Month: February 2018
Ai Weiwei’s ‘Human flow’ Documentary Review: Arguing For More Humanity In The Current Global Migration Crisis
“You have to understand, no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land”. This quote was taken from a 2015 poem by Somali-British writer Warsan Shire, it resonates strongly at the moment, particularly with Ai WeiWei’s new documentary, ‘Human Flow’. The movie, shown by The Gulbenkian on Sunday 28th January, is the first long feature film directed and co-produced by Weiwei, a well-known Chinese artist and activist. There are many ways in which Human Flow is soul-stirring. First of all, the cinematography, filmed across 23 countries, is spectacular. Using drone technology, and…
Election 2018: VP Welfare Debate Analysis
On Monday 26 January, a packed studio audience inside the Student Media Centre witnessed the Kent Union Election debate between vice-presidential candidates for Welfare. The debate was broadcast live on KTV, and was moderated by Jake Peach of CSR FM whilst being presented by Ogo Anokwuru of KTV. This year’s candidates for VP Welfare are Omalade Adedapo, Abbie Harris, Anna Meares and Jake Pitt. Read their manifestos here. Watch the full KTV debate from last night here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcM9u8qpWEc&t=1s Analysis I had hoped that, after watching the debate, it would become clear to me who I wanted to vote for, but…
Union calls for Student Representation on Panel Reviewing Tuition Fees
Kent Union have called for “formal student representation” on the advisory panel supporting the review into tuition fees, student finance and educational funding. Prime Minister Theresa May announced this week that an independent education chair and panel will be conducting a year-long review that will be considering all aspects of post-18 education funding. This will include the price of tuition fees, and whether or not maintenance grants should be reintroduced to poorer students to help with living costs. Other areas that the review will examine will include the interest rates charged on student loans (currently standing at 6.1%) as…
Netflix’s Top 5 Most Inspirational Programmes and Films
While it is only February, 2018 already feels like a long-drawn-out, tasteless chewing gum and the grey, windy weather is definitely not helping. Neither is the midterm stress most of us are probably feeling at the moment, and since essays still do not write themselves, I am trying hard to resist the urge to curl up and watch Netflix for the whole day. However, we all deserve a break from time to time to get back into a creative work flow and to recharge our batteries. For that reason, I created a list of movies and shows on Netflix…
Review: Black Panther
This Afro-futurist film is a game-changer in the MCU and the superhero genre. It’s finally here! I remember when I first saw T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), the Black Panther, in Captain America: Civil War (2016). I was completely blown away. When it was announced he would star in his own film I got so excited, and I eagerly started anticipating the release of this film – it felt like the longest wait ever. From the release of its trailer in July until the moments before I saw the film, I couldn’t wait for its release. With every new trailer, still…