Author: Raffia

Mädchen in Uniform: A Masterful Portrayal of Female Solidarity against Oppression

by Airin Farahmand
If you ask a film enthusiast about the most prominent interwar German movies, you will most likely get a German expressionist movie as an answer. After all, in most scholarly books, German cinema is often remembered by Fritz Lang’s iconic movies such as The Metropolis, Nosferatu, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Letter to Moldova

by Stela Malega
I write to you, Moldova, to initiate an imperative conversation we must have, collectively and individually, moving forward with the harvest of the presidential elections from 2024. Our grape-shaped country, which has ironically been crushed and pressed throughout history, is at a pivotal crossroads.

Relaties in alle soorten en maten: polyamorie volgens Sarai

door Mylene van der Scheer
In dit tweeluik duik ik diep in de boeiende wereld van polyamorie. Samen gaan we op ontdekkingsreis om te begrijpen wat polyamorie precies inhoudt, hoe polyamoreuze relaties eruit kunnen zien, en welke uitdagingen polyamoreuze individuen in het dagelijks leven tegenkomen. Waar veel artikelen over polyamorie vaak gericht zijn op onderwerpen als seks en jaloezie, wil ik in deze serie juist de schitterende diversiteit en unieke facetten van polyamorie in de ‘spotlight’ zetten.

Book of the Month: Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary Women

by Liana Khanaghyan
Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary Women by Kristen Ghodsee offers an intimate look into the lives of socialist women dedicated to gender equality during the Soviet era in Eastern Europe. In often hostile political environments, these women passionately fought for gender equality, recognising the intersection of gender and class in shaping women’s lives.

Barbie: a multifaceted 50-something-year-old 

by Marijke Naezer, translated by Mara Wemmenhove
In her 50 years of existence, Barbie has had many adventures and worked in dozens of professions. She set foot on the moon before Neil Armstrong ever did, had access to parties where movie stars could only dream of, and saw more of the world than any other average citizen. The possibilities of Barbie seem limitless: she is the woman who can do anything.

Buitenspel in een veld voor mannen

door Stefan de Baar
Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams en onze eigen Nederlandse Lieke Martens: vrouwelijke topsporters zijn anno 2024 iets alledaags. Sport wordt,wanneer dit uitkomt, als verenigend middel gebruikt, ook wel sportswashing genoemd. Het fenomeen sportswashing hebben we de afgelopen jaren vaker gezien in de voetbalwereld.

The New Woman: Icons of Change or Catalysts of Male Anxiety?

by Nele Brinkmann
In the tumultuous aftermath of World War One, Germany found itself in times of uncertainty and upheaval. The Weimar Republic, Germany’s first democracy, challenged the old order with its progressive constitution and blooming cultural scene. The “New Woman” embodied this transformation and transcended previous gender expectations.

The fragile ghost of disability: Jannick Deslauriers’ recreation of the wheelchair as fibre art

by Nanette Ashby
On an August day in 2022, I walked through the doors of the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, stepping into the modern entrance hall filled with eager visitors. After a morning exploring the city, I could feel the symptoms of my chronic illness flaring up which made standing in line increasingly painful. This was my first trip since my diagnosis two years ago and I was still coming to terms with the new limitations of my body.

Reading is resistance! Book review – Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa

by Sorina Bularca
Reading has always been one of my ways to revolt against this fast-paced world. A cup of coffee, some fuzzy peaches (the flat kind), a big cup of water and 50 pages later, I am disconnected from the horror that my room is a mess, and that I should probably be studying. Usually, I like to tell myself that all this reading is going to transform me into a very well-versed person, but the truth is that I still stutter when I try to talk, and I still find it extremely hard to make sentences in which I don’t make grammar mistakes. However, I will not stop.