Latest news with #Encounters
Time Out
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Don't miss the last week of Encounters
Don't let the rain keep you away from a week of African creativity and insights, as the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival lights up screens across the city. This is the festival's 27th edition, and it runs until Saturday 29 June with screenings across the city taking place at The Labia Theatre (this year voted one of the world's most beautiful cinemas!), V&A Waterfront Ster-Kinekor and The Bertha Movie House in Khayelitsha "In 2024, Encounters presented three of the five documentaries later nominated for Oscars, including the winner 'No Other Land'," explains Mandisa Zitha, Director of Encounters. "This year we're raising the bar even higher with an excellent selection of films that speak to the role of the documentary and impact filmmaker in 2025." The 2025 program features close on 70 documentaries, spanning everything from intimate local stories to global social justice narratives. Certainly don't miss 'Fitting In', which takes a hard look at tradition and transformation at Stellenbosch University's Eendrag men's residence. Or Normal To Me, a tender, honest portrait of life at Fish Hoek's Joyce Chevalier Center for adults with intellectual disabilities. From abroad, How to Build a Library opened the festival with a poetic lens on Nairobi's iconic public library, tracing Kenya's complex colonial past while imagining futures for its youth. You'll find the full schedule for the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival over here. But it's not just about the films. The festival's final week also features a stellar lineup of panel talks and masterclasses, diving into themes as wide-ranging as memory and trauma (Wounds and Whispers), the role of AI in learning (Rewiring Knowledge), and women's voices in resistance movements (Rise and Resist).
Daily Mirror
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Little-known 'river city' filled with curiosities and floating saunas
Estonia's second city is known as the country's centre of learning, thanks to its university dating back to the 17th century, scientific community, start-up businesses and 20 museums. Before it was crowned Europe's Capital of Culture of 2024, Tartu had been known as the river city, and there's no better way to take in the views than on a sight-seeing trip along the River Emajogi on the archaic wooden The Jommu Barge. As you glide, you'll pass every kind of curiosity from the cottonwood trees and pilliroog plants, and the odd floating sauna, while Snail Tower furls above the city's skyline. Back on land, be sure to visit Aparaaditehas Creative City, an old factory complex turned creative hotspot, now home to artists, designers and entrepreneurs. Browse the small shops and galleries and take in a concert or workshop. The city's cobbled streets, meanwhile, weave past preserved medieval buildings, creating an ambience to transport visitors to a bygone era. Street art strikes at the heart here – a vast mural on the side of the university, depicting 19th-century streets, provides an awesome juxtaposition to modern times. Elsewhere a stencil artwork opposite the Supreme Court of Estonia, Cannabeard and Witch Hunter, by street artist Edward von Longus, depicts a beloved children's storybook character Mossbeard, his beard now replaced with cannabis plants, a condemnation on the war on drugs. Meanwhile, Toome Hill Park fuses the city's love of culture and history, with a mix of sculptures, ancient ruins and striking graffiti-style art. The Estonian National Museum is a huge glass monolithic wedge-shaped building in a former military- restricted zone – its roof lifting towards 'infinite space'. Seek out the Echo of the Urals exhibition taking you on a journey through a dark labyrinth with hi-tech neon displays and life-size models. Meanwhile, Encounters explores the everyday lives of Estonians in history up to the modern era. Among the treasure trove of peculiarities, all encased in large glass orbs, is a battered old chair of one of the Estonian Skype inventors. Beneath ground level is an impressive exhibit full of old-fashioned cars. Book in at Pompei restaurant in the Old Town. Go for the set menu of 10 mouth-watering dishes, which include flavoursome beef tartare and tiramisu topped with caviar. For a feast for the eyes, visit Tartu's Fii with its modern colourful interior design. Try the perfectly cooked flamed cod, fish roe and beurre blanc. The V Spa & Conference Hotel is conveniently located on the corner of Aleksandri and Soola streets and is a show-stopper with gold chandeliers and eye-catching designs. Its giant spa with 11 pools, one outdoor rooftop pool, another with a glass roof, colour-changing lighting and fountains, hot tubs, a salt sauna and salt pool give it a real wow factor. Beautifully preserved medieval charm blended with futuristic flair give Tallinn its unique vibrancy. Baroque palaces, Gothic spires, Soviet-era buildings and contemporary masterpieces set across lively neighbourhoods bursting with cafe culture, trendy waterfronts and magnificent museums, make city-breaking a whirlwind in this compact capital. An outstanding example of a beautifully preserved medieval European trading city, Tallinn's Old Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Dating back to the 13th century, the wealthy merchants who lived there left their mark on the city with opulent public buildings and churches. Start by journeying through centuries on a walking tour around its cobbled streets set between defensive ramparts. You'll pass Kissing Hill, or Viru Gate Park, featuring two famous stone sculptures of a young couple locking lips, and through alleyways opening into large courtyards lined with pastel-painted Hanseatic merchant houses. The walls offer an amazing view of the Old Town and its famous landmarks including Toompea Castle. Among the medieval treasures, seek out Fat Margaret, which is the self-depreciating name for the wide stone tower now part of the Estonian Maritime Museum. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a richly decorated Russian Orthodox church, is another must-see in the city. One of Tallinn's most upmarket coastal districts, Kadriorg, boasts seven museums and streets lined with summer mansions and wooden houses dating back to its heyday as a seaside destination. At the heart of Kadriorg is Estonia's baroque palace and park ensemble, established 300 years ago by Russian Tsar Peter the Great. Kadriorg Palace in its brightly painted splendour, features a garden with fountains and houses the Estonian Art Museum's collection. Beside it sits the little house of Peter the Great – a small bungalow, with just a living room, dining room and bedroom – a curious oddity. While you're there, visit Pirita which has a long sandy beach, a yacht harbour and is home to the Tallinn Botanic Gardens. Then head west to Telliskivi Creative City, set in a former industrial complex. Housing galleries, shops, start-ups and restaurants, it is one of the capital's most colourful places and a superb example of rejuvenation without gentrification. Located at Seaplane Harbour is another part of the Estonian Maritime Museum, and is a full-scale interactive showcase of 200 exhibits including a submarine called Lembit and Estonia's oldest ship, set within a seaplane hangar. Just along from here is Noblessner Quarter, a former submarine shipyard turned trendy seaside area, where the old factory halls have been repurposed as apartments, shops and galleries. To round off a busy day, pop into the Pohjala Brewery for a tour and tastings of its porters, barrel-aged in oak barrels, served with a Texan barbecue. Eat: Estonia's culinary scene has blossomed over recent years with a mix of award-winning restaurants run by chefs taking advantage of local produce. If you are conscious about the environment, book into Michelin green-starred Fotografiska restaurant, part of a photo gallery, which has a zero-waste policy and the plates are recycled and remade from broken plates. I enjoyed a refreshing livener, Green Beast, a mix of absinthe, cucumber and lime, while enjoying views across the Old Town, before sampling their 'In Bloom' menu with a dish named tomato tea featuring a selection of ripened yellow tomatoes. Set within a former Imperial residence overlooking Kadriorg Park, Michelin-recognised Mon Repos is another standout. Meat-lovers go wild for Pull Restaurant, in the Rotermann district, which serves up the most perfectly cooked aged beef ribeye. Relax at Nordic Hotel Forum, a modern abode with beautiful squares at its feet and urban beekeeping on its rooftop. Chill in its leisure centre with indoor pool on the eighth floor offering views over the Old Town and the Rotermann Quarter, plus there's retail therapy within minutes at the Viru and Foorum shopping centres. Finnair offers flights from Heathrow via Helsinki to Tallinn, Estonia, starting at £199 return; to Tartu starting at £241. Manchester and Edinburgh departures also available. Rooms at the Nordic Hotel Forum in Tallinn start at around £109 a night. Rooms at the V Spa & Conference Hotel in Tartu start at around £164 a night. More info at
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
National WWI Museum opens exhibit showcasing personal accounts of war
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National WWI Museum and Memorial's newest exhibit opens Friday in Kansas City. The new exhibit, titled 'Encounters', showcases various narratives of the Great War using state-of-the-art visual storytelling, the museum says. 'Encounters' will share first-person accounts of 16 different soldiers and individuals involved in the war using their diaries, letters and photos. Joe's Blog: Wet-ish weekend ahead (FRI-5/23) According to the museum, the visuals and accounts include: Allied and Central Power soldiers on the Western Front and in submarines. British and colonial Indian soldiers contemplating death and the futility of war. Women working in factories in support of the war effort. Dissenters who were arrested and tried for protesting the war. 'Encounters' took three years to complete in a process of 'reinvigorating' to museum and memorial, the museum said in a news release. The new additions feature a new lower level and open storage center, updates to the main gallery, including 14 new interactive screens, three new films, new lighting and effects, updated trenches and a realistic replica field hospital. This weekend in honor of Memorial Day, admission will be free for active-duty and veterans. The public will receive half-price admission as well. For more information on the WWI Museum and Memorial, its new features and events held at the museum, click . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Star
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Encounters festival returns to celebrate documentaries that challenge power and promote change
The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival is making a highly anticipated return to Cape Town and Johannesburg from June 19 to 29, showcasing an impressive selection of over 60 documentaries from more than 40 countries. Marking its 27th edition, festival manager Tarha McKenzie says the festival continues to be a vital platform for film-makers and audiences, providing a platform for stories that challenge authority, champion social justice, and explore the complexities of the human experience. McKenzie emphasised the unique strength of Encounters stating, 'Its strength lies in not imposing a fixed theme, but rather in allowing the themes to emerge organically from the films selected. In this way, the festival keeps its finger on the pulse, attuned to global trends and urgent contemporary issues. This year's compelling programme reveals recurring threads of memory, trauma, and identity; shaped by the stark realities of the present and the many ways we attempt to make sense of them. The programme interrogates the role of art as a force for impact, and knowledge as a form of resistance. They give voice to agency; stories that rise, rebel, and challenge power. Through these narratives, we don't merely observe the world; we feel it, question it, and reimagine our place within.' She also explains that film-makers featured in this year's lineup tackle formidable subjects, while also shedding light on disruptors standing against femicide, defending indigenous territories, and challenging corporate giants. McKenzie further articulated the urgency for spaces like Encounters, particularly in light of increasing censorship worldwide: 'The inclusion of documentaries from over 40 countries at Encounters is a powerful testament to the festival's relevance on the global stage. It speaks not only to the diversity of stories being told, but also to the vital need for platforms like Encounters; spaces that prioritise dialogue, inclusivity, and freedom of expression. In a world where censorship is on the rise, festivals like this are more essential than ever. They must be protected and nurtured, as spaces where voices can be heard, perspectives can meet, and critical conversations can thrive. Diverse stories from around the world reveal our shared struggles and histories, reinforcing the documentary genre's power to highlight universal themes,' she noted. The festival has also placed a strong emphasis on outreach, with initiatives designed to expose communities to the transformative power of documentary storytelling. McKenzie reflected, 'It's this grassroots impact that makes my work at Encounters truly meaningful.' One of the notable events shared is the festival's Iliso Lethu Symposium, focusing on the Pan-African non-fiction landscape, which premiered to resounding success last year, further enhancing its mission to celebrate African voices through cinema. 'This year, we rise! With a sharp eye and a bold heart, we bring the finest in non-fiction; stories that speak, stir, and stand tall,' said McKenzie, inviting audiences to engage with films that usher in a deeper understanding of the complexities of modern life. [email protected] Saturday Star
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
New Sculpture Exhibition Opens At Home Of Britain's First Prime Minister
Stephen Cox, Gilgamesh & Enkidu, 2024 PETE HUGGINS Myth, a major new exhibition by the acclaimed British sculptor, Stephen Cox has opened in Norfolk across the park, gardens and interiors of Houghton Hall and runs to 28 September 2025. The annual sculpture exhibitions at Houghton are always awe inspiring partly because of their setting at one of the UK's most magnificent stately homes. This year's exhibition represents the largest and most comprehensive group of work by Stephen Cox ever shown. Spanning over 40 years, it includes work conceived and produced all over the world from India to Egypt, Italy and the UK. Stephen Cox, Dreadnought_ Problems of History, the Search for the Hidden Stone, 2003, and Chrysalis, 1989-91 PETE HUGGINS There are 20 sculptures in marble and stone dotted around the expansive grounds, while smaller works are in the State Rooms on the first floor of the house, where William Kent's exuberant decorative scheme has hardly changed since it was created in the early 18th century. A modern gallery space in the South wing of the house shows a group of works on paper, alongside a large marble and porphyry sculpture, Shrine, which was created for the celebrated Encounters exhibition at the National Gallery in 2000. Stephen Cox, Gemini, 2008 PETE HUGGINS Stephen Cox is widely regarded as one of the leading British sculptors of his generation, renowned for his large-scale stone works. His art has gained international recognition, with major exhibitions at institutions such as MoMA in New York, the National Gallery, and Tate Britain in London. Stephen Cox's works are carved in the rarest, hardest and heaviest of stones and marbles. He has also worked in the great Christian tradition of stone carving, creating a Verde Aosta marble altar for Canterbury Cathedral, as well as a number of smaller sculptures evoking the martyrdom of the saints. Stephen Cox's sculptures are held in numerous private and public collections worldwide, with significant commissions completed in the UK, India, and Egypt. In 2006, he was elected a Royal Academician. An installation titled, 'Interior Space: Khafre' by artist Stephen Cox, on display at the Great Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt. Getty Images Working with traditional carving methods, Cox has shaped materials like marble, alabaster, and porphyry. Notably, he became the first artist in centuries to access the historic Imperial Porphyry Quarries in Egypt's Eastern Mountains. Two of Cox's greatest works in Imperial Porphyry are now on permanent display outside the Cairo Opera House. But some other artworks that resulted from Cox's encounter with Egypt including some of the largest, heaviest sculptures have been transported to Houghton for this exhibition, including Interior Space on the front lawn of the house. Houghton Hall, constructed in 1722 as a residence for Britain's first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole is one of the finest examples of Palladian architecture in England. Nestled in the Norfolk countryside, the house and its expansive grounds are a destination in their own house passed to the Cholmondeley family through marriage in 1797 and is still lived in by the family. Tony Cragg, Mean Average, fiberglass, 2018 at Houghton Hall, Norfolk Pete Huggins Since 1976, the estate has welcomed visitors each summer, showcasing both its historic charm and artistic legacy. Stephen Cox is the tenth artist to exhibit at Houghton, joining a prestigious lineup that includes Antony Gormley (2024), Sean Scully (2023), Chris Levine and Tony Cragg (2021), Anish Kapoor (2020), Henry Moore (2019), Damien Hirst (2018), Richard Long (2017), and James Turrell (2015). Several works from these exhibitions have become permanent fixtures on the estate. Chris Levine, 528 Hz Love Frequency at Houghton Hall, Norfolk, October 2021 Pete Huggins Houghton has a storied relationship with the art world, once housing one of the most renowned private collections globally. Assembled by Robert Walpole, the collection featured Roman antiquities and masterpieces by Da Vinci, Van Dyck, Rubens and Rembrandt. In the 18th century, these treasures were sold to Catherine the Great, and today over 120 pieces reside in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Stephen Cox, Myth at Houghton Hall Norfolk, UK. Until 28 September 2025. Tickets: Adults £22 Students £10 Under 18s free.
