Where to go
Enlighten Festival is back with plenty to see, hear, eat and enjoy, not just this weekend, but until March 11. At the Festival Hub in the National Triangle will be plenty of food and drink choices.
Enlighten After Dark has attractions and businesses throughout Canberra hosting free and ticketed events including Questacon By Night, CANcophony and The People's House: Back to the '80s at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Before Us in Civic Square presents 17 illuminated prehistoric creatures including a Tyrannosaurus rex and interactive performances by Erth (5 to 11pm daily). Also worth noting is the Canberra Balloon Spectacular (March 9 to 17), overlapping with Enlighten, which brings lots of colour to the sky.
What to listen to
With crime - proven and alleged, solved and unsolved - an ongoing phenomenon in Australia, why not try a true crime podcast or two?
We have no shortage of Australian examples of crimes old and new as subjects and no shortage of podcasts about them. Here are just a few. Searching for Rachel Antonio (iTunes | Player.FM) is about a woman who disappeared in the North Queensland town of Bowen on Anzac Day in 1998. Bowraville (iTunes, Stitcher) examines a series of small-town killings in the early 1990s. And Trace (iTunes, Player.FM) delves into the 1989 murder of Maria James, the single mother of two boys, was was stabbed 68 times in her home.
What to eat
Canberra's own burger restaurant Brodburger's has a couple of reasons to celebrate. It's turning 15 and it's opening its first Tuggeranong restaurant. To make these events, on Friday March 1 from 5 to 8pm at the new location (The Point, South.Point, 76 Athllon Drive, Greenway) Brod will be giving away free burgers (beef, chicken and veg) accompanied by live entertainment. Whether or not you make it there and score a freebie, any day is a good day for a Brodburger.
Where to buy and sell
You've heard of spring cleaning, but here's something different. An Autumn Seasonal Clear-Out will be held on Saturday and Sunday (March 2 and 3) at Tuggeranong Laneway, Cowlishaw Street Greenway from 9am. Discover bargains, sell your pre-loved items or even barter with fellow attendees. The event is intended to caters to families looking to explore and get rid a wide range of goodies while fostering a sense of community spirit. Tickets: allevents.in.
What to see
African en Cirque showcases gravity-defying acrobats and African rhythms along with the contemporary sounds of Afro-Jazz, percussion, and the harp-like kora. It embodies the strength, agility, and joy found in African youth. Created by Kalabanté Productions' artistic director Yamoussa Bangoura, it was inspired by daily life in Guinea. African en Cirque is on at the Canberra Theatre on Friday March 1 and Saturday March 2. See: canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
What to watch
Combat Wombat Back 2 Back (PG, 81 minutes):
The Sanctuary City crime rate is at an all-time low, and Combat Wombat is now expected to spend her days helping unclog drains. But when evil tech genius Lenny Glick threatens to trap the whole city in a "perfect" metaverse simulation, Combat Wombat and her sidekick Sweetie must work together to save the day.
Dune Part 2 (M, 166 minutes):
Duke Paul Atreides joins the Fremen and begins a spiritual and martial journey to become the leader Muad'dib, while trying to prevent the future he's witnessed: a Holy War in his name, spreading throughout the known universe.
Four Daughters (M, 100 minutes):
Two of the four daughters of Tunisian woman Olfa disappear. To fill their absence, director Kaouther Ben Hania calls upon professional actors and sets up an extraordinary film mechanism to unveil the story.
English subtitles.
Subtraction (M, 108 minutes):
Farzaneh (Taraneh Alidoosti) spots a man on a city bus who looks like her husband, Jalal (Navid Mohammadzadeh) and follows him to an unfamiliar building where he enters an apartment to meet with another woman.
She is convinced she's caught him in an affair but he says he was a long away at the time. Then Jalal decides to check out the house for himself.
English subtitles.
Now screening
The Rooster (MA15+, 101 minutes, three stars).
Mark Leonard Winter's debut as writer and director is a dark story about a cop trying to uncover the truth about his friend's death from an angry hermit.
- Ron Cerabona
The Zone of Interest (MA15+, 105 minutes, five stars):
This devastating drama set in Rudolf Hoss's home next to Auschwitz-Birkenau is powerful in its restraint.
- Jane Freebury
