New Self Wales

The Sydney sulk followed me to the country.

PlaceKate SaapAugust 26, 2023Australia, nature, animals, perspective, Australiana, self-reflection

Anatomising the N64

Anatomising the N64 isn’t hard when you can peer into the bottle green motherboard, the nucleus of hypnotic rotating graphics, and the labyrinth that allows you to fire off that blue shell.

CultureAmelia RainesAugust 25, 2023culture, Nintendo, N64, nostalgia

From Guangdong to Goulburn

There is perhaps one thing that unites every Australian town — an institution that has been embedded in our national story since the 18th century: the Australian-Chinese restaurant.

Food, Place, RecessAidan Elwig PollockAugust 25, 2023food, food writing, Australiana, Australia, China, restaurant

Heavenly bodies descending

Many things change across time; many things remain stagnant. Our angels do both.

CultureLameah NayeemAugust 25, 2023opinion, film, Neon Genesis Evangelion, angels, Renaissance, art, religion

Eulogy to the notes app

Open sesame

Show your truths to me

CultureEmily O'BrienAugust 24, 2023internet, technology, poetry, notes, notes app, apple

Friendship, nostalgia, and isolation: SUDS 'Play On' Review

Play On, written and directed by Gemma Hudson, is an ambitious and exciting cross of And Then There Were None with Heathers.

CampusAngus McGregorAugust 23, 2023SUDS, theatre, student theatre, netball, nostalgia, high school, drama, friends

Long Live the Drag Kings and Queens.

This series of photographs places drag artists in the everyday realm – from convenience stores to adult shops – capturing their glamour even through the most mundane of activities.

CultureBipasha ChakrabortyAugust 22, 2023drag, identity, queer, photography

I have a parasocial relationship with a man from the 16th century

You talk to me as if I exist. I am not real. I am not Cosimo. I am oil paint on a panel.

Art, CultureChina MeldrumAugust 20, 2023art, Renaissance, Art Gallery of NSW

Artificial stupidity

Humans are smart. Unfortunately, humans are also annoying, trite, boring, unimaginative, clichéd, derivative, etc, etc, etc. AI seemingly thrives off all of these worst aspects.

CultureHuw BradshawAugust 7, 2023Wes Anderson, Tim Burton, AI, technology, opinion, film

SFF 2023 REVIEW: Joonam (جونم)

Urich’s soulful connection with the documentary as well as the subject matter is one that is felt palpably.

FilmDanny YazdaniAugust 7, 2023film festival, SFF, cinema, Iranian cinema, Iran, social realism, tradition, mystery, thriller, psychology

BroadSlay: sashay away

In investigating BroadSlay’s tragic death, I discovered the event’s spirit.

CultureZara UpfoldJune 28, 2023broadslay, mardi gras, world pride

SFF 2023 REVIEW: Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman

I felt cheated by an experience that capitalised on Murakami’s name and a trailer that hinted at his many stories, but had very little to do with the collection itself.

FilmDanny YazdaniJune 27, 2023film festival, SFF, cinema, anthology, literary adaptation, animation

Coffee to cure your architectural in(digest)ion

Coffee to the architect is what sexual frustration is to the engineer. A point of conversation, a particular quirk, one’s whole personality.

About a basin

As hard as I try to remember, from no part of my being can I summon a reason for me being here.

LiteratureJuliette JarrettJune 26, 2023creative writing

When asked, I describe my hobby as ‘Google Maps user’

It’s more than just directions.

CultureMaeve HopperJune 23, 2023google maps, apple maps, directions, sydney

I played Papa’s Freezeria and all I got was exploited

There’s nothing cool about violating labour law.

CultureAriana HaghighiJune 23, 2023gaming, video games, cool maths games, papa's freezeria

Albos old and new

With his knack of changing character to fit the times, I’m confident it will be a while before we see his last.

CultureLuca IttimaniJune 23, 2023politics, anthony albanese, hard quiz, image management, labor

SFF 2023 REVIEW: Subtraction (تفریق)

Haghighi, all-round artist of acting, writing, and directing origins, leads Subtraction with direction reminiscent of Iranian greats.

FilmDanny YazdaniJune 21, 2023film festival, SFF, cinema, Iranian cinema, Iran, social realism, tradition, mystery, thriller, psychology

SFF 2023 REVIEW: Sunflower

Set in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, this film acts as an enticing representation and characterisation of coming out in a society where homophobia has become socialised.

FilmNathan PhillisJune 21, 2023film festival, SFF, cinema, Australian, Australia, queer, LGBTQIA+, queerness

SFF 2023 REVIEW: Blue Jean

Oakley’s directing is subtle and effective, with clever use of sound and lighting to contrast the two major settings at Jean’s school and the nightclub, which are the symbolic fronts of the heteronormative and queer environments that she arbitrates between.

FilmImogen SabeyJune 21, 2023SFF, Sydney Film Festival, SFF 2023, cinema, film, LGBTQIA+, queerness, UK