Embrace culture this weekend with the Scandinavian Film Festival, Bastille Day celebrations at the Adelaide Central Market and a collaboration between the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and First Nations artists.

Words Elisabeth Marie

Bonne Fete Nationale

In commemoration of Bastille Day, the Adelaide Central Market is hosting a celebration of French culture on July 14 and 15. Embrace the decadence of French culture with a crepe stall, a Champagne bar and a croquembouche cooking demonstration. Listen to live music and meander the marketplace while the kids enjoy free cupcake decorating and activities. Alliance Francaise is offering guided tours throughout the day and The Smelly Cheese Co will host Cheese After Dark on the Saturday evening.

From above

Showcasing the best of 20,000 photographs, the exhibition Altitude South is the result of three photographers and a pilot who flew 8500 kilometres of South Australia to showcase the state’s beauty from above. Local photographer David Dahlenburg and his friend and pilot Steve Joyce teamed up with photographers Paul Hoelen from Hobart and Tim Wrate from Sydney to capture this collection. “We aim to showcase the outback in an artistic way,” says David. “To have such a large body of work showcasing the state gives you a deeper sense of connection to the landscape and we are excited to show people what is out there from another point of view.” Altitude South is on display at the Barossa Regional Art Gallery until July 24.

A spiritual sound

A new work formed as part of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s “Floods of Fire” community project, Creation is sung and narrated in the Yugambeh language and reflects Bundjalung history and culture. The work’s creator and narrator, Grayson Rotumah says the partnership will unite Indigenous musicians and the ASO to create new music that celebrates the language, song, story and experience of the Bundjalung community. “When the orchestra performs with First Nations artists, I want it to be a dreamlike and meaningful experience for the audience and musicians alike,” Grayson says. “This collaboration between two very different musical traditions can lead to a beautiful and unique sound that celebrates both cultures.” Creation will be performed as a concerto grosso around a campfire at Grainger Studio on Friday, July 14. 

For the gin-quisitive mind

The State Library of South Australia’s Mortlock Chamber has been transformed into a pop-up gin bar by Storytellers Distillery until Friday, July 23. Each night from 5pm to 11pm, spirits will flow so guests can enjoy the library after dark. This Saturday, July 15, Tattletales will take over the chamber with immersive tarot storytelling – a part campfire-style storytelling and part choose-your-own-adventure where audiences build a tale through tarot cards. To celebrate the final weekend of the pop-up, guests are invited to attend the Please Be Quiet! Silent Disco on Saturday, July 22. 

Showcasing Scandinavia

Showcasing the best new cinema from the Nordic region, the Scandinavian Film Festival will return to the Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas from July 19 to August 9. This year’s festival centrepiece is award-winning writer and director Hlynur Pálmason’s Godland, a historical drama about a Danish priest who goes on a pilgrimage across unexplored Iceland in the late 1800s. Other festival highlights include Shadow Island, a noir thriller featuring a cast of up-and-coming talent where an aspiring meteorologist travels to a deserted island in search of the truth about his father’s passing and Let the River Flow, a film based on real events that explore the Indigenous people’s struggle for survival in 1970s Norway.

For more of what’s on around South Australia this month, pick up the July issue of SALIFE, which is on sale now.