Setting foot in Silk in the middle of the afternoon is an incredibly daunting experience at the best of times. However, doing so as eerie music plays accompanied by the noise of wind and rain, while a passage from the Bible –‘for he is a liar and the father of lies’ (John 8:44) – is […]
As far as debut novels go, one would be hard pressed to find a tale as beautifully written and thoroughly engaging as that of Nigerian author, Odafe Atogun. The freshman writer draws on his own experiences growing up under an oppressive regime to tell a wonderful tale that, on its surface, is a story about […]
Getting a book published is a notoriously difficult task. Each year thousands of prospective writers have their work rejected by publishing houses for a variety of reasons: be it that the novel is not the type that they are looking for, that they do not think it will sell particularly well when forced to compete […]
A lone figure sits atop his horse, his all-black ensemble stark against the brightness of the horizon; slowly he surveys the rocky landscape before him searching for his prey. The camera shifts and the audience can see the world from his perspective – a pixelated view of the desert before him. Zooming closer a blurred […]
Next week signifies the start of Scotland’s annual celebration of African cinema and culture, the Africa in Motion Film Festival. Now in its eleventh year, the festival aims to showcase a variety of cinematic works from across the continent and bring these stories to the people of Scotland who would not ordinarily have the opportunity […]
“If Africans do not tell their own stories, Africa will soon disappear”. These are the immortal words that dominate the screen as Sembene! begins to roll; words that perfectly encapsulate the life and work of the subject of this lovingly crafted documentary. That subject is Senegalese director, Ousmane Sembene, a man respectfully considered the father […]
As far as University of Edinburgh institutions go, Jordan – more commonly known as Library Cat – is a rather high-ranking one. Instantly recognisable by his black and white coat, which gives him the impression of having been dipped in milk, he has been as much a part of George Square as the David Hume […]
In the sequels department, the animation powerhouse that is Pixar tends to have mixed results. Certainly the Toy Story franchise has gone from strength to strength but aside from these films, the other sequels like Monsters University and Cars 2 (especially Cars 2) represent low points in the studio’s history. The sequels often lack the […]