Books

Memoir Writing: a literary journey into human resilience

By Francesca Lombardo – I was 25 years old when I asked myself questions such as “why can’t she see me?”, “why can’t she hear me?”, “who is she?”, “who was she really when she was a child just like me?”.  The person I wanted to ask all these questions was my mother. A mystery to me as a child, as a teen and as young women that I longed to unlock. But mostly a pain that…
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Movies

Movie review: Peter Rabbit 2 starring James Corden

Today cinemas re-open after over a year in lockdown and what a cracker of a movie to go back to the big screen. This morning I attended a special press screening of Peter Rabbit 2 – whose release has been delayed for a year – starring Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, David Oyelowo, Elizabeth Debicki, Margot Robbie and James Corden as Peter Rabbit. A perfect mix of CGI and live action, Peter…
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Movies

Future films heads up: Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story - Teaser trailer

The Walt Disney Company has just released the very first teaser trailer for Academy Award® winning director Steven Spielberg’s new film adaptation of the musical West Side Story, which will open in UK Cinemas on 10 December 2021. At a first look it looks spectacular and I look forward to watching this movie. December cannot come soon enough.  The trailer   Directed by Academy Award®…
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Books

Book of the week: Nurturing you Family with Yoga by Dr Kiki Morriss

A new family yoga book by Dr Kiki Morriss has just been published and I have already enjoyed practising all the simple moves shown by mums and children to loosen up my limbs.  The new book, Nurturing you Family with Yoga: An A-Z of yoga poses, meditations, breathing and games for the whole family, is full of practical advice and beautiful photographs. Nurturing Your Family With Yoga is an…
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Movies

And the Oscar goes to… Judas and the Black Messiah

In February this year, while we were in lockdown, I watched an exclusive preview screening of Warner Bros’ latest movie Judas and the Black Messiah and attended a special talents’ gathering online to discuss this production. I immediately knew that I was watching a movie that would make an impact on film history. Judas and the Black Messiah is an insightful film that feels relevant with what…
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Books

Dogs and Cats can relieve stress in their owners. Here’s how…

April is stress awareness month, and we all know stress can be caused by either external factors or can come from ourselves. Even living in a family might contribute to increased stress levels. According to a 2020 survey in the UK, family stress was experienced by 48% of the respondents. However, work stress was the most common type of stress experienced (79% of respondents) followed by monetary…
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Movies

DVD review: Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar

If you are looking for a new DVD for your nights in, Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar, a Lionsgate production, might be the right choice as it is filled with my favourite ingredients for a relaxing comedy: Gags, romance, friendship and a villain’s evil plot.  The story  From the stars and writers of Bridesmaids (Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo) comes Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar.
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Books

Book of the week: Miniature Enchanted Forest by Johanna Basford

A colouring book meets a picture book in a fantasy forest that is open to be reinvented by both children and adults alike. From the author of the global bestseller Secret Garden (over 12 million copies sold!) and Enchanted Forest (over 5 million copies sold worldwide!), Johanna Basford, Miniature Enchanted Forest is a small-scale edition of her classic colouring book. It can be used for…
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Cultur-Italy EzineMovies

Cinema Made in Italy returns 16-29 April 2021 - free movies online

Cinema Made in Italy 2021 returns this year for its 11th edition with a new digital edition, bringing cutting edge Italian cinema to a national audience for the first time, on the curated streaming service MUBI. From 16 – 29 April film fans will once more have the unique opportunity to take in a diverse array of the best recent Italian productions. Whereas in previous years the audience has been…
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Books

Picture book of the week: Mika & Lolo by Virginia Mendez

Writer and entrepreneur, Virginia Mendez, has written a lovely multilingual picture book series Mika & Lolo covering diversity on her unexpected journey to embracing feminism. Each book comes in two languages. I have chosen English and Italian. The series is available from The Feminist Shop. The story  Mika & Lolo are cousins who notice that they are sometimes treated differently just because…
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