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Entertainment
Why is our culture still so high? Keanu Gee
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n 1 February, the Gulbenkian held a screening and discussion of The Culture High, featuring UKC Sociology Professor, Alex Stevens. The documentary begins with former US President, Richard Nixon, declaring war in 1971 on “public enemy number one, the issue of dangerous drugs”. The primary target was an emerging cannabis culture that continues to grow despite a generation of anti-drug campaigns and over 15 million related arrests. Issues of legalisation question the existing limits of individual freedoms, the effectiveness of the penal system and the role of the law in protecting us from ourselves. This conversation persists outside of the political sphere despite the mounting evidence that cannabis is not only less harmful or addictive than alcohol or tobacco but also has countless medicinal properties. The question remains unanswered. Why hasn’t cannabis been legalised? The Culture High tackles the question
of legalisation with the combined perspective of professors, physicians, retired lawenforcement officials and even Snoop Dog. Digging deep into the roots of the modern day marijuana debate, unearths the truth beneath the laws that govern both those who support and oppose the existing illegality of the world’s favourite illicit substance. This debate however, is riddled with misinformation on both sides, so I urge you to do your own research and become informed of the issues at hand before making any immediate judgements. “The astounding thing about the war on drugs is how long it’s gone on and how little progress has been made.”
The film indicates how much of a failure the war on drugs has been in its attempt to limit access to marijuana and explains how many very powerful industries have lobbied Photo by Vaporizers so that it may be perpetuated, as they stand to lose a great deal in the instance of decriminalisation. From the media, to the prison industry, to politics - the drug reform debate is financial. For example, the pharmaceutical industry stands to lose millions if cannabis gets the wider medicinal recognition that mounting evidence suggests it should obtain. The Culture High also delves into the possibility of decriminalisation of all drugs, suggesting what is apparent. No
drug can be more harmful for an addict than a prison sentence: incarceration is barely a deterrent for the majority of hard drug addicts that use in order to mask deep psychological pain. They reveal how some states in the US have privately-owned prisons with contracts that include a minimum quota of prisoners that if drug related arrests were to cease, it would put their business in jeopardy. When pressed, few politicians have been brave enough to do more than just laugh off drug reform that the rapidly mounting culture of recreational users, activists, patients and supporters are pushing for. Films such as The Culture High are a product of a conversation that is becoming increasingly difficult for politicians to ignore. In our modern connected world issues can no longer be silenced with misinformation. There is a wealth of independent information at our finger tips that gives us the ability to, like never before, voice our own perspectives and share in a discussion that is as multifaceted as it is crucial to our modern society.
Ex Machina review Who’s really broke? Photo by BagoGames
Jack Hadaway-Weller
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n Ex Machina, Alex Garland’s directorial debut, proves that he is not only a magnificent storyteller, but also a tremendous choreographer, as he shapes three truly stellar performances, from polarising characters into a spectacular polished narrative that left me enthralled. The duration of the film takes place in a futuristic household inhabited by technology-giant Nathan (Oscar Isaac) whose company ‘Bluebook’ owns a search engine which is responsible for 97% of the world’s internet search requests. Nathan runs a competition within his own enormous business for a single employee to spend a week with him in his remote visionary mountain habitat. Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), a coder, wins the contest and from the outset, the relationship between employer and employee is completely different from what he had envisioned. Nathan spends a significant amount
of time becoming intoxicated and working on his project which Caleb finds out to be an artificial intelligence named AVA (Alicia Vikander). A proud Nathan requests that an amazed Caleb assist him in testing whether AVA has a consciousness of her own or whether she is just a detailed machine capable of fooling them into thinking she is human. Trapped without a conduit to the outside world, Caleb begins to question the motives surrounding his arrival and the information he has been presented with. Although both Gleeson and Isaac, who will feature in the upcoming Star Wars sequel, shine as the sensitive yet compelling coding protégé and mysterious yet domineering isolated inventor respectively, it is Vikander who has the greatest effect upon the viewer. Vikander, who will feature in at least seven films debuting this year, delivers a nuanced performance. The uncanny AVA displays intimacy as well as innocence which requests the viewer to question whether they can feel emotion towards a robotic, artificial character, a query brought up within the film itself. Smart, slick and beautifully shot, Alex Garland’s debut film is as creepy as it is thoughtful, imaginative, and tense, as well as in some parts being even sexual Ex Machina is one of the most thought-provoking and exciting pieces of science-fiction cinema from the past 10 years.
Carmela Santaniello
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eeds based theatre-company The Paper Birds presented Broke at The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, a show exploring money, poverty and class. It was an interesting mix of verbatim and scripted theatre, which merged together well to create an honest portrayal of life on the breadline. Money is always a controversial topic; as students it’s something that makes our eyes water and skin crawl. Broke analysed monetary importance from different viewpoints - from the average consumer to those who struggle to feed their children every day. The main focus was on the character of Sally, played by both Jemma McDonnell and Kylie Walsh, cofounders of The Paper Birds. Often performing in sync as Sally, they showed a raw side to how much money affects a single mother. This was demonstrated in various scenes where Sally interacted with the interviewer and the other actor on stage, creating emotional scenes for the audience. The two actresses multi-roled throughout the performance, with the help of a few simple props, and each time, it was very easy for the audience to empathise with new characters. At first glance, the set was simple, a
child’s bedroom with a bunk bed in the middle of the stage surrounded by toys. However, as the performance progressed, the actors successfully made use of the space, as well as cleverly executed graphics. One of the funniest scenes in the performance was the portrayal of politicians by all three members of the cast, using simply a table and socks. This scene, infused with humour and truth, made politics more accessible to the audience. One of the only downfalls was when the characters came out of role and spoke as themselves, prompting each other to move set or remember their lines. This is typical of The Paper Birds, who believe that it gives the audience a ‘behind the scenes’ feel to the show. But with such a sensitive topic and an enthralled audience, it didn’t seem to work and only took from the intensity. The performance was definitely thought-provoking- I left considering how much money I had spent in the past week; from the Wagamamas I’d had that day to the obscene amount I’d spent on university course books. And I’d be surprised if other audience members were thinking any differently. It left us all with one question on the tip of our tounges: who’s really broke?