Critical Times

A Review of the new movie “BALIBO” from Arenafilm, Australia.

The new “drama film” named “Balibo” was officially released on Friday (24/7/09) on the Opening Night of the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). The Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta spoke.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
SENT WED 25/3/09

Editor,

Remember the poem “Who Built Thebes…. and The Great Wall of China”? Watching the worthy tributes to Jorn Utson on ABC television today, (25/3/09), I could not help but notice there was no acknowledgement for the thousands of Builders Laborers who built the difficult structure, one of whom is celebrated in verse by the late Denis Kevans, Australia’s under-celebrated “poet lorikeet”.

I submit the poem to your readers for them to decide whether a separate memorial event should be organized for “Paddy” ? Maybe Paul Robeson, the very first Opera singer at the Opera House (1960?) could get the gig instead of Neil Finn and Our Kate ?

The Ghost of Sydney Opera House

There’s a ghost in Sydney Opera House,
Who sings in all the shows,
The glittering tiaras sometimes
Tumble on their toes,
The ghost he was a rigger,
And he’d sing up in the shell,
And we sank a fleet of schooners
In the First and Last Hotel.

by Jefferson Lee (written 9/3/09 as my initial contribution to this website)

On Friday 24th April 2009 (Anzac Eve) at Leichhardt Town Hall in Sydney’s inner-West will be the “Inaugural Denis Kevans Memorial Anzac Eve Peace Concert” from 6pm-11pm as a fund-raiser for Leichhardt Council’s “Friends of Maliana” friendship city project.

The significance of this event is that it will be the first time in a decade and a half that the cultural hegemony of increasing militarism surrounding Anzac Day celebrations has faced a direct and conscious challenge from progressive forces in Sydney – outside of the marginalized sloganeering of a few predictable the ultra lefty.

Flash back to Australia and Anzac Days of yesteryear.