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The History of Rhodes Must Fall

Ever since the death of George Floyd and the emergence of Black Lives Matter as a movement demanding racial equality and the end of...

Francis Buchanan

May 20, 20211 min read

The Oxford wild swimmers throwing caution to the wind in lockdown

Taking the plunge into the unknown is never an easy feat in life, but for many in Oxfordshire’s wild swimming circles, the reward appears...

Francis Buchanan

May 10, 20213 min read

Fire Will Come (O Que Arde) Review

In Oliver Laxe’s third feature-length film, ‘Fire Will Come’, there is an inherent violence present that is cultivated with such...

Francis Buchanan

May 9, 20214 min read

Mexico’s Climate of Violence: Why Are Journalists Being Killed?

The killing of freelance journalist, Eduardo Ochoa, in Michoacan, and reporter, Pablo Morrugares, in Guerrero, in early August 2020,...

Francis Buchanan

May 8, 20215 min read

Oxford’s ailing high street: the economic aftermath of COVID-19

Even before the pandemic all but wiped out high-street shopping for the best part of a year, Oxford’s shopping scene was on shaky ground

Francis Buchanan

May 4, 20213 min read

The Green Mountain: Costa Rica's Dying Cloud Forest

Costa Rica's stunning Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is a source of mystery and wonder, and also a casualty of our changing climate.

Francis Buchanan

Jun 27, 20206 min read

PRIMAL MOODS: Headlights

Samanta Schweblin’s first story, Headlines, explores feelings of longing, loss, and rage through a lens of retrograde gender norms.

Francis Buchanan

May 9, 20204 min read

Gang Violence, Human Rights Offences & International Condemnation: El Salvador's Perfect Storm

In El Salvador, gang violence has engendered a perfect storm of human rights offences and alleged authoritarianism in a time of Covid-19.

Francis Buchanan

May 3, 202012 min read

Fury & Magic in San Cristobal de Las Casas

San Cristobal de Las Casas is a city of both magic and wonder, and fury and anger. A cramped urban grid, the city is bounded on all sides...

Francis Buchanan

Jan 29, 20204 min read

Teotihuacan: Birthplace of the Gods

Four days in, we went on a guided tour of Teotihuacan - a miraculously well-preserved Mesoamerican citadel. Once the biggest city in the...

Francis Buchanan

Jan 23, 20202 min read

Shakti: The End of an Era

Martin Rejtman's Shakti explores the impact of female energy on a young man in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Francis Buchanan

Nov 9, 20194 min read

Two Shots Fired: Irrationality Rationalised

Following on from my exploration of stalled masculinity in Martin Rejtman's first feature film, Rapado, here I'll be looking at similar...

Francis Buchanan

Nov 4, 20193 min read

Stalled Growth in Rapado

Martin Rejtman's Rapado redefines the European bildungsroman and brings Buenos Aires to life through a number of young male protagonists.

Francis Buchanan

Oct 11, 20195 min read

Fausto: Primordial Poetry

Everyone knows the story of Faust, but in her latest film Fasuto, filmmaker Andrea Bussmann delivers a truly unique adaptation of the tale.

Francis Buchanan

Sep 2, 20196 min read

The Dream of My Return: Moya’s Masterpiece

Wrapping up my Big Books Small Country series, I've taken a look at another of Moya's works - one that is lauded by many as his masterpiece.

Francis Buchanan

Aug 18, 20196 min read

Horacio Castellanos Moya: A Furious Man

One of the most controversial texts ever to be written about El Salvador, this book continues to be topical to this day.

Francis Buchanan

Aug 18, 20196 min read

Joan Didion's Fevered Republic

Joan Didion's Salvador is a harrowing account of the impact that continued warfare has on a country. Read on for all my thoughts.

Francis Buchanan

Jul 26, 20197 min read

Big Books Small Country

Big Books Small Country is a series that focuses on the horrors of the El Salvadoran Civil War and the lasting impact on literary culture.

Francis Buchanan

Jul 26, 20193 min read

Buy Me a Gun: The Trouble With Concept Over Content

Julio Hernandez Cordon’s dystopian thriller, Buy Me a Gun – or, Comprame un Revolver – draws upon inspiration from a number of different...

Francis Buchanan

Jul 16, 20193 min read

Leopoldo Lopez: A Venezuelan Dissident

Latin American politics has been indelibly marked by its history of strongmen. Often referred to as Caudillos in the Spanish speaking...

Francis Buchanan

Jun 8, 20196 min read

Francis James Buchanan

News, Commentary, Reviews, Travel, NCTJ Portfolio

The History of Rhodes Must Fall

The Oxford wild swimmers throwing caution to the wind in lockdown

Fire Will Come (O Que Arde) Review

Mexico’s Climate of Violence: Why Are Journalists Being Killed?

Oxford’s ailing high street: the economic aftermath of COVID-19

The Green Mountain: Costa Rica's Dying Cloud Forest

PRIMAL MOODS: Headlights

Gang Violence, Human Rights Offences & International Condemnation: El Salvador's Perfect Storm

Fury & Magic in San Cristobal de Las Casas

Teotihuacan: Birthplace of the Gods

Shakti: The End of an Era

Two Shots Fired: Irrationality Rationalised

Stalled Growth in Rapado

Fausto: Primordial Poetry

The Dream of My Return: Moya’s Masterpiece

Horacio Castellanos Moya: A Furious Man

Joan Didion's Fevered Republic

Big Books Small Country

Buy Me a Gun: The Trouble With Concept Over Content

Leopoldo Lopez: A Venezuelan Dissident