Stories about Arts & Culture from September, 2015
The Enormous Mural That Made a Mexican Neighborhood ‘Magical’
Germen Crew, an independent collective, painted a colorful mural stretching across 200 homes in Las Palmitas neighborhood. The "magical" project helped strengthen the community in the process.
Pussy Riot Performance in Banksy's Dismaland Highlights Plight of Refugees
Russian punk musicians and political activists Pussy Riot raised awareness of the cause of refugees in Europe with a violent and loud performance at Banksy's Dismaland park in London.
Social Media Cries Copywrong After American Rapper Lifts Trinidadian Photographer's Work
"All people are saying is that this is someone's intellectual property. When it was pointed out to you, all you had to do was apologise..."
Venezuela's Oscar Entry Speaks an Indigenous Language
“Gone with the River” by Mario Crespo is Venezuela's Oscar entry in the Best Foreign Language Film… https://t.co/XR8tzauaSU — Carlos Aguilar (@Carlos_Film) September 3, 2015 Lo que lleva el río (“Gone With the River”), from Cuban-Venezuelan filmmaker Mario Crespo Dauna, is a Venezuelan film shot almost entirely in Warao, the language...
Chilean Musician Victor Jara's Rethinking of Power Lives on Long After His Murder
The singer-songwriter, murdered in the aftermath of Augusto Pinochet's coup, invited listeners to dare to dream of a future in which society wasn't separated into powerful elites and disenfranchised masses.
Reinventing the Blues on Ex-Soviet Georgia’s Black Sea
'As we kick into a Slim Harpo number, the rhythm section slides deep in the pocket before Tamaz, our guitarist, shreds the solo to ribbons.'
Taiwan Fishing Heritage: Fish and Fire Dance in the Sea
Every year from May to September, masses of anchovies and sardines swim off the northern coast of Taiwan. "Jolting fire," a traditional way of fishing, is used to catch them.
Brewing Sake in Japan Is Becoming a Woman's Game—Again
In ancient times, it's said that brewing sake was a women's craft. But for the past few hundred years women have been forbidden from brewing. That's changing in big ways.
Shayloo-Jayloo: A Film Straight from the Heart of Kyrgyz Life
All politics is local, and a film about the very local politics of a Kyrgyz village has spurred a crowd-funding campaign ahead of elections on October 4.
Learn To Speak English With a ‘Pershian’ Accent
The group behind the project explains, "As a Persian living outside of Iran, I miss speaking Farsi. Whenever I hear someone speak with a Persian accent it makes my day."
Umida Ahmedova оn the Burden of Censorship and Being a Female Artist in Uzbekistan
"There was a girl there who did not want to jump from a bridge into the water. We used this image as a metaphor."
Film The Fog of Srebrenica Shows Us The People Who Survived One of Europe's Worst Massacres
A new film focusing on survivors of the Srebrenica genocide premiered at the 21s Sarajevo Film Festival on August 17. Alessandra Goio and Marta Vidal report.
Russian Activists Fight Municipal Corruption with ‘Mortal Kombat’-Style Website
Russian anti-corruption activists are pitching battles in courts and online against corrupt municipal officials, 'Mortal Kombat'-style.
A Poster Show That Links Havana, Tehran and Seattle
The curators have jokingly titled the collection the “SHT show” because, they write, when the get together it’s fun. "No politics, no prejudices—just an appreciation of our common interests."
Sharing This Oscar-Winning ‘Donald Duck’ Cartoon Is Illegal in Russia
Two men found out the hard way that it is illegal in Russia to share this Oscar-winning anti-fascist Disney cartoon from 1942, "Der Fuehrer’s Face."
Why Some Consider ‘Brand Jamaica’ a Problematic Idea
"It’s a matter of some irony that despite this history of inhumane servitude...Jamaica would develop in the 21st century into a country that fetishizes brands and branding."
Russian Rock Legend Boris Grebenshikov Crowdfunds New Record
Boris Grebenshikov, often called the "Grandfather of Russian rock," has appealed to his fans online to crowdfund his new album, which looks set to be fully funded, despite the critics.
Can Iranian TV Seduce Viewers in the Land of Telenovelas?
In an age when television offers intense melodramas produced domestically and abroad, can Iranian soap operas—packed with family values and little makeup—win a foreign audience?
Meet the ‘Loa’ Podcast Network: What Vietnam's Mainstream Media Has Been Missing
"Loa seeks to explore the ideas and stories that shape Vietnam today. We amplify the voices you often don't hear and broadcast the perspectives you haven’t heard."
Meet the Men That Have Eluded Tajikistan's Secret Beard Police
Unsurprisingly, none of them are practising Muslims.
