Belsnickel is a combination of Saint Nikolas, the original German Santa Claus – a jolly character who rewards good children and Krampus, a half-goat character and the antithesis of Santa Claus, who torments bad children. Being a combination of these two characters, Belsnickel is both kind to the good children and torments the naughty ones.
The harsh realities of immigrants in France and in the rest of Europe are expressed through this French film directed by Boris Lojkine, where we follow a man named Souleymane in the two days leading up to his interview to secure his legal residency as an asylum seeker in France. Without access to proper housing, income or family, immigrants like Souleymane are left stranded in a foreign country unable to make a living in which they envisioned, and which motivated them to move in the first place.
The festive period brings many things, presents, spending time with family and the age-old question, what is the best Christmas film? As you may have guessed from the title, I’m here to inform you that it is indeed a Muppet’s Christmas Carol. Now this may inspire some outrage, how could I stray from the classics like Love Actually, Home Alone and Elf? Let me explain; Muppet’s Christmas Carol is vastly superior in spreading the Christmas message, is (mostly) faithful to the book and period it represents, and if this doesn’t convince you, who can say no to a tiny baby Kermit?
The war in Ukraine has now surpassed the milestone of 1,000 days, a period marked by devastation, resilience, and geopolitical upheaval. This seemingly endless conflict has reshaped the world’s understanding of 21st-century warfare, exposing the fragile balance of global security, the endurance of the Ukrainian people, and the profound ripple effects far beyond Eastern Europe.
Now I must say, this isn’t the article I was planning on writing this week, but then SOMEONE decided that it was time for winter to arrive and bring rain and freezing cold.
