Cave of Forgotten Dreams is the new documentary from Werner Herzog, following closely on from his powerful Grizzly Man and his beautiful Encounters at the End of the World. This time, Herzog has been granted exclusive access to film the recently uncovered cave paintings in the Chauvet cave, which have been estimated to be over 32,000 years old. With a crew of only four people including Herzog himself, the film was shot in 3-D.
BY MATTHEW MCKERNAN
Essential Killing is Polish filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski’s second film in twenty years. With its story of a Taliban political prisoner (played with typically method discomfort by actor Vincent Gallo) on the run from his American captors after a crash in Europe, Skolimowski explicitly avoids getting embroiled in the politics of the situation. As a result, the precise location of the chase as well as the escapee’s name is not revealed. Instead, Skolimowski aims for a much more tame study of what makes us human and how quickly we can lose these qualities.
BY MATTHEW MCKERNAN
What did you expect from The Vaccines? Well they certainly surpassed all expectations in the Speakeasy, where this sell out show brought a whirlwind to the stage. The supporting act, John D’Arcy, drew the crowd in and before long the venue was fizzing with anticipation. When The Vaccines finally blasted onto the stage they wasted no time in getting the crowd moving. Justin Young’s energy seeps through the crowd and before long arms are in the air and the fans are chanting lyrics as though they’ve known them for years.
BY SARAH LAVERTY
The Election Court called in response to allegations of voter harassment and other incidents during last month’s SU Sabbatical elections has found that there is no evidence that such activities took place, and as such the result of the election stands.
BY SEAN ASHFORD
As part of the 2011 Belfast Film Festival, the Queen’s Film Theatre chose Saturday 9 April to devote an entire afternoon to running a series of short film competitions. These competitions were split into three divisions in order to highlight the Irish film industry’s growing commitment to nurturing home-grown talent, and among the dozens on offer, what follows are four which can be considered to be the stand-outs of the competition. They offer a fantastic array of genres, themes and styles, and demonstrate the diverse creativity among contemporary Irish filmmakers.
BY STEPHEN CONLON
Bell X1 are back on form with a new album, Bloodless Coup. Following a tour earlier this year (and they’re set to hit the road again) the band’s latest studio release is a continuum of the music they’re known for. Along the same vein as Blue Lights On the Runway, with added throw-backs to Flock and Music In Mouth, Bloodless Coup is a solid 10-track album. It has the same story-telling elements typical of their older albums, but the experimental thread has grown and strengthened, proving Bell X1 have more to offer than acoustic commentaries on heartache (though they’re good at that too).
BY JANETTE LOUGHLIN
The Grammy award winning Taylor Swift treated Belfast to a spectacular show which delighted fans and bored boyfriends who were dragged along. Supporting act, Ryan Sheridan, proved a great introduction with his energetic guitar chords and fast rhythms, creating a rustic, authentic feel to the night for which Taylor is famous. However, not a moment too late, Taylor burst onto the stage in a flurry of glitter.
BY SARAH LAVERTY