Author: martinvelev
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Another Round: Is There a Final Round?
According to Norwegian philosopher Finn Skårderud’s hypothesis, human beings are born with a deficit of 0.5‰ of alcohol in their blood. In other words, humans need about two glasses of wine to feel better and get their creativity, courage and open-mindedness boosted. This is tested in the Danish Oscar contender Another Round which explores how…
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50 (or Two Whales Meet at the Beach): The Most Creative Film at Venice Deserves Global Distribution
A few years ago, the Russian media bombarded with news about the so-called “Blue Whale challenge” which, allegedly, has led to the suicides of many teenagers in the country. The “Blue Whale” consists of 50 challenges over 50 days; the first tasks are innocuous (“Wake up during the night.” or “Watch a scary movie.”), but…
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I Am Greta: The Utilisable Halo Of An Environmental Goddess
Because of her truly altruistic aspirations, I hope Greta Thunberg perpetuates herself as a symbol of the youth raising awareness of significant social issues, and not as ‘the overly emotional sick girl who has to go to school’. However, if her good deed falls into the wrong hands, she could become a dangerous political weapon.…
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Und Morgen Die Ganze Welt: Why Is Germany’s Pick For The Oscars Dangerous For The Public?
Compared to countries with a polarised media landscape, i.e. a political spectrum ranging from the extreme left to the extreme right, reflecting an equally polarised society (e.g. the USA, the UK), Germany offers a system wherein all major media are clustered around the media-political centre (Reuters Institute Digital News Report, 2017, p.20-21). The weight of…
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Nomadland: The Languor of the Biggest Oscar Contender
A while ago, Fern (Frances McDormand) and her husband lived in a small American town based around industry. After the local gypsum factory’s shutdown, the town practically ceased to exist. And during this painfully chaotic situation, Fern’s husband died, leaving her forlorn, jobless, houseless (as she likes to call herself). She starts living in her…