Ocean: With David Attenborough

OCEAN with DAVID ATTENBOROUGH

OCEAN with DAVID ATTENBOROUGH Rating

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10

UNMISSABLE. That was the first word shouting out loudly in my head when thinking about how I would tell people what I thought of ‘OCEAN with DAVID ATTENBOROUGH’.

This PHENOMENAL film is so much more than watching ‘nature’ and hearing the now 99 year old’s famous ‘voiceover’ we have grown to expect and appreciate in any of his documentaries.

The movie ‘OCEAN’ is, in parts, like a horror movie. Thankfully however, in other parts, a lifeline of information; a jaw-dropping visual learning experience that only the superpowers of David Attenborough and his team could present on big screens across the world.

You must see it on the big screen. It is a production piece like you have never seen before. It contains material never seen before. No matter how knowledgeable you are in ‘saving our planet’, you will undoubtedly learn things you did not know about in detail. You will be shocked. You will be hopeful. This movie will change your view of everything about our planet and our future. For sure, you will never look at the ocean in the same way again.

The legendary Sir Attenborough says himself that he would find it difficult to believe a dreaded fate was inevitable if it wasn’t for just one thing; the ocean can rebuild itself, if we let it. We must. We must protect it.

We must tell as many people as possible to go and see this movie. We must act. We must communicate to everyone in government who can help make the right decisions to make changes to laws worldwide and plead with them to act now. Hence my review – if just one more person sees this movie because they are curious – one more person may pray and tell another… and so on….. we all have to do something. We can at least all do something small to help something so big!

Next month in June, leaders across world nations will meet in France at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference and vote on whether or not to effectively protect 30% of our oceans. In the world currently that percentage is less than 3%!!! How can this be? How can we NOT be already adequately protecting the vast ecosystems our planet needs to thrive?

How can it be legal for huge 24/7 factory-like ships to trawl through and totally decimate stunningly beautiful underwater landscapes in minutes that have taken hundreds of years to grow, as if they were using a hoe over a garden bed to take out a few weeds in the backyard? This practice is, put simply, MADNESS!

The planet, in some form, may ultimately survive, but we as a species may not. Unassumingly stated by an interviewee in the movie, this was what my daughter and I somberly took away from our time sitting together in awe at The Waverley Cinema in Pinewood. A lovely little local cinema (which I grew up visiting as a child and still with cheap tickets) delivered the most powerful message I have ever heard in a movie anywhere. I said that to the door attendant on the way out and he replied ‘that’s what everyone has said’.

Like everyone else, I don’t need any study background or a degree in marine biology to tell me that I want my children’s great-grandchildren to have a healthy planet to live on – don’t we all want that?

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIZAdCtKT_g

NOTE: The Waverley Cinema, 41 Centreway, Pinewood Shopping Centre, Mt. Waverley is part of the Showbiz group of cinemas and offers not only traditional movie viewing of all the latest and favourites on their four screens, but also group deals, fundraising opportunities and special events.

Check them out: https://waverley.showbizcinemas.com.au

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Storked: The Reality Of My Body Is Monstrous

Storked

Storked Rating

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3

Storked is a vignetted interrogation of all things uterine: what it means to have a uterus, the expectations of having a uterus, and the “choice to choose.” The play looks at periods, pregnancy, monogamy, family, parenting, sex, and what it means to choose to have children in today’s world.

The show is told across four acts, broken down into a mixture of skits, short narratives and thought explorations, each with their own witty title card, wrapping each moment into a neat bow. What’s truly impressive here is that throughout every single segment, it all connects seamlessly to the key idea at the show’s core; what it means to have a uterus, regardless of your gender.

The pacing was fantastic, and each act threw a different tonal angle at you with what it wanted to say. The first act was my favourite, a great mix of absurdist comedy following a brutal body horror opening. As the show progressed, this first act was the perfect reminder of the range of each performer on stage. As the scenes and themes became heavier, I was reminded of how much each actor made me laugh, then so easily in another context made my heart break for them. I always find it impressive how you can dive so deep into a topic and really strike a chord but do so whilst still making the audience laugh, which Storked pulled off effortlessly, through witty writing and exceptional use of physical comedy.

Storked took on an excellent use of staging, incorporating technology in a way that really added another level to the show. The titles of each scene made me giggle every time, even when the performance accompanying it put a pit in my stomach; a perfect encapsulation of how this show twists and turns tone, whilst somehow never tipping the pendulum entirely in favour of one or the other in a really remarkable balancing act.

At the end of the performance, it was an added thrill to scroll through the cast and crew listing and see a sea of nonbinary and femme pronouns taking the majority. As a queer femme myself, this makes my heart sing. To know how authentic and true to life these stories are, how insane the stakes become in sections of these vignettes, but still connect so deeply with the material its tackling, is because it all comes from a collective of people who share this frustration, fatigue and downright rage for the societal systems that force us to think about these things all the time from far too young of an age.

Storked is a true blend of genres, taking elements of body horror, satirical comedy, spoken word poetry and blending it into a hilarious, devastating and ultimately truthful exploration of what it means to have a womb.

To book tickets to Storked, please visit https://antipodestheatre.com/.

Photography:- Angel Leggas 3 Fates Media

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Betrayal: Chapel Off Chapel

Betrayal

Betrayal Rating

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3

For those familiar with Harold Pinter’s plays, you will know the spitfire dialogue his work is famous for, and Betrayal does not disappoint.

The story centres on a seven year affair told in a reverse order and cleverly represented through the literal drawing back of the scrim curtain as the play unfolds. Almost immediately it’s made clear that director Rachel Baring knows how to handle this play with thoughtful restrained symbolism and precise economy of movement.

Gabriel Partington’s Jerry in particular has a circular waltz-like quality which the audience enjoyed. Michaela Bedel’s portrayal of Emma was suitably poised and measured. The physical dynamic between the lovers Jerry and Emma was well choreographed and suited the intimate performance space. However it was the relationship between Jerry and the cuckolded Robert (played by Heath Ivey-Law) that truly shone.

Ivey-Law balanced his character adeptly between moments of self-preservation, cheeky sarcasm and at times potential danger. Hints of sexual power play between the two men were played off very conscientiously and successfully. You almost felt sorry for Emma being somewhat neglected in the real love affair between the men.

With a minimal set of a few choice pieces of furniture and props, the performance allowed the actors’ portrayal of their characters to take centre stage. No doubt this was a deliberate choice from director Rachel Baring in collaboration with Thursday’s Child Theatre.

The use of sound was also well-marked. Background music and ambience helped maintain the atmospheric tone for each scene and their various locations. One moment that stood out was when the sound abruptly stopped right before a scene involving physical confrontation. The contrasting silence in this moment compared to the rest of the play served as a poignant signpost of the dangers vulnerable people face in relationships.

While this play is set across seven years spanning backwards from 1977 to 1968, this time period seems irrelevant to the themes presented. The complications of infidelity and expectations placed on relationships seem universal sticking-points now as they ever were. Yet regardless of what time this particular story takes place, we understand with reverberating clarity the emotional complexity of love, partnership, loyalty and indeed betrayal.

Betrayal is showing at Chapel Off Chapel until the 25th of May and runs for 70 minutes with no interval. There is a content warning of some coarse language, adult themes and domestic violence however these depictions are not gratuitous. This play might be a bold choice for date night but it will definitely make the journey home full of conversation.

To book tickets to Betrayal, please visit https://chapeloffchapel.com.au/show/betrayal-by-harold-pinter/.

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The Door-To-Door Bookstore: German Film Festival 2025

The Door-to-Door Bookstore

The Door-to-Door Bookstore Rating

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1

This heartwarming film is a beautiful reminder of the goodness in humanity and the power of unlikely friendships (and books!).

Based on the novel of the same name by Carston Henn, the story follows Carl, an older gentleman. Carl’s job involves walking around the town (in Aachen, Germany), delivering books to a variety of interesting people.

Carl is an awkward, shy, but kind man, drenched in loneliness, and obsessed by books. So much so, that he refers to his regular clients by the nicknames he has (sometimes not so secretly) ascribed to them; based on fictional book characters, who each have their own quirks.

Nine-year-old Schascha has just moved to the town. In dealing with her own sadness in losing her mother, she also finds solace in books and reading.

Schascha begins to follow Carl on his daily book delivery, and an unlikely friendship develops. The two main characters end up working together to make some big, positive changes in the lives of the people Carl delivers his books to. As well as for themselves.

This enchanting story is full of themes of friendship, community, and embracing differences. It highlights the importance of kindness in humanity and community, and is a great reminder of the power of books and reading.

This is a wonderful film that the whole family will enjoy! The acting is brilliant from the entire cast. The cinematography is stunning for what is in essence quite a simple but powerful story of humanity.

Note that the film is in German, with subtitles in English.

The German Film Festival runs from 30 April to 28 May. To book tickets to The Door-to-Door Bookstore, or to any other films in the festival, please visit https://germanfilmfestival.com.au/.

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