In 1917 Sam Mendes has created an astonishing work of cinematic art through the masterful combination of continuous, single-shot cinematography by Roger Deakins; concise, effective screenplay co-written with Krysty Wilson-Cairns; and haunting, dramatic score by Thomas Newman. Mendes’ direction in this film is intense. His use of long takes and clever editing bring the viewer Read More
Millicent Borges Accardi’s fourth collection of poetry, Only More So, urges the reader to take a plunge “into frozen water” which abruptly rages into threatening currents. Accardi’s work has appeared in over fifty publications and she has received many literary fellowships, such as the NEA, Fulbright and the California Arts Council. Throughout her work, the Read More
(Belgium, 2017) 24th – 28th September 2017, Belmont Filmhouse, Aberdeen Covering twenty-four hours in the lives of two families, barricaded in an apartment in war-torn Syria, the latest film from Belgian filmmaker Philippe Van Leeuw is an emotionally fraught affair. It opens with birdsong and the choppy-hum of helicopters and, through a crack in the Read More
Home Front is a new volume of poetry by four women who have each had a husband or son who has been to a combat zone. Bryony Doran, Jehanne Dubrow, Elyse Fenton and Isabel Palmer are the poets, whose voices tell of having a loved one in armed conflict. Each poet has a collection within Read More
Anatomy of a Soldier is the debut novel of Harry Parker. He joined the British Army when he was twenty three and served as a Captain in both Iraq and Afghanistan. You would be forgiven for thinking that an adventurous tale of derring-do would fit this profile, but in this book the author should be Read More
Imagine you are interrogating water coercing the hydrogen and oxygen to give up their bonds, give up each other. New York-based poet Philip Fried’s Interrogating Water can be read as an intense critique of the ethics of modern day American warfare, tackling themes of political ambivalence, military torture, weapons and those who wield those forces. Read More
“It’s your call.” So responds a radio command at the end of American Sniper’s introductory salvo. Immediately, this gives the audience an insight into the life of the sniper: deciding who lives, and who dies. As the sound of Chris Kyle’s (Bradley Cooper) rifle shot fills the cinema, an immaculate piece of editing transports the Read More