Go see this this week: Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
Just over 40 years since David Bowie “quit” music live on the stage of The Hammersmith Apollo, the film made of that iconic, final, Ziggy concert is returning to the newly rechristened Eventim Apollo. For the first time, the DA Pennebaker directed film is being screened in the place it was made. If that’s not enough for you, there will also be a DJ playing David Bowie songs, and a band called Animal Noise, who are apparently heavily influenced by The Thin White Duke himself, which is very rare obviously. More info here.
Film of the week: Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures tells the story of the three female African-American mathematicians who helped launch astronaut John Glenn into orbit in the 1960s. Octavia Spencer, Taraji P Henson and Janelle Monáe all star in what has become the highest grossing film fronted entirely by black women since Sister Act in 1992. Consult your local cinema listings as this one is not to be missed.
Exhibition of the week: Richard Mosse at the Barbican Curve
The Barbican have given over their Curve gallery to conceptual-documentarian filmmaker-photographer Richard Mosse. Mosse has been utilising some high-tech advanced weaponry gadgets. But instead of making war, he’s been using these gizmos, that can record images over 30km away using infra-red, to create an epic portrait of the refugee crisis. Travelling from Libya to Syria, across the Sahara and to the Persian Gulf, Mosse’s monochrome images capture the stark horrors of the lives of migrants in hyperreal detail. More info here.
Song of the week: The Rhythm Method, Cruel
A slice of Lovers Rock from London’s Rhythm Method that dropped as a little Valentine’s Day treat for all of us. There can be nothing wrong with a song that contains the lyrics “a policecar named desire”.
Award Ceremony of the week: World Press Photos
Lol not the Grammys. And I’m pretty sure no one watched the BAFTAs. So, the award for Best Award Ceremony this week goes to the World Press Photo Awards. Which is not only an invaluable resource in documenting the world many are struggling to live through, but also a generator of newsworthy content right now. The head of judging panel, Stuart Franklin, has disowned the winning image, a shot of the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey by Burhan Ozbilici. Saying it glorified terrorism. Mainly, the World Press Photo Awards is a reminded of the power of photography. More info here.
Thing that cheered us up this week: Rihanna sipping from a diamond-encrusted hip flask
It’s been another one of those weeks eh? But here’s Rihanna sipping from a diamond encrusted hip flask to cheer us all up. Whilst Beyoncé, Adele, the general public, and the people who run the Grammys argued about who made the best album of the year, RiRi was getting juiced up. Watch on repeat to get you through Thurs and Fri.
Credits
Text Felix Petty