The 234 Apartment

Winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize earlier this year, Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini’s documentary Dina tells a love story of a unique stripe. The film follows Dina Buno, a 49-year-old living on disability, suffering from a neurological disorder, and her courtship with Scott Levin, a Walmart greeter with Asperger syndrome. Featuring a score by Michael Cera, the first trailer has now arrived ahead of an October release. “A tender love story ,  Dina is a documentary that could easily be mistaken for a fiction film. Framed in long takes, often on a tripod, several choices other than its style call the film’s legitimacy into question, including a key moment which occurs in the film’s third act that leaves one wondering if directors Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini are playing fair. The film, up until that moment, is so engrossing that as manipulative as it may appear, I’m willing to forgive the choice of pulling back the curtain a bit on a moment that’s offered up with little con...

W hether it is travelling on a budget or seeking out luxury, finding a secret island or planning a pet-friendly escape, holidaymakers are jumping on the growing trend of travel concierges. With a contacts book of the hottest names across the globe, these facilitators can jump the waiting list at Noma, hunt down the finest embroidery in Rajasthan (Andraab, Jaipur), order from the top pastry shop in Paris (Goût de Brioche, St Germain) and bag the best family beach spot in the Mediterranean ( St George Beach , Naxos, Greece).  Ten years ago , travel concierges were the preserve of high-net-worth individuals. Now, their services are accessible to a wider demographic, from business executives and single parents to gap-year students and extreme adventurers.   Millennials are driving the trend with their reliance on digital access and expert advice, a need heightened by a saturated internet and a world that is increasingly on fast-forward. “Time is one of the most precious things and one mo...