Movie in English
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans
 
Directed by Werner Herzog. 
Criminal, Detective, Action USA, 2009
Starring Nicolas Cage, Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes
Terrence McDonagh (Nicolas Cage), is a New Orleans Police sergeant. While rescuing a prisoner during Hurricane Katrina, he injures his back. After receiving a medal and a promotion to lieutenant for his heroism, he becomes addicted to prescription pain medication and begins using cocaine, heroin, crack, and marijuana.   

AVALON Nastya Kamenskih is the latest cutie to join the growing ranks of the Ukrainian hip hop scene, announcing her arrival with a presentation of her new video ‘Without Love’ 4 October. The song also features rapper Potap of ‘Prosta Supper’ fame with the video itself keeping it real Kyiv style, as the kids say, being shot in Gydropark. Guests at the bash included fellow hip hop artists VovaZILVova, Triada, and the ever gorgeous XS.

Anastasiya Skorina

DOVZHENKO STUDIO Ravishing raven haired beauty Assiya Akhat is back to her best, recently recording a new video for her latest song. The voluptuous violinist proved too hot to handle for the Austin Powers look-alike and the villains in the clip, who could only stand and gawp at Assiya dressed up in all manner of sexy attire whilst wielding a whip. Subtle it is not, but it certainly does its job in showing the divine Akhat at her best! Expect to see the video on channels over the next few months.

Staff Journalists

DA VINCI FISH CLUB A firm favourite with the local belle monde, exclusive fish and seafood restaurant Da Vinci Fish Club invited a quality crowd to a ultra-chic party 28 September to celebrate its fifth anniversary. TV hostess with the mostest and dance floor deity Svetlana Lobada sizzled during the show programme, delivering a set which went down a storm with the great and the good in attendance, who also enjoyed a variety of choice culinary creations courtesy of the Kozyrna Karta venue.

Natalia Marianchyk

FREEDOM Top nationwide radio station Hit FM took a trip down memory lane at its recent anniversary party 29 September, treating invited party people to songs from the 1990s. Adding to the retro feel of the occasion was the presence of numerous musicians who ruled the airwaves a decade or so ago, with post-Soviet big-hitters Leri Vinn, Viktor Pavlik, and Gorky Park all making appearances. The revelry went on well into the night with everyone raising a glass to Hit FM.

Natalia Marianchyk

M1 West Ukraine’s answer to Eminem VovaZil’Vova recently released his debut album, coinciding with the 750 anniversary of Lviv. ‘Vino. Kobity. Patifon’ (Wine. Girls. Gramophone) is a top-notch collection of dance floor fillers, humorous rants, and life affirming tracks, putting young Vova firmly at the vanguard of the vibrant Ukrainian hip hop scene. The album was presented by Vasya Frolova, Kishe and Vova himself, with artists such as Alibi, Nedilya, Katya Chilly, and Pasha Gudimov present to give it the thumbs up.

Anastasiya Skorina

RIVER PALACE London based reggae group Aswad left the River Palace audience chanting for more following their top notch concert 29 September. The funky gadflies have been around since the 1970s, performing alongside all the greats of the reggae world before reaching the pinnacle of the pop world with such radio-friendly hits as ‘Don’t Turn Around.’ Asward, a.k.a Tony and Solomon, said that they love traveling around the world, and that “reggae has no colour.”

Cosmos Ojukwu

KOKTEBEL The Crimea tuned in and dropped on a grand scale 14-17 September when jazz musicians from around the world performed at the annual Koktebel Jazz Festival. Numerous literary events provided a suitably bohemian accompaniment to the groovy concerts for the visiting connoisseurs, a number of which came thousands of miles just to dig the Crimean beat.

Anastasiya Skorina

DA VINCI GALLERY Ukrainian born Russian artist Yuriy Gorbachev took time out from schmoozing with C-list celebs and more illustrious New York figures, with whom his works are exceptionally popular, to present a series of works at trendy Da Vinci Gallery 2 October. Entitled ‘Exotic Art’, the collection of paintings depicts carnival scenes, nudes, and paintings of flora and fauna which the artist encounter while jetting around the world in search of inspiration. Gorbachev has always been a firm favourite with the upper-echelons of the cool Kyiv crowd and the artist was more than happy to pose for the camera with the fellow artists and society belles who attended the opening. The exhibition runs till 2 November.

Natalia Marianchyk

MAGNAT Out of town equestrian club ‘Magnat’ hosted a grand charity event 5 October to raise money for partially sighted children. The evening was organised by the charity group ‘For the Children of Ukraine’, supported by ‘Kraplya Rosy’ and ‘Hot Spring’ companies and local fashion designer Sergey Yermakov. Entertainment came in the form of child actors and singers, a sets from swashbuckling singer Vitaliy Kozlovsky and the gorgeous Kamaliya, and a display of horsemanship from a lovely lady jockey. With many of the country’s great and good in attendance, the evening managed to raise a good deal of money for a specialised children’s hospital in Zhitomir region. This evening marked the start of a series of charity drives for children, which will culminate in a special auction where lots donated by prominent local personalities will be up for grabs, as well as pieces by well known artists and high fashion courtesy of designers.

Maria Aksyonova

Toastmasters is a voluntary public speaking organization and on Sunday 1 October the Kyiv Toastmasters branch held its annual event, the Autumn Ball 2006 at which the guests were mesmerised by professional speeches by Adrean Yardley (Regal Petrolium) and Ludmila Povaliy (Railway Worker’s UNI0N). Later Martin Nunn of Whites held a session of impromptu Q&A. And finally there were two performances by Kyiv’s Art Talkers and Toastcrackers Clubs that impressed everybody. TopTalkers, Dnipro Hills, EBA, and AmCham TM Clubs also made contributions on a night of confident public speaking and fun. The Toastmasters organisation is 80 years old and includes 10,000 clubs worldwide.

With thanks to Volodymyr Gaidash

A Man of Chocolate and Charity
George Logush, Managing Director for Kraft Foods in Ukraine and other CIS countries, first came to Kyiv before the collapse of the Soviet UNI0N. He has seen many changes in the city and the country since then, and has a very interesting perspective on all of it.  

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Evidence of Love   

Love nowadays is like oil, a natural resource that gets exhausted while other substitutions take its place instead. With Saint Valentine’s Day looming, What’s On asked its friends when they’ve seen recently the evidence of love. True love without any ‘but’ implied.

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