december 2020 finds is right on time for some weekend reading. enjoy!
BOOKS
1. i only managed to finish one book, the vegetarian by hang kang. it follows how schizophrenia develops in a woman and how it affects the people around her. it’s fluidly written, but heartbreaking, especially if you happen to have any experience with mental health problems.
MAGAZINES
2. british vogue is consistently good, that’s why i’ve been buying it for decades.
3. i bought this month’s vogue paris because it focuses on lea seydoux. i liked the interesting interview detailing the mechanisms of her acting process.
MUSIC
4. deftones celebrates the 20th anniversary of white pony by releasing a remixed version of the album called black stallion.
i think the chances of me going to see them live when they resume touring increased.
5. this is an interesting little documentary about how deftones made white pony. watch it.
6. i liked this album by brazilian meno del picchia.
7. enrique bunbury’s new album is called possible. it’s worth listening if you’re a fan.
8. blackpink is the girl group yg entertainment put all of its efforts after bigbang’s members had to enroll in the army a few years ago. i don’t really like their music, but i do like jenny. it’s an interesting film.
9. ryuichi sakamoto‘s new album is a good soundtrack for chill days. check the channel for more.
i remember i first saw him acting as the director in madonna’s rain video, in the 90s. the actual director of the video was mark romanek.
10. make it right was december’s earworm.
MOVIES
11. mank by david fincher sounded interesting, but i ended up greatly confused and disappointed. i couldn’t for a second see more than a bunch of actors running lines. i really like gary oldman, but why was a 60-year old cast in the role of a 30-year old? probably i’ll end up listening to the trent reznor and atticus ross soundtrack separately. anyway, i gave up halfway through.
12. the life ahead is not a chef d’oeuvre, but it’s watchable. it has good acting, good casting and a shaky storyline. edoardo ponti directs his 86-year old mother sofia loren.
13. my octopus teacher is a documentary. it would have been way better if the author didn’t insist on focusing on himself so much. the photography is very good, the storytelling, not so much. it’s watchable though.
TV SERIES
14. street food asia is a series about food culture in 9 countries. i loved it.
15. i continued with street food south america. i’m always impressed by the parallel worlds that exist out there.
16. i fell in love with midnight diner: tokyo stories. i watched all the 50 episodes. the show is subtle and wonderfully paced. the characters are well-rounded and the stories compelling. i liked the music, the food and the atmosphere. i would definitely go there if it really existed.
apparently, there are two related films as well. i’ll look them up.
17. our planet is mind blowing. the footage and the stories are unbelievable. it’s a must watch.
ARTICLES
18. read this interesting article by blondie’s debbie harry and garbage’s shirley manson.
19. read this article about grayson perry’s very interesting wife, philippa perry.
20. etienne russo is one of the biggest fashion show producers out there.
YOUTUBE
21. chimamanda ngozi adichie speaks so well.
22. this is a good channel if you have narcissists in your life. and the chances are high.
23. this is how i discovered deyan sudjic, writer and former director of the london design museum. by watching this short video and by getting mesmerized by his voice and words.
24. as somebody who grew up with the original drawings for alice in wonderland, it was very interesting watching this.
25. this is an informative video about how native americans are perceived.
26. i liked vanessa seward‘s style.
27. this is a video about how bronze is cast.
28. you’ll like this if you’re a fan of the before sunset series. i liked watching the dismantling of the storytelling mechanisms.
29. i knew nothing of mennonites. i was surprised.
30 this is a heartbreaking look at how the poor survive in the us.
31. i found this wonderful channel which only posts recipes of old japanese ladies, obachan.
32. this is an interesting monocle video about how the finnish artists live and create.
33. i wouldn’t super glue metal scales to my face, but he does.
34. david lynch speaks with no ego. he is mesmerizing.
35. japan is an endless surprise.
36. if you’ve ever wondered about fresco restauration, watch below.
37. this is an interesting documentary series about cuba nowadays.
38. michaela coel speaks about the behind the scenes.
GOING OUT
39. i have just found out that i can no longer embed insta links. unfortunately, facebook has decided to deactivate that feature. i spent december visiting furry friends, walking, cooking, going to to a couple of museums and to lisbon. if you want to see all the pictures, here’s my insta.
a happy and healthy 2021 for you and your loved ones! let’s do this!
photo and video credits: little aesthete, copyright holders
