Syed Zaid Ali’s All Time Best: 22, A Million by Bon Iver

For my all-time best, I’ve decided to go with Bon Iver’s third studio album 22, A Million. With its innovative sound and poetic lyricism, this album has stuck with me since its release in 2016. is album plays with textures which serve to build a unique sonic palette, shi ing the band’s style away from their folksy roots. For instance, the processed saxophone of “____45_____”, and the heavy, distorted bass of “10 d E A T h b R E a s T” would have been out of place on a record like For Emma, Forever Ago e production even gives meaning to the words sung; the glitchy e ects on the vocals near the end of “29 #Stra ord APTS”

(“You’ve buried all your alimony butter ies”) suggest the e ects of grief and anxiety. Frontman Justin Vernon also explores ideas of nding one’s self, especially with regards to religion – the opening track asks, “Where you gonna look for con rmation?” Vernon’s lyrics have summed up my past experiences in more ways than I can count. Perhaps they even shape my future, as I have no doubt that I’ll keep nding pieces of myself throughout this record for years to come.

Our immersion into a world of gods and mortals starts in a dimly lit bar, wrapped in red velvet. Lamps drench the space in hypnotising blue as wobbly wine glasses surprisingly bounce back when toasting. From the very beginning, we are lulled into the comfortable confusion of a dream, following strange creatures into the maze of e Burnt City.

Expectations were high when it came to the new production of Punchdrunk, which is viewed by many as the best immersive theatre company in the world. Drawing on two ancient Greek plays, Euripides’ Hecuba and Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, the production sets out to explore the topoi of the Iliad. From the sacri ce of Agamemnon’s daughter Iphigenia to her revenge, we are taken on a journey through a dark wonderland that is best described as a ballet performance within a massive art installation.

It would take more than one visit to uncover the treasures hidden in the vast exhibit at One Cartridge Place, Woolwich, where every corner from Clytemnestra’s royal dormitory to the precarious ats of the Trojans is designed with full commitment to detail. e manifold spaces composing the exhibition are undeniably the protagonists of the production. Most remarkably, echoing the “Walled City” of Kowloon, Hongkong, once the most densely populated place on earth, Troy comes to life as a gigantic beehive of narrow streets, stairs and Chinese lamps.

Among the dance performers inhabiting this cabinet of curiosities, the women set the pace. Even as simultaneous scenes are occurring, it is hard to look away from Omagbitse Omagbemi (Clytemnestra), an incarnation of a cunning, archaic female strength. Omagbemi’s dance following Iphigenia’s murder is dripping with palpable pain, desperation and desire for revenge. is exquisitely contrasts with the transparent weightlessness of Yilin Kong’s (Kassandra) absent gaze and light movements, which create a gure seamlessly transcending between material reality and a silent world behind objects and bodies.

While our senses are continuously absorbed by the magnetic swirl of dancers, scenes and objects vying for our attention with ever more astonishing choreography and detail, at the exit excitement drops and gives way to a sense of incomplete satisfaction.

It seems like depth of meaning has been traded o for the sake of spectacle. e over-the-top live interpretation of the Eurythmics song Sweet Dreams at the bar adds to this feeling.

Key questions remain unanswered. Is that all there is to the epos of Troy, a dream, immersing us in “a mythical world of gods and mortals”? Why had the myth of Troy, dated to the 8th century BC, interested the directors today? How should we interpret the strong images, such as that of a half-naked, bloodstained Polyxena (Chihiro Kawasaki) hanging by her feet? It is di cult to nd any clue to these questions in the production. If you are an admirer of Greek mythology and its many contemporary interpretations, e Burnt City may leave you disappointed.

While it lacks a clear, original take on the story, Punchdrunk’s new production remains outstanding. It is the most ambitious and impressive production in terms of its atmospheric scenery, aesthetic, and immersive quality that I have encountered.

Despite the thin storytelling, e Burnt City is among the truly unique and unmissable experiences London has to o er.

Felix Barrett, artistic director and company founder once said Punchdrunk aims to “create work that leaves you spinning and seeing stars.” If this was the mission, it has been more than accomplished.

by JEREMY RICKETTS-HAGAN

Athena is best summarised by the quote used at the end of its rst trailer.

“It is di cult to ght anger, for a man will buy revenge with his soul.” is concept resonates throughout the lm, and is particularly relevant when considering the fate of our main protagonists. ematically, Athena is a beautiful addition to French anti-authority lmography, popularised by lms such as La Haine (1995) and Gang Of e Caribbean (2016). I really enjoyed how this lm uses the individual members of the grieving family as archetypes for the POC immigrant experience. Karim, our main protagonist, is portrayed as a revolutionary gure. He is tired of the corruption and racism that befalls his community and has a charismatic personality that draws legions of inner-city youth to his cause. He is young, wise, and yet undoubtedly rash. His ideological viewpoint is directly opposed by his older brother, Abdel, who is a member of the French military. ough it is clear that Abdel feels the pain of his brother’s death and sympathises with Karim’s movement, he is the quintessential “work through the system” type of character that those from marginalised communities are all too familiar with.

Athena is the third feature lm of French director Romain Gavras. It is set within the titular Athena, an inner city neighbourhood of Paris. It revolves around the unjust killing of a young teenager of Algerian descent, Idir, allegedly by the French police. It deals with the riotous movements that follow it. e riots are orchestrated by Karim, the older brother of Idir. ey are being thwarted by the brutal police regime of metropolitan Paris and by Abdel, another of Idir’s older brothers.

It’s hard to overstate how stunning this lm is. Much of Athena is lmed through extended shots, with sequential cuts every 15-20 minutes creating chapters within the lm. Every frame feels like a Renaissance painting, as the architecturally cold yet lively inner-city suburb is beautifully portrayed through sweeping, tracking camerawork. is directorial style, coupled with the ominous orchestral score of the artist Gener8ion, creates a grand atmosphere which highlights the tense and antagonistic relationship between the youth of Athena and the police authorities. Gavras is perhaps best known for his direction of the Kanye West x Jay Z music video No Church in the Wild. In Athena, Garvas builds upon this past work, creating an expressive image of a grand rebellion.

Athena is an excellent watch. Not only as an investigation of the inner-city tension that still permeates within discriminated communities in France, but also as a cinematically poignant tale of a family in the midst of a theoretical and very literal war.

Plus, it’s only like 90 mins. I promise you’ve got time.