When the troubled Alina (Cristina Flutur) returns to Romania from Germany to visit her childhood friend (and implied ex-lover) Voichita (Cosmina Stratan), she is shocked to discover that she has spent the past few years as a devout nun. Failing to fit in with her friend’s new existence at the monastery and prone to violent outbursts, Alina is seen as having “the evil”. As her fits of rage continue, Alina is cast out. When she is unable to go anywhere else, the priest and sisters get together and perform an exorcism with terrible consequences.

Every time the word “exorcism” is mentioned in a film, alarm bells start ringing. Naturally one is reminded of the dreadful The Last Exorcism ilk films that Hollywood churns out all too often. Beyond the Hills is a far cry from this type of artless and cheap cinema.

Mungiu’s cinematography is central to the visceral impact of the film: the camera often stays in a fixed frame for over five minutes at a time, and coupled with the lack of accompanying soundtrack, the result is stripped down and bare so that the audience feel as if they are observers of this world of largely clandestine practises. Considering the story that’s being told, it’s difficult to imagine how the technical devices utilised in the film could have been bettered. The two main actresses are also integral to the effect, especially Cristina Flutur, whose chilling and compelling performance led her to win the best actress prize at Cannes.

If there is any problem with the film it is mostly in the director’s decision to allow the narrative to work as a slow burner. Some will lose patience and others won’t be able to take the oppressive darkness of the work, but once involved, the intelligent viewer will heed the film’s message about the workings of institutions. And as the credits roll they will be left with plenty more to dwell upon.

Verdict: ★★★★

Conor Nyhan

Watch the trailer for Beyond the Hills here:

Hussain was ambushed by two individuals on motorcycles while standing outside her home in the upper-class district of Clifton. “The assailants opened fire on Zahra, 60, as soon as she reached the gate of her residence. Apparently they were there to target her only,” said one official.

The female politician was killed hours before 43 polling stations were re-opened in her state of Karachi due to suspected intimidation and fraud in the general election a week ago.

Karachi was just one of several states opened for re-polling after wide accusations by the Imran Khan party of rigging and security issues by the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), a dominant political force in Karachi.

Mr Khan accused senior MQM member Altaf Hussain of the killing, whilst also condemning the UK for failing to heed public threats from MQM. Altaf Hussain was exiled from Pakistan due to an accusation of murder, and currently leads the MQM party from within the UK where he was given asylum in the 1990s.

Mr Hussain, in reaction to the rigging accusations, made a statement that has been called an open threat of violence by Mr Khan, in which he referenced protests taking place near the Three Swords roundabout in Karachi.

He said:  “those people who are protesting – and grandstanding – near Three Swords [a well know monument] – I don’t want to fight or quarrel, but if I order my supporters now, they will go to Three Swords and turn them into a reality.”

In response Mr Khan retorted: “I hold Altaf Hussain directly responsible for the murder as he openly threatened PTI workers and leaders through public broadcasts…. I also hold the British government responsible as I had warned them about British citizen Altaf Hussain after his open threats.”

The accusations will refocus attention on the running of the financial centre of Karachi by Altaf Hussain from his current dwellings on Edgware High Street in London. One Karachi-based Pakastani citizen said: “If he wants to run Karachi he should come and live here.”

The killing is just the latest in a series of national attacks throughout the Pakistani democratic election. Last Saturday on May 11^th a victory was securely won by Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Patrick Corby

France is now the ninth European country to legalise same-sex marriage and the 14^th worldwide.

Same –sex marriage has been written into French law with the support of the majority of the public. Photo: Kenzo/AFP/Getty Images

The new law has been praised by gay advocates and campaigners as a step forward for France. It is with regret, however, that the celebration is shrouded by political arguments and a rise in homophobic attacks.

This legislation has been used as a main policy of social reform by president Hollande’s Socialist Party.

In French law, an application for marriage must be filed a minimum of 10 days before the ceremony can take place, meaning that the first same-sex weddings could start taking place from May 29^th. The mayor of southern-French city Montpellier, Hélène Mandroux, intends to preside over the first wedding and stated that “love has won over hate”.

Ms Mandroux, also a Socialist Party member, has voiced her concerns that the first same-sex wedding could attract violent protests alongside a mass of publicity. The protests against the law have already amounted to over 200 arrests and more protests are planned for May 26^th.

President Hollande has warned that he will not tolerate resistance. The government’s spokeswoman and minister for the rights of women, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, also intends to attend the first gay wedding which will undoubtedly go down in French history. 

French opinion polls have shown that the majority of the public supports the legislation. However, the issue of same-sex adoption has proved more controversial with only 50% of the public agreeing with it.

While the new law in France allows gay people to adopt, it does not provide assistance such as IVF to lesbian couples and rights for same-sex parents are still uncertain. 

Zoe Field

The event was held at the White Horse pub in Parsons Green and hosted by Thomas Pink, official outfitter for the Lions squad. The rugby-star-turned-chef cooked up a tantalising menu of rib-eye beef burgers, succulent chicken breast and chunky chips for the growing crowd. There was even a nod to the team’s overseas competitors with a kangaroo burger – don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!

Quality produce, especially quality meat, is something very close to the Lions veteran’s heart, having grown up on a farm in his home county of Devon: “When I was a little kid, when you’d eat a cow that was yours, it tasted different. Like pulling your potatoes out the ground, seeing those spuds. The importance of the food chain and where things come from, I think it makes a big difference.”

Since winning Celebrity Masterchef in 2011, Vickery has got involved with everything from charity cook-offs to becoming a patron of the Prince’s Countryside Fund. He’s not stopping there: “I would love to open a restaurant or a brasserie back in Gloucestershire. I’d like to involve people, communities and try and showcase some great produce. Dave and Doreen with their honey down the road, western cider, they’ve all got a place.” Even a stint on Strictly might be on the cards for the Raging Bull who admitted he would “genuinely love to dance”.

The well-known pub was renamed the Pink Lion for the day in honour of the event and made for a great venue. Huge pink umbrellas covered the outdoor area while inside, dark leather upholstery and walls covered in vintage ale posters created the perfect setting in which to relax with a pint of premium beer.

Fun was had by all ages, 11-14-year-olds could play touch rugby with A Question of Sport’s Matt Dawson, while adults could taste local wine and cider and a Thomas Pink pop-up shop stocked covetable shirts, suits and socks from their exclusive Lions Collection. A Q&A session with five members of the elite squad (including newly appointed captain Sam Warburton) gave fans the opportunity to pick their brains, before a final screening of the Heineken Cup Final.

Beer, burgers and ball games: did somebody say summer?

Laura McLeish

For further information about the British and Irish Lions and future events visit here. 

For further information about Phil Vickery visit here.

The small venue on the third floor of the Bussey Building can just about host a few over a hundred people, but this only results in more intimacy. There is no curtain to separate the actors from the public, and although there is no actual involvement of the audience, the space chosen for the performance has clearly been envisaged precisely so that the spectators feel part of the play. After all, as we are reminded, if the performances weren’t addressed to a public they wouldn’t make sense.

So we are immediately plunged into the manic, frustrating world of the playwright, Ionesco himself, who’s sitting desperately trying to find the inspiration and concentration to finish his play, which needs to be perfect. His writing is constantly interrupted and influenced by three characters, all named Bartholomeus, representing different, divergent consciences of the author. The play is mostly a chaotic argumentative dialogue on theatre, its essence and function. The creative process is debated over in an unsolved attempt to (re)define its role until we go full circle. We discover it is a vicious cycle indeed, and we are left without answers, perhaps because we have to find our own. At the end of the play, Ionesco’s monologue sounds more like a nonsense Joyce-esque stream of consciousness in the form of a confession or a call for help.

Lucie Chester as Bartholomeus I and Olivia Nicholson as Bartholomeus II are convincing in their neurotic performances, while Sarah Sharman as Bartholomeus III and Thom Solberg as Ionesco are in contrast not particularly impressive. Overall, The Shepherd’s Chameleon is well done, though perhaps still too avant-garde in 2013 to attract a larger audience. Nonetheless, while the effect may not be immediate, it makes us ponder, and if we really pause for a moment and reflect, we understand that many of the wicked truths told are actually perfectly reasonable.

Verdict: ★★★

 Rita Vicinanza

The Shepherd’s Chameleon is on at the CLF Art Café until 25^th May. For further information or to book, visit here.

Watch a teaser for The Shepherd’s Chameleon here:

The plan is simple: Orla is joined by two other performers and between the three of them they take turns to spin a wheel-of-fortune that contains 36 words, with each word producing a different impromptu reaction upon its arbitrary selection. However, what this evolves into is a complex study of language, its possibilities, restrictions, and meanings. Essentially, its semiotics as a live, visual performance that Jacques Derrida himself would have enjoyed.

Although the performances throughout are impromptu, they are of course not completely unrehearsed. Various words trigger the three performers to grab certain props or begin planned routines. The fun comes with seeing what is going to happen next, the real fun comes with seeing certain words come around again – especially when the performance it prompts is a particularly amusing one. For example, “multiply” sets Orla off into a bizarre convulsing act that is slightly disconcerting at first, but eventually receives the biggest laugh of the night.

Almost all of the selections bring about memorable performances. A creepy voiceover recording played over loudspeaker is invoked by “hypnotist”, a dance number with canes is what “restrict” invokes, and the word “hovel” causes Orla to deliver a monologue about a girl meeting a guy at a bar that takes an unpredictable turn.

Each of the three performers deserves great praise. The nature of the show requires them to switch between characters and personalities, and deliver a range of emotional responses in short, controlled moments.

Even though the night’s show is currently a one-off, there comes a moment towards the end of Mountain that is far too clever to spoil. It would be wrong to reveal it in print as the experience live during the show has a terrifically engaging impact that encapsulates the themes.

Verdict: ★★★★

Tom Yates

Watch a trailer for Orla Barry: Mountain here:

The purpose of the collaboration is to raise awareness of the plastic pollution found in our once clean and litter-free oceans. A few actions have been taken to bring everyone’s attention to the seriousness of this matter.

It all commenced on the 8^th of May with a rowing event on the Thames was kicked off, captained by Ben Fogle, Dee Caffari and Roz Savage, raced at the Thames Rowing Club in London. The rowing teams included Olympic rowers and sportsmen such as London 2012 gold medallist Sophie Hoskin, Steve Rowbotham and Natasha Page.

This event also launched Crew Clothing Co.’s Fogle Short; a blue swim short designed by the artist Steve McPherson, illustrating the plastic accumulation found on beaches. Each pair of shorts sold will see £5 go to the Plastic Oceans foundation.

Furthermore, the collaboration will be taken around the country with the Row2Win tour. From May till August, Crew will be working with rowing machine specialists Concept 2 to challenge their clientele to try and surpass Ben Fogle’s time, additionally raising money for Plastic Oceans.

Octavia Morley, MD of Crew Clothing Co. declared: “We know that the challenge ahead is enormous and we need to stay realistic about what can be achieved. We want to do our part in supporting Plastic Oceans through our own efforts and by engaging our customers and staff in direct actions that can make a difference. Educating people about the plight of our oceans and the actions that Individuals can take to make a difference are central to our campaign.”

Plastic Oceans representative, Howard Lack explained: “At Plastic Oceans our vision is that every adult and child is aware of his or her responsibility towards ensuring the right balance between the uses of plastic and protecting the environment. Marine litter and plastic waste is a global problem and we aim to act as a platform to significantly reduce plastic pollution in our environment. We like to partner with brands that share our philosophy, which made working with Crew Clothing Co. an ideal fit. We both appreciate the need to help protect our beautiful coastlines and working together we should hopefully begin to further educate the wider public.”

Ben Fogle spoke of the charity’s mission: “Plastic Oceans is a great initiative highlighting the dangers facing our oceans. It’s wonderful to be working with Crew Clothing Co. to raise awareness of this growing problem.”

The question is would you rather swim in debris-free waters or this? Donating some spare money will ensure that you are interested in seeing clear blue waters again- helping safeguard our natural habitat and that of the ocean life. 

Pooja Sahny

Women tend to be more conscious of their clothing. Marks & Spencer conducted a study that reveals half of UK women change their partner’s style so they become the ultimate fashion accessory. There is a growing trend for couples morphing into relationship lookalikes, with 47% following in the footsteps of David and Victoria Beckham.

21% of women admitted to modifying their own fashion taste to fit their partner’s style.

68% confessed to raiding their boyfriend’s wardrobe for a fashion fix. From the women polled, a percentage confessed to throwing away their partner’s fashion faux pas without them knowing, putting them in the wrong wash on purpose, or even ‘accidentally’ ruining them.

60% of women throw the unwanted clothes into the bin, and only 19% ever send them to a charity shop to have a future life. 

With so many men having their wardrobes raided, no wonder they resort to wearing their partner’s clothes. 20% of men disclosed that they have worn an item of their partner’s clothing. Fetish or experimentation?

The study, in collaboration with Oxfam, promotes their Shwopping initiative which was launched in April 2012. The proposal is to guarantee no clothing ends up in landfill by shwopping – not binning – these unloved items of clothing in their stores nationwide. 
 
With over 1 billion items sent to landfill each year in the UK, the retailer is calling on the UK to adopt a ‘buy one, give one back’ culture when they shop. M&S and Oxfam’s Shwopping partnership, along with Plan A ambassador Joanna Lumley, urges shoppers to donate – or ‘shwop’ – an unwanted item of clothing that will go on to be re-sold, re-used or recycled by Oxfam, cutting waste while also raising much-needed funds for the charity.

Since its commencement, Oxfam has received over 3.8 million items of clothing thanks to Shwopping, worth over £2.3 million for the charity. All money raised by Shwopping is used to support Oxfam’s projects around the world working to alleviate poverty.

Plan A is Marks & Spencer’s eco and ethical programme aspiring to make M&S the world’s most sustainable major retailer by 2015. Launched in 2007 and extended in March 2010, it takes a holistic approach to sustainability, focusing on involving customers, engaging all areas of the business and tackling issues such as climate change, waste, raw materials, health and being a fair partner.

Shwopping is Marks & Spencer’s revolutionary clothes recycling initiative where customers can donate any item of clothing, of any brand, to be re-used, resold or recycled by charity partner Oxfam.

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Join the Marks & Spencer revolution!

Pooja Sahny

For additional information click here.

Takesada Matsutani – Circle – Eruption (2005)

For those that haven’t come across Gutai before, this is something of a pleasant introduction: featuring a series of mixed media and abstract works, there are some brilliant demonstrations of the artist’s use of his signature material, vinyl glue. His method of allowing the glue to drip slowly onto the canvases and then blowing air into it to create bulbous shapes creates sensual, striking pieces.  The more successful, however, seem to be his later works where he begins to focus on using graphite, casting the spotlight squarely on the texture created on the canvas.

There are also conceptual works such as Stream, London, Hauser & Wirth, performed during the exhibition’s opening, as well as a version of his large scale signature works: a 10m sheet of paper covered in graphite that has had turpentine launched over it by the artist, infecting the piece with a kind of abrupt energy as the lead is dissolved down the sheet of paper.

This exhibition displaying a hybrid of drawing and sculpture serves as a testament to the surge in interest in Gutai and a reminder of why Matsutani is such an important influence in modern Japanese art.

Verdict: ★★★★

Emma Marks

Takesada Matsutani: A Matrix is at Hauser & Wirth until 27^th July 2013, for further information visit here.

For further information about Takesda Matsutani visit here.

Subodh Gupta – What does the vessel contain, that the river does not (2012)

When entering the minimal white space of Hauser and Wirth there is no escaping the looming Keralan fishing boat that confronts you.  Best known for works such as Line of Control (2008) – a mushroom cloud of utensils formed of stainless steel pots, pans and tiffin boxes – this is one of the latest works from Subodh Gupta.  First displayed in India’s first Biennale in Kochi, Kerala where, after a winch failed, a crane had to be enlisted to install the 20m long work. The piece now resides on Saville Row (where you would hope the crane wasn’t necessary this time). 

Gupta is largely famous for taking the icons of everyday Indian life and transforming them into artworks that discuss themes of global resonance such as conflict and religion. This work What does the vessel contain, that the river does not (2012) continues to make traditional Indian objects the focus, featuring pots, pans, fishing nets and the occasional chair but replacing the overtly shiny new objects we’ve seen before with those that are worn and much more suggestive of everyday life – a person’s existence bound up in the worn wooden boat. It displays a life in transit, to-ing and fro-ing, its use of Indian objects not standing in the way of its resonance with London and that odd sense of displacement that can creep in when faced with a swirling pace of life.

So if you’re in need of a moment of calm contemplation to refocus then head to Hauser and Wirth you might find exactly what you need.

Verdict: ★★★★

Emma Marks

Subodh Gupta: What does the vessel contain, that the river does not is at Hauser & Wirth until 27^th July 2013, for further information visit here.

For further information about Subodh Gupta visit here.