Spencer Hawken
Bio
I'm a fiftysomething guy with a passion for films, travel and gluten free food. I work in property management, have a history in television presentation and am a multi award wining filmmaker, even though my films are/were all trash.
Stories (74/0)
Navigating the Shifting Landscape of Friendship in Adulthood
As I get older, I wonder more about the types of friendships/relationships I have. When you're young and in your formative years, so to speak, it's quite easy to make friends. When you're quite young, you form mutual bonds, and every single relationship you have is, in some ways, unique. But as you become older, you find that many of those relationships are based on something else.
By Spencer Hawken2 months ago in Humans
Milan is out to get me
"If you take Milan’s name in vain… she will come for you, FACT! It was December 2019 when we decided to spend New Year in Milan. After all, it’s one of the world's fashion capitals, and our expectations were high. The delivery, however, was not so impressive.
By Spencer Hawken3 months ago in Wander
The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane
Interesting 70s movie featuring a teenage Jodie Foster as Rynn Jacobs, the little girl of the movies title. The movie is both a testament to a better time, while being equally charming, romantic, devastating, and disturbing. Unexpected in its motives and topped of by an incredible score by Christian Gaubert.
By Spencer Hawken3 months ago in Critique
Salò
Pasolini’s Salo is a movie depicting the story of four facists during the war who round up nine children and subsequently dehumanise and brutalise them in a series of sadistic processes. This abhorrent diatribe once outlawed is now revered as a masterpiece, only an imbecile would bestow trash with honour.
By Spencer Hawken3 months ago in Critique
What’s happened to the world?
Ive just spent the most wonderful week in Switzerland, in my 10 day trip I took note of how clean the places I went were, how much better behaved the people that lived there were, how peaceful it was even on a busy day. I enjoyed this break from the normal, before returning back to my everyday life.
By Spencer Hawken3 months ago in Humans
The 76th Locarno Film Festival
Recently, I embarked on a captivating fortnight at the distinguished Locarno Film Festival in the picturesque town of Locarno, Switzerland. Those acquainted with my previous work may already be aware, while newcomers are about to learn, that I oversee a prominent film festival in London. Following an invitation in 2021 to lead a delegation to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, what ensued has become an annual pilgrimage to various esteemed film festivals. Over time, I've been privy to countless tales about Locarno, and in the past year, it was unanimously decided that 2023 would mark our participation in this esteemed event within the cinematic calendar.
By Spencer Hawken3 months ago in Geeks
Nine movies that will make you feel something
When was the last time you watched a film that truly made you feel something? The truth is, most of us treat watching films as a way of passing time, but actually, we rarely engage fully in a film to the point that it makes us happy, sad, angry, or scared. Most of the time, our engagement with films leaves us feeling blah.
By Spencer Hawken4 months ago in Geeks
A life less ordinary
As a kid, I felt destined to achieve nothing. Despite being born in a suburb of London, my mother and father decided to move to a seaside town in search of a better life when I was just 3 years old. My father had been made redundant from his job and allegedly struggled to find work where we lived. Instead, he found a job 120 miles away, uprooting everything we knew. Even at 3 years old, I knew I wanted a life less ordinary. My dream was to be a solicitor at that stage - a strange request, perhaps, but my mother watched a TV show called Crown Court every afternoon, and the solicitors on the show fascinated me. They seemed clever and powerful, knowing it all and winning cases every day. I wanted to be like them.
By Spencer Hawken4 months ago in Journal
Gluten free adventures in Skopje
Picture this: a city that's a little bit odd, a little bit magical, and a whole lot of fun! Welcome to Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia – a place that feels like it's in a world of its own, just waiting for you to discover its hidden treasures. Better still, North Macedonia is one of the safest Eastern European countries for coeliacs.
By Spencer Hawken4 months ago in Feast
The Frog Prince
We all know the story about how a frog turns into a prince, don’t we? No? Ok, here's the story for those who forgot: A princess accidentally loses her golden ball in a pond. A friendly frog offers to retrieve it for her, but in return, he asks to become her companion. The princess agrees without intending to keep her promise. However, when the frog reminds her at the palace, she reluctantly fulfills her word. To her surprise, the frog transforms into a handsome prince, revealing that he had been cursed. His curse could only be broken by someone showing him kindness and keeping their promise. Grateful to the princess for her compassion, they fall in love, and the prince is freed from the curse. The story highlights the importance of keeping one's word and demonstrating kindness to others.
By Spencer Hawken4 months ago in Fiction
