The films that defy censorship
Kaleem Aftab Features correspondent New Wave Films (Credit: New Wave Films) From Sudan to Iran to Saudi Arabia, directors continue to battle repressive regimes to make and exhibit cinema – and flourish in spite of the obstacles, writes Kaleem Aftab. In 1989 the blooming cinema industry in Sudan came crashing down like the Berlin Wall. […]
Can beauty pageants ever be empowering?
Hanna Flint Features correspondent Pathe UK New movie Misbehaviour explores the infamous 1970 Miss World event from two perspectives. It’s the latest film to take a nuanced approach to such contests, writes Hanna Flint. Beauty pageants have long been a contested part of our culture: some see them as a hangover from a far more […]
How The Wire became the greatest TV show ever made
Emma Jones Features correspondent Alamy The Baltimore-based series broke new moulds and gave birth to the ‘must-watch’ TV genre, writes Emma Jones. It won no Emmys, was dwarfed by The Sopranos in its viewing figures, and every season was a struggle to get recommissioned. A decade ago this spring, The Wire finally ended, after five […]
Why the millennial stereotype is wrong
Jessica Holland Features correspondent Getty Images They’re lazy, bored and are constantly job-hopping – or so the stereotypes would have you believe. Jess Holland takes another look at the myths of Gen Y. Type “millennials are” into a Google search bar, and you’ll find that “lazy” comes up as one of the top three autocompletes. […]
Fat people earn less and have a harder time finding work
Ronald Alsop Features correspondent Getty Images Bias against overweight people is still acceptable to many (Credit: Getty Images) It’s especially true if you’re a woman – and there’s almost nothing you can do about it. After being laid off from her job at cable television provider Comcast, Shavonne Patrice Owens thought she had finally landed […]
This might be the loneliest country for expats
Alamy Dating is tough here, despite being the nation with Europe’s highest proportion of singles. Editor’s Note (25 December 2016): Through the end of the year, BBC Capital is bringing back some of your favourite stories from 2016. Dating in Sweden might conjure up dreamy images of candlelit dinners in minimalist Nordic apartments, or snowy […]
Breakfast is the real power hour for success
Alina Dizik Features correspondent Alamy People are more businesslike and more business-focused at breakfast meetings, before work starts, than they are later in the day (Credit: Alamy) If you need to persuade someone in business, you might be missing out on the best time of day if you’re only scheduling drinks, dinner or long lunches. […]
How fear, sex and power shaped ancient mythology
Daisy Dunn Features correspondent Gallery Oldham (Credit: Gallery Oldham) The mythical goddesses who broke the rules of sex and power – and manifested our worst anxieties. Daisy Dunn explores the fierce deities who were both revered and feared In the 1st Century, bathers in the city of Bath who suffered the ignominy of having their […]
The greatest political drama ever
Caryn James Features correspondent Netflix The Danish TV series Borgen strikes the perfect balance between idealism and cynicism, writes Caryn James; few shows have “depicted politics so authentically”. There is a jaw-dropping line in the first episode of the new season of Borgen, the internationally popular Danish drama returning after a nine-year lapse. Birgitte Nyborg […]
The rebel spy who is the anti-James Bond
Neil Armstrong Features correspondent ITV (Credit: ITV) Michael Caine’s role in the film version of Len Deighton’s 1960s spy novel made him an icon. As a TV remake premieres, Neil Armstrong looks at the creation of a unique secret agent. In 2006, an ordinary-looking pair of spectacles went on sale at Christie’s, the London auction […]