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Publicity photo of Charlie Chaplin for the film Modern Times (1936).

Passé ou Classique? – How Old Films can Hold Up for a Modern Audience

“As modern cinema becomes increasingly commercialised, films are primarily lauded for their entertainment value, a well-known cast of actors and provocative subject matter over form and visual innovation. These trends, which favour fast-paced editing and action-filled plots, might be said to have blunted our capacity for critical observation and undermined our visual literacy.” Lorelei Fatima…

‘Agua do Rio, Agua do Mar II’: Oxford’s Connection with Capoeira

Over the weekend of 15-17 May, a range of activities and workshops took place as part of ‘Agua do Rio, Agua do Mar II’, a festival organised by the Oxford Capoeira Society. But what exactly is Capoeira, who is behind the society, and what do they do?  Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form, a martial…

opinion

Tony Blair, 9 July 2010. Photo published by the Office of the Prime Minister of Kosovo.

Britain’s prophet steps forward

“Oh, oh! Agony, agony! Again the awful pains of prophecy are on me, maddening as they fall… What if no man believe me?” Thus cries the tortured Cassandra in Aeschylus’ seminal tragedy Agamemnon. Cursed by Apollo with a gift of prophecy which is never to be believed, Cassandra is one of the most tragic figures…

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Van on fire during the 2024 Southport Riots

Call the violence in Belfast out for what it is: Pogroms

I refuse to use the phrases “anti-immigration riots”, “violent disorder”, “disruptions” or “unrest” to describe what ethnic minorities and those who present as visibly Muslim, have been experiencing in Belfast over the last few days. And this is not the first time we have lived through this. A quick Google search shows that a Pogrom…

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Jerusalem Day in the context of the persistent violence waged against Palestinians.

Jerusalem Day is an Israeli national holiday celebrating Israel’s capture and control over Jerusalem after the Six-Day War in 1967. Following Israel’s occupation of Jerusalem, Palestinian inhabitants who were not registered as Israeli citizens, were granted residency but were not allowed to vote in national elections. The annexation of East Jerusalem, which has a predominantly…

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Global Affairs

COLUMNS

Photo of the Oxford skyline.

Low Concept: Pursuit for its Own Sake

“My thesis is not one implying a value to decentring work or academic commitments. It is one concerned with giving enjoyments and pursuits for pleasure the priority that they are due.”

Collage for Risk Appetite.

Risk Appetite: On Long Tables and Still Eating Alone

“The next time at a long dining table, I’ll treat it like it’s an Oxford exam I’ve studied for: I’ll eat, ask questions about others that stem from genuine curiosity, and take peace in the fact that I’ve already done all the preparation I can and that it’s time to put it into practice.”

Illustration of themes and objects relating to Oxford.

Second Draft: But can you do a split roll?

“When I read the list back, I found it quite ticklesome. Was this my vernacular now? Since when was it normal to be scrolling through the Croquet England website on a random Wednesday in May? Most concerningly, had I become an Oxford stereotype?”

CULTURES

LIfestyle

An elegant, old-fashioned lady walking her dogs along a beach

Walking in silence: a lost art?

On brighter days, I’ll venture to the Bodleian with Bad Bunny, or Stevie Wonder blasting through my ears. Come rain or shine, the music seems to meet me where I…

Graffiti on a wall

The Exportation of British Misogyny

The sound of accordion, and the sweet heavy smell of cinnamon and spices drifted pleasantly through the small winding streets, dappled with pale April sunlight. Yet, despite this beauty, something…

Identity

A photo of a girl from behind, showing her braided hair.

Braids: How do they represent us?

“Hair represents us. It is a means of self-expression, and a channel for our creativity, used for centuries, if not millennia, in this way. Since I first got my box…


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