Pakistani Cinema’s New Wave
The 85% podcast hosted takes a deep look at film in Pakistan.
Pakistani cinema is going through a renaissance. After years of authoritarian policies that stifled the film industry, the country is producing more movies than it has in decades. The 85% talks with journalist Samira Shackle (@samirashackle) about the history of Pakistani cinema and the new wave of films that are tackling subjects like radicalization and gender politics in groundbreaking ways. Plus, a conversation with acclaimed Pakistani actor, director, and producer Adnan Malik (@adnanmalik). He tells the podcast about his journey into film, how cinema is changing the global narrative about Pakistan, and why his new movie, “Cake,” is a “true international film.”
Who Owns Bruno Schulz?
Solving a mystery in Jerusalem
You might not have heard of Bruno Schulz, the Polish Jewish writer who became the personal artist of a Nazi SS officer during World War Two before his tragic death days before a planned escape, but the story of his artistic heritage is certainly a curious one. When some of Schulz’s famed frescos surfaced in 2001, researchers from the Israeli holocaust memorial were dispatched to the Ukraine with a simple mission: bring them to Jerusalem at all costs. So, who owns Bruno Schulz?
Palestinian Architects Revive Earth Architecture in the Jordan Valley
Earth Architecture, the mysterious art of creating buildings out of compressed mud in a sustainable fashion, is making a comeback in one of the places of its origin.
Earth Architecture, the mysterious art of creating buildings out of compressed mud in a sustainable fashion, is making a surprise comeback in one of the places of its origin. In the Jordan Valley, near the ancient city of Jericho where 10,000 year old structures built only of earth still stand, a group of Palestinian architects from Ramallah are busy building new homes using mud brick and other compressed earth materials. For the architects, their obsession with sustainable materials is as much political as it is ecological and they are beginning to turn some heads as Monocle's Joseph Dana found out in the West Bank. Original Air Date: 5 March 2013 on Monocle 24
Cape Town’s Water Reckoning
Inside Cape Town’s water crisis
You’ve likely heard that Cape Town, South Africa is the throes of an epic water crisis. Thanks to a record drought, population growth, overconsumption, poor infrastructure, and years of mismanagement of the water supply, reservoirs on the verge of running dry. The city has imposed severe restrictions on water usage as what’s known as “Day Zero” approaches — the day people’s taps will be turned off. When Day Zero hits, residents will have to go to designated water points to gather their ration.
I moved to Cape Town in the midst of all of this, just a couple of months ago. When my wife and I arrived, the city was entering peak panic mode. People weren’t conserving enough water, officials said. Day Zero was going to happen and Cape Town would become the first city in the modern period to run out of water.
Every topic of conversation around town revolves around water. Uber drivers give tips on where to buy the best buckets to catch excess water in the shower. Friends share conspiracy theories about politicians orchestrating the city’s water insecurity. All anyone talks about is water.
And yet, I can’t seem to believe that Cape Town is going to run out of water. It just seems impossible, even irrational.
That being said, we have been diligently following the conservation guidelines. We’re supposed to use no more than 50 litres a day — less than one-sixth of what the typical American uses. Laundry is done once a week, and only when the washing machine is at peak capacity. We collect grey water from our showers and sinks to flush the toilet. Even in public toilets, everyone knows the protocol: if it’s yellow let it mellow; if it’s brown flush it down. Showers are 90 seconds long and somewhat infrequent.
Maybe these efforts are working. Since we moved here, Day Zero has been pushed back several times, from April to June. But even experts say that now, all we can hope for is an act of god. If the winter rains finally do come, there might not be a day zero at all this year. However, the problem of infrastructure and drought will persist.
As this crisis unfolded in the Eastern and Western Cape, former president Jacob Zuma was fighting for his political life. After years of scandal, a weakening economy and rampant corruption, the ruling African National Congress finally showed Zuma the door. In his place, one of Africa’s wealthiest businessmen and Nelson Mandela’s original choice to succeed him, Cyril Ramaphosa, became the country’s fifth president since the fall of Apartheid.
Having grown accustomed to Zuma’s ability to hollow out the political system and stay in power, South Africans breathed a cautious sigh of relief when he finally tendered his resignation last week. Markets are hopeful that Ramaphosa will rehabilitate the country’s ageing infrastructure and reestablish the rule of law in the political realm. But he has got his work cut out for him.
I am still convinced that Cape Town will not run out of water but it is clear that conservation is now part of our lifestyle. I am lucky though. I am able to purchase stockpiles of water and I have the luxury of plumbing in my home. For many residents of Cape Town living on the other side of Table Mountain from me, running water is not part of their lives. They already get water from communal taps and don’t have to wait for Day Zero to live that way.
The water crisis has given all of Cape Town a glimpse into this life. It has temporarily closed the enormous gulf between the haves and the have-nots in the city. But now that Day Zero has been postponed, the gulf is widening again. The initial surge of camaraderie and action among Capetonians is beginning to wane: people are settling into a new normal. This complacency is real challenge and is something the political leadership has to break.
The Gecekondu of Istanbul
The roots of urban planning in modern Istanbul can be found in informal housing units known as Gecekondu, which blossomed in the city during the population boom of the 1950s and 60s.
There is no denying the current speed of urbanisation in Istanbul. From new airports to new bridges, the city is transforming at a dizzying rate and not without protest. The roots of urban planning in modern Istanbul can be found in informal housing units known as Gecekondu, which blossomed in the city during the population boom of the 1950s and 60s. Over the years, Gecekondu neighbourhoods have developed tight knit communal bonds and demonstrated successful bottom up urban planning but now developers are targeting them for redevelopment. Monocle’s Joseph Dana reports on how the Gecekondu have gone from being the darling of Istanbul’s urbanisation to the target of New Istanbul’s land desires.
Turkey’s Second Oldest Newspaper
Nowhere is this more apparent than in Turkey. Since the founding of the Turkish republic, the newspaper you read, whether Milliyet or Hurriyet, is a quick indicator of your political persuasions.
Newspapers reflect the histories of the places or countries. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Turkey. Since the founding of the Turkish republic, the newspaper you read, whether Milliyet or Hurriyet, is a quick indicator of your political persuasions. It might be a surprise then to hear that Turkey’s second oldest newspaper serves a community of 600 families… in Greek. Monocle’s Eastern Mediterranean Correspondent Joseph Dana sends us
this report about a little known newspaper that is single-handedly helping to keep Turkey’s Greek community alive.
The Slow Gentrification of Jaffa
How the once mighty Palestinian city is coping with waves of gentrification
The city of Tel Aviv has grown exponentially in recent years, fueled by a hi-tech boom and consistent tourism industry. The result has been a vibrant, international city and skyrocketing rents on par with Western capitals. For some of the city’s younger residents, high rents have forced them into the ancient city of Jaffa just to the south Tel Aviv. Monocle’s Joseph Dana visited Jaffa to find out how the once mighty Palestinian city is coping with waves of gentrification. Original air date: 7 February 2013
As the Egyptian Economy Suffers, the Informal Sector Grows
Egyptians are facing the prospect of a tsunami of rising food prices and the certainty of harsh austerity measures. But one area of the economy is thriving.
Egypt’s financial straits continue to worsen as the Egyptian pound devalues, foreign reserves dwindle and the international community postpones loans. With a deteriorating political situation and the transition to democracy stalled, many Egyptians are facing down the prospect of a tsunami of rising food prices and the certainty of harsh austerity measures. But one area of the economy is thriving. Monocle’s Joseph Dana sends us this report from Cairo about Egypt’s burgeoning informal economy. Original air date: 12 February 2013
The American Colony Hotel, Jerusalem’s hidden landmark
The American Colony is a remnant of a forgotten era in which journalism and diplomacy was marked by intimate conversation, not the constant buzzing of mobile phones and impersonal social media.
The Israeli government recently authorised hundreds of tenders for the construction of new hotels in Jerusalem and Israeli settlements ringing the city. Aside from creating a tricky tourist situation since the bulk of new hotel construction will be on territory deemed occupied by the international community, the move demonstrates the city’s need to expand its aging hotel infrastructure. One hotel, the American Colony, in the eastern part of the city, has a storied history of diplomatic intrigue and luxury not usually associated with the city’s limited hotel options.I visited the hotel this week for Monocle 24 and found a place from another time. The American Colony is perhaps a remnant of a forgotten era in which journalism and diplomacy was marked by intimate conversation, not the constant buzzing of mobile phones and impersonal social media. An afternoon coffee in the hotel’s comfortable lobby still evokes the intrigue and glamour of newspapers’ golden age. Original air date: 23 August 2012