A lemon festival in France, giant stilettos in Spain, a pioneer of pop art in London — and blue soup for all, as Bridget Jones returns to the big screen.
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This one goes out to all the lovers - of great culture!
Yes, Valentine's Day is up ahead, but whether you're looking for some date night plans or cynically scoffing at all things saccharine, we've compiled a round of recommendations that are both bitter and sweet. From France's ‘Fête du Citron’, to chandeliers made from tampons and the return of romantic comedy heroine Bridget Jones, lots of wacky stuff is in the air.
This week also sees the beginning of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, which will include exciting new releases from filmmakers such as Richard Linklater, Lucile Hadžihalilović and Mary Bronstein. You can find out more about the line-up and its most exciting contenders below.
Grab a coffee, mark your calendars and remember that sometimes love is sitting in a cinema alone with some little snacks or listening to a song that makes your soul soar.
Exhibitions
'The Library' by Manolo Valdés
Where: Opera Gallery (London, UK)
When: 13 February - 20 March 2025
Spanish artist Manolo Valdés is renowned for reimagining art history and iconography through a myriad of multimedia expressionist works. As its title suggests, this exhibition acts as a library of Valdés' creations, both figuratively and metaphorically, centred around his large wooden bookshelves from the Librería series. A contemplation on history and modernity, memory and the intellectual objects that help us to traverse time, it's a wonderful opportunity to see both sculptures and paintings from a pioneer of Spanish pop art, alongside some of their reference points, such as Diego Velázquez’s Las meninas (1656) and Henri Matisse’s Femme au chapeau (1905).
Joana Vasconcelos: 'Flamboyant'
Where: Liria Palace (Madrid, Spain)
When: From 13 February 2025
There's really no place more fitting for the extravagant works of Lisbon artist Joana Vasconcelos than a palace - and that's exactly where they're headed. From giant stilettos made from pots and pans, to doily covered pianos and tampon chandeliers, Vasconcelos' works sculptures take the mundane minutiae of every day and transform them into supersized vivacious objects of glamour and excess that commentate on themes of identity, femininity and cultural heritage. The experience of viewing them is made all the more impactful at Madrid's beautiful Liria Palace, where the works exist in a dialogue with the space's grand heritage.
Events
PhotoVogue festival: 'The Tree of Life: A Love Letter to Nature'
Where: Milan, Italy
When: 6 - 9 March 2025
For those that love fashion but remain concerned about its impact on the environment, Italy’s PhotoVogue festival has always championed ethics alongside aesthetics, hoping to inspire and encourage global change through thought-provoking imagery. Under this year’s theme of “The Tree of Life: A Love Letter to Nature”, a series of striking works from 50 artists are infused with the beauty of the natural world, commentating on resilience and interconnection. While it’s dealing with some very weighty subjects, this exhibition is also full of hope for the power of human art to make the world better.
‘Fête du Citron’ (Lemon Festival)
Where: Menton, France
When: 15 February - 2 March 2025
Simply the zest festival? If you like lemons, yes! The French city of Menton, also known as ‘Cité des Citrons’, is famous for its production of the bitter little fruits, becoming their biggest producer on the continent at the start of the 20th century. A key part of the Mediterranean city’s cultural identity, this annual festival originated in 1934 and pays tribute by filling the streets with fantastical floats all decked out in oranges and lemons. It’s one of the kookiest European traditions but wonderful all the same, with so many bold and bright colours brightening the mood of a fast fading winter. As the saying (sort of) goes, when life gives you lemons, cover everything with them!
Movies
The Berlin Film Festival
Where: Berlin, Germany
When: 13 February - 23 February
The first major European film festival of the year, this year's Berlinale looks set to be one of the most exciting yet. 19 films have been selected for the main competition, including Richard Linklater's Blue Moon, a biopic about the last days of songwriter Lorenz Hart that stars Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Scott. Mumblecore-maestro Mary Bronstein returns with If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, a commentary on motherhood as a woman's (Rose Byrne) life begins to fall apart under the pressures of family responsibilities. Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco will also premiere Dreams, a love story between a Mexican ballet dancer (Isaac Hernández) and a wealthy American socialite (Jessica Chastain). If you're already feeling overwhelmed, our resident film critic David Mouriquand has helpfully put together a preview of the 10 titles we're most looking forward to. He'll also be covering the festival for the next two weeks, so stay tuned for further updates, interviews and reviews!
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Pull on your big granny pants and plate up some turkey curry because doomed singleton Bridget Jones is returning to the big screen, and just in time for Valentine’s Day. Now in her fifties and widowed (RIP Mr. Darcy), Bridget (Renée Zellweger) finds herself once again caught in a love triangle - this time between her kids' teacher Mr. Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and a tree-rescuing toy boy named Roxster (Leo Woodall) as she attempts to navigate modern-day dating. Expect Hugh Grant talking about skirts, Sally Phillips being sweary, Jim Broadbent being loveable and Bridget being, well, Bridget, in what will likely be a warm, nostalgic hug of a movie for those that love her just the way she is.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
When The Seed of the Sacred Fig premiered at Cannes last year, it was a huge deal - not only because it’s an incredibly powerful film about resistance against fundamentalist oppression in the wake of the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, but also because its filmmaker, Mohammad Rasoulof, had to flee Iran after making it. His personal story is one of nail-biting astonishment, a reminder of the power of art to stand-up against regimes that seek to control and silence people - and how lucky many of us are to be able to freely access such art. In his review, David Mouriquand said the film was “a call to arms for those who refuse to accept control. Especially when that control is insidiously concealed as love.” It's now out in UK cinemas and not to be missed - read our interview with Rasoulof here.
Television
Yellowjackets
Release date: 14 February
Where to stream: Paramount+
In 1996, a high school girls’ soccer team’s plane crashes into the Canadian wilderness. Through fragments of narrative that flicker between past and present, we follow the story of the women that survived, their terse relationships underscored by trauma-fused resentment. Since its release in 2021, ‘Yellowjackets’ has become one of the most popular prestige shows of modern times, both acrid and soft in its complex study of characters, and starring a nostalgic cast of 90s faces that include Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci and this time, Hilary Swank. The new season picks things up in the past, post-rescue, as the girls try to reintegrate into society following their harrowing ordeal.
The White Lotus
Release date: 16 February
Where to stream: HBO and Max
It feels like forever since we last heard that banger of an intro by Cristobal Tapia de Veer, but prepare to crank up the TV’s volume - ‘White Lotus’ is finally back, baby. Mike White’s acute and acerbic social satire centred around a luxury chain of resorts has us landing in Thailand this time, where a brand new cast of wealthy, obnoxious and deceptive guests will be arriving - including Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Aimee Lou Wood, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Lisa Manobal of the K-pop band Blackpink. If the format of the previous two seasons continues, we can expect a mysterious death and unravelling of relationships in the build-up towards figuring out who died and why. While we’re still mourning the loss of the iconic Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge), White has promised a “longer, bigger, crazier” series - bring us our complimentary cocktails, we’re ready.
Music
Bartees Strange - Horror
When: 14 February
2025 is still awakening and we're all, to one degree or another, trying to face our fears in what can feel like an increasingly gloomy old world. This is the theme of Bartees Strange's new album, a gothic-coated collection all about coming to terms with what scares you in order to release yourself from it and find peace in the present. Strange portrays this message through the lens of horror movies, a genre that encourages our darkest anxieties to manifest into visceral nightmares until we learn to better understand and navigate them. The result is big, beautiful music that will make you feel braver.
Lady Gaga - Abracadabra
When: Streaming now
And for our last magic trick? Lady Gaga's new single. Debuting at the 2025 Grammy Awards, 'Abracadabra' has already been topping the charts as fans embrace its return to the singer's early era dance-pop sound. It follows 'Disease' and 'Die with a Smile' from the highly-anticipated album 'Mayhem', due out 7 March. Even if you've already heard this one (which you probably have), it's perfect for voila-ing energetic vibes for a new week.
February's album anniversaries: Father John Misty, The Mars Volta, Tricky
Finally, there's our pick of the three albums you should (re)discover this month. Every month, we’re feeding you a hefty dose of earworm nostalgia by sharing three albums turning 10, 20 and 30. It’s a great opportunity to discover, or rediscover some musical gems - and marvel at how old you suddenly feel. For February 2025, we’ve got cynicism intertwined with genuine declarations of love; a concept album that’s both enthralling and headache-inducing; and trip hop’s crown gem. Check it out here. Enjoy!