Puerto Rico is a democracy...but with no presidential vote or real sovereignty. What does that say about its status? Historian Raymond Laureano-Ortiz explains why the island’s future is up for debate again. #PuertoRico#PoliticalIdentity#ColonialStatethebattleground.eu/2024/09/26/p...
The Colonial State
Molchat Doma’s Belaya Polosa moves from the suffocation of totalitarianism to the bittersweet vastness of exile. The ’80s vibes are strong, but this is no nostalgic trip—it’s a reflection on dislocation and progress. #MolchatDoma#BelayaPolosa#PostPunk#Exilethebattleground.eu/2024/09/25/b...
Belaya Polosa, by Molchat Doma
Join Joel Schalit & John Foster on Sunday, 6 Oct, as they take on populism in Europe at #WritersFestivalBelgiumwww.eventbrite.be/e/writers-fe...
Translation, translate, explain, write. How do we understand if we don't even speak or write the same language? Reading gets us there.
Digital projections, bizarre characters, and two electrifying actors. FREAK took Istanbul’s Alkazar Cinema to another level. It’s weird, wild, and unforgettable. 50 backstage staff for two actors? Now that’s theatre on a grand scale! 🎭 thebattleground.eu/2024/09/24/i...
A Week in Turkish Theatre, Part II
Zeroing in on details reviewers typically overlook, Charlie Bertsch demonstrates how examining films on their own terms is the best way to realise their potential as tools for political and social critique. thebattleground.eu/book/end-of-...
European Cinema in a Post-Narrative Age
Starmer’s deportation deal with Meloni shows Labour isn’t pulling any punches on immigration. But will turning Albania into the new Rwanda win votes or backlash? #Labour#ImmigrationPolicy#UKPoliticsthebattleground.eu/2024/09/23/l...
Starmer’s Anti-Migrant Manoeuvre
‘Colonialism was about resources, not just land’ – Alpha Blondy unpacks Africa’s ongoing struggle for autonomy. Can culture heal the past? #AlphaBlondy#ECOWAS#ColonialLegacy#AfricaRisingthebattleground.eu/2024/09/14/t...
Africa, Peace and Cultural Reconstruction
In Istanbul for TheatreIST: a week of profound theatre and personal conflict. Can art truly offer solace in times of grief? My experience says yes. #TheatreIST#TurkishTheatre#ArtAndGriefthebattleground.eu/2024/09/16/i...
A Week in Turkish Theatre, Part I
Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes (1938) used humour to mask a terrifying reality: Europe on the brink of war. Its message? “We cannot afford to prioritise the personal over the political.” #Film#Hitchcock#PoliticalCinemathebattleground.eu/2024/09/18/e...
Alfred Hitchock's The Lady Vanishes
Thuringia has voted in a far-right government – AfD’s first victory at the state level since WWII. With Chancellor Scholz calling for action, is Germany ready to confront its past, or are darker days ahead? #AfD#Germany#ThuringiaElectionthebattleground.eu/2024/09/13/g...
Alternative für Deutschland’s Electoral Program