Ruby Ruiz plays Sister Yolanda in this year's MIFF entry 'First Light'
She followed a Catholic Nun's daily life in a convent to give her an idea on how to portray Sister Yolanda.
She fondly recalls Director James Robinson's effort to speak in Filipino and his kindless to the film's cast and crew.
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ABC News
7 hours ago
- ABC News
Booming Asian music markets provide new opportunities for aspiring musicians
For generations of aspiring Australian musicians, there was a simple recipe for success: pack your bags and move to the UK or US. This rite of passage helped forge the careers of many Australian superstars, from AC/DC and Nick Cave to Sia and Iggy Azalea. But the dominance of Western markets is being challenged by the growing prestige and influence of the music business in Asia. The shift can be seen on streaming service Spotify, where the most-followed artist is no longer US pop superstar Taylor Swift, but Indian singer Arijit Singh. And it's changing how artists and educators think about where the opportunities lie for international acclaim. At the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney, the curriculum has been shaped with Asia in mind. The college has spent years building ties with institutions in countries including South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and India. They bring in practitioners from across Asia to hold workshops; there's even talk of a trip to Seoul to learn about K-pop. Senior academic lecturer Chris Fields said music education in Australia was catching up with long-standing industry trends. "So moving away from the Western classical system necessarily, especially amongst jazz curriculums." At a practical level, students explore core musical concepts through multiple, multicultural lenses. "Rhythm and melody, these things are kind of universal but the way that traditions deal with them can be vastly different," Mr Fields said. Huge populations, rising incomes and increased digital connectivity are all helping the music business across Asia grow. In 2024, 45 per cent of all global revenue from the physical sale of recorded music, such as CDs and vinyl, came from Asia, according to the International Federation of Phonographic Industry's Global Music Report. North America and Europe still remain the biggest regional markets once digital products, such as streaming and downloads, are included. The US is still the biggest single market but Asian countries have cracked the top 10, with Japan ranked second in the world, China fifth and South Korea seventh. Music labels such as Warner and Universal are investing in the region, while Western artists collaborate with Asian idols. In the past two years, Lady Gaga performed with Korean girl group Blackpink, Ed Sheeran with Singaporean singer JJ Lin and Usher with Malaysian artist Yuna. Several Australians or those with strong ties to Australia have also built careers in Asia, particularly in the K-pop scene. Rose from Blackpink grew up in Melbourne; Bang Chan and Felix from Stray Kids, lived in Sydney; and Jake from Emhypen moved to Brisbane when he was nine. Pop singer-songwriter Satsuki moved from Sydney to Osaka, Japan, almost a decade ago. Big cities and good transportation make touring much more economical in Japan and artists can also rely on a revenue stream that has dramatically disappeared in the West: CD sales. "I didn't have any CDs at the start because I didn't have any use for them," Satsuki said. "The fact that we still sell them, that we still have CD stores is, I think, incredible. "People love having physical media and physical cover art, lyric books and all that kind of stuff." Satsuki said Japan also had an "incredibly interesting and very diverse" music industry. "Take BabyMetal, for example," Satsuki said. "They're fronted by these three, very cutesy girls that sing in a cutesy way, but also have this very, authentic metal band supporting them. "That kind of combination, I don't think you really see in the West and I think it allows people to explore different types of genres and looks and images." Asia also has opportunities for those who want to build a career behind the scenes in the music business. The film and TV industry is blossoming in many Asian countries, and someone needs to compose the soundtrack of the latest K-drama or Bollywood hit. Mr Fields said there were also opportunities to write for video games. "And if you think about the diversity of environments, playing scenarios and all these types of things, having a global perspective on sounds and ideas and these other things is critical," he said. "I've done some session work for movies in India. I know people that compose here for movies being released in India, in the US, in Brazil. "Composition and performing is global now." First-year student Ivana Yue is looking to build a career in sound design, especially for musical theatre. Her cross-cultural work reflects her background; she grew up in Hong Kong but attended an Australian International School. "My favourite thing to do is to take patterns and melodic repetitions and themes from Asian-inspired music and put it into Westernised orchestral pieces. "I also love using different Chinese scales as well, and even Japanese scales." Finding success as a musician is rarely easy, regardless of whether you look East or West. Cultural barriers, language constraints and protectionist attitudes can make it tough to crack into a foreign market. And while some countries may be reluctant to embrace outsiders, cultural exchange helped shape one of the biggest success stories in the region: K-pop. University of Malaya associate professor Jimmyn Parc said when modern K-pop emerged in the 1990s, it incorporated many elements from Western music. "There were a lot of things from United States, hip hop and reggae, and people actually complained a lot," he said. "They said, 'This is not Korean. We should not accept these kinds of things.
News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
Inside Hong Kong's best kept secrets: Art, islands and Michelin dining
Hong Kong is a well known foodie haven but travellers might not realise the other thrilling activities it has to offer from world class museums with interactive exhibitions that provide social media gold, day trips to islands and shopping gems from local creatives. Just five days in Hong Kong can help you escape a brutal Aussie winter and allow you to pack in a range of cultural delights while feasting on tasty dishes. Surprisingly, one of the biggest highlights of Hong Kong for me was its art scene. It has a dedicated art park an easy MTR ride from the city centre, where you can spend a full day as it also boasts a load of restaurants and market stalls on some days. I started the day at the Hong Kong Palace Museum where I was given a fascinating insight into Chinese art and culture and particularly about the historical lives of emperors and their many lovers. It holds an extraordinarily vast collection of over 1.86 million cultural objects based on the Ming and Qing imperial periods. The standout though was an immersive and interactive digital exhibition with explosive light shows, patterns and pictures moving across walls, the roof, huge dishes in the centre of the room and fabrics. Here you can see trees bloom, birds fly, cats jump out of the display on to the wall, step on plants on the ground to see flowers grow, watch a golden dragon swirl across the roof and create your own fish to swim around the walls. This was an incredible exhibition that filled me with wonder and joy and would be an Instagrammer's dream. I then took in Hong Kong's waterfront in the art park before stopping for a quick bite at a French eatery called Crepes & Bakes and heading off to M+, a museum that opened just four years ago, and gives visitors a huge selection of contemporary art. I loved the exhibition that included original works from Picasso and Chinese art inspired by the famous painter. Meanwhile, an impressive room showcases newspapers and magazines filling the room as a boy stands in the middle surrounded by Barbie dolls and other toys with paper planes hanging above. Other exhibitions showcase art such as neon culture and architectural icons. Another day trip idea is to catch a ferry out to one of the many islands off Hong Kong. I spent a day at Cheung Chau Island which offers old world charm and a laid back vibe. There I enjoyed snapping pictures of boats piled into the harbour and fish drying out on nets, spotting fisherman trying to make their latest catch and enjoyed relaxing by the seaside with a watermelon juice. It was a particularly hot day so it might be a better choice to visit during the cooler months. I also enjoyed a seafood lunch at Hing Lok Restaurant which included huge scallops, crispy squid, prawn fried rice and sweet and sour pork too. I grabbed a mango mochi from Wang Sing Dessert and it was huge and stuffed with the fresh fruit – nothing like the small round ones we get in Australia. On the way back to the hotel I checked out Central Markets, one of Hong Kong's former first wet markets, which has now been transformed into retail and food stores and offers cute souvenirs. I also dropped into PMQ, which is the former Police Married Quarters, that has been reimagined into a home for a 100 local creatives. I picked up an awesome original board game involving ships, pirate attacks and bombs which has been a hit at home but there are plenty of quirky options. Also stop in for a drink at Tai Kwun, where a huge courtyard in the centre also offers fun life-size games such as naughts and crosses. I was spoiled with a number of extraordinary dining experiences, including at some restaurants boasting Michelin stars. The most exceptional experience was at TATE Dining Room, the two Michelin star restaurant from chef Vicky Lau. It was theatre, a feast for the eyes and tastebuds and a magical experience all in one. My menu was a specially curated seven course meal with an ode to food groups including century egg, asparagus, mushroom, scallop, groupa, lamb and sakura. I can't emphasise how delicious every bite was, how beautifully presented each dish was and the care and the details put into each element. Standouts included the century egg mimosa with crabmeat, aubergine and delicate rice vinegar jelly as well as the shiitake mushroom braised with earthly mushroom ragout and sticky rice which also came with a mushroom tea. The rack of saddle lamb with citrus lam jus and Mongolian chive flower relish melted in my mouth and the lamb dumplings on the side were incredible. The evening ended with a memorable flourish as a cabinet was wheeled over to the table and the doors opened to reveal a selection of dainty handmade sweets where you could pick as many as you wanted. I would also highly recommend the restaurant the Grand Majestic Sichuan where the staff welcome you in like family and it has a pumping, party atmosphere with even a trip to the bathroom meaning you can grab a sneaky glass of champagne. It has glamorous red booths to dine in or an outdoor area too and staff were attentive and chatty, with the New Zealand sommelier on point with this wine selections. The food here was divine with highlights including the chilli oil pork wontons, kung pao prawns and tangerine peel beef. I also saw the spectacular show of Dan Dan noodles being finished and plated at tables which looked delicious. I finished the night with an ice jelly dessert that had candied strawberries and blueberries. Another trendy restaurant was the farm to table concept restaurant is Cafe Bau by Demon Chef Alvin Leung, which offered a beautiful selection of dishes inspired by the culture but in a modern way. I feasted on blue crab jelly with homemade cheese, blue crab and heirloom tomato jus, jinga shrimp with gado gado and lobster sabayon with mushroom duxelles and citrus. Dessert was intriguing with some very unusual ingredients — black bean, black garlic and caramel emulsion. Overlooking Hong Kong's waterfront, I also had lunch at Lung King Heen at Fours Seasons Hotel which was awarded two Michelin stars this year. I heard how the chef Chan Yan Tak started working at age 13 and retired but has now returned to the kitchen in his seventies. This was very traditional food although some dishes like abalone puff had been given a twist. This dish usually doesn't include the sea snail meat, but the chef had decided to make it true to its name and it also came with diced chicken baked in a pineapple bun. The menu featured steamed sea bass and shredded pork with 25-year dried mandarin peel, fried rice with Australian quail and chilled mango and sago cream. For cheaper eats check out Ling Heung Lau, which offers traditional dim sum, and has been running since 1923 aside from a 20 month closure when the family in charge decided to move on and it was reopened by the workers. I also stopped in for a tasty bowl of wonton noodle soup for just $8 at Taim Chai Kee Noodle – don't let the long line put you off either, it moves fast. The sourdough egg tarts from Bakehouse are divine and a must eat while in Hong Kong. Back to exploring the city, one morning I hopped on a Ding Ding tram to see some of Hong Kong island – it was great to take in the city – but be warned there is not airconditioning so it's a sweaty ride. It wouldn't be a visit to Hong Kong either without a trip up the Peak Tram, the city's famous funicular railway operating since 1888. It's a bit of an odd feeling going up as it's quite steep but it's worth it for the spectacular views of Hong Kong from above, while you can also take a number of paths around to soak in different perspectives and a bit of nature away from the concrete jungle. Meanwhile, it can't be overlooked that Hong Kong has been struggling to lure more international travellers back to the country. Its image has taken a battering with pro democracy protests, China's crackdown on freedoms including Hong Kong authorities recently issuing arrest warrants for 19 foreign nationals accused of national security crimes and a strict shutdown of the border for years during Covid. Part of the country's plans to lure in new visitors has included securing world-class acts such as Coldplay and upgrading its Rugby Sevens tournament venue, but its homegrown offerings should not be overlooked. Special world-class experiences at Michelin star restaurants, nibbling on tasty treats from the city's bakeries, taking in the street art, relaxing ferry trips to explore an island offering some of the best seafood and incredible art experiences are all waiting for visitors. Last year it welcomed nearly 45 million tourists, a 31 per cent jump from 2023.
SBS Australia
a day ago
- SBS Australia
'First Light', a story created by Pinoy-Aussie featuring Kidlat Tahimik, Maricel Soriano, and Ruby Ruiz
First Light was first written in English and translated into FIlipino a few times before it the final translation used in the film's dialogue. The film is a collaboration between Filipino-Australian creatives and Filipino creatives with support from MIFF, Screen Australia,VicScreen and Film Devcelopment Council of the Philippines. The film features Kidlat Tahimik, Maricel Soriano and Ruby Ruiz. The film was shot in Rizal and Baguio. LISTEN TO SBS Filipino 23:27 Filipino 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino 📲 Catch up episodes and stories – Visit or stream on Spotify , Apple Podcasts , Youtube Podcasts , and SBS Audio app.
