of the WestConnex Delivery Authority to drive its tollway plans.

The man who put him in that position, Barry O’Farrell, is also a trustee. He resigned as Premier after he admitted lying to the NSW Independent Commission against Corruption about a gift of a $3,000 bottle of wine. He is now CEO of Racing Australia.

Let me know if it’s taking too long and I will move it along

The People’s Parklands? It could happen. Photo: Lawrence Gibbons

sweating on the stadium demolition.

So much so, he boasted to the media that screens were already down, turf uprooted and chairs removed.

But according to its website, INSW and Lendlease did not fulfil conditions for beginning the “soft strip” until January 31. Did the “soft strip” begin in breach of conditions or was someone misleading the media?

Shepherd describes the Board as a “diverse, competent group”. In fact, the Board is a collection of 12 powerful men and two women with connections across racing, hotels, property development, and management of elite sports and events.

The stadium rebuild is part of a vision for the development of the Moore Park area including the adjacent Entertainment Quarter and Fox

While Premier, he appointed Liberal Party donor Nihal Gupta as a Trustee.

Gupta was briefly chair of SBS until he resigned with unanswered questions about the reasons for his appointment The Board has strong media links including retired Newscorp CEO John Hartigan.

Ex-ABC Chair and businessman and climate change denier Maurice Newman also has a seat.

One of two women is Katie Page, CEO of Harvey Norman. Her husband Gerry Harvey is involved in the Entertainment Quarter development. Page is involved in racing, sports management, and tourism and luxury apartments.

The Trustees had a vision. The next task was to fast track approval to build it.

In January 2017, Berejiklian took over from Premier Michael Baird, who did not support the SFS demolition, much to the displeasure of Shepherd.

As was revealed at a Parliamentary

inquiry last year, the Premier wrote a note to Shepherd thanking him for congratulations and looking forward to meeting up soon – “Let me know if it’s taking too long and I will move it along”.

In November 2017, she announced a new stadium to replace the stadium at Moore Park and a replacement stadium for the Olympic Park stadium. After journalist Peter Fitzsimmons organised a petition of 200,000 signatures, the government changed tack.

In March 2018, it announced that only the Moore Park stadium would be demolished and rebuilt.

Astonishingly, Berejiklian announced that construction would begin in 2018.

At this point, there wasn’t even a development application.

There was no time to waste. But Berejiklian knew that there was a trusted man at Infrastructure NSW. This was INSW Project Director David Riches.

Selective memory In June 2017, Riches was up for reappointment on a salary of $452,250.

In an application to the Remuneration Tribunal to pay him more, the Premier described his job as delivery of “high risk infrastructure projects” referred by the Premier, who has been advised that retaining Mr Riches as Head was essential to the delivery of high risk projects.

The Tribunal granted the Premier’s request for a rise to $576,345 a year.

Riches, who was at the court case, undoubtedly has many strengths.

Surprisingly, memory is not his strong suit.

Questioned about meetings with NSW Planning in 2018, he was unable to recall a number of matters.

But he did manage to get project approval in record time, not quite in time to begin work in 2018, but near enough.

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BY RHIANNON SOLIMAN As the glitz and glamour of Sydney’s 41st Mardi Gras wears off, many LGBTQ+ individuals were left with something somewhat less glamorous. Yes, STDs. There are many things that can prevent people from avoiding sexually transmitted diseases, particularly HIV, which disproportionately affects the LGBTQ+ community.

Mark Villar, who regularly volunteers with centres such as the AIDS Council of NSW (ACON) and the Albion Centre, stressed the importance of sexual health clinics geared at LGBTQ+ people.

“These services promote knowledge and understanding, reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV, educate people in how to navigate sex, relationships, status disclosure, and the importance of regular testing,” he said.

“ACON services in particular bring queer people together, helping us make connections and build friendships and relationships.”

Although there are many doctors and clinics in Sydney that specialise in sexual health, LGBTspecific ones are invaluable.

“A bad experience with a healthcare provider can result in LGBTQ people becoming hesitant to access those services in the future,” said Reg Domingo, who works at ACON. “Medical education has not always been inclusive, so it’s reasonable to suggest that some healthcare providers who come into contact with LGBTQ people may not have the most correct information, may make assumptions or use inappropriate questions or language,” he said.

New South Wales provides those living with HIV with free medication as part of a campaign to end

Mardi Gras brings out the best of Sydney... and can leave many with the worst. Photo: Rhiannon Soliman

HIV transmission by 2020. However, people living in other states may not be as fortunate.

In Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania, access to HIV medication such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) costs around $40 per month. Although PrEP is supported by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, bringing the cost down from around $850 per month, it still may be unaffordable for many people.

“People from low socioeconomic [backgrounds] who skip their meds out of necessity may not be able to maintain an undetectable viral load,” said Mark.

If this occurs, the HIV virus can become transmittable.

According to last year’s Gay Community Periodic Survey conducted by UNSW, only 21.4% of non-HIV positive men took PrEP on a regular basis, which is required to prevent the contraction of HIV. Recent research in South Australia showed that

36 per cent of HIV diagnoses were classified as being “late,” which could cause unnecessary health complications in a patient, as well as an increased transmission rate to others. A delay in one’s diagnosis may result from a lack of information available, having no testing centres nearby or, in some cases, concern around being outed.

Back in Sydney, geographical location can also play a part in maintaining sexual health.

“As someone living in Campbelltown, access to these services is not as easy. An ACON out west would be nice,” said Mark.

According to Reg, while a new centre in the Western Suburbs isn’t currently in the works, there are programs that can help.

“In Western Sydney we have a staff member dedicated to working in partnership with local councils, local health districts and other nonfor-profit organisations to deliver programs specifically for LGBTQ communities,” he said. city hub 7 MARCH 2019

3

“Dob in a Dealer” Fizzles

BY JOHN MOYLE Last week, the final leg of the Crime Stoppers’ travelling roadshow “Dob in a Drug Dealer” wheeled into Kings Cross.

In attendance at Fitzroy Gardens were two senior Crime Stoppers executives, senior police and around 10 junior police dragooned from the KX Police Station, all watching over a table groaning with free high carb delicacies and coffee.

The spectators amounted to three local busybodies and four backpackers, who scoffed the muffins, grabbed a coffee and were last seen heading for Darlinghurst Road.

“The new ‘Dob in a Dealer’ campaign by Crime Stoppers and NSW Police Force launched on 4 January 2019 is aimed at stopping Australia’s supply of illicit drugs including ice, cocaine, MDMA, heroin and cannabis,” the Crime Stoppers media release said.

“Police and Crime Stoppers sent out media alerts, and we did not expect as much of a turn out as we had already hosted several events in Sydney, including Bondi Junction, Central Station, Surry Hills and Redfern,” spokesperson, Crime Stoppers said.

Crime Stoppers waiting for the masses to ‘Dob in a Drug Dealer’ in Kings Cross. Photo: John Moyle

Failed war on drugs “I am aware of the campaign and that around $1 million in finding has been poured into it,” Saba, lawyer, Sydney Criminal Lawyers said.

“The annual cost of having a 10-bed rehabilitation centre is $1.3 million and we would promote rehabilitation in these matters.”

“That’s $1 million added to the billions already spent on the failed war on drugs,” said Cate Faehrmann, Greens MLC NSW and spokesperson on drug law reform.

Uniting has a vested interested in the area, being the operators of the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre that has a record of harm minimisation for over 8,000 overdoses, zero deaths and 13,000 referrals to health, drug treatment and social welfare services over the past 18 years.

“We believe that drug use should be treated as a health issue, not as a criminal justice one, and we would like increased investment in evidencebased interventions such as treatment and harm reduction,” spokesperson, Uniting said.

The event did not go unnoticed at the Kings Cross Community Centre, which was concurrently running a jumble sale.

“People were coming into the Centre, saying how appalling it was,” Rosemary, jumble stall attendee said.

“My own view is that it was a PR exercise and putting this sort of money into the campaign is just window dressing for a political smokescreen.”

Warren Fahey AM, historian and performer, questioned the effectiveness of a dob in campaign when he said “Part of the cultural history of Kings Cross was to mind your own business, keep your

effectively rewarded by higher prices due to the scarcity of drugs,” Dr Eugene Schofield-Georgeson, Convenor Criminal Justice Action, NSW Council for Civil Liberties said.

Cate Faehrmann also questions the value of the campaign in the light of drugs now being a normalised part of people’s lives.

“A lot of people are taking drugs and it a part of their normal recreational experience.

We have seen Gladys Berijiklean’s “say no” message spectacularly fail in recent months and it is time for governments to pull their heads out of the sand, look at the international examples and get real about the nature and the extent of illicit drug use.”

nose out of other people’s business, live and let live, and never, ever, become a dobber”.

Just who the campaign was aimed at and what results were expected is still to be realised.

Without disclosing the benchmark, Crime Stoppers said, “The last time we did this we had a 134 per cent increase in information on drug-related crime.”

it is time for governments to get real about illicit drug use “While drugs can cause harm, almost all evidence-based research indicates that criminalisation exacerbates harm, forcing drug supply underground and leading to toxic and harmful drugs being supplied by dealers who are

What do local police know There are also questions about what the local police know and how they deal with this knowledge.

Long-time local resident Brian lives in public housing in Kings Cross and says the police already know the dealers.

“I live in a building of 36 units and there are at least five units occupied by drug dealers selling everything from pot to ice.

“The police have known this for years and they have done nothing.”

Cate Faehrmann added that even some police are getting fed up with marginalising young people attending music festivals.

“I’m hearing from police members who are saying to me how uncomfortable they feel having to stand in massive lines at music festivals and aggressively police young people who are now afraid of approaching police.

“We have worked for decades to improve relations between the community and police and now we are getting into a dangerous era.”

After 50 years of illicit drugs being an integral part of the community, we deserve a better dialogue that the one we are currently having.

14 Festivals Deemed “High Risk”

BY VANESSA LIM Fourteen NSW music festivals have been labelled “high risk” under the state government licensing scheme in a bid to secure safety.

Local councils in NSW used to hold responsibility to ensure a smooth run for festivals.

Now the state government has given responsibility to the NSW Department of Industry which runs the Liquor and Gaming Authority.

A media statement from the NSW Department of Industry said, “This announcement today will help provide certainty regarding the new scheme, and ensure there are no added cost burdens on low risk festivals. The scheme is designed to support music festival operators, particularly those who are dealing with the evolving challenge of illegal drug use at their festivals.”

Access to expert advice The NSW Department of Industry said, “We know that most operators, including operators of higher risk festivals, work hard to do the right thing – now they will have access to more expert advice and support to help them run safer events. We are committed to continuing to work with music festival operators and other industry stakeholders to ensure the right balance is struck between great entertainment and festival safety.”

festival owners left wondering why their festivals were targeted Despite this, “high risk” festival owners in a joint statement have denied that there is any clarity on their end.

Festival spokesperson of Days Like This said, “I am completely perplexed and astounded to see Days Like This Festival published on a list of ‘High Risk’ festivals with no tangible justification.

There was a real opportunity here for the NSW 4

city hub 7 MARCH 2019

This knee-jerk reaction for a “zero tolerance drug use policy” has caused event owners such as Sydney’s local music festival, Days Like This, and others to take legal action against the Berejiklian government.

Other festivals such as Mountain Sounds have already begun the process of liquidation due to the high costs of the fee.

With little clarity given in the guidelines about what constitutes “high risk,” festival owners are left wondering why their festivals were targeted.

Future Music Festival in Sydney. Photo: Flickr

Government to consult with an industry that generates over $1.8b a year in revenue to come up with ways we could potentially improve safety at festivals and instead they have chosen to vilify 14 individual festivals without any discussion”.

Although five recent drug-related music festival deaths catalysed the state government into taking action, it has chosen to disregard pill testing and opt for a “no drug use policy”.

Greens MP for Newtown Jenny Leong said the Greens were against the “no drugs policy” and instead stated that harm minimisation was what kept festival goers safe. “What we know is that there is a need to address the issues around harm

minimisation and drug use in our society.”

She acknowledged the issue with drugs and alcohol abuse during festivals, and said that the greens supported other alternatives. She said, “The greens support pill testing 100 per cent”. “We also want to see an end to the ineffective sniffer dog drug program that causes more harm than good in our society. If you directed that money from the police drug dog program to other types of community support like drug and alcohol support, we would see the kind of effectiveness that good programs like those could offer. The tough law and order measures don’t actually serve the community well”.

Concern and advice!

The City of Sydney’s Nightlife and Creative Sector Advisory Panel discussed concerns about the NSW Government’s new regulations on 19 February 2019 and addressed what the new regulations could mean for the music industry.

A spokesperson for the City of Sydney said, “The Lord Mayor is seriously concerned about the impact the NSW Government’s new festival regulations will have on festivals and our music and arts economy both within our local government area and around the state”.

But the City of Sydney is yet to take an official stance. The spokesperson said, “The Nightlife and Creative Sector Advisory Panel will be sending a letter to the Lord Mayor and the City of Sydney to offer their advice on how the City of Sydney can best support the sector in the face of these new regulations”.

Jenny Leong denied that there would be any benefits with the new festival licensing scheme.

She said, “If we keep seeing further crackdowns on these places and venues, we will see a loss to the types of creative industries and live music events that we want to see in our city.

We should be investing and supporting them, not trying to put more obstacles in place to stop them from working”.

Sydney Electorate Profile

By ALLISON HORE With the state election just two weeks away now, the race for Sydney approaches the finish line.

The seat of Sydney covers the City of Sydney council area and its surrounding suburbs. It includes the Sydney CBD, Pyrmont, Darlinghurst, Potts Point, Woolloomooloo, Paddington, Woollahra and parts of Ultimo and Surry Hills. It’s a relatively new seat, having only been created in 2007.

Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, held the seat from its inception until 2012 when the Coalition government prohibited the arrangement which allowed her to be both mayor and state representative.

After the resulting by-election, Alex Greenwich, another independent, won the seat. In the 2015 election he retained it with just under 40% of the primary vote.

The Liberal party came second to Mr Greenwich, with 32% of the primary vote, followed by Labor with 15%.

Jo Holder. Photo: Supplied With the instability of the federal Coalition Jo Holder government and an overall swing towards Labor candidate Jo Holder says it’s the sale of independents, Mr Greenwich’s leadership seems public housing in Miller’s Point and the Rocks to be safe. that will be on the minds of Sydney voters come election day.

Lyndon Gannon Ms Holder is an art historian who lives and But 28-year-old Liberal candidate Lyndon Gannon, who describes himself as a “moderate,” is works in Darlinghurst. She is an active member of confident about his chances. He hopes to be a part the Darlinghurst Residential Community Action Group and says has been on the “front line” of a new generation of parliamentarians. fighting for public and affordable housing.

“You only have to look at NSW parliament, and other parliaments all around Australia, to see Alex Greenwich there’s a lot of grey hair there,” he told City Hub. “Young people are the ones who are going to be The lack of affordable and public housing is also left with the current trajectory that the government an issue close to Mr Greenwich. He believes that sets us on.” neither major party has done enough to address Mr Gannon was raised in Sydney’s inner-west and the issue of housing. worked as a street sweeper for Marrickville council.

Mr Greenwich, who was born in New Zealand, Now he is a small business owner and volunteers in a has lived in the inner-west since his family boxing outreach program at Parramatta PCYC. moved to Australia in 1987. Through his time in He ran unsuccessfully for the seat of Balmain parliament he has been a strong advocate for the in 2015, but says he has always felt more affiliated LGBTQIA community and played a key role in with the seat of Sydney. the marriage equality campaign.

Candidate profile: Jonathan Harms

Johnathan Harms. Photo: Supplied

BY REMI TRAUERNICHT Mental Health professional Jonathan Harms is the Greens candidate running for the city seat of Sydney. He has lived and worked in Sydney for 15 years and his career has taken him from plaintiff lawyer to policy advisor. Most recently he has worked for Mental Health carers NSW. He supports the Greens’ environmental agenda and wants to build local renewable electricity generators, and incorporate better systems for the environment.

He tells City Hub one of his key areas of concern in the coming election is Sydney’s nightlife.

He believes the Liberal party’s “assault on fun” is getting out of control and that Sydney

fails to address the root cause of the violence. He says that if elected the Greens will put pressure on the Government to end the lockout laws, end the crackdown on festivals, end the use of drug dogs and allow pill testing.

“They put lives at risk and will decimate our creative, hospitality and tourism industries,” he says.

Mr Harms supports a policy of harm minimisation as he believes the so-called “War on Drugs” has failed to reduce the harmful use of drugs and associated social impacts.

“The Greens stand for a harm minimisation approach... the most appropriate way to reduce the adverse health, social and economic consequences of drug or substance use for individuals and the community.”

When asked how this approach would work in a practical sense, he responded, “as a starting point, we would establish clear licensing and planning rules”.

“We would also develop measures to support residents and revellers at night, by things like better transport and toilet facilities and try to encourage a nightlife inclusive of all ages.”

If elected, Mr Harms says he will do his best to help the environment and restore Sydney’s nightlife. He says that he supports a change in government as he thinks the Coalition is failing to tackle environmental issues and support “vital” social programs like the Safe State Program.

“A minority Coalition government with Alt-Right support would be devastating,” he concludes.

Alex Greenwich. Photo: Supplied

Lyndon Gannon. Photo: Supplied

Last year he took part in SBS’s TV program “Filthy Rich and Homeless” which gave him an “eye opening” first-hand experience into the realities that homeless people across NSW face.

“There’s concern about the hundreds of millions of dollars in stadiums in a time when homelessness is increasing [in NSW] at more than twice the national average,” says Mr Greenwich.

According to the 2016 Census, in NSW just under 50 people in every 10,000 homeless. This increased 37% since 2011.

In August last year 278 rough sleepers were counted in the City of Sydney. But rough sleepers only account for 7% of all homeless people, and Mr Greenwich would like protections for all homeless people and tighter regulations on boarding houses.

“There needs to be stronger outreach to boarding houses to get those people in need in boarding houses into safer accommodation,” he explains.

Mr Gannon also sees homelessness as a key issue in the Sydney area, and something that would be his “top priority” should he be elected. For him,

it is seeing his brother go through struggles with homelessness and alcoholism that opened his eyes to this issue.

He says that having party backing gives him the footing he needs to tackle these important questions.

“It’s difficult for a cross bencher to get the most for their electorate, whereas if I was elected to parliament I’d be in government and I’d be able to advocate much more strongly for the constituents,” he explains.

But Mr Greenwich disagrees. He says that being an independent means he can fight on behalf of his constituents without being “silenced” by a party.

“What we’re able to do is to work with and hold accountable anyone who is in government and anyone who is the opposition. We’re not able to be muted like the major parties do,” he says.

“We work for our electors, we don’t work for a political party.”

Will the Liberal party’s young-gun be enough to pull them over the finish line or will the voters of Sydney will retain faith in their independent voice?

Candidate profile: Fiona Douskou

By KYLE HUWALDT Fiona Douskou is the Small Business Party candidate in the upcoming election for the seat of Sydney. Fiona is a resident of Potts Point and grew up in a small business family.

She believes that she will more than compensate for her lack of political experience by “bring[ing] a wealth of real life business experience to the role”.

In the past she has run her own businesses and worked as a business advocate in Sydney’s telecommunications industry.

Ms Douskou’s campaign is standard for the budding Small Business party. She is calling for the removal of the Payroll tax and the Land Tax as well cutting of red tape for small businesses.

She also emphasized the importance of slashing energy prices, but never supplied a plan to accomplish such a task.

When asked about Alex Greenwich, the incumbent candidate, she admits he has dealt with some difficult challenges during his term, but she strongly believes that small businesses are the foundations for a strong community and that Mr Greenwich has not been supporting those businesses as much as he should be.

Ms Douskou cites the failed construction of the Sydney CBD Light Rail as evidence that the city currently does not give enough thought to the welfare of small business.

The CBD light rail, which was supposed to be completed early 2019 ahead of the election, has been delayed to some time in May 2020.

The project’s construction “blunders” have

Fiona Douskou. Photo: Supplied

completely shut down George Street and the ensuing chaos has forced several businesses to shut their doors. This is certainly one of Fiona’s key campaign focuses.

When asked about Sydney’s dwindling nightlife, Ms Douskou told City Hub that while night-life adds to the vibrance of any city, more business hours is not necessarily a good thing for small businesses.

Her goal is to better Sydney’s small businesses through cost reduction policies so that current business hours are more productive. Enlivening Sydney’s late-night scene comes secondary. city hub 7 MARCH 2019

5

A child shall lead them

By Peter Hehir ALP flyers in Summer Hill and Balmain are attempting to allay the fears of residents concerned about the Western Harbour Tunnel (WHT).

A recent City Hub article outlined a scenario whereby at some point after the election Labor would do a back flip on their election promise to oppose the WHT. Well it appears we didn’t have to wait that long.

According to an article in yesterday’s Sydney Morning Herald the ALP aren’t firmly committing to stopping the WHT, they are just deferring it.

Seeking clarification, I spoke with Matt Wade, one of two SMH journalists who wrote the piece. Matt said that the word that was used by the ALP spokesperson was “reprioritised”.

He referred me to the contact in Daley’s office to confirm Labor’s current position on this contentious project.

The spokesperson there – who asked not to be named, said “We have no plans to build this project, nor to fund it. And that includes spending any money to plan the project”.

So… no plans. Does that really mean it’s totally out of the question as far as Labor is concerned, as McKay says? Or does reprioritised, mean that it’s proceeding but just delayed? Is it perhaps quietly smouldering away on the back burner?

NSW Labor Deputy Leader Penny Sharpe didn’t shed any light.

At the Fix NSW march in Hyde Park on Sunday she said that over

Future Music Festival in Sydney. Photo: Flickr

$70 billion worth of public assets had been privatised under the current government, but she studiously avoided any mention of WestConnex.

This didn’t sit well with the large crowd, all of whom were united in their support for public transport and hostile to tolled motorways and so

she copped a few brickbats for her pains.

At one point almost 1,000 people had gathered to listen to the speakers, many on the gentle grassy slope in front of the stage, scores of others sheltering from the sun under the trees.

Uncle Raymond performed

the smoking ceremony and the acknowledgement of country, speaking with passion and eloquence about the plight of aboriginal people. He said “While the fish kills were making international headlines, what wasn’t being reported was that aboriginal communities along the river were suffering a water crisis”.

Bruce Shillingworths, an aboriginal man from Brewarrina pulled no punches. He criticised a system that allowed water to be stolen from the river. “The river is our survival. The fish traps in Brewarrina are sacred sites.

Aboriginal communities are suffering from lack of water and are forced to drink bore water, which is not fit for human consumption”.

“Stop the greed” he said time and again. “Stop the greed”.

Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi was due to speak but had been delayed in Pakistan, so Jenny Leong was deputised. She really let fly making it abundantly clear that the ALP supports WestConnex. In relation to the Liberals she said “Stand as one and kick these bastards out”.

Jess Miller, a Councillor from the City of Sydney wrapped up the speeches by suggesting that the Berejiklian government was guilty of many things, but their major crime was a “complete lack of imagination – that they were totally out of touch”.

She suggested that most governments manage to alienate some sections of society but somehow “the Libs had managed to piss everyone off!”

However the warmest reception was reserved for two 14 year old girls, Jean Hinchliffe and Daisy Jeffrey from Student Strike 4 Climate, who addressed the crowd about the pressing need for immediate action on climate change.

They spoke in tandem with a clarity of vision, a perception and a wisdom that belied their youth. Many of those attending were left with the impression that these two could wipe the floor with the best that the Lib and ALP proponents could put up in defence of their tollroads.

They both articulated the absurdity of WestConnex and the 18% of total emissions attributed to transport. They stated that “100% renewable energy by 2050 isn’t good enough, that public transport is the answer”.

Jean said “It is beyond irresponsible for a politician to not take immediate and drastic action surrounding the climate crisis and investing in more roads and highways over public transport is very much included. [...]

It’s a problem with our politicians not making public transport more accessible and preferable to the average person.”

Jean and Daisy are speaking for the next generation, the community who will inherit tomorrow. And they are well aware of the responsibility that we all have to hand them a future that is liveable, with air that isn’t poisoned, food that is uncontaminated and water that is fit to drink.

They can’t vote – but you can. So please, use it wisely.

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Gretel Killeen & Margaret Pomeranz at Dame Changer Photo: Supplied.

I am Woman Sandradee Makejev of St Frock.

Photo: Anne Peeters

Grace Huie Robbins of Graffiti Ore. Photo: Supplied.

By Rita Bratovich International Women’s Day (IWD) becomes more celebrated each year, with organisations across the globe hosting events, running campaigns, and creating initiatives aimed at attaining pay parity, equal opportunities, and improved social conditions for women. This year’s theme is Balance For Better (#BalanceforBetter) advancing the message that equal gender representation enriches work and social environments.

Arguably, it was the #MeToo movement, highlighting egregious sexist behaviour in the film industry, that was the catalyst for what some people consider a current “fourth wave” of feminism. It galvanised women in film, spawning organisations such as Dame Changer, a collective of professional film industry women mid-stream in their careers, who have aligned with other industry bodies to implement change. Founding Member and producer, Heather Oxenham, says the disparity is particularly evident in what have long been considered masculine jobs.

“Women are finding it much more difficult to rise up the ranks in the traditional technical areas. Roughly, out of 230 registered directors of photography, there are about 10 accredited women.”

She puts it down to mindset and entrenched systems.

“Some of the patriarchal structures have prevented women’s progression and success,” she explains. “We try to address some of those barriers in terms of opening up opportunities and building commercial skill sets.”

Changing the male-dominated infrastructure,

FEATURE

The St Frock team. Photo: Supplied

however, is not part of the agenda. Dame Changer is more about promoting visibility and awareness that will allow projects for women to be created.

Membership is restricted to women who have established careers and a level of achievement in the industry, but Oxenham acknowledges the importance of male participation.

“We have very high profile men supporting us and who believe in what we’re doing,” she says.

Dame Changer was launched last year on IWD with a special event and this year they are again recognising IWD by holding a forum that features a panel of high profile industry guests.

“At the event, we have women representatives from different areas, different key sectors. So we have a female director of photography, we have a leading female editor, we have Gillian Armstrong, director, we’ve got female composer - and I think there are very few female composers in [screen].

Then we’ve got an actress, and we’re going to deep dive into some of the challenges they’ve discovered and talk about how we can build our resilience and what’s important moving forward,” says Oxenham.

“And celebrate success, because […] we don’t celebrate our successful women enough.”

Discussion will be followed by a Q&A session.

With regard to the theme, Balance For Better, Oxenham says: “We haven’t even got a seat at the table yet, so that’s what we’re trying to do is get a seat at the table.”

Rene Russo owns and runs Hypmotive Hub in Marrickville, a creative space that provides retail, exhibition, and workshop opportunities for emerging and local artists. She’s running an evening event on IWD featuring four female artists and

designers who’ll be there to share their stories and show their works.

“Our event is a celebration to mark the occasion and we’re addressing this year’s theme, “balance for better”, by forging positive visibility of women, and to celebrate women’s achievements within our niche which is retail, unique art and design,” says Russo.

The featured artists are: Grace Huie Robbins, a local Inner West artist who up-cycles and repurposes graffiti paint agate into wearable pieces of art; Marika Svikis, an emerging jewellery designer, who experiments with and delivers a unique range of rings and pendants utilizing 3D printing technology; Helen Nehill, a unique artist who uses fine-liner pen and stream of consciousness to depict underwater menageries, interstellar space and strange beasts; Maddy Rowley, an emerging jeweller intrigued by patterns in nature, who launched her first range last year, relics and rock pools.

Marrickville is a culturally and demographically diverse suburb with a fairly open-minded community - something Russo acknowledges and appreciates. In terms of the wider world, she believes there is still much work to be done.

“The aim of IWD is to achieve full gender equality, so until that is actualised it’s important to continually campaign to raise awareness in order to make progress. Art has the power to influence and educate.”

Sandradee Makejev has had to deal with a few gender barriers forging a successful women’s clothing store, St Frock, in the competitive retail fashion sector.

“In my early career I would come up against gender

bias regularly in the workplace, which was disappointing but only made me work harder to prove a point,” says Makejev. “At St Frock I created an environment where young women could excel and empower each other in e-commerce, in leadership positions that were usually held by men.”

A big part of Makejev’s success is her canny use of Instagram. She has a significant following, with fans as keen to see the latest merchandise as they are to read the witty one-liners she frequently posts. During the week of IWD, she is using her account to highlight lesser known Australian women whom she admires.

“It bothers me that so many young women can not name inspiring Australian women that are making a difference for future generations so we wanted to feature them on our Instagram stories this week.

Two of my favourites are Kate Morris, the Founder and CEO from Adore Beauty, who regularly challenges and calls out corporate Australia about [unbalanced boardrooms].The other one is Lisa Wilkinson who was brave enough to walk away from her role at Today to make a stand on the pay gap with her male co-host. Both these Australian women are inspiring and we need to support and celebrate them,” she says.

Makejev believes IWD is a potent platform for recognising women who drive change, call out injustices, and continue to challenge the status quo.

It is helps unify women over a common cause.

“I’m a big believer that diversity and inclusion drives innovation in the workplace.Without limiting ourselves to a single cultural view the St Frock team celebrate our differences, and problem solve through collaboration together.”

International Women’s Day Celebration. Mar 12. Event Cinema, 500 Oxford St, Bondi Junction. $38.01–$127.69+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.damechanger.com Hypmotive - International Women’s Day. Mar 8. 155 Marrickville Road, Marrickville. FREE but must RSVP. Info: www.facebook.com/hypmotive St Frock, 18 Union St, Pyrmont. Info: www.stfrock.com.au or www.instagram.com/stfrock city hub 7 MARCH 2019

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Rebecca Rocheford Davies read a review on Russian Transport in the New York Times about five years ago, ordered the script, contacted director Joseph Uchitel and is now finally staging the play. Written by first-time playwright Erika Sheffer - and winning her an award - Russian Transport tells the story of a Russian Jewish immigrant couple with two grown American-born children, living in a Russian ghetto in New York City. Davies plays Diana, the family matriarch, and she sums up the backdrop like this: “They live in a small house in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, and they’re running a car service out of the back of the house, so there’s [sic] drivers coming in and out of the house all the

time and it’s half business, half home, and I’m trying to keep the home as homely and as comfortable as possible but we’re really struggling to make ends meet.”

Diana is tough, determined, and indifferent to ethical principles; traits she inherited from her criminal family background. When she asks her brother in Russia to come to New York so they can resume the “family business” it causes intense friction in Diana’s household and gradually reveals very unsavoury secrets.

“So in a way, it’s like Tolstoy meets The Sopranos,” says Davies. “It’s funny, and it’s dark and it’s disturbing and it’s definitely entertaining.”

Davies and her onstage brother and husband are required to speak with Russian/New York accents, and occasionally in Russian. That meant some intense sessions with a dialect coach which Davies described as a lot of fun. The accents and cultural divide between parents and children contribute a lot to the humour and depict a universal immigrant experience that makes the play relatable to an Australian audience.

“We’re all trying to figure out how we’re going to create this society and what it means to be American and what it means to be Australian, and that question is really pertinent right now,” says Davies. (RB) Mar 9-31. Eternity Playhouse, 39 Burton St, Darlinghurst. $46-$59+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.darlinghursttheatre.com

Photo: Daniel-Boud

Every Brilliant Thing

Facing her first solo performance, Kate Mulvany says she has never “performed solo.

This is it! So along with coming to see a fabulous play, you get the added bonus of seeing me sweat with abject fear!”

She is playing a grown-up daughter who, as a child, compiled a list of all the brilliant things in life she could think of to please her depressed mother.

As an adult, she is still compiling her list, and as the blurb says, “What started as a naïve way of getting through the day has become a profound truth.”

This play, says Kate, “encourages the audience to take part in the dialogue of the performance. It’s a conversation between the narrator and the audience. It doesn’t feel like a one-person play. It feels like a 300-person chat.”

The theatre is being rebuilt into a circle around the stage and Kate, and she is very happy for the opportunity this affords to exchange confidences with the audience. “I won’t force them to share anything they don’t want to,” she emphasises, “but I can’t guarantee I won’t confide in them!”

Kate is really enthusiastic about the play.

“The play is, more than anything, unashamedly life-affirming. It acknowledges darkness but encourages us all to look for light through our relationship to ourselves and to each other. We promise a beautiful, safe, funny, sad, entertaining night in the theatre. It’s one of the most important conversations I’ve ever taken part in artistically, and I’m proud to be involved.” (ID) Mar 8-31. Belvoir Theatre - Upstairs, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills. $30-$85+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.belvoir.com.au

a&e

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city hub 7 MARCH 2019

18 STAGE 10 SCENE 11 Sounds 11 SCREEN

Coming to Glen Street Theatre this weekend is the personal, raw and hilarious one-woman show, RED. Australian based choreographer, performer and producer Liz Lea stars as the solo performer in this stunning interdisciplinary piece. Not only does Liz perform in RED, but the story she tells onstage is from her own life experience and struggle with endometriosis and fertility.

RED is the result of over five years collaboration and creative development with a wide range of choreographers, dramaturges and film-makers, and the final product is a stunning demonstration of movement, film, theatre and emotion.

RED is filled with endless combinations of theatre, film and movement. Liz described the way the piece developed and changed as she and the creative team explored the content and shape of the work.

“In the beginning, it was just general dance. But with the

Photo: Lorna Sim

Photo: Daniel Shipp

RED

subject matter, it can be quite confronting. Now, it’s really a theatre piece with dance in it.”

Liz speaks of the challenging content in the piece, saying, “we’ve had very, very strong emotional responses to the work. The fact that I now can’t have kids is something that really resonates with a lot of people.”

RED is the triumphant story of one woman’s personal battle – that woman being Liz Lea herself. The piece is allencompassing and uses multiple

REVIEW: Werther

Why is it that in opera, as the plot becomes more melancholic, the singing gets better, as was evident in Opera Australia’s Werther?

Director Elijah Moshinsky gave the first three acts of this production a contemporary, light atmosphere – quite different to Goethe’s novel called The Sorrows Of Young Werther, on which French composer Massenet based his opera.

Werther captures the zeitgeist of the 1800s – a pastoral, idyllic opening in Act One, from which the love story plummets to Werther’s lovelorn suicide in Act Four.

That was a new twist on the standard opera plot – normally it was the heroine who was despatched!

Under the baton of conductor Carlo Montanaro, the orchestra established the perfect atmosphere for the various scenes from moonlit night to deathbed finale.

A large cohort of children represented the motherless family of bailiff Le Bailli (sung by Richard Anderson), of whom the heroine Charlotte (Elena Maximova) is the eldest daughter and much-loved surrogate mother.

Her fiancé, then husband, Albert (Luke Gabbedy), added pomposity as a successful businessman, while lively sister Sophie (Stacey Alleaume) shone in her Act Three aria.

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

forms of performance to tell each intricate part of her story.

With such a personal connection to the piece, Liz said, “I think one of the great things about performing at Glen Street is that I’m performing quite close to my home. It’s like my spiritual home and it’s great to be able to bring the work home.” (MB) Mar 8-9. Glen Street Theatre, Cnr Glen St & Blackbutts Rd, Belrose. $32-$39+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.glenstreet.com.au

Michael Fabiano. Photo: Prudence Upton

Russian Transport

But the evening belonged to the rejected poetlover Werther, played by tenor Michael Fabiano.

This is a voice of note – Italianate rather than French in timbre – which shone particularly in Acts Three and Four.

The voices of Werther and Charlotte blended voluptuously to produce some of the best singing of the evening.

In summary, the plot-line may be sorrowful, but the production and singing are definitely not!

Well worth a visit! (ID) Until Mar 11. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $39-$361+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Contributors: Emily Shen, Irina Dunn, Jade Morellini, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Olga Azar, Rita Bratovich, Sarah Pritchard, Shon Ho, Riley Hooper, Erika Echternach, Joseph Rana, John Moyle, Madison Behringer, Allison Hore, Renee Dallow, Renee Dallow, Alannah Maher.

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Fantasm - 1001 Nights

“Australia has never seen anything like this before,” says producer/dancer Jrisi Jusakos, describing the new show from dance company, Bellydance Evolution called Fantasm - 1001 Nights. The show has already toured around Europe and Asia to elated audiences, and now it is doing a limited season in Australia. Fantasm tells the famous Arabian folk stories from the classic text, 1001 Nights, but does it all with dance, using raqs sharqi (the correct term for “bellydance”) as a base and mixing in various other disciplines including contemporary and classical.

Australians normally only experience raqs sharqi in the form of bellydancers in restaurants or at weddings.

“You rarely see it in a theatrical context, particularly supported by a narrative and supported by original composition,” says Jurakos. “This whole show is choreographed to an original composition

by Paul Dinletir who is an LA based musical composer for motion pictures.”

It’s a truly international troupe of dancers. When they were casting for it they put a call out online and invited applicants from around the world. The lead performers include ballet dancers from Latvia and a Polynesian from Los Angeles who had previously performed with Cirque du Soleil. The rest of the ensemble come from countries including New Zealand, Italy,Venezuela, America, and Mexico. There is also a percussionist from Germany who will play the Arabic tambla (drum) live on stage.

“We also use a lot of props that are really visual, such as wings and veils and big umbrellas and lots of visually spectacular things,” says Jusakos. “It’s a show that, even though you may not know bellydance or never seen it, but you love dance or you love art or you love theatre… this is something that is for everyone. It’s a universal language.”

It’s something that a whole family can see together and prices for children and seniors have been heavily discounted.

“We want them to come and see the show.” (RB) Mar 9.The Concourse, Victoria Ave, Chatswood. $39-$79.80+b.f.Tickets & Info: www. bellydanceevolution.com.au

The Miser

John Bell is playing the lead role in Moliere’s The Miser so I asked him how he gets himself into character.

“It doesn’t come easy being someone so miserable,” he responds.

But, Bell says, “Moliere is a very generous writer who always feels a lot for his oddball characters and believes we should try to understand them better.”

Of course, Moliere wrote most of his characters – the Miser, the Misanthrope, the Hypochondriac – because he revelled in acting out those characters himself.

Bell comments that The Miser “has quite a bitter twist to it” and thinks this is probably the reason it was not as successful as his other plays at the time, but it has since become his most famous play and the most often performed, along with Tartuffe.

Bell tells me that Justin Fleming’s script is very contemporary, written in a very Australian vernacular, “which is, of course, our preference as an Australian theatre company.” And this, he says, “really adds to the humour quite a lot.”

Why should Australian audiences come to see Bell in this role?

“Well, you could say because it’s going to be brilliant, but I can’t say that,” Bell laughs, and adds, “You don’t get a chance to see this play performed very often in Australia.

Photo: Pierre Toussant

It’s going to be quite a glamorous show, with extravagant design, and it’s going to be an entertaining evening.”

Most of all, perhaps, it will be for the pleasure of seeing how one of Australia’s finest actors tackles this complex role. (ID) Mar 2-Apr 6. Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $35-$95+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.bellshakespeare.com.au

THE NAKED CITY

MAKE AUSTRALIA GRATE!

With Coffin Ed With a Federal Election looming a new form of street art has suddenly appeared all over Australia. Not some mindless variant on popular graffiti or a lovingly painted street mural – no, it’s the defaced Clive Palmer United Australia Party billboard. With a budget that seems to know no bounds, Clive has been plastering the urban landscape with his “Put Australia First” and “Make Australia Great” billboards. Given his current level of popularity, it’s an open invitation for anybody with a spray can to have both a bit of fun and make a strong political statement.

The ‘modifications’ to Clive’s billboards recall a similar movement from the late 1970s which began in Sydney and soon spread to the other capital cities. ‘BUGAUP’ or ‘Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions’ targeted mainly cigarette and alcohol billboards, which proliferated at the time.

Humour was their biggest weapon which often involved blocking out certain letters to create a totally different message.

Unlike America where billboards abound at every election from local council officials to the Presidency itself, Australia has never been big on in your face outdoor advertising when it comes to pushing or damming a particular candidate. For starters billboards aren’t cheap, they are often considered crass and grandiose and political parties no doubt see better ways to spend their electioneering dollar. They are also vulnerable and when they are defaced they are immediately open to ridicule and the costly expense of repapering.

Most political candidates these days, from local government through to the Feds, prefer the smaller portrait style poster, widely displayed 10

city hub 7 MARCH 2019

on lamp posts, in shop windows and just about anywhere they can be noticed. They too are subject to the occasional defacing or outright theft as has recently been the case.

Their actual legal status as outdoor advertising is open to question – stick up a pole poster advertising a rock’n’roll gig and you could be liable for prosecution. It seems a blind eye is conveniently turned when elections roll around.

Which brings us back to the larger than life Clive Palmer who is apparently splurging millions to promote his resurrected Palmer United Party, now branded the United Australia Party. Despite being very much on the nose after the closure of his Townsville nickel refinery, Clive is obviously drawing much inspiration from the current Trump presidency with his simplistic appeal to nationalism and his appropriated slogans like “Make Australia Great”.

The general feeling is that Australian voters are nowhere near as dumb as their American counterparts when it comes to political hype, with many political commentators already claiming that no UAP candidate will be elected anywhere. If Clive is spending a reported 10 million dollars on the UAP campaign, it can’t be entirely a matter of boosting his already humongous ego – or can it?

Maybe he just likes the idea of seeing his beaming face on a multitude of billboards from Townsville to Hobart and is not all that perturbed when they are drastically realtered.

The only thing worse than being a political has-been is a has-been that nobody notices.

Even if you lose the ‘G’ and the ‘R’ from your popular slogan at least somebody will observe that the rather portly Clive is urging to ‘MAKE AUSTRALIA EAT’.

REVIEW: Tricia Taylor - Capturing The Light From Coogee to the headland of Sydney and beyond, master pastellist Tricia Taylor “Captures the Light” with her new exhibition at Bondi Pavillion. The exhibition includes many works depicting the coastlines around Sydney in vibrant hues of blue, green and pink.

“Getting down to the ocean and seeing that light in different times of day is just mesmerising,” Taylor explains.

Ocean Splendor

By Jamie Apps Looking back on the year that they had in 2018, which saw them play a whopping 96 live shows around the globe, you could forgive Ocean Alley for using 2019 as a year of rest, recuperation, writing and recording. However, when you look at the band’s schedule and achievements already this year, it certainly doesn’t look like they’ll be slowing down any time soon.

The band from Sydney kicked off the year by taking out the top spot in the annual Triple J Hottest 100 with their song, Confidence. To make this achievement even more impressive though they also had songs from their second album, Chiaroscuro, charting in the 100th, 16th and 10th spots. When City Hub spoke with guitarist Mitch Galbraith we asked if they realised how special this record was when they were recording.

“Even before anybody else had heard it we definitely believed it was our best work so

Ocean Alley

far,” answered Galbraith before adding, “We’ve been so overwhelmed by the massive support.”

With this wave of momentum now behind them, the band is looking ahead to numerous live tours, which could potentially see them topping last year’s figures.

“Playing live is when we have the most fun

Greta

Greta is the new name in terror, a character so perversely evil and repugnant that audiences will think twice before befriending middle-aged women again.

When 20-something Frances (Chloe Grace Moretz) meets Greta (Isabelle Huppert), a seemingly innocent and

“I think to capture that light at all the different times of day was what drove me to make this collection, rather than just getting the waves right it’s feeling the light.”

Taylor has exhibited her work across the globe. But Capturing The Light is her first solo exhibition in Sydney.

Taylor also works as an art teacher, sharing her techniques with students in the countries she’s exhibited in. She says the

lonely woman, a bond develops until Frances makes a discovery which doesn’t just shatter their friendship but threatens her very existence.

Momentum shifts very quickly in this creepy film which contains many gruesome scenes that will have audiences turning away in horror.

and get to connect with our audience. It was fantastic last year so maybe we can do even better this year. If we see the number getting close to 100 maybe we’ll just book a couple of extra shows at the end of the year to get it over the line.”

In order to be able to perform such a high number of live shows Ocean Alley lean heavily on their support staff, who they are also incredibly appreciative of. Galbraith explained that this was a major reason why the band chose to be involved in the recent Don’t Kill Live Music rally in Sydney.

“We chose to take part because first of all these decisions affect us directly, but more importantly it also affects all of the crew and staff we work with, it affects the punters and the many other parts of the economy as well.”

Mar 8-10. Hordern Pavilion, 1 Driver Ave, Moore Park. $89.90+b.f.

Tickets & Info: www.playbillvenues.com.au

Insight is offered into the mind of a psychopathic stalker, initially portrayed as the perfect mother figure. Huppert plays the arch villain convincingly, her foreign accent further intensifying the unease that audiences will experience.

Some silly dialogue especially in the last scene and cliched moments which are typical of the horror genre degrades the film slightly, but ultimately it’s worth watching.

A universal social comment resonates quite clearly - can loneliness escalate into a serious mental illness?

Greta has done for mature women what Jaws did for beaches and has created a new monster that will deliver plenty of memorable jumpscare moments. (MMo)

WWW

trick to drawing water which actually looks like water is being fluid in your style.

“You need to be moving yourself and not try to capture it too tight.

The more exact you are the more rigid it is and the more tight it looks.”

During the exhibition, Taylor will also hold demonstrations showcasing how she works with pastels to create vibrant, dynamic images. Though she also works

with other mediums, like oil paint, it is the “freshness” of pastels that she really likes.

“Oils have a palette where you mix all the colours in front of you, and then put them on the canvas.

For pastel, you’re bringing them straight from out of the box and the page is your palette as well. (AH) Until Mar 10. Bondi Pavillion Gallery, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach. Free.

Info: www.waverley.nsw.gov.au

dodie - Human Human doesn’t bring anything particularly innovative to the indie folk singer-songwriter genre, all the songs are very true to the expectations of the style. But dodie’s talent as a lyricist and vocalist is obvious. From the more abstract lyrics of the titular track Human to the crooning of She, in each track she showcases a unique side of herself.

It’s easy to see how dodie has amassed such a following online, with her tracks feeling intimate and personal.

Fellow YouTube songwriter Lewis Watson also lends his voice to the EP, featuring in Not What I Meant. The two complement each other well.

If you’re a fan of indie folk and enjoy the vocal style of performers like Lily Allen who dodie seems to have taken inspiration from, Human is worth a listen. (AH) WWW1/2

A Dog’s Way Home

Based on the book of the same name

by W. Bruce Cameron, A Dogs Way Home is the story of a dog who is separated from her owner and takes off on a massive journey across 400 miles to get back to the place she calls home. Along the way, the cute canine makes a bunch of new friends, bringing with her a little joy to each of their lives.

The family adventure film is directed

by Charles Martin and stars Ashley Judd, Edward James Olmos, Wes Studi, Alexandria Shipp, Barry Watson and Chris Bauer, with Bryce Dallas Howard performing the voice of dog Bella.

A Dogs Way Home is a heart warmer with the familiar story able to pull on

even the strongest of heartstrings. An entertaining adventure and funny at times, but nothing too special. (RH) WWW

Everybody Knows Everybody Knows, which stars Oscar winners Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, was the recipient of eight nominations at the 2019 Goya Awards (Spanish Academy Awards) and quintessentially highlights the increased production values of films from Spain.

Merriment turns into a mother’s worst nightmare when Laura’s (Penelope Cruz)

daughter is kidnapped whilst at a wedding reception outside Madrid in Spain.

Was the kidnapper an uninvited guest or one of the many family members who attended the wedding? What is the family secret which everybody silently knows about which could hinder the identity of the kidnapper and the safe return of the girl?

This thriller, which is one of the few Spanish

films to have received a cinematic release in Australia in recent years, is spoken in Spanish with English subtitles. It won’t set the box office on fire in this country but will be an enthralling two hours in a darkened cinema for those discerning movie-goers who wisely choose to attend.

(MMo) WWW1/2 city hub 7 MARCH 2019

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