City Hub 9 February 2017

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city hub 9 FEBRUARY2017

Opinion

Developers destroyed Sydney’s nightlife: here’s how we fix it

BY KIERAN ADAIR For the students, creatives and musical misfits bouncing around Sydney between 2005 and 2010, life revolved around Friday night. Each week a party called Purple Sneakers would sound its siren call, luring crowds to the sweat-filled dance floor of the Abercrombie Hotel.

Sneakers was an institution, one fuelled by a decade-long promiscuous relationship with guitars and dance music, cheap beer and liberal closing hours. It was the stomping ground of The Rubens, RÜFÜS, and Cloud Control, a cultural epicenter that would inspire a generation, a church of sticky shoes and dark corner pashes.

“We pushed that place to its limits…” Martin Novosel, founder of the club night, wrote recently.

“Putting bands on the roof, pushing into abandoned levels of the building, putting bands on at 2am and 3am in the morning, projecting visuals onto the side of the old brewery, often times running well into daylight hours, and doing pretty much whatever we could to make Sydney’s nightlife that bit more interesting.”

When its final night came, the line for the Abercrombie stretched all the way to the Central station. Right next to it, on the side of a thin construction fence, hung posters promoting its replacement: Central Park shopping centre and a batch of new luxury apartments.

While it’s easy to blame the lockouts for the current spate of venue closures, the Abercrombie’s demise shows this isn’t the whole story. Years before the lockouts, the forces of corporatism were already at work dismantling the city’s nightlife.

Forgotten alongside the debate over closure times and alcohol-fuelled violence, these forces have continued to work: turning student bars into gastro pubs, nightclubs into apartments, and live music into noise complaints.

While the former’s unique to Sydney, the latter has taken its toll around the world.

Sydney’s nightlife set to suffer. Photo: Sardaka

In London, a recent report found that the number of clubs in the city had almost halved between 2005 and 2015. Like here, the redevelopment of nightlife districts was largely to blame.

As luxury apartments replace existing developments, rents go up and so do business rates. Councils have to juggle the demands of their new residents with those of the existing nightclub ecosystem - when in trouble, they prioritise residents, and the clubs vanish.

You can see this in Kings Cross, where residents voted overwhelmingly in support of the lockouts.

You can see this on Oxford Street, where Q-Bar and Spectrum have been bought and turned into office space. And, you can see it in Glebe, where a single

noise complaint recently forced the Harold Park Hotel to suspend its live music.

When the scale of venue closures in London became known, former-Mayor Boris Johnson established the city’s Night Time Commission, tasking it with finding ways to protect the city’s nightlife. The bulk of its recommendations are now being put into place by his successor, Sadiq Khan, and being met with success.

As well as 24-hour tube lines, Khan appointed a “Night Czar,” who works to bring together businesses and authorities to make sure nights run smoothly.

The Czar also chairs a new Music Development Board, which was set up, along with new planning guidelines, to assist those wanting to establish new

music venues and nightclubs. Importantly, the new Mayor has implemented an Agent of Change principle, which stops residents challenging noise that predates their arrival.

As a result of this program, last year saw the fewest club closures in London in a decade - with a new venue opening for each venue shut.

With a change in Premier comes an opportunity for the City of Sydney to put its own roadmap to recovery into action. In 2014, the council released its Live Music and Performance Action Plan - sadly just nine of its 60 recommendations have been implemented.

“We made a policy recommendation that the City should change our development control plan, that we should change policies, that we should change procedures so that live music venues didn’t get fined and threatened out of existence because of one upset neighbour.” Linda Scott, Labor Councillor, and live music activist, recently told The Music.

“That plan hasn’t been implemented, the policies haven’t been changed. In fact, the plan hasn’t even been budgeted for in the city even though it is over three years since it was released.”

Across the aisle, Liberal Councillor Christine Forster has also argued in favour of acting to restore the city’s nightlife.

“Dominic Perrottet [deputy leader of the Liberals]... vowed to tackle the issues important to his fellow millennials, and pointed to lockout laws being raised at barbecues with his mates. He and his Premier now have the perfect opportunity to listen and act.” she wrote in a recent Daily Telegraph op-ed.

Though, she did note, regretfully that “the lockout laws have changed Kings Cross forever. It will never be what it was before.”

Maybe not, just like there’ll never be another Abercrombie - and maybe that doesn’t matter.

Venues and memories change with each generation, the lesson from London is that Sydney can do this better.

Central Station’s future up for grabs Published weekly and freely available Sydney-wide.

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BY ANGIRA BHARADWAJ State government plans for Sydney’s busiest station may prioritise retail profits over public interests, the community fears.

Local ministers and international transport experts gathered on Wednesday February 1 to discuss how the redevelopment of Central Station may be used to create social and economic benefits.

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Andrew Constance was a speaker at the event.

“With work soon starting on a new light rail stop, as well as new Sydney Metro platforms, the time is right to think big about how we can transform Central to stand proudly with the grand stations of the world.

“NSW deserves a premier station that everyone can be proud of, one that’s not just a place to pass through but a destination itself,” he said.

However, Greens NSW Transport Spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi said she had concerns about the redevelopment prioritising private sector interests ahead of public transport.

“By all means, let’s make Central Station a more welcoming, open and effective space but the primary purpose of a train station must remain the best possible public transport service for passengers.

“The Transport Minister seems to be more concerned about turning Central Station into a mini Westfield rather than focussing on the needs of commuters,” she said.

Patricia Forsythe, Executive Director, Sydney Business Chamber was also present at the forum and said that significant engineering

What does the future hold for Central station? Photo: Hpeterswald

would be required if the government chooses to build over the station.

“Last year we started the process with a forum a year ago and followed it up this year with a second forum. We are focusing on whether they should go further with the redevelopment of the station and look at developing above the station and improving the amenities and connectivity,” she said.

Ms Forsythe said it is important to consider all potential issues before going ahead with the major project.

“We’re very aware that the Central Station precinct has a mix of housing, it’s an area also where we see homeless people gather around, there’s student housing in the area.

“There are a lot of diverse group that make

up our community and we cannot forget them if you’re doing a major redevelopment,” she said.

Greens MP for Newtown, Jenny Leong said that the community was not opposed to the idea of redevelopment but was vary of what the plans will entail.

“What we’re against is the Government cosying up to unscrupulous developers who are just focused on maximising profits, at the expense of our local area.

“It’s essential that new developments have mandated affordable housing targets [or we will] lose the diverse communities that makes our suburbs so vibrant,” she told news.com.au.

Have your say on the future of Central Station: www.yoursay.transport.nsw.gov.au city hub 9 FEBRUARY 2017

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Ex-councillors call for demerger Leichhardt Town Hall. Photo: Toby Hudson

By MICHAEL FORNO Four former councillors of the inner west have called on Premier Gladys Berejiklian to reverse Mike Baird’s unpopular council amalgamations.

Caroline Stott, Ted Cassidy, Monica Wangmann and John Stamolis have publicly called on the new government to de-merge the Inner West Council.

Their calls follow Ms Berejiklian’s first cabinet meeting where she signaled that council mergers were due for reconsideration under her leadership.

“I’ve indicated I’m willing to address those concerns across the Liberals and Nationals and obviously across the community.

And that’s what we’re doing. No decision has been arrived at. No change in policy at this stage,” she said at a press conference.

Ms Stott, a former councillor of Ashfield, wants the new Premier to be more forthcoming about the amalgamations.

“I don’t know when Ms Berejiklian is actually going to make a proper announcement about this, she seems to be holding off.

She has it in the too hard basket and that concerns me,” she told City Hub. “The bottom line is that we did not support the amalgamation of the councils at all. We now have this lack of representation. In

the old council one councillor represented around 3,000 people and it’s now a much bigger number.”

Ted Cassidy, former Mayor of Ashfield, also believes that the Inner West Council can’t adequately serve the area’s needs.

“The interests of all residents and businesses in the inner west would be better served by the reinstatement of the Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville councils as they were prior to their forced amalgamation,” he says.

“Communities of the inner west have a historical expectation that their local Council representative will be a person who they can relate to and an expectation that their interests will be pursued.

John Stamolis, former Leichhardt councillor, says all that is stopping the de-amalgamation process is a lack of political will from Macquarie Street.

“I believe that state government could unravel these right now.

They could say, even though this has been done, it hasn’t been done in the right way, “In the scheme of things we’re only six or so months down the track so I think we could undo this without much trouble.

It’s important to remember that organisations and businesses demerge all the time. It’s not something new, companies are doing it every day.” he said.

The interim administrator of the Inner West Council, Richard Pearson, isn’t convinced a de-amalgamation would be straightforward.

“You would have to re-recruit a whole management layer. You are reinstituting a cost that the merger was designed to save,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

However for the sacked councillors the amalgamations are a matter of local democracy, not finances.

Ms Wangmann said in a press release: “Let our community have a direct say in how they are governed. Offer voters a chance to de-amalgamate at, or before the next elections. The Liberal Party understands that council amalgamations are not supported by communities.”

Ms Stott is hopeful that mounting pressure on the Berejiklian Government will result in the de-amalgamation of the merged councils.

“I never give up hope. If the Liberal party wants to get reelected they will have to do something about the amalgamation issue.”

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Noisy neighbours deaf to White Bay community concern

By MICHAEL FORNO Cruise liners docked at the White Bay Cruise Terminal are too loud experts say, and residents agree.

On Tuesday night, a public meeting heard from sound pollution expert Rodney Stevens who conducted an environmental noise assessment into the White Bay Cruise Terminal.

The report was commissioned by the Inner West Council and will form part of its formal submission to the Port Authority of NSW Noise Mitigation Strategy for the White Bay Cruise Terminal.

Since the terminal opened in 2013, residents have been affected by excessive noise levels from ship power generators, PA announcements and routine maintenance.

Sydney Ports is currently undertaking its first noise mitigation assessment in the four years that White Bay Cruise Terminal has been in operation.

The Port Authority has finalised its public submissions process, which included Mr Stevens’ report.

“Noise data would back up complaints from residents,” he said at the meeting.

The Ports Authority was not represented at the meeting, nor was the cruise ship industry.

The meeting was chaired by former Leichhardt Councilor John Stamolis. He told City Hub he is concerned by the lack of community consultation.

“The fact is that NSW Ports didn’t even send a representative on Tuesday night. So there we go, NSW Ports was absent and so was the cruise ship industry. That alone is a concern.

“It’s a very worrying sign. My question is, why are they absent from these forums? Any industry

Noisy neighbours disturb Balmain residents. Photo: Michael Forno

concerned about its responsibilities would surely want to meet with the community and hear their concerns,” he said.

Mr Stevens told the audience that one of the biggest contributing factors to excess noise is onboard power generation. He suggested that while in port, ships should get their power from onshore sources.

“That would immediately cut noise significantly, and the 25 per cent of ships that already have the capacity to use shore-based power should have priority access to White Bay over ships that do not,” he said.

Contrary to Mr Stevens’ expert assessment, the Port Authority is prioritising measures that place the

Public Exhibition Annual Notice – Pesticide Use Notification Plan The City of Sydney’s Pesticide Use Notification Plan and schedule for 2017 is now on display. The plan and schedule helps our community make informed decisions to avoid or minimise contact with locations where pesticides will be used.

For enquiries about this plan please contact Michelle Munda, Parks Contract Coordinator, on 02 9265 7230 or email mmunda@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au For more information call 02 9265 9333 or email council@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au 6

city hub 9 FEBRUARY2017

cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au Sydney2030/Green/Global/Connected

The 2017 schedule details planned pesticide use, suburb by suburb. The plan outlines how we notify the community when pesticides are to be used, and the public places where pesticides are used. It also includes product names and contact details.

Facilities such as schools, childcare centres and hospitals are classified as sensitive sites and receive written notice before any pesticide treatment program by the City.

Owners or occupiers can apply to add their property to the hot spot register in the plan and request pesticide use be limited or avoided in a particular area.

You can see the plan for 2017, a definition of sensitive sites, and an online form to let the City know about hot spots, at cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/pesticide–notification–plan Printed copies of the plan are available for inspection at: • Kings Cross Neighbourhood • One Stop Shop (CBD) Service Centre Level 2, Town Hall House, 50–52 Darlinghurst Road, 456 Kent Street, Sydney Kings Cross Monday to Friday: 8am–6pm Monday to Friday: 9am–5pm • Glebe Neighbourhood Service Centre Saturday: 9am–midday 186 Glebe Point Road • Redfern Neighbourhood (cnr Wigram Road), Glebe Service Centre Monday to Friday: 9am–5pm 158 Redfern Street, Redfern • Green Square Neighbourhood Monday to Friday: 9am–5pm Service Centre Saturday: 9am–midday 100 Joynton Avenue, Zetland Monday to Friday: 10am–6pm

burden on residents.

The central element of the noise mitigation program so far is what the Port Authority calls noise attenuation.

A fact sheet from the Port Authority website on the Noise Mitigation Strategy reads: “The strategy includes a suite of initiatives that have been designed to minimise the impact of cruise ships on the local community.” “[This includes] noise attenuation comprising of physical treatments to homes to a defined area of residences where noise modelling indicates that average noise levels reach or exceed 55 decibels at night.”

Noise attenuation involves measures such as sealing gaps in doors and windows in affected homes.

Greens MP for Balmain Jamie Parker has long opposed the White Bay Cruise Terminal. He believes that dealing with the source of the noise is the best solution, and that noise attenuation won’t solve the problem.

“Unless we all have noise barriers around our houses, it can’t work and it won’t work,” Mr Parker said.

Placing the focus on modifying homes is the wrong way to go about noise mitigation according to Mr Stamolis.

“The emphasis for any solution to noise problem so far has been to look at the source. The Port Authority should not be asking residents to close windows and doors; they should not impose solutions on people’s homes. This does nothing to alter the outside noise.

“Suppose you want to have some friends over for a barbecue in the afternoon, these measures do nothing to stop the outside noise from the cruise ships. The problem has to be resolved from the source, ” he said.

Mr Stamolis holds out hope that the Ports Authority will address community concerns and hold cruise ships to high compliance standards.

“Residents are very sceptical about whether Ports will use their power and authority to ensure that level of compliance.

“I will wait and see and give them the benefit of the doubt. We are not being unreasonable in asking for these problems to be solved at the source because a lot of these can be resolved easily at the source.”

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7

Opinion

Australia, we can do better

BY ZEINAB ZEIN Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s silence on Donald Trump’s new immigration measures targeting seven Muslim majority countries, comes with an unspoken explanation. We have had our own bloody history of similar immigration policies targeting people on the basis of their racial and ethnic identity and remnants of the past remain today.

Australians should be at the forefront of the political condemnation critical of this turn in American law, but we are silent. As an Australian-Muslim, I expect more.

The White Australia Policy was instituted as a matter of course with the birth of our nation at Federation in 1901. It targeted nonwhites, Indigenous Australians, and people of Chinese and Pacific Islander backgrounds. Our first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, did not believe the doctrine of equality was to extend in the same way to non-whites as it did to people like him.

In his view, the Englishman and the Chinaman were different.

But times have changed, and with them, we have collectively advanced as a global society and history shows marks of a steady improvement. Influenced by the American civil rights movement’s push for greater equality in the face of discrimination, we relaxed our racist immigration laws. The 60s and 70s saw us vote overwhelmingly in favour of including Indigenous Australians in the census. We also opened our borders to people fleeing civil war from regions largely populated by Muslims and saw key laws such as the Racial Discrimination Act introduced and UN covenants espousing progressive ideals post WWII ratified domestically.

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Donald Trump speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Photo: Gage Skidmore

Today, it must be our priority to return the favour of our allies in America. This is not a time for politicians to be silent. Democracies must be handled with care in the face sociopolitical turmoil. They must be protected from becoming vulnerable to authoritarian and arbitrary rule.

This ban on immigration from countries with large Muslim populations has not occurred in a social vacuum. It follows a long

history of anti-Muslim discourse and practices in the United States and elsewhere. It has involved the painting of an entire community with one broad brush, depicting them as threats to the safety of others. The ripples of these actions are widespread and keenly felt

by Muslims around the world. Over a decade ago post 9/11, these ripples manifested in the detention of innocent Muslims in prisons around the country without charge and abroad

in Guantanamo Bay without recourse to the law. Over the past week, it was a detention most humiliating in the airport of a country whose broad ideals of human rights, the rule of law, equality and freedom, we have desperately clung onto to guide us out of the abyss during difficult times.

There lies a broken chain at the feet of the Statue of Liberty in New York. Perhaps this was left as a reminder to us all of the histories from which we move forward and where we must not return. The statue was a gift from France, a country which has faced a tumultuous period with recent terrorist attacks.

Images of it have been used by American protestors to lament Trump’s immigration policies as it has historically been used as a symbol of welcome for all seeking American refuge.

Australian leaders should echo their chants of shame as this can bring about change.

Remember, it did in Australia, thanks to our ally America.

When laws are bad, there is a strong need for running commentary, regardless of whether it is instituted domestically or internationally.

We can say this new law is bad unequivocally because it is discriminatory in practice, it targets people of the Islamic faith and then entraps us rhetorically in a negative political debate about terrorism which reinforces prejudices. We have not been immune from this in Australia, but we should certainly not remain silent.

The Turnbull Government’s current immigration policy is non-discriminatory on the grounds of race, faith or origin. This should also inform our approach with other countries.

March for Refugees

BY CHARLOTTE GRIEVE On Saturday February 4 hundreds gathered in Hyde Park in a march to “welcome refugees.” The snap protest was organised by the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) in reaction to President Trump’s controversial immigration ban.

The President’s executive order to enforce a travel ban on people from seven Muslimmajority countries has triggered widespread protests around the world.

The orders also included a four-month freeze on refugees and an indefinite freeze on refugees from Syria, despite America’s ongoing military presence in the region.

“We need to oppose this same racism here in Australia,” read the call to action poster distributed by the RAC. Speaking at the event was Dulce Munoz, a full time advocate with Mums For Refugees who immigrated to Australia from Mexico in 2008.

“I’m here standing next to you fighting for no more bans, no more detention centres, no more violence, no more walls,” she told the crowd.

Mums For Refugees is a grass roots network launched three years ago by a group of mothers who were sitting in a bar in Sydney’s inner west. It has since ballooned into a nationwide movement with co-convenors in most Australian states and a membership of around 1,900 mothers.

“We are mothers, we are social changers,” Munoz told City Hub. This weekend was the first time that Mums For Refugees had been asked to speak at a protest event. Munoz sees this period in time as a turning point for the refugee’s rights

Protestors defend refugee rights. Photo: Refugee Action Coalition

movement both in Australia and across the world.

“We’ve reached a point where we can say this is it, we can’t get lower than this,” she told City Hub. Australia is the only country in the world to have detained children indefinitely. A report by the Australian Human Rights Commission

has shown that up to 95 per cent of children who have lived on Nauru develop clinical posttraumatic stress disorder.

“We are turning people into bargaining chips. Australia has a commitment and a responsibility with the people who were sent to Manus and should abide international law”

With many refugees spending more than three years of their lives in Australian refugee camps, the transfer deal forged with America is certain to see this illegal imprisonment continue.

“It is time to stand up for what is right, join us in this fight, write to your MP, be responsible for your democracy.”

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A fresh look at living with HIV today, Dan must race against the clock to get his medication. But, this winner of multiple audience awards stays light thanks to its sharp script and great performances from James Roday and Danny Glover.

Ovarian Psycos is a seriously empowering ride. The documentary follows a crew of bicycle-riding women of colour on their mission to take back the streets of LA’s Eastside and create a safe space for women in the midst of violence and injustice.

The Pearl

One Night and Two Days

SAT 18 FEB 1:00PM A powerful documentary following four US women in the early stages of transitioning. Their lives have taken place in nondescript northwest towns, but after a pilgrimage to the Esprit Conference for transgender women in Washington state they feel empowered.

Full program out now queerscreen.org

TUE 21 FEB 8:30PM A moving trilogy of films from queer director Leesong Hee-il exploring sexuality, relationships, and Korean society through some very different gay male characters. Screening together for the first time in Australia, the films are lyrical, beautiful, and still so relevant.

city hub 9 FEBRUARY 2017

9

Hope in the east as councils defend local interests Residents oppose council mergers. Photo: David Shoebridge Facebook page

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its staff in the near future. Until then, it’s business as usual and we will continue to focus on meeting the needs of the Waverley community.”

The Save Our Councils Coalition organised a rally on the 5th of February to condemn forced amalgamations and ask Councillors to “stand with their communities”.

Peter Primrose, the Shadow Minister for Local Government, told the crowd that forced mergers need to be addressed immediately.

“We need to get this fixed quickly, it needs to happen now. This is the government’s mess, they have to fix it. No forced mergers. We need to have communities deciding what happens in their local communities. We will assist the premier in sorting out her mess. Don’t for a minute think that the local communities are going to go away. This is going to hurt the government, fix it now.”

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community. This is a win for democracy. Clearly the State Government has listened and they have got the message loud and clear that local communities want to have a say on the future of their local areas and they care deeply about having their voice heard. I commend both the Premier, Gladys Berejiklian and the Minister for Local Government, Gabrielle Upton for listening to the community and for acting quickly.”

To date, Woollahra Council has spent $850,000 on legal costs relating to the proposed amalgamation and $271,763 on community information campaign about the merger.

A Waverley Council spokesperson told City Hub that for Waverley Council, it was ‘business as usual’.

“Council is awaiting an announcement relating to the future of the local government mergers. We look forward to more certainty for Waverley Council and

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she exhorted the community to sign a petition opposing the merger at a 2015 anti-merger rally in Woollahra.

“I believe there is no perfect size for a council, and what works here, in the area that Woollahra council represents, may not work for those who are three streets to our south. I do believe that small can be effective, and let me be clear, my position is that Woollahra council should not be merged with other councils if it has the community’s support, and the number’s stack up.” She told the cheering crowd.

A recent media release from the Woollahra Municipal Council, Mayor of Woollahra, Toni Zeltzer applauds the unconfirmed decision to call off forced mergers, calling it a “win for democracy”.

“I am yet to receive a formal notification from the Government. If what I am hearing in media reports is correct, then this is great news for our

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BY NINA KEMPSTER The ongoing battle between the NSW Government and local eastern beaches councils including Woollahra, Randwick and Waverley has seen a change of pace as newly appointed NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian gives hope to the antimerger supporters.

In December 2015 the NSW Government announced their intention to merge Waverley, Randwick and Woollahra Councils in order to create a new eastern beaches council consisting of 274,000 residents.

However, when in May 2016 the NSW Government announced the first round of council mergers, the eastern beaches merger was left out due to Woollahra Council’s ongoing court case, which has since been taken to the High Court after it lost its challenge to the merger in the NSW Supreme Court.

At the time, Randwick Mayor Noel D’Souza reiterated in a press release that Randwick Council would prefer to stand alone.

“We know this is what most residents want, but we’ve also been dealing with a Government that wants to reform local government. Council would prefer to stand alone, however as this was not possible through the Fit for the Future process, Randwick Council advocated for the creation of a smaller eastern beaches council that retained local identity and protecting staff and our sense of community.”

However, under the new Berejiklian Government, long standing Member for Vaucluse Gabrielle Upton has been appointed as Local Government Minister. Upton has previously voiced her support for local government when

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FEATURE

Queer Screen’s 24th Mardi Gras Film Festival

BY RITA BRATOVICH Queer Screen’s 24th Mardi Gras Film Festival promises to be one of the biggest and best ever, with films traversing genres, cultures, languages, genders and style. Recognised as one of the most prominent film festivals in the world – queer or otherwise – it attracts filmmakers of every calibre and filmgoers of all tastes.

“If you’re a fan of cinema, there really is something for you at the festival,” said Festival Director, Paul Struthers. He and a core festival team scour festivals and call for submissions from around the world to ensure the MGFF program is eclectic while still maintaining a queer flavour.

“I think it’s our role as festival programmers to ensure the program is diverse in genre, diverse in sexuality, diverse in people of colour and diverse in the countries the films come from,” Struthers explained.

This year for the first time the program will include a category for Transgender Shorts and there will be a screening of Finding Dory for rainbow families.

The selection of documentaries is also broad and varied, covering subjects such as coming out, political activism, sex work, sports therapy, transitioning, poetry and equality.

There are some big name, big budget films with mainstream appeal, among them, King Cobra, based on the true story of a gay porn star and a dark, decadent world of jealousy, rivalry and scandal. It features A-listers including James Franco, Christian Slater, Alicia Silverstone and Molly Ringwald.

Amongst the Australian offerings is Bad Girl, a mind-bending, edge-of-your-seat thriller featuring Samara Weaving as the beautiful but unhinged Chloe and Sara West as the feisty, rebellious Amy. The claustrophobic setting of an incongruously modern house in a country town adds surrealism the tension.

Director Fin Edquist describes the film as being about desire, but at cross-purposes – Amy desires love, connection; Chloe desires family, relevance. He credits the two lead actors with helping to shape the story and characters. Edquist is not a “queer film maker” as such, and feels honoured to be part of the Mardi Gras Film Festival. As a director he enjoys the lack of creative constraint afforded by festivals like this one:

Bad Girl

“There’s a freedom in knowing it doesn’t have to conform and make $20million.”

The film’s editor, Simon Njoo, feels that being selected for a festival is a sign of acknowledgement and validation: “When your film finds a home it’s really great because it’s recognition that an element of the story has resonated with someone, so your work is not in vain.”

One of the standout documentaries is Real Boy, an intimate look at transgender teen Bennett Wallace during the crucial stages in his transition, and his reluctant but lovingly committed mother who has her own difficult path to acceptance. It’s an honest, sensitive film, well made and with balanced, empathetic storytelling.

Another notable documentary is Upstairs Inferno by Robert L Camina, a poignant, graphic, heartbreaking and disturbing film that details a horrendous fire in a New Orleans gay club in 1973. The deliberately lit blaze claimed 32 lives and devastated many more, yet the event is little known even amongst the gay community, let alone more broadly. Camina has managed to collect historical photos, footage and news reports and track down and interview witnesses

and survivors to put together this compelling account of a shameful, gut-wrenching episode in history.

For many years, a key feature of the Festival has been My Queer Career [SOLD OUT], a competition for locally produced, queer-themed short films. There were a record number of submissions this year, arduously short-listed to 10 finalists. Apart from the lucrative prize money, success in this competition can help hasten further filmmaking opportunities. Once again, the subject matter covers all sorts of ground.

Adult is an adaptation of a Christos Tsiolkas short story, set in the 1990’s and examining the complex attitudes to sex.

“It is an honour to be screening Adult amongst a strong program of queer short films in this years festival, and I am eagerly and nervously awaiting seeing the film for the first time with an audience!” said Cyna Strachan (co-producer with Liam Heyen).

Fight For Rainbow recounts the story of 56-year-old Alan who overcame an adverse socio-political climate in India and family pressures to come out, fall in love and chair the Metropolitan Community Church in Sydney.

“I am passionate about bringing to light social issues affecting the LGBTIQ community and narrating stories of their trials and self-empowerment through heartfelt and thought-provoking films,” said Tanuj J Narula (director and producer).

In Happy, a lonely, sexually inexperienced woman decides to take a chance on a dating app and has a casual encounter with another woman, which leads to unexpected personal revelations.

“Our film, Happy, is set and created in Sydney. So we’re thrilled to be having our hometown premiere at Queer Screen, a vital, communitydriven festival that embraces diverse voices and authentic stories,” said Laura Dudgeon (director).

Mardi Gras Film Festival

Feb 15–Mar 2. Event Cinema, George St/various locations. Single sessions $17-$19, Flexi 5 ($70-$85) & Flexi 10 ($130-$160) & free sessions.

See website for full program details:

www.queerscreen.org.au

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city hub 9 FEBRUARY 2017

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW: Jasper Jones Matilda Ridgway & Tom Conroy.

Photo: Lisa Tomasetti

The year is 1965 and Jasper Jones (Guy Simon) has just awoken Charlie Bucktin (Tom Conroy) in their little town of Corrigan, Western Australia. Bringing Charlie into the scrub, Jasper reveals that he has discovered something terrible – the dead body of a girl – and the two boys are thrust into a quest for the truth.

Kate Mulvany’s adaptation of Craig Silvey’s much-beloved bildungsroman tale is both lively

BU21

It’s rare to find a play that takes a topic as challenging, provocative and potentially terrifying as terrorism and turns it into six interweaving stories that are alternatively heart breaking,

and endearing. Touching on race and gender inequality, the play is surprisingly light-hearted despite its dark subject matter, with rippling dialogue driving the narrative through its two acts.

Conroy appears a convincing 14-year-old, charmingly naïve against Simon’s fragile yet world-weary Jasper Jones. Supporting cast, Kate Box, Steve Le Marquand, Matilda Ridgway and Charles Wu are all delightful additions, with Wu in particular injecting much needed joie de vivre in some of the play’s most poignant scenes.

Despite one staging mishap where a cricket ball thrown across the audience was begging to be dropped, the play makes terrific use of the Belvoir’s stage. Credit must also go to set designer, Michael Hankin whose beautiful gum tree is the play’s one constant, emphasised in turn by Matt Scott’s evocative lighting.

Closing to rapturous applause on opening night, Jasper Jones is one for the whole family.

Heartwarming despite its devastating final twist, the play is a reminder, particularly in our current context, that strength of character is far more enduring than hatred. As the play puts it, “the more you have to risk, the braver you are for standing up”. (ES) Until Feb 19, varied performance times.

Belvoir St Theatre, 18-25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills. $49-$72. Tickets & info: www.belvoir.com.au

hilarious, terrifying, completely compelling and thought provoking.

“You wouldn’t expect BU21, with its provocative material, to be hilarious. Some theatre puts tragedy up on the stage and it becomes horror porn – a bit indulgent – but Stuart Slade, the writer of BU21, has tried to get away from that through humour, making us laugh and at the same time chilling us to the bone. It’s a dark comedy,” explained Jeremy Waters who plays Graham, one of the six young survivors who are part of a PTSD group who come together to talk about their experiences.

“Graham, a working class lad from London’s East end, has become quite famous, a national hero, after delivering a nationalistic dialogue down the barrel of a tv camera whilst covered in dust straight after the attack, which saw a plane hit by a surface to air missile. He becomes the figurehead of the survivors group, a media celebrity. As well as a class struggle commentary there’s the theme of how the media covers tragedies and attach hype to events. It’s a pretty hydro headed play thematically,” said Waters.

The London production, which opened to rave reviews, is up for an Offie Award (The Off West End Theatre Awards) for Best New Play and was given four stars by The Guardian. (MS) Until Feb 25,Tues-Sat 8pm.The Old 505 Theatre, 5 Eliza Street, Newtown. $30-$40.

Tickets & info: www.old505theatre.com

a&e

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city hub 9 FEBRUARY 2017

12 STAGE 13 Sounds 14 SCENE 15 SCREEN

Senior Moments The comedy revue that can’t quit continues its Sydney crawl this year. Senior Moments is filled with numerous sketches depicting the lives of the elderly.Actor Russell Newman, who has been in the industry for 50 years, says growing older is all about realising society is moving along but somehow you’re not moving along with it.

“It’s a series of sketches linked together, I think everybody can enjoy it but I think it will be a great reflection of the older people who come and see it,” he said.

“There is a lot of music, we sing songs relating to a lot of different situations and we play different characters from the piece, but all coming from the same thing. [Senior Moments is a] very, very warm reflection of the things that happen to us in everyday life, particularly as you’re getting older.”

Newman says this production is very important because we need to address the older generation in our society, as they too are humans.

“I think it’s important to let this group in

Ten scenes, 19 actors, and 90 minutes of captivating, never-before-seen, Aussie theatre – the Australian Theatre for Young People’s Intersection promises a lot. Directed by Katrina Douglas, the play expands on the theatre company’s Voices Project, giving 10 young writers between the ages of 18 to 34 a chance to showcase their burgeoning talent.

Based in one town, the ‘day in the life’ play brings attention to the complexities of being a 17-year-old. “It’s not 400 years ago in England. It’s now and it’s here,” said Douglas.

“It’s funny and it’s heartbreaking. It’s a mixed bag of ideas with different energies of emotion.”

With such a diverse cast (19 actors between the ages of 15 to 24), Intersection sets out to be a unique experience from the get-go. With the average Australian play only comprising of five to six characters at most, directing was also guaranteed to be uniquely challenging. “Working with such a large cast, it was all about finding different ways for the actors to get the best out of themselves,” explained Douglas.

Offering up a smorgasbord of the country’s most talented emerging actors and writers, Intersection provides audiences a rare and exciting opportunity. “It’s fantastically diverse

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

society know that they’re not neglected and they’re not alone,” he said.

“The funny side of life also belongs to them and to us. In entertainment [we] generally focus on the demographic, this particular production addresses that and goes ‘this is for you and for anyone that wants to take part’.We are not dividing society, we are acknowledging a certain part of the community.”

The performance is also starring Penny Cook, Lex Marinos, Benita Collings, John Derum, Russell Newman, Christian Barratt-Hill and Nicola Parry with Geoff Harvey on piano.Written and directed

by Angus FitzSimons. (AMal) Feb 9–11, 8pm & 2pm Fri + Sat. Riverside Theatres, Cnr Market + Church St, Parramatta. $45-$64.

Feb 22–26, varied performance times.

The Concourse, 409 Victoria Ave, Chatswood. $45-$64.

Tickets & info: www.seniormomentsshow.com.au

Esther Randles in Blueberry Play.

Photo: Tracey Schramm

and engaging. There’ll be laughter and I can expect some tears too.” (CW) Until Feb 18, varied performance times.

ATYP Studio 1, The Wharf, Pier 4/5 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay. $35.

Tickets & info: www.atyp.com.au

Contributors: Carmen Cita, Craig Coventry, Greg Webster, Alicia Sim, Peter Urquhart, James Harkness, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Athina Mallis, Leigh Livingstone, Joseph Rana, Shon Ho, Jacqui Rothwell, Emily Shen, Andrew Hodgson, Irina Dunn, Caitlin Burns, Zeiya Speede, Rita Bratovich, Chantal Walsh, Raffaele Piccolo, Barbara Karpinski, Taylah Felice, Georgia Fullerton, Bobby Stephenson, Olga Azar, Kaiti Haviland, Daniel Jaramillo, Nina Beeston.

Photo: Grant Frase

REVIEW: Much Ado About Nothing

Shakespeare can and is performed in a variety of theatrical styles, so it’s actually refreshing to occasionally see a straightforward, honest rendering of a play. That’s what The Genesian Theatre Company’s latest production, Much Ado About Nothing, provides.

The costumes and set are simple and functional without being dull. Music and lighting are integrated without being intrusive. While the theatre itself is quite small, the space and some of its idiosyncratic elements are used cleverly.

Actors enter and exit from the back doors of the theatre and walk across the floor in front of the stage, helping to open up the space and

immerse the audience in the action.

All the performances are strong.

Director Deborah Mulhall seems to have encouraged the troupe to inform their characters with aspects of their own personalities, thus investing the roles with nuance and credibility. There is also a palpable rapport amongst members of the cast.

The play itself is a comedy, however in typical Shakespeare fashion, it has moments of despair and moral contemplation – and some plot elements that will rankle feminists!

Mulhall has made astute casting choices whose portrayals make the story easy to follow, even if the language itself is sometimes inaccessible. The comic moments are delivered with acumen and no joke goes un-laughed. The emotionally wrought scenes are effective and not melodramatic.

It’s a thoroughly entertaining show in a quaint and unique theatre. (RB) Until Feb 25, Fri & Sat 8pm, Sun 4:30pm.

The Genesian Theatre, 420 Kent St, Sydney. $25-$30.Tickets & info: www. genesiantheatre.com.au

Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE Sydney

By Jamie Apps

While She Sleeps: This UK band has made the long arduous journey down under for a run of dates alongside Bring Me The Horizon.

But why just stop there? For Aussie fans they’ve added a special mini-tour of their own which arrives in Sydney tonight.

Thu, Feb 9, Newtown Social Club Kasey Chambers: Following the release of her highly anticipated 11th studio album Dragonfly last month, the iconic Australian singer-songwriter will perform a special live show in the idilic surrounds of the Taronga Zoo. Joining Kasey for the evening will be Thelma Plum, yet another spectacular rising voice on the Australian scene.

Fri, Feb 10,Taronga Zoo I Know Leopard: 2016 was, unquestionably, a hallmark year for I Know Leopard. Tomorrow they come to Sydney as part of their whirlwind three-date tour in support of their gleaming alt-pop single ‘Rather Be Lonely’.

Fri, Feb 10, Hudson Ballroom Philip Johnston: Phillip Johnston’s Page of Madness: Suite for Improvisers is based on Johnston’s original score for Teinosuke Inugasa’s 1926 Japanese silent film, Kurutta Ippeji (A Page of Madness). The music is a vehicle for a group of stellar Sydney improvisers to recreate a haunting and exhilarating film score without the film.

Sat, Feb 11, Seymour Centre – Sound Lounge

Thrash, Blast and Grind Festival: What would an Australian summer be without a touring music fest? Pretty bloody average to be honest! Luckily a brand new festival bringing the best of Australia’s heavy music scene is debuting this weekend.

Acts performing on the day include; King Parrot, Psycroptic and Revocation.

Sat, Feb 11, Manning Bar Suzi Quatro: With a career now spanning over 50 years of performing, it’s “one more time for Suzi” as she returns to Sydney early next week. With 31 Australian tours under her belt, for this tour, Suzi will bring Andy Scott from THE SWEET on guitar and vocals and Don Powell from SLADE on drums.

They will perform as “QSP” for the opening act. Suzi will have an eight-piece band, performing the hit programme for the second half of the show, in her leather jumpsuit of course.

Tue, Feb 14, Sydney Opera House Mosquito Coast: Naomi Robinson and Conor Barton were just 17-years-old when they caught the attention of fans, tastemakers and the music biz after winning triple j’s Unearthed High 2015. The Perth young guns bring their breezy pop melodies, sun-bleached guitar and dreamy vocals to Sydney midweek as part of their 11 date tour.

Wed, Feb 15, Sosueme – Beach Road Hotel

By Jamie Apps Approximately 23 years ago a Kings Cross youth counsellor by the name of Phil Nunn realised that if he took his guitar into sessions the people seeking his help would often stick around longer and talk more.Thus this very simple idea sprouted what is now known as the Sounds Of The Street program, which gives Sydney youth an opportunity to change their lives through music.

Sounds Of The Street is a 20 week music course run by Mission Australia in conjunction with Ultimo TAFE, teaching the participants how to write, record, produce and perform music – which ultimately awards them with a Certificate II in Music.

The program though is more than just an educational experience, explains program coordinator Liz Martin:“Whilst the students are studying music and having that cathartic experience they also

Fractures – Still Here

La Traviata

Standing ovations are rarely offered at the Joan Sutherland Theatre. While they may be common place in American opera houses, public displays of en masse affection are few and far between here in Sydney. On Friday, February 3, an exception was made as a sellout crowd of more than 1,500 people stood to their feet in thunderous applause for the Albanian born soprano Ermonela Jaho.

Often compared to Maria Callas, Jaho performed the lead role of Violetta in Verdi’s popular opera, La Traviata to perfection. Last year she was named the world’s most acclaimed soprano by the Economist. Violetta is Jaho’s signature role. As a young girl, she decided to become an opera singer when she saw the role performed in her native Albania.

Literally translated into English as “the Fallen One” La Traviata tells the story of a high class call girl with tuberculosis who falls in love with a high society gentleman named Alfredo (Korean born tenor Ho-Yoon Chung). In a bastardly act Alfredo’s father Giorgio Germont (Australian José Carbó) intervenes and begs Violetta to abandon her relationship with his son. Spoiler alert: Violetta dies tragically in the final scene.

While it was her first time performing in Sydney, over the last twenty years Jaho has played Violetta more than 240 times. The evening also marked Opera Australia’s 200th performance of La Traviata.

As if a painting by Pierre-August Renoir had exploded into real life, Elijah Moshinsky’s sublime production, Michael Yeargan’s suburb sets and Peter J Hall’s glamorous costumes all perfectly capture the decadence of Paris in the late 19th century. (LG) Until Apr 1. Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House. $45-338+b.f.

Tickets & Info: sydneyoperahouse.com Ermonela Jaho as Violetta Valéry.

Photo: Keith Saunders

Sounds of the Street

receive support and help to find appropriate housing [and] counselling to work through their issues, so it’s a pretty unique educational environment.”

This added level of support is crucial in Liz’s opinion, especially since many of these students are “dealing with a lot of issues outside of the classroom”, and is perhaps why the program has such positive outcomes and a high completion rate.

Life in 2017 has become so frenetic and stressful, so when an artist delivers a record which leaves the listener peaceful and soothed after one play through it should be savoured.

Melbourne-based multi-instrumentalist Fractures’ album Still Here is a beautifully mesmerising body of work which takes the listener on an emotional yet soothing journey. His captivating vocals play upon the top of his signature soundscape, which blends subdued guitars and drums.

Of the 11-track offering, three tracks continually had me coming back again and again, ‘Withhold’, ‘Lowcast’ and ‘Time Frame’.

This album comes highly recommended if you’ve had a difficult day at work and need to unwind over a nice home cooked meal. (JA) WWW1/2

“Often for a lot of the students this is one of the first things that they have completed, so they have a real sense of accomplishment,” said Liz. “Yes we do have some students drop out, but that’s part of the nature of the kinds of students we’re working with. Around two thirds of the students complete the course though and often many of those go on to further studies at Ultimo TAFE.”

Tonight after completing the 20 week course and two full weeks of rehearsals, the most recent semester’s batch of students are ready to take to the stage and showcase both what they have learned as well as their talents.

“For a lot of them it will be the first time they’ve ever performed live, and for that to be in such a great venue such as the Red Rattler who have always been really supportive of us is fantastic,” beamed Liz. Tonights show will have a little bit for everyone, as Liz explained to us that this year has been quite diverse in terms of genres, so the City Hub strongly encourages all of our readers to get out and support these young people who are making a huge effort to change their lives for the better.

Feb 9, 5pm.The Red Rattler, 6 Faversham St, Marrickville. FREE. Info: www.missionaustralia.com.au

MC Kean – Voodoo Reincarnation

When I sit down to listen to a hip-hop record, I don’t usually expect to find myself pondering the universe, and I certainly do not expect to hear trumpets or saxophones. MC Kean’s Voodoo Reincarnation however had that exact effect on me.

Listening through the record multiple times it is hard not to draw comparisons to Australian hip-hop icons Hilltop Hoods in regards to the lyrical content. Musically though, MC Kean draws from his roots and love for classic hip-hop and 70’s soul and funk, hence where the brass instruments come into play.

Voodoo Reincarnation is a record which requires the dedication of time in order to fully comprehend just how cerebral his writing is.Yet at the same time if you jump in and listen to a song here or there they are all incredibly catchy, so this record should prove quite successful on multiple levels. (JA) WWW1/2 city hub 9 FEBRUARY 2017

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THE NAKED CITY

ANOTHER NAIL IN THE COFFIN

With Coffin Ed In a week where the music industry and punters alike bemoaned the impending closure of the high profile Newtown Social Club, few would have noticed a similar demise for a couple of small coffee shops in Devonshire Street. Both closures are symptomatic of a malaise which seems to have hit the city when it comes to nurturing small business and encouraging a so called ‘cosmopolitan culture’.

The announcement that the well patronised Newtown Social Club was calling it quits in April came as a shock, given its popularity as a venue over the past three years. Whilst the owners have been somewhat vague in revealing their reasons, it seems Council compliance played a major role in the economic shutdown of the venue.

It’s just another sad story in the history of live music in Sydney over the past few decades, despite continued murmurings on the part of the State Government and the Sydney City Council that they are there to encourage the spread of live music. Given the experience of the Newtown Social Club, who in their right mind would start a dedicated live music venue in Sydney, fighting their way through a minefield of Council bureaucracy just to open, and then an ongoing battle of compliance just to remain open?

Meanwhile in Devonshire Street Surry Hills, near Central Railway, a once buzzing strip of coffee shops and takeaways is being slowly suffocated by the tediously slow and hideously expensive light rail construction. Two coffee shops, Café Gallery and Café Connexion, have felt the full brunt of dwindling patronage and pulled down the shutters. Sadly it’s an all too

familiar story when it comes to civic works and major construction throughout the city and environs.

Many will remember the drawn out pavement widening and paving that took place in Kings Cross and Oxford Street and impacted severely on numerous small businesses, forcing many to close. Perhaps with this in mind Transport For NSW did

Stencil Art By Jenna Bloom

Jenna Bloom – What Is Love?

This Valentine’s Day local artist Jenna Bloom’s new stencil art exhibition will open to the public by posing one simple question, ‘What is love?’

The idea behind this exhibition came to Bloom over the course of last year. “I felt the world has had some pretty horrific circumstances and 2016 wasn’t a great year for a lot of people,” explained Bloom. With 14

city hub 9 FEBRUARY 2017

these thoughts at the forefront of her mind she developed the exhibition in order to get the public thinking and talking about love.

When developing the works, Bloom took to social media to get some definitions and descriptions of love which she would then transform into stencil art. One such work which she really loves is based on one person’s description of love as “a delicious cocktail of chemicals in my brain”.

If you’re looking for a quirky date idea for Valentine’s Day (that is also for a good cause) this may be the event for you, as Bloom has partnered with The OZ Project. This organisation works specifically to reduce suicide as well as the stigma surrounding mental health, 10% of all sales will be donated to The OZ Project.

“I also feel this is a chance to bring people together, feel part of a community and shift the idea of Valentine’s from being an over-commercialised day that can make people feel quite isolated to a day where we can celebrate and spread the idea of love as a whole,” Bloom optimistically added. (JA) Opening Night: Feb 14, 6-8pm.

Exhibition: Feb 14–19, 5pm-midnight.

Old Growler, 218 William St, Woolloomooloo.

initiate a program to advise small business holders affected by the light trail construction, however given the Devonshire Street experience you have to wonder as to its efficacy.

The reality is that these kind of situations need more than just a thinly disguised PR exercise that looks good on paper but does little when it comes to preserving people’s livelihood.

What’s required is a coordinated approach on both the part of the State Government and the City Council and some serious compensation if these businesses are to continue.

If allowed to fail they often have a snowball effect on the rest of the immediate street and it can take months or years before new shop holders move in. Witness the boarded up strip that is Oxford Street between Taylor Square and South Dowling Street and you’ll soon see what I’m talking about.

The Sydney City Council have made numerous noises about creating a vibrant, European style streetscape of coffee shops, small bars and food outlets through the CBD and the various “villages” of the inner city. The lower Devonshire Street precinct was once a good example of this, but its immediate future looks bleak, given that the light rail construction could drag on for months.

What we need is some good old fashioned nurturing by officialdom, as idealistic as it might sound – where coffee shops and live music venues are treated as part of the essential heartbeat of the city – where compliance is compromised and rules are bended and the ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mentality becomes a thing of the past. If $2 million can be found to erect a giant milk crate in Belmore Park then surely something can be spared to save a couple of coffee shops and a much loved music venue.

Face2Face

Garbage doesn’t lie. Taking cues from Italian author Italo Calvino, who suggests that we are all defined by what we throw away, emerging artist Emilio Cresciani looks to people’s rubbish to create revealing portraits.

“The waste itself is a portrait of someone…more their inner person, who they are…what they enjoy doing, it defines them,” said Cresciani.

In Face2Face, traditional photographic portraits are layered with an image of trash collected by the individual over the period of a week. Presented on a metallic surface in a negative colour scheme, Cresciani’s images take on a stark, x-ray like otherworldly quality.

“I asked them to be as accurate as they could…so people had a whole range of things: food, nappies, cigarettes, condoms, general wrappers and stationary, clothes… As you can imagine it got quite smelly to photograph and at times quite full on, but nonetheless interesting… It really challenged them.”

Some participants, who considered themselves quite environmentally aware going into the project, were surprised and shocked by how much rubbish they accumulated over a short time.

The culmination of a two-year project, Face2Face is a more individualised take on Cresciani’s wider body of work, in which he studies the impact of waste on the environment.

“I’m interested in the way it [rubbish] impacts the world and how we’re constantly throwing away and how we’re forgetting about it,” he said. “If you look throughout

Emilio Cresciani, FACE2FACE, 2016

history you can tell a lot about society and about a civilisation by looking at their waste sites and their tips.”

It may not be glamorous, but what we’re throwing away can’t forever be ignored. (AM) Feb 9–18, Tue-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 11am-5pm. Interlude Gallery, Shop 11/131-145 Glebe Point Road, Glebe.

Info: www.emiliocresciani.com or www.interludegallery.com

Toni Erdmann

A Street Cat Named Bob

Gold

Luke Treadaway (James), Bob. Photo:Andreas Lambis

This is the sort of film Hollywood doesn’t make. It has a refreshing lack of inhibition without sensationalism and a subtle plot line that finds a balance between restraint and abandon, sensitivity and absurdity, nuance and brashness.

Written and directed by Maren Ade,Toni Erdmann is a German film, set in Germany and Romania.The story centres on the fractured relationship between a father with an unmitigated sense of mischief and his ambitious daughter who is trying to succeed in an industry populated by misogynous men.

Father and daughter each seem to be going through personal transitions – possibly even

breakdowns – that test but then ultimately repair their relationship with each other.

There is no underscore and the narrative is fairly evenly paced, yet there are extreme moments of hilarity, crudity and visceral emotion.

Peter Simonischek is infuriating and endearing as Winfried Conradi (who assumes the alter ego Toni Erdmann). Sandra Hüller plays an intriguing and complex Ines Conradi.

There is humour, pathos, social commentary, a bit of the bizarre and some un-pixelated nudity. It’s thoroughly engrossing. (RB) WWWW

(NB: German with English subtitles)

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become inseparable, start busking together, become a YouTube sensation and are immortalised in a bestselling memoir on which this film is based.

The production values are moderate, the plot has no real peaks, the soundtrack is mostly comprised of the folksy busking songs sung by James – and it is all the more enjoyable because of all that. There is a sense of simplicity, intimacy and realness in this story that is not only in the details but in the telling. It’s the “ginger cat” answer to Red Dog. (RB) WWWW

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James Bowen (Luke Treadaway) is a heroin addict on the methadone program, living on the streets in London, busking with a guitar held together by packing tape, foraging for food scraps in dumpsters. He is estranged from his middleclass father (Anthony Head), and his only friend fatally OD’s, yet his case-worker Val (Joanne Froggatt) instinctively believes James has the potential to go clean and arranges for him to have a council flat.

Enter the hero – Bob, a ginger cat (played by the original Bob and several other look-a-likes).

Bob sneaks into James’ unit one night and the two quickly

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In the opening scenes of Gold, we witness the comfortable existence of Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey), working at his father’s modest mineral exploration company and ensconced in a happy relationship with Kay (Bryce Dallas Howard). Then the recession of the 80’s hits and commodities take a nose dive.

Wells and his colleagues are now using the local bar as an office, literally begging and borrowing to get by. Their luck turns when Wells sets off on a whim to the deep jungles of Indonesia to reconnect with Michael Acosta (Édgar Ramírez), a geologist he recalls

was convinced of the country’s untapped potential. Upon their discovery of gold, the two men become almost overnight millionaires, but as expected, their journey is far from smooth sailing.

Like Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club, McConaughey invests everything into his character, emotionally and physically, to give a compelling performance.Wells (a fictitious character based on David Walsh from the Bre-X scandal), often appears quite unlikeable, but you can’t say his life was mediocre, which certainly makes for an interesting film. (ASim)

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TELSTRA IS PLANNING TO REMOVE A PAYPHONE It is proposed that one coin and card payphone be removed from: Outside 505 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000 (Payphone ID: 02926739X2) The next nearest coin and card payphone is located: Outside 505 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000 (approximately 20 metres away from the proposed location) (Payphone ID: 02926711X2) This proposal was prompted by the Sydney Light Rail Project.

Reference Number 32632 Telstra intends making a final decision on this proposal by: 28th March 2017 To assist us in making a final decision, we invite your comments on this proposal.

Please send us your comments in writing to: Telstra Payphone Siting Manager Locked Bag 4850 Melbourne Vic 3001 or by calling us on 1800 011 433 selection Option 2 or by email to Payphone.Solutions@team.telstra.com For more information on payphone services (including, any applicable payphone consultation document) see: www.telstra.com.au/payphoneservices/index.htm city hub 9 FEBRUARY 2017

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city hub 9 FEBRUARY 2017