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Byron Shire
March 28, 2024

The Nightingale

Latest News

Man charged over domestic violence and pursuit offences – Tweed Heads

A man has been charged following a pursuit near Tweed Heads on Monday.

Other News

Superbowls

Superbowls is your go-to spot for a burst of woodfired flavour! Nestled in Byron Arts and Industry Estate, the...

Govt cost-shifting ‘erodes financially sustainable local government’

Byron Shire Council looks set to add its voice to the growing chorus calling on the state government to stop shifting responsibilities and costs onto local government.

‘Smooth stroking’ Rainbow Dragons earn trophies

Rainbow Dragons (Lennox Head Ballina) won three trophies and had a fantastic weekend of fun, fitness and friendship at Grafton Dragon Boat Club’s regatta earlier in March.

Urgent appeal

At last Thursday’s Byron Council meeting a long and dedicated campaign to save rail tracks and restore trains in...

Queer family visibility

Did you know that, statistically, if you’ve met a redhead, you’ve also met a trans person? Over 800 trans and gender diverse people live in the Byron Shire, which includes at least 200 children. They’re often a bit hidden though, so come on down and celebrate with them this Trans Day of Visibility!

Laid-back but lively

Ooz is an acoustic roots reggae artist with a large, eclectic repertoire of crowd favourites. His unique, laid-back but lively style creates a relaxed atmosphere and his song choices have you remembering many of those forgotten classics.

the-nightingale

There is nothing startlingly new in the story of a little kid and an old man going on a journey of mutual self-discovery – it is a road-trip standard. This one (screening at Pighouse Flicks) is different insofar as it is set in China but directed by the French filmmaker Phillipe Muyl. Returning to a theme that he explored with The Butterfly (2002), Muyl has come up with an elegant piece in which a fine balance is struck between western sentiment and eastern restraint.

The child in question is Ren Xing (Xin Yi Yang), the over-indulged daughter of quarrelling parents whose marriage is at breaking point. When their hectic business schedules take them out of town, Xing is left in the care of her grandfather Zhi Gen Zhu (Baotian Li), who decides to take her with him on a pilgrimage from Beijing to the family’s ancestral home in the country. Inevitably, the pair lose their way in a forest, at which point their bonding commences. It is a lovely idea, touching and observed without falseness – the only trouble for me was that I took longer to warm to the kid than her grandfather did. If she is meant to represent the downside of the People’s Republic’s blind embrace of modernity and consumerism, she succeeds with formica hardness and Muyl tends to be too forgiving of her.

The truly enchanting passages come when they arrive at the village. It may be no more than an idealised recreation of what once was, but it provides a peek into a more gentle, pre-wired world where children don’t need dates to play – they even climb trees, unchaperoned! Xing is overwhelmed by the novelty and pure fun of it all. If Yang is good without entirely winning your heart it may be a reflection of modern childhood rather than her acting, whereas Li holds it all together. And, for those of us who have not travelled to rural China, the cinematography is redolent of what we understand of Oriental serenity.


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Where should affordable housing go in Tweed Shire?

Should affordable and social housing in the Tweed Shire be tucked away in a few discreet corners? Perhaps it should be on the block next to where you live?

Making Lismore Showground accessible to everyone

The Lismore Showground isn’t just a critical local community asset that plays host to a number of major events each year, but has also been used as an evacuation centre during past natural disasters in the region. 

Iconic Lennox beach shed upgraded –  not demolished

Lennox Park and the shelter shed has now been upgraded and reopened.

Govt cost-shifting ‘erodes financially sustainable local government’

Byron Shire Council looks set to add its voice to the growing chorus calling on the state government to stop shifting responsibilities and costs onto local government.