cafebabel.com

Algerian cartoonist Slim: 'We have to protect human hands, not human rights'

('Ja\xc5\xa1a Pipan',) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:16:40 -0000

Few Algerians don’t know who Slim is. Not a lot of Europeans know him. Yet the 67-year-old cartoonist provides the sharpest view on the society of his time, of the 'Arab spring' in Tunisia and Egypt, but also on the society where no revolution took place: Algeria

Dario Ivkovic: 'people don’t seem interested in roots of Balkan music'

('Ili Pusk\xc3\xa1s',) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:06:49 -0000

Best-known as a member of both the German touring group Shantel & The Bucovina Club Orkestar and French band Les Yeux Noirs, the Serbian accordionist is an electrifying personality onstage. We talk music legends, Balkan beats and why 'girls like guitarists better'

Top three songs: Polish music legend Czesław Niemen

('Agata Jaskot',) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:15:00 -0000

His John Lennon-style glasses and long hair were mandatory for a beat generation artist. An uneven beard completed the rock and soul musician’s look on the streets of Poland. 17 January 2012 marks the eighth anniversary of the death of the much-loved singer-songwriter, 64

‘Desi Boyz’ and a German girl: am I now a bollywood star?

('Lilian Maria Pithan',) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:07:56 -0000

A European traveller who accidentally becomes an extra for the latest film of India's 'Tom Cruise', Akshay Kumar, winds up filming and reflects on her experience after watching the completed movie in the cinemas. Part II of a travel diary

'Desi Boyz' and a German girl: welcome to bollywood

('Lilian Maria Pithan',) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:23:09 -0000

By staying in a salvation army hostel in India one European traveller did not expect it to also be an agency recruiting white extras for bollywood stardom. So, are glitter, rhinestones and bared white skin the essence of a bollywood star?

International Documentary Film Festival: Amsterdam cinema’s leading lady

('Tom Gale',) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:46:37 -0000

In Amsterdam, there are coffee shops, bicycles, Rembrandt and a port. But between the paintings and the pedals lies the IDFA, the largest documentary film event in the world and one of the biggest festivals in the world you’ve probably never heard of

Montreal international poetry prize 'for poets by poets'

('Kris Anderson',) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:32:49 -0000

Poetry is enduring, if not a deep freeze, at least a hard frost. Austerity measures across Europe and Canada have led to severe cuts in arts funding. Amidst the scrabble to fund prizes whose state subsidies have been slashed, a brand new award has emerged on a different funding model, with the winner to scoop 50, 000 Canadian dollars on 15 December

Ivana Simic Bodrozic and co: more women on Croatia literary scene

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:28:30 -0000

The Zagreb-based poet and writer's coming-of-age drama Hotel Zagorje is the theme of a literary event in Paris. Though her debut novel stays true to a tradition in contemporary Croatian fiction, the 29-year-old gets her audience in a flurry with the book's themes of war, women, the past and an inevitable future together

Cyril Tuschi’s ‘Khodorkovsky’: 'I’m not so frightened - I’ll be flying to Moscow premiere'

('Annie Rutherford',) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:24:34 -0000

The Berlin-based director on the power struggle between Vladimir Putin and the former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky - who is probably Russia’s most famous prisoner - are depicted in his documentary thriller, which is to be released in Russia on 2 December - if all goes well. Interview

French actress and singer Melanie Laurent’s directorial debut: ‘The Adopted’

('Cari19',) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:32:19 -0000

At the age of 28, the actress and singer released her first film as a director, ‘Les Adoptés’, on 23 November in her native France. Do all good things come in threes? Film review

Documentary Italy: love it or leave it in a Fiat 500

('Eva Vanhee',) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0000

When the lease on their flat in Rome was up, film critic Luca Ragazzi convinced television journalist Gustav Hofer to spend a last six months touring their country and understand why they were moving abroad. Little did they know that those were the six months that changed Italy

Silencio: Paris club where David Lynch is more Papa Smurf

('Marta Nathansohn',) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:05:58 -0000

You certainly will not be greeted by 'Silencio, no hay banda…' upon entering David Lynch’s exclusive Parisian club, which opened in the French capital on 6 October. Although the name of the club is a tribute to his cult movie Mulholland Drive, don’t expect to find Rita, dead corpses or unresolved mysteries here, advises one Italian journalist

Vetusta Morla, band of the moment in Spain

('Buzz',) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:05:13 -0000

Their debut album One Day In The World ('Un día en el mundo', 2008) turned them into one of the leading bands on the Spanish music scene. Most locals confess to either loving or hating the six-piece, who formed in high school in Madrid. Interview

Hungarian singer Erzsi Kiss: ‘My language is based on musicality’

('kovakovics',) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:15:00 -0000

It’s much more meaningful gobbledygook, says the singer in the Hungarian band 'Egy Kiss Erzsi Zene' about her lyrics. The musician and puppeteer talks to us about singing 'in no language'

Trio Joubran: ‘It’s hard to be Palestinian musicians in the world’

('Annie Rutherford',) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:25:16 -0000

Samir, Wissam and Adnan Joubran are international musicians whose performance and perspectives nonetheless remain rooted in their homeland: Palestine. Just before the UN is due to consider Palestine’s official bid to become a UN member as well as a state, we meet the brothers in Paris about how their hopes for their country influences their music

Russian art group Voina boycotts Moscow contemporary art biennale

('Annie Rutherford',) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:26:45 -0000

It's not the country that you'd expect to celebrate activist art. Held until 20 October, Moscow's fourth contemporary art biennale is not exactly a step towards the freedom of expression, especially since the famous Russian protest collective are paradoxically protesting against the biennale’s 'international festival of activist art'

Georgia fashion week 2011: open to Europe

('cafebabel.com',) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:40:20 -0000

Between 13-16 October, Tbilisi will be all blitz and glamour instead of rockets: designers, buyers, models and fashion hype gather in the Georgian capital for the second edition of fashion week

Rock band Turbo: ‘absence of taste’ an ‘incurable disease’ in Hungary

('Ili Pusk\xc3\xa1s',) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 18:12:31 -0000

When it comes to psychedelic-progressive rock music, Turbo is Hungary’s number one. Bass guitarist Jero and singer Balázs Tanka on genres, role models and taking different viewpoints on music tastes and truths in general

‘Allez Calais!’ Historic French football match replayed in theatre

('ZoeBBee',) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:00:00 -0000

‘Come on, Calais!’, a theatrical monologue written by the Italian journalist Osvaldo Guerrieri, tells the story of the amateur football team who played FC Nantes in the historic French cup final in 2000. It’s one in the back of the net for football, as the epic tale of the underdog takes to the stage in Paris

REM ‘call it a day as a band’ after 31 years and 15 albums: editors pick

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:07:47 -0000

The American rock group are as old as the most sprightliest of us here at cafebabel.com HQ in Paris. They formed in Athens (Georgia!) in 1980 and announced their split on 22 September. Here’s a video ode to some of our favourite songs for today’s soundtrack

French electro music: profile of Yuksek

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:02:20 -0000

Pierre-Alexandre Busson’s mysterious single On a train (‘On The Train’), released in the spring of 2011, captivated the 33-year-old DJ and producer’s native France. Nothing left to do except jump on the bandwagon

Gravity Co: 'We shy away from traditional Bulgarian limelight’

('Ili Pusk\xc3\xa1s',) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:45:33 -0000

They have scooped practically all the music awards in Bulgaria, such as the national music channel MMTV's 'band of the decade' gong in 2008, like magnets deftly reinvigorating progressive music in a post-socialist country. The four-piece Sofia-based rockers stand out from the Bulgarian musical landscape like liquorice-black aliens - and a fourth album is promised for 2011. Interview

Edinburgh fringe festival 2011: the problem with passing around the hat

('jellingworth',) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:54:44 -0000

At first glance, Edinburgh’s Royal Mile in August seems like an anarchic, free-spirited display of all that the world’s largest arts festival has to offer. But after a while you notice how rigidly the twirling street performers stick to their allocated spots, the hard-faced hard selling in the ‘bucket speeches’ after each act and the ever-present banners advertising Richard Branson’s latest venture - a credit card firm

Sex, Sartre & rock n’roll in Paris theatre

('Annie Rutherford',) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:44:34 -0000

Anyone coming to Jean Paul Sartre’s ‘No exit’ (Huis clos) playing at the Lucernaire theatre until 10 September shouldn't expect a tedious and stiff evening. French director Vladimir Steyaert surprised the entirely young audience with a contemporary, ironically serious version of the classic, which of course, had to have an international cast

Concert hype review: Amy Winehouse in Belgrade vs Die Antwoord in La Coruna

('Fernando Garcia',) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:54:09 -0000

As the weekend drew to a close we’ve been hearing polar concert success stories. Between one Grammy-award winning British former drug addict’s Balkan comeback and more outrageous non-European sounds in Spain, is it off the continent where we need to be experiencing the best music live?

One Spaniard's five reasons not to attend Benicassim 2011

('Melanie',) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:00:00 -0000

I won’t go to the 'FIB' in Spain this year in protest at one of the many festival-businesses that dedicate themselves to treating their public like rubbish simply because they are young, consume drugs and do not have the sufficient vehemence to claim their rights. Readers (and/ or music lovers), here are five reasons not to be fooled and to follow my lead

Croatia’s writers and playwrights: no post-war no-hopers

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 25 May 2011 15:00:00 -0000

It’s impossible for the moment to imagine a literature and theatre scene in Croatia which does not blend in the story of Yugoslavia’s collapse. The wounds are too fresh, holding back the development of a certain maturity. One young generation of playwrights and writers between Zagreb and Split literally put the streets on their stages and pages, as they move between the daily quest for an identity and the desire for renewal

2011 win for Azerbaijan: Eurovision returns east

('Dave Keating',) — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:43:35 -0000

Norway, Germany...after two years in western Europe, Azerbaijan was the surprise winner of the Eurovision song contest on 14 May. The 2012 contest will be held in the Caspian Sea coast city of Baku, an awkward host city given that the country is in an ongoing military conflict with its neighbour Armenia

Best and worst of Eurovision 2011

('Dave Keating',) — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:18:04 -0000

It's a year of astonishing comebacks, pleas to stop climate change and, most intriguing of all, France's entry singing entirely in a language other than French. The famed song contest is held between 10 - 14 May in Duesseldorf, Germany. We've put ourselves through the best of Europe out of the 43 participants - especially for you

Forget Cannes - go to FiSahara, 'only film festival in a refugee camp'

('Madalina Pierseca',) — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:06:59 -0000

It's an unusual festival created by a group of enthusiastic young Spaniards to disappear on the day Western Sahara regains its independence. Sandy perspectives from the Dakhla camp of the eigth FiSahara festival, which takes place each year from 2 - 8 May

Art or porn? Youtube censor for Juan Francisco Casas

('ckb',) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:30:00 -0000

'The truth is that it is a little outrageous that a suggestive image of a breast could be shocking in 2011,' complains the Andalusian artist Juan Francisco Casas. In March, youtube censored a video which contained images of his works, which are photos and art taken always with a close entourage

Post-communist underground: Budapest 'ruin pubs' threatened with closure

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:00:00 -0000

For two decades the Hungarian capital's delapidated yards have become its hottest alternative venues in the form of retro gardens and pubs. That's about to come to an end thanks to a stricter law set in place after a tragic episode at the beginning of 2011 by local right-wing authorities, and dutifully followed by conformist residents

cafebabel.com blogs: 'Nightlife: Paris are you Berlin...still?'

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:59:16 -0000

Where are the new places to hang out in Paris? Is it because Paris is realising she is a dead town that she is starting to organise events called Berlin, like at the Gaîté Lyrique between 29 March and 3 April? View from the cafebabel.com Paris blog

Aleksandar Radivojevic of ‘A Serbian Film’: it’s catharsis more than ‘torture porn’

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:00:00 -0000

In Belgrade artistic culture and creativity seem to be menaced by the muzzle of conformism and the dictatorship of political correctness. Many believe that Serbia’s entry into the 27-nation European union could make the situation worse. We meet the co-writer of a controversial 2010 horror film, which he says is the perfect 'plastic metaphor' onscreen of the indignant cry of an art which wants to break free

Denmark 2011 Oscar for In A Better World - but not a very Danish movie

('Juliane Dybkj\xc3\xa6r',) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:55:15 -0000

Susanne Bier’s ‘Hævnen’ is a story about blood, thirst and justice and the hard realities of life. But how did a movie about such dark subjects come out of Denmark, the country with the happiest people on earth?

Huzun, bourgeois, opposites: what is Orhan Pamuk’s Turkey?

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:49:05 -0000

Negotiations over Turkey’s accession to the European union began in 2006 but Europeans remain on their guard; the fear of the unknown is well known. The nobel literature prizewinner is one of Turkey’s main figureheads though he was accused of insulting Turkish identity. View from Poland

Berlin film festival 2011 winner goes to Iran: Asghar Farhadi's Nader and Simin, a Separation

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:50:57 -0000

In 2009 the Iranian director scooped a Silver Bear for best director for About Elly. This year's competition entry 'Jodaeiye Nader az Simin' was a clear frontrunner for the 2011 Golden Bear award, beating twenty-one other films in competition. Review

Berlin film festival 2011: Coen brothers True Grit opener not true to Coen

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:23:14 -0000

After the road movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) and the thriller No Country For Old Men (2007) the Coen brothers are back in the deserted vastness of the American landscape. The ten-times Oscar nominated film opened the 61st Berlin film festival on 10 February

Tiken Jah Fakoly: ‘Africa has to overcome its ethnic and religious issues’

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:15:00 -0000

The Ivorian roots-reggae singer is in Paris to promote an upcoming African solidarity week in June, but also to create an echo of the Tunisian people’s fight across the rest of the African continent

What happens when you mix 20 European hip-hop artists up

('Danielle Farrell',) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:30:00 -0000

Diversidad, diversité, diversity, diversità, pазноврсност, raznovrsnost, diversidade...all in the name of an urban culture project supported by the European institutions, no less! A Paris-based Bosnian journalist meets the raw talent of European hip-hop, who collaborated on an album in Brussels for release in February 2011

Film review: The Last Station

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:00:00 -0000

The pre-Bolshevik biopic of the Leo Tolstoy's life stars a British cast and was shot in Germany rather than Russia. A Spaniard reviews the drama, which was released in the UK in February 2010 - the centenary of the great writer's death

Pécs: can you be a 'culture capital' if that status scares off your artists?

('Helen Crumpton',) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:12:10 -0000

The Hungarian city of Pécs may be this year’s European capital of culture alongside the German and Turkish cities of Essen and Istanbul, but its performers prefer to seek their salvation further afield

cafebabel.com Brussels at second EU prize for literature event

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:19:32 -0000

Judging literature is difficult, but comparing writers of different languages, cultures and backgrounds is a fruitless task.On November 11, Europe’s literary elite gathered in Brussels to award some of today’s most up-and-coming fiction writers

Pick of Serbian, Estonian and Russian film at Cottbus festival

('Helen Crumpton',) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:22:34 -0000

'Germany’s second most important film festival' according to the former German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier celebrated its twentieth anniversary between 2 and 7 November this year. Top prize at the 'young European cinema' festival went to 'White White World' by Serb director Oleg Novkovi. Retrospective

Nobel literature prize for Peru's Mario Vargas Llosa

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:15:00 -0000

In 2010 the Swedish academy awarded a career linked to the description of power (including a real candidacy to the presidency of Peru), and also linked to ideas and defeat. The award coincides with an exhibition in Paris about the life and work of the Peruvian writer, who has often visited the French city as well as Madrid and London

A French, German and Italian go to Berlin's Adolf Hitler exhibition…

('Helen Dray',) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 10:45:00 -0000

Since 15 October, 20, 000 people have already flocked to the German History Museum in Berlin to find out more about one man - the most famous dictator in Europe. 'What made Hitler possible? That's the question we're trying to answer in this exhibition, which runs until 6 February', explains a spokesperson. Three young Europeans chart their emotions

What to do in Brussels when you're young, gifted and insanely connected

('Rose Kelleher',) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:37:10 -0000

You exhibit in unusual places and crank up the electronic music - just ask the boys and girls from Plastic. Snippet from the Brussels cafebabel.com blog

The parallel (and enigmatic) life of Russian cinema

('Kate Stansfield',) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:12:19 -0000

Russia and its cinema are developing behind the EU's back. The films succeeding over there fail over here, and vice versa. Why? From Paris, a panel of experts decipher the unfathomable tastes of audiences on both sides of the former iron curtain over a screening of Pervyi Etazh (‘Ground Floor’)

Vegetarianism: 'Eating Animals' in Europe

('Nettah',) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:00:00 -0000

Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2009 novel, published in March 2010 in the UK, has just been released in German. The 33-year-old American has fast become the new vegetarian messiah. While it reached the top three of the Der Spiegel bestseller list, only 1.3 million Germans follow a vegetarian diet, a mere 1.6% of the population

Film review: terrorist comedy ‘Four Lions’ by Chris Morris

('Louis',) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:08:28 -0000

The Brit’s satirical debut feature film follows a group of jihadists from the northern city of Sheffield, struggling to make an impact. To coincide with its final European release dates, another reflection on how and why Morris pokes fun at the delicate issue just five years after the 7/7 bombings