Arts & Culture

Details: Written by: Nita Teoh; Category: Arts & Culture; Published: 21 September 2023

My partner and I headed to Palace Cinemas in Raine Square on a Monday evening to watch The Eight Mountains (Las Ocho Montañas)– one of the movies that will be featuring in the upcoming Italian Film Festival that screens across Australia.

Set in the mountains of Italy, it is about a special friendship that begins between 2 young boys, Pietro and Bruno, and continues through to adulthood, spanning over three decades.

A lot of things happen during their lifetimes as they see each other meet the challenges of adulthood head on – whilst supporting each other as friends.

This epic movie at 2.5 hours is a monumental piece created by Director / Writer couple Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch.

It is a unique movie that explores deeply the many facets of human relationships – in particular friendships between men, the love that binds families and the influence of our parents as role models.

Details: Written by: Nita Teoh; Category: Arts & Culture; Published: 31 May 2023

On a coolish Monday evening, my partner and I headed to Luna Leederville on Oxford Street to watch the much awaited movie One Fine Morning (Un Beau Batin) starring Léa Seydoux (as Sandra).

The plot follows the story of Sandra’s life – holding a career as a translator, a single Mum with a young daughter and visiting her ailing elderly father Georg (Pascal Greggory) on a regular basis. Her love life is non existent until she reconnects with old friend Clément (Melvil Poupaud) and a passionate affair blossoms, with the added complication that he is married with a young son.

Director Mia Hansen-Løve’s semi-autobiographical movie is reflective, portraying the fragilities of life and the passage of the generations through the cycle of birth and death.

Léa Seydoux is effervescent in this role

Details: Written by: Nita Teoh; Category: Arts & Culture; Published: 22 August 2023

If there are two paths in the fork of a road – you have to decide which one to take.

You choose one path – but how different would your life have been if you had gone the other way?

And so the movie Past Lives explores the many facets of what changes our destiny over the course of our lifetime – decisions made about who we hung out with at school, where we lived, the influence of our family, getting an education, getting married etc.

In her debut film, Writer / Director Celine Song explores in a contemplative manner the close childhood friendship of Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) who are split apart when Nora's family emigrates from South Korea to Canada.

Two decades later, they are reunited in New York when Hae Sung goes on vacation to visit Nora, who has been married for some time to Arthur (John Magaro) - an American Jewish man and a fellow writer like herself.

Details: Written by: Nita Teoh; Category: Arts & Culture; Published: 22 May 2023

As I took off my shoes to step into the Saraswati Mahavidhayala Centre for Performing Arts & Education, I was struck by the colourful artwork on the walls - I felt like I was entering a special sacred space.

It brought me back to a time when I used to dine at the Annalakshmi restaurant (on The Esplanade) when the lifts would go up to the restaurant and you would be transported to a magical world of Indian artwork and pieces.

This evening I was to watch the showing of local young Indian classical dancers who had been working on new works with the renowned New York Based West African Dancer / Choreographer / storyteller Olivier Tarbaga.

The 8 young dancers up on stage were lithe and agile.

Details: Written by: Nita Teoh; Category: Arts & Culture; Published: 01 June 2023

My partner and I sat in the gorgeous Heath Ledger Theatre amidst a packed house for the opening night of Black Swan State Theatre Company’s Things I know to be True.

An Aussie family with 4 kids, living in the burbs of Booragoon, just going about their daily lives, the family members sometimes bickering – but more or less a happy family – with the young adult children busy with work and their love lives and the parents heading towards an empty nest.

That is the premise of Things I know to be True. Though as events start to unfurl we get swept into a storm cloud of seemingly unexpected and uncontrollable events. Each character cleverly narrates their unique perspective and inner thoughts and feelings on what is going on in their life.

Dramatic and poised to ignite like a lit fuse on a stick of dynamite ...

Details: Written by: Nita Teoh; Category: Arts & Culture; Published: 29 August 2023

My partner and I headed to Luna Windsor looking forward to seeing My Sailor My Love. The spectacular scenery and the heartfelt story shown in the trailer was what drew me to watch this movie.

The story line revolves around Howard (James Cosmo), a retired sea captain who is struggling with living alone as his health deteriorates. His daughter Grace (Catherine Walker) is caring and tries to visit him regularly whilst juggling a busy work life and strained marriage – but is not without her own emotional baggage including unresolved issues in her relationship with her Father dating back to her teenage years.

The story takes an interesting turn when Grace engages Annie (Bríd Brennan) as a housekeeper to help her Father out. Met with resistance by Howard, we watch the dynamics between the three parties unfold.

Details: Written by: Nita Teoh; Category: Arts & Culture; Published: 03 May 2023

I was eagerly awaiting another visit to the State Theatre Centre of WA – one of my favourite places in Perth.

This time I was headed down to Studio Underground to watch The Bleeding Tree by Black Swan State Theatre Company.

The stark, minimalist set with white painted lattice work on all three sides from top to bottom was all that met the audience as we waited for the play to begin.

The shadowy effects of the lattice created a slightly eerie effect...exuding silence and nothingness. A small thought bubble came up in my mind – I wonder what is going to happen?

This was my first time seeing The Bleeding Tree – it was last performed back in 2021 at The Blue Room Theatre.

This adaptation by Black Swan State Theatre Company did not disappoint.

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The Eight Mountains at the Italian Film Festival at Luna

One Fine Morning at Luna

Past Lives at Luna

Olivier Tarbaga - A Story of Migration by WA Indian Dancers

Things I Know to be True by Black Swan State Theatre Company

My Sailor, My Love at Luna

Bleeding Tree by Black Swan State Theatre Company