Websites as art & resistance, film-making, and Iranian activists
The weeks that were: June 14th - 27th
Nature is so fucking cool
Working on…
Film-making really has my heart at the moment. Whilst I wait for my painting mojo to return I am loving making videos for YouTube. I’m hoovering up books about directing and editing and cinematography and watching every movie, YouTube video, and TV show with a deconstructing eye. I feel like my skills in this area have really levelled up recently and it’s so exciting to see that I’m improving with every video. If you haven’t already, do come over to the channel and subscribe - I post almost every week and if you like this newsletter, you’ll love my videos. And if you are already subscribed, please tell all of your friends! I’m trying to grow the channel and I would very much appreciate a little non-algorithmic boost.
Thinking about…
A return to a more idiosyncratic internet. A friend of mine shared this brilliant article with me recently, and then another friend told me about this, and then a few days later yet another friend announced their decision to create a completely personal, labyrinthine, artisanal website (in much the same vein as the Haus of Cats, mistress of the form Kening Zhu, and my art crush Lexy Ho-Tai). I’ve been seeing more and more people come over to the dark side, rejecting conventional website “best practices”, and building sites which feel like playgrounds and art forms in their own right. Needless to say I am utterly delighted by this turn of events, and I’m sure it’ll come as no surprise to anyone that I have a strong suspicion that we neurodivergent types are leading the charge. It feels radical and subversive and punk as fuck. Bring on the new indie web! Decentralise the internet!
Reading…
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
This was a fascinating look at three decades of Iranian history, told through the story of two girls - one who grows up an activist, and the other who attempts to conform. It’s a lovely story of female friendship, but it’s also a cautionary tale of how a government or regime can strip away what feel like inalienable rights in a heartbeat. Felt a little close to the bone given what’s happening in much of the world these days.
Watching…
Hush (2016)
Letterboxd sent out a list a while ago of films that did a really good job at portraying disability (which, as a disabled person, I’m always keen to see), and we’ve been slowly working our way through it. This one is about a deaf and mute woman who is stalked by a home invader and it’s horrifying, but brilliant. The lead character is smart, tenacious, and savvy, and actually gets to use her disability to her advantage. I loved it.
Catch up on previous weeks:
