Rewrite
A hand-curated list of wonderful ways to while away July, spanning art, photography and film, through to new food destinations and anticipated theatre productions
The Gianni Versace Retrospective at Arches London Bridge, London: July 16, 2025 – March 1, 2026
A pioneer of opulent glamour and overt sartorial sexuality, Gianni Versace was a designer like no other. This month, the largest UK retrospective of Versace’s work to date will open at Arches London Bridge, spotlighting more than 450 meticulously crafted garments, ranging from his S/S88 offering through his spectacular final collection in 1997. Visitors will encounter some of Versace’s most beloved looks, worn by the likes of Princess Diana, Elton John, George Michael, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, alongside accessories, runway footage, interviews, photographs and sketches that further illuminate the designer’s gloriously outré oeuvre.
Queer Lens: A History of Photography at the Getty Center, Los Angeles: Until September 28, 2025
At the Getty Center in LA, a compelling new exhibition examines photography’s role in “shaping and affirming the vibrant tapestry of the LGBTQ+ community”. Queer Lens features a centuries-spanning selection of works, from Man Ray’s iconic portrait of Marcel Duchamp as his female alter ego, Rrose Sélavy, to images documenting the first-ever Pride march. Shots by 20th-century icons like Berenice Abbott, Andy Warhol and Robert Mapplethorpe hang alongside found photographs by unknown artists, and works by contemporary image-makers such as Fabian Guerrero and Catherine Opie – all of which reveal photography’s unique potential to challenge and expand preconceived notions of gender and identity.
Franz West: Early Works at Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich: Until October 3, 2025
In Zurich, Galerie Eva Presenhuber takes a deep dive into the formative period of the inimitable Austrian sculptor Franz West. Ranging from early experiments in sculpture and furniture design to lesser-known mixed-media artworks, the curation sheds fascinating light on West’s groundbreaking approach to form and material, and his evolving interest in making work that invites social interaction. Few have so successfully blurred the boundary between everyday objects and art, between function and abstraction, and here, we see the works that set West’s creative wheels in motion.
Fans of Lubaina Himid, make your way to Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, where the renowned British artist will be showing new works from mid-July. These include her familiar brand of bold figurative painting, as well as site-specific interventions and an installation made in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary Polish artist Magda Stawarska. A continuation of Himid’s investigation into overlooked and invisible aspects of history and contemporary daily life, these latest pieces contemplate “what is missing from the telling of life stories, who is left out of narratives, [and] what strategies are used to fill in the gaps”, as well as “the objects we choose to leave behind as clues”.
Sign of the Times: Photographs from 1932-2012 at Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York: Until July 31, 2025
What makes a photograph emblematic of its time? That’s the question posed by Howard Greenberg Gallery’s latest exhibition, Sign of the Times, which brings together more than 30 eye-catching works from such notable photographers as Edward Burtynsky, Vivian Maier, Mary Ellen Mark, Steve Schapiro and Ed Van Der Elsken in an attempt to provide an answer. Taken between 1932 and 2012, each work on display encapsulates a specific moment within the flow of history, which, when seen collectively, “coalesce into powerful and iconic reflections on … the pivotal social and cultural forces that have shaped our world” during a century of unprecedented change.
Virtual Beauty at Somerset House, London: July 23 – September 28, 2025
At London’s Somerset House, a timely new exhibition will offer an in-depth look at the influence of AI, social media and virtual identities on contemporary beauty standards and self-image. Work by more than 20 international artists will make up the display, from interactive installations to seminal performances. Expect to encounter Orlan’s arresting 1993 performance Omniprésence, for instance, in which the French artist live-streamed her own facial plastic surgery as a critique of Western beauty ideals. Not to mention virtual avatars of Björk, AI-generated portraits by Minne Atairu and Isamaya Ffrench, and much more in an exhibition that looks set to both challenge and celebrate the post-internet aesthetic.
Takako Yamaguchi at MOCA, Los Angeles: Until January 4, 2026
Japanese artist Takako Yamaguchi has been making paintings for decades, yet she is only just garnering the recognition – and sales – she deserves. Likewise, she has been living and working in Los Angeles since 1978, but is only now enjoying her first solo museum show in the city – at MOCA. The exhibition consists of oil-and-bronze-leaf seascapes that fuse Eastern and Western influences, from Mexican muralism and Japanese Nihonga to the Italian Renaissance and Art Nouveau. Yamaguchi has long sought to challenge “rigid notions of ethnic identity and cultural ownership” by drawing on a diverse array of source material, and these luminous, wonderfully stylised works represent “a culmination of her decades-long provocations of style, taste, and identity”.
Talisman at the Art Academy, London: July 4-27, 2025
For Cardion Arts’ annual group exhibition, curators Gemma Rolls-Bentley and E-J Scott have invited LGBTQIA+ artists from across the UK to respond to the notion of the talisman – an object, person or symbol we turn to in order to keep us safe. Artists including Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, KV Duong, Jesse Darling, Luke Edward Hall, Lubaina Himid, Zach Toppin and Osman Yousefzada have contributed works that touch upon everything from “queer spirituality and the supernatural” to “hurt and healing bodily sanctity, and the community’s shared capacity to summon resilience and good fortune”. The aim is to conjure “a space of collective sanctuary”, one that will soon open its doors to the public at the Art Academy in Southwark and is undoubtedly worth a visit.
David Bailey’s Changing Fashion at the MOP Foundation, A Coruna: Until September 14, 2025
Damien Hirst once described British photographer David Bailey as having “defined the world around him for the last 50 years” – and it’s hard to argue otherwise. The photographer changed the shape of fashion photography in the 60s, breaking free of the confines of the studio and taking his subjects to the streets to capture portraits and stories that pulsed with all the vibrancy of the era. Now, a new exhibition at the MOP Foundation in A Coruna, Spain, will shine a light on the photographer’s ever-evolving approach across the 60s and 70s, and its extraordinary impact on the culture of the time. From playful portraits of Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston to experimental shoots with Jean Shrimpton and Marie Helvin, each work is a masterclass in technical innovation and style.
At the Fonds Hélène & Édouard Leclerc in Landerneau, France, curator Christian Alandete has collated more than 150 animal-centric artworks by 130 international artists – from Dorothea Tanning, Vassily Kandinsky and Henri Matisse to Ana Mendieta, Kiki Smith and Louise Bourgeois – for a show that definitely warrants a detour if you’re in the area. The exhibition leads viewers on a journey across ages and art forms to explore the connection between humans and animals, and between artists and their creaturely conjurings, whether observed, symbolic, mythological or imagined.
Dick Jewell at Graces Mews, London: Until August 1, 2025
Head down to Graces Mews gallery in Camberwell for a major retrospective of the legendary British artist Dick Jewell. There, you can peruse over 70 works from across Jewell’s five-decade career, spanning collage and photographic assemblage through film installations, digital montages and prints. “Jewell’s conceptual practice is grounded in social observations that question human behaviour through parody, irony and humour,” the gallery says. “Responding to an ever-shifting media environment, [his] work has continually evolved alongside changes in how images are produced and circulated” – a progression that makes for endlessly relevant and entertaining viewing.
Tschabalala Self at Kunsthalle Bern, Bern: Until August 17, 2025
Kunsthalle Bern has a newly refreshed programme, including a special presentation by the American artist Tschabalala Self, known for her striking figurative works that combine fabric collage, printmaking, and painting to “bring the lived realities of contemporary Black life to the fore”. This marks the launch of a new exhibition series, titled Responses, wherein established contemporary artists are asked to respond to both the museum’s programme and each other. Here, alongside presentations by American abstract artist Melvin Edwards and Namibian artist Tuli Mekondjo on the same theme, Self examines “the injustices of past and present through the locus of the plantation and its various manifestations and aftermaths” to powerful effect.
In search of uplifting live performance to punctuate the summer heat? We have you covered. Il Trovatore, Verdi’s dramatic four-act opera, returns to the Royal Opera House in an acclaimed production helmed by director Adele Thomas. This is a tale of obsession and superstition, set to a rousing score.
Inter Alia, the new play from writer Suzie Miller and director Justin Martin, the duo behind West End hit Prima Facie, arrives at the National Theatre on July 10 for a two-month run. Starring Rosamund Pike as an eminent London Crown Court Judge, it is described as “a searing examination of modern masculinity and motherhood”. If you’re yet to see the West End transfer of Mark Rosenblatt’s play Giant following its sold-out run at the Royal Court, now’s your last chance – its closing night at the Harold Pinter Theatre is August 2. Zooming in on a single afternoon in the life of Roald Dahl, it finds the famed children’s author forced to choose between making a public apology for an antisemitic article he wrote, or risking his name and reputation.
Upstairs at Soho Theatre from July 3–12, catch Ugly Sisters from the multi-award-winning company Piss / Carnation. An “operatic, heretic, parasitic and hallucinatory” exploration of trans identity, it retells a pivotal moment in feminist history – the day Germaine Greer’s best-selling feminist tract The Female Eunuch was issued in America.
For dance aficionados who love to dance, book your tickets for Rose at Sadler’s Wells East from July 10–13. A special collaboration between acclaimed choreographers Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar, London-based music and arts organisation Young, and the musician Call Super, the show will dissolve the boundaries between stage, dancer and spectator, offering a rare opportunity for the audience to experience dance in its rawest form. Last but not least, the Aesop Queer Library returns to Aesop Soho from July 3-6 as part of the brand’s annual quest to platform queer storytelling. The installation hosts an array of books by LGBTQIA+ authors and allies, which are offered as complimentary gifts to shoppers, no purchase required.
For this month’s best films, be sure to see Hot Milk, British director Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s screen adaptation of Deborah Levy’s novel of the same name. In it, a mother and daughter venture to Spain on a quest to cure the former of a mysterious illness. Sun, sea and sexual awakening ensue. French-Japanese drama Super Happy Forever by Kohei Igarashi is a bittersweet love story in reverse. It follows a young widower who returns to the seaside town where he first met his wife in the hope of reliving the past. A widower also lies at the heart of David Cronenberg’s new film, The Shrouds, but as one might expect from the master of body horror, this tale is a little more unsettling: said widower turns out to be the inventor of grave cameras for the grieving.
South Korean director Hong Sang-soo makes a return with What Does That Nature Say to You? in which a financially struggling poet comes to learn that his girlfriend of three years is much wealthier than he thought during an impromptu visit to her parents’ house. Funny, moving and shrewd, it sees Hong deliver what is arguably his most nuanced narrative yet. New York artist Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich makes her cinematic debut with The Ballad Of Suzanne Césaire, a deftly layered metafictional essay about the Martinican writer and activist Suzanne Césaire, which unravels through the lens of an actress and new mother preparing to perform excerpts of Césaire’s work. German filmmaker Matthias Glasner’s new film Dying is an epic family drama about an ageing couple and their two self-involved children, which at three hours long, manages to sustain chaos and dark comedy throughout.
For July’s must-see documentaries, meanwhile, look no further than Hidden Master: The Legacy Of George Platt Lynes by Sam Shahid, which reveals a lesser-known facet of the work of celebrity portraitist and fashion photographer George Platt Lynes: his “radically explicit” photographs of the male nude, taken during the 1930s–50s. One for the Spielberg devotees: Jaws At 50: The Definitive Inside Story promises exactly what it says on the tin – a deep dive into the making of the director’s iconic 1975 shark horror, streaming on Disney+ from July 11. Finally, Pavements sees US filmmaker Alex Ross Perry turn his attention to the American indie rock band Pavement, resulting in a captivating film that’s “part-documentary, part-biopic, part-stage musical” (BFI).
As any Italophiles in London will know, Lina Stores has been serving up authentic Italian cuisine since the 1940s, first through their famous Soho deli and now as a slowly growing number of no-less authentic restaurants. The latest, Lina Stores Canary Wharf, has just opened and, with its diner-style, mint-green interiors reminiscent of the Wes Anderson-designed Bar Luce at Fondazione Prada, injects a dose of casual elegance into the financial district. Delicious starters like insalata di pomodori and crudo di tonno serve as refreshing primers for bowls of housemade pasta (the truffle tagliolini and crab linguini are hard to beat) and tantalising secondi options (including chicken Milanese or fresh grilled prawns to share). Finish off your feast with a tiramisù or affogato and head downstairs to the atmospheric Bar Lina, where a host of enticing negroni options await.
Inspired by the arcaded cafés and neighbourhood restaurants of Lisbon, Paris and Milan, Cafe Linea, a new all-day eatery in Duke of York Square, brings European café culture to Chelsea. Early diners can sample pastries from the on-site bakery or enjoy cooked breakfasts, while lunch and dinner service comes replete with dishes like roasted hake with curried brown crab sauce and scorched baby gem, or chicken liver parfait millefeuille.
Another up-and-coming Chelsea hotspot, The Chalk Freehouse is a new pub from chef Tom De Keyser that aims to pay homage to “the beauty of traditional British gastropub dining”. And given De Keyser’s recent history as head chef at the two-Michelin-starred The Hand and Flowers in Marlow, we have no doubt that he’ll succeed. The menu is made up of comforting classics including The Hand and Flowers’ signature chicken and duck liver parfait with poultry jelly and apricot chutney, a pork chop schnitzel with smoked bacon cabbage and fried duck egg, as well as a warm pork-fat Chelsea bun served with vanilla custard for pud.
For those looking to usher out Pride month in style, head to the much-loved Soho restaurant Rita’s where, until July 5, a limited-edition cocktail menu is currently being served, inspired by the historic 1966 protest at Julius’ Bar in New York. Created by head bartender Michael McGrath, the menu showcases three cocktails celebrating LGBTQIA+ icons Lady Phyll, Bronski Beat, and Charlie Craggs, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to support The Outside Project, London’s LGBTQIA+ community shelter, centre and domestic abuse refuge.
For a two-night series that’s not to be missed, head to Michelin-starred West African restaurant Akoko in Fitzrovia, where on July 7 and 8 they’ll be hosting a special four hands dinner in collaboration with chef Ryan Cole of the acclaimed Cape Town restaurant Salsify at the Roundhouse. Expect to sample a tasting menu made up of plates that celebrate the “thoughtful, expressive” styles of cooking that both restaurants are famous for. From coal-roasted oyster with spekboom and ginger, and raw springbok with local agave and umfino to Akoko’s signature jollof paired with Salsify’s Karoo Wagyu sirloin and chakalaka.
Finally, for anyone heading to Cambridge, make a booking at Margaret’s, the new modern British bistro from Alex Olivier and Sam Carter (the duo behind the Michelin-starred Restaurant 22). Delivering dishes that centre around locally sourced, premium ingredients, the menu’s opening options honour “the bounty of summer”, with highlights including CoFarm crudités with cod’s roe and chilli; tempura monkfish with lemon, ginger and kombu, and Norfolk salt marsh lamb rump with green sauce. Rumour has it that Margaret’s signature martini is rather tasty too. Chin chin.
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A hand-curated list of wonderful ways to while away July, spanning art, photography and film, through to new food destinations and anticipated theatre productions
The Gianni Versace Retrospective at Arches London Bridge, London: July 16, 2025 – March 1, 2026
A pioneer of opulent glamour and overt sartorial sexuality, Gianni Versace was a designer like no other. This month, the largest UK retrospective of Versace’s work to date will open at Arches London Bridge, spotlighting more than 450 meticulously crafted garments, ranging from his S/S88 offering through his spectacular final collection in 1997. Visitors will encounter some of Versace’s most beloved looks, worn by the likes of Princess Diana, Elton John, George Michael, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, alongside accessories, runway footage, interviews, photographs and sketches that further illuminate the designer’s gloriously outré oeuvre.
Queer Lens: A History of Photography at the Getty Center, Los Angeles: Until September 28, 2025
At the Getty Center in LA, a compelling new exhibition examines photography’s role in “shaping and affirming the vibrant tapestry of the LGBTQ+ community”. Queer Lens features a centuries-spanning selection of works, from Man Ray’s iconic portrait of Marcel Duchamp as his female alter ego, Rrose Sélavy, to images documenting the first-ever Pride march. Shots by 20th-century icons like Berenice Abbott, Andy Warhol and Robert Mapplethorpe hang alongside found photographs by unknown artists, and works by contemporary image-makers such as Fabian Guerrero and Catherine Opie – all of which reveal photography’s unique potential to challenge and expand preconceived notions of gender and identity.
Franz West: Early Works at Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich: Until October 3, 2025
In Zurich, Galerie Eva Presenhuber takes a deep dive into the formative period of the inimitable Austrian sculptor Franz West. Ranging from early experiments in sculpture and furniture design to lesser-known mixed-media artworks, the curation sheds fascinating light on West’s groundbreaking approach to form and material, and his evolving interest in making work that invites social interaction. Few have so successfully blurred the boundary between everyday objects and art, between function and abstraction, and here, we see the works that set West’s creative wheels in motion.
Fans of Lubaina Himid, make your way to Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, where the renowned British artist will be showing new works from mid-July. These include her familiar brand of bold figurative painting, as well as site-specific interventions and an installation made in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary Polish artist Magda Stawarska. A continuation of Himid’s investigation into overlooked and invisible aspects of history and contemporary daily life, these latest pieces contemplate “what is missing from the telling of life stories, who is left out of narratives, [and] what strategies are used to fill in the gaps”, as well as “the objects we choose to leave behind as clues”.
Sign of the Times: Photographs from 1932-2012 at Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York: Until July 31, 2025
What makes a photograph emblematic of its time? That’s the question posed by Howard Greenberg Gallery’s latest exhibition, Sign of the Times, which brings together more than 30 eye-catching works from such notable photographers as Edward Burtynsky, Vivian Maier, Mary Ellen Mark, Steve Schapiro and Ed Van Der Elsken in an attempt to provide an answer. Taken between 1932 and 2012, each work on display encapsulates a specific moment within the flow of history, which, when seen collectively, “coalesce into powerful and iconic reflections on … the pivotal social and cultural forces that have shaped our world” during a century of unprecedented change.
Virtual Beauty at Somerset House, London: July 23 – September 28, 2025
At London’s Somerset House, a timely new exhibition will offer an in-depth look at the influence of AI, social media and virtual identities on contemporary beauty standards and self-image. Work by more than 20 international artists will make up the display, from interactive installations to seminal performances. Expect to encounter Orlan’s arresting 1993 performance Omniprésence, for instance, in which the French artist live-streamed her own facial plastic surgery as a critique of Western beauty ideals. Not to mention virtual avatars of Björk, AI-generated portraits by Minne Atairu and Isamaya Ffrench, and much more in an exhibition that looks set to both challenge and celebrate the post-internet aesthetic.
Takako Yamaguchi at MOCA, Los Angeles: Until January 4, 2026
Japanese artist Takako Yamaguchi has been making paintings for decades, yet she is only just garnering the recognition – and sales – she deserves. Likewise, she has been living and working in Los Angeles since 1978, but is only now enjoying her first solo museum show in the city – at MOCA. The exhibition consists of oil-and-bronze-leaf seascapes that fuse Eastern and Western influences, from Mexican muralism and Japanese Nihonga to the Italian Renaissance and Art Nouveau. Yamaguchi has long sought to challenge “rigid notions of ethnic identity and cultural ownership” by drawing on a diverse array of source material, and these luminous, wonderfully stylised works represent “a culmination of her decades-long provocations of style, taste, and identity”.
Talisman at the Art Academy, London: July 4-27, 2025
For Cardion Arts’ annual group exhibition, curators Gemma Rolls-Bentley and E-J Scott have invited LGBTQIA+ artists from across the UK to respond to the notion of the talisman – an object, person or symbol we turn to in order to keep us safe. Artists including Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, KV Duong, Jesse Darling, Luke Edward Hall, Lubaina Himid, Zach Toppin and Osman Yousefzada have contributed works that touch upon everything from “queer spirituality and the supernatural” to “hurt and healing bodily sanctity, and the community’s shared capacity to summon resilience and good fortune”. The aim is to conjure “a space of collective sanctuary”, one that will soon open its doors to the public at the Art Academy in Southwark and is undoubtedly worth a visit.
David Bailey’s Changing Fashion at the MOP Foundation, A Coruna: Until September 14, 2025
Damien Hirst once described British photographer David Bailey as having “defined the world around him for the last 50 years” – and it’s hard to argue otherwise. The photographer changed the shape of fashion photography in the 60s, breaking free of the confines of the studio and taking his subjects to the streets to capture portraits and stories that pulsed with all the vibrancy of the era. Now, a new exhibition at the MOP Foundation in A Coruna, Spain, will shine a light on the photographer’s ever-evolving approach across the 60s and 70s, and its extraordinary impact on the culture of the time. From playful portraits of Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston to experimental shoots with Jean Shrimpton and Marie Helvin, each work is a masterclass in technical innovation and style.
At the Fonds Hélène & Édouard Leclerc in Landerneau, France, curator Christian Alandete has collated more than 150 animal-centric artworks by 130 international artists – from Dorothea Tanning, Vassily Kandinsky and Henri Matisse to Ana Mendieta, Kiki Smith and Louise Bourgeois – for a show that definitely warrants a detour if you’re in the area. The exhibition leads viewers on a journey across ages and art forms to explore the connection between humans and animals, and between artists and their creaturely conjurings, whether observed, symbolic, mythological or imagined.
Dick Jewell at Graces Mews, London: Until August 1, 2025
Head down to Graces Mews gallery in Camberwell for a major retrospective of the legendary British artist Dick Jewell. There, you can peruse over 70 works from across Jewell’s five-decade career, spanning collage and photographic assemblage through film installations, digital montages and prints. “Jewell’s conceptual practice is grounded in social observations that question human behaviour through parody, irony and humour,” the gallery says. “Responding to an ever-shifting media environment, [his] work has continually evolved alongside changes in how images are produced and circulated” – a progression that makes for endlessly relevant and entertaining viewing.
Tschabalala Self at Kunsthalle Bern, Bern: Until August 17, 2025
Kunsthalle Bern has a newly refreshed programme, including a special presentation by the American artist Tschabalala Self, known for her striking figurative works that combine fabric collage, printmaking, and painting to “bring the lived realities of contemporary Black life to the fore”. This marks the launch of a new exhibition series, titled Responses, wherein established contemporary artists are asked to respond to both the museum’s programme and each other. Here, alongside presentations by American abstract artist Melvin Edwards and Namibian artist Tuli Mekondjo on the same theme, Self examines “the injustices of past and present through the locus of the plantation and its various manifestations and aftermaths” to powerful effect.
In search of uplifting live performance to punctuate the summer heat? We have you covered. Il Trovatore, Verdi’s dramatic four-act opera, returns to the Royal Opera House in an acclaimed production helmed by director Adele Thomas. This is a tale of obsession and superstition, set to a rousing score.
Inter Alia, the new play from writer Suzie Miller and director Justin Martin, the duo behind West End hit Prima Facie, arrives at the National Theatre on July 10 for a two-month run. Starring Rosamund Pike as an eminent London Crown Court Judge, it is described as “a searing examination of modern masculinity and motherhood”. If you’re yet to see the West End transfer of Mark Rosenblatt’s play Giant following its sold-out run at the Royal Court, now’s your last chance – its closing night at the Harold Pinter Theatre is August 2. Zooming in on a single afternoon in the life of Roald Dahl, it finds the famed children’s author forced to choose between making a public apology for an antisemitic article he wrote, or risking his name and reputation.
Upstairs at Soho Theatre from July 3–12, catch Ugly Sisters from the multi-award-winning company Piss / Carnation. An “operatic, heretic, parasitic and hallucinatory” exploration of trans identity, it retells a pivotal moment in feminist history – the day Germaine Greer’s best-selling feminist tract The Female Eunuch was issued in America.
For dance aficionados who love to dance, book your tickets for Rose at Sadler’s Wells East from July 10–13. A special collaboration between acclaimed choreographers Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar, London-based music and arts organisation Young, and the musician Call Super, the show will dissolve the boundaries between stage, dancer and spectator, offering a rare opportunity for the audience to experience dance in its rawest form. Last but not least, the Aesop Queer Library returns to Aesop Soho from July 3-6 as part of the brand’s annual quest to platform queer storytelling. The installation hosts an array of books by LGBTQIA+ authors and allies, which are offered as complimentary gifts to shoppers, no purchase required.
For this month’s best films, be sure to see Hot Milk, British director Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s screen adaptation of Deborah Levy’s novel of the same name. In it, a mother and daughter venture to Spain on a quest to cure the former of a mysterious illness. Sun, sea and sexual awakening ensue. French-Japanese drama Super Happy Forever by Kohei Igarashi is a bittersweet love story in reverse. It follows a young widower who returns to the seaside town where he first met his wife in the hope of reliving the past. A widower also lies at the heart of David Cronenberg’s new film, The Shrouds, but as one might expect from the master of body horror, this tale is a little more unsettling: said widower turns out to be the inventor of grave cameras for the grieving.
South Korean director Hong Sang-soo makes a return with What Does That Nature Say to You? in which a financially struggling poet comes to learn that his girlfriend of three years is much wealthier than he thought during an impromptu visit to her parents’ house. Funny, moving and shrewd, it sees Hong deliver what is arguably his most nuanced narrative yet. New York artist Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich makes her cinematic debut with The Ballad Of Suzanne Césaire, a deftly layered metafictional essay about the Martinican writer and activist Suzanne Césaire, which unravels through the lens of an actress and new mother preparing to perform excerpts of Césaire’s work. German filmmaker Matthias Glasner’s new film Dying is an epic family drama about an ageing couple and their two self-involved children, which at three hours long, manages to sustain chaos and dark comedy throughout.
For July’s must-see documentaries, meanwhile, look no further than Hidden Master: The Legacy Of George Platt Lynes by Sam Shahid, which reveals a lesser-known facet of the work of celebrity portraitist and fashion photographer George Platt Lynes: his “radically explicit” photographs of the male nude, taken during the 1930s–50s. One for the Spielberg devotees: Jaws At 50: The Definitive Inside Story promises exactly what it says on the tin – a deep dive into the making of the director’s iconic 1975 shark horror, streaming on Disney+ from July 11. Finally, Pavements sees US filmmaker Alex Ross Perry turn his attention to the American indie rock band Pavement, resulting in a captivating film that’s “part-documentary, part-biopic, part-stage musical” (BFI).
As any Italophiles in London will know, Lina Stores has been serving up authentic Italian cuisine since the 1940s, first through their famous Soho deli and now as a slowly growing number of no-less authentic restaurants. The latest, Lina Stores Canary Wharf, has just opened and, with its diner-style, mint-green interiors reminiscent of the Wes Anderson-designed Bar Luce at Fondazione Prada, injects a dose of casual elegance into the financial district. Delicious starters like insalata di pomodori and crudo di tonno serve as refreshing primers for bowls of housemade pasta (the truffle tagliolini and crab linguini are hard to beat) and tantalising secondi options (including chicken Milanese or fresh grilled prawns to share). Finish off your feast with a tiramisù or affogato and head downstairs to the atmospheric Bar Lina, where a host of enticing negroni options await.
Inspired by the arcaded cafés and neighbourhood restaurants of Lisbon, Paris and Milan, Cafe Linea, a new all-day eatery in Duke of York Square, brings European café culture to Chelsea. Early diners can sample pastries from the on-site bakery or enjoy cooked breakfasts, while lunch and dinner service comes replete with dishes like roasted hake with curried brown crab sauce and scorched baby gem, or chicken liver parfait millefeuille.
Another up-and-coming Chelsea hotspot, The Chalk Freehouse is a new pub from chef Tom De Keyser that aims to pay homage to “the beauty of traditional British gastropub dining”. And given De Keyser’s recent history as head chef at the two-Michelin-starred The Hand and Flowers in Marlow, we have no doubt that he’ll succeed. The menu is made up of comforting classics including The Hand and Flowers’ signature chicken and duck liver parfait with poultry jelly and apricot chutney, a pork chop schnitzel with smoked bacon cabbage and fried duck egg, as well as a warm pork-fat Chelsea bun served with vanilla custard for pud.
For those looking to usher out Pride month in style, head to the much-loved Soho restaurant Rita’s where, until July 5, a limited-edition cocktail menu is currently being served, inspired by the historic 1966 protest at Julius’ Bar in New York. Created by head bartender Michael McGrath, the menu showcases three cocktails celebrating LGBTQIA+ icons Lady Phyll, Bronski Beat, and Charlie Craggs, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to support The Outside Project, London’s LGBTQIA+ community shelter, centre and domestic abuse refuge.
For a two-night series that’s not to be missed, head to Michelin-starred West African restaurant Akoko in Fitzrovia, where on July 7 and 8 they’ll be hosting a special four hands dinner in collaboration with chef Ryan Cole of the acclaimed Cape Town restaurant Salsify at the Roundhouse. Expect to sample a tasting menu made up of plates that celebrate the “thoughtful, expressive” styles of cooking that both restaurants are famous for. From coal-roasted oyster with spekboom and ginger, and raw springbok with local agave and umfino to Akoko’s signature jollof paired with Salsify’s Karoo Wagyu sirloin and chakalaka.
Finally, for anyone heading to Cambridge, make a booking at Margaret’s, the new modern British bistro from Alex Olivier and Sam Carter (the duo behind the Michelin-starred Restaurant 22). Delivering dishes that centre around locally sourced, premium ingredients, the menu’s opening options honour “the bounty of summer”, with highlights including CoFarm crudités with cod’s roe and chilli; tempura monkfish with lemon, ginger and kombu, and Norfolk salt marsh lamb rump with green sauce. Rumour has it that Margaret’s signature martini is rather tasty too. Chin chin.
and integrate them seamlessly into the new content without adding new tags. Ensure the new content is fashion-related, written entirely in Japanese, and approximately 1500 words. Conclude with a “結論” section and a well-formatted “よくある質問” section. Avoid including an introduction or a note explaining the process.
