Surreal Experiences with Bunny & The Bull

Paul King’s eccentric film, Bunny & the Bull, has been out on DVD now for a couple of weeks, but for those of you who have yet to see it, I thought I'd give you my thoughts on it.



The film follows Stefan Turnbull through his memories as he re-counts an ill-fated trip across Europe with his best friend Bunny last year. Stefan suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder and is unable to leave his flat, where everything is meticulously organised into box upon box. Ed Hogg is superb as an awkward Stefan, living under the shadow of the eponymous Bunny, who is everything Stefan is not. As Stefan comes across various things in his flat that remind him of the trip, we follow the pair across Europe, where they visit such delights as the cutlery museum of Germany before Bunny decides that Stefan is not having fun, steals a stuffed bear and encourages him to give the fiery Spaniard, Eloise, a lift to Spain.



Stefan is, of course, quietly in love with Eloise but is doomed to remain ‘in the friend zone’, while the irrepressible Bunny takes what he wants and does what he likes. Bunny’s brash persona is set at odds with Stefan, who is reserved and moralistic, and the friendship between the two ebbs and flows, often strained by Bunny’s love for gambling, women and alcohol. The final test comes when they reach Eloise’s hometown and Bunny decides to fight a bull. Despite Bunny’s bullying and Stefan’s weakness, the two need one another and Bunny & the Bull is a well-woven story about friendship and impotent bravado.



It is definitely more than a little bizarre but I guess this is only to be expected from the director who brought us The Mighty Boosh. The film is filled with surreal experiences, quirky humour and highly-stylised cinematography. At one point Stefan and Bunny are invited to share a drink of dog’s milk with a crazy Hungarian tramp (played by the Boosh’s Julian Barrett) and King manages the perfect blend of awkward disgust and hilarity. The majority of the European journey takes place against a backdrop of illustration and the blend of animation and other visual quirks makes the film incredibly interesting visually.



The soundtrack is by Ralfe Band, who use a range of instruments to create a musical background to the film that is as varied and heartfelt as the story itself. It is a perfect accompaniment to the surreal comedy and, in the spirit of the film, was recorded on a piano that was left outside in the snow to achieve a more weathered sound. The current issue of Aesthetica discusses the impact that a soundtrack can have on a band’s career and Rob Boffard speaks to Oly Ralfe from Ralfe Band about the effect that Bunny & the Bull has had on this career, CLICK HERE to read more.

Strange, funny and highly imaginative, it’s not like any other film that you will see this year and I found it a joy to watch. If you enjoyed the eccentricity of The Mighty Boosh then you will love Bunny & the Bull, which couples the Boosh’s sparkling surrealism with a tender emotional undertone. Bunny & The Bull is out on DVD now.

Contemporary Art Iraq Opens 16 April

Once, I learned that Cornerhouse in Manchester was showing the first comprehensive UK exhibition of new and recent contemporary art from Iraq - since the first Gulf War to the present day, I became really intrigued. The show examines new practices and fresh perspectives from a culture torn with conflict, and given the country’s recent historical context and the emphasis of media news stories on political instability, this show explores and challenges expectations of Iraq today.

So, I started to ask myself, what do I know about Iraq. I remember the First Gulf War, although I was only a child, so it’s clouded with memories of patriotism and clear misunderstanding. Obviously, the second time around with George Bush Jr, things are much clearer for me. The piece of footage that has been played over and over again of the statue of Saddam Hussein being pulled down, and of course his execution. But, really what do I know? This exhibition offers us the chance to learn more about this country. As global attention shifts, this show provides a platform for a new generation of artists who acknowledge the aesthetics of conflict, but are not bound by them. Instead, they are fused with collapsing aforementioned associations and seek to broaden awareness of life beyond the brink of war, pointing toward other immediate concerns across the country.



Selecting works across a wide range of media by 19 Iraqi-based artists for Contemporary Art Iraq, Cornerhouse in collaboration with ArtRole, gives a subjective snapshot of the current Iraq art scene. From installation, performance, video, painting and photography, works presented deal with very individual searches for identity, whether national or historical, addressing tradition, beliefs and other themes connected to modern life in Iraq.



The exhibition also overlaps three main themes:

The Changing City
Azar Othman Mahmoud’s installation Bricks, is a reflection on the Iraqi nation building project. Whilst Salam Idwer Yaqoob Al-Loos’ painted triptych of Baghdad, charts the hope and disillusionment post 2003. Jamal Penjweny’s series of photographs Iraq is Flying, playfully reminds us of the childlike wonder of being able to see from a height.

Of Time and Tradition
Bhrhm Taib H. Ameen’s luscious photographs depict traditional characters of Iraq, theatricality staged in contrast to reality. Mustafa Mumtaz Noori’s Joza and Rbaba, sees musical instruments converted into weapons and Sawar Mohamad Amin’s documentary Yayli, follows the loss of livelihood for local men driving horse-drawn carts.

Protest
Muhammad Sale Rosramzada and Wrya Budaghi are internally displaced and therefore denied the right to vote in performance and video piece, Our Finger Hasn’t Got Ink Yet. For Traffic, another performance to video work, Gaylan Abdulla Ismahel brings a crowd to a roundabout in Erbil to protest against the high number of traffic accidents there. Julie Adnan’s powerful portrait series, Born in Jail, presents photographs of women who live with their children in prison.

With regards to the broader context and the global art market, we must ask ourselves, will Iraqi art develop like that of Chinese or Indian? Will collectors be rushing off to buy, buy, and buy? And what will the consequences be for the art if this is the case? There are two sides to every story, of course this will be good for the artists, but what will this do with regards to understanding the region? Finally, who benefits the most when pieces turn up a Bonhams? Is it the artists? Collectors? The region? I feel these are themes worth hashing out. A few issues ago, I discussed this topic about Middle Eastern Art with Daniela Da Prato. Read the article here.

Works by:
Julie Adnan (Kirkuk), Aryan Abubakr Ali (Sulaymaniyah), Salam Idwer Yaqoob Al-loos (Baghdad), Bhrhm Taib H. Ameen (Sulaymaniyah), Sarwar Mohamad Amin (Sulaymaniyah), Bitwen Ali Hamad (Sulaymaniyah), Gailan Abdulha Ismail (Erbil), Azar Othman Mahmud (Sulaymaniyah), Zana Rasul Mohammed (Sulaymaniyah), Natheer Muslim (Baghdad), Rohzgar Mahmood Mustafa (Sulaymaniyah), Yadgar Abubakir Nassradin (Sulaymaniyah), Mustafa Mumtaz Noori (Baghdad), Jamal Penjweny (Sulaymaniyah), Roshna Rasool (Sulaymaniyah), Mohammad Sale & Wrya Budaghi (Erbil), Hemn Hamed Sharef (Erbil), Mohammed Abdulhussein Yousif (Baghdad).

This exhibition also seeks to continue Artrole’s mission to develop international cultural exchanges with the Middle East. Their previous activities include the first major Post-War Art & Culture Festival at The Red Jail, Saddam Hussein’s security building in Iraqi-Kurdistan (7 - 9 Nov 2009). The festival presented Richard Wilson’s seminal installation 20:50 for the first time in the Middle East and mounted exhibitions by British and American artists alongside over 50 Iraqi artists. For this show expect compelling installations, transfixing photography and thought provoking video works that will delight and shed light on the fascinating state of Iraq now.

Contemporary Art Iraq is co-curated by Cornerhouse and ArtRole. Supported by British Institute for the Study of Iraq (BISI), Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) and City Inn, Manchester.

Cornerhouse, Galleries 1, 2 & 316 April – 20 June 2010. For further information visit www.cornerhouse.org and www.artrole.org


Images:
1. Artist (c) Jamal Penjweny
Iraq is Fliying, courtesy of ArtRole
Location Baghdad

2. Artists: (c) NAMO and Wrya Budaghi
Artwork Election, courtesy ArtRole
Location Erbil

Voy A Explotar (I’m Gonna Explode) out on DVD this Week

I am a sucker for Indie films, especially the ones with an overarching artistic licence. I like films that are shot with integrity using every inch of light and space for effect – films that assume the audience can think, ones in which the director gives us a bit of freedom to explore and develop our own interpretations.



Gerardo Naranjo’s Voy A Explotar (I’m Gonna Explode) is a sensational film, one that sees the darker narratives of two teenagers in love. One thing’s for sure, cinema is not lacking in abject teenagers in lover, it’s a story that’s been told many times, but Naranjo turns it on its head by introducing two characters that are rebelling but their not sure why or what from. Roman and Maru both sit on the periphery of society. Come on you remember what it was like to be a teenager. Every moment seems to count, each encounter means something, and days are weeks and weeks are months.



Roman and Maru meet at school; there is an instant attraction. Roman is the son of a corrupt right-wing politician. They embody youth in rebellion, they decide to run away and revolt against everyone that they know in the search for their freedom. Exploring their sexuality, an intimate bond is formed between the pair; they begin to believe they are invincible. Further plans are hatched, and they become the Mexican version of Bonnie & Clyde.




The dialogue is lyrical; there are moments, which are somewhat like a chorus as Maru is searching for meaning and control. Roman is fearless – however lost – there’s a lack of focus and both of them ooze with apathy. Mostly they just want to feel something, anything. As they spend their time in hiding, their parents and the police begin searching for them. It’s going to erupt, but how? In the real world actions have consequences.

This film has screened at a number of festivals: Venice, Toronto, Chicago, Stockholm, Istanbul, Edinburgh and the AFI Latin American Film Festival. It’s an exciting mix of intense desire and absolute confusion.

Voy A Explotar was released on DVD 12 April. For further information on Gerardo Naranjo read an interview with Time Out London.