Saturday, February 28

AFI Fest Day Two: From Angelina Jolie’s “By the Sea” to draconian-setting of “The Lobster”

For the 2015 American Film Institute’s opening night gala, director Angelina Jolie showed off the slow-burner to end all slow-burners. “By the Sea” features Jolie and husband Brad Pitt as a married couple trying to recuperate after several years of lackluster love and non-interaction by staying at a oceanside hotel in France. Read more...

Photo: (Universal Pictures, Film4, AFI Fest, Dark Sky Films)


AFI Fest Day One: Three must-see entries

Over 75 films are being shown this year at the American Film Institute Festival. AFI is Los Angeles’ largest annual celebration of independent films from around the world, in addition to American prestige pictures just in time for the end-of-year Oscar season. Read more...

Photo: (Diaphana Films)


Bruin shares experience learning ropes of circus performance

Brilliantly clad circus performers standing in a circle clasp their hands tightly, raising their voices as they chant “Good, safe, fast show!” three times, each louder and faster than before. Read more...

Photo: At age 12, first-year political science student Hannah Brenchley joined the Great All American Youth Circus of Redlands, California alongside her younger sister. (Hannah Ye/Daily Bruin senior staff)


Lights, Camera, Political Action: ‘Swing Vote’

Flip on a news channel and you’re likely to see characters with perfectly coiffed hair making fantastical claims directly to camera. But how far does this connection between political figures and entertainment go? Read more...

Photo: The 2008 film “Swing Vote” depicts two middle-aged white male presidential candidates. (Walt Disney Pictures)


Sounds of Schoenberg: The Afro-Cuban Batá drums

Each week, Daily Bruin A&E will explore the instruments of the World Musical Instrument Collection and their performers that all contribute to the musical landscape of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Read more...

Photo: Before attending UCLA, third-year ethnomusicology student Melena Francis Valdes took a 15-year break from college to perform Afro-Cuban percussion instruments such as the Batá drums, conga drums and the drum set with musicians such as Stevie Wonder. (Marley Maron/Daily Bruin)



Romance adds new spin for Salsa Society dance partners

Amalia Ledesma and Ernesto Martinez had danced together a few times before at Thursday night Street Salsa at the Bruin Bear, but the natural cadence of live music sparked something new between them at an open invitation salsa social in the Ackerman Grand Ballroom. Read more...

Photo: Fifth-year civil engineering student Ernesto Martinez (left) and second-year biology student Amalia Ledesma (right) dance a salsa together in front of the Bruin Bear. The pair both attend Street Salsa on Thursday nights, where they learn different techniques and styles including salsa and bachata. (Korbin Placet/Daily Bruin senior staff)