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FREEZE FRAME Re: Bobby Niven: Hermit’s Castle, Chez Galip I really liked these films, especially Hermit’s Castle. The shots of the snowy sea washing up around the structure are pretty eerie. Sierra Metro on a freezing November night was the perfect setting for this. Big-Yin, Leith Comment posted at List.co.uk
THAI HURRY
Re: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (671) I was interested to see your feature on Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, truly one of the loveliest, most thoughtful and endearing pieces of filmmaking of this era. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. It blends vividly beautiful cinematography with surreal storytelling and folklore, as well as intense emotion. Though your antigonistic writer Dit Beauvois (playing devil’s advcoate surely? How
can anyone not like this film?) played down the idea that this film could do something to appease tensions in Thailand. To suggest that art does not have a political role to play is somewhat jaded. Weerasethakul’s film might have a limited release in his home country, but, as with much of the most controversial and opinion- changing art over the last 100 years, just because it’s only seen initially by a small group of people doesn’t mean that its influence can’t filter down through word of mouth – even the very fact that a Thai film with this level of emotional resonance has made it big on the world stage is cause for consideration and may help precipate a change in attitude.
Let’s not drag arthouse filmmaking down with the old suggestion that slower films are ‘extremely boring’. Try ‘mature’, ‘touching’ or ‘majesterial’ instead . . . or just pick yourself up a ticket to Jackass 3D if your attention span is that short. Kevin, Musselburgh Via email
LETTER OF THE FORTNIGHT
TAKING THE PLINTH Re: AfroCubism is the latest project from makers of Buena Vista Social Club (671) Thanks for this great article. However, Bassekou’s N’goni is not a one-stringed lute. There are lutes in Mali that are one-stringed and are referred to, in French, as mono-chord. They are typically played in the north of the country by the Peul and Songhai ethnic groups. The lute that Bassekou plays has four strings, or sometimes six, and is commonly called the Djeli N’goni and is Maninka in origin. Bamako, Mali Comment posted at List.co.uk
THE LETTER OF THE ISSUE WILL RECEIVE ONE BOTTLE OF THE BLACK GROUSE WHISKY Smoky and Smooth – a marriage of fine peated Scotch malt whiskies and The Famous Grouse
CITY BREAK Re: Bar Crawler, City Café (671) I noticed you made out as if the City Café ditching its Trainspotting image is a bad thing. Given they're re- branding as a family restaurant, I'm not sure their ‘pre-club cool’ is much of a concern. And while references in books and films tend to help with promotion, I'm not sure Trainspotting is the kind of
book (or film) any self- respecting place would want to associate with. Unless they want to play into the trending glamorisation of such lifestyles. Hamish, Edinburgh Via email Editor’s note: The City Café is the ‘Burgh’s top pre-club spot in this issue’s Bar Guide (page 11), so it seems its cool is in tact, with or without the help of Irvine Welsh.
NEXT ISSUE Wednesday 15 December
YOU’VE GOT 15 DAYS TO LIVE!
THE HOT 100 Forget the glut of ‘cool’ lists clogging up the news stands: in our next issue, we publish the definitive Hot 100, a list of the individuals, groups and institutions that have been enhancing Scotland’s cultural landscape. HOGMANAY Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and all that jazz – it’s time for the biggest party of the year! We’ll be listing the clubs, gigs, events and more that’ll be keeping you up well after the bells.
96 THE LIST 2–16 Dec 2010
CONTRIBUTORS Publisher & General Editor
Robin Hodge Director Simon Dessain
EDITORIAL
Editor Jonny Ensall
Assistant Editor Henry Northmore, Allan Radcliffe, Claire Sawers
Research Manager
Laura Ennor Research Siân Bevan,
Siân Hickson, David Pollock, Fiona Shepherd, Kirstyn Smith
Editorial Assistant
Niki Boyle Editorial Intern
Mary Murray-Brown, Hamish Gibson
SALES & MARKETING Advertising Sales Manager
Brigid Kennedy Senior Media Sales Executive
Juliet Tweedie Media Sales Executive
Jude Moir
Media Project Sales Manager
Suzanne Robertson Business Development
Executive Adam Coulson Business Development
Manager Brendan Miles
Sponsorship & Promotions
Manager Sheri Friers
Promotions Executive
Amy Russell
Circulation Executive Murray Robertson
PRODUCTION
Senior Designer Lucy Munro
Production Manager Simon Armin
Production Assistant Miriam Sturdee
DIGITAL Web Editor Hamish Brown
Senior Developer Andy Carmichael Senior Designer Bruce Combe
Software Developer Iain McCusker
Online Editorial Assistant Alice White
ADMINISTRATION
Accounts Manager Georgette Renwick Accounts Assistant Wendy McCormick
SECTION EDITORS Around Town Kirstin Innes
Books/Comedy Brian Donaldson Clubs/Play Henry Northmore
Dance/Kids Kelly Apter Food & Drink Donald Reid
Film Paul Dale LGBT Lauren Mayberry
Music/Shopping Claire Sawers Noticeboard Anna Millar
Theatre/Visual Art Allan Radcliffe