Wednesday 29th April 2026
Blog Page 819

Mansfield Entz forced to apologise for ‘420’ bop theme

Ryan Gould
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1
Mansfield Entz forced to apologise for ‘420’ bop theme

Mansfield JCR Entz team was forced to apologise on Friday after students criticised plans for a “420”-themed 0th Week bop that was seen to encourage the use of marijuana and the appropriation of other cultures.

In an email seen by Cherwell, the JCR Entz team outlined plans for the bop to coincide with “a very, very, special day of the year: April 20th a.k.a 420, the internationally recognised day of protest for the legalisation of Marijuana.”

The email read: “‘But’ – you protest – ‘how do I dress as 420? Doesn’t that just mean getting high?’ No! 420 is not about the consumption of da herb itself, and more about the arts, music, and literature surrounding it; it’s a celebration of a rich culture including everything from hippies to Hip-Hop, from Seth Rogan to the Dude.”

Students took to Mansfield JCR’s Facebook group to criticise the Entz team. “Sorry I think the entz don’t get april fools, is this an actual joke?? because there are SO many aspects of the email that we all just received that are deeply wrong and squirm inducing [sic],” one post read.

Another student commented: “I’m genuinely working on the assumption that the Entz email has been hacked”.

The email encouraged “all you (plant) pot-heads out there” to “dress as stoner icons like Snoop Dogg, Todd from BoJack, Shaggy from Scooby Doo, Harold and Kumar – or even the Super Troopers.”

It continued: “Still stuck for ideas? Get creative with puns. ‘Ganjalf’. ‘The Grim Reefer’. A ‘baked’ potato. ‘Ganja Claus’. Make a ’blunt’ statement by just dressing in all green. Don’t forget, there’s always the classic ‘I was going to find a costume for the bop, but then I got high’.”

An addendum at the bottom of the email noted that “the possession and consumption of marijuana is illegal in the UK and against University regulations. The JCR Entz do not condone its usage in any way, both in this event or otherwise. 4/20 is an internationally recognised day of protest for legalisation as well as an iconic aspect of pop culture for our generation, and this is what we intend to celebrate.”

The Entz team sent another email shortly afterwards apologising “for the (no longer) ‘420’ themed BOP this coming Friday. We understand that this was met with offence and we want to apologise dearly to those who were offended.

“We overlooked the clear issues with this theme and now realise our very significant mistake in the matter. We can’t apologise enough.”

They added: “And clearly nor did we expect any members of the College to be dressing in a manner so as to be culturally appropriating any culture.”

The Mansfield Entz team told Cherwell: “We recognised quickly that there were many real problems with this theme and it was consequently changed. To reiterate, the event will not be going ahead with this theme. We regret and apologise for any offence or distress which may have been caused.”

‘She is the one controlling the play’- Rufus Norris’ Macbeth

Daanial Chaudhry
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0
‘She is the one controlling the play’- Rufus Norris’ Macbeth

A stage of classroom chairs, a porta-cabin house painted in a dim yellow, and a dishevelled, unkempt cast are not what one would expect from a production of Macbeth at the National Theatre. Far from the opulence and wealth that traditionally characterise Macbeth, Rufus Norris’ version is sparse and bare.

Yet Norris’ decision to lay the stage bare, to have Duncan, who is supposedly the king, wearing a cheap, untailored crimson suit on an otherwise dark stage is an overt reflection of Macbeth’s deceit. Duncan’s throne, a plastic chair, more reminiscent of a primary school than a castle, is worn down and blackened with age. A spare suit, exactly the same as the one he wears, lies to one side, as if his royal outfit were a uniform rather than an emblem of his power. Plastic coverings protect both the throne and the spare suit – protection against the threat of deceit, perhaps.

Yet Duncan is, although he does not know it, exposed. In a party reminiscent of Baz Luhrmann’s Great Gatsby, there is music pounding from a speaker, alcohol flowing freely, as guests pound their cups to the beat, and Duncan obliviously dances away. However, Lady Macbeth doesn’t sit quietly in a corner, for she is no longer the silent partner in her collusion with Macbeth – while Macbeth looks on terrified, Lady Macbeth embraces Duncan into her home.

She entertains him, she dances, she flirts, she knows full well what she is doing, and as her husband looks on, physically sickened by the task before him, Lady Macbeth revels in the knowledge that the man she is dancing with will be dead come the morning. She dons a green coat, concealing her nimble frame and her fragility, providing her with physical strength, but also disguising her mal-intent: she is the one controlling the play. The audience knows it: as she dances, she pushes bits of the set away; she is the one in control of the fast-moving, dynamic stage. Each of the sudden changes, the bursts of music, abrupt though they may seem, are hers.

Anne-Marie Duff, as Lady Macbeth, is able to command the audience and the stage in a way that Kinnear cannot. Indeed, as Macbeth is torn, so too is the actor that plays him – Kinnear appears torn between a loyalty to Shakespeare’s original script and Norris’ desire to make it his own. Macbeth’s soliloquy is literally broken apart by movements of the stage and Kinnear appears a weak Macbeth, confused from the offset.

Duff’s Lady Macbeth, however, passionately kisses her husband, strokes his chest, lays her leg over his. She knows what she is doing, and just as she manipulates Duncan, she manipulates her husband. Norris’ production is a moving theatrical piece that allows Lady Macbeth to be the puppeteer she has so desperately always wanted to be.

Occasionally, the play’s delivery may have appeared abrupt, rushed, and rough around the edges, compressing, condensing and missing lines. The dynamics of the stage, however, and the juxtaposition of the dire setting with Duncan’s royal title lay bare the reality, that Lady Macbeth controls the stage, controls the action, and controls all the men, including her husband.

The Making of Pray it Doesn’t Rain

Nabeela Zaman Esther Borsi
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1
The Making of Pray it Doesn’t Rain

Pray it doesn’t rain is Nabeela Zaman’s debut documentary, following the plight of rough sleepers in Oxford. It is a poignant and emotive watch for any Oxford student. Nabeela Zaman, the film’s maker, told me about the process of completing such a project and her own views on the issue of homelessness in Oxford.

“Growing up, one of the things I have often reflected on is how grateful I am to have a house. This thought process is also one of the inspirations for the title ‘Pray it Doesn’t Rain’. My original idea was to film this in the coming year. However, I noticed that homelessness was growing and student participation in combatting the problem was growing with it. And so, on a whim, I took my camera into town and started to talk to homeless people.

When I started out, I expected the video to last ten minutes. But, the quantity of my footage quickly grew, so much so that people began to call it a ‘documentary’. In general, I would ask people the same questions adapting them slightly depending on if I was talking to rough sleepers, charities or others. Many people didn’t wish to be filmed but still provided me with insider knowledge. I also asked rough sleepers I interviewed if they wished to go by a fake name. I thought it was important to respect how people decided to present themselves as personal identity is, in a homeless person’s case, the one thing no one can take away from them.

Film was my chosen media because at the time I was just beginning to develop my technical skills, and a film seemed like a more active response to such a systemic problem. Furthermore, film allowed a truly up-close view of homelessness. It put participants front and centre, giving them the freedom to talk about their views. This said, I made sure to accommodate the needs of those who were not happy to be interviewed directly. Some people spoke more freely once the camera had been turned off, but the majority had no particular reaction to being on camera, with most very keen to talk.

As a first-time filmmaker, I’m still learning and I’m not fully satisfied with the film. The project took a couple of months to film, as I was balancing it alongside other projects and, of course, my actual degree! One key piece of advice: really care about who you are speaking to. You may be standing for a long time talking to your subject knowing not all of it will be in the final edit, but it is worthwhile if you are invested in your project.

Talking to a wide range of people led me to believe that no view of homelessness is unilateral. I don’t think it’s important to want my viewers to understand homelessness in a certain way. I care more about how they treat and understand homeless people.

Changing people’s perspectives can be so much easier than we make it out to be. It starts with simple compassion. Smile at people you see on the street, and soon enough they will smile back. Have conversations with rough sleepers that you see.

I also spoke to many organisations in my quest to understand homelessness. Each organisation stood out for different reasons. They were unified in their dedication to helping rough sleepers. Here are a few practical ways for students to help such organisations. The Oxford Homeless Project (based in Cowley) are always looking for volunteers, and so is The Oxford SU campaign, On Your Doorstep. Join their Facebook group, attend their meetings; they’re very understanding for you to simply help out whenever you can. Any help is better than nothing!”

While charity work can sometimes be seen to have a selfish element to it, Nabeela pointed out that she is not promoting this project to portray herself as a ‘good person’. We both agree that ‘the best acts of charity are those done in secret’. However, homelessness is not a problem that can be solved singlehandedly.  We can only solve this issue if we work together and raise awareness. So, why not buy that Big Issue for once?

Nabeela Zaman’s film Pray it Doesn’t Rain is available on Youtube now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV_5reA1HVY&t=1378s

 

 

Oxford PhD student beaten in MasterChef final

Matthew Roller
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4
Oxford PhD student beaten in MasterChef final

Oxford PhD student Nawamin Pinpathomrat has been beaten to the title of the 2018 series of MasterChef.

35-year-old bank manager Kenny Tutt had his “best week yet”, according to judges Greg Wallace and John Torode, and was crowned the winner.

Pinpathomrat, who trained as a doctor in his native Thailand, is studying for his PhD at the Jenner Institute.

Despite the result, he won the hearts of the show’s viewers over the course of the series, and ‘Nawamin’ was a top-ten trend on Twitter during tonight’s episode.

After making it to the final of the competition, he told Cherwell: “It means a lot to me.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect to make it this far, but I’ve enjoyed every single moment in the competition.

“Of course, I’m excited to be in the final, but also nervous at the same time.

“The standard is getting higher and higher. I have to cook up to perfection while I have to finish my experiments and write my DPhil thesis – no pressure!”

During tonight’s show, he said: “I just want to enjoy cooking today. I’m going to cook my socks off. I have nothing to lose!

“I’m very proud that I decided to do this. It will stay with me forever.”

Upon hearing about Pinpathomrat’s menu for the evening, Wallace said: “Nawamin – and I mean this in the nicest possible way – you are nuts.

“We’ve never seen anything like it.”

Despite his starter of lobster and scallops impressing the judges, his red curry duck, infused with pear, was called “a bit tough”, and Wallace was critical of his overly-intricate pudding.

“It’s not easy to eat,” he said. “The theatricals are, this time, getting in the way of the dessert, not necessarily enhancing it.”

Pinpathomrat takes his love for cooking from his mother, but cites his grandmother – who taught him that he should grow his own ingredients rather than buying them – as his most important culinary inspiration.

He impressed the judges throughout the series with his unusual combinations of food.

To reach the final, he cooked banana leaf grilled trout curry with wild mushrooms, chilli, basil and lime leaves, served with rice, carved vegetables, and a prawn and salted fish coconut dip.

UCU members vote to accept deal

Greg Ritchie
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1
UCU members vote to accept deal

University and College Union (UCU) members have voted to accept a proposed deal from Universities UK (UUK), triggering the suspension of long-running industrial action by university staff.

A total of 64% of members voted to accept the proposed deal, compared to 36% against. There was a record turnout of UCU members, with 63.5% of all eligible voters taking part.

The proposed deal will see the creation of a “Joint Expert Panel”, comprised of actuarial and academic experts nominated in equal numbers from both UCU and UUK.

It is hoped the panel will agree to key principles which will underpin the future joint approach of UUK and UCU to the valuation of the Universities Superannuation Scheme  (USS) fund.

The valuation of the scheme has been a source of contention throughout the dispute, with UCU consistently criticising the methodology used to calculate the USS’s supposed £6.1 billion deficit.

According to UCU Secretary Sally Hunt, the work of the group will also “reflect the clear wish of staff to have a guaranteed pension comparable with current provision whilst meeting the affordability challenges for all parties, within the current regulatory framework.”

However, critics argue that the influence of the joint panel may not be enough. Neither UCU, UUK, or a joint panel of the two can make changes to the scheme. They are reliant on the USS trustees to do that, and they themselves are required by law to decide upon changes to USS pensions by June 30th this year.

The Pensions Regulator has already said that it impossible for them to change the June 30 deadline, meaning there will not be enough time to form a joint expert panel to revalue the scheme.

Moreover, even if The Pensions Regulator tolerates the missing of the deadline, there is still no obligation for the USS trustees to listen to the joint panel if they don’t agree with its findings.

There has been significant criticism of union’s handling of the ballot. Accusations of poor consultation with local UCU branches is a point of particular concern, with the UCU leadership’s decisions to first hold a ballot and then endorse a ‘Yes’ vote going against the wishes of many rank-and-file members.

Cherwell understands that at least 23 UCU branches decided to endorse a ‘No’ vote, with only three calling for members to vote ‘Yes’. However, the majority of branches opted not to take an official position.

Oxford UCU chose not to officially endorse either a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ vote in the ballot. Oxford UCU vice-president, Terry Hoad, told Cherwell:  “In Oxford UCU we are very pleased that the determined action of the union members in our university, along with that of our UCU colleagues around the country, has been effective in persuading the employers to pull back from their earlier proposals to seriously weaken the pension benefits of staff in UK universities.”

“The aim of ending a guaranteed pension level, related to salary, has been replaced by a commitment to establish something comparable to the present scheme. There are also other issues raised by UCU on which the employers have agreed to work with the union.

“Alongside salaries (not extravagantly high for the great majority of university staff), pensions are a very important part of the total package of benefits for all those whose work goes towards maintaining the very high-quality activity in our universities.

“UCU members are very conscious of the fact that when they take industrial action it interferes with the work we share in with students. We have always appreciated the understanding and support we have received from students, who recognise that in standing up for appropriate salary and other benefits for staff we are defending also the interests of current and future generations of students.

“We are naturally very glad that the ending of the industrial action means that we can return to the collaborative work with our students that we and they all desire.”

Cherwell has contacted the University for comment.

Life without Uncle Ben

Alice Bate
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0
Life without Uncle Ben

Food at Oxford is great in so many ways: formal halls, roast dinners, College brunch. Despite its various problems — I am probably 50% potato at this point, for a start — it’s pretty good. That being said, there is one thing that my college life leaves to be desired: a kitchen.

Besides three communal microwaves in the JCR, we’re totally kitchen-less until third year. Rediscovering the fun of cooking beyond the realm of Uncle Ben’s is one of the best things about being away from Oxford. At home, food isn’t just sustenance anymore. It’s more than just a mouthful of hummus-coated carbs; it’s a whole process of creation and sharing.

Food at home is, in one sense, different to the whole culture of university. It represents a chance to feel totally content if your creation is not quite what you were expecting. Often, the foods we make and crave during the vacation would never win the Great British Bake Off. For me, this vacation has included soft, fluffy, (definitely not identical) scones and some scavenged homemade plum jam from the back of the fridge. When I was ill and desperate for a plate of comfort food, I indulged in something resembling macaroni cheese — some overcooked pasta bathed in a thin sauce, piled high with a mountain of cheese. Toast slathered with peanut butter, spicy lentil soup, one-pot casseroles. These things are culinary triumphs, but not because of the skills required to make them.

What also makes food in the vacation special is this much-needed chance to share something you’ve made with others, or make it together. Could I go out for breakfast and order waffles in an Oxford café? Absolutely. However, I couldn’t make waffles from scratch, cracking eggs and stirring melted butter and watching flour puff out from the bowl. Nor could I lift a hot, crispy waffle straight out of the pan, still a little doughy inside and dripping golden syrup. In fact, I’m convinced that dancing around the kitchen to Bowie with my brother was what made those squashed, sugar-drenched waffles taste so wonderful in the first place. Food during the vacation is an opportunity to remember the ways that a handful of raw ingredients can be combined to make something special; not just a meal, but a memory.

As we prepare to go back to our high-pressure academic bubble, where our thought processes might feel scrambled and our stress might teeter on the edge of boiling over, cooking food is a glorious opportunity to make something, mess it up, but have fun anyway. The joy is in the process. Last term, my friend drunkenly speculated post-Bridge that, “It’s not the Hassans, is it? It’s the queue. You queue for the queue. The chats. And also the Hassans.” This garbled prophecy rings true as, before I return to the lukewarm embrace of chips and hummus, I prepare to make something involving a vegetable or two – and a lot of fun.

Oxford strike dates cancelled as crucial ballot draws to a close

Greg Ritchie
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0
Oxford strike dates cancelled as crucial ballot draws to a close

The University and College Union (UCU) have cancelled a week-long strike which was set to impact Oxford, as university staff await the result of a crucial ballot which may bring long-running industrial action to an end.

UCU announced plans for further strike action at 13 different universities last month, including a strike at Oxford to cover 0th week Trinity.

However, while the union has now informed the University that next week’s proposed strike will not take place, Cherwell understands that there will likely be 14 days of strike action later in term if balloted UCU members choose to reject the Universites UK (UUK) deal. Voting ends today, with the results expected this afternoon.

In an online statement, an Oxford University spokesperson said: “The University has been informed by University and College Union (UCU) HQ that notice of industrial action at Oxford from April 16 is now withdrawn.

“Oxford could receive 14-day notice of an alternative date for strike action at any time. The University will act swiftly to communicate this to colleagues and students.”

However, the UCU statement which initially announced the 0th week strikes notes that the amount of strike dates an institution could face during the exam period “would depend on any earlier action taken in April and aimed at teaching.”

It also affirmed that “all universities would be hit with another 14 days of strikes covering either teaching and exams or just the exam period.”

Given that the cancellation of next week’s strike means there will be no April industrial action affecting Oxford, it is highly likely Oxford will be faced with two weeks of strikes over the exam period, if the proposed UUK deal is voted down by UUK members in the e-ballot.

The proposed deal would see the creation of a “Joint Expert Panel”, comprised of actuarial and academic experts nominated in equal numbers from both UCU and UUK.

It is hoped the panel will agree to the key principles which will underpin the future joint approach of UUK and UCU to the valuation of the Universities Superannuation Scheme  (USS) fund.

The valuation of the scheme has been a serious source of contention throughout the dispute, with UCU consistently criticising the methodology used to calculate the USS’s supposed £6.1 billion deficit.

According to UCU Secretary Sally Hunt, the work of the group will also “reflect the clear wish of staff to have a guaranteed pension comparable with current provision whilst meeting the affordability challenges for all parties, within the current regulatory framework.”

However, critics argue that the wording of the agreement, and thus the influence of the joint panel, is too vague. Neither UCU, UUK, or a joint panel of the two can make changes to the scheme. They are reliant on the USS trustees to do that, and they themselves are required by law to decide upon changes to USS pensions by June 30th this year.

The Pensions Regulator has already said that it impossible for them to change the June 30 deadline, meaning there will not be enough time to form a joint expert panel to revalue the scheme.

Moreover, even if The Pensions Regulator tolerates the missing of the deadline, there is no obligation for the USS trustees to listen to a joint panel panel if they don’t agree with its findings.

Statements given by the USS trustees to the Financial Times suggest that the trustees have faith in the initial disputed valuation, and could proceed without reference to the proposed joint expert panel’s findings.

Oxford’s UCU branch have organised two presentation events to inform members about the ballot, hosted at St Edmund’s Hall and Merton College.

Unlike many other union branches, Oxford UCU has chosen not to officially endorse either a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ vote in the ballot. Cherwell has contacted Oxford UCU for their reasoning behind this.

Cambridge’s UCU branch declared that it was asking its members to vote ‘No’ in the ballot earlier this week. In an official statement, they described how they had “sought assurances from UUK about an acceptable fallback, to apply if the panel fails to agree recommendations or its recommendations are not followed by USS.”

However, they concluded that these assurances “will not be forthcoming”, and thus recommended a ‘No’ vote.

Cherwell understands that the majority of UCU branches who have declared their official preference have called to reject the UUK proposal, going against the UCU leadership’s official position.

Boris Johnson cancels press conference at Keble College

Fred Dimbleby
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0
Boris Johnson cancels press conference at Keble College

Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, has cancelled a press conference which was due to be held in Keble College this afternoon.

Johnson was due to speak alongside his German counterpart, Heiko Mass, but cancelled before the event to attend a Cabinet meeting on Syria.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “The Foreign Secretary had to get back to London for the cabinet meeting.”

The two men had met earlier that day at Brize Norton airbase in Oxford and were due to speak together at the annual Königswinter Conference.

After some speculation, Maas attended the conference alone saying that the Brexit vote has “made things more difficult” for Britain.

The German Foreign Office told Cherwell: “The German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, stated in his press statement at Keble College, Oxford yesterday that Boris Johnson’s non-attendance was understandable and that they had enough time to discuss their topics at length.”

Earlier, the German Foreign Minister had said that Johnson would “have to make an effort” at the meeting to impress him as much as Irish Deputy Leader Simon Coveney.

Johnson, who graduated from Balliol College in 1987, has caused controversy on previous trips to Oxford. In 2017 he was heckled by protestors when he attended a private party at Balliol, who held up a banner reading “Racist Boris, what dead animals have you fucked?”.

Keble College and the German Foreign Office have been contacted for comment.

St Hugh’s launch inquiry into sexual harassment claims

Greg Ritchie
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0
St Hugh’s launch inquiry into sexual harassment claims

An independent inquiry is being launched into allegations of misconduct and sexual harassment at St Hugh’s College.

The college has confirmed that its governing body commissioned the investigation following claims about the behaviour of a now-deceased fellow.

It is understood the fellow is Professor David Robertson, who died in August last year.

The inquiry was set up after author and graduate Melanie McGrath wrote an online article, accusing Robertson of “doing a Weinstein on me” – a reference to Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein – when she was an undergraduate studying PPE in the 1980s.

She wrote: “David, who was my tutor, held tutorials in his flat on college grounds and had an uncanny knack for scheduling a shower, at whatever time of day, just before I arrived. He’d open the door – as if innocently – dressed in his bathrobe and, one time, in a tiny towel.

“For the next hour I would have to undergo the humiliating experience of reading my essay, on which I had laboured hard and with serious intent, while David sat opposite, half-naked and manspreading, often smelling of alcohol and sipping from a mug of what was never tea or coffee.

“In the midst of my valiant efforts to get a grip on the topic of the week, David might proffer a helpful comment, such as why he preferred it when I curled my hair. Once he dropped a useful note in my pigeonhole to say he couldn’t help noticing I hadn’t got a boyfriend.”

McGrath went on to criticise St Hugh’s, noting how Robertson was assigned as her “personal tutor”, and thus the individual to whom she was meant to go to if she had a problem.

She was also critical of the college’s supposed ignorance of the matter, claiming that if they “hadn’t heard the rumours of his misconduct they couldn’t have been listening very hard.”

The inquiry will be chaired by Alison Levitt QC, who carried out a review into the crimes of the late Jimmy Savile.

The terms of reference given to Levitt state: “The College has recently received allegations of historic misconduct and sexual harassment about a now deceased Fellow from two former students.

“The College requests you to carry out an independent investigation about these allegations and whether the circumstances of these or of similar allegations were known to the members of governing body or management staff of the College.

“If so, to report on the adequacy and appropriateness of the College’s responses and any action taken in respect of such allegations or circumstances, with any recommendations for action.”

The college confirmed that an investigation had been launched, but a spokesperson said it would be inappropriate to comment until the investigation was complete.

Isle of Dogs – a minefield of toxic stereotypes

Maria Minchenko
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7
Isle of Dogs – a minefield of toxic stereotypes

Throughout Isle of Dogs, Anderson masters the hearts of viewers with characteristic ease, finding his customary delicate balance of hilarity, sombreness, and cunning. The dogs were charming. Yet, despite the wit of these animal protagonists, Anderson seems confused regarding what message he wishes to convey; man’s best friend is overshadowed by the jarring cultural aspect of the movie.

Isle of Dogs is a bit of a minefield. As a student of Japanese, I relished the untranslated dialogue, smugly whispering translations to my partner who was watching with me. Anderson used this technique to highlight the power of certain scenes. His visuals (such as facial expressions) don’t always need to be aided by speech, leaving audiences to feel the full emotional impact of each scene’s stunningly crafted visuals. However, there is a darker side to this multiculturalism. Viewers may well agree with some critics who have taken issue with the use of Japanese in the movie. While the Japanese-language script is at times simplistic due to the visual complexity of the animation, this simplicity can also be construed as dismissive when taking into account this movie is set in Japan; the native language of the country swept aside to serve merely as a backdrop.

Unsurprisingly, as a Japanologist, I felt uncomfortable when faced with Anderson’s portrayal of the country and its culture. In Isle of Dogs, Japan is morphed into a Second World War-style military dictatorship, its leader ready to unleash a holocaust on dogs – he even included a shocking shot of what appeared to be gas chambers. Other chilling allusions to the Holocaust are rife throughout the movie, most pertinent of all the election night decree, which triggers the orders to exterminate all canine-kind. Japan was indeed a dictatorship during the war, but the ruthless image Wes Anderson portrays is rather two-dimensional. In a similar way that typical Second World War films ham up the German dialogue to make even the calmest phrases sound angry and venomous, Anderson makes most of the Japanese dialogue sound violent and aggressive. All this politically charged rhetoric is particularly jarring as this movie does not tell a specifically Japanese story. In fact, Anderson himself admits that Isle of Dogs could be set anywhere. This begs the question, why bother throwing around a bunch of stereotypes about a seemingly arbitrarily chosen country, especially a country which is already deemed alien terrain by much of the Western world?

What’s more, Anderson does not reserve stereotypes solely for the Japanese. There were only three significant female characters in the movie, who all act solely as romantic interests. What grated on me most, was the female American exchange student, but not solely because she was one of the pigeonholed female characters. Instead, my main issue with this character was the fact that a white American director had made a movie where a white person comes to a non-Western country and becomes the only figure with the morals and guts to act for change. The Little Pilot may be rebellious, but even he is driven more by the desire to find his dog than by general concern for all canines of the country. It is disappointing that Wes Anderson believes it’s acceptable to write “white saviour” characters, though perhaps not surprising in light of the white narrative of The Darjeeling Limited (2007).

It’s unfortunate that I was left with a resounding feeling of unease on leaving the cinema. Isle of Dogs has great concepts and stellar delivery working in its favour but ends up a confusing mess of cultural appropriation instead. Dear white directors, can we please stop reducing Asian countries to pretty landscapes?

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