The Price of Kings – Film Two - Shimon Peres *****

The Price of Kings Film Two on Shimon Peres is a smooth successive documentary focusing on his personal life and career, following the political sacrifices made by Yasser Arafat in its prequel. The Price of Kings is a 12 part innovative documentary researching the posed question to the political elite ‘What would you sacrifice for what you believe?’

With unprecedented access to his family and closest allies such as Uri Savir chief negotiator for Israel during the secret negotiations which led to the Oslo peace agreement, Uri Avnery peace campaigner, writer, and politician and Mika Peres, Shimon Peres granddaughter who was asserted by him to be a part of this documentary helped to create a unique insight of the president of Israel.

A review of his achievements and failures whilst building the nation of Israel who are still at war is candidly confessed in his own words. Footage of film and images are implemented to give a graphic comprehension to the unfamiliar eye of what the non-combatants around this political period has had to endure. Succinctly this documentary tells a historical story from additional perspectives, not only from those who have spoken- but also for the unheard voices that are relevant today.

With his Polish (Jewish) grandfather being his most looked up to family member whose life was claimed in the holocaust, Peres carried his upbringing close to his heart. When he immigrated to Israel before World War II, the holocaust claimed many lives including his family members back in Poland. This according to Uri Savir is a great insight into Peres: to understand his values as a man are to understand the events of his childhood.

Spirit Level makes the finest claim yet on creating a digestible documentary, exploring the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the 1940s. Although based on war and politics this documentary deciphers through the proofs of Peres long reign as a political leader in a war torn country. Piecing together a life of a now elderly man who was twice Prime Minister, President once and an important family figure - whose greatest importance is his work. Producer Joanna Natasegara and director Richard Symons helped to provide Shimon Peres reign in the Middle East some justice to the outside world.

http://www.afridiziak.com/theatrenews/reviews/june2012/the-price-of-kings-film-two-shimon-peres.html

Conquest of the South Pole

The Conquest of the South Pole by Manfred Karge is a mind over matter struggle between unemployment and the need to dream. Decidedly melodramatic and poetic this modern classic splits the idea of dreaming of success like an orange and lemon peel pushed simultaneously inside out- budding the question is it reality that’s sweet and the dream that leaves a bitter taste?

Characters such as Slupianek, performed by O-T Fagbenle a deep driving force guiding the unemployed men in a game that plays with the realities of their lives, leading the gang of friends towards acts as big as robbery and minor blunders like upsetting the washing- when turned on its head ,the latter weighing much greater than the former.

Photograph: Tristram Kenton for the Guardian

Slupianek fights daily recruiting his friends to master his obsession with the South Pole inspired by the story of Norwegian Roald Amundsen, the man who truly led a team to the South Pole. Instead of signing on and handing out black and white CV’s, the men decide to focus on the historical Polar journey manipulating the rudimentary beings of reality to help create the make belief escape they are trying to create, but the line between reality and fate are so thin at the top of the attic with just white sheets and stolen goods to help them conquer the tale.

La Braukmann( Emma Cunniffe) is the feminine driving force that hurls the play back into reality always drawing on the obvious in her casual clothes and her womanly stresses. An achievement, using her white sheets as glaciers to get further in their attic of make belief is an action that could defeat the entire idea.

During a time where our youth have looted due to the fact that their actuality is far from the achievements in their dreams, Karge’s 1988 play could not have felt more contemporary and pertinent as many ruin their reality to try to accomplish dreams.

http://www.afridiziak.com/theatrenews/reviews/may2012/the-conquest-of-the-south-pole.html