The Studio should win all the Emmys – why has no-one in Britain watched it?
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The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
The DJ who united the warring tribes of French rap and dance – and died tragically young
The late DJ Mehdi had a talent for bridging divides. At the height of the musician's fame, Mehdi's cousin Myriam Essadi recalls in a new documentary, he had to jet straight from a nightclub in Ibiza to his grandfather's funeral in Tunisia. 'He was wearing red glasses, white jeans and a jacket with a cross. In Tunisia! For our grandfather's funeral!' Essadi laughs. 'We didn't get it. And in Tunisia you don't mess with religion.' DJ Mehdi: Made in France, a six-part documentary now available with English subtitles on Franco-German broadcaster Arte, revisits the life and tragic death of one of the most fascinating, influential and misunderstood French musicians of his generation. International audiences largely know Mehdi, who died in 2011 at the age of 34, for his work with Parisian label Ed Banger in the 2000s, spearheading a new wave of French dance music alongside artists such as Justice – they of the cross logo on Mehdi's jacket – and SebastiAn. In France, however, his legacy is more complicated, opening up questions about the rift between hip-hop and dance music, as well as underlying divisions in French society. Born to a French-Tunisian family in the north-west suburbs of Paris in 1977, Mehdi Favéris-Essadi rose to prominence for his production work with rap group Ideal J and hip-hop collective Mafia K-1 Fry. His first big hits came with 113, a rap trio whose 1999 album Les Princes de la Ville is considered one of the most important albums of the decade in France. When Les Princes was released, dance music had already entered Mehdi's life via Cassius duo Philippe Zdar and Boombass, whom he worked with on MC Solaar's 1997 album Paradisiaque. Several of the leading producers of French house music had roots in hip-hop, including Pépé Bradock and Cassius themselves. But none were as well known within the rap world as Mehdi, and his pivot was not always warmly received. 'You couldn't switch from rap to electro or vice versa. In the other world, you weren't legitimate,' Essadi explains in the documentary. In the US, hip-hop and dance music were initially closely linked, sharing roots in soul and funk music as well as production methods, a connection Mehdi appreciated when he heard Daft Punk's 1997 album Homework. 'I thought: 'That's funny, we use the same machines, the same samplers, they live just around the corner, they're about my age, that could have been me,'' Mehdi says in an archival clip. By the late 90s hip-hop had risen to such prominence in the US that its leading artists tended to view dance music as a forgotten fad, if they thought about it at all. In the UK the opposite was true, with strength of British dance music eclipsing domestic hip-hop. In France, homegrown rap was extremely strong in the late 1990s. In the media, however, it was often vilified, while dance music was viewed as the next big thing, thanks to the rise of acts like Daft Punk, Étienne de Crécy and Cassius. The tension between two types of music and their various associations – Parisian elite v working class, city v suburbs – was palpable. 'In 1997, if 47 guys and girls from [Paris suburb] Bobigny wanted to get into the Queen club [a Paris club known for house music] they couldn't,' Boombass says in the documentary. 'To them we were just guys who smoked weed, only good for a bank robbery or to deal drugs to them,' Essadi adds. ''You're from the suburbs.' That meant many different things to people from central Paris who went to the Palace club or to Bains Douche to listen to dance music.' When Mehdi tried to bridge this gap – for example, with the Kraftwerk-sampling beat for 113's Ouais Gros – the response was often negative. 'When people heard it they thought: 'Who are these guys hardcore rapping to music like this? I don't get it,'' 113's AP says in the documentary. 'I remember people stopping me in the streets, people from the rap world saying: 'What's Mehdi doing? Talk to him! What's this new music, this crazy music,'' Essadi recounts. Mehdi would go on to have huge success in electronic music off the back of the release of Signatune in 2007. 'Signatune was soon being played by the most well-known DJs all across the globe and promoters all wanted to book DJ Mehdi for their events,' former Daft Punk manager Pedro Winter explains in Made in France. The final part of the documentary shows footage of Mehdi's international success, DJing at huge clubs and festivals alongside the Ed Banger crew to adoring, hedonistic crowds. It comes in sharp contrast to scenes of poverty and crime, burnt cars and drab suburban tower blocks, that mark the documentary's first two episodes, examining Mehdi's roots in hip-hop and the unfashionable outskirts of Paris. Mehdi died on 13 September 2011 at the height of his international fame, when the skylight on the roof of his Paris home collapsed as he was celebrating the birthday of British producer Riton. 'Four of them were sat on this … glass, sort of, roof,' Riton says in the documentary. 'They just got to stand up, that's when it like … made the roof collapse through. Then the next thing, we were just looking through this hole at this horrific scene.' Tributes to Mehdi came in from the elite of the global dance music world, including US dubstep artist Skrillex and Ed Simons from the Chemical Brothers. And yet, for people in France in particular, this was only half the story. 'Internationally [Mehdi's] probably best known as one of the frontrunners of the Ed Banger crew that defined an entire era,' Canadian DJ A-trak says at the end of the documentary. 'But, of course, he has a huge legacy as the king of French hip-hop production and even just someone who brought together these unlikely pairings of scenes.' 'He helped us evolve our music over time,' 113's Mokobé adds. 'It's thanks to him that there are no limits, no bars, no borders for us … This is what his music was all about; no bars, no barriers, no border.' DJ Mehdi: Made in France is available to watch on Arte from 1 August
Daily Mirror
26-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
'Mesmerising masterpiece' film that fans love now free to stream for free
The film been dubbed an absolute must for fans of Lord of the Rings Lord of the Rings enthusiasts are being encouraged to watch "one of the best fantasy films ever made", now available for free streaming online. Pan's Labyrinth transports viewers back to 1944, where a young girl is sent to live with her "ruthless stepfather". Desperate to escape her grim reality, she finds herself drawn into a fantastical parallel world that brings its own terrors. After encountering a fairy who leads her to an ancient Faun, the girl learns she is a princess and her real father is a king. However, she must demonstrate her worth through several challenging tasks - and fans can now tune in on BBC. The film, presented in Spanish with English subtitles, has been hailed as a must-see for Lord of the Rings devotees. It is now available for streaming on BBC iPlayer for free from today (July 26). A BBC synopsis states: "Franco's Spain, 1944. Bookish young Ofelia, stuck in her sadistic new stepfather's army outpost, where her ailing mother is to give birth, gets drawn to a fantastical alternate world – one just as disturbing and violent as the reality around her.", reports the Manchester Evening News. The film, which debuted in 2006, was so well-received it was eventually adapted into a book. With an impressive rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, the reviews continue to flood in. One viewer commented: "A classic, master class film making and storytelling. Up there with The Lord of The Rings as one of the best fantasy movies ever made." Another said: "Beautiful film that should have won more Oscars!". A third added: "A child's dreamworld and the horror of the civil war collide and entangle in an adult fantasy . A mesmerizing masterpiece." A fourth commented: "I love this movie since the first time I watched it. It has a special place in my memory and in my heart." Another simply said: "A masterpiece in every aspect!". One fan wrote: "This is my all time favorite movie, what a masterpiece. Check it out, you won't be disappointed." Featuring Ivana Baquero as Ofelia and Doug Jones as Pale Man, Fauno, viewers will also witness Ariadna Gil as Carmen and Sergi López as Vidal.
Time Out
22-07-2025
- Time Out
Gatsby at the Green Light
This raucous show could be the closest you'll get to spending a whirlwind evening inside an extravagant Baz Luhrmann flick. Taking over The Studio in the belly of the Sydney Opera House, Gatsby at the Green Light is a sauced-up variety show that transports audiences into a pop-up, vintage-inspired night club (complete with a functional bar). Think of this production as a sort of live concept album – featuring a smorgasboard of circus acts, top-shelf burlesque, evocative live singing, and impressive aerial artistry – with the rare art of hair-hanging to boot. Gatsby cherry-picks from the glitz and glamour of one of Jay Gatsby's famous parties, remixes it, and serves it up as an escapist fantasy where the roaring '20s meets the 2020s. In doing so, this show masters the timeless allure of a particular niche of spectacle: watching profusely talented and beautiful people performing seriously difficult tricks and dangling precariously in the air (before elegantly dismounting with a brazen wink). ARIA-nominated singer Odette is a stand out member of the ensemble, the earthy and mystical vocal quality of the siren of the Inner West providing a soulful connective thread to the mixed bag of acts. Odette collaborated with musical director Kim Moyes (best known as one-half of iconic Australian electronic duo The Presets) on an original song for the production – although, it's her covers of hit songs that will continue to play on repeat in your mind (her audacious take on 'Money (That's What I Want)' is worth the price of admission alone). Unlike some other takes on F. Scott Fitzgerald's ever-popular 1925 novel, this fanciful interpretation skims past the more meaningful class commentary in the source material. The tragic story of Gatsby and Daisy's forbidden love is woven in by way of broad gestures and snippets of pre-recorded dialogue, with Spencer Craig taking on the eponymous role of Gatsby in this year's production. If you know the original story, you can fill the gaps – the narrative is thin here, but it is secondary to the atmosphere and the sideshow stunts. That said, this show is surprisingly queer – particularly when it comes to the sapphic humour that commanding burlesque siren Bettie Bombshell brings to the stage. (Her act will have you either questioning or affirming your orientation). With Gatsby, director Craig Ilott confirms his talent for pulling together exciting, variety-filled extravaganzas. After all, he is the same mastermind behind last summer's French-infused theatrical dinner cabaret experience L'Hôtel, disco-spectacular Velvet Rewired, and five-star blockbuster Amadeus. This is a guaranteed evening of escapist fantasy. Gatsby ain't no one-size-fits-all experience, with multiple ticketing options to choose from. To feel truly immersed in the action, go for the VIP Package ($144.90-$184.90) – this gets you stage-side cabaret table seating and a 1920s-style cocktail and canape package* served by the cast (*the quality and tastiness of the canapes on your plate will vary). For a cheaper option with a clearer view of the action (minus snacks), go for regular theatre seating ($59.90-$119.90). Gatsby at The Greenlight is playing at the Sydney Opera House from Saturday, December 13 2025 until Sunday, March 1, 2026. Snap up tickets over here. And here's what's on in Sydney this week.
