2005
Five years into the millennium, the world is consumed by war, famine and terror. But paradoxically, the climate of fear may well be resulting in a more vibrant arts and entertainment scene. Here, five of The List’s editors pick their favourites from the events of the coming twelve months. The result is a highly personal survey of what looks like a memorable cultural year ahead.
THE OVERSEER
2004 was the year when the watchword was ‘engagement’ in the arts as well as in the military. Editor NICK BARLEY sees the trend for entertainment with attitude continuing in 2005.
hen l was at university back in the Slls.
it felt as if politics lttatlct‘ed. I
supported the miners. campaigned against nuclear weapons; anything that Thatcher was for. I was against. Then suddenly during the 90s. eycryone got some sense and concentrated on getting a degree and making some money. But for me. Britain‘s journey from Band Aid to I.oadsamoney was so depressing that I left the country for a couple of years.
So it was a great moment when Israeli nuclear whistle-bltm‘er Mordechai Vanunu was elected Rector of (ilasgow l'niyersity before Christmas. especially considering that his predecessors included the likes of Johnny Ball. The pendulum is swinging again: the longer we remain embroiled in a fruitless war. the more political our cultural actiyity gets. Take Jonathan Safran Foer‘s new book. published in June. for example. His first novel. Everything is Illuminated.
revealed an ability to bring the weirdest of
characters charmingly to life. and now the follow up. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. looks even more ambitious. The book tracks the musings of a pacifist. romantic. vegan.
Francophile nine—year—old. following the death of
his father in the attacks on the \\'ot'ltl Trade Centre.
Less delicious will be the latest in a line of
powerful documentaries. In the wake of big- screen successes such as Super Size Me and Capturing the I-riet/mans. there's Beslan School Siege on TV in January. searching for answers
among the corpses of an appalling act of
terrorism. No-one really knows who the perpetrators were. what they wanted. and why the siege ended so catastrophically. This is the second Channel 4 documentary to focus on terrorism in Russia: last year its inyestigation of the Moscow theatre siege was widely acclaimed. Could it be that. at last. Channel 4 is returning to its politically engaged roots?
The most powerful piece of theatre to grace Scottish stages recently was Pugilixt .S‘peet'alist — a coruscating attack on the LS war machine. This year. there‘s a strong chance that its creators. the
Riot Group. will return from New York to the lidinburgh Festiyal Fringe. I‘m putting money on the Riot (irotlp storming the Festival with a new Pl'tKIUL‘IiUl] at the Assembly Rooms in August.
The Island. a SlZSm l)reamworks moyie directed by Michael .M'maget/(lon Bay. features Scarlett Johansson alongside co-star Iiwan McGregor. Set in the near future. it's l'altrenlteit 45/ meets l-a/irenlien 91/. a tale of human clones trapped in an oppressiye system. Would the real world be a better place if it contained some exact genetic copies of Scarlett? Almost certainly. but it’ll be the end of the year before we get to see it happen on screen.
‘THE LONGER WE ARE IN A FRUITLESS WAR, THE MORE POLITICAL
OUR CULTURE GETS'
We'll also have to wait for one hotly-anticipated film featuring our coyer star. Natalie Portman. Paris, Je T’Aime is a love letter to Paris. consisting of 2() live-minute lilms directed by. among others. the Coen Brothers. Jean Luc Ciodard and Michel (iondry. Fingers crossed that it will add up to something more than a cinematic Version of Band Aid 20.
Finally. there‘s the City Project at Dundee Contemporary :\t1s in May. in which art will be displayed around the city as well as in the gallery. ()ne of the artists. the brilliant Mark Dion. is creating a permanent ‘broch' (shelter) by the bear enclosure at the city zoo. Mark liyes on a ranch in upstate New York. where bears roam free across his land. so I can't wait to see what he‘ll create. ()n the way home. I'll drop in on the new Maggie's Centre in Fife. designed by Zaha Hadid. The building opens in 3005. and will be the first permanent structure in Britain designed by the architect who has battled for so long to get commissioned in Britain. \‘v'hy'.’ Possibly became a) she's a woman. and b) she‘s Iraqi. Politics. see.
' ,J:' THE LIST 25
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