When Theo Travis began experimenting with long-form improvised instrumentals for duduk – a woodwind instrument from Armenia sometimes described as ‘the saddest sounding instrument in the world’, he could hardly have imagined a world in which such a one-hour piece would clock up in excess of a million plays on YouTube. Yet that is precisely what happened, with the multi-functional music finding fans purely in its own terms as well as for an array of uses from meditation to yoga, to relaxation & more. Something about the sound, the performances, the context, found, built & maintained a much wider audience than most, far more mainstream music, all without hype, marketing or a dedicated record label supporting the release.
Yes, "Nope" is definitely about the modern obsession with turning tragedy and horror into a spectacle for people’s enjoyment. But it's also about the power of looking, who has the right to look, and what happens to those who are looked upon.
With so many binge-worthy TV shows floating around and new ones constantly being released, I have compiled a list of some more recent TV shows that rank high on the diversity scale for both the cast and crew.
The Invitation takes a creeping look at two simple premises: reuniting with forgotten friends and new-age spiritualism. Though one seems a bit scarier than the other, the film heightens social awkwardness to a macabre level that puts an uncomfortable look on when the social taboo of grief is put on public display.
'Run This Town' takes an unflinching look at the Rob Ford scandal that shook Toronto to its core while using fictional millennials to drive a concise story .
I was able to sit down and talk with up and coming producer and director Ryan Polomski who talked about his latest project Raymond Lewis: LA Legend. It's a documentary about basketball star Raymond Lewis and here is what I found out.
"Warrior" is a Bruce Lee written and inspired story that follows a diverse cast of Chinese American characters and does a terrific job of setting the story in 1878 San Francisco - all without pulling their punches with the systemic racism, discrimination, and struggle for power that old and young immigrants that crossed the country at that time had to go through.
