Guillermo del Toro resurrects Mary Shelley’s myth in a gothic and deeply human vision. Premiered at the Venice Film Festival in late summer 2025, Frankenstein marks Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited return to the themes that define his work: monstrosity, compassion, and creation itself. A US–Mexican co-production, the film opened in select theaters on October 17, … Continue reading “Del Toro’s Frankenstein: A Gothic Vision for Netflix”
Wicked is back, with a vengeance and for good! The second part of the adventures of Elphaba and Glinda is released on 19 November, revealing another aspect of these two women’s relationship. Whether you teach A1+ students or B1 ones, these activities will help you explore the world of Wicked. We offer 2 levels of analysis … Continue reading “Wicked for Good”
On 4 November, Zohran Mamdani won the election to be Mayor of New York City at the age of just 34. Although a Democrat following two Democrats may not seem revolutionary, Mamdani, who describes himself as a Socialist, is far from the current line of the party. His youth delighted the many grassroots supporters who … Continue reading “Zohran Mamdani, A New Political Era for NYC”
Many of you asked if we would be producing a Reading Guide on Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, which is now on the LLCER Terminale curriculum. We are happy to announce that it is now at the printers and will be available in the middle of November. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born in 1977 and … Continue reading “New Reading Guide: Americanah”
The rooms of the Tate Modern are filled with the monumental art of Emily Kam Kngwarry, who depicted the life and beliefs of her Indigenous community in Australia’s Northern Territory. Kngwarry came late to art and spent the last eight years of her long life producing giant paintings which are now considered the forefront of … Continue reading “First Australian Art”
The Commonwealth Youth Awards honour young people from around the world for their work trying to advance one or more of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. This year’s winner, Stanley Chidubem Anigbogu from Nigeria, founded an organisation to transform waste into solar energy for people who have limited access to energy. The Commonwealth is a … Continue reading “Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2025”
South African creator William Kentridge first transposed Goethe’s Faustus selling his soul to the devil to the African continent 30 years ago. Against a backdrop of colonialism, it uses life-like puppets alongside actors to portray Faustus on safari in Africa. A new production arrives in Paris fresh from the Edinburgh Festival. Kentridge is a a … Continue reading “Faustus in Africa”
The Netflix series Wednesday, now in its second season, draws upon the Addams Family cartoons created by Charles Addams in the 1930s. But it also takes inspiration from the abundant mythology of supernatural creatures in Western culture. The Addams family are part of a world called the Outcasts. The various outcasts have different powers. For … Continue reading “Wednesday Addams and Mythological Creatures”
Late-night comedy shows have been a fixture of American TV since the 1950s. A mix of satire, comedy, music and celebrity guests, they are known for their criticism of politics and those in the public eye. It came as a shock to audiences when Stephen Colbert, host of the long-running The Late Show, announced in … Continue reading “No More Late Show”
As the final film in the Downton Abbey saga is released, these activities will help your students learn more not only about this final film and its plot but also about the era or rather the “end of an era” in which the lines between classes are blurred and the upper-class world is about to … Continue reading “Downton Abbey: End of an Era”
