Martin Cid's Blog: Martin Cid Magazine, page 13

James Turrell to Present Major Solo Exhibition at Pace Gallery in Seoul

Pace Gallery will host “The Return,” a significant solo exhibition by the American artist James Turrell, at its Seoul gallery. The exhibition, his first solo presentation in the city in over fifteen years, will feature five recent large-scale installations. The event is a key component of the gallery’s 65th-anniversary celebrations, which highlight artists with whom Pace has maintained long-standing relationships.

The exhibition will occupy all three floors of the gallery, offering a comprehensive look at Turrell’s recent work. A central feature will be a new, site-specific Wedgework installation, a series in which projected light forms illusory planes, lending the immaterial medium a tangible presence that appears to alter the dimensions of the room. The presentation will also bring together several pieces from the artist’s Glassworks series, including large-scale curved, circular, and diamond-shaped examples. The concurrent display of these varied forms offers a notable opportunity to experience the breadth of this body of work.

A key figure of the Light and Space movement, Turrell has dedicated his career to an investigation of light and perception. His practice, which he describes as “perceptual art,” moves beyond the traditional object to create immersive environments where light itself is the medium. These works are designed to provoke a state of reflexive perception, or what the artist terms “seeing yourself seeing.”

Complementing the installations will be a selection of works on paper that illuminate the artist’s process. The exhibition will include a new series of Wedgework prints that explore the formal and chromatic possibilities of the installations. Further context will be provided by works related to Turrell’s monumental and ongoing Roden Crater project—a large-scale artwork and naked-eye observatory within a dormant volcano in Arizona—as well as aquatints and woodcuts connected to his 2014 installation Aten Reign at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.

James Turrell (b. 1943, Los Angeles) began his relationship with Pace Gallery’s founder, Arne Glimcher, nearly sixty years ago, with the gallery formally representing him since 2002. His work is held in major institutional collections globally, including the Museum SAN in Wonju, the Bonte Museum on Jeju Island, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

“The Return” will be on view from June 14 to September 27, 2025.

Netflix’s SEC Football: Any Given Saturday – A Cinematic Dissection of a Sporting Subculture

The new docuseries SEC Football: Any Given Saturday has premiered globally on the Netflix streaming platform, presenting an eight-episode immersive chronicle of the 2024 season within the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Produced by Box to Box Films, the studio behind the Emmy-winning Formula 1: Drive to Survive and the Oscar-winning feature Amy, the series applies a now-signature model of cinematic non-fiction to the culturally entrenched world of American collegiate football. The production provides unfiltered access to the teams, coaches, and players, documenting the immense psychological pressure and emotional stakes that define life inside one of the sport’s most intense athletic organizations.

A Proven Formula Applied to a New Arena

The series is the latest application of the distinct narrative and aesthetic formula that has become the hallmark of Box to Box Films. The studio has built its reputation on crafting character-centric documentaries that transform real-world events into compelling dramatic narratives. This approach proved transformative for Formula 1, making a technical and seemingly niche sport accessible to a broad international audience and significantly expanding its global fanbase. SEC Football: Any Given Saturday is a calculated strategic effort to apply this successful template to American college football, a sport with a deeply passionate regional following but less global penetration. The creative team is led by seasoned producers James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin, whose decorated collaborations include the documentaries Senna and Amy, alongside executive producer Hillary Olsen and showrunner Collin Orcutt.

A crucial element of the series’ creative direction is producer Paul Martin’s perspective as a European filmmaker examining the subject with an outsider’s curiosity. This is a deliberate methodological choice. By treating the sport’s traditions—the colossal stadiums, the elaborate marching band performances, the fierce regional rivalries—as unique cultural phenomena rather than familiar tropes, the series deconstructs them for a global audience. This lens also allows domestic viewers to see their own cultural passions reframed with the gravitas of a prestige documentary. The production captures the complete ecosystem of the sport, with film crews gaining intimate access to team buses, locker rooms, and even players’ private lives in settings like barbershops to document the all-encompassing demands of being a Division 1 athlete.

SEC Football Any Given Saturday – Netflix

Narrative Construction and Thematic Arcs

The narrative architecture of SEC Football: Any Given Saturday deliberately eschews a straightforward chronological recap of the 2024 season. Instead, its eight 45-minute episodes, all released simultaneously to facilitate binge-viewing, are structured around interwoven character arcs and thematic parallels. This is a signature of the Box to Box style, which consistently prioritizes human drama over exhaustive sports reportage. A central narrative axis in the early episodes, for example, is the juxtaposition of two head coaches with starkly contrasting philosophies: Brian Kelly of Louisiana State University (LSU), a disciplinarian whose intensity is immediately established, and Shane Beamer of the University of South Carolina, who works to build a program in the shadow of his father’s legacy through positive reinforcement. The series introduces them on divergent paths at the season’s start, building narrative tension toward their dramatic week-three matchup.

This method of narrative construction demonstrates a clear editorial choice to curate reality for dramatic effect. The filmmakers prioritize the emotional arc of their subjects, at times at the expense of comprehensive game details. A notable example from the premiere is the decision to omit a controversial penalty that nullified a key interception during the LSU-South Carolina game. The focus remains instead on the raw, emotional reactions from the sidelines, a choice that better serves the character-driven story. The on-field events function as catalysts for the human drama, which is the series’ primary subject. The overarching themes that emerge are the immense psychological and physical pressures faced by student-athletes, the cultural centrality of football as a quasi-religion in the American South, and the constant negotiation of personal and collective identity within the crucible of elite competition.

Scope of Access and On-Screen Subjects

The series’ narrative is fundamentally shaped by the scope of access granted to its production team. While all 16 member programs of the Southeastern Conference were invited to participate, several of the conference’s most historically dominant teams declined, including the programs at the University of Georgia, the University of Alabama, the University of Texas, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Mississippi, and the University of Missouri. This production constraint, however, becomes a narrative asset. The absence of these traditional powerhouses forces the series to divert its focus from predictable championship storylines and instead uncover compelling narratives within other teams.

The result is a series of in-depth portraits of programs such as LSU, South Carolina, the University of Tennessee, the University of Arkansas, and Vanderbilt University. Key on-screen figures include coaches Kelly and Beamer, as well as players like Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, University of Florida quarterback D.J. Lagway, and LSU linebacker Whit Weeks. This selective access enables the development of potent underdog narratives. For instance, a comment from former Alabama coach Nick Saban dismissing Vanderbilt as the only non-threatening road venue in the SEC is used to frame the team’s subsequent victory over the Crimson Tide as a monumental achievement. With Alabama portrayed as a monolithic, largely unseen antagonist, the dramatic impact of the upset is amplified. The series thus tells the story of the SEC from the perspective of its challengers, offering a more nuanced and arguably more compelling portrait of the conference’s competitive landscape. To provide broader context and exposition, the series integrates commentary from established media figures like Andy Staples and Paul Finebaum, who function as analysts explaining the stakes and significance of unfolding events.

Cinematic Execution and Technical Language

The series employs a sophisticated visual and auditory language to elevate its documentary subjects into a cinematic experience. The cinematography utilizes a dual approach. On-field action is captured with high-resolution cameras, often combined with slow-motion effects to create a sense of hyper-realism and aesthetic grandeur, emphasizing the violent grace of the game. This is contrasted with the visual style for off-field scenes, which favors an observational, often handheld cinéma vérité approach. This intimate camerowork fosters a sense of immediacy and authenticity, placing the viewer directly within the personal and strategic spaces of the subjects.

The editing serves as a critical component of the series’ dramatic engine. The editors frequently employ cross-cutting to build suspense and draw thematic parallels, juxtaposing, for example, two opposing coaches preparing for the same game or a player’s tense family life with his struggles during practice. This rhythmic editing heightens the emotional stakes. The sound design is equally complex, creating an auditory assault that captures the chaotic soundscape of a stadium filled with ninety thousand people—from the deafening roar of the crowd to the precise sounds of the marching band and the brutal collisions on the field. This intensity is often contrasted with moments of stark quiet in a tense locker room or the hushed, intimate dialogue between a player and his family. Through this combination of advanced cinematographic, editing, and sound design techniques, the series successfully re-contextualizes known sporting events, shifting the focus from the outcome of the games to the human stories of the individuals who play them.

Conclusion

In summary, SEC Football: Any Given Saturday is a meticulously crafted and technically sophisticated entry in the expanding genre of prestige sports documentaries. It successfully applies the proven narrative formula of its production company, Box to Box Films, to the unique cultural and competitive environment of the Southeastern Conference. By prioritizing character-driven arcs, employing a cinematic aesthetic, and focusing on the human drama underlying the athletic competition, the series offers a compelling portrait of the pressure, tradition, and passion that define this level of American collegiate football.

The entire multi-episode season became available for global viewing on the Netflix platform on August 5, 2025.

The Curtain Falls for a Veteran of the Korean Scene: Song Young-kyu Dies at 55

A familiar face from the vibrant South Korean audiovisual industry, actor Song Young-kyu, has passed away at the age of 55. The performer was found lifeless inside a car on Monday morning in a residential complex in the city of Yongin, Gyeonggi province, by an acquaintance who immediately alerted the authorities.

While the exact cause of death is still under investigation, police have stated that there were no initial signs of foul play. The news has shocked the South Korean entertainment world, where Song had built a solid and respected career since his debut in 1994.

The actor’s passing is sadly preceded by a recent controversy. Last June, Song Young-kyu was arrested for driving under the influence, a fact that became public in July and had significant repercussions on his career. In South Korea, where public figures are held to a high moral standard, such scandals often have an immediate and severe impact.

Following the incident, Song was forced to step down from the play “Shakespeare in Love” and was removed from the cast of the television series “The Defects” and “The Winning Try,” which were in production. According to sources close to the actor, he was deeply affected by the malicious comments and the unfavorable circumstances arising from the incident.

Born on April 18, 1970, Song Young-kyu began his career in a children’s musical, “Wizard Mureul.” From there, he built an extensive and versatile career that led him to work in over 40 television dramas and numerous films. His ability to portray a wide range of characters made him a sought-after supporting actor in the industry.

International audiences will remember him for his roles in successful Netflix series like “Narco-Saints” (2022) and the Disney+ production “Big Bet” (2022-2023). However, one of his most celebrated roles was as the gruff but endearing squad chief Choi in the 2019 box-office hit “Extreme Job,” a performance that earned him widespread acclaim. Other notable works in his filmography include “Hyena,” “Stove League,” “Partners for Justice,” and “Reply 1988,” one of the most beloved series in South Korean television history.

The passing of Song Young-kyu leaves a void in South Korean entertainment, not only because of the tragic circumstances surrounding his death but also for the loss of a talented and dedicated actor who was a constant and reliable presence on screens for thirty years. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

“Beyond the Bar”: A New Legal Drama Examining the Ideals of Justice

The South Korean television industry, a consistent producer of globally successful legal dramas, introduces its latest entry, Beyond the Bar. The series is positioned as a sophisticated workplace and legal procedural, focusing on the intricate professional and personal conflicts within a premier law firm. The narrative centers on Kang Hyo-min, a rookie attorney whose pronounced sense of justice is matched only by her social ineptitude, as she joins the elite Yullim Law Firm. Her professional crucible is defined by her relationship with her mentor, Yoon Seok-hoon, a partner renowned for his legal brilliance and his equally formidable, unapproachable demeanor. The series enters a competitive field populated by critically and commercially successful titles like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Vincenzo, and Law School, which have set a high benchmark for the genre both domestically and internationally.

The series’ dual classification as a “legal” and “workplace” drama signals a deliberate narrative strategy to engage multiple audience demographics. This hybrid approach allows the story to explore the complex ethical dilemmas and procedural intricacies of the legal genre while simultaneously developing the character-driven office politics and mentorship arcs that are hallmarks of workplace dramas. Its thematic ambitions are further clarified by its alternative title, Esquire, and its Korean subtitle, 에스콰이어: 변호사를 꿈꾸는 변호사들, which translates to “Esquire: Lawyers Who Dream of Being Lawyers”. This paradoxical phrasing points to the series’ central thesis: an interrogation of the chasm between the professional status of a lawyer and the aspirational ideal of a true advocate for justice. This aligns with the premise that the protagonist must grapple with the authentic meaning of her profession, suggesting the series will deeply examine the tension between professional reality and vocational idealism.

The Central Dynamic: A Duality of Experience and Idealism

The narrative architecture of the series rests on the dialectical opposition between its two protagonists, Yoon Seok-hoon and Kang Hyo-min. Yoon Seok-hoon, portrayed by the veteran actor Lee Jin-uk, is the head of the litigation team at Yullim Law Firm. He is characterized as a masterful risk-taker, whose creative and aggressive courtroom logic has earned him professional admiration, yet he remains a detached and enigmatic figure who eschews all personal connection. Lee Jin-uk’s casting brings significant weight to the role; his filmography includes the acclaimed time-travel romance Nine (2013) and intense performances in the crime thriller Voice (Seasons 2-3). His recent work in globally prominent Netflix productions, such as the apocalyptic horror series Sweet Home (2020-2024) and the highly anticipated second season of Squid Game (2024), lends the project international recognition. For Lee, this series marks a return to a more psychologically grounded drama, offering a nuanced counterpoint to the action-oriented roles that have recently defined his global image.

In stark contrast to Yoon Seok-hoon’s calculated professionalism is the earnest idealism of Kang Hyo-min, played by Jung Chae-yeon. Kang Hyo-min is a rookie lawyer who, despite her social awkwardness, possesses an unwavering confidence in her own righteous principles. Jung Chae-yeon’s career trajectory, from a successful K-pop idol in the groups DIA and I.O.I to a respected actress, informs her portrayal. She has demonstrated her capabilities in leading roles in the historical drama The King’s Affection (2021) and the fantasy series The Golden Spoon (2022). The casting of these two leads functions as a narrative shorthand, leveraging their established screen personas. Lee’s history of portraying sophisticated and emotionally complex characters immediately establishes the mentor’s formidable presence, while Jung’s public image aligns with the rookie’s guileless conviction. This strategic choice creates an immediate and legible central conflict, allowing the narrative to build layers of complexity upon this foundational dynamic. For Jung, the role represents a pivotal career moment, solidifying her status as a leading actress opposite a seasoned industry veteran.

The Ensemble: A Foundation of Veteran Talent and Proven Performers

The narrative’s central duo is anchored by an ensemble of veteran performers, a casting strategy indicating a commitment to dramatic verisimilitude and intricate subplots. The principal supporting roles are filled by Jeon Hye-bin as Heo Min-jeong and Lee Hak-ju as Lee Jin-woo. Jeon Hye-bin is an established actress with a career spanning more than two decades, noted for her compelling portrayals of capable and ambitious professionals in dramas such as Another Miss Oh (2016), Gunman in Joseon (2014), and the legal thriller Woman with a Suitcase (2016). Her involvement suggests the presence of a sophisticated professional rival, adding a layer of complexity to the law firm’s internal power dynamics.

Lee Hak-ju is an actor celebrated for his exceptional range and his impactful portrayals of intense, often morally ambiguous characters. He gained widespread acclaim for his menacing role as the antagonist Park In-kyu in the hit drama The World of the Married (2020) and later displayed a different form of intensity as the loyal enforcer Jung Tae-ju in the Netflix noir series My Name (2021). His casting introduces an element of unpredictability, leveraging audience familiarity with his past performances to generate suspense regarding his character’s motivations and allegiances. The ensemble is further fortified by the inclusion of the highly respected veteran actress Kim Yeo-jin as Kwon Na-Yeon. With a distinguished career in both film and television, including a memorable role in Peppermint Candy (1999) and a critically lauded performance as the corrupt lawyer Choi Myung-hee in Vincenzo (2021), her participation signals a high caliber of performance throughout the cast. This collection of talent ensures the creation of a formidable and believable world to surround the central characters.

Behind the Lens: A Consortium of Industry Powerhouses

The series’ aesthetic and narrative pacing are guided by director Kim Jae-hong, whose recent filmography demonstrates a command of disparate genres. His experience co-directing the occult thriller Revenant (2023) and directing the action-comedy Flex X Cop (2024) provides a versatile toolkit for Beyond the Bar. This background suggests an ability to balance the atmospheric tension required for high-stakes legal proceedings with the dynamic, character-focused interactions of a workplace drama. The screenplay is credited to writer Park Mi-hyun.

The production of Beyond the Bar is a significant industrial event, representing a major co-production between SLL (Studio LuluLala), BA Entertainment, Studio S, and Story Oreum Co., Ltd.. This collaboration is itself indicative of a strategic evolution in the South Korean content industry. SLL, the former content division of broadcaster JTBC, is a production titan responsible for global hits like The World of the Married and All of Us Are Dead. BA Entertainment is a film-focused powerhouse with major box-office successes like The Roundup: Punishment and has previously collaborated with director Kim Jae-hong on Revenant and Flex X Cop. Notably, Studio S is the drama production subsidiary of Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), a direct competitor of JTBC. The partnership between the production arms of rival broadcasters is a calculated move reflecting the new economic realities of the global streaming market. Escalating production budgets for globally competitive content are compelling traditional rivals to pool resources, mitigate financial risk, and co-produce tentpole projects designed for broad appeal. Beyond the Bar is therefore not just a television series, but a strategic industrial product engineered for this new ecosystem.

Narrative Framework and Thematic Ambitions

Structurally, Beyond the Bar employs a dual-track narrative that intertwines episodic legal procedurals with the serialized emotional development of its characters. The professional growth of the rookie protagonist, who is said to “grow into a real lawyer,” provides the primary narrative thrust. A key element designed to lend the series dramatic weight and authenticity is its stated reliance on “real-life legal cases” as the basis for its episodic plots. This commitment to verisimilitude aims to ground the drama in plausible legal and ethical complexities, distinguishing it from more stylized genre entries.

Beyond its procedural elements, the production has articulated a deeper thematic objective: to portray the “emotional healing and recovery of people carrying hidden wounds”. This ambition elevates the series beyond a conventional workplace drama, positioning the legal system as a crucible for personal catharsis. The narrative framework suggests that the legal cases will function as narrative mirrors, forcing the lawyers to confront their own unresolved traumas. The mentor’s cold detachment and the rookie’s social awkwardness are thus framed not as mere personality quirks, but as external manifestations of these internal wounds. The series is therefore structured to follow parallel journeys: the external, case-of-the-week plotlines will catalyze and reflect the internal, serialized emotional arcs of the main characters, creating a thematically resonant viewing experience.

Broadcast and Global Distribution

The first season of Beyond the Bar is composed of 12 episodes. The series is scheduled for its premiere on August 2, 2025. It will air in South Korea on the broadcast network JTBC, occupying the channel’s prime weekend slot on Saturdays and Sundays at 22:40 Korea Standard Time. The series’ distribution model underscores its positioning as a premier global product. Concurrent with its domestic broadcast, Beyond the Bar will be available for streaming worldwide on Netflix. This dual-track, simultaneous release strategy has become the definitive model for high-end Korean dramas, as a pre-arranged global distribution deal provides the significant capital influx necessary for elevated production values. This, in turn, strengthens the show’s appeal to both domestic and international audiences in a symbiotic cycle. The series is a product of this mature, globalized content strategy, engineered from its inception for a worldwide audience.

Arisa Kumagai to Present New Works in ‘Heaven Stolen’ at Gallery Koyanagi

TOKYO – Gallery Koyanagi will present “Heaven Stolen,” a solo exhibition of new works by the artist Arisa Kumagai. This will be her fourth exhibition at the gallery, featuring six new paintings and ten drawings that continue the artist’s investigation of personal history, societal dichotomies, and the nature of faith.

The exhibition’s title refers to a term used for individuals who receive baptism near the end of their lives. Kumagai connects the concept to the complex human response of resentment towards what can be perceived as an opportunistic act of faith, acknowledging this tension as an element of her own internal experience. This theme of conflicting yet inseparable emotions, such as love and hate, informs the works on display.

Kumagai’s practice is noted for its use of motifs drawn from her personal life—including family members and their effects—to explore universal subjects such as wealth, poverty, life, and death. Her recent work incorporates an interest in Catholic iconography and Japanese forms of prayer, weaving these elements with her own poetry.

Among the new works is the triptych “It’s OK. It’s OK. It’s OK.,” which depicts a pair of worn children’s shoes alongside flowers and religious symbols, including a statue of the Virgin Mary and a rosary. The work addresses the subject of child abuse and unresolved familial trauma.

Another significant piece is the diptych “Say yes to me.” This work juxtaposes the image of a hunted deer in a river with a depiction of a man in a silk shirt. The pattern on the shirt contains the image of a gun barrel aimed toward the deer in the adjacent panel. The work combines motifs of the sacred and the profane, while also referencing the artist’s ongoing “Leisure Class” series, which examines the use of luxury goods as markers of social standing. The gallery notes that the imagery can be interpreted as an allusion to persistent racial tensions.

Concurrently with the exhibition, Gallery Koyanagi will release “White Witch,” a limited-edition booklet of Kumagai’s works and poems. The publication includes a text by Tomoko Yabumae of the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.

Arisa Kumagai is a graduate of Kyoto University of Art & Design. Her work is characterized by a high degree of technical precision and a dramatic use of light and shadow.

The exhibition will be on view at Gallery Koyanagi, located in the Koyanagi Building in Ginza, Tokyo, from August 23 to October 11, 2025. An opening reception with the artist in attendance is scheduled for the evening of August 23.

Arisa Kumagai, Say yes to me, 2025, diptych. Photo: Hikari Okawara

A Strategic Alliance: ‘Talking Tom’ and ‘Miraculous’ Launch Multi-Platform Crossover

In a significant convergence of global entertainment franchises, Outfit7 and Miraculous Corp have initiated a year-long strategic partnership. The collaboration commences with a major crossover event integrating the universe of Miraculous® – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir into the popular mobile game, Talking Tom Hero Dash.

In-Game Integration and Player Experience

This limited-time event marks the first instance of an external superhero being incorporated into the Talking Tom Hero Dash gameplay. Players can now assume the role of Ladybug, the protagonist of the acclaimed Miraculous series, to combat the game’s antagonists, The Rakoonz. The event introduces a new collection mechanic where players gather Ladybug-themed items, specifically “Yo-Yos,” to unlock a series of exclusive in-game rewards. These rewards encompass chests, lucky cards, power-ups, and a unique Ladybug-themed outfit for the character Talking Angela.

Long-Term Partnership and Future Content

The current crossover serves as the inaugural event in a series planned to extend throughout the year. This ongoing collaboration signals a sustained integration of the two properties. A subsequent event is already slated for the autumn season, which will introduce a Cat Noir-themed outfit for the character Talking Tom, further cementing the partnership between the two brands.

Cross-Platform Expansion to Roblox

The collaboration also extends to the Roblox platform. The Miraculous® RP: Ladybug & Cat Noir game, developed by Toya Studios, is concurrently hosting a special event. In a reciprocal feature, the characters Talking Tom and Talking Angela are making their official debut within a Roblox environment. They will appear as guest characters in the Miraculous Paris lobby, offering a multi-platform experience for fans of both franchises.

Franchise Overviews

Talking Tom Hero Dash, a product of Outfit7 Limited, is an endless runner game within the expansive Talking Tom & Friends universe. The game reimagines the franchise’s characters as superheroes tasked with saving the world.

Miraculous® – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir follows the adventures of two Parisian teenagers, Marinette and Adrien, who transform into the superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir. The property, currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, has evolved into a global phenomenon, encompassing a multi-season animated series, a feature film, digital content, and extensive consumer products. The series is broadcast in over 150 countries, with its sixth season having launched in the first quarter of 2025 and a seventh season in production for 2026.

The Talking Tom Hero Dash event featuring Ladybug is scheduled to run from July 31, 2025, to August 13, 2025. The Talking Tom and Angela cameo in Miraculous® RP: Ladybug & Cat Noir on Roblox will be available until August 15, 2025.

Tate St Ives to Present Major Exhibition of Artist Emilija Škarnulytė

An upcoming exhibition at Tate St Ives will present the work of Lithuanian artist and filmmaker Emilija Škarnulytė. The exhibition will survey Škarnulytė’s practice, which merges documentary methods with speculative narratives to investigate deep time, invisible power structures, and the collision of mythology with technology.

Škarnulytė’s work is often approached from the perspective of a “future archaeologist,” sifting through the remnants of the Anthropocene. Her films and installations grant access to locations that are typically concealed from public view, such as Cold War military bases, decommissioned nuclear power plants, and deep-sea data storage units. These sites are framed as relics of a human culture whose technological advancements have produced a legacy of environmental damage and human loss. Within these explorations, the artist sometimes appears as a mythological hybrid—part siren, part chimera—navigating these charged spaces.

The exhibition will include works that connect the personal to the geopolitical. In the film Aldona (2013), Škarnulytė documents her grandmother, whose vision loss is attributed to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The film follows her as she interacts with a collection of discarded Soviet-era statues in Lithuania, tracing the contours of a contested past. This piece grounds the artist’s larger thematic concerns within an intimate, familial context.

Another featured work, Æqualia (2023), exemplifies her engagement with ecological critique and myth-making. The film, part of a recent trilogy, depicts the artist as a post-human entity swimming through the Amazon Basin. By filming at the confluence of the Rio Solimoes and the Rio Negro—a site of both natural wonder and industrial extraction—Škarnulytė addresses the destructive force of capital on the region’s ecology while invoking the interplay of myth, time, and reality.

A new 16mm film titled Telstar (2025), produced during an artist residency at Porthmeor Studios in St Ives, will also be presented. For this piece, Škarnulytė surveyed a range of locations across Cornwall, from Neolithic standing stones and quoits to the Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station. The film juxtaposes ancient history with the technological optimism of the space age, collapsing vast temporal spans within a single geographic area.

The installation at Tate St Ives will be configured as a series of large-scale, immersive environments. Architectural structures will be employed to offer varied perspectives on the films, complemented by glass sculptures and lightboxes. The exhibition is curated by Anne Barlow, Director of Tate St Ives, and Dara McElligott, Assistant Curator. It is scheduled to run from 6 December 2025 to 12 April 2026.

Perfect Match Season 3 Premieres, Redefining the Reality Crossover with Unprecedented Scope

The third season of the reality dating competition Perfect Match has premiered, introducing a structural innovation that redefines the landscape of unscripted television. Produced by Kinetic Content, the series moves beyond its established formula of assembling talent from within Netflix’s own ecosystem. For the first time, the villa’s doors are open to contestants from rival networks and flagship franchises, transforming the show from an internal promotional vehicle into a pan-network, all-star arena. This strategic decision elevates the competition beyond a simple search for romance, positioning it as a meta-franchise that aggregates audiences and pits the distinct methodologies of various reality show formats against one another in a single, high-stakes environment.

The Roster: A Curated Collision of Reality Television Archetypes

The cast of 22 reality television veterans is a meticulously engineered collection of established personas, pre-existing narratives, and distinct gameplay styles, creating a microcosm of the entire unscripted genre. The ensemble is bisected into two strategic groups: high-profile figures from external networks and seasoned incumbents from the Netflix Reality Universe.

The contingent from outside Netflix includes notable alumni from some of the most successful dating franchises on television. From the ABC ecosystem, The Bachelor season 26 lead Clayton Echard and his former contestant Rachel Recchia are reunited, bringing a well-documented and controversial history into the competition. From MTV’s long-running Siesta Key, original star Juliette Porter makes her Netflix debut. The cast is further bolstered by a significant presence from the Love Island franchise, which has aired on both CBS and Peacock, featuring two-time winner Justine Joy, Carrington Rodriguez, Ray Gantt, and Scott Van-Der-Sluis, a veteran of three different international versions of the show.

Complementing these external figures is a robust lineup of Netflix’s own personalities, selected from a diverse portfolio of unscripted formats. This group can be analyzed by the nature of their original shows. From the “social experiment” category come Amber Desiree “AD” Smith, Ollie Sutherland, Freddie Powell, and Madison Errichiello of the Love Is Blind franchise, alongside J.R. Warren and Sandy Gallagher from The Ultimatum. Contestants from more gamified, strategic shows include Quori-Tyler “QT” Bullock of The Circle and Battle Camp, and Hannah Burns from The Mole. Finally, the cohort from programs centered on attraction and temptation includes Louis Russell, Jalen Brown, and Lucy Syed from Too Hot to Handle; Alex Zamora, Cody Wright, and Olivia Rae from Temptation Island; and Daniel Perfetto from Dated & Related. This curation is not random; it is a form of narrative engineering designed to provoke specific interactions. By assembling “winners,” “villains,” strategists, and romantics, the production ensures a clash of reality TV playstyles, making the show an examination of which methodology proves most effective within this new, integrated ecosystem.

Perfect Match

Embedded Narratives: Pre-Existing Histories as Narrative Architecture

The season’s narrative structure is fortified with guaranteed conflict and emotional stakes through the deliberate casting of pairs with significant, publicly documented histories. This production strategy serves as a form of narrative risk management, ensuring compelling storylines are active from the first episode rather than relying on the unpredictable development of new relationships.

The most prominent of these embedded narratives is the reunion of Clayton Echard and Rachel Recchia. Their previous dynamic on The Bachelor concluded with a controversial and emotionally charged breakup, a storyline that generated substantial public discussion. Their presence in the same villa provides an immediate and high-stakes relational arc that transcends the show’s immediate context. Similarly, the inclusion of J.R. Warren and Sandy Gallagher from The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On introduces a narrative of unresolved chemistry. As trial marriage partners on their original season, they displayed a strong connection that was a central point of drama, making their reunion a direct continuation of an established “what if” scenario. This technique, which leverages audience familiarity with past events, mirrors the inter-textual storytelling of scripted spin-offs and comic book crossovers, signaling a maturation of the reality TV crossover format into a more cohesive, serialized universe.

The Ludic Framework: Gameplay Mechanics and Narrative Contrivance

The series is hosted by Nick Lachey and produced by Kinetic Content, the creative force behind other high-concept Netflix dating shows like Love Is Blind and The Ultimatum. The show’s format adheres to the Kinetic philosophy of imposing artificial, game-like structures onto the process of forming relationships. The core gameplay loop involves contestants pairing up and competing in compatibility challenges. The winning couple earns the power to act as matchmakers, a position of significant strategic influence. They can disrupt existing couples by sending participants on dates with new singles brought into the villa. This mechanic intentionally conflates romantic connection with strategic acumen, as the most powerful couple is not necessarily the most in love, but the one most adept at navigating the game.

This structure, however, exposes a central tension within the genre. The format prioritizes the generation of drama over the cultivation of genuine, lasting connections, a critique often leveled at the franchise, which has a poor track record of producing successful long-term couples. The presence of seasoned reality personalities, who are adept at performing for the camera and prioritizing strategic gameplay for screen time, further complicates the premise of finding a “perfect match.” The result is a “gamedoc” format where the stated goal of romance often feels secondary to the unstated goal of creating compelling, if contrived, television.

The Grammar of Unscripted Cinema: Production and Post-Production

The series employs a sophisticated visual and auditory language to construct its narratives. Filming took place in a luxurious, isolated villa in Mexico, a location consistent with the tropical aesthetic of previous seasons. This setting functions as a narrative device, a controlled “biosphere” designed to intensify emotional dynamics by removing contestants from their everyday lives. The production design features an infinity pool, expansive lounge areas, and state-of-the-art facilities, all under the surveillance of strategically placed cameras, reinforcing a sense of constant observation.

The cinematography aims for a filmic aesthetic, reportedly utilizing high-end digital cameras like the Sony Venice 2 and specific lens packages to achieve a polished, cinematic look that elevates it above standard reality programming. The visual style often plays with light, shadow, and reflections to create a sense of voyeurism and underlying tension. However, the bulk of the narrative “writing” occurs in post-production. Editors deploy a range of techniques to shape audience perception, using ominous music, dramatic pauses, and carefully selected reaction shots—often taken out of context—to construct heroes, villains, and specific storylines from thousands of hours of footage. This editorial process is a masterclass in creating drama, transforming mundane interactions into moments of high tension and ensuring the final product aligns with the producers’ desired narrative arcs.

The Post-Production Paradox: Narrative Control in the Age of Spoilers

A significant challenge to the show’s narrative construction is the substantial delay between its production and broadcast. Filmed in the summer of 2024, the season airs more than a year later, in August 2025. This long post-production timeline, necessary for editors to craft storylines from extensive footage, has become increasingly vulnerable in an era of social media and celebrity-adjacent cast members.

This vulnerability is exemplified by the season’s most significant real-world development: the relationship between AD Smith and Ollie Sutherland. Months before the premiere, the couple’s engagement and subsequent pregnancy announcement became public knowledge. This spoiler was officially confirmed by Netflix itself during a reunion special for another of its reality shows, where the proposal, filmed for Perfect Match, was aired as a promotional clip. This represents an adaptive strategy by the network, shifting the audience’s focus from the suspense of “what will happen?” to the intrigue of “how did it happen?” This pivot is underscored by reports that post-production involved additional editing to shape the on-screen depiction of their relationship journey, suggesting the process was more tumultuous than the eventual outcome. This situation highlights a fundamental tension in modern reality TV production: the traditional, lengthy post-production cycle is at odds with the real-time lives of its cast. This may necessitate a future re-evaluation of production timelines to mitigate the risk of real-world events overtaking the manufactured narrative.

Conclusion: A Bellwether for the Future of Reality Television

Perfect Match Season 3 stands as a landmark moment in the evolution of unscripted programming. Its primary innovation—the creation of a pan-network, all-star competition—positions it as a potential new center of gravity in the reality dating genre. The success of this season will be measured not by the longevity of the couples it produces, a metric where the franchise has historically underperformed, but by its execution of this ambitious crossover concept. By bringing disparate franchises and their dedicated audiences under a single banner, the series serves as a bellwether for the future of reality television, testing the viability of a truly integrated, multi-network universe that prioritizes strategic performance and manufactured drama over the increasingly quaint notion of authentic connection.

The 10-episode season premieres with a release of the first six episodes. A second batch containing episodes 7 through 9 will be released one week later, with the single-episode finale arriving in the third week. The episodes become available for streaming on August 1, August 8, and August 15, 2025, respectively.

Netflix

Netflix’s My Oxford Year: A Study in Ambition and Elegy

With its premiere on the Netflix streaming service, My Oxford Year arrives as a romantic drama navigating the well-trodden terrain of love and loss against the storied backdrop of British academia. Produced by Temple Hill Entertainment, a company with a notable portfolio in emotionally resonant narratives, the film charts the collision of two lives: Anna De La Vega (Sofia Carson), an American student of immense ambition, and Jamie Davenport (Corey Mylchreest), her charismatic but troubled literature tutor. The film’s genesis is unusually circular: it is an adaptation of Julia Whelan’s novel of the same name, which was itself adapted from an original screenplay by Allison Burnett. Burnett returns as a co-writer for this cinematic version, completing a rare journey from screen to page and back again. The project is helmed by BAFTA nominee Iain Morris, a director whose background in comedy suggests a deliberate, and perhaps unexpected, tonal strategy for the material.

The Narrative Architecture: Love, Ambition, and the Unforeseen

The screenplay, penned by Burnett and Melissa Osborne, constructs a central dialectic between Anna’s hyper-structured ambition and the chaotic intrusion of love and mortality. The classic “year abroad” trope functions as a narrative crucible. Anna arrives at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship to fulfill a childhood dream, a goal she pursues alongside a demanding remote position on a rising star’s presidential campaign in the United States. This dual focus establishes her as a character defined by long-term planning. The narrative’s trajectory is irrevocably altered by the revelation of Jamie’s life-changing secret—a terminal illness that transforms the film from a straightforward romance into an elegiac drama. This forces Anna to confront an impossible decision between the future she has meticulously engineered and the profound, yet finite, connection she has discovered. The source material also hints at a rift between Jamie and his wealthy father, a subplot likely to add another layer of dramatic tension. This narrative turn is a significant point of consideration, as the novel drew criticism for its reliance on what some reviewers deemed a clichéd “romance versus cancer” trope. The selection of Iain Morris, a director best known for the British comedy series The Inbetweeners, appears to be a deliberate strategic choice to navigate this. His background suggests an attempt to infuse the story with tonal complexity, balancing the inherent gravity of the subject matter with observational humor. Morris himself has stated his hope that the film allows the audience “to run through all the emotions associated with the wonderful, noisy, chaotic, unexpected, funny, heart-breaking experience that is falling in love”.

My Oxford Year

Embodying the Dichotomy: On Character and Performance

The film is anchored by the performance of Sofia Carson as Anna De La Vega. A significant adaptive choice was made to change the protagonist’s name from the novel’s Ella Durran and to define the character as Hispanic, a move that aligns with Carson’s own heritage and adds a thoughtful touch of representation. This introduces a more complex matrix of social dynamics to the “American at Oxford” narrative, adding a potential layer of subtext to Anna’s ambition. To capture an authentic sense of wonder and displacement, Carson intentionally avoided visiting filming locations until cameras were rolling, aiming “to truly experience Oxford just as Anna would”. Opposite her, Corey Mylchreest, known for his role as a troubled romantic figure in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, portrays Jamie Davenport. The narrative hinges on the chemistry between these two leads. Director Iain Morris observed that they “bounced off each other from the first moment they worked together,” enjoying the challenge of making each other “laugh – and maybe cry?”. This dynamic is crucial for a relationship that must feel both intellectually vibrant and emotionally profound. The supporting ensemble, including veteran actors Dougray Scott and Catherine McCormack as Jamie’s parents, William and Antonia Davenport, and Harry Trevaldwyn as Anna’s friend Charlie Butler, serves to build out the film’s social world and provide context for the central couple’s journey.

The Grammar of Cinema: Crafting the World of Oxford

The film’s aesthetic ambitions are signaled by its high-caliber creative team, suggesting a conscious effort to elevate the material beyond the conventions of the streaming romance. The visual language is shaped by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Remi Adefarasin (Elizabeth, Me Before You). His philosophy of “heightened realism” is evident in the look of the film, which was shot on ARRI Alexa cameras with Cooke S4 prime lenses to capture the hallowed atmosphere of Oxford’s colleges—including Magdalen, St Hugh’s, and Hertford—without resorting to a desaturated or overly glossy filter. Adefarasin employs a classic cinematographic approach, favoring deliberate dolly movements over agitated handheld work and utilizing a naturalistic lighting scheme that avoids heavy saturation or multiple shadows. This grounds the story’s grand emotions in a tangible, believable world. The world-building is further defined by the production design of Catrin Meredydd, whose credits include the textured, psychologically astute environments of Broadchurch and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. Her work contrasts the university’s ancient halls with the vibrancy of modern student life, using physical spaces to reflect the film’s thematic tensions. The most unconventional creative choice is the selection of Isabella Summers to compose the score. Best known as a key architect of the sound of Florence and the Machine, Summers brings an eclectic and experimental sensibility honed on complex dramas like Little Fires Everywhere and Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Drawing from influences as varied as hip-hop, RZA, and classic James Bond scores, her compositional style often begins with samples and a focus on the “heartbeat of a song,” suggesting a sonic landscape far from a conventional romantic soundtrack. Her score likely functions as an emotional counterpoint, introducing a modern, perhaps melancholic and jagged, layer that complements the film’s sophisticated visual aesthetic.

Concluding Analysis

Ultimately, My Oxford Year presents itself as an exercise in genre elevation. It takes the familiar framework of a romantic drama and invests it with artistic gravitas through sophisticated direction and superior cinematic craft. The assembly of a prestige technical crew—from Adefarasin’s classical cinematography to Summers’ experimental score—and a nuanced directorial approach aim to deepen the emotional resonance of a story built on a well-established narrative trope. The film’s success will rest on its ability to harmonize these elements, determining whether its polished, atmospheric surface successfully enriches its conventional core or creates an unresolved dissonance. It stands as a notable entry in its distributor’s evolving content strategy, pointing toward a growing investment in more artistically ambitious genre filmmaking. The narrative, in its exploration of life’s brevity and the choices that define it, ultimately echoes a sentiment expressed by its lead actress: that the film “in every frame reaffirms the belief that life is too short to not live it in love. To not live it in joy”.

My Oxford Year premiered on Netflix on August 1, 2025.

Death Inc. on Netflix: A Satirical Autopsy of Modern Life

In the new Spanish series Death Inc., the death of Gonzalo Torregrosa, patriarch and founder of the Funeraria Torregrosa, creates a power vacuum that is anything but peaceful. His septuagenarian widow, Nieves, unexpectedly decides to assume control, assisted by her enthusiastic but clueless marketing-expert son-in-law, Chemi. This move thwarts the ambitions of Dámaso Carrillo, the founder’s loyal but scheming right-hand man, who believes he is the rightful heir to the business. As internal power struggles and corporate rivalries with the aggressive competitor Transitus unfold, a #MeToo-style scandal emerges, threatening to dismantle the fragile legacy of the deceased patriarch. The series masterfully transposes the universal tropes of the workplace comedy—scheming colleagues, inept management, corporate rivalry—into the taboo environment of the mortuary. This juxtaposition of the mundane with the macabre becomes a potent satirical lens, using the business of death to perform a clinical autopsy on the pathologies of modern life, from the emptiness of marketing-speak to the ruthlessness of corporate consolidation.

The Caballero Method: Auteurship in Contemporary Spanish Comedy

Behind Death Inc. are the sibling auteurs Alberto and Laura Caballero and their production house, Contubernio Films, architects of a distinct and commercially formidable brand of Spanish comedy. Their filmography, a pillar of modern Spanish television, includes cultural phenomena like Aquí no hay quien viva and La que se avecina, and the globally successful Machos Alfa. Their work is defined by a philosophical rejection of “comedia blanca,” or inoffensive “white” comedy. The Caballeros operate on the principle that comedy without risk is an amputated art form, a humor that fails to engage or provoke. They find a limitless wellspring of material in what they term “la miseria humana,” or human misery, believing it to be a universal and inexhaustible source of narrative. A consistent methodology is evident across their works: they construct a contained universe—an apartment building, a rural village, and now a funeral home—and populate it with a diverse ensemble of Spanish archetypes. This “pressure cooker” environment serves as a social laboratory where these characters, and the societal values they represent, are forced into collision. The funeral home is the ultimate evolution of this method, a space through which all segments of society must eventually pass, providing a constant and varied influx of narrative potential. The series also marks a strategic evolution for the streaming era. The creators have embraced a punchier 30-minute format, a conscious move away from the 70- to 90-minute episodes of their broadcast past that often necessitated narrative filler. This format, which proved successful with Machos Alfa, demands a more concentrated, joke-dense script perfectly suited to the binge-watching model of global platforms.

Death Inc. – Netflix

Anatomy of an Antagonist: The Centrality of Carlos Areces

The series is anchored by a masterful performance from Carlos Areces as the ambitious Dámaso Carrillo, a character who functions as both the primary antagonist and the narrative’s comedic engine. Areces’s unique comedic pedigree is essential to the show’s success. His career began in the influential “chanante” humor movement, a school of comedy defined by its surreal and absurdist sensibilities. He later honed his craft in the films of internationally acclaimed directors like Álex de la Iglesia and Pedro Almodóvar, grounding his absurdist tendencies within more structured narratives. This background is fused with a profound and long-standing personal fascination with mortality. Areces is a known collector of post-mortem photography and has published a book on the subject, approaching the topic from an intellectual and scientific perspective. This creates a unique meta-textual layer for the viewer; we are watching an actor who is a known aficionado of the very world the series depicts. His performance is a synthesis of absurdism and pathos. He portrays Dámaso as a credible, manipulative workplace threat while simultaneously imbuing him with a pathetic, almost ridiculous quality. He is a character who is both conniving and contemptible, yet his human foibles—envy, ambition, insecurity—are rendered with a comedic touch that makes him relatable even as he is repellent. Areces is the perfect vessel for the Caballeros’ complex tone, preventing the character and the series from descending into pure cynicism.

A Symphony of Misery: The Coral Ensemble at Work

While Areces is central, the series thrives as a “perfectly oiled machine” of coral comedy, its strength lying in the dynamic interplay of its full ensemble cast. The main characters are carefully constructed archetypes designed to generate conflict. Ascen López portrays Nieves, the underestimated matriarch whose quiet assumption of power subverts ageist and sexist expectations. Diego Martín plays Chemi, the avatar of modern marketing culture, whose absurd initiatives and empty jargon make him the natural antagonist to the traditionalist Dámaso. Amaia Salamanca embodies the sleek, aggressive competition as Vanesa, constantly conspiring to absorb the family business. And Roque Ruiz provides the audience surrogate as Morales, the naive intern whose innocence offers a stark contrast to the cynicism of the veteran employees. The interactions between these characters create a miniature society that reflects broader workplace dynamics, exploring themes of generational clashes, the battle between traditional practices and disruptive innovation, and the corrosive effects of unchecked ambition. The dialogue-driven scenes, particularly the ensemble moments that actors admit often devolve into laughter on set, are the primary stage for these thematic explorations.

The Aesthetic of the Afterlife: Production Design and Cinematography

The series’ thematic concerns are reinforced by a sophisticated and deliberate visual language, crafted by a technical team that includes Director of Photography Juan Luis Cabellos and Art Director Edu Vallejos. The creators made a conscious choice to “dignify” the visual presentation of their comedy, notably through the use of a wider, more cinematic aspect ratio. This is a significant departure from the flatter, more brightly lit aesthetic of traditional television sitcoms. This aesthetic choice is a statement of artistic intent, visually signaling that Death Inc. aims to be prestige comedy, on par with high-end drama, and reinforcing the philosophy that comedy is a serious art form capable of tackling profound subjects. The wider frame allows for more elegant and complex compositions, especially in the ensemble scenes, placing characters within their environment in a way that enhances the visual storytelling. This is complemented by a production design that externalizes the show’s central conflict of tradition versus modernity. The Funeraria Torregrosa is rendered with a classic aesthetic of dark woods and somber decor, evoking history and ritual, which is visually contrasted with the implied cold, impersonal modernism of the rival company, Transitus.

A Global Undertaking: The Series’ Journey to a Worldwide Audience

The journey of Death Inc. to a global audience exemplifies a powerful emerging model for Spanish content. The series originated as a commission for the Spanish streaming service Movistar Plus+, where it first aired and garnered critical acclaim, including a Feroz Award nomination for Best Comedy. Subsequently, Netflix acquired the global rights, a move that mirrors the successful distribution strategy of the Caballeros’ previous hit, Machos Alfa. This “incubator to megaphone” pipeline, famously successful with La Casa de Papel (Money Heist), allows domestic platforms to develop high-quality, culturally specific series. Once a show proves its appeal in the Spanish market, a global giant like Netflix can acquire it for worldwide distribution, minimizing development risk while providing a proven product for its vast international audience. Death Inc. is a testament to the success of this strategy, representing a high-water mark for Spanish comedy’s global reach and the universal appeal of a well-crafted story that finds humor in the darkest corners of human experience. A fourth season is reportedly already written, contingent on the series’ performance in its new global home.

The first two seasons of Death Inc. became available for global streaming on Netflix on July 31. The third season will premiere exclusively on the platform worldwide on August 21.