The Week - UK (2021-02-06)

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6February 2021 THE WEEK

The List

Braiding Sweetgrassby
Robin WallKimmerer, 2020
(Penguin £9.99).With agentle
lyricism,theethnobotanistand
Native Americanauthor sets
forthher modernyetancient,
indigenousyetscientific,
explorations intosenses of
placeandrelationshipsto
theplant world.

In SearchofDuendeby
Federico GarcíaLorca,
1933 (OOP).Lorca’s essays
delveintothe rootsofcante
jondo(deepsong)andancient
verse amongthe Spanish
gypsies.Adeclarationofthe
disappearingpowerofthe
duende–theidea ofaspirit,
centraltoLorca’sthinking–
to connect ustonature and
ourancientpast.

Entangled LifebyMerlin

Sheldrake, 2 020 (Bodley

Head£20).I’vebeen afungus

obsessive sincechildhood,

andreadingSheldrake’s

bookbroughtto vividdetail

something I’dsuspected all

my life:thatthis kingdom

isutterlymystical,totally

misunderstood, likelyworld-

savingand very,veryqueer.

OneRiverbyWadeDavis,

1996 (Vintage £12.99).

Accompanyingmeasa

21-year-oldjourneyingintothe

Amazon, thisbookintroduced

metothewisdom ofthe

Amazoniantribespeople, the

pioneeringexplorations of

ethnobotanistRichardEvans

Schultes,and themedicinal

powersofrainforestflora.

Coyote’sGuideto

Connecting with Natureby

JonYoung, EllenHaasand

EvanMcGown, 2010 (Owlink

Media£22.50ebook).Simply

put,thisisthebible and man-

ualforanyonequestingfor a

closer relationshipwithnature,

developingthesenses,aspirit

ofcuriosityand “seeingnature

throughtheeyesofthechild”.

TheBook ofTrespass

byNickHayes,2 020

(Bloomsbury £20).Inthis

lambastingofEnglish land-

ownership, Hayes ploughsup

uncomfortable truthsabout

alegacyofsocio-ecological

exclusion,destructionand

colonialpillagingresulting

intoday’sravaged and

inaccessible countryside.

Bestbooks... Sam Lee

Thefolksingerandconservationistchooseshisfavouritebooks.Hewillperform

alive-streamconcertaspartoftheKingsPlaceNatureUnwrappedserieson 13

February(kingsplace.co.uk).Hisbook,TheNightingale,iscomingoutinMarch

Titles in print are available from The Week Bookshop on 020-3176 3835. For out-of-print books visit biblio.co.uk

Programmes
BillionPoundCruiseAlookat the goings-on
above and belowdeckon the world’slargest
cruise ship, SymphonyoftheSeas–which
boasts awaterpark, ice-rinkandminigolf
course, and a 2 ,200-strongcrew.Sun 7Feb,C4
19:00(60mins).

DeliverUsThelatestScandinoir offeringfrom
Walter Presents:in asmallDanish town, an
anguishedfatherseeksthetruthabouthis son’s
deathin aroad accident.Sun 7Feb,C423:0 5
(75mins; full, eight-part series availableonAll4).

Imagine...AlanYentobexploresthe
pandemic’simpact onthe UK’sperformingarts
sector, and looks athowthecreativeindustries
have workedtokeepitalive. Footagefrom
throughout2020captureseverythingfrom
drive-inopera to playslive-streamedfrom empty
theatres.Tue9Feb, BBC122:45(60mins).

Films
ThePinkPanther(1963)PeterSellers
introduced theworld to thebumbling Inspector
Jacques Clouseau in what proved to be thefirst
of tenPinkPantherfilms. David Nivenisthe
suave thief in pursuitof the eponymous
diamond.Sat6Feb, Film4 16:35(135mins).

In Fabric(2018) Pitchedsomewhere between
psychologicalhorrorand darkcomedy,director
PeterStrickland’s film follows the fate of a
woman after she buysamenacing reddress.
Sat 6Feb,BBC223:20 (110mins).

Snowden(2016) OliverStone’s tensebiopic
of theNSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden
weaves togetherdifferentnarratives, moving
between theeventsthat led tohis

disillusionment,andhis explosiverevelationsto

journalists in2013. JosephGordon-Levitt stars.

Tue 9 Feb,Film423:15(160mins).

ExMachina( 201 4) WriterAlexGarland’s

directorialdebut is abrooding sci-fi drama

starring Domhnall Gleeson as thegifted

programmer atagiant tech company,whose

reclusive boss tasks him with testing the AI

capabilities ofacaptivating humanoidrobot.

Fri12Feb, Film423:45(130mins).

New to subscription TV

SnowpiercerThesecondseriesofthe sci-fi

dramaaboutthe inhabitantsofagiant train

circling the frozenEarth,adaptedfrom Bong

Joon-ho’s satirical2013 filmofthe same name.

Sean Bean joins the cast as the villainous and

vengefulMrWilford. On Netflix.

ZeroZeroZeroGrittydrama about the cocaine

industry, trackingashipment ofthedrug across

continents. GabrielByrnestarsasthe patriarch

of ashippingcompanywhose children (Dane

DeHaan andAndreaRiseborough) become

involvedinthe trade. OnSky Atlantic.

The Week’s guide to what’s worth watching

TheArchers:what

happenedlastweek

PiptellsRuthshe’squitting

therewilders,andwondersif

theyshouldwithdrawtheuse

ofOakeyBank;Ruththinksit

wouldscuppertheproject.At

awinetastingforherwedding,

StephanieCaseychatsto

Elizabethandflirtswith

Freddie.PhoebeandRex

contemplatethefutureof

rewildingwithoutPip.Natasha

urgesTomtoreachoutto

Kirsty,whoaskshimtohelp

hertrackdownPhilip’s

workers.ShulatellsElizabeth

aboutherprisonvisittoPhilip;

Elizabethisfuriousandsays

it’sabetrayalafterPhilip’s

crimesalmostkilledFreddie.

AshakenShulaconfidesin

Alistair.Brian,Justinand

Phoebehaveafraughtmeet-

ing:Justinispullingoutofthe

barnsprojectbutPhoebesays

therewildersaregladtocut

tieswithhimafterhislinksto

slavery.PhoebetellsBrianthat

losingthebarnswon’taffect

businessandthataneco-office

willsuitthembetteranyway–

Brianthinksshe’sbeingblasé.

ShulaandElizabethmakeup

afterFreddieintercedes,but

it’smadeShulaunsureabout

pursuingordination.Steph

keepssendingFreddie

suggestivetexts,andflirts

outrageouslywhentheymeet

todiscusshisDJingatthe

wedding.Tomisreluctant

togooutonthestreetswith

Kirsty.Natashaisoutraged

he’dletKirstydownandgoes

herself.Afteranearmiss,

Kirstyrealisesshe’sputting

Natashaatrisk.Natashasays

ifKirstyneedsherhelpagain,

sheneedonlyask.

Danceonline

The biggestnames in British

dance–from Akram Khan to

CarlosAcosta’s Birmingham

Royal Ballet–takepartin

Dancing Nation,afestivalof

new work from Sadler’sWells

andBBCArts. Threehour-

long programmes feature

contemporary,ballet andhip-

hop from around the country;

availableonline or on BBC

iPlayer until 28 February

(sadlerswells.com).TheRoyal

Opera Housecontinuesits

onlineprogrammewith

Frederick Ashton’sLa Fille

malgardée.NataliaOsipova

dancesthe titleroleinthis

2015 production,“ajoyous,

life-enhancingexperience”

(culturewhisper.com).

Streaminguntil 28 February,

£3 (roh.org.uk).

ZeroZeroZero:DaneDeHaanjoinsthefamilyfirm