Cold War received top-notch critical reviews and received Academy Award nominations including Best in Cinematography. All of this magical work has to be attributed to Lukasz Zal, who also worked on Ida.
Onesal, a Japanese art studio, presented a short video project which showcases the power of ASMR. This is one of the most stunning projects, that is a must for fanatics of ASMR but also for those that love splendid visual work.
Creative Direction: Onesal
Art Direction: Damian Sendin, Fede Kanno
Design: Damian Sendin, Fede Kanno, Alex Levinton, Nahuel Salcedo
Animation: Nahuel Salcedo, Damian Sendin, Alex Levinton, Lilen Herrera, Koji Obara
Simulation Artists: David Kvien, Alex Levinton, Nahuel Salcedo
Producers: Ailin Brunner, Lucia Gutkin, Feng Li
Sound: Echoic Audio
Entering with a lovely vocal tone and a catchy production is Leonard and JAN with Only Find It Here. The duo’s collaboration brings out an ear-pleasing production that stands out from the get-go with its majestic-like energy. This one is for the playlists.
The gigantic boyband out of South Korea, revealed their latest album just over a week ago featuring songs like Black Swan, and ON which features Sia. Like expected, BTS showcase a substantial amount of tuneful tracks, including Louder than bombs and My Time. With this album released, we look forward to seeing how their style will shift in their next album.
Dusky, a beloved House-duo consisting of Alfie Granger-Howell and Nick Harriman, revealed their latest four-track EP Life Signs Vol. 2 which features tracks Metropolis, Fridge, Seed Tray, and Mushroom Samba. This EP brings a sense of the classic house, bringing out full-on melodies, charging drums, and vintage-like textures that the House world has come to love over the years.
Stacy Cochran, a respected director and writer, will be presenting her latest film Write When You Get Work at the Manchester Film Festival this March. Before the film screens, Stacy joined us for an interview to talk about film and culture.
On the one hand, I’m really happy to be invited to Manchester, to see it, and visit friends here, to show this film to an audience in this city that has always fascinated me, to talk about movies at the screening with the great Joanna Hogg. And I’m really happy to be back at work on new projects and, yet, on the other hand… Do you know that melancholy saying we have about Abraham Lincoln’s assassination at Ford‘s Theater in April 1865? – “Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?” – meaning that my answer is also one of severe upset because the world is a dangerous mess. I’m appalled at how climate and political crises are worsening, thanks to terrible leadership which we all see around us, hindering the courage and commitment of those who could be humanity’s greatest allies, devaluing our best instincts. Horrible. Can I be happy and appalled at the same time? Yes. I am not a happy pessimist. I’d say, instead, I’m an angry optimist, determined to see improvement in the world, and as soon as humanly possible.
I started out wanting to be a writer.. but of what? And how? My dad was an ophthalmologist, my mom was a full-time mom. My first writing job was at a magazine, and then suddenly, compulsively, I realized I was writing movies and shooting them. It was like jumping in a plane and deciding to be the pilot. I think my dad was inclined to say, essentially, hold on a minute do you know what you’re doing? And wisely to stay at a safe distance from my efforts.
The initial idea was to write a love story about falling in love with the one you are most avoiding. There was an unconscious collision in my head between the pleasures of Shop Around the Corner (Ernst Lubitsch) and the tale of Rapunzel. The story that resulted was sucked into the blender of my own ideas, and loves, and commentary.
So nice of you to say that. I’m crazy about this cast, I’m crazy about actors, really. The cast for this film began with Emily Mortimer. The casting director I was working with sent the script to her reps for me… Emily read it and, in profoundly good news, said she wanted to meet. So she and I had a long chat about the story and her character in a coffee shop one fateful afternoon, and then I essentially built the fictional world of this wonderful cast around her.
I’m eager to hear the reaction to the themes, and to my approach, in Manchester. If the audience here can find companionship in this movie that is half of what I have found in Joy Division, I’ll be thrilled.
Yes, well, streaming services are inevitably key to the current distribution of movies. It’s not instead of the joy of seeing a film on the screen of a gorgeous old theater, hearing and feeling sound from a pro system, and surrounded by others who are watching along with you…. But if someone sees this movie, or any movie, on their phone on a bus, for instance, and loves what they see or hear or think about it, what the heck – Why not?
I guess “culture” is the plural of the singular word “person.” When a group of people are living among each other, over time and in combination, they go from a few to a lot, to a whole-lot, to a culture. Personally I prefer cultures that are built out of variety, which is why I love living in a place like New York City, where the culture is built on surprises and differences. Can I risk pretension and quote something lovely to you? I was just reading a magnificent piece in The New York Review of Books (by Dan Chiasson, 13th Feb 2020) reviewing a superb book called The Long Public Life of a Short Private Poem, written by my friend Peter Murphy, and the piece quotes a line from Peter’s book that I simply must quote back to you here: “The filtering of the personal through an inherited, continuing culture is the very essence of lyric poetry.”
Maybe, for me, the point is to tell stories in the (human) singular that take place in the world of the (human) plural. If you think about it, that’s basically what stories are, right?, from a delicate and incisive Lubitsch film to a joke told late at night while doing the dishes.
In this segment, we showcase the most notable albums out each week. Here are the albums out on February 28th, 2020:
The follow-up to Sophie Allison aka Soccer Mommy’s 2018 debut Clean has arrived via Loma Vista. The record, titled color theory, was written largely while Allison was on tour and was recorded in Nashville alongside her touring band, with production by Gabe Waxand and mixing by Lars Stalfors. “I wanted the experience of listening to color theory to feel like finding a dusty old cassette tape that has become messed up over time, because that’s what this album is: an expression of all the things that have slowly degraded me personally,” the artist said in a statement. “The production warps, the guitar solos occasionally glitch, the melodies can be poppy and deceptively cheerful. To me, it sounds like the music of my childhood distressed and, in some instances, decaying.”
Real Estate have released their fifth full-length album, The Main Thing, via Domino. The band performed the new album in its entirety on their most recent tour, and recently released the lead single ‘Paper Cup’ featuring Sylvan Esso. Speaking about the track, Martin Courtney explained that it’s about “feeling uncertain of the validity of being an artist in an age of climate change and general political and social unrest around the world. It’s a song about questioning your chosen path in life and searching for meaning in what you do.” He continued: “Those questions don’t really get resolved in this song, but ironically, the process of making this record – really diving deep and trying to make it the best thing we’ve ever made – reaffirmed in me, and I think in all of us in this band, why we are doing this.”
Tycho has put out a companion album to last year’s Grammy-nominated LP, Weather. The record consists of “bespoke instrumental reworkings” of tracks off Weather, which featured original vocals by Saint Sinner. “A Simulcast is the transmission of a program across different mediums and in different languages,” the artist explained. “With these two albums I wanted to present the same ideas in two languages, one more literal and the other more open to interpretation. Simulcast expands on the concepts laid out in Weather but shifts into the abstract with instrumental soundscapes in place of lyrics, opening up a visual space and translating the message into a new language.”
Dan Snaith aka Caribou is back with his follow-up to 2014’s Our Love. The new album, titled Suddenly and out now via Merge/City Slang, marks his seventh studio release. It includes the previously released singles ‘Home’ and ‘You and I’, the latter of which he said “captures a lot of what the record, and the title of the album, are about – the track changes suddenly and unpredictably and it is about a change in my life that happened out of the blue.”
Five Finger Death Punch, F8; The Secret Sisters, Saturn Return; James Taylor, American Standard; Gigi Masin, Calypso.
For aspiring photographers, a vacation is not just about soaking up the sun and relaxing with a few drinks by the pool; it’s an excuse to find and capture something truly remarkable and step outside your comfort zone. The reason why so many of the world’s best photographers are travel photographers is that the natural world still holds so many secrets; secrets that can only be shared with the rest of the world with the right eye and through the right lens.
But what destinations will inspire your natural curiosity and give your camera hours of creative sustenance? We’ve focused on a few of the most gorgeous and photographic natural locations in the world to help inspire you into action.
The northern lights – Millions of people visit Iceland every year, even though the population of the country is less than the number of annual visitors it receives. Why? Because it’s the best place on earth to get a peek at the northern lights (aurora borealis). You’ll need some decent equipment to capture it properly, of course, and you’ll need more than a little bit of luck too, but it’s a truly exceptional snap and more than worth the effort.
Greek culture – The Greek island of Santorini is famous for its white-washed buildings, which are set against a monumental blue backdrop of some of the world’s clearest oceans. The landscape is also unique thanks to a volcanic eruption that forever changed the shape and the nature of this picturesque paradise, making it a perfect travel photography destination. If you want to explore the island at your own pace, you can choose Enjoy Travelfor comfortable car hire in Santorini. They have a variety of vehicles to suit your needs and budget.
Oh, Canada – Whilst countless photographers have captured the beauty and majesty of North America’s national parks, but nowhere near as many have been able to capture the equally commanding natural wonder north of the border in Canada. From the clean and powerful skyscraper of Vancouver to the glistening mountains and woodlands hidden just outside the major cities, Canada is worth visiting for the spectacle of its natural wonders alone.
Underwater love – If you decide to splash out (pun intended) on some underwater camera equipment then a whole new world of opportunity awaits you. From the great barrier reefs of Australia and New Zealand to the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean and the alpine lakes of Europe, there are hundreds of incredible underwater locations waiting for your camera to explore them.
Outside the box – Finally, if you really want to capture something unique then consider booking an adventure holiday – something outside of your comfort zone that will offer up not only incredible locations but incredibly experiences to capture. Exodus Edits, for example, is an organisation that is engineered towards professionals in their 30s and 40s and specialises in unmissable, life-defining adventures. If you struggle to find something to photograph on one of those jaunts then you truly have no business calling yourself a photographer!
Monaco is known for its massive amount of varying architecture despite it being such a small country. With the number of sharp hills and narrow coastline, the people of Monaco had to be creative with how they built because of the limited amount of flat land. Most of the architectural influence hails from the South of France, especially during the Belle Epoque (Beautiful Period) period that lasted from 1871 to 1914. Spain and Italy are other cultural influences, but none are as big as France. With the warm climate that encourages outdoor living, most of these homes have balconies. Let’s take a look at some of the most beautiful buildings you can find in Monaco.
A Roman Catholic Church built in 1911, it was dedicated to Saint Nicholas. The church is still active to this day with a regular mass on Sundays at 10 am. The cream-colored stone, which sits on a rocky spur is considered large compared to the other structures in Monaco. Although it was constructed over 100 years ago, it contains the remains of multiple screens such as Brea, La Pieta, and St-Nicholas. The episcopal throne that sits outside of the structure is made of white Carrara marble, while the rest of the building has Mediterranean influences that are found through the Romanesque Revival architecture style.
The Monte Carlo Casino is a gambling and entertainment complex that includes a casino, opera house, and a ballet theatre. It is owned and operated by the Societe des Bains de Mer de Monaco, which is a public company run by the government and the ruling royal family. They have their own sports club, food service, and nightclubs. Along with the various gaming centers, many of the casino games like slots, blackjack, and poker can be found online at Casumo casino, just in case you can’t make it to this building. Made in 1863, this building is arguably the most recognizable and well-known building in Monaco.
Located at Square Beaumarchais in Monte Carlo, this structure was built at the beginning of the 20th century, designed by architect Jean Marquet. It’s one of the largest structures on the island, and it a famous example of the Belle Epoque architecture seen during the late 19th century. The ceiling of the dining room, filled with hand-painted pictures, features and elegance, and refinement that makes the Belle Epoque movement so memorable. It used to be a one-level hotel but over the course of its lifetime the architect Joseph Lori added two more levels with multiple wings and bedrooms. It was awarded the Renaissance Trophy for the “most elegant period decor” by Gault and Millau Guide.
This museum is a scientific and cultural gallery, filled with aquariums, fauna, and marine-flora. It was built to face the cliff of the Mediterranian Sea and was designed specifically to represent the seas’ life of the adjacent ocean. It was the first in the world to successfully keep and reproduce corals in captivity. Inaugurated by Prince Albert in 1910, it’s home to a wide variety of sea-related objects including sea animal skeletons, model ships, tools, and weapons. On the first floor, A Sailor’s Career shows off the work of Prince Albert’s research yachts, the phenomenon of anaphylaxis, and aquariums with live fish. This place is definitely worth a visit, not just for the beauty of the building, but due to the wide range of information found inside its walls.
Pol Solà, an illustrator and artist our of Barcelona, Spain, presented a superb mini-series named Microrocks in which he explores and interprets the microstrucutre and nanostrucure of rocks. Solà utlises brilliant colours to create stunning combinations that bring a sense of calmness and reflection in his work.
Find more work by Pol Solà here.
Gabor Nagy, a photographer and creative out of Hungary, presented an eye-pleasing series that takes you into the German Alps. Writing about the series Gabor Nagy stated “Last winter I’ve teamed up with my fellow photographer Frederik Schindler and we headed to the German Alps for a week, searching for the perfect winter conditions. The hardest part was to be a model and a photographer at the same time, so all these photos were taken by a remote controller or a drone.”
Find more work by Gabor Nagy here.
If you’re a fan of the TV show The Crown, you’ve most likely been lusting after not only the beautiful costumes, but the lavish interiors too. Sadly, not all of us can live in a palace, but with a few tweaks here and there, you can make your home fit for royalty. If you’re thinking about home improvements, you might have to consider how you’re going to afford them. However, the good news is these updates won’t take up a lot of your budget. Read on to find out more.
No regally inspired décor would be complete without at least a hint of its namesake colour. It’s easy to incorporate royal blue into a room. Go big with a feature wall complete with an antique gold mirror, or you can simply add royal blue accents like lampshades or vases. If your budget will stretch to it, a sumptuous royal blue velvet sofa will make a striking statement in any living room.
Fans of the show will know that much of Buckingham Palace’s wall space is covered in art. Recreate the look by reframing your existing art in antique gold frames and hanging them all on one wall. Make sure you use a mix of frames and metals for an authentic look. Hunting and pastoral scenes, portraits and landscapes will up the regal factor in your home – browse the Royal Collection for inspiration.
If you’re not lucky enough to have palace-sized windows, you can create the illusion of height and space by hanging curtains or drapes from near the ceiling to the floor. This will instantly make a room feel more spacious and regal. Light curtains will increase the feeling of space, whereas a dark, textured drape will add a touch of opulence to the room.
Buckingham Palace is a treasure trove of family heirlooms and valuable antiques. Take a tip from The Crown’s set designers, who scour vintage and charity shops to find interesting and period pieces of furniture. You can give your existing furniture a regal makeover by upholstering it in a sumptuous fabric like damask. Take it to an upholsterer or even try your hand at doing it yourself.
In the third and latest series of The Crown, set during the period of 1964 to 1977, the interior of the palace changes from a dark and sombre décor to a lighter, pastel-hued tone. Recreate the look at home by repainting your walls in pastel shades of green, blue or pink, or you can simply add arrangements of silk carnations and roses, or muted soft furnishings to up the feminine feel.
Who doesn’t like a good vintage? The Crown didn’t spare any expense in recreating a classic luxe life by skillfully putting all rooms together with vintage items. The queens’ vintage desk is a refined statement piece that has old photographs that you can draw inspiration from. Maybe you too can transform your living room into a sumptuous interior by using the Greater Than Gatsby application to create vintage images.
Quick Access
Our Culture
Helpful
© 2025 Our Culture Mag Limited. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 2/1/2025) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 2/1/2025). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Our Culture Mag Limited.
