VICDOC Autumn 2023 - Magazine - Page 6
I N RE V I E W: RE A D | WATC H | L I ST E N
6
WOMEN AT WAR
DIGITAL MINIMALISM
THE REST IS HISTORY
Netflix limited series
Cal Newport
'Women at War' is a
Netflix limited series set
on the French-German
border during World War I.
The eight-part series
explores the destinies of
four archetypal women
— a mysterious Parisian
prostitute; a soon-to-be
widow propelled to the
head of the family factory;
the Mother Superior of
a convent and a feminist
nurse wanted by the
police for performing
illegal abortions. It pivots
through all the themes of
a compelling drama — love,
conflict, death, lust, loss and
power struggles, along with
plenty of heaving bosoms
and gore, thanks to the
setting of many scenes in a
brothel, and a chaotic and
woefully unhygienic army
hospital. You’ll likely find
yourself rolling your eyes at
many of the medical scenes
(such as the dashing male
doctor participating in a
life-saving operation
on himself), but the
overall pace, empathy
and unfolding pathos
make it a worthy watch.
In today’s interconnected
age, modernisation and
digitalisation go hand
in hand, don’t they?
‘Digital Minimalism’ is a
thoughtfully considered
refutation of all our
common excuses (I have to
keep up with the pregnancy
of a distant relative!) by
Georgetown University
computer science expert,
Professor Cal Newport.
Referencing industry
insiders like an ex-product
manager at Facebook,
Newport elegantly shows
why and how the powerful
forces driving the digital
age, who claim they help
us to communicate and
network, might in fact be
looping us into a more
sinister net from which
extracting ourselves will be
the ultimate challenge.
Hosted by:
Dominic Sandbrook
and Tom Holland
AMA VI C TO RIA
Irreverent and charming,
'The Rest Is History'
podcast attempts to tackle
the whole sweep of human
history, from Australia
before colonisation to the
reign of Liz Truss, from
Alexander the Great to
Vladmir Putin’s Russia,
and (mostly) everything
in between. Hosted by
popular historians Dominic
Sandbrook and Tom
Holland (not Spiderman,
as the latter frequently
and humorously notes),
The Rest Is History has
developed a dedicated
and loyal following for its
approach which is at once
quirky and informative.
At over 300 episodes and
counting, the podcast’s
archives are well worth
exploring. Episodes on the
Jeremy Thorpe scandal',
65. A very British Scandal',
45. Top 10 Eunuchs', and
'257. Australia: The Mystery
of the Somerton Man'
are fabulous.