Hello June
Somehow we are already entering the sixth month of 2021 and that can feel a little overwhelming, like time is rushing on ahead! In the UK, lots has been opening up again and will continue to do so in June, which is exciting but also can add to the rush. If you’re looking for a little quiet or a short pause in your day, then put your feet up and check out our team’s latest recommendations. First off, here’s our founder, Caris, to let you know what we are currently getting up to here at Rianne Pictures.
What have we been up to?
June is finally here, it’s felt like a benchmark many of us have been working towards with the lockdown measures easing down and the potential of ‘normal’ returning. Instagram photos of everyone you know being in a beer garden or a cottage with a hot tub are flooding your phone and our bank balances are readjusting from takeaways and online shopping to meals out and cocktails that cost….how much?!
Something happened in May over at Rianne Pictures HQ that hasn’t happened in over a year...I took some time off. I popped this into the calendar back in April and thought ‘That will be nice if it happens’ and then ill health swung my way and I had no choice but to stick to my plans. I didn’t open my laptop for a whole week and it felt...weird, but amazing.
There is so much pressure on us via social media, empowering seminars, and the girl boss pyramid schemes out there to be working so damn hard all the damn time. During my week off I would frequently see posts on social media about ‘Owning your destiny’ and ‘One small step every day, your future self will thank you!!’ well, to be honest, my future self can take her own steps and my destiny? You can wait for a bit.
Studies have shown that the reason people don’t take breaks when they should, is that they feel they are simply too busy, and wow I can relate to that. Particularly in the creative industry, we fear taking a step back in fear of missing out or people thinking that we’re not dedicated enough. Often I see comments from creatives where they have worked themselves to exhaustion. So rather than burning out, why aren’t looking at breaks as proactive care?
You wouldn’t set off on a 200 mile drive without refueling your car, so why take on a new project when you’re still exhausted from the last one? Sure, there are people out there who may judge you and think you’re totally unprofessional for not replying to an email during a week you’re on leave, but do you really want to work with those people anyway? I don’t, which is why I deleted their emails when I logged back in today.
This month we have some gorgeous recommendations for you curated by Sophie, company news-wise we’ve all been busy with Women X planning and film watching. We have surpassed last year’s submission count by over 50% so safe to say….we are busy! The podcast returns this month after a small hiatus (did I mention I was on a break?) and we have some lovely Pride content coming your way too.
All the best,
Caris
TV Shows
Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power - BBC iPlayer
Ted Lasso - Apple TV
If you follow Neha on Twitter, you probably saw her live tweeting her experience of watching Ted Lasso! She is completely hooked and rightly so, as she describes it as being exactly the level of kindness and wholesomeness we need right now. Catch season one now before the launch of season two next month.
Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power - BBC iPlayer
Little Mix star Leigh-Anne highlights her experience as a Black woman in the industry in this BBC documentary, whilst also shining a light on broader instances of racism and colourism. The film sees her attend a BLM protest and ask young Black women how she can use her platform for change, she looks at the gaps in her own knowledge of systemic racism and takes time to educate herself and she speaks to fellow Black women in the industry, like Alexandra Burke and Keisha Buchanan, to broaden the conversation even more. Lilia highly recommends this doc and describes it as emotional but essential viewing.
Skater Girl - Netflix
Films
Skater Girl - Netflix
Set your Netflix reminders for June 11 as there is a great new coming-of-age sports drama arriving to the platform. Directed by Manjari Makijany, Skater Girl follows Prerna, a teenager living in rural India, as she finds her love for skateboarding and pursues her dreams of competing in the championships. This sounds like such a great teen film and I’m looking forward to giving it a watch when it’s released!
For a Free Palestine: Films by Palestinian Women - Another Screen
Showing until mid-June, Another Screen have platformed a collection of films by Palestinian women - films keep being added to it and they’re available worldwide. Desirèe highly recommends checking this out and spreading the word - it’s a cause that is important to take notice of and help out however possible. Most importantly, you can donate via their website - donations primarily go to facilitating medical, legal, and infrastructure aid on the ground. Secondary donations go towards supporting filmmaking in Gaza.
Podcasts
We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle
iilluminaughtii
On your favourite podcast sites and YouTube, iilluminaughtii cross posts episodes as both videos and podcasts which is awesome as you can choose which you like depending on what you’re up to. The half hour episodes are perfect for Ashton’s walk to work and she loves Multi-Level Mondays where she explores an MLM’s history and controversies. Another highlight is the corporate casket series that explores bad businesses - it’s well researched and endlessly fascinating!
We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle
The fantastic Glennon Doyle (whose book, Untamed, we recommended last month) has a podcast which Caris says is like walking with your bestie in your ear! We Can Do Hard Things has a few episodes out now out and naturally both Neha and Caris are utterly un love.
Low Culture Boil
The podcast Low Culture Boil has recently caught Jade’s attention, in particular their episode titled Neopets. That episode in particular is an A+ nostalgia trip, whilst being informative and unexpectedly moving! If you didn’t think you could be sad about a collection of empty online boxes devoid of Neopets…think again.
Lorde - Song Exploder
Song Exploder
Rachel has recently found herself the podcast called Song Exploder where artists talk in depth about a specific song they made, and play different versions it went through and how it reached the final version. They also talk through the production choices they made - Rachel has already learned a bit more about music which is fab! She particularly loved episodes: girl in red (Serotonin), Lorde (Sober), and Wolf Alice (Don’t Delete the Kisses).
You Must Remember This
The new season of You Must Remember This is out! Jade loves this podcast which is all about early Hollywood gossip columnists (and headwear icons) Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper, and the concept of "going behind the scenes". It's fantastically well researched and the subject matter is particularly relevant right now with the proliferation of blind gossip sites/social media accounts that have gained a lot of popularity over the last few years.
Books
Silver Sparrow - Tayari Jones
Tayari Jones’ novel is a great exploration of growing up as a ‘secret child’. Silver Sparrow is about a bigamist from the perspective of his daughters, from separate mothers, and only one girl knows about the other. Ashton found it fascinating, particularly the way the drama unfolded.
The Office of Historical Corrections - Danielle Evans
I picked this up in Waterstones when bookshops opened again after the most recent lockdown and I’m glad I did! The Office of Historical Corrections is a collection of short stories by author Danielle Evans, who writes about specific moments in characters’ lives and how they intersect with larger issues such as race, culture, and history. My favourite of the stories is Anything Could Disappear which follows a young woman about to escape to a new life but plans change when she ends up with an abandoned child.
The Office of Historical Corrections - Danielle Evans
Music
Sour - Olivia Rodrigo
I Disagree - Poppy
Ever wanted to listen to pop music and metal fighting against each other? Well that’s exactly how Lauren describes Poppy’s album I Disagree! The choruses are all belters and because of the battling genres it’s a delightfully unpredictable listen.
Sour - Olivia Rodrigo
In case you haven’t heard (where have you been!) Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album Sour is now out! Most of the team are vouching for this one so it’s a big recommendation. Caris, Rachel and Alysha are obsessed with the late 00’s nostalgia of her music. I’m still listening to Driver’s License and feeling like I had a dramatic teenage heartbreak when I never did! Not only is the album full of brilliance, it’s also got a fantastic cover!
Daddy’s Home - St. Vincent
Another recommendation from Lauren is St. Vincent’s new album, Daddy’s Home. It’s completely different from anything else she’s done so far so it’s great to listen to something so fresh from her. It’s largely about her father coming home from prison, so she drew inspiration from the albums she used to listen to with him.
Other Bits & Bobs
Bird & Blend Tea
I like to think I’m fancy (reader, I am not) with my loose leaf tea pot at home and Bird & Blend have quickly become my favourite place to order tea from! My current favourite is the Birthday Cake flavour which smells and tastes fantastically like an iced vanilla birthday cake. I’ve also just bought myself a cold brew bottle and can’t wait to have some lovely iced teas. You also get free samples with every order (super exciting to see what you’ll get!) and the customer service is so friendly and personalised. They have some shops too, including one near me in Manchester!
