The SLMan Culture List – June

Deep in the jungle of Central Vietnam lies a magnificent underground kingdom. Hang Son Doong is the largest cave passage in the world and a place of spectacular natural beauty. Within the Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park, the cave entrance was discovered in 1990 by a local farmer. But it wasn’t explored until 2009, when a British expedition team rigged ropes and descended. Many people have described Son Doong as the eighth wonder of the world. With its own lake, jungle and even a unique weather system, its pristine charm has remained undisturbed for millions of years. In 2014, its future was thrown into doubt when plans were announced to build a cable car into the cave. With many arguing that this would destroy the cave’s delicate eco-system, and the local community divided over the benefits this development would bring, the film follows those caught up in the unfolding events.

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Following his excellent debut The Accidental Footballer, Pat Nevin’s newest memoir takes us on a journey to the less glamorous side of football. From Tranmere to Kilmarnock, he plays some of the best football he's ever played. Then, in an unprecedented twist of fate, he finds himself both player and chief exec of Scottish First Division club Motherwell. What follows is an entertaining and revealing tale of the side of football that you rarely see as Pat tries to keep the lid on simmering tensions between owner and the manager. With challenges at every turn, such as learning that his son is autistic, and the club hurtling towards administration, Pat strives to walk the impossible line between player, parent and boss. Football & How to Survive It is a real one-off, uncovering the sport in all its complex, confusing and calamitous glory.

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Inspired by NBA superstar Kevin Durant’s experiences, Swagger explores the world of youth basketball, and the players, their families and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition, opportunism and corruption. Off the court, the show reveals what it’s like to grow up in America. In season two, we meet the man-children Jace, Phil, Nick, Musa, Drew and Royale as they are entering their senior year of high school. All but Phil will be attending Cedar Cove Prep, a predominantly white institution where wealthy board members control the entire operation from the hiring of faculty to the enrolment of students. For all the academic success, Cedar Cove has not been a sporting powerhouse – until Emory Lawson, the athletic director, acquires the Swagger players. Almost overnight, its basketball programme becomes elite, attracting the attention of Alonzo Powers from Gladiator Sneakers. With winning comes scrutiny and the players find themselves under a microscope as they vie for a national high school championship. 

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Hijack is a seven-part thriller starring Idris Elba (The Wire, Luther). Telling its story in real time, it follows the journey of a hijacked plane making its way to London as authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba is Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers – but his high-risk strategy could be his undoing. Archie Panjabi is Zahra Gahfoor, a counter terrorism officer who is on the ground when the plane is hijacked and becomes part of the investigation. The series also stars Christine Adams, Max Beesley and Ben Miles.

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Action and history film fans will love this gory Finnish drama. Deep in the wilderness of Lapland, Aatami Korpi is searching for gold. From time to time, the overflight of bombers and the distant sounds of war can be heard in the autumn night. Finally, the hard work is rewarded and the gold dust in the pan grows into gold chunks, and Aatami sets out to take his gold treasure to the nearest city. After he stumbles upon a Nazi patrol led by SS Obersturmführer Bruno Helldorf, a breath-taking and gold-hungry chase through the destroyed and mined Lapland wilderness begins.

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Spotify’s exclusive new The Louis Theroux Podcast is airing fresh episodes every Tuesday. The nine-part series features a star-studded line up of fascinating guests, both notable and legendary in their chosen fields. Series one will feature conversations with Shania Twain, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Craig David, Tan France, Nick Cave, Jennette McCurdy, Nile Rodgers, Samantha Morton and Ben Elton. Listeners familiar with Louis’s inimitable style will know to expect freewheeling chats, with each episode presenting poignant reflections on his guests’ lives and journeys.

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In the autumn of 2020, cycling commentator Ned Boulting bought a length of Pathé news film from a London auction house. All he knew was it was film from the Tour de France, a long time ago. Once restored it became clear it was a short sequence of shots from stage 4 of the 1923 Tour de France. No longer than 2.5 minutes long, it featured half a dozen sequences, including a lone rider crossing a bridge. Ned set about learning everything he could about the sequence – studying each frame, face and building – until he had squeezed the meaning from it. Join him as he explores the history of cycling and France just five years after WWI, meeting characters like Henri Pélissier, who won the Tour that year but within a decade had been shot dead by his lover using the same pistol with which his wife had killed herself. And then there’s Théophile Beeckman – the lone rider on the bridge…

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