“Sewage scum” and “nasty infections”: Students plagued by deteriorating river quality
From the cancellation of regattas to health advisories against swimming due to sewage dumps, the once pristine rivers of Oxford are now increasingly unsafe. While local authorities are attempting to safeguard waterways, students are having to significantly change their activities on the water.
Current conditions
Only 14% of rivers in England meet internationally recognised ecological standards. The company which presently controls sewage in and around Oxford, Thames Water, consistently records hundreds of “sewage incidents” each year. According to Government data, the company has been given an amber rating for water quality for nine out of the last eleven years, including each year since 2015. Records of water levels, going as far back as 1995, indicate that periods of severe flooding or drought are becoming more common, with periodic and extensive floods causing considerable damage and disruption.
In Oxford, Castle Mill Stream continues to display dangerous levels of bacteria – despite being the only official bathing spot on the Thames. Since privatisation, infrastructure has been neglected, with no new reservoirs built since 1991. Estimates suggest that 20% of the system’s total water supply is lost to leakage. Howard Street was flooded for weeks in freezing conditions earlier last month, after a burst pipe went unrepaired by Thames Water from late January to February.
Students on the water
Aside from the economic, ecological, and sanitary impact of this state of affairs, river quality has a major impact on student recreation. Oxford’s river system and the sports which make use of them have been central to student and faculty life in the University for generations, but the impact of inclement weather and unpredictable sewage discharges is increasingly felt by recreational societies and boating clubs across the city.
The sport perhaps most intimately affected is wild swimming. The founder and head of the club, Ellie Ford, told Cherwell that Oxford Wild Swimming has “experienced a massive number of cancellations due to unsafe conditions in the river”, cancelling over 80% of their group swims in Michaelmas 2022 alone. This, they argue, is due to “almost constant” sewage discharges from Cassington and Witney Sewage Treatment Works, which sit upstream from Port Meadow. The society’s representatives are critical of Thames Water’s handling of the situation, citing irregular reporting of sewage releases, and feeling as though they “can never be confident that [they] aren’t being exposed to sewage”.
Ford also emphasises that cancellations of planned group swims have a considerable impact on the mental health of students. Many rely on these activities as a form of stress relief and social connection. Group swims provide a valuable opportunity to relax, recharge, and connect with others.
James Evans, current president of the Oxford University Canoe Kayak Club, told Cherwell that “two or three sessions” were cancelled this year so far, due to sewage discharge on at least two occasions, and high water levels on another. He added: “To my knowledge we’ve never had a member get sick from the river in Oxford, but this has potentially happened at other sites.”
Likewise, the OUCKC’s former president, Max Muggleston, believes that water quality in the Isis “has deteriorated consistently over time”, attributing this to increased discharge rates from sewage stations at Stanton Harcourt, South Leigh, and on the Windrush, and recalls the club cautioning members to wash their hands after every outing.
Members of St. Catherine’s and St. Hugh’s College Boat Clubs corroborate these details, citing weather patterns and increasingly frequent red-flag warnings signalling dangerous currents as particular sources of frustration. One rower at St. Hugh’s points out that, while sewage does not often directly impact session planning, it remains a potential health risk due to the possibility of “nasty infections” in exposed cuts or sores, and disrupts students’ enjoyment of their time on the water.
Changes on the horizon?
Thames Water provides consumers with a storm discharge map, but acknowledges that “this doesn’t tell the full story” with regards to water quality, and has pledged to modernise and expand their supply and sanitation infrastructure. The company has “committed £1.6 billion of investment in our sewage treatment works and sewers over the next two years”, specifically dedicating £15 million to upgrades at the Witney treatment facility. They have also pledged a 50% reduction of discharges in the Thames Valley by 2030.
The precise timetable for such changes remains unclear with both public and private partners pledging action in the face of an increasinlgly volatile climate. The environmental and economic fallout of sewage discharges and crumbling infrastructure is reason enough to demand a change, but the fallout on student life, on the mental health of student athletes, and on Oxford residents’ recreation only serves to emphasise how central the rivers are to life in this city.
As recent demonstrations and complaints show, in Oxford itself and its environs, popular sentiment is increasingly critical of the water management status quo. In addition to petitions and public opinion, the issue has caught the attention of local government and Members of Parliament alike. On 30th January Oxford City Council unanimously called for Thames Water to be taken back into public ownership, while Oxford’s MPs have pushed for action on the question of water quality. The UK Government, under pressure from Labour opposition, has also recently put in place legally binding targets regarding sewage dumping. These will come into effect by 2050.
Entrepreneur funds new scholarships for Black British postgraduates
Oxford’s Black Academic Futures programme has made two fully funded postgraduate scholarships available to Black British students.
Both course fees and living costs will be covered by the scholarship which will be available across all subject areas. The scholarships also come with on-course mentoring provision for students. The first scholars are expected to begin their studies in the 2023/2024 academic year.
The programme is supported by the philanthropist and fintech entrepreneur Valerie Moran, who moved to London from Zimbabwe in 2004 to pursue a career in financial technology. In 2019, she was listed in the Financial Times as one of the most influential BAME leaders in tech.
The university has relied upon Moran’s generous philanthropic support to finance Black Academic Futures, which aims to address the under-representation of Black students at Oxford. In the postgraduate sector, the representation of UK-domiciled Black students in Oxford was 3.3% below the average for UK higher education institutions.
Moran said: “ethnic minority students need support from people like myself to ensure that future generations are given every opportunity to apply and compete for the same job opportunities.”
The programme began in 2020 and has since grown to provide up to 30 full scholarships to Black British students annually. A 27% increase in applications from UK-domiciled Black applicants for full-time postgraduate research degrees in the year 2021/2022 followed the launch of the programme.
The University has said that “the programme builds on Oxford’s ongoing efforts to increase the number of postgraduate students from under-represented groups more broadly, and reaffirms the University’s commitment to addressing race equality, combatting discrimination and building an inclusive postgraduate community where all members feel welcome, valued and respected”.
Oxford students attend London XR protest
Oxford students joined thousands of climate protestors by gathering outside the Houses of Parliament last weekend to demand the Government cease all new fossil fuels searches immediately. The mass demonstration dubbed “The Big One” involved over 200 different groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth and has been led by Extinction Rebellion (XR).
It has been 4 years since the group brought the capital to a standstill by parking a pink boat in Oxford Circus and causing the UK Parliament to declare a “climate emergency”. It is also the first major demonstration since the group announced in January that it would no longer use disruption tactics in demonstrations (something it, and other climate groups, have been criticised for doing in the past).
The coalition had two demands from the government: the immediate halting of all new fossil fuel projects and the establishment of emergency citizens’ assemblies to “let the people decide how to end the fossil fuel era quickly and fairly”. The deadline for a response was set for Monday 5pm where protestors gathered in Parliament square. The failure of the government to respond led XR co-founder, Clare Farrel, to vow to step up campaigning and action across the country.
Student Rebellion Oxford, part of XR Oxford, hoped to have 100 students participate in the protest. They claim this was probably not met, especially with the demonstration coinciding with Collections weekend. Oliver Sworder, a spokesperson for Student Rebellion Oxford and biologist at Keble, told Cherwell: “Although we didn’t make the target, nearly 500 rebels went along from Oxfordshire and we hope mobilisation may make more students come next time.”
He continues: “I left genuinely hopeful. Not that that government would heed the demand, but hopeful that somewhere between 20,000-50,000 people showed up- all with a common goal.
“It felt almost like a festival; children played in the streets, music was performed, volunteers gave out free food, talks about proportional representation, as well as on the state of the climate, or veganism, or people’s experiences were given, by MPs, normal people, and even celebrities such as Carice van Houten from Game of Thrones.”
XR Oxford organised a coach to London and XR Youth went via train. Other individuals made their own way there but coincidentally caught many of the same trains or buses. Hertford’s Environment and Ethics rep, Beatrice McWilliams, echoed sentiments of hope and how protests can help cure eco-anxiety, telling Cherwell that “calling out [the lack of action] with thousands of others in the heart of London was a very valuable experience.”
Other students have criticised the protesters’ decision to make their way to London rather than staging protests in local areas. Some see this as hypocrisy as protesters will have inevitably caused emissions through fossil fuel-based transport. However, Sworder has rebutted these claims: “When we live in a society of no alternative, and when the government right now is extremely centralised, I think it is unfair in the absence of realistic alternatives that would still have the same impact.”
He notes that the protest was designed to “gather people together to foster conversation and connection, so doing so outside parliament is the best way of doing so, although there may be plans for more localised ones in the future.”
Regarding Oxford-specific climate action, Student Rebellion Oxford welcomes the new traffic measures but argues that the University can do more, with continued acceptance of donations from dirty companies and the careers service promoting students down the career pipeline into “industries profiting off the destruction of our future”.
Salsas del Sol — Will Pouget shines with latest Oxford endeavour
William Pouget is the man who just keeps on giving to the Oxford food scene. It all started with Alpha bar in the covered market 20 years ago before Vaults and Gardens and then last year, Chickpea came to King Edward Street. Now, Salsas del Sol is the Mediterranean spin on Pouget’s good-value slow food revolution.
The offering here is similar to the other places in Will’s repertoire but with key twists to differentiate itself. Bowls are again the base here but the contents are different.
For me, the rotisserie chicken is the star of the show. A quarter chicken with sauces on the side comes in at just £7.5 and you can even take away a whole bird for £15. There’s a plethora of salads on offer too including couscous, aubergines, mushrooms, cabbage, guacamole, broccoli, salsa, and more. On its own, the chicken can be slightly dry but the sauces that give this eatery its name rapidly change that — the green goddess is a great pairing with sriracha to really create a combo of smoky flavours in your mouth all at the same time.
Not a chicken man? Pulled pork is available too and pairs even better with the corn tortillas you can opt for on the side. At the moment, these are cooked from frozen which means they do crumble a bit more than Will would like — no doubt in time the plan is to change that.
Salad bowls are here too with the smoked tofu providing a vegan option with far more flavour than you might be accustomed to. Homemade aioli and pickled red cabbage would be my salad choices for this protein, again adding that balance to the dish in both flavour profiles and textures for a complete bite.
Alongside cakes from Tap Social’s Barefoot Bakery, Salsas del Sol also boasts a varied juice bar offering. You are able to blend your choice of fruits and roots with everything from ginger to carrots and pomegranate up for grabs. If you are a bit of an amateur like me then staff are on hand to suggest good pairings! Coffee is just as good value as Chickpea too with the matcha a standout yet again.
So, another opening from Will Pouget and yet again he has managed to reproduce everything that makes his model great with innovative twists that make all the difference. Chicken for me is the big highlight but juices will standout for others — that’s what makes Salsas del Sol so good, there really is something for everyone.
Hervé Gatineau — more Summertown, more European authenticity
There’s something about Summertown that attracts restaurants and eateries from all around the world and something about this neighbourhood that accepts genuine authenticity in a way that you struggle to find elsewhere. Just in the last few months, I’ve paid trips to Pompette and El Rincón, French and Spanish restaurants where you really do feel like you have made the journey across the channel to their origins. Hervé Gatineau Patisserie, Boulangerie, and Chocolaterie is no different. Whether it is for a daily coffee and baguette, a work lunch, or to indulge in a luxury patisserie item, there is something distinctly French about the flavours, the service, and the setting.
The first items that we tried were from the savoury selection. As well as its signature cakes and pastries, Hervé Gatineau also offers a selection of baguettes and quiches at lunchtime that are predictably popular amongst office workers and students alike. Baguettes all come in at less than £7 and the quiches at around £6. Refreshingly, the flavours here are very different to what you normally find. I opted for a spinach, walnut, and stilton as well as a tomato, mustard, and goat’s cheese. The stilton comes through strongly in the first and the walnuts add a satisfying crunch. The star of the show though was the second. Director Débora explained how the Dijon mustard is lathered onto the pastry and it adds a punchy strong flavour alongside the goat’s cheese that is brought back down perfectly by the cherry tomatoes. Their sweetness compliments the other two flavours just as one would hope.
Then it was onto the sweet selection and realistically this is what anyone is visiting for. Débora also talked us through the provenance of ingredients and techniques here in great detail and it is something that is clearly of massive importance to her. The flour is imported from France and completely free of any additives and sweeteners that are often found in UK wholesale options. Elsewhere, great care is taken to reduce any kind of artificial sweeteners — whole pistachios, almonds, and vanilla pods are what bring the flavour in place of any kind of essences.
The first place we saw this was in the vanilla brioche. You can actually see the black specks of vanilla in the crème here and the taste is distinctly less sweet and artificial than you might be expecting. The canelé is as authentic as you would expect with its signature spongy interior and the plant-based pain au chocolat a really pleasant surprise. There is also a plant-based croissant available, both made using almond flour. The team here have taken special training on the continent to ensure that these have the flaky exterior typical of the French classics but the soft and pleasing interiors that you would hope for.
All chocolate here is Valrhona, the premium French brand that is used across the top end of the industry. The Larieux patisserie was our first taste of this and it does have a noticeably high quality. This cake has been on the menu ever since opening in 2007 and combines milk and dark chocolate mousses atop a chocolate sponge base. The tastes work well and the layering is definitely aesthetically pleasing but at £9 it’s not the kind of indulgence that people would likely be opting for on a daily basis. The Pistachio Paris-Brest is a top pick for non-chocolate lovers and is much lighter with a flavour-packed praline topping.
For a smaller and cheaper snack, look no further than the macarons. These are available for just £3 and the variety of novel and interesting flavours makes them stand out. The passionfruit was my favourite with the tart sweetness and the lightness of the high-quality meringue making for a good pairing with an afternoon coffee on a treat day.
Varlhona also provides a wide variety of chocolate truffles on offer in the chocolatier counter and is used to create the chocolate bark with almonds and hazelnuts. Go for a small piece of the dark for a deep and rich indulgence.
Now, I want to make clear that I basically don’t like carrot cake. Years of them being dry and bland have tainted my view of them overall. The plant-based offering here though might just have put me on the road to recovery. Nuts and dried fruits in the batter make for distinct moistness and coconut cream icing means that the sweetness isn’t artificial but fresh and light.
I did of course also have to grab a baguette to-go, a trip to a boulangerie feels worthless otherwise. In England it is very easy to become immune to the bland supermarket baguettes that carry no real flavour but do a job for sandwiches or dipping but that is completely different here. The multiseeded stick tastes so distinct on its own it doesn’t need filling or dipping. In fact, in my view any additions only take away from its flavours.
In recent years, Hervé Gatineau has rapidly expanded its wholesale business to such an extent that its revenue from that size matches if not surpasses that of the retail shop. Supplying over 30 sites across Oxford and also catering for large events, the bread and viennoiserie are now made in a production kitchen in Kidlington. Still though, there is a large bakery in Summertown and this is where all of the cakes are crafted. Luckily, this hasn’t taken the team’s attention away from the store and recent remodelling now means that there are tables back inside and bar seating in the window for coffee and lunch breaks.
All in all, Hervé Gatineau is yet another addition to the thriving Summertown food scene. Much like the rest of the area, price points are high but customers are rewarded with lovingly-created and high-quality results. Any Oxford lovers of diverse and friendly local businesses should wander down here on a weekend — I won’t stop shouting about it until they do!
Oxford City Council announces new plans for housing those in need
Oxford City Council is adapting its response to housing those in need. Whilst the annual closure of the city’s emergency winter shelter is expected to lead to an increase in rough sleeping between now and July, the council will be able to offer six new affordable homes for refugees with its new £2.3m programme.
There is continual demand for secure housing. The City Council records that the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) was activated ten times since December including in April for the first time since 2013. Numbers show that the SWEP protocol proved vital for many over the winter months. During 2022-2023, 106 people took up beds when the SWEP protocol was activated with an average of 13 people per night. The Council worked with St Mungo’s, The Porch, Homeless Oxfordshire, Ark-T and Turning Point to provide beds over 33 nights and 446 separate stays in total.
Data from the winter months seem to suggest a decrease in numbers of rough-sleepers requiring immediate housing. The council recorded that the number of people seeking shelter in a month in Oxford reduced from 84 in September to 58 in February with the number of people new to rough sleeping falling from 36 to 16. However, these numbers are expected to rise moving into the summer as winter funding from central government ends and the Oxford Winter Night Shelter begins its annual closure.
The City Council is also addressing housing for refugees by pledging to offer six new affordable homes. The homes, reserved for five Ukranian families and an Afghan family from a bridging hotel, will be let at social rent.
The council expects that the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) will provide up to £1,108,620 in grant funding from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). Alongside match funding from the Housing Revenue Account, this will enable the City Council to purchase six homes and offer them to six families. The Council says this move represents their “long term interest in affordable housing”.
A council spokesperson told Cherwell that they have already received 30% of the funding for the project and will receive the rest in July, provided the conditions of the DLUHC are met.
Councillor Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing, said that “Oxford is a proud city of sanctuary and we’re committed to doing what we can to support refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine”. The homes set aside for six refugee families will, once the initial tenancies end, become council homes for those on the general needs housing register.
Under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, Oxford has housed 400 refugees out of 150,000 nationally and under the national Afghan Resettlement Scheme, the city supported 47 families. The national Afghan Resettlement Scheme provides support for Afghans who have worked alongside the British government and armed forces.
This comes amid reports of Oxford’s extortionate and rising prices.
Teachers on strike march through Oxford
Teachers on strike took to Oxford’s streets on Thursday afternoon with drums, whistles and placards in hand.
This National Education Union (NEU) strike-day was the fifth since 1st February. The protest began with a rally in the Oxford Town Hall and proceeded through the centre to congregate with a second rally on Broad Street. Oxford was one of four organised NEU rally locations.
Alongside veteran protesters, ralliers included first-time strikers and another who is on strike for the fifth time in eighteen years. This teacher said that the greatest deficit was in the lack of funding for teaching assistants who work with children who have Special Educational Needs (SEN). The teacher, based in Banbury, told Cherwell that it was about time teachers received a response from the government that matched the educational workforce’s effort.
The NEU General Secretaries, Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, have criticised the Education Secretary: “Gillian Keegan is failing to address the multiple problems damaging our children’s education – around teacher recruitment and retention problems, and inadequate school funding. She has been told by the profession – and a significant majority of the profession – that her pay and funding offer is not good enough.”
A local primary school teacher said she had been to all five of the strike protests. She decried the lack of governmental interest in resolution: “She [Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State for Education] hasn’t even acknowledged the protests.”
She told Cherwell that her daughter left the teaching profession at around the time the first strikes started as a result of unmanageable teaching conditions, and intends to protest until there is a pay raise that is fully funded.
If there is “no fully-funded pay rise, of course we’ll keep striking”, another teacher on strike said, adding that “the only way the government will know [that their response is dissatisfactory] is if we set up picket lines”.
One of the speakers declared that “there is nothing you can pay me to make me cross a picket” which landed with a resounding cheer. The rally was also keen to emphasise its solidarity with striking nursing and communication services unions.
The NEU has stated that “this coming week, NEU members are acting to make the Government see sense and improve its offer to teachers.” The NEU will hold another national strike on Tuesday.
Astrophoria Foundation Year makes first offers
Thirty-five students received word that they had secured a place on Oxford’s Astrophoria Foundation Year for 2023/2024 entry. The Astrophoria Foundation Year is aimed at academically promising students who have experienced considerable setbacks in their education, preventing them from meeting the demands of an undergraduate offer.
The foundation year has been in place at Lady Margaret Hall since 2016 and has been described by one student as having been “beneficial for [their] self-growth, not just as a student but also as a person”. Notable alumni include Danial Hussain, the current President-Elect of the Student Union.
In the coming year, Exeter, Jesus, Mansfield, Somerville, St Anne’s, St Hugh’s, Trinity and Wadham will all welcome their first waves of foundation year students.
The Astrophoria Foundation Year constitutes a further expansion of the university’s attempts to improve access with eligibility for the scheme depending on a number of criteria.
According to the University, students should have experienced all three of; (1.) socio-economic difficulties (e.g. having a certain post code), (2.) school based difficulties (including attendance at a non-selective school where most students are eligible for free-school meals) and (3.) difficulties of individual experience, such as experience acting as a young carer.
Students who have spent time in the care system are also eligible for the foundation year, regardless of whether they are considered to have been disadvantaged in other areas.
In 2020, Oxford launched Opportunity Oxford, a university-wide summer bridging course designed to help disadvantaged students prepare for their first year of university studies.
When asked what distinguished Opportunity Oxford from the Astrophoria Foundation Year, the University told Cherwell: “The two programmes are aimed at different target groups of students.”
“Opportunity Oxford is suitable for students who are ready to start Oxford degrees with modest support”, while “the Astrophoria Foundation Year aims to give more substantial support to students who have experienced significant educational and/or personal disadvantage and so need a more sustained intervention”.
Fully funded by the University, Astrophoria students have the opportunity to continue on to an undergraduate degree without undergoing the same formal assessment process. To gain their places on the programme, however, all 35 offer-holders (along with approximately 500 other applicants) underwent an assessment process consisting of a questionnaire followed by interviews taking place in March 2023.
While the majority of teaching offered during the foundation year will resemble the format of an undergraduate degree, the University has recently confirmed that the Astrophoria programme also offers additional tuition not otherwise found in the standard degree structure.
This includes the ‘Preparation for Undergraduate Studies’ course, targeted at helping with students’ personal development through confidence building and help in the development of practical academic and communication skills.
Academically, students on the foundation year are offered the choice of one of four courses, including Humanities; Chemistry, Engineering and Material Science; Philosophy, Politics and Economics; and Law, before specialising in an undergraduate degree of their choice.
In time, the programme is expected by the University to expand to all undergraduate Oxford colleges.
Review of PAMFIR: ‘A raw and unpretentious thriller’
The sounds of heavy breathing and rustling form the first few seconds of Pamfir, the debut feature film of Ukrainian director Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk. These are sounds which become, as we watch, a soundtrack to the life to which the protagonist has bound himself; a life of sneaking hushedly through the woods, avoiding being seen, and inevitably being seen. Leonid, nicknamed Pamfir, is forced to face afresh the demons – quite literally – of his former life of smuggling, after an incident involving his son places the family into a position of economic desperation.
Set in a small village in rural Ukraine on the Romanian border, Pamfir explores a man’s battle with his conscience as he tries his very hardest to do the best he can for his family at the expense of his own morality. The pastoral Carpathian mountains transform into a landscape of nightmares for the entire family as Pamfir becomes ensnared in the terrifying matrix of organised crime. It is a stunning debut from Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, who wrote the film’s screenplay as well as directing it.
Oleksandr Yatsentyuk is suitably brooding as Pamfir, navigating the feelings of guilt which accompany his silent resolve to take on one final smuggling mission. At times, his stoic heroism tragically verges on reckless bravery.
At the core of the story is the relationship between Pamfir and his teenage son Nazar, and makes for some gut-wrenching scenes. Alongside Yatsentyuk, young actor Stanislav Potiak is a quiet tour de force as Nazar. His innocence rings especially poignantly against the merciless figures into whose hands his father falls. Solomiya Kyrylova as Pamfir’s wife Olena brilliantly handles the apprehension and heartbreak she feels on behalf of her husband and son, and, indeed, for herself.
Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk deploys symbolism with a knowing hand. The traditional masks and costumes of the pagan Malanka festival, for which the villagers in Pamfir are preparing, are an eerie addition to the film, and cast a fairytale uncanniness over the action. The recurring image of the snarling, animalistic mask worn atop a bristling costume of hay appears like an omen, of some inexplicable doom, as unidentifiable as the person within it. Interesting also is this contrast between the village’s preparations for a celebration, and the struggle at the forefront of the film, which highlights the importance of keeping spirits high even in the face of difficulty.
The film was in its post-production stage when Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. Whilst it does not have the conflict as a central theme, it occasionally nods to the Russian aggression which was already rocking Ukraine following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Pamfir enjoyed a successful run in the festival circuit, earning a number of accolades, including the Raindance award for Best Cinematography. It’s not surprising; Mykyta Kuzmenko’s cinematography could be a textbook for arthouse filmmakers. Most scenes are shot in one continuous take, with characters coming in and out of frame, making for a dazzling, quasi-theatrical viewing experience which plunges the viewer intimately into the lives of the village’s inhabitants.
Wide-angle shots are frequently employed to showcase the splendour of the Carpathian mountains, from a foggy autumn afternoon when the trees are bathed in a thick soup of cloud, to a wintry day when snow has already coated the soil and the leaves in a delicate, untarnished sheen. The landscape, though sublime, serves to emphasise the isolation of this village – and the entrapment of its inhabitants under the titanium fist of the “boss”, Mr. Orest. There is simply no way out for Pamfir.
Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk delivers a raw and unpretentious thriller as his debut feature. It’s not easy viewing, but it is certainly hard-hitting and beautiful.
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