THE ZONE OF INTEREST When the “Perfect Family” Found its Ideal Home at the Heart of Hell
Jonathan Glazer’s historical film “The Zone of Interest” appears as a clear snapshot of the family life of mass murderer Rudolf Höss from 1943. That year, as the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, Höss lived with his wife and children right next to the camp wall, in a home the perfectly suited National Socialist family ideals. It was an eerie “paradise” that fed on the misery of its victims and created a particularly infamous…
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KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Preachers of Death, Greedy Fools, and America’s Vast Native Soul in Martin Scorsese’s Epic Masterpiece
Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” inspired by David Grann’s homonymous nonfiction book, shows a complexity that goes beyond the representation of the assassinations of hundreds of Osage people, robbed of their oil-rich land a hundred years ago. Bringing together three paradigmatic figures of American history, Scorsese’s film reveals the power dynamics among preachers of death, greedy fools, and native people, in a world in which legality is used as a vehicle of crime.…
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EMPIRE OF SIGNS Understanding Japan as a Graspable System of Forms with Roland Barthes
Alluding to the seemingly unsurmountable oppositions of “East” and “West,” Roland Barthes presented in “Empire of Signs” an approach for overcoming strangeness with the same quality that fuels it: difference. More than fifty years ago, in an essay that regains importance in our increasingly globalized world, Barthes moved beyond the language of words, revealing the unlimited possibilities of the language of signs for (trans)cultural…
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A WOMAN’S STORY Annie Ernaux and the Discovery of Identity through Family and Social Memory
A literary work that consciously embeds individual remembrance into collective memory, Annie Ernaux’s “A Woman’s Story” bears witness to the pain that the loss of the mother inflicts on a daughter and the deep desire for finding her truth that this feeling triggers. Consolidating both pain and desire in a meticulous search for the own identity through memory, Ernaux translates…
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SENSE AND SENSIBILITY Jane Austen’s Life Lesson on Self-Reflection and Empathy
Sense and sensibility, seemingly opposite character traits at the core of Jane Austen’s homonymous novel, emerge as essentially interconnected human virtues paving the path for the understanding the self and the world. Subtly concealed behind the love and marriage theme, the actual interplay of (senseful) self-reflection and (sensitive) empathy in the formation of character is vehemently conveyed by a female author that continues reminding us of the everlasting power of self-awareness today.…
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A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN Virginia Woolf on Being a Creative Woman in a Man’s World
Asked on her opinion on the issue of “woman and fiction” almost a hundred years ago, Virginia Woolf could not avoid thinking of money and power, first and foremost. Arguing that only material conditions enable the freedom of mind so essential to creativity, Woolf exposed in “A Room of One’s Own” the limited access of women to financial means for centuries and the…
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HOMO SOVIETICUS On the Actuality of Svetlana Alexievich’s “Secondhand Time. The Last of the Soviets”
Ten years ago, Svetlana Alexievich’s “Seconhand Time. The Last of the Soviets” came into being. In twenty stories, collected between 1991 and 2012, people from the former Soviet Union reflect on their lives before and after perestroika. Their survival in a world of perennial authoritarianism is a central theme with fatal consequences in the current context.…
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FROM ARIES TO PISCES Select Your Most Special Fragrances According to Your Zodiac Sign
Are you an energetic Aries, a bold Sagittarius, or a dreamy Pisces? Or you do have some attributes related to all of them? Inspired by the insights of the recognized astrologer Linda Goodman, let’s review which fine fragrances are most likely to match the characteristic women’s traits of the twelve zodiac signs. Image: Tainá Bernard. Deutsch,…
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BARBIECORE’S STYLE WORLD Playful Shoes, Bags, and Accessories in the Happiest Colours of the Year!
Inspired by the cinematic world of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and by the female power of a doll that emulates the life of women according to the principle “You can be anything,” you will find here a fantastic selection of fashion pieces that play with this joyful fashion trend in style. Image: Mo Eid. Deutsche Version The…
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PURE PASSION 6 Ways of Wearing Red According to Your Personal Style
There is no fashion colour that melds femininity, elegance, and energy so decidedly than pure red. Intensive, rich, and flattering on all skin tones, you can choose your reds hues according to your character and your most exciting plans! Title image: Naeim Jafari. Deutsch, Español Remembering the iconic moments in the history of cinema, we will…
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ARTISTIC AND INFORMATIVE 12 Amazing Coffee-Table Books for Exploring the World from Home
During times in which you are unable to travel yet, or for those long rainy weekends you would rather stay at home, there is a way you can still explore the world without stepping out of the door: by scrolling through these twelve brilliant coffee table books with the best of art, travel, and culture! Image:…
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SOOTHING BLUE 10 Premium Natural Cosmetic Brands with the Relaxing Power of Lavender for Hair, Skin, and Soul!
Since antiquity, lavender is known to have healing and disinfecting properties, becoming a key ingredient in the battle against disease. Today, the soothing and relaxing effects of the “blue plant” are the essential attributes of these ten organic top-quality beauty brands. Image: Ron Lach. Deutsche Version What could be nicer than a fine lavender aroma in…
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ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Innocence, Youth, and Friendship Crushed by the Brutality of World War I
Edward Berger’s Oscar winning film adaption of Erich Maria Remarque’s novel “All Quiet on the Western Front,” tells us about the downfall of the German “iron youth” deluded into war by twisted dreams of victory. Unfolding as a mosaic of beauty and monstrosity, the film makes the war’s mail toll clear: the final dissolution of the individual. Image: Netflix. Deutsche…
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GOLD, COPPER, TERRACOTTA, AND MORE 4 Essential Cosmetic Products for Preserving a Perfect Suntan
A delicate suntanned look is a must for women who wish to keep the feeling of a sun-kissed skin the whole year long. Especially after the summer, you can elongate the natural bronze shades of your vacation complexion with these well-selected premium bronzing powders, blushes, lipsticks, and mineral eyeshadows. Image: Gromovataya. Deutsch, Español There is nothing that can instantly give…
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LA NINFA 