Review: 2026 Oscar-Nominated Documentary Shorts

Perfectly A Strangeness follows three donkeys

The Oscars, one of the biggest film events of the year is fast approaching on March 15, and art house movie theatres around town are showing the nominees for Best Live Shorts, Best Documentary Shorts and Best Animation Shorts.

I hunkered down for the Best Documentary Shorts, which turned out to be 157 minutes long, screening all five docs one after the other. 

Perfectly a Strangeness by Alison McAlpine (15 mins)

This Canadian entry seems strange at first -- why are we following three donkeys as they slowly walk up a hill. Where are they going? The sweet docile trio end up by an unmanned astronomical observatory that opens up at night and reveals some amazing footage of the universe, and a juxtaposition of nature and technology. 

The Devil is Busy by Christalyn Hampton and Greeta Gandbhir (31 mins)

I quickly surmised this film was about an abortion clinic and it was sad to see the measures the staff had to take to ensure their clients, who they call guests, feel safe and supported during their visit. The main character is Tracii, who is the first to arrive at the clinic and explains how safety is so crucial, as well as her own personal story. Viewers also meet the doctor who performs the procedures and says how politics is making it harder for women to have control over their own bodies. She never imagined it was easier for her to get access to this kind of healthcare when she was young than her daughter today. Meanwhile outside there are male protesters who use religion to try to guilt the women from going in. The filmmakers don't speak to them directly, but Tracii gives the audience the backstory on one of them. The Devil is Busy is a highly emotional film, showing how women are losing their reproductive rights today, and that there are people who are trying to help them.

Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud by Craig and Brent Renaud (38 mins)

The brothers from Little Rock, Arkansas were only two years apart and older brother Brent became a video journalist going to war zones and his younger sibling Craig followed him. But Brent became the first American journalist to die soon after the Ukraine war broke out in March 2022. Craig is determined to bring his brother's body back, and reminisces about the places they covered, from Afghanistan to Somalia, Haiti, Iraq and Mexico. Some of the footage is frightening to watch, but that is what Brent wanted to show people, that war is horrific and we cannot pretend it doesn't happen. The documentary is a tragic tribute to Brent, and ends by letting viewers know that hundreds of journalists have died trying to report the truth.

All the Empty Rooms by Joshua Seftel (33 mins)

Journalist Steve Hartman was known on CBS Evening News as the guy who would find human interest stories to lighten the end of news casts. But in 1997 he was assigned to cover his first school shooting, and it wasn't his last. He said he became numb reporting them as was the rest of America was hearing them. So he started his own project of contacting families whose children had died from school shootings and got his photographer friend Lou Bopp to take pictures of the kids' bedrooms. It's absolutely devastating to get an idea of who these children were through their bedrooms, and how their parents and siblings are coping. 

Children No More: "Were and are Gone" by Hilla Medalia (36 mins)

After the October 7 attacks and Israel retaliates with attacks on Gaza, a large group of protesters in Tel Aviv stand silently and stoically holding candles and pictures of Palestinian children killed in the war. Week after week they stand and sit in public places to get attention, which leads to emotionally charge scenes. Some passersby tell the protesters they are delusional, or that the priority should be the Israeli hostages, not children in Gaza. 

Hong Kong Skates to Best Finish in Olympics

Lam had Hong Kong's best finish in the 2026 Winter Olympics

The 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano Cortina has been dominated by the Norway, the United States and Italy as the first, second and third on the medal standings respectively, while Canada has been struggling to get on the podium.

The Canadian women's hockey team could not bring back the gold medal and had to settle for silver, while their male counterparts just squeaked past Finland, winning 3-2, to get into the finals against the US this Sunday.

But can we talk about the small team from Hong Kong?

Today 19-year-old Joey Lam Ching-yan made her Olympic debut finishing seventh in the women's 1,500m short-track speed skating event! Lam was at the back of the pack, but four skaters had spills in her heat which helped her get into the finals.

The seventh place finish is the best result for Hong Kong in the Winter Olympics and Lam is on cloud nine.

"It is absolutely unbelievable. I still feel like I am dreaming. I never thought I could make it to the Final A before. Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way and encouraged me to never give up," Lam said.

It's quite impressive considering she raced three times in just under three hours.

Her fellow speed skater Darren Kwok Tsz-fung came in 29th in the men's 1,000m and 31st in the men's 1,500m.

Meanwhile Hong Kong also sent alpine skiers Adrian Yung Hau-tsuen and Eloise King Yung-shih, both 21, to the slopes and Yung finished 68th in the men's giant slalom, and did not finish the men's slalom; Yung crashed out in the women's slalom.

Nevertheless they all seem to have enjoyed their time at the Olympics, which is the main thing, to meet athletes from other countries, and see how well they compete against others after years of training.

Suffice to say Lam will probably be the Hong Kong flag bearer for the Closing Ceremonies? 

Picture of the Day: Designer Mahjong Set

Alexander Wang mah jong set spotted at Holt Renfrew

Feeling lucky?

New York designer Alexander Wang celebrated 20 years in the fashion business with a Spring/Summer 2026 show inspired by his mother, hence the theme "The Matriarch".

Included in the designs were mahjong tiles, perhaps a nod to his mother's love of the game?

Tiles in a sleek silver case

And he also designed his own mahjong set, where the tiles are made in silver and chrome, and held in a sleek silver briefcase.

When his fashion show ended, there was a mahjong party and guest Martha Stewart played with these silver tiles with Cardi B.

Apparently the set costs US$5,500 -- but that's not the most expensive one. French luxury brand Hermes has a mahjong set for US$15,000...

Any takers?

 

Review: Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Talankin is inadvertently forced to take a stand on the war

It's hard to know what is really happening in Russia, with President Vladimir Putin in firm control.

But the Oscar-nominated documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin gives a peek inside that is courageous, frightening and damning.

"Pasha" Talankin lives in Karabash, east of Moscow and the town is known for having the most polluted air on the planet thanks to the copper refinery, the major industry there.

Students begin singing patriotic songs

Talankin is the events coordinator in a primary school, and his job is to film things that happen there. It is also the school he went to, and feels most at home here, describing himself as a loner. Nevertheless some of the students like him and hang out with him as they get into their teens.

His wry remarks make him easily likeable to the viewer, but things change in February 2022 when Putin announces a special military operation -- in Ukraine.

Suddenly things at the school start to change and Talankin is ordered by the government to film teachers lecturing the students to justify the war in historical terms, and the students marching with the Russian flag, singing patriotic songs, and then uploading the footage to a government website.

This is not what he signed up for and not only is he overwhelmed with having to film so much propaganda, but Talankin himself wonders how he can protest against the war. He watches news clips of protesters being beaten and dragged by the police and concedes he isn't brave enough to do that.

A boy checking out an old rifle

Meanwhile viewers watch the students evolve from being excited to being at school to being bored out of their minds listening to what teachers are forced to tell them, their eyes glaze over. In the beginning they wear white blouses and skirts or shirts with pants, and towards the end are in army fatigues. 

One scene shows members of the Wagner Group at the school passing around a mine to students look at, and casually saying if they go near one that explodes, it will take out their leg; there are grenade throwing competitions, and most chilling is a boy holding an old rifle and aiming it at Talankin as he films him.

Eventually some of Talankin's former students are conscripted, or people at the school know of someone who had to become soldiers. Viewers feel on edge wondering what happened to them.

They also wonder what will happen to Talankin, as Putin declares in 2023 that anyone opposed to the Ukraine occupation would be guilty of treason. Talankin does rebel outwardly, resulting in some of his colleagues strongly disagreeing with him, and eventually students and colleagues are afraid to be associated with him.

One of the teachers marching with students

Mr. Nobody Against Putin was not shot expertly, and it is not meant to be, because all his clips were just for the school's records. But because Talankin had so much filming to do, another videographer was recruited, and that's where there are scenes with him hanging out with students, or of him walking around the school.

He amassed two years' worth of video footage that he and co-director David Borenstein sifted through and put together. The documentary is a brave and harrowing account of what it's like living in a small town, and how one man tried hard to push back in his own way.

Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Co-directed by Pasha Talankin and David Borenstein

90 minutes

A Very Chinese Time in People's Lives

Jellycat's red plush horse with a golden mane 

Everyone's getting into the Year of the Horse -- Snoopy, Mr. Men, Sesame Street's Elmo, Miffy, Paddington Bear, even Jellycat issuing a red plush horse with a golden mane.

Are they all in a "very Chinese time in their lives", or Chinamaxxing? 

Or is it all a marketing ploy to appeal to Chinese fans that they are wishing them all the best in the Lunar New Year?

In some ways it's amusing to see non-Chinese recently discovering the benefits of drinking hot water, or demonstrating that they know to take off their shoes once they enter a home, and these days posting on social media, "Kung Hei Faat Choy"!

Snoopy celebrating the new year

It's great people are more accustomed or accepting of Chinese habits, but it doesn't make them experts on Chinese culture overnight.

It was brought to my attention that a guy from San Francisco on Facebook was explaining or maybe "mansplaining" that people should say "Lunar New Year" instead of "Chinese New Year" to make it more inclusive, as people from Korea, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia also celebrate. 

He even talks about how this year is the "Fire Horse", elucidating about the five elements of water, wood, metal, fire and earth, and that a "Fire Horse" only comes around every 60 years...

Hence Chinamaxxing or being in a "very Chinese time in my life" is so bizarre. The latter assumes that one is Chinese for a period of time, unlike say ethnic Chinese who are Chinese their whole lives.

The former are those who look at all the cool things about China -- electric cars, high-speed rail, online payments, AI and Shein, without taking into account or even knowing about, say, the lopsided ratio of men to women, the high unemployment rate for fresh grads, and the restrictions of living in an authoritarian environment.

Elmo with his Korean and Chinese friends

All this just only a few years after China finally lifted its draconian lockdown measures to control the Covid-19 virus from spreading. People were literally sealed in their own apartment units, while everyone else got bags of food delivered to them, and people queuing up and opening their mouths to have their saliva swabbed.

And now China is super cool?

Quite the transformation, but now that Canadian and UK passport holders can travel to China visa-free until the end of the year, it would be great for people to see the country for themselves and then figure out of they really are Chinamaxxing.

If anything, they would be able to legitimately say their visit was a "very Chinese time in their life."

Happy (or Sad) Year of the Horse

Painter Xu Beihong's depiction of lively horses

Happy New Year of the Horse!

新年快乐！恭喜发财！龙马精神！

This year's mascot has been a big hit -- the plush horse with the upside down smile that was a manufacturing mistake in a factory in eastern China.

For many young people, the unhappy horse reflects how they truly feel about how life is for them these days.

Your choice of a happy or sad plush horse

They call themselves niu ma (牛马) or "cattle horse", a euphemism for how they feel overworked in their office jobs.

"This little horse looks so sad and pitiful, just like the way I feel at work," said a netizen called Tuan Tuan Mami.

"With this crying toy in the Year of the Horse, I hope to leave all my grievances at work behind and keep only happiness."

Another person who bought the sad plush horse said it was more relatable than their smiling counterparts.

"Imperfect is the true reflection of ordinary people. Our flaws are what make life truly vibrant," they wrote online.

Demand for the "cry-cry horse" was so high that the factory had to quickly add 10 more production lines.

The company even reportedly applied for an appearance patent for the sad-faced horse, and expanded its merchandise to include items like keychains and travel neck pillows.

So for those celebrating the Lunar New Year and trying to keep it together for the next few days while visiting relatives, the sad horse knows exactly what you're going through.

加油！ 

Attempting to Cook a Hakka Classic

Hakka dish of braised pork belly and preserved mustard greens

In November we made a trip to Meizhou, a county in southern Guangdong province where the vast majority of the population are Hakka. It's where my mother's family is from and we visited their ancestral home on the outskirts of the city centre in a rural area.

During our visit we sampled a classic Hakka dish, braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens and we were shocked at how bad it was! The first restaurant we ate it, the chunks of pork were so dry; the second day we tried it again and while it was more moist, the flavours weren't melded together. In both cases they weren't cooked long enough and in enough liquid.

Stir-frying pork belly and garlic together

Before the trip I listened to a talk on Hakka food given by cookbook author Linda Lau Anusansananan. I bought a copy of her book, The Hakka Cookbook: Chinese Soul Food from around the World and today attempted her recipe for braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens.

I had been warned it was not an easy dish to execute, but looking at the recipe this version looked pretty straight forward.

First I soaked the preserved mustard greens to get rid of the dirt and then chopped them into smaller pieces and squeezed the water out.

Then I heated up the wok, added oil and stir-fried a lot of minced garlic for a few seconds before adding the pork belly chopped into one-inch chunks and stir-frying them until they were light brown.

Mustard greens, soy sauce and wine added

Next I added a lot of Shaoxing wine, the preserved mustard greens, sweet soy sauce and more dark soy sauce and sugar and let it boil and then simmer for one and a half to two hours.

I periodically checked the taste of the sauce and added sugar to tone down the saltiness, and the mustard greens weren't tender enough so I added more water and let it boil and then simmer.

By the end of it the chunks of pork belly were very tender and I scooped them out along with the preserved greens before reducing the sauce a bit.

I took the dish to a family dinner tonight and got a lot of positive reviews! I will attempt it again soon!

Hong Kong to Try Seat Belt Rules Again

Government re-examines seat belt implementation

After a spectacular fail, the Hong Kong government is going to try the seatbelts on buses thing again.

But this time it will take a more methodical approach instead of imposing it on passengers without any consultation and research.

The new rule, which was implemented last month, only to be repealed days later, only applied to buses that were registered from late January. In other words, none of the existing buses.

The public outrage and criticism that government officials haven't taken public transport in recent years or ever so they don't understand what it's like riding a bus was warranted.

Chan says this time it will be more methodical

No one did a comprehensive study to discover some buses had seat belts, or not all seats had seat belts.

But now the government is going for seatbelts on buses 2.0.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan has said the government will take a four-pronged approach by working with the bus operators to improve on the installation, design and maintenance of seatbelts to ensure safety and convenience.

The government will also commission experts to examine the risks associated with different seating layouts and route types, as well as increase public education on the importance of passenger safety.

Chan also said the authorities would re-examine policy details regarding implementation, exemptions and penalties to ensure balanced law, reason and empathy.

"Regarding the requirement to wear seat belts on buses, we will conduct a fresh and comprehensive review and widely consult the community before drawing up an optimised proposal," she said.

Shouldn't all this have been done the first time around?

It'll be interesting to see when seat belts on buses 2.0 is implemented...

Review: Spring After Spring

Vancouver Chinatown parades always include Chinese dancing

Just in time for Chinese New Year is a new documentary called Spring After Spring, about three sisters who continue their mother's legacy of preserving and promoting Chinese dancing in Vancouver.

Directed by Jon Chiang, the film pays tribute to Maria Mimi Ho, who founded the Strathcona Chinese Dance Company, and helped start the Lunar New Year Chinatown Parade, where her students dressed up in colourful costumes and danced along the route.

Lisa, Val and Anabel talk about their mother

She roped her three daughters into dancing too, and they all became professionals in their on right -- eldest Anabel founded the Vancouver Academy of Dance, teaching Chinese dancing; middle child Val, aka Ms Vee is a hip hop dancer who teaches at Juillard; and youngest Lisa made it to Broadway, performing in shows like Mama Mia, Shrek and Chorus Line.

Their mother died in 2010 and left a big hole -- would the three sisters try to continue doing the Lunar New Year Chinatown parade? How would they do it? Would it be good enough in their mother's eyes?

There is a lot of archive footage of their mother, so energetic and happy as she performed -- she was a school teacher, but her hobby was dancing despite having no formal training. She studied books and later videos to learn new steps.

Ho was a force in Vancouver's Chinatown

The three sisters reminisce a lot and it's great to see them not only reveal more about their own personalities, but their mother too and how much she influenced their lives. Val is the most vocal and seems to be the most thoughtful in terms of reflecting on how she was brought up and describing the immigrant mentality of working hard all the time.

While it's clear the trio love their mother, and Anabel says it is only now, some 15 years later, that she feels comfortable speaking about her, they also remember how she was a tough Asian tiger mom, how whatever they did was never good enough.

A lot of Asian kids can relate to that kind of scolding.

That's what director Chiang hopes will spark conversation about difficult topics from viewing Spring After Spring.

"I know that from my own experiences in my family, there isn't a lot of conversation around the topic [of grief]," says Chiang. 

The three sisters are professional dancers

"There's so many taboos, there's a lot of cultural hurdles to overcome. But I feel like maybe by watching this film, people can see their families through this film and maybe not be afraid to talk about difficult things, both in the Chinese diaspora but also in other immigrant families and other Canadian families as well."

He discovered the story of Ho from his friend who is Anabel's husband, and filmed it with a lot of care and thoughtfulness, giving everyone an opportunity to talk. However, their widower father doesn't say anything, and the film focuses on the three sisters. 

Nevertheless, it was great for Chiang to encourage them to dance one of their favourite ones their mother got them to perform as a group. It shows the sisters united, passionate and happy dancing and enjoying each other's company.

Spring After Spring

Directed by Jon Chiang

78 minutes

Canadians After the Super Bowl Half Time Show

Bad Bunny listing off countries in the Americas in the show

Canadians are still buzzing after Bad Bunny gave a shout out to Canada when listing all the countries in the Americas.

On social media, people are filming themselves saying they're from Cana-DA, and adding a Latino accent to provinces like Ontario, British Columbia, and cities like Toronto, Whitby and Vancouver.

Just shows how thrilled and proud they are that Bad Bunny has deemed Canada super cool. It was already very cool when Heated Rivalry came out and now muy cool!!!

Bad Bunny's Infectious Music Crosses the Pacific

Bad Bunny dancing the salsa with Lady Gaga

All the talk today is about how Bad Bunny killed it yesterday at the Super Bowl Half Time Show. Latinos, and in particular Puerto Ricans are so proud that Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio made them feel seen and in a thoughtful, energetic, cultural way, from the sugar cane fields, to the old men playing dominos, freshly-made tacos, a real wedding party, the electricity poles, and on and on.

Yes there are actually MAGA people on social media who panned the show, saying it was "boring." How could anyone resist such happy beats?

He called on people to believe in themselves and his final message, "The only thing more powerful than hate is love" is what we really need right now.

He smiled at hearing he is No. 1 in China

But what's super cool is that Bad Bunny hasn't just touched people in the Americas (including CanaDA), but also across the Pacific in China!

He is the first Latin music artist to rank No. 1 in China, thanks to college students turning to the likes of Bad Bunny and J Balvin to learn Spanish.

According to a study from Barcelona's Universitat Pompeu Fabra, the number of Chinese students taking translation and language science classes has increased 37 percent from five years ago, though the learning materials aren't as developed as they are for learning English.

The UPF study, which was published last year in the journal "Language and Intercultural Communication," says these amateur translators collaborate with Latin music lovers on NetEase Cloud Music to make it easier for the Chinese to understand some of reggaeton's idiomatic Spanish cultural references that don't have Chinese equivalents.

During an Apple Music preview days before the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny found out he was No. 1 in China and he bowled over with a massive smile, incredulous at the news.

The "64" is a nod to his uncle's birth year

Meanwhile many of us watching Bad Bunny's show, featuring Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, wondered what the "64" reference was on his shirt. 

It turns out is was the birth year of his uncle, who passed away.

Bad Bunny had wanted to take his uncle to the Super Bowl, but this was his way to dedicate the show to him.

However, the Chinese censors didn't get the memo and started deleting his pictures with "64," worried it was a reference to 1989...

Peruvian Flair in Vancouver's Chinatown

Blue fin tuna and crab causa wrapped with nori and caviar

Vancouver's Chinatown continues to gentrify with the opening of Uchu, a fancy seafood restaurant "with Peruvian soul" a few days ago.

It is the sister restaurant to the wildly successful Suyo, a modern Peruvian restaurant that I and two friends ate dinner at during the summer. We enjoyed the various dishes not only for their colourful presentations, but also for the array of textures and flavours that made each bite interesting and delicious.

High-ceiling bar with a long counter

So I was excited to hear Suyo chef-owner Ricardo Valverde was opening another place -- and in Chinatown, I had to check it out when I got an invite to the media preview the day before it officially opened.

Uchu is in the space formerly occupied by Sai Woo which served no-so-good Chinese food, then was replaced with Kosoo Pocha, which served Korean tapas.

Valverde and his team took over the space in March 2025 and spent 11 months renovating it into a high ceiling open bar and kitchen concept serving mostly ceviche-style seafood bites that we got to try the other evening.

They included items like oyster cevichero, a fresh oyster topped with leche de tigre espuma, or tiger's milk foam, blue fin tuna and crab causa, or potato wrapped in nori and finished with a few caviar pearls.

There were also a kind of salmon sushi with a rice cracker on top, and for dessert dulce de leche, and a sweet caramel creme with a honeycomb on top. 

Various Peruvian-inspired bites

But it seems the soul of Ucha is the bar where the cocktails are made. Valverde explained that before the restaurant opened, the team went down to Peru and visited several restaurants that are in the World's 50 Best list and at each place tried about 10 cocktails, as well as many dishes.

For those who are looking for spirit-free cocktails like, me, the chicha morada was like a fancy juice made from purple corn, pineapple, green apple, cinnamon and lime, and the pachamama that was a non-alcoholic Old Fashioned using rose, black tea, amarno, chocolate and palo santo with an ice cube with "Ucha" embossed on it.

At the party there were some elderly Chinese men taking in the food and drink and we asked one who they were. He explained they were with the Chan Wing Chung Tong Society of Canada, who rented the space to the restaurant group.

We asked him how much the rent was, and he said it was four figures which we thought was very reasonable for a restaurant like this, charging Suyo prices in Chinatown. 

Spirit-free Old Fashioned

It will be interesting to see how Uchu does in this location, will people be interested in coming here in the evenings with drug addicts hanging out on the streets? Nevertheless we do wish Valverde all the best because Vancouver is seeing more places close than open at the moment. It's a challenging time in the restaurant industry when people can't really afford to eat out these days...

Review: Hamnet

Buckley and Mescal star in the Oscar-nominated Hamnet

The heavy rain today was a good reason to head to the theatre to watch Hamnet, the film by Chloe Zhao that has been nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay and best actress.

I have to admit I did not see Nomadland so I was not sure what I was expecting with Hamnet.

It is a devastating, intense processing of grief, and how people deal with it differently.

Buckley plays Agnes, Shakespeare's wife

Zhao wrote the screenplay with Maggie O'Farrell, who wrote the novel, fictionalising what William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley) might have gone through when their son Hamnet dies at the age of 11.

The scene opens with two tall trees with their roots entwined, as Agnes lies curled up near their roots; she is a free-spirited, strong-headed woman, the daughter of a forest witch, who knows herbal medicinal treatments, and when holding someone's hand, can see into their futures.

Shakespeare is a Latin tutor, frustrated as he is working to pay off his father's debts. He wants to write plays, but is stuck in a small village. He meets Agnes and to help the story move along quickly, they get married and have children, an older daughter Susanna and twins, Hamnet and Judith.

But the bubonic plague spreads and Hamnet dies, and this scene is absolutely tragic, watching Agnes' reaction. In an podcast interview with the New York Times, Buckley says there was no particular direction in the script about how the scene would play out; they just let the camera roll, and viewers are in agony watching Agnes in raw emotional pain.

Watson delivers important lines in the film

She and Shakespeare deal with the immense grief differently, causing the pair to have a rift between them, and the audience wonders how or if that will ever be reconciled. 

Meanwhile, Shakespeare's mother (Emily Watson) says the most poignant lines in the film, as she too has experienced the loss of a child.

"What is given may be taken away, at anytime," she says. "The trick is never to let down your guard. Never think you are safe. Never take for granted that your children's hearts beat, that they sup milk, that they draw breath, that they walk and speak and smile and argue and play. Never for a moment forget they may be gone, snatched from you in the blink of any eye, borne away from you like thistledown."

It is words of advice that transcend time.

Hamnet is a slow-moving film, giving a lot of time for the actors and the scene to breathe before moving on. The bubonic plague is not a big storyline in the plot, but it's not really hovering much in the background either. 

Zhao (middle) with the cast of Hamnet

There is a belief that Shakespeare spent more time in London than Stratford-Upon-Avon because he did not like his wife, but author O'Farrell says there is no evidence of him detesting her. So she reframed the their relationship as a loving one, and focusing more on Agnes, rather than the Bard.

Perhaps that explains why Buckley has the best actress nomination, but Mescal also deserves a nod for his portrayal of a frustrated artist who channeled his anger and grief into one of his best plays, Hamlet.

Interesting to note that Buckley says while shooting the film she was so keen on having a child that after they finished filming, she got pregnant a month afterwards.

She first saw the film eight months pregnant and says the experience of being Agnes has profoundly affected her as a mother.

Hamnet

Directed by Chloe Zhao

126 minutes

Let the Winter Games Begin

The cauldron at Milano was lit creating a giant fireball

The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics has officially begun and the opening ceremonies went off without a hitch -- including the woman showing Italian hand gestures as her microphones didn't work (on purpose). 

Nice blend of classical with Andrea Bocelli singing Nessun Dorma, and Lang Lang on the piano in a white suit and black shoes, and a voluptuous Mariah Carey in her regal robes belting out Volare.

How the Italians dealt with the lighting of the cauldron in two locations was spectacularly done, with the sun-like structure inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's intricate knot designs. It turned from blue to red and set off the fireworks which was an exhilarating display.

Can we talk about some of the uniforms?

Canadians wear maple leafs on their bodies

Some loved the Canadian uniform designed by Lululemon with the giant red maple leaf on the maroon-coloured vest that is draped over the shoulders, on top of a long brown coat. Apparently the vest can be worn as a scarf -- wonder if an athlete can model this for us -- and it can also double as a pillow. Useful?

Others preferred the Roots designs from before featuring red and white varsity jackets with the red berets worn backwards. 

Probably the most consistently preppy are the American uniforms designed by Ralph Lauren, unabashedly featuring the American flag all over the sweaters and jackets. 

Mongolia got a shout-out for its traditional garb, inspired by the 13th and 15th Mongol Empire. The long robes were made with Mongolian cashmere and designed to keep the athletes warm, as they would have done centuries ago.

Shades of blue from the Chinese team

But what about China? Was someone in the Chinese committee tired of the red and yellow colour scheme? In previous years Chinese netizens have made fun of the colour combination, saying the look was reminiscent of scrambled eggs and tomato, a homestyle dish.

This year the Chinese team was dressed by Li-Ning and the athletes came out in shades of blue -- dark for men, pastel for women. How yawningly predictable. 

Nevertheless, Chinese state media have praised the uniforms, adding netizens have commented, "China looks awesome" and "This looks so cool."

Can we also talk about no sign of Eileen Gu, the Chinese-American freestyle skier who makes US$23 million a year from non-sports activities from modelling to endorsements? She was not the flag bearer again this year.

This will be her second Olympics after she won two golds and a silver at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games and conveniently seems to be able to represent China despite holding two passports (which China does not allow dual citizenship). 

Will Gu repeat her medal performance this year?

In several interviews over the years, Gu has said: "When I'm in the US, I'm American, but when I'm in China, I'm Chinese."

That statement seems to fit neatly into one comment online: "Being Chinese like Eileen Gu once every four years is just about right; being Chinese everyday is a bit too challenging."

The scrutiny of this 22-year-old continues! And it will keep going if she competes again in 2030...

Canadian is Top Dog at Westminster Show

Linton with Penny and their prizes as Best in Show

Did you catch the 150th Westminster Kennel Dog Show the other day? Penny, the statuesque Doberman pinscher beat out an Afghan hound, an Old English Sheepdog, and a smooth fox terrier for the big prize.

What's especially cool about Penny is that she's from Toronto, Canada.

Her handler, Andy Linton, was very pleased -- he last won -- also with another Doberman pinscher called Indy back in 1989. 

This win with Penny was especially sweet, as Linton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a few years ago. "I had some goals, and this was one of them."

Linton kisses Penny on their win

He has explained in interviews what it feels like to have the degenerative disease that affects movement and speech, which can impact his confidence and physical coordination when competing.

"Some days you just don't feel like moving. You're stiff and stuck in a place," he said.

But training four-year-old Penny kept him motivated.

"She's really helped me out considerably, over the last year especially," Linton said.

Originally from Brush Prairie, Washington state, Linton started out being a surfer in Southern California, not a dog handler.

But in the 1970s he started learning how to train dogs for competition, and showed his first dog in 1974 at the Beverly Hills Kennel Club. 

In 1989 he won the Westminster Kennel Dog Show -- the World Cup for dogs -- with Indy, a red Doberman. But it was quite tense days before the competition.

Penny posing with the New York skyline

When the dog arrived from California to New York, Indy almost died of bloating, with a grossly dilated stomach.

She was rushed to the Animal Medical Center where the vets knew they were dealing with a dog in competition and so they fed the dog intravenously through her legs than shave her coat. Afterwards she rested and the rest is history.

"It's pretty weird to do this 37 years later, after I've done it before," Linton said. "It's kind of an emotional moment for me."

Indeed -- what an accomplishment especially with his own personal health challenges. Highly respected by his peers, Linton has proven he is not a one-hit wonder, and plans to continue working with six dogs as long as he can.

As for Penny, after a tour around New York, including a photo call at the top of the Empire State Building, she returned to Toronto.

"Penny's going to retire from showing and become a certified therapy dog, because she loves to be pet so much," said her owner Theresa Connors-Chan. "And hopefully she'll be a mama."

Vancouver Will Have One Night of Fireworks

The city will have a fireworks show this year

What does $2 million (US$1.46 million) buy you in Vancouver?

A two or three bedroom condo in Kitsilano or downtown, or perhaps a detached house in East Vancouver.

The $2 million could be used to keep libraries open seven days a week, or give to food banks to ensure people have food to eat, fix potholes, or fund arts groups so they can hold their annual events.

But no, Mayor Ken Sim and his ABC Vancouver majority have voted to spend $2 million on fireworks for an hour this summer.

The three-day Celebration of Light, a fireworks competition that was held for three decades was cancelled indefinitely last year because of the lack of federal funding, and Sim felt it was necessary to bring it back -- kind of.

He said it was a "deeply personal" issue, claiming his family had "struggled financially" when he was young, and really looked forward to free events like the fireworks.

Sim added the city had "never pulled our support" from the fireworks, and "had already committed $1.4 million to the event", so the increase is actually $600,000.

Sounds like someone is trying to massage the numbers.

His opponents on city council were not impressed, smelling smoke.

Green councillor Pete Fry, who has also announced he will run for mayor later this year, said that the event was not financially viable.

"The reality is that it was a business model that was not sustainable," he said. "They couldn't make it work, for a variety of reasons, including the lack of federal funding. We need to recognise that we are in this austerity budget. ... We're talking about the allocation of $2 million at a time when this city has talked about a zero means zero austerity budget."

In November City Council voted for a zero percent increase in property taxes, but that meant 400 jobs cut, while utility fees for water, garbage and sewer will go up 4 percent.

Meanwhile COPE councillor Sean Orr also questioned if it was worth spending $2 million on a one-hour fireworks show.

We also wondered that too. The fireworks show would be literally burning money in the sky for an hour. And then what?

While there are complaints that Vancouver is a "no-fun city", now isn't the time to put on something so frivolous. 

It's Sim's attempt at getting in voters' good books before the upcoming civic election later this year. Will voters return the favour?

So Long, Sammy's Kitchen

Restaurant was an institution for over 50 years

The latest old school restaurant to close in Hong Kong is Sammy's Kitchen in Sheung Wan. It was well known for its giant neon cow sign which was taken down in 2015 after it was deemed an illegal structure, but thankfully it is preserved at M+ in West Kowloon.

It was sad news to hear of its impending closure, but it wasn't the first time the restaurant threatened to shutter.

One could have escargots in garlic butter sauce

Back in 2017 the owners announced they would close Sammy's Kitchen and like many others I rushed over to try it, not once but twice. It was so busy before the purported closure that it actually continued operating, until a few days ago on January 31.

The restaurant was best known for Hong Kong style western food, like beef Stroganoff, escargots with garlic butter baked in cheese, beef Wellington and even Chateaubriand for two. Don't forget desserts like peach Alaska, souffle, and banana flambe.

It was opened over 50 years ago by Sammy Yip and his friends, who had experience working in hotel kitchens and decided to strike out on their own.

When I went nine years ago, the cavernous, dim restaurant was run down and tired. Tables were covered in plastic sheets with a Burberry tartan design. 

Hong Kong style western food on the menu

The menu, presented in plastic binders had so many dishes, one wondered how the kitchen in the back could produce all those items, but apparently did, arriving piping hot at the table.

Did no one think to at least edit down the menu a bit to make it easier for the kitchen and control food costs a bit more?

Nevertheless, perhaps there is a time and place for things and the food at Sammy's Kitchen is long past it's due date. 

There are many other restaurants in Hong Kong that do beef Wellington and Chateaubriand much better, though I will concede probably cost more. And in general diners are more sophisticated and expect better quality, which is why they have also moved on from Sammy's Kitchen.

At least we'll have the neon cow sign to remember it by.

End of the Line for Frozen Juice from Concentrate

Frozen juice from concentrate will be discontinued

A core memory from childhood is about to go the way of the rotary phone, the fax machine and CD player.

It's frozen juice from concentrate.

By April Minute Maid will discontinue producing frozen juices as consumer demand declines and tastes have changed.

I remember when we bought these canned juices and I would wait for them to thaw out for a bit before opening the can and turning it upside down for the bright orange cylinder-shaped slush to drop with a thud into the juice container before adding three cans of cold water and then mixing it with a wooden spoon. Voila! Instant orange juice.

Minute Maid makes not only orange juice, but also lemonade, Fruitopia fruit punch, and Five Alive juice blend.

But these days consumers don't want the hassle of having to make juice from concentrate when they can just buy it in a bottle from the supermarket, though juice consumption has fallen because of concerns of the amount of sugar in these drinks.

It turns out frozen juice has been around since World War II when food scientists had to improve food and beverage quality for American soldiers. 

Then when Bing Crosby collaborated with Minute Maid on an animated commercial featuring the juice in the late 1940s, the product took off in the domestic market.

But now nearly 80 years later, only 7 percent of consumers are buying frozen juice from concentrate; more people are drinking water or probiotic drinks like kombucha.

I'm the latter category of drinking water, but it was fun making orange juice back in the day...