H.J. Stephens's Blog

In a world currently besieged with natural disasters, failed crops and a raging pandemic, the export of food, medical supplies and aid depends now, more than ever, on secure and efficient global supply chains.

For many countries working their way through various stages of economic recovery, the dependable supply of raw materials and energy sources such as iron ore, coal, steel, oil, and gas is pivotal, supporting public infrastructure spending and investment. This in turn creates jobs.

In popular economic theory, this has the potential to stimulate both domestic and international economies.

However, as the blockage of the Suez Canal last month demonstrated, these global supply chains are fragile, easily prone to disruption by external forces such as geopolitical instability, piracy, terrorism, bad weather, and accidents.

In the case of the Suez Canal incident, the blockage occurred in a maritime chokepoint – a trade-critical narrow channel connecting two main bodies of water, such as an ocean and in-land sea. Other key maritime chokepoints linking to the Indian Ocean include the Strait of Hormuz and the Malacca Straits, through which most of the world’s oil and gas is transported through every day.   

A short-term disruption to a global supply chain can often result in a temporary increase in shipping costs, fuel prices, intermittent supply shortages, delivery delays, and tighter budgets.

Nothing the world is not already experiencing with the pandemic.  

However, due to the pandemic, frozen manufacturing lines and widespread panic buying, global supplies have been stretched thin. Many countries no longer have a supply buffer to shield them from short-term shortages caused by disruptions to their supply chains.

As a result, the cost of everyday goods such as energy sources, fruit, packaged goods, coffee, building materials, and furniture has seen a drastic – and so-far permanent – increase over the last year.

Transportation fees have formed a large part of these rising prices, as border closures, shortage of staff, quarantines and sporadic demand has resulted in increased operating costs.

Further shocks to the global supply chain like the blockage in the Suez Canal only accelerate and cement these rising costs and delays, putting pressure on families, companies and countries already buckling under the strain of the pandemic.  Here in Australia, a country who has been largely unaffected by the pandemic, we have seen shortages in food, toilet paper, building materials and skilled labour.

For the increasing number of countries and families around the world living on-or-below the poverty line, this is an additional pressure they cannot absorb.   

The strategic implications may resonate far longer.

With approximately 90% of critical goods such as food, energy sources and raw materials being transported by sea every day, the safety and efficiency of maritime chokepoints is critical to maintaining international stability.

However, for the past few decades, rising powers in Asia such as India, China, and Japan, as well as existing powers such as the US, have begun to focus their strategic attention on the need to secure trade routes and maritime resources, both through covert diplomatic means as well as through the potential need to exert force.

This pivot is strongly reflective of old maritime strategies which were largely put aside by the neo-liberal West by the end of the Cold War in favour of air force technology and missile systems, predominately those of U.S. naval officer and historian Alfred Mahan and British naval strategist Sir Julian Corbett.

Both Mahan and Corbett place great importance on the need for aspiring great powers to secure their maritime interests. These interests can range from defending coastlines, protecting trade routes, projecting power and influence, and denying enemies from accessing – or profiting – from those same naval spaces.

As an export-oriented economy with import-dependent energy requirements, China has particularly strong economic and strategic interests in maintaining access to maritime chokepoints and controlling regional naval spaces such as the South China Sea and Indian Ocean.

As of 2018, two-thirds of China’s trade was conducted through the Strait of Malacca, the Indian Ocean, and the Suez Canal. In the same year, 80% of China’s oil imports, 72% of coal imports, and 11% of their natural gas imports were required to cross the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea to reach mainland China.

Reflecting a Mahanian strategy mindset, which emphasises naval superiority as essential for resource security and the rise of a regional power, Chinese leadership has stressed the need to develop China into a maritime power for more than two decades, a plan that is now beginning to come into fruition.

Largely made up of Chinese foreign investment projects, the Belt and Road Initiative seeks to re-establish ancient land routes throughout Asia and link them with the traditional sea routes largely used today, utilising railways, pipelines, highways, Special Economic Zones, Economic Corridors, and Sea Ports.

Once completed and successfully inter-connected, these projects would enable China to bypass maritime chokepoints where they may not wield much influence and diversify their lines-of-communication and trade with other countries and regions.

Next door, India and Japan have followed China’s lead, with both countries undertaking similar inter-regional infrastructure projects to establish their own position in the region. India, vying to become a regional power, is particularly threatened by China’s ‘string of pearls’ across the Indian Ocean – made up of deep-sea ports and Economic Corridors in countries such as Pakistan, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.

The strategic possibility for China here is to allow them to better contain India and limit its control over the Indian Ocean and its vital sea lines of communication and trade.

Again, this mindset comes back to the naval strategies of Mahan and Corbett. Both argue that in order to for a country to establish itself as the regional power – from where they can extend their influence even further – they have to control the seas.

Mahan believed in total control, with the ultimate goal being that the dominating power has destroyed every last resource of the enemy, preferably in a large, decisive battle. This strategy can be seen throughout history, with one example being the recurrent naval battles between Britain and Spain throughout the 16th century.  

Corbett however, believed that no one power could ‘conquer’ the seas. Rather, an established power could only seek to control strategic points such as trade routes, economic zones, and areas rich in resources. From here, the country – or alliance – could project influence, deny/allow access, and ultimately increase their own power.

It is this last strategic mindset that many global powers have begun to divert their resources towards in recent years.

Perhaps the most obvious example in the region, China’s man-made islands in the South China Sea establishes an area of control where the country can deny access to a resource-rich area and simultaneously defend their coastline, pushing the combat zone further out to sea where their missile systems project the greatest amount of power.

On the other side of the growing tensions, the United States’ growing military presence in the region, as well as the importance placed in the recent meeting of the QUAD (consisting of the US, Japan, Australia, and India) points towards the region’s growing interest and commitment to this “Control, Deter, Deny” strategy.

The blockage of the Suez Canal – though short-lived – would have been closely followed by many established and rising powers with vested interest. For many, it would have acted as a wake-up call, with many international corporations and countries already seeking to source other transport routes or methods that are less vulnerable to regional crises, political instability, or – in the case of the Suez Canal incident – bad weather or human error.

For countries such as China, India, and the US, the incident would have had blindingly clear strategic implications, validating the ever-growing focus on the need for maritime control and power.

 Nicholas Hoult plays a young J. R. R. Tolkien

For many, at least of my generation, Tolkien is a name associated with fond memories of childhood battles, acted out with sticks and imaginations, reminiscent of the great war scenes in the Lord of the Rings. It is this audience – and perhaps those few among us that have actually read the admittedly long-and-very-detailed books – that this movie is tailored towards.

Tolkien is a visually pleasing yet musically innocuous movie designed to evoke feelings of nostalgia and child-like wonderment. In this way, it almost serves as a pretty behind-the-scenes look into the inner workings and inspirations of a well-known and loved author. There are several moments throughout the movie, in which the fantastical and iconic scenes and concepts from the Lord of the Rings bleed through the historical biopic genre in which it is firmly placed. Elven script; tall, whispering trees; and perhaps the most striking, horsemen shrouded in haunting mist and dark shadows, stalking through the bloody battlefields of WWI in search of the dying. One such scene sees a dragon rise from a devastated landscape and set fire to the world.

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For devoted Lord of the Ring fans, I would recommend this movie for these scenes alone. However, for those that have not seen the Lord of the Rings movies, or weren’t really a fan, Tolkien may be a disappointment, or even just a sub-par historical movie which you enjoyed viewing but wouldn’t add to your shelves or watch again.

[image error]For a movie set around WWI and indeed directly situated on battlefields in settings and theme, there is little actual fighting. For much of the war scenes, the main characters scramble like hunted mice. And although done well aesthetically, for action-adventure enthusiasts, this may be frustrating. I personally admired how the directors handled these scenes; they highlighted that for many, the war and the battleground was a scenario they didn’t want, and desperately wanted to flee. Wartime ideals of honour, bravery, and patriotism fade away to show the raw emotions of humanity struggling to survive and protect those they hold dear.

The scenes set before the outbreak of WWI could be equally frustrating to many viewers. They appear almost flat, a framed picture of early 20th century aristocratic England. Even with Tolkien’s background as an orphan, it doesn’t feel real, despite it perhaps being a reality at the time. In this setting, and reflective of the Dead Poet’s Society, Tolkien and his school friends form what they call a “fellowship”, in which they share and develop their writings, art, and poetry. The movie revolves around this fellowship, from their glorious school days as privileged young men under relentless pressure to be the best, both socially and academically, to reluctant soldiers separated by war but connected through their writings.

From school boys…

…to soldiers on the doorstep of war.

For the most part, this is an enjoyable, if not particularly memorable, movie. Visually, there is little to complain about or criticise. However, the story felt almost disconnected from reality at times in the script and plot. Perhaps, that was the intention of the director or screenwriter. To highlight the startling difference between a life of high teas, gentlemen literary clubs and first-class education; and the brutal reality of war, human suffering, and sacrifice – inescapable for even the most privileged of society.

After all, is that not what inspired Tolkien?

Score: 6.5 out of 10

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There is something surreal about the use of watercolours in animation. In This Corner of the World is a beautiful example of how they can bring a heart-wrenching story to life using soft edges and gentle colours. Following the life of a young Japanese woman from Hiroshima, In This Corner of the World captures the effort required to maintain everyday normalities in an increasingly volatile time-period – specifically in this film, the early 1940’s in the port city of Kure (just adjacent to Hiroshima). The location and date gives you a hint towards how the film will end, yet all the while you desperately hope that it won’t be too devastating.

I started watching with apprehension, not sure if I should allow myself to get too attached to any of the characters. And yet, scarcely five minutes in I am enraptured by a child called Suzu; her innocent nature and endearing personality brought perfectly to life through skillful animation. The film alludes to a bright future for her through her own drawings, stunning landscapes lovingly embellished by a child’s imagination, and that’s scary when you pause to remember the film’s setting.

The story is admittedly slow to develop, although I didn’t personally mind this. We make our way through snippets of Suzu’s childhood until we arrive at her late teens. A marriage proposal is offered, and Suzu finds herself in a new family in a new town. She has grown up a hopeless cook, seamstress, and general housekeeper and now finds herself in charge of a household. Her sister-in-law has married out and her new mother-in-law – kind as she might be – is bed-bound due to a leg injury. This is where the real body of the film begins. Throughout the remainder of the film, we get to see Suzu mature with the support of her new family and community. Her constant cheerfulness and occasional child-like episodes as she settles into her new life is heart-warming.

Although a seemingly simple plot, it is done exceptionally well to create an emotional film with very little actual screen time for the male characters. In this way the film producers have created a war film that is at its core not about war. Instead it is about the development of a young woman in the formative years of her adult life. Suzu’s growth is marked by how she deals with the set-backs of the times – such as rationing and air-raids – but the real story is how she keeps going, giving a very sombre historical period a bit of that child-like imagination we see at the start of the film. At times this film is very funny as well as relatable, despite being set in another country over seventy years ago.

Inventing recipes using an odd assortment of rationed ingredients…

…and doing laundry as a war blazes on.

What I found the most remarkable about this film is the historical accuracy. I was astonished to discover that the film’s detailed backgrounds were recreated through careful research of pre-atomic Hiroshima. With most records destroyed, the film developers interviewed survivors, and using their accounts created draft after draft until it was just right. Throughout the film, the characters refer to battleships that are staked out in the bay by name, each perfectly represented as to where those ships were historically. The timing of the air raids too, are historically accurate. As a result, In This Corner of the World is an incredible example of story-telling through visual arts, a film that is educational, emotional, and above all, highly enjoyable.

Score: 9 out of 10

In my experience, Japanese animation rarely features simplicity as one of its main assets. Japanese animation is traditionally complex, detailed, and at times, very dark in it’s subthemes. Nobuyuki Takeuchi and Genki Kawamura’s most recent film, ‘Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?’ challenges these norms, and does so magnificently. Based on the 1993 live-action drama of the same name, this film is unassuming yet captivating. The story follows the problems facing a group of kids caught in the precarious time between child and adult, and yet at no point makes you feel as if you are watching a teenage soap opera.

The problems are seemingly minor, Norimichi and his friend Yusuke are both pining after their unhappy classmate Nazuna, who is – unknown to them – planning to run away from home with one of them after her mother announces she is getting remarried. Meanwhile, Norimichi and Yusuke’s friends are arguing over a question that remains central throughout the film: are fireworks flat or round when seen from the side? As the annual fireworks display is happening that night, this becomes a crucial question that starts to attract bets and drastic action between the boys.

At the pool, Norimichi and Yusuke make their own wagers on a swimming race. Norimichi declares that if he wins Yusuke must buy him a One Piece manga; Yusuke states that if he wins, he’ll ask Nazuna to the fireworks. The situation is made more complicated when Nazuna – who was previously sunbathing near the water – demands to be included. She bets that when she wins, the boys must do whatever she tells them to. The result directly influences the remainder of the film.

It is this dance between choices and consequences that drive this film. Similar to what happens in Groundhog Day, the main characters in Fireworks continually ‘redo’ the day over by the means of a glass artefact, resetting at crucial times in which a decision was made. In this way the film takes on a semblance to a Choose Your Own Adventure book, breathing life into what can happen if we do something slightly different. The film producers have orchestrated this beautifully, taking what could very easily turn into an annoying structure and ensuring that it is used at just the right moments to create maximum effect.

Everything in this film has been done at nearly the exact right time; perfect dialogue is woven together with incredible visuals to form an emotional experience. The voice actors deserve a lot of credit here, they’ve done an incredible job to bring the drawings to life. The music too is exquisite and used perfectly throughout the whole film. Brought together, the result is an audio-visual treasure. There are a few odd moments in which you aren’t sure whether to laugh or cringe. One of these was the Disney scene (you’ll know it when you see it), plus in my opinion the ending was a little strange. Despite this, somehow it all works.

If I had to use only a few words to describe this film, I would describe it as ‘delightfully innocent’. It’s a breath of fun fresh air in a world that is getting progressively darker and more intimidating. And yet it is relevant, for no matter what stage of life you are at, you are always reminiscent of a young child on the cusp of adulthood trying to figure out what life means. Simply, Fireworks is a breath-takingly honest movie for all ages.

Score: 7 out of 10.

They stand 9.58mm tall, 16mm wide, and are hollow on the inside. Yet a handful of these seemingly trivial bricks can open the door into a world of never ending possibilities. Inspiring creativity and problem solving in children and adults alike, LEGO proves that in a world of plastic, no one encourages imagination like they do.

It astonishes me how far LEGO has come. From a simple brick to anything you can think of, LEGO offers a limitless experience. As a small kid, I remember opening a LEGO box and getting unbelievably excited that it included a window that actually opened and bickering with my sisters over who got to use that single three-stemmed plant with the red flowers. Now, walking through the store aisles of a LEGO provider, I still relive that feeling of anticipation upon picking up a Classic Builder Kit that features ‘many doors and windows’. Plants and trees now come in a multitude of colours, shapes, and styles. In a sea of unique and themed pieces, the plain LEGO squares have become a Classic line.

This weekend, Bricktober 2017 brings the magic of LEGO to Curtin Stadium in their annual exhibition. Inside the exhibition, thousands of bricks are brought together in amazing examples of creativity and engineering. From astonishingly detailed themed displays showcasing Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and Pirates to completely original masterpieces that challenge the very realms of invention – there is something to captivate everyone’s inner child.

Being the geek that I am, I was particularly entranced with the unbelievably accurate model of Atlantis out of Stargate, as well as the accompanying Earth spaceships Daedalus and Prometheus. There are even little F302’s! What struck me as most incredible in this display was that no instructions (or likely anything remotely similar) exist for these. The artist would have had to be deconstruct every little piece from images out of the TV series and reconstruct them out of LEGO. Mind-blowing!

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Another favourite of mine was the beautiful Japan Dreaming display. This display shows women in Kimono strolling beneath cherry blossom trees, Kendo enthusiasts and Sumo-wrestlers sparring with each other, and an old man fishing serenely from the river that cascades down from a mountain upon which a magnificent Japanese temple stands. This LEGO display was particularly peaceful, but I think what I liked most about it was how it captured the essence of Japanese beauty so effortlessly.

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Honestly, there were so many great displays there that it was very difficult to pick a favourite. I’m still arguing with myself. Many of the more detailed displays could easily take up ten minutes of your time just by themselves – and with over a hundred displays and interactive play areas for kids, this exhibition is well worth the time. Tickets are very affordable too: $10 a person, or $30 for a group of 4.

Bricktober 2017 will be at Curtin Stadium, Kent Street, Bentley for the rest of the weekend. You do have to book online – there are no door sales – and the last booking time is 3:30pm on Sunday so be sure to get in quickly so not to miss out. Book at http://www.bricktober.info/booking-2017/.

Even more LEGO!:

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Christopher Nolan’s war epic Dunkirk is a film that has been long anticipated by a wide audience. I first saw the trailer at Oz Comic-con in March, and the buzz surrounding it even back then was intense. I’m going to be brutally honest here though; I wasn’t one of those excited people, the trailer didn’t draw me in all. I will usually choose to watch a movie based on the perceived depth to the story; I look for character development, backgrounds, and the small historical details done right – all that boring stuff most cinema-goers I know prefer to skim over in favour of big explosions and awe-inspiring special effects.

My first impression of the Dunkirk trailer was that the film would end up being a long showy game of cat and mouse in which the mouse eventually triumphs. For some reason – and I’m still working out why – I thought that Dunkirk was going to be one of those war films which are dominated by blazing guns and are generally ruined by a far too patriotic and completely unbelievable ending in which the heroes save the day and win the war. I couldn’t put that pre-conceived vision together with the historical facts of Dunkirk, and as such dismissed the film as probably not worth going to – at least not in any hurry.

I really should have known better.

Dunkirk is a stunningly beautiful and very artistic film. I feel odd writing that about a war film, but I can’t stress it enough. The best part of this film for me was the effort put into the details. I read after watching it that many of the props – for example, the civilian boats – were from the actual retreat from Dunkirk in 1940. What I especially liked about it was that Nolan managed to focus on an extremely demoralising and brutal piece of history without making it horrifyingly traumatic for the audience. There was no blood or gore and yet you still feel raw at the end. Emotion is a major feature of this film. Even though I walked out of the cinema knowing only two of the character’s names and armed with nothing but a glimpse of their backstories, I felt connected regardless. This film is not about character profiles. It is about the desperate faces of those diving for cover on the beaches; the determination of those racing to their rescue; the helplessness of the pilots as they struggle to defend the impossible; and the long, desolate queues of soldiers praying for home. This isn’t the story of a single battle or a lone soldier – it is an account of the nature of war and the inevitable costs. I must say, Zimmer’s accompanying soundtrack is breath-taking and deserves a lot of credit. Without it, I don’t believe the film would have had the same impact.

As someone who loves a good story-telling technique, the layers in Dunkirk surprised me. On the surface, it is a very simple story – 400,000 men are stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk, with little in the way of cover and means of evacuation. The navy, along with the help of civilian boats rush to retrieve the men before German forces devastate their numbers. I was expecting the film to mainly follow a single character throughout the evacuation, and initially it begins this way. It quickly however draws in several other perspectives, weaving them together to form a much more encompassing and detailed picture of the circumstances. To do this, Nolan artfully combines wide sweeping shots with up-close-and-personal filming techniques which leave you feeling as if you could be running down the beach besides them. The down side of being artistic with presentation and structure though, is that you run the risk of your audience getting muddled along the way or in the worst-case scenario – losing them altogether.

Dunkirk features a very warped time-line into which the audience is thrown with little warning. There are three perspectives being told simultaneously but at different speeds. The result is a little jarring if you don’t notice this early-on. I personally didn’t realise that we were jumping back and forth in time with each perspective until about halfway through the film and as such was distracted by the constantly changing conditions – one moment it was full daylight, the next it was the dead of night, a moment after the sun was setting. At first, it was perplexing how time could be moving so quickly in certain areas when not much was happening in the meantime elsewhere. That said, once I did eventually cotton on to the shifting timeline I did really appreciate the amount of effort put into the editing of the film to make it come together so neatly at the end. To have three different time streams come together so effortlessly in a cinematically stunning conclusion really highlights Nolan’s ability to tell a story. And to be completely honest, many others probably had no problem in picking up the structure early-on. In hindsight, there were hints to the amount of time that was passing in conversations which I must admit to having missed the first-time round.

Overall, this film is an amazing example of cinematic genius that did not deserve my initial doubts at all. Dunkirk is not a film revolving around false heroics, but rather a film of honesty. I do believe that it will be talked about for months to come, and will be in cinemas for a while yet. Due to the intensity of the filming and soundtrack, this is a film that is best seen on the big screen, so be sure to not miss out.

Score: 8 out of 10.

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Day Two of the Disrupted Festival of Ideas is almost at a close! Here is a quick review of the two sessions I attended today. The weather was much better than yesterday’s miserable conditions, so there was quite a queue at the front door when I arrived there this morning. Who knew that a library doesn’t open until 10am on a Sunday.

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Disrupted is an annual festival put on by the State Library of Western Australia exploring a range of topics and ideas. Of key focus this year are language, politics, and social norms. There are a range of talks, walks, panels, and events to explore; all seeking to ‘disrupt’ the way we think about, discuss and perceive certain issues. Due to a previous engagement in the morning I only had the time to attend one panel in the afternoon. However, that talk alone was worth making the rather wet and cold trek into Perth for.

In Digging into Resilience wordsmith David Astle (from SBS’ Letters and Numbers) and linguist Danial Midgley (RTRFM’s Talk the Talk) discussed the meaning and relevance of the word ‘resilience’. This was an outstanding discussion that was both informative and engaging. Over the course of the hour both men spoke on what they understand resilience to mean, as well as how it is used in different social settings and contexts. What I loved particularly about this discussion was the candor of the speakers and their willingness to touch on topics that are usually shied away from – such as the language of mental health and welfare, as well as the nature of ‘killer’ and dead languages. Resilience, as they discussed is not a matter of being the strongest, but a matter of being adaptive, honest, and able to accept truths for what they are.

How language shapes the perceptions of people as well as how perceptions shape language use is a keen interest of mine, and I wasn’t disappointed at all with this session. I’m definitely looking forward to the other panels tomorrow.

Disrupted continues tomorrow, Sunday the 30th of July. For more information on panels, discussions, and events, see https://disrupted.slwa.wa.gov.au/.

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It’s the year 1940 and British citizens are facing the harrowing realisation that they may not be winning the fight to which they have lost thousands of lives, homes, and years. Based on the book Their Finest Hour and a Half by Lissa Evans, directed by Lone Scherfig and starring Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, and Bill Nighy; Their Finest tells a very authentic story of the attempts of the British Ministry of Information’s film unit to produce a propaganda film that will simultaneously entertain and bolster the country’s spirits.

Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton) is employed by the Ministry to assist their head writer Tom Bickley (Sam Claflin) by adding a female’s perspective to the story. Her primary job is to write the ‘slop’ for the film; that is, ‘girl talk’ or the women’s dialogue. The film is to be as authentic and optimistic as possible, a combination initially dismissed by the characters as impossible in a Britain where a happy ending is becoming increasingly unbelievable. However, the screen-writing team press on, compiling a draft based on a supposedly true story published by a local newspaper – the story of two young girls that commandeer their drunkard father’s boat to assist in the evacuation of Dunkirk, the most recent and crushing British defeat in the war.

As the shooting of the film progresses, major problems inevitably arise. The desired authenticity of the film begins to fade away as the story it is based upon is continuously adjusted to create a suspenseful and film-worthy plot. The Ministry, hoping that the film will assist in convincing their reluctant American allies to join the war, insist on an American character despite the lack of cohesion with the already fragile plot of the story. Older actor Abrose Hilliard (incredibly brought to life by Bill Nighy) refuses to acknowledge that he is not the hero of the show or that he is to mentor the younger and very ill-equipped airforce pilot turned actor Norwegian-American Carl Lundbeck (Jack Lacey). Feelings develop between Catrin and Buckley, adding a romantic twist to an already captivating story. Adding to the drama, bombs continue to rain down on London, with nearly every character losing something to the raids throughout the duration of the film.

In simple terms, Their Finest is a film of unforgettable emotion telling a very real and aching story of the efforts of those that stay behind in times of war. At times uncomfortable and even a little dispiriting, this is not a film that shies away from the brutalities of war. Instead it embraces them, using it to highlight the small moments. In more than one scene, Catrin is told to not give up or lose her drive to create something worthwhile, for she lives in a world where you cannot be certain that you have minutes left, much less hours. Their Finest is a film of clever subtleties and of emotional, political, and social change. As Hilliard says to Catrin in one of the most tear-worthy parts of the film, ‘You and me are given opportunities only because young men are gone. But to turn our back on such opportunities, wouldn’t that be giving death dominion over life?’

Although heartbreaking at times, this film is by no means depressing to the very bitter end. It is filled with clever, witty humour and touching moments. There are several moments where you cannot keep a smile from breaking. It is a story of hope, of survival. In all this is an amazing film I highly recommend – definitely one I will be adding to my collection. 5 out of 5.

It’s ten-to-one in the morning and someone has run out of blue thread. Across the city, several people have yet to figure out how to get their individual armour pieces to attach together – much less stay on their arms and legs, several needles are stuck in their respective sewing machines, and multiple computers are simultaneously trying to google where to find a specific shade of eye-shadow or lipstick before 9am. It’s the early hours of the weekend known as Comic-Con, and cosplayers across the Perth metropolitan are frantically making last minute adjustments.

Dawn breaks and the city takes a breath – enjoys a quick breakfast, 20 minutes extra sleep, or simply a coffee – before cars are packed, makeup applied, trains and buses are boarded and the adventure begins. Once again thousands don capes, wigs, armour and weapons and head to the Perth Convention Centre for Oz Comic-Con 2017 – one of Western Australia’s biggest annual pop culture-oriented events.

To be honest, I was a bit worried heading into Oz Comic-Con. They left the announcement of their guests really late and then one of their leading guests Jason Momoa cancelled. In the end their list was pretty good, with Brent Spiner (Data, Star Trek), Charles Martinet (the voice of Mario, Super Mario video games), Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina, Sabrina the Teenage Witch), and Arthur Darvill (Rory, Doctor Who) a few of the most popular stars there. I only managed to attend two guest panels over the weekend – Brent Spiner’s panel on Saturday which was incredibly funny; and Torri Higginson’s (Dr. Weir, Stargate Atlantis) on Sunday which was great as I have long been a fan of anything Stargate. So overall, pretty happy with the lineup of guests and the relevant appearances. The only thing that I found a little disappointing in regards to this side of the convention was the size of the stages; Stage 1 was probably only just big enough and Stage 2 was way, way too small. Putting that to one side though, the panels themselves were exceptional.

Now, on to what I love most about these conventions… the cosplay.

Terranous – Perth’s Oz Comic-Con Cosplay Championship Winner

As always, Perth set out to impress. Every year I love to see the unique takes some people do as well as the detail others go into, ensuring that they represent an exact replica of their chosen character. I wanted to take my own camera but as my cosplay required me to carry a teacup and saucer around all day, I figured I was biting off more than I could have chewed. Instead, I left it to the professionals. See the below links for some amazing photo albums, or if you are feeling even more curious, an internet search brings up a heap more. So much talent, both in costume creation and photography.

House of Geekery – this site is generally fantastic, looking forward to their post on Sunday’s cosplay – Saturday Part 1, Saturday Part 2.

Fluffy Plushies – this guy can take the meanest cosplay and make them adorable… or frightening… depends on what the cosplayer decides to do with the plush toy… either way, I love it.

Blacklight Photography – heaps of general con-goodness.

Oz Comic-Con: a great weekend which left me thoroughly but happily exhausted. Already looking forward to Supanova in June. Jaffa Kree!!