However, if LACRIMA was intended to serve as a dissection of the haute couture world, an intense exploration of both its beauty and brutality, ultimately it falls short, a production that relies so heavily on melodrama and immense scale that it loses the very humanity it seeks to celebrate.| Strand Magazine
Photo by Emily Henman Despite only being 22 years old and a full-time student, Hannah Bowker’s been making a name for herself for quite...| Strand Magazine
In India, I watched my grandmother reuse glass jars, mend clothes until they were threadbare, and compost food scraps without ever calling it ‘sustainability.’ In the UAE, I saw consumption at its peak, with towering malls and fast fashion stores promising endless novelty. And in London, I’ve seen both the urgency of climate action and the energy of young people working collectively to make change.| STRAND Magazine
Dans la Cuisine des Nguyen, or In the Nguyen Kitchen, is French director Stéphane Ly-Cuong’s incredible first film which discusses themes of identity, rootlessness and belonging.| STRAND Magazine
Unfortunately, the pacing of the show makes it difficult to believe the genuine depth of Lucy and Henry’s romance at first, as the directors/writers have ambitiously attempted to keep the musical’s running time the same as the film’s. Moreover, the sacrifices and grief of Lucy’s family (only examined in “Stay Away”), who every day painstakingly recreate the same day for Lucy, could have been explored more deeply if the show were longer.| Strand Magazine
Ann Marie Fleming is a Canadian filmmaker and visual artist whose award-winning films play with visual mediums and have won the hearts of many. Her recent film, ‘Can I Get A Witness?’ was named on Toronto International Film Festival’s Canada’s Top Ten list in 2024.| Strand Magazine
Photo by Daria Slikker O2 Brixton has always had a way of transforming into whatever world the artist chooses, and for Lord Huron, that...| Strand Magazine
While our pricey seminars become places of roaring anti-capitalist sentiments, we go back to our over-priced London houses/flats/student accommodations and spasmodically embrace our phones - a device harbouring capitalist vices. Micro-trends, endless advertisements, and dystopian feeds that broadcast genocide and celebrity or influencer opulence simultaneously.| Strand Magazine
Stéphane Ly-Cuong is an inspiration to fellow aspiring artists, as his journey to fame was founded after he turned 40 years of age. He never gave up on his dreams of being a director and film maker and produced one of the most authentic, funny and poignant pieces of cinema I have witnessed in the last few years. His care for the story is reflected in his mastery of craft, and in this interview it becomes prevalent that this film is more than just his first feature: it is him being vulnerable...| STRAND Magazine
Aaliyah dissects the links between club culture and hook-up culture.| Strand Magazine
Picture this: it’s a typical London morning, slightly grey, with a chance of sun later and, of course, a light drizzle in between. For the past half hour, you’ve been tugging at clothes left and right out of your overstuffed wardrobe, desperately trying to find the perfect outfit. But, how are you meant to pull together something quick and stylish for such unpredictable weather?| Strand Magazine
I had met him six months before at a university bar. We talked all night...| Strand Magazine
Following the widely celebrated success of Barbarian (Zach Cregger, 2022), Zach Cregger has dared to continue in the horror/mystery direction, this time directing Weapons; a film about the strange disappearance of seventeen school children who decided to leave their homes at 2:17 am to run into the void. The next day only two people return to class, Alex (Cary Christopher), and Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), the teacher, raising prominent questions about what has happened. The town places the bla| STRAND Magazine
Photo by Briony Graham Rudd Northampton trio thistle. make music that cuts and soothes in equal measure. Fronted by Cameron Godfrey ,...| Strand Magazine
The 69th BFI London Film Festival is set to join us once again this October. Festival director, Kristy Matheson, has curated a programme which highlights this year’s themes surrounding family, love, and belonging.| Strand Magazine
Ann Marie Fleming’s film opens with documentary footage of a burning forest. The harrowing scene is not followed by such violence; instead, chased by golden sunlit shots of a planet healing.| Strand Magazine
Sorda (2025) is a Spanish drama directed by Eva Libertad about a woman named Ángela (Miriam Garlo) who is deaf and leads her life in Spain’s countryside with her partner, Héctor (Álvaro Cervantes). She experiences the new onset of pregnancy and the following stages of early motherhood, whilst facing the frustrations and difficulties which arise within a hearing-normative world.| STRAND Magazine
Hania tackles the discourse surrounding "hook-up" culture and casual sex.| STRAND Magazine
Neo Sora’s feature film Happyend was one that I had anticipated with excitement. The film's description: “A near-future city in Japan awaits destruction as it is rocked by a series of foreshocks that predict a larger, more disastrous quake on the horizon. With the anxiety looming over them, a group of teenage best friends and musicians get into typical teenager trouble that tests the strength of their relationships”. This felt like it would be right up my alley, and to some extent it wa...| STRAND Magazine
All these terms: baby, child, preteen, teenager, adult – what do they do for our souls? The reason 19 feels liminal, almost like it doesn't exist is because, just like 17, we are waiting for the next stage.| Strand Magazine
Sex and the City captivated audiences worldwide, exploring the trials and triumphs of four best friends navigating life and love in New York City. At the centre was the most iconic of them all, Carrie Bradshaw. Throughout the show’s run, Carrie never failed to step out in an unforgettable outfit, often featuring luxury labels such as Dior, Fendi, Jimmy Choo, and her personal favourite, Manolo Blahniks.| Strand Magazine
All year, we wait for that perfect time again: summer. The season of tan lines, iced lattes, and late-night memories with our friends.| STRAND Magazine
An award-winning student-run, student-read arts and culture magazine based in the heart of London.| STRAND Magazine
Author Benjamin Wood sits down with us to discuss his latest fiction, Seascraper, after being longlisted for the Booker Prize 2025!| STRAND Magazine