Humanity Hallows Issue 4 Out Now!
Pick up your copy on campus or read online.
By Daniel J Broadley
Photograph: BBC
Nothing ever changes. At least, that is according to Adam Curtis’s new bleak, eye opening documentary, HyperNormalisation, which premiered on BBC iPlayer this month.
Covering everything from the Middle East crisis, austerity, technology, social media, terrorism and, of course, Donald Trump, Adam Curtis steps back and takes a look at the state of the world and how all of these things are connected. And, more importantly, how we got here.
He is perhaps one of the finest and most underrated documentary filmmakers of our time. Most people, when you ask them about documentaries, will think of Louis Theroux, David Attenborough and Michael Moore. And rightly so, they are some of the best documentary filmmakers out there.
None, however, compare to the way Adam Curtis takes the most complex and global issues – spanning decades – and documents them so accurately, articulately and without a boring moment.
He argues that we live in a fake world. A world of un-reality created by social media where we project an image of what we perceive ourselves to be. Meanwhile, global corporations track what we like and reflect it back to us, trapping us in a virtual bubble. Scarily, and quite rightly, he shows how comfortable we are with this and how all opposition is absorbed. Hence, nothing ever changes.
And that’s just one aspect of the two hour and forty five minute documentary.
The term ‘hypernormalisation’ Curtis says, originated with a writer in the Soviet Union. It referred to how everyone in the Soviet Union could see the economy collapsing around them, but had to pretend everything was OK because they could not imagine an alternative. This is a disturbing concept, but one that can be easily seen in our every day lives.
HyperNormalisation is a must-watch, offering a means of better understanding the current state of the world, how we got here and, possibly, how we can improve it.
Featured image: Designecologist via Pexels As Halloween approaches and fireworks start exploding around Manchester, aAh! rounds up some exciting events for you and your friends. Find out exactly where you can celebrate horror and firework week in Manchester with fun and budget-friendly events. Film Fear Festival at HOME@homemcr22/10-2/11/2023 Film Fear is returning with their strange…
By Lowri Simmons. Featured image: Pexels Ballet Season Has Commenced; exploring how creativity speaks to us all and how it can bring us together, as one. I immerse myself into the movement- long, long short , short and flow, breathe. In, Out, Around And through. I immerse myself into the movement. Slowly, slowly, slowly- and…
Manchester is gearing up for an unmissable week-long music takeover, as the MTV EMAs land in the city. MTV Music Week will take place across a wide array of Manchester’s most beloved local venues between November 5-9, with artists from across the nation coming together to celebrate this monumental date in the music calendar. The…
The second live radio ‘Sally Session’ – coming from The Salutation Pub on campus on the 26th of October – is another step towards careers in broadcasting for students working on the show. Presented by music journalist and broadcaster John Robb, it’s a one-hour mix of music and chat with Manchester music legend Bruce Mitchell…
Leave a reply