CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
DESTINATIONS
DESTINATIONS
The Dreamtime, or the Dreaming, portrays the Aboriginal beliefs in spiritual existence. According to the tribes that first settled down in the continent, the Dreaming's roots date all the way back to the very begging of the creation of the world. The meaning and ideology of the term is generally not so well-understood by non-indigenous people as it is referred to as part of the culture of one of the early nations, which differs from modern perceptions.
The Spirits were the creators of everything. They made the land and the seas, the rocks and the plants, the sky and the earth. They were the higher power and the Australian Aborigines spent their lifetimes honoring this power, which guided their path and shaped their way of thinking. Not only creators of everything, which could be seen as well as felt, the Spirits also gave the Aborigines the Dreaming.
The time when everything started existing according to the initial Australians, was called the Dreaming. This is the foundation of the continent's culture. The origin of the Dreaming goes way back - 65 000 years back in time to be exact. The Ancestors of the nation shaped the land, forming some parts of it as sacred. The Aborigines were very careful and overprotective of those places, strongly believing in their significance.
The Australian Aborigines are known to have believed that the world didn't have any shape and was therefore empty. Darkness dominated, and life was simply asleep, but this changed when the creation began happening. After the Dreaming and the influence of the Spirits, objects began taking shapes and came to be. They created the four elements: water, earth, air and fire, as well as all the planets, the Sun and the Moon. The Dreaming therefore is a continuous process, which never ended. It is a small cosmos on its own, unifying the past, present and the future into one.
The Australian Aborigines' home riches so many vivid areas of the continent, including Fraser Island, Tasmania, Palm Island, Groote Eylandt and Mornington Island. The Aborigines had very strong believes in relation to the powers of the land, claiming that they never owned it - it rather owned them. The only reason they were able to call it their home is because they were looking after it and the land was taking care of the people in return.
Equally important to the Dreaming was the tribes' understandings of the disappearance of the Spirits. There came a time, when the creators of everything vanished from sight. Some of them were thought to have started living in sacred places, which is why the Aborigines perceived their homeland to be so sacred. The ancestors of today's Australians used to believe that the creators started living in rocks, in water holes and some went up to the sky to guide the people from above and keep them safe. Others transformed completely, taking the forms of the rain, the lightnings and the thunderstorms so they could be part of peoples' life.
Among the hundred's different Aboriginal languages, there isn't a word to describe 'time', because to them this simply doesn't exist. Dreaming and Dreamtime are used to replace it and summarize the ideologies of the Aborigines about everything they knew, everything they could see, feel and experience. This is why the Dreaming has such a vivid, and overwhelming meaning and has survived the obstacles of time. For the past couple thousand years, the Dreaming has built a rich cultural heritage that can identify a whole nation.
Read more about the Land, its connection to people and the way it has been perceived from different generations in the very first print issue of ORIGIN. The Land Issue covers varied topics, most of which remain related to cultural aspects of the land and its importance.
A lot of people travel to explore places and learn about them which is the message that ORIGIN wants to spread. With traveling, however, comes certain responsibilities that we should all be aware of. Elephants riding has become a popular way to explore locations by land. People have been doing this as part of their trips, mostly to places such as Thailand, Nepal, Cambodia and other parts of Asia. It is a common thing to see in certain places in Africa as well. We investigated the activity to explain why it is wrong and riding elephants should be banned everywhere.
Our first print issue studies culture and traveling represented through the land. We explored various location around the globe and learned what makes the land so valuable, which nations cherish it and how it helps us establish an identity. Traveling is important to us but traveling responsibly and making an impact is what we feel proud to stand behind. This is why riding elephants as a way of amusement should be reconsidered.
Let’s talk about the details. Elephants are very caring and extremely intelligent animals. It is a well-known fact that they never forget anything. When kept in captivity instead of spending their life in the wild, elephants die younger. Unlike in other species, this is common for the gentle giants and is often a result for stress.
Many African cultures respect elephants, believing they symbolize strength, loyalty and power. However, power can be a very tender concept. Elephant used as a tourism tool suffer from great pain daily. Elephants can be hurt very severely from the weight of carrying people and a trainer on their backs. The reason for this is the design of their spines. They have sharp protrusions, extending upwards from their spine instead of having round spinal disks. The protrusions and the tissue that serves to protect them can be harmed easily from weight pressure. Once a damage to their spine has been made, there is no going back and sometimes the harm can be irreversible. While this can’t be physically seen, the harm that the chairs can do to the elephants’ skin is. It is often the case that the chairs and the weight on their back can damage the animal’s skin and cause pain to their body. The chair, called Howdah, that gets attached to their backs, rubs on their skin and can cause blisters, which can sometimes get infected.
The training that elephants are required to go through when in captivity sometimes adopts a traditional Thai ‘phajaan’ or ‘crush’ technique. Explaining the technique would compare it to the animals’ spirits constantly and continuously being broken by the means of torture and social isolation. This is done in order to tame them. Elephants are wild animals, this is their nature as they are born in such conditions. Making them safe and obedient around people requires them to go through such training. As horrible as it sounds, in some places young elephants are taken away from their mothers to be abused with nails, bull hooks and bamboo sticks to make them obey rules, given by people. The animals often lack sleep and are starved to become submissive.
Actions from such nature are cruel and harmful as the technique is used to crash the animals’ spirit. Once wild and free, elephants become a source of tourism and entertainment. Nobody, who cared about sustainable tourism should ever ride an elephant.
In a sense, elephants have a human soul. They socialise and feel everything – pain, happiness, grief, sadness etc. They spend their life building families and finding friends. The largest land animals are a gift from nature and it is our responsibility to take special care of them and make sure they live according to their nature. Many animals, who are kept in captivity, are forced to live in isolation and carry heavy loads all day long, which is a wrong way to treat them. Their strength and power shouldn’t be abused but treated gently and celebrated by people. Elephants require minimal care to stay happy and healthy, which comes from giving them freedom to behave naturally and socialise. It is our responsibility to be culturally aware while traveling and make sure to spread awareness about the problem.
You can read the rest of the article as published in the LAND issue.
MAKE YOUR OWN CINEMA AT HOME
If you are bored during home lock down, we’ve got you covered. Keep yourself entertained with our selection of film of various genres and follow our interior design recommendations for creating an authentic cinema experience at home
Words: Aleksandra Georgieva
Photography: Roberto Nickson
6 May 2020
Whether you are on lock down or you need inspiration for future movie nights at home, we look into some of the best films of all genres to watch with your family, friends or solo. Make the best of your home setting. Indoors or at your back garden, get creative by projecting your favourite feature films. Create your own ‘cinema screen’ and don’t be afraid to go big.
Set the atmosphere. If you are creating an indoor movie night, make it cosy. Throw in some pillows and soft blankets. You can experiment more with the outdoor as it creates a more unique vibe. If you can, choose a warm starry night. The lucky ones, who get to live far from light pollution, will get the best experience especially on a summer night. If you have your own back garden, you can even make your own barbecue to spice up the night.
Details matter. Your living room has hidden potential for creating a cosy cinematic vibe. Lit up aromatic candles and stock up on snacks. Don’t forget the fairy lights – an element that creates glamorous vibe both inside and outdoors. If you are creating a cinema in your back garden, consider creating a comfortable setting. Whether you throw some pillows on top of a picnic blanket or you drag out your entire sofa, you are the master of your own cinema.
After you have set up a nice atmosphere with a cosy vibe, it’s time to decide on the film. In this article we keep your options open. From comedies and animation to mystery and crime this is a selection of 10 film genres. We hope our list of cinematic masterpieces upgrade your movie nights and keep you entertained and inspired.
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Comedy: Knives Out not only offers humour throughout the entire feature, but it also spoils the audience with a great cast. We challenge you to find a better thing to do than watching Daniel Craig solve a murder mystery where the suspects unfold more secrecy than any plot twists could ever puzzle us with.
Storyline: When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death.
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Sci-fi: Black Panther is a story about the importance of family and friendship. Based on a comic book, this film may be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it has its own plot, unrelated to the rest of the Marvel films. Indulge into the story of an African king that must lead his people to a better world.
Storyline: After the events of Captain America: Civil War, Prince T'Challa returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country's new king. However, T'Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne from factions within his own country. When two foes conspire to destroy Wakanda, the hero known as Black Panther must team up with C.I.A. agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Dora Milaje, Wakandan special forces, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war.
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Romance: Yesterday is a cute story about a struggling musician that will make you laugh and believe in the power of romance and friendship. Experience the ongoing struggles and temporarily successes of Jack Malik as he falls in love with his lifelong friend Ellie Appleton (Lily James).
Storyline: Jack Malik is a frustrated musician whose musical career is going nowhere despite the faith that his friend/manager Ellie Appleton has in him. When the whole world is hit with a massive blackout, Jack is hit by a bus only to wake up as the only one who remembers the Beatles. Jack begins playing the music of one of the world's greatest rock bands, claiming it as his own and becoming a musical sensation. However, Jack finds himself drifting away from Ellie, only realizing his love for her when she has become intimidated by his success. Now, Jack must make a fundamental moral decision about his music to satisfy his conscience as he decides what he truly needs.
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Horror: It was released back in 2017 but in case you haven’t seen the film, we recommend you do. Based on the 1986 Stephen King novel, this story is as intense as it is intriguing. No wonder the author is famous as the ‘King of Horror’. Make sure to marathon-watch both It films and for the full horror experience, we recommend you pick up the books too.
Storyline: In the Town of Derry, the local kids are disappearing one by one. In a place known as 'The Barrens', a group of seven kids are united by their horrifying and strange encounters with an evil clown and their determination to kill It.
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Action: Jumanji: The Next Level brings back Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan. Only the game has changed. The characters are switched as they encounter a whole new action on their mission to save a friend. A bonus point is the amazing cast that will keep you on edge and make you laugh just as well.
Storyline: The gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world's most dangerous game.
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Thriller: Joker broke cinema records with Joaquin Phoenix’s outstanding performance of character Arthur Fleck, who is a mentally troubled comedian, mistreated by society. His alter ego – the Joker – takes him on a path of a bloody revolution in search for justice.
Storyline: Joker centres around an origin of the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. Todd Phillips' exploration of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a man disregarded by society is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.
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Drama: Bombshell is a story about a group of women who try to tackle the toxic atmosphere at the Fox News network. The biography aspect is highlighted by the brilliant cast that brings together Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie.
Storyline: When Gretchen Carlson slaps Fox News founder Roger Ailes with a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, not a soul could predict what would happen next. Her decision leads to Fox News correspondent Megyn Kelly coming forward with her own story, as well as multiple other women, inciting a movement that reverberates around the world.
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Mistery: Blade Runner 2049 is a tale of mystery, action and drama. Young Blade Runner "K"' (Ryan Gosling) discovers a long-buried secret. His quest leads him to a former Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who's been missing for thirty years.
Storyline: Thirty years after the events of Blade Runner (1982), a new Blade Runner, L.A.P.D. Officer "K" (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former L.A.P.D. Blade Runner, who has been missing for thirty years.
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Crime: Money Heist might be a series but the plot brings so much twists and intensity, we decided to break the “film only” rule. Let us spice up your cinema list with the story of this group of unconventional robbers. Brought together by their similar lifestyle and one mastermind plan, this is a mission of a robbery like no other in history.
Storyline: A group of unique robbers assault the Factory of Moneda and Timbre to carry out the most perfect robbery in the history of Spain and take home 2.4 billion euros.
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Animation: Spies in Disguise brings together the humour of Will Smith and Tom Holland. When the world’s best spy is turned into a pigeon, only the help of his nerdy assistant could help him save the world.
Storyline: Super spy Lance Sterling and scientist Walter Beckett are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is not. But what Walter lacks in social skills he makes up for in smarts and invention, creating the awesome gadgets Lance uses on his epic missions. But when events take an unexpected turn, Walter and Lance suddenly have to rely on each other in a whole new way. And if this odd couple can't learn to work as a team, the whole world is in peril.
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NOMADSofORIGIN is an independent annual publication with a focus on sustainable travelling and global cultural values. Each issue features interviews, engaging articles and photo guides, which take our nomadic readers through different destinations and introduce them to local people's perspectives.
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