FRIDAY 21st January – SUNDAY 23rd January 2022

The Troubles
Having already bagged Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes and dubbed to take a clean sweep at the Oscars, Kenneth Brannagh’s semi-autobiographical drama Belfast arrives in UK cinemas this weekend. Chronicling nine-year-old Buddy’s life growing up in working-class Northern Ireland in the late 60s, the story charts the beginning of the tumultuous events that raged within the country for the next three decades. The film is artfully shot in black and white, accompanied by a soundtrack from Van Morrison and offers up a star-studded cast in the form of Jamie Dornan, Catriona Balfe and Judi Dench.

Belfast is out in cinemas now.

Lose yourself
The first solo exhibition for Canadian artist Allison Katz arrived in the city earlier this month, known for her enigmatic subject matter and inquisitive style, this showcase adds some colour to the grey area of ambiguity. Bringing together a body of work created over the last eighteen months, Katz continues to question identity and expression through a varied range of imagery including the inside of a lift, monkeys, cockerels and cabbages. The eccentric obscurity of the contemporary artist’s work leaves it up to the viewer to thread everything together and attach a personal meaning onto her vivid paintings.

Allison Katz Artery runs at Camden Arts Centre until 13th March, more info here. 

A free gig – keep your quids for the bar
London-based musical talent spotters Never Heard of Ya return this weekend with another stellar line-up of lovely noise. Taking the stage at Hackney’s Sebright Arms, this Saturday sees Wunderhorse, aka Jacob Slater – who will be starring as Paul Cook in Danny Boyle’s upcoming Sex Pistols mini-series – headlines proceedings with his brooding storytelling and layered textures: complete with freshly-shaven bonce, as seen in the video for his track Poppy, below. Slater will be joined on the night by Ikari Orchestra and HighSchool. Tickets are free, the sell is easy.

Read our 2021 interview with Wunderhorse here.

Wunderhorse plays at Sebright Arms on Saturday 22nd January for Never Heard of Ya – tickets here.

War, what is it good for? 
Arriving on Netflix this weekend is Christian Schwochow’s political thriller Munich: The Edge of War. Adapted from Robert Harris’ 2017 novel Munich, the story takes us back to the Munich Conference of 1938, dealing with the impending doom of the Second World War. George MacKay and Jannis Niewöhner star as British civil servant Hugh Legat and German diplomat Paul von Hartmann, while Jeremy Irons takes on the controversial role of Neville Chamberlain. It’s a story of old university friends turned political opponents and their eventual return to the same side in an attempt to prevent the outbreak of war.

Read our interview with George MacKay and Jannis Niewöhner discussing the film here.

Munich: The Edge of War is out in cinemas and streaming on Netflix now. 

Listen up
Sun at Night, the debut London exhibition by Mumbai-based Shilpa Gupta sees the artist present her acclaimed soundscape project For, In Your Tongue, I Cannot Fit (2017-18) inside Barbican’s Curve gallery. 100 microphones are suspended above 100 metal spikes, each piercing a piece of paper with a fragmented verse of poetry by a poet incarcerated for their work, writings or beliefs – from multiple countries and centuries – giving a voice to those who have been confined, condemned and silenced.

Sun at Night by Shilpa Gupta runs at Barbican’s Curve gallery until 6th February – admission is free. 

Would you like some flora? No, not the butter…
If you jumped onto the Veganuary train this month you may be veering off the tracks somewhat, but here’s a yank back into gear via Shoreditch’s Japanese eatery Apothecary, which offers a plant-based bottomless brunch that will surprise you. Start with small plates of sushi rolls, grilled cauliflower with truffle sesame, sweet potato skewers and Hirata buns, then finish with dairy-free ice cream in flavours ranging from miso caramel to black sesame. It’s a vast amount of delicious food that’s met in equal measure with a constant supply of cocktails that’ll have you off the rails in a totally different manner.

Apothecary is located at 36 Charlotte Road, EC2A 3PG, more info here.