Culture

INTERVIEW culture : Karin Park: 'Moving to Japan from a Swedish village makes you grow up fast'

Karin Park: 'Moving to Japan from a Swedish village makes you grow up fast'

Her dark and mystical music is influenced by her native Sweden and childhood in Japan. After having her first success in Norway the 34-year-old from Djura is still pretty unknown elsewhere in Europe

by Lisa Braamt @ // 05/06/13

culture, feminism, japan, norway, music, gender equality, women

REVIEW culture : Documentary review: ‘Stone Games’ on German-Czech relations

Documentary review: ‘Stone Games’ on German-Czech relations

‘Hra o kámen’, Jan Gebert's debut film, looks at the attitudes towards the 'collective guilt' of Germans following the second world war. Based in the small Czech town of Nový Bor, a memorial to eight murdered Germans has inflamed local anger over the issue which goes all the way to the town hall

by Craggy @ // 03/06/13

culture, germany, czech republic, national socialism, nazism, history, war crimes

REVIEW culture : Five films to watch before you visit Naples

Five films to watch before you visit Naples

Italy's third largest city was an early filmic setting for the Lumiere brothers' short movies, before movie theatres were gradually introduced in around 1905. From war-time liberation to corrupt underworlds via commedia dell'arte and Sophia Loren, here's five of the best from Naples' cinematic heritage

by Mario Paciolla @ // 28/05/13

culture, italy, cinema, video, film, second world war , comedy

PORTRAIT culture : Christophe Chassol: 'My flat burnt down; life goes on!'

Christophe Chassol: 'My flat burnt down; life goes on!'

The French pop singer is king of a new genre of ‘ultrascore’ . On 1 April the 36-year-old released his second solo album, the fruit of a two-week trip across India. We talk inspirations and Bertrand Burgalat

by Matthieu Amaré @ // 23/05/13

culture, cinema, death, interview, paris, brunch, music

INTERVIEW culture : Tomas Šileika: 'We sing about what hurts in Lithuania'

Tomas Šileika: 'We sing about what hurts in Lithuania'

The young generation of Lithuanians is slowly getting rid of the fears and prejudices of the older generations: if they find something relevant in the work of Marx or if they decide that glorification of private initiative and enterprise is not the only way, they will pursue it. Yet the path of creative expression is not easy for critically thinking artists, says the singer in the first Lithuanian left-wing rock band, Skyders

by Daiva Repečkaitė @ // 23/05/13

culture, migration, university, youth, vilnius, music, lithuania

OPINION culture : Ageing stars are hip

Ageing stars are hip

The Rolling Stones, My Bloody Valentine, Depeche Mode, David Bowie…with so many surprise comebacks, the first half of 2013 has been marked by famous veterans returning in force. They reflect a very real culture of nostalgia. But does experience always win the day?

by Sarah Todd @ // 21/05/13

culture, concert, cinema, nostalgia, music, david bowie, lifestyle

Azerbaijani cuisine and Gerard Depardieu's eastern exploits Watch the video

- Video Azerbaijani cuisine and Gerard Depardieu's eastern exploits

06/05/13

culture, cinema, advertising, azerbaijan, france

PANORAMA culture : Czech Republic vs. Chechnya

Czech Republic vs. Chechnya

For us Spaniards, it’s easy to confuse the German for 'German' - 'Deutsch' - and the nationality of the 'Dutch', or the words ‘sueco’ (Swedish) and ‘suizo’ (Swiss). In a continent as rich as we live in, it’s easy to match its languages, identities and traditions with confusions (although football can help)

by ManuTomillo @ // 03/05/13

culture, switzerland, tower of babel, translation, language, czech republic

INTERVIEW culture : Olivier Heim of très.b on moving to Poland

Olivier Heim of très.b on moving to Poland

The band have a French-inspired name, and the trio behind it encompass five different nationalities. They met in Denmark and moved to the Netherlands before setting up base in Warsaw. The Dutch-American singer and guitarist says the band’s international aspect is not particularly surprising – it is simply a result of who he is

by Agathe Osinski @ // 30/04/13

culture, poland, music

NEWS culture : Obituary: P183 aka 'Russian Banksy'

Obituary: P183 aka 'Russian Banksy'

On 2 April the Russian internet exploded with the news that the street artist had passed away at the age of 29. Pasha183 was not that well-known in Russia, but became famous abroad when several British newspapers published his works and attracted attention to the young talented man, comparing him to Banksy - which he disliked

by Diana Kulchitskaya @ // 05/04/13

culture, nature, moscow, protest, weather, obituary, communication

INTERVIEW culture : Mathias Cardet: 'A good rapper is a rapper who has quit already'

Mathias Cardet: 'A good rapper is a rapper who has quit already'

For some, rap was merely a way of legitimising marijuana consumption or tracksuit styles. For others, the genre has always represented an escape in an increasingly dissatisfied world. With his latest book ‘The Dreadful Masquerade of Rap’, the French author wants to give rap back to the all-assuming hip-hop genre which tried to claim it

by Matthieu Amaré @ // 04/04/13

culture, literature, hip-hop, books, france

Gallery

Image : Spring has reached Nepal: colourful faces of Holi festival (10 images)

Spring has reached Nepal: colourful faces of Holi festival (10 images)

INTERVIEW culture : Velonotte, 'born in Moscow': philosophy of the night bike rider

Velonotte, 'born in Moscow': philosophy of the night bike rider

From Rome, London and New York to St Petersburg, Sergey Nikitin’s project welcomes bike riders from Russia and abroad to enjoy night cycling from a different perspective. ‘Moscow at night looks very peculiar,’ he says of the Russian capital of 12 million people

by Diana Kulchitskaya @ // 02/04/13

culture, moscow, sport, entertainment, bicycle, russian federation, bike

PORTRAIT culture : Denisas Kolomyckis: 'Lithuanian society will be ready for LGBT rights in a few years'

Denisas Kolomyckis: 'Lithuanian society will be ready for LGBT rights in a few years'

His shyness seems at odds with his achievements; already by the age of 20, the Vilnius-born ballet dancer has stacked up experience in the world of the arts, from the Lithuanian capital to New York via London and Paris, where we meet. Nor has he any qualms about speaking of his homosexuality: 'I am one of those rare people who talks about it in every interview'

by Jorge Mallén @ // 29/03/13

culture, contemporary art, gay rights, lgbt, paris, dance, homosexuality

DEBATE culture : Anti-mafia travelling cinema: Italy in Paris

Anti-mafia travelling cinema: Italy in Paris

Delve deep into the heart of Paris’ Right Bank, and you will discover an ‘island of solidarity’ that’s Italian to the core. 'Ethicando' is a small bistro where, unsurprisingly, you are served up ethical produce. It is here, on the evening of 5 March, where France encounters Italy and one of the most distressing issues facing the peninsula

by Alessia Armenise @ // 28/03/13

culture, italy, paris, mafia, culture calendar

FEATURE culture : Travel fragments from India: Rushdie, Tibetan refugees and precious stones

Travel fragments from India: Rushdie, Tibetan refugees and precious stones

Four days to leave Nepal, to breathe in its strong odours and let the little children of the Indian sub-continent comb my hair. This travel log takes us along the unmade road going from Kathmandu to Delhi, from the sequins of Bollywood to the simplicity of Tibetan refugees. Welcome to India

by Bibbi Abruzzini @ // 27/03/13

culture, feature, indian sub-continent, india, travel

EUtopia: pursuit of freedom in progress in Budapest

EUtopia: pursuit of freedom in progress in Budapest

‘EUtopia’, cafebabel.com’s flagship project of 2013, kicked off in the capital of Hungary. For five nights a Bosnian-Italian-British-Swedish team of journalists and photographers were able to capture Budapest’s (charming) mood, enjoy its unpredictable nights and savour its desire of freedom. It seemed everyone was shouting. Artists and critics are unwittingly creating their own ‘protest art’ outside a famous contemporary museum whose ownership is state-comprised. Students are occupying the humanities department of a university, proclaiming: ‘We want to stay in Hungary!’, after a new ‘constitutional contract’ would force state-funded undergraduates and graduates to stay in the country for work. Nevertheless, one-third of students vote for the extreme-right wing political ‘jobbik’ party. There were different proclamations during the traditional jewish festivals on the other side of the city, although members of the religious community confided their concern at the right-wing government’s rising nationalist discourse in a place their ancestors used to call home. Is Budapest only going to get EUtopian when it can address its past by leaving it behind? Hungarians of all colours – art, religion, marginalised communities and youth - are trying to escape the monochromatic tone Viktor Orban has set for them in his mood ball. They are awaiting political change and also learning to rely on individuals, by practicing their creativity and making sustainable dreams come true. Read the special edition (Image: © VN)

REVIEW culture : Film review: ‘Lasting’ by Jacek Borcuch

Film review: ‘Lasting’ by Jacek Borcuch

Some moments can completely change our life, an incident which starts a devastating turn of events reeling. This Polish-Spanish co-production is an emotional story of a couple of Polish students whose carefree holiday in Spain becomes an unexpected nightmare

by Joanna Zajączkowska @ // 20/03/13

culture, cinema, film festival, cities, youth, jacek borcuch, culture calendar

OPINION culture : Expat lifestyle: do you have to learn German to live in Berlin?

Expat lifestyle: do you have to learn German to live in Berlin?

A debate is raging on English language blogs and on twitter over whether those who have moved to Berlin should learn German or not. Isn't it a bit arrogant to go through your Berlin life exclusively in English?

by Sandra Wickert @ // 06/03/13

culture, language, berlin, immigration, eurogeneration, society, multilingualism

Five of Europe's best young acting talents

Five of Europe's best young acting talents

What do 007 star Daniel Craig, his wife Rachel Weisz and 'Good Bye Lenin!' hero Daniel Brühl have in common? They all were 'shooting stars' before their international acting careers took off. Since 1998, the European film promotion (AFP) academy has been selecting 10 of the new European acting talents of the year, who can do a bit of shaking hands at the Berlin international film festival and walking the red carpet in fancy dresses with the big names. Here are five of our young interviewees, including the Brando-idolising Luca Marinelli ('The Solitude of Prime Numbers') and the sweet Laura Birn (star of 'Purge', the adaptation of the Finnish award-winning novel by Sofi Oksanen). 2013 also marks a first for Arta Dobroshi, who is representing the Republic of Kosovo for the first time. The team from cafebabel Berlin meets some of the year's 'shooting stars' together with our partners cineuropa and Nisi Masa (Image: courtesy of © shooting-stars.eu/)

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Culture in the babelblogs

'All sang alleluia': Christmas poems from round Europe

Is it the best day of the year, or materialist mayhem? Have you already decked the hall with boughs of holly, or are you secretly waiting for it all to be over? A selection of favourite Christmas poems picked by Babelians is by turns joyful, world-weary and quietly optimistic

by coffee_girl on poetry

Bread and butter poetry with Ceris Aston

We’re delighted to welcome a new author and Babelian to our midst – Ceris Aston. A self-confessed wanderer of roads less taken, Ceris is currently based in Scotland and studying liberal arts. She’s penned our upcoming article about poetweets – drop by in a couple of days to check it ...

by coffee_girl on poetry

Glitter, glamour and bare skin: Welcome to Bollywood! (Part 1)

Spotlights, grey plastic chairs and roaring air-conditioning. The backyard shed I end up in after a long bus drive through the never ending slums of Mumbai doesn't in the least resemble a professional film set. There are a lot of cameras that could easily collapse if you tripped in ...

by Lilian Maria Pithan on currypower

Exhibition: visual poetry in former Yugoslavia

Kontakt, the Erste foundation’s art collective, explores art production in central, eastern and south-eastern Europe. The group focuses on the political transformation of post-socialist countries and the role art plays in this context. In a current exhibition, three of the collective’s artists explore the relationship between textual and ...

by coffee_girl on poetry

Post-it poets: Sophia Walker

Sophia Walker is a slam poet and teaching artist originally from the US. We came across the BBC Scottish slam champion at the Edinburgh book festival's impro slam, which she deservedly won. Check her out performing 'Two-faced love' here.

by coffee_girl on poetry