System reboot
EVER wondered if you could simply hit the refresh button and restart your life? Even better, what if you could reboot the whole operating system? You know, like how we do it with our computers with the control, alternate, delete shortcut key combo.
It shuts the whole computer down and restarts it, without destroying anything. It restores things to their default settings, allowing for a fresh start.
Well, this year’s Cooler Lumpur Festival is about rebooting the system through its line-up of panel discussions, workshops and screenings.
The annual festival of ideas will take place at Publika, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur from Oct 5-7. Different events will be spread across several spaces in Publika such as White Box, Black Box, The Boulevard and others.
“I think people were too quick to assume that post GE14 – everything was fine and dandy. We forget that democracy is a work in progress, and a never-ending process of managing, changing, and well ... rebooting.
“The theme is a gentle reminder to people that nothing is ever completely solved in a young country, and we already have a handful of issues in the past month that have tested the idea that all is well and good. We are in a better place, but we may always need to have a reset button handy,” says festival co-founder and executive director Hardesh Singh.
Some of the thought-provoking speakers who will be participating this year are Scottish author and novelist Laura Lam, award-winning The New York Times reporter Richard C. Paddock, Philippines visual artist and photographer Carlo Gabuco and Singaporean historian Thum Ping Tjin.
Adding variety are various workshops and panel sessions, film screenings, the Food Fringe Festival and Nite sCool presented by Kuick Culture. Nite sCool runs from Oct 1-4 as a festival lead up.
A one-time entry admission fee of RM10 for the entire festival applies, except for special events and workshops.
Here are five event highlights:
Saving Journalism In The Age Of Social Media (panel)
Date: Oct 5
Time: 10am-11am
Venue: Black Box
Panellists: Premesh Chandran, Tan Lee Chin, Datuk Jalil
Moderator: Lau Chak Onn
In the face of relentless misand disinformation, the role of journalism in Malaysian society has become more crucial than ever. At the same time, news organisations are struggling to turn a profit and media salaries are stagnating. Malaysiakini’s Premesh, Sin Chew’s Tan Lee Chin and Karangkraf ’s Datuk Jalil will look at how journalism could survive in the age of cat memes, social sites and inheriting the Instagram generation.
The Outsiders: How Global Journalism Shaped Our National Discourse (panel) Date: Oct 5
Time: 11.30am-12.30pm
Venue: Black Box
Panellists: Rick C. Paddock, Thum Ping Tjin, Hannah Ellis-Petersen
Moderator: Terence Fernandez
In the recent GE14, Malaysian news coverage by foreign media outlets arguably played a pivotal role. Meanwhile, local media were careful with their reporting. The panellists will examine if this was a lack of capability or an issue of stifling press freedom or both. They will also look at how international media outlets justify all the resources that go into investing into foreign correspondents.
Fighting The Future: How Reality Is Shaping Science Fiction (panel)
Date: Oct 6
Time: 10am-11am
Venue: Black Box
Panellists: Felicia Yap, Laura Lam, Haruna Ikezawa Moderator: Mahvesh Murad
Culture is always entangled with the moment in which it is produced. Malaysian-born author Felicia Yap, Scotting novelist Laura Lam and Japanese voice actor Haruna Ikezawa will look at how our current reality is shaping the stories we tell and how do we mitigate whatever grim visions that emerge.
Who Run The World? (panel)
Date : Oct 6
Time: 3pm-4pm
Venue: Black Box
Panellists: Thammy Chong, Hannah Ellis-Petersen, Suri Kempe, Marianne Clark-Hattingh
Violence against women. Child brides. Gender inequality. The glass ceiling. We’re all too familiar with these issues and some of us even experience them in real life. We’re long overdue on an overhaul in the way we perceive gender roles in society.The panellists will address what needs to be done, today, in order to set things right for the women of tomorrow.
Digital Ethics: Regaining Control Of The Internet (workshop)
Date: Oct 7
Time: 3pm-4pm
Venue: Me.Reka Makerspace Price: RM50
Facilitator: Matteo Riatti
We are all worried about Big Brother or even international corporations “spying” on us via cyberspace. The question is, is it too late to regain control of the internet before cyberspace is fully controlled by the powers that be? Within this workshop, participants will be introduced to concepts of Digital Ethics. In a narrative approach, current developments of the digital landscape will be discussed in order to understand how commercial and social interests collide and how the individual can claim responsibility for a better future.
More info: www.coolerlumpur.com.