The murder of John Forde was the culmination to years of political, social, and criminal intrigue.   Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Researchers have uncovered handwritten letters, court documents, and a coroner’s report related to the nearly 700-year-old cold case murder of a medieval priest. Published on June 5 in the journal Criminal Law Forum, the investigation draws on direct archival evidence from Cambridge University that is helping fill in the gaps to a high-profile true crime scandal that would make headlines even today. But despite a mountain of firsthand accounts, the murder’s masterminds never saw justice. The ‘planned and cold-blooded’ crime On Friday, May 3, 1337, Anglican priest John Forde began a walk along downtown London’s Cheapside street after vespers (evening prayers) shortly before sunset. At one point, a clergyman familiar to Forde by the name of Hasculph Neville approached him to begin a “pleasant conversation.” As the pair neared St. Paul’s Cathedral, four men ambushed the priest. One of the attackers then proceeded to slit Forde’s throat using a 12-inch dagger as two other assailants stabbed him in the stomach in front of onlookers. The vicious crime wasn’t a brazen robbery or politically motivated attack. It was likely a premeditated murder orchestrated by Ela Fitzpayne, a noblewoman, London crime syndicate leader—and potentially Forde’s lover. “We are looking at a murder commissioned by a leading figure of the English aristocracy. It is planned and cold-blooded, with a family member and close associates carrying it out, all of which suggests a revenge motive,” Cambridge University criminology professor Manuel Eisner explained in a statement. The location of the murder of John Forde on May 3, 1337. Credit: Medieval Murder Maps / University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology / Historic Towns Trust. A longstanding feud To understand how such a brutal killing could take place in daylight on a busy London street, it’s necessary to backtrack at least five years. In January 1332, the Archbishop of Canterbury sent a letter to the Bishop of Winchester that included a number of reputation-ruining claims surrounding Fitzpayne. In particular, Archbishop Simon Mepham described sexual relationships involving “knights and others, single and married, and even with clerics in holy orders.” The wide-ranging punishments for such sinful behavior could include a prohibition on wearing gold and other precious jewelry, as well as large tithes to monastic orders and the poor. But the most humiliating atonement often came in the form of a public walk of shame. The act of contrition involved walking barefoot across Salisbury Cathedral—England’s longest nave—in order to deliver a handcarried, four-pound wax candle to the church altar. What’s more, Archbishop Mepham commanded that Fitzpayne must repeat this penance every autumn for seven years. Fitzpayne was having none of it. According to Mepham’s message, the noblewoman chose to continue listening to a “spirit of pride” (and the devil), and refused to abide by the judgment. A second letter sent by the Archbishop that April also alleged that she had since absconded from her husband, Sir Robert Fitzpayne, and was hiding in London’s Rotherhithe district along the Thames River. Due to this, Archbishop Mepham reported that Ela Fitzpayne had been excommunicated from the church. Image of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s letters to the Bishop of Winchester on the subject of Ela Fitzpayne, from the register of John de Stratford. Credit: Hampshire Archives and Hampshire County Council. Raids and rats But who tipped the clergy off to her indiscretions? According to Eisner’s review of original documents as part of the Cambridge University Institute of Criminology’s Medieval Murder Maps project, it was almost certainly her ex-lover, the soon-to-be-murdered John Forde. He was the only alleged lover named in Archbishop Mepham’s letters, and served as a church rector in a village located on the Fitzpayne family’s estate at the time of the suspected affair.  “The archbishop imposed heavy, shameful public penance on Ela, which she seems not to have complied with, but may have sparked a thirst for vengeance,” Eisner said. “Not least as John Forde appears to have escaped punishment by the church.” But Forde’s relationship with the Fitzpaynes seems to have extended even more illicit activities. In another record reviewed by Eisner, both Ela Fitzpayne and John Forde had been indicted by a Royal Commission in 1322. The crime–assisting in the raid of a Benedictine priory alongside Sir Fitzpayne. They and others reportedly assaulted the priory a year earlier, making off with around 18 oxen, 30 pigs, and 200 sheep. The monastery coincidentally served as a French abbey’s outpost amid increasing tensions between France and England in the years leading up to the Hundred Years’ War. Archbishop Mepham was almost certainly displeased after hearing about the indictment of one of his own clergy. A strict administrator himself, Mepham “was keen to enforce moral discipline among the gentry and nobility,” added Eisner. He theorizes that Forde copped to the affair after getting leaned on by superiors, which subsequently led to the campaign to shame Ela Fitzpayne as a means to reassert the Church’s authority over English nobility. Forde, unfortunately, was caught between the two sides. “John Forde may have had split loyalties,” argued Eisner. “One to the Fitzpayne family, who were likely patrons of his church and granted him the position. And the other to the bishops who had authority over him as a clergy member.” Archbishop Mepham ultimately wouldn’t live to see the scandal’s full consequences. Fitzpayne never accepted her walk of shame, and the church elder died a year after sending the incriminating letters. Eisner believes the Fitzpaynes greenlit their hit job on Forde only after the dust had seemingly settled. It doesn’t help their case three bystanders said the man who slit the rector’s throat was none other than Ela Fitzpayne’s own brother, Hugh Lovell. They also named two family servants as Forde’s other assailants. Archbishop Mepham died four years before Forde’s murder. Credit: ampshire Archives and Hampshire County Council Turning a blind eye Anyone waiting for justice in this medieval saga will likely be disappointed. “Despite naming the killers and clear knowledge of the instigator, when it comes to pursuing the perpetrators, the jury turn[ed] a blind eye,” Eisner said. Eisner explained the circumstances surrounding an initial lack of convictions were simply “implausible.” No one supposedly could locate the accused to bring to trial, despite the men belonging to one of England’s highest nobility houses. Meanwhile, the court claimed Hugh Lovell had no belongings available to confiscate. “This was typical of the class-based justice of the day,” said Eisner. In the end, the only charge that ever stuck in the murder case was an indictment against one of the family’s former servants. Five years after the first trial in 1342, Hugh Colne was convicted of being one of the men to stab Forde in the stomach and sentenced to the notorious Newgate Prison. As dark and sordid as the multiyear medieval drama was, it apparently didn’t change much between Ela Fitzpayne and her husband, Sir Robert. She and the baron remained married until his death in 1354—when she subsequently inherited all his property. “Where rule of law is weak, we see killings committed by the highest ranks in society, who will take power into their own hands, whether it’s today or seven centuries ago,” said Eisner. That said, the criminology professor couldn’t help but concede that Ela Fitzpayne was an “extraordinary” individual, regardless of the era. “A woman in 14th century England who raided priories, openly defied the Archbishop of Canterbury, and planned the assassination of a priest,” he said. “Ela Fitzpayne appears to have been many things.”

Ballerina is what happens when a studio wants to extend a franchise but really has no reason to do so except a financial one. Subtitled From The World of John Wick, this action thriller contains too much action and precious little thrills. Directed (maybe) by Len Wiseman of Underworld fame, Ballerina is set in the same universe as the four majestic adrenaline epics starring Keanu Reeves, and incorporates as many elements from those films as possible, including the Continental Hotel and the Ruska Roma, not to mention appearances from Ian McShane, Anjelica Huston, the late, great Lance Reddick, and Mr. Reeves himself. But what is also found in ample supply in the John Wick movies and sadly missing in Ballerina is heart, character, and a sense of conviction. At the center of the movie is a miscast, utterly bland Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, whose father’s death sent her as a little girl into the custody of McShane’s Winston Scott and, eventually, the tutelage of the Director (Huston) of the Ruska Roma ballet/assassin school. It’s there that Eve goes through the usual training montage, with her inability to dance only matched by her evident aptitude at killing and fighting. Once her training is complete, Eve is sent out into the world on Ruska Roma business, but of course her main goal is avenging her dad, who was killed by members of a mysterious cult led by the enigmatic Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). No sooner can you say “she’s gone rogue” than she does just that, jetting off to Prague in pursuit of a cult member (Norman Reedus) who’s trying to get himself and his own little daughter out from under the Chancellor’s thumb, while finding herself at odds with the Director and pursued by the Chancellor’s minions at every turn. The movie’s thin “lady vengeance” premise, which we’ve seen countless times before, is reheated once again by screenwriter Shay Hatten, who has co-written the last two John Wick entries but seems lost here. Unlike John Wick himself, whose single-minded quest for revenge over the death of his dog took on mythic overtones as more layers to both John and the surreal world of elegant criminality in which he moved were revealed, Eve has nothing to define her that hasn’t been done or said before. It doesn’t help that Armas, while up to the role’s physicality, offers nothing in terms of personality—she’s an empty vessel. Which is a shame, since she’s displayed earthiness (Knives Out), complexity (Blonde), and a sexy playfulness (No Time to Die) in previous work. The rest of the non-Wick cast is forgettable as well, with Byrne’s Chancellor and his entire regime badly underdeveloped, and Reedus completely wasted in what amounts to maybe two scenes. McShane, Reddick, and Huston just go through their paces, spouting lots of portentous lines about “choice” and “fate” that ring mostly hollow, as does a late-stage twist that carries no weight because one of the characters involved barely registers. As for the Baba Yaga himself, the largely non-verbal Reeves is the “Chekhov’s gun” of the film: introduced briefly in the first act, he inevitably turns up again in the third act, parachuted in by the magic of rumored reshoots even though his contribution to the narrative amounts to absolutely nothing. It’s always nice to see him, but if you took him out, it wouldn’t drastically change the picture. Speaking of reshoots, there’s a Frankenstein nature to the proceedings that provides evidence for the reports that Wick director (and franchise torch-bearer) Chad Stahelski refilmed much of the movie after Wiseman’s first draft came up short. While the first act is a murky, enervated slog, things seem to pick up in the middle, with a more eye-catching color scheme (such as a sequence in a neon-lit club reminiscent of a similar scene in the magnificent John Wick: Chapter 4), a creative, free-flowing use of the camera, and some of the more inventive, oddball action that has become part and parcel of the franchise—most notably in a scene where de Armas and an enemy smash a pile of dinner plates over each other’s heads with manic Three Stooges-like energy. Unfortunately, there’s also a sadistic edge to a lot of the action this time as well, particularly in a climactic fight involving flamethrowers that badly wants to emulate the famous overhead apartment shot from John Wick: Chapter 4 but goes on for far too long and ultimately becomes actively unpleasant. That’s a problem with even the better action on hand in Ballerina, as if the filmmakers want to make up for the film’s deficiencies by overdoing what the series is best known for. Hatten’s script was an original piece that was rewritten to fit into the John Wick universe, with elements introduced in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum to pave the way for the arrival of Eve and Ballerina. But this reverse engineering highlights the pitfalls of trying to create a cinematic universe without stopping to wonder whether it’s a good idea. Watching John Wick stonily fight and slaughter his way through his off-center world and its population of funky, eccentric weirdos has been fantastic fun (the threat of an arc-undermining John Wick 5 notwithstanding) because of the unique nature of the character and that world. But dropping the more conventional, cliched tropes of Ballerina into the mix, along with a protagonist (and actor) not nearly as compelling, only exemplifies that the John Wick movies are character-driven first and foremost. All the brutal action, heavy-handed callbacks, and predictable cameos in the world can’t make this Ballerina into a better dancer. Ballerina opens in theaters in the U.S. on Friday, June 6. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

The hibernation haze of winter has finally cleared, which means you're probably waking up right now to all the clutter you've accumulated throughout the season—and you’re not alone. According to Anton Liakhov, an interior designer, organizer, and founder of Roomtery, spring and summer's first rays of sunshine have a direct effect on your psyche. The warm light, paired with blue skies and cool breezes, inspires a fresh start, a full social calendar, and the dire need to clean house. “It's like waking up to discover we're surrounded by items we no longer need,” Liakhov says. “That seasonal nudge gives us permission to let go and begin again for brighter, lighter living.” While things like gift wrapping essentials, cold-weather accessories, seasonal decor, cozy candles, and throw blankets create a snug ambience, they also clutter your space. Spring, he says, triggers an awakening to it all. Related StoriesSo, where do you start? Spring and summer are optimal times to tackle areas like entryways, mudrooms, garages, as well as outdoor storage. If it’s warm enough to open the doors and work outside, “it’s time to sort through patio furniture, gardening equipment, and outdoor toys," says Liakhov. Of course, what you choose to toss is up to your discretion. The best things to declutter at any time of year are the things taking up physical and mental space. Still, if you’re looking for specific items, we asked three professional organziers which things you should part with to keep your house spick and span for the warm-weather months ahead. Holiday Wrapping EssentialsJohner Images//Getty ImagesThe holiday season is still far off in the distance, so use this time as an opportunity to get rid of excess wrapping paper, tissue paper, gift boxes, and bags. "We accumulate more Christmas wrap than we'll ever need," says Liakhov. Save what you will realistically use, and toss or donate the rest. Worn-out OuterwearKypros//Getty ImagesSpeaking of seasonal items to sift through, Shantae Duckworth, founder of Shantaeize Your Space, says spring is the perfect time to re-evaluate the winter coats hanging in your closet. “If you didn’t reach for it this winter, you probably won’t next year either,” Duckworth says. In other words, ditch the bulk. If you're tight on space, consider using vacuum compression bags to flatten your remaining outerwear and store it flat in the attic or basement until temperatures dip again.Spring/Summer Clothes You Don’t WearKinga Krzeminska//Getty ImagesOne of the perks of an early summer clean is streamlining your seasonal closet before the heat really settles in. According to Nick Friedman, cofounder of College HUNKS Hauling Junk & Moving, last year’s untouched spring or summer clothes have no place in your closet or dresser drawers. You can tackle your closet by adhering to Friedman’s golden rule: If you didn’t wear it in the past 12 months, donate it. From there, Friedman recommends curating your wardrobe “like a seasonal menu; keep only what you reach for on display and use vacuum bags or rolling under-the-bed bins to store off-season items.” Unused Beauty ItemsCatherine Falls Commercial//Getty ImagesIn addition to clothing, Friedman says that beauty cabinets also require frequent decluttering, especially ahead of the summer months when you typically favor sunscreen and skincare products over makeup. “If your sunscreen has expired, it’s not doing you any favors,” he points out. Old SPF, makeup, and/or skincare products can go, and unused or unopened items can usually be donated. “Not only does this clear up bathroom clutter,” Friedman adds, “but it also protects your health.”Expired Pantry & Freezer Foodsfcafotodigital//Getty ImagesLiakhov and Duckworth agree: Springtime is the time to clean out your pantry and freezer of any expired items, like aged spices, canned foods, and sauces. You can even take it one step further and recycle any containers that are past their prime, including cracked lids or warped bottoms.Seasonal Sports EquipmentJulius//Getty ImagesWinter sports aficionados, this one’s for you. Liakhov lists snowshoes, sleds, and ski helmets as equipment to evaluate before storing them away for the season. “If it's broken, hasn't been touched in years, or no longer a part of your lifestyle, let it go before it gets another dust coating,” he adds. While you're at it, give your summer gear a once-over so you can replace anything broken or faulty before it all disappears from stores. Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

When the computer or phone you’re using right now blinks its last blink and you drop it off for recycling, do you know what happens? At the recycling center, powerful magnets will pull out steel. Spinning drums will toss aluminum into bins. Copper wires will get neatly bundled up for resale. But as the conveyor belt keeps rolling, tiny specks of valuable, lesser-known materials such as gallium, indium, and tantalum will be left behind. Those tiny specks are critical materials. They’re essential for building new technology, and they’re in short supply in the U.S. They could be reused, but there’s a problem: Current recycling methods make recovering critical minerals from e-waste too costly or hazardous, so many recyclers simply skip them. Sadly, most of these hard-to-recycle materials end up buried in landfills or get mixed into products like cement. But it doesn’t have to be this way. New technology is starting to make a difference. As demand for these critical materials keeps growing, discarded electronics can become valuable resources. My colleagues and I at West Virginia University are developing a new technology to change how we recycle. Instead of using toxic chemicals, our approach uses electricity, making it safer, cleaner, and more affordable to recover critical materials from electronics. How much e-waste are we talking about? Americans generated about 2.7 million tons of electronic waste in 2018, according to the latest federal data. Including uncounted electronics, the U.S. recycles only about 15% of its total e-waste, suggests a survey by the United Nations. Even worse, nearly half the electronics that people in Northern America sent to recycling centers end up shipped overseas. They often land in scrapyards, where workers may use dangerous methods like burning or leaching with harsh chemicals to pull out valuable metals. These practices can harm both the environment and workers’ health. That’s why the Environmental Protection Agency restricts these methods in the U.S. The tiny specks matter Critical minerals are in most of the technology around you. Every phone screen has a super-thin layer of a material called indium tin oxide. LEDs glow because of a metal called gallium. Tantalum stores energy in tiny electronic parts called capacitors. All of these materials are flagged as “high risk” on the U.S. Department of Energy’s critical materials list. That means the U.S. relies heavily on these materials for important technologies, but their supply could easily be disrupted by conflicts, trade disputes, or shortages. Right now, just a few countries, including China, control most of the mining, processing, and recovery of these materials, making the U.S. vulnerable if those countries decide to limit exports or raise prices. These materials aren’t cheap, either. For example, the U.S. Geological Survey reports that gallium was priced between $220 to $500 per kilogram in 2024. That’s 50 times more expensive than common metals like copper, at $9.48 per kilogram in 2024. Revolutionizing recycling with microwaves At West Virginia University’s Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering, I and materials scientist Edward Sabolsky asked a simple question: Could we find a way to heat only specific parts of electronic waste to recover these valuable materials? If we could focus the heat on just the tiny specks of critical minerals, we might be able to recycle them easily and efficiently. The solution we found: microwaves. This equipment isn’t very different from the microwave ovens you use to heat food at home, just bigger and more powerful. The basic science is the same: Electromagnetic waves cause electrons to oscillate, creating heat. In our approach, though, we’re not heating water molecules like you do when cooking. Instead, we heat carbon, the black residue that collects around a candle flame or car tailpipe. Carbon heats up much faster in a microwave than water does. But don’t try this at home; your kitchen microwave wasn’t designed for such high temperatures. In our recycling method, we first shred the electronic waste, mix it with materials called fluxes that trap impurities, and then heat the mixture with microwaves. The microwaves rapidly heat the carbon that comes from the plastics and adhesives in the e-waste. This causes the carbon to react with the tiny specks of critical materials. The result: a tiny piece of pure, sponge-like metal about the size of a grain of rice. This metal can then be easily separated from leftover waste using filters. So far, in our laboratory tests, we have successfully recovered about 80% of the gallium, indium, and tantalum from e-waste, at purities between 95% and 97%. We have also demonstrated how it can be integrated with existing recycling processes. Why the Department of Defense is interested Our recycling technology got its start with help from a program funded by the Defense Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA. Many important technologies, from radar systems to nuclear reactors, depend on these special materials. While the Department of Defense uses less of them than the commercial market, they are a national security concern. We’re planning to launch larger pilot projects next to test the method on smartphone circuit boards, LED lighting parts, and server cards from data centers. These tests will help us fine-tune the design for a bigger system that can recycle tons of e-waste per hour instead of just a few pounds. That could mean producing up to 50 pounds of these critical minerals per hour from every ton of e-waste processed. If the technology works as expected, we believe this approach could help meet the nation’s demand for critical materials. How to make e-waste recycling common One way e-waste recycling could become more common is if Congress held electronics companies responsible for recycling their products and recovering the critical materials inside. Closing loopholes that allow companies to ship e-waste overseas, instead of processing it safely in the U.S., could also help build a reserve of recovered critical minerals. But the biggest change may come from simple economics. Once technology becomes available to recover these tiny but valuable specks of critical materials quickly and affordably, the U.S. can transform domestic recycling and take a big step toward solving its shortage of critical materials. Terence Musho is an associate professor of engineering at West Virginia University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

For his first solo venture, noted chef Mateusz Sarnowski, more affectionately known as Mati Pichci, wanted his restaurant to be the embodiment of the name he had chosen. In Latin, amator refers to a lover, a friend, an enthusiast, all descriptions of people who might dine at the new establishment located in the Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. To bring his vision of a Danish hjemme spisested or “home dining place” to life, Pichci tapped his friend and fellow Poland native, Adam Wierciński, founder of wiercinski-studio, to design the space, the architect’s first in the city. He envisioned AMATOR as an inviting place where guests could dine and socialize, inspired by the many festive gatherings hosted by Pichci. Wierciński made the most of the compact 538-square-foot space, transforming it into three spots in one: a café, a restaurant, and a venue for private events. During the day the kitchen serves breakfast and lunch. Flavorful fare includes dishes based on seasonal vegetables and the chef’s personal favorite, a classic omelette. Evenings, meanwhile, are reserved for private candlelit dinners. Near the entrance there is a wall-mounted installation featuring a piece of a tree trunk from a forest in Poland, a nod to the project’s prevalent materials. Simple geometric constructions – also designed by Wierciński – are formed of raw steel combined with solid wood. A high counter by the front window offers a view of charming townhouses, a perfect spot to tuck in with a beverage. Rather than basic bistro furnishings, a communal table is the focal point in the restaurant. Made up of a series of small tops, it includes interspersed plates atop stands that are used to hold food, drinks, or even candles. Each oak top is angled, and together they form a distinctive jagged line. Gaps between the tops give the look of separate tables, but by pulling out steel rings they can be easily combined into one large piece. Patrons sit at space-saving oak stools, initial items in the upcoming wiercinski-objects series. A bar, crafted from the same materials, and enhanced with brown mirrors, separates the open kitchen. Pops of the same yellow that fills in the eatery’s signature brand dot are visible here. This sunny shade is found on ceramic tableware and plywood shelves above the gray tile backsplash. Stainless steel elements, from sconces to circular mirrors, add a bit of shine. In a nook at the rear of the space a selection of vinyl from a range of genres is available to spin on a turntable, and custom-made speakers by local company Arda Audio ensure high-quality sound. Music is another key ingredient, and just like the cuisine, is part of the overall sensory experience at AMATOR. Mati Pichci and Adam Wierciński For more information on AMATOR or wiercinski-studio, visit wiercinski-studio.com. Photography by Paolo Galgani.

When Anna Ginsburg opened her talk at OFFF Barcelona with her showreel, it landed like a punch to the heart and gut all at once. Immense, emotional, awesome. That three-word review wasn't just for the reel – it set the tone for a talk that was unflinchingly honest, joyously weird, and brimming with creative intensity. Anna began her career making music videos, which she admitted were a kind of creative scaffolding: "I didn't yet know what I wanted to say about the world, so I used music as a skeleton to hang visuals on." It gave her the freedom to experiment visually and technically with rotoscoping, stop motion and shooting live-action. It was an opportunity to be playful and have fun until she had something pressing to say. Then, Anna began to move into more meaningful territory, blending narrative and aesthetic experimentation. Alongside music videos, she became increasingly drawn to animated documentaries. "It's a powerful and overlooked genre," she explained. "When it's just voice recordings and not video, people are more candid. You're protecting your subject, so they're more honest." Talking genitals and creative liberation: The making of Private Parts A formative moment in Anna's personal and creative life occurred when she saw the artwork 'The Great Wall of Vagina' by Jamie McCartney at the age of 19. It followed an awkward teenage discovery years earlier when, after finally achieving her first orgasm (post-Cruel Intentions viewing), she proudly shared the news with friends and was met with horror. "Boys got high-fived. Girls got shamed." That gap between female pleasure and cultural discomfort became the starting point for Private Parts, her now-famous animated short about masturbation and sexual equality. It began as a personal experiment, sketching vulvas in her studio, imagining what their facial expressions might be. Then, she started interviewing friends about their experiences and animating vulvas to match their voices. When It's Nice That and Channel 4 emailed her looking for submissions for a late-night slot, Anna shared a clip of two vulvas in casual conversation, and they were immediately sold. With a shoestring budget of £2,000 and a five-week deadline, she rallied 11 illustrators to help bring the film to life. "I set up a Dropbox, and talking genitals started flooding in from the four corners of the world while I was sitting in my bedroom at my mum's," she laughed. One standout moment came from an Amsterdam-based designer who created a CGI Rubik's Cube vagina, then took two weeks off work to spray paint 100 versions of it. The result of what started as a passion project is an iconic, hilarious, and touching film that still resonates ten years on. From humour to heartbreak: What Is Beauty The talk shifted gear when Anna began to speak about her younger sister's anorexia. In 2017, during her sister's third hospitalisation, Anna found herself questioning the roots of beauty ideals, particularly in Western culture. Witnessing her sister's pain reframed how she saw her own body. This sparked a deep dive into beauty through the ages, from the Venus of Willendorf, a 28,000-year-old fertility goddess, to the Versace supermodels of the 1990s and the surgically sculpted Kardashians of today. "You realise the pace of the change in beauty ideals," she says. "If you revisit the skeletal female bodies which defined the super skinny era of the 2000s and compare it to the enhanced curves of today, you realise that trying to keep up is not only futile; it's extremely dangerous." She also explored the disturbing trend of dismemberment in advertising – shots taken where the heads are intentionally out of frame – and the impact this has on self-perception. Her response was What Is Beauty, released in 2018 on International Women's Day and her sister's birthday. The short film went viral, amassing over 20 million views. "It was a love letter to her," Anna said. "Because it didn't have English dialogue, it travelled globally. The simplicity made it resonate." And despite its runaway success, it brought her zero income. "Then I made the worst advert for a bank the world has ever seen," she joked. "I made money, but it broke my creative spirit." Enter the Hag: Animation, myth and millennial angst OFFF attendees were also treated to the world-exclusive first look at Hag, Anna's new animated short, three years in the making. It's her most ambitious and most personal project yet. Made with the support of the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding, Has is a 16-minute fantasy set in a surreal version of Peckham. The main character is a childless, single, disillusioned woman with snakes for hair. "I had just broken up with a lockdown boyfriend after struggling with doubts for nearly 2 years,"' she reveals. "The next day, I was at a baby shower surrounded by friends with rings and babies who recoiled at my touch. I was surrounded by flies, and a dog was doing a poo right next to me. I just felt like a hag." Drawing on Greek mythology, Anna reimagines Medusa not as a jealous monster but as a feminist figure of rage, autonomy and misinterpretation. "I didn't know she was a rape victim until I started researching," she told me after the talk. "The story of Athena cursing her out of jealousy is such a tired trope. What if it was solidarity? What if the snakes were power?" In Hag, the character initially fights with her snakes – violently clipping them back in shame and battling with them – but by the end, they align. She embraces her monstrous self. "It's a metaphor for learning to love the parts of yourself you've been told are wrong," Anna said. "That journey is universal." Making the personal political (and funny) Telling a story so autobiographical wasn't easy. "It's exposing," Anna admitted. "My past work dealt with issues in the world. This one is about how I feel in the world." Even her ex-boyfriend plays himself. "Luckily, he's funny and cool about it. Otherwise, it would've been a disaster." She did worry about dramatising the baby shower scene too much. "None of those women were horrible in real life, but for the film, we needed to crank up the emotional tension," she says. "I just wanted to show that societal pressures make women feel monstrous whether they decide to conform or not. This is not a battle between hags and non-hags. These feelings affect us all." Co-writing the script with her dear friend and writer Miranda Latimer really helped. "It felt less exposing as we'd both lived versions of the same thing. Collaboration is liberating and makes me feel safer when being so honest," Anna explains. Sisterhood, generations and the pressure to conform It was very clear from our chat that Anna's younger sisters are a recurring thread throughout her work. "They've helped me understand the world through a Gen Z lens," she said. "Stalking my youngest sister on Instagram was how I noticed the way girls crop their faces or hide behind scribbles. It's dehumanising." That intergenerational awareness fuels many of her ideas. "I definitely wouldn't have made What Is Beauty without Maya. Seeing what she was going through just unlocked something." She's also keenly aware of the gender gap in healthcare. "So many women I know are living with pain, going years without a diagnosis. It's infuriating. If I get asked to work on anything to do with women's health, I'll say yes." Medusa, millennials, and the meaning of self-love One of Hag's most biting commentaries is about millennial self-care culture. "There's a scene in the character's bedroom – it's got a faded Dumbledore poster, self-help books, a flashing 'Namaste' sign. It's a shrine to the broken millennial." She laughs: "Self-love became a commodity. An expensive candle, a jade roller, and an oil burner from Muji. Like, really? That's it?" Her film pokes at the performative of wellness while still holding space for genuine vulnerability. This same self-awareness informs her reflections on generational shifts. "Gen Z is going through the same thing, just with a different flavour. It's all about skincare routines now – 11 steps for a 14-year-old. It's wild." Feminism with fangs (and a sense of humour) Anna's feminism is open, intersectional, and laced with humour. "My mum's a lesbian and a Child Protection lawyer who helped to make rape within marriage illegal in the UK," she shared. "She sometimes jokes that my work is a bit basic. But I'm OK with that – I think there's space for approachable feminism, too." Importantly, she wants to bring everyone into the conversation. "It means so much when men come up to me after talks. I don't want to alienate anyone. These stories are about people, not just women." What's Next? Hag will officially premiere later this year, and it's likely to resonate far and wide. It's raw, mythic, funny and furious – and thoroughly modern. As Anna put it: "I've been experiencing external pressure and internal longing while making this film. So I'm basically becoming a hag while making Hag." As far as metamorphoses go, that's one we'll happily watch unfold.

Perched quietly in the mountains north of Kyoto, Le Picabier is a micro tea room that redefines the notion of solitude and ritual in architecture. Designed by Studio 2m26 in collaboration with French practice Onomiau, this diminutive pavilion—intended for a single guest—offers an exquisite blend of tradition, material honesty, and site-specific design. Commissioned by Villa Kujoyama, the project stands as a poetic response to its environment, inviting reflection on both nature and the act of tea itself. The structure’s distinctive chimney-like silhouette, clad in charred cedar shingles, instantly sets it apart from conventional tea houses. The use of yakisugi, the Japanese technique of burning wood for preservation, not only gives Le Picabier its striking black exterior but also grounds the building firmly in the local tradition of craftsmanship. This method enhances both the texture and longevity of the pavilion, while the deep, tactile surfaces evoke the beauty found in imperfection and transience—core themes of Japanese aesthetics. Designer: 2m26 x Onomiau Inside, Le Picabier is a study in mindful minimalism. Natural light filters through the narrow space, shifting throughout the day to create an ever-changing play of shadow and texture. A single lantern suspended above the guest casts flickering candlelight, marking the subtle passage of time and further heightening the sense of introspection. The black tatami mat flooring, crafted by Mitsuru Yokoyama, and sparse furnishings encourage a meditative focus on the ritual at hand, with every detail supporting an atmosphere of quiet contemplation. The tea room’s vertical emphasis is both visual and experiential. The tall chimney serves as the pavilion’s focal point, drawing the gaze upward and reinforcing a sense of aspiration and spiritual retreat. The integrated fire pit, essential for boiling water, becomes the heart of the space—its warmth and glow connecting the guest to elemental forces. This combination of verticality and warmth transforms the small structure into a sanctuary, where silence and simplicity become luxuries in themselves. Le Picabier’s design is deeply informed by the legacy of Sen no Rikyū, the 16th-century tea master who revolutionized the Japanese tea ceremony by embracing shadow, silence, and the beauty of imperfection. Yet, the project is unmistakably contemporary, merging traditional Japanese elements with a European sensibility brought by Onomiau. Its compact footprint and careful use of materials make it an exemplary case of micro-architecture, where constraints become sources of creativity and meaning. In a world increasingly dominated by noise and distraction, Le Picabier offers a rare kind of architectural experience—one that prioritizes solitude, sensory awareness, and connection to place. By distilling the tea house to its essence, Studio 2m26 and Onomiau have crafted more than a shelter; they have created a space for personal ritual and reflection. It’s a timely reminder that even the smallest buildings can inspire profound encounters between people, objects, and the natural world. The post Kyoto’s Solo Tea Room Blends Japanese Tradition With Contemporary Micro-Architecture first appeared on Yanko Design.

It started in 2020. Or that’s where the wax-breadcrumb trail seems to lead: Back to the early days of the pandemic that forced everyone to take up hobbies, and then all the days afterward that gave them time to perfect those hobbies. Among those hobbies was candle-making. And eventually, food-shaped candle-making. Now, you can get a candle that looks like a martini. Or a piece of cake. Or a sausage. Or a bowl of cherries. And you can get them from many, many brands. In fact, it might be possible to get a candle in the shape of almost anything. (Is it cake or is it a candle?) The only problem with the trend, as far as we can tell, is that most of these candles seem too magnificent to burn. But they also seem primed to ritualize: How about a cake candle that you light only on each birthday? Trying not to eat sugar for a year? Buy a candle that looks like dessert, and light it 365 days from now. The world is your oyster-shaped candle.Below are a few of our favorites to get your collection started. 1InfinCreats Fruit Loops Candle Bowl$20 at AmazonThis bowl of Fruit Loops has the benefit of a vanilla scent. The candle sits inside a real glass bowl with an actual metal spoon, drop it on the table amid bowls of actual Fruit Loops and it'll seem even more realistic. 2Fried Chicken$38 at gohar.worldOn the quirkier end of the spectrum are these fried chicken thighs. Put them on a cake platter in the middle of a table for dramatic effect. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below3The martini$22 at EtsyStrikingly realistic, right? This martini comes in a glass that could conceivably be refilled (though we don't recommend it). Try serving these two guests, unlit, before the actual cocktails come out. The gag potential for food-shaped candles is high. 4Riviera Spaghetti Lobster Candle$70 at Moda OperandiThis wax candle was handmade in Italy by a family of wax shapers that goes back six generations. But it's not actually recommended to light this candle and we're happy to preserve its adorable look.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below5Sandwich Candle$40 at cloveandcreek.comOnce upon a time, kids wanted six-foot-long subs (or hoagies or Italians, depending on the region) for their birthday parties. Problem was, kids could never finish six feet of sandwich. Solution: The candle sub. No soggy buns. 6Tinned Fish Candle$26 at shopgenara.comIt comes in a paper wrapper! And a real tin! Bonus, it does not smell like fish, but "garden-fresh tomato leaf." Ideal for picnics and that friend who went through a tinned fish phase a couple years ago.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7Fruit Bowl Food CandlesNow 45% Off£33 £18 at choosingkeeping.comThis cornucopia is handmade in Italy. And though it will be hard to see them go, the spectacle of melting fruit is sure to be a hit at your next dinner party. 8Nissin Nissin Cup Noodle Candle$12 at japantrendshop.comLooking for a clever gift? Try this hyper-real Cup of Noodles candle. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9Hot dogs and fries (with pickles)$46 at EtsyPerfect for barbecues, this hot dog candle kit is a decor wink that looks just like summer.10Espresso Pot Candle$32 at John DerianAn espresso pot candle that sadly does not smell like coffee. But, it'll still fool anyone in your kitchen.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below11T-Bone Steak Candle£75 at choosingkeeping.comThis T-bone steak calls to mind Dutch vanitas paintings, wherein perfectly rendered organic matter is depicted gently rotting, alluding to the brevity of life. Pair a steak with fruit candles, baguette, and cheese, and invoke this still-life tradition in the middle of your dinner table. No conversation starters required. 12The Olive Candle$30 at bignightbk.comMaybe not as realistic as some of the others, but the charm of this olive is undeniable. Bonus, it has a nice smell (without a base of brine): "neroli, jasmine, and orange blossom."Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13The croissant$12 at EtsyBreakfast foods and candles go together like jam and jelly. This croissant, made from soy and beeswax, brings the full equation. 14Cherries (Set of 10)$32 at bignightbk.comOf all the food-shaped candles out there, these win "most likely to be burned" because how cute would they look on top of a cake? Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Cupcake$78 at gohar.worldWax lends itself to the seductive ripples of well-spread frosting, no? Stack a tray full of these candle desserts at your next festive gathering. Looking to create a centerpiece for your farm-core picnic? Try corn candles. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below17Mushroom Candles$16 at EtsyThere's a seasonal quality to mushrooms that make them just right for a fall dinner table setting. 18Ramen$37 at EtsyPerhaps you'd like something more high end than the Cup of Noodles candle. Here, we present a ramen bowl version. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below19Iced Coffee $35 at EtsyThankfully, these candles look and smell like iced coffee. Perfect for a morning pick-me-up. 20Banana Split Candle$46 at John DerianWhich kid in your life needs this candle immediately? We say all of them.

Just a week after its launch, Mud has already left a paw print on the pet care industry. The brand's debut product, The Everyday Wash for Dirty Dogs, is more than a niche grooming product: it's a manifesto. Developed over 18 months and recently awarded at D&AD 2025, the brand aims to challenge a culture of canine coddling. According to co-founders Angelina Pischikova and Karina Zhukovskaya, too often, dogs are treated as ornaments rather than animals. "Dogs don't want to smell like a candle shop," says Angelina. "They have 300 million scent receptors. Most washes are hell for them." Instead, The Everyday Wash is made with oat, aloe, panthenol and bioenzyme odour-fighting tech. It smells like... nothing – but that's on purpose. Not only is it pH-balanced, 100% dog-safe, plant-based and purposefully unscented, but the bottle even swaps out a standard pump for a fully recyclable, squishy nozzle, keeping both form and function canine-conscious. For Angelina and Karina, Mud™ isn't just a clean product; it's a clean break. "We exist to honour the wild in every dog," says Karina. "We think it's time to shift cultural convention away from treating pets as lifestyle accessories and toward recognising them as instinct-driven animals with emotional depth and needs of their own." While the launch range is intentionally minimal, more products are in the works – all guided by a philosophy rooted in respect rather than control. It's this perspective that sets Mud™ apart in a market saturated with pastel palettes, pun-based names and synthetic fragrances. "There is no other brand that does what we do in the category," says Angelina. And she's not just talking about the ethos. Mud™'s design system is just as provocative as its product. The brand's identity, developed in-house, is reactive by nature, including online; the logo expands or contracts based on local weather data. On the packaging, it vanishes and reappears thanks to thermal ink technology. "It's a metaphor for the mess, the rinse, and the return to it," says Karina. "The logo reacts to the weather – expanding with rain, contracting in the dry – just like the mud under their paws." This responsiveness extends to the user experience. The thermal ink on the bottle invites physical interaction, while the weather-reactive digital elements offer a subtle, sensory delight that encourages engagement, play, and even shareability. It's branding as conversation, not a billboard. Mud is also produced in small batches in the UK. Bottles are 100% recyclable and printed directly with eco-compliant inks, eliminating the need for wasteful labels and adhesives. It's a product that feels good and does good, all without shouting about it. For the founders, sustainability is inextricably linked to ethics. "Most dog shampoos are just human ones in disguise," says Karina. "We don't put anything in the bottle that doesn't serve your dog. Nothing that messes with their fur, their senses, or the earth beneath their paws." [2ximage] What Mud™ is ultimately selling isn't just pet care – it's perspective and a rewilding of the pet industry. They're reasserting that animals are not accessories, and if the early traction is any indication, it's a message that resonates well beyond the dog-owning demographic. "We already had people say, 'I don't even have a dog, but your brand and the info on the website changed how I think about them,'" says Angelina. "That's an amazing response." With more products in development, Mud is only just getting started, but its early moves suggest a brand with bite. Clearly, it's not afraid to get dirty, ask difficult questions, and bring a bit of instinct back into a sanitised world.

From featuring weirdly sexual, even predatory scenes to just plain horrible effects, dated or immature jokes and awkward acting, not every film we watched during our childhood is as good as would like to remember.Based on more than 12,000 votes on films pulled from a Reddit thread asking, “What's a movie you loved as a child that you now consider to be cringe worthy?” Ranker compiled the top movies we watched when we were younger that make us wince when we think about them — or at least certain scenes — today.Sure, movies such as 1994’s Blank Check, 1984's Sixteen Candles and 2007’s Bee Movie were some of our favorite flicks growing up, but it’s clear they haven't aged so well.READ MORE: ’90s Classics That Could Never Get Made TodayAccording to Ranker voters, these are the top 11 movies we loved when we were kids that totally make us cringe with secondhand embarrassment today.Blank Check — Creepy for its blatant predatory vibes and that age gapHoward the Duck — Remembered for its bizarre acting and plain weird interspecies sex sceneSixteen Candles — Problematic in retrospect for the implied non-consensual assaultBee Movie — A human lady cheats on her boyfriend with a literal bee...The Master of Disguise — Fun as a kid, but just an atrocious film when watched as an adultThe Cat in the Hat — You'd be surprised how raunchy and kid-unfriendly this eyesore of a movie isMars Needs Moms — Uncanny valley centralThe Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl — George Lopez is terrifying nightmare fuelCatwoman — It's very early 2000sDungeons & Dragons — A camp classic with spotty acting and cheesy special effectsBatman & Robin — The Batsuit has nipplesGet our free mobile appTV Shows We Used to Love That Are Cringe NowWe can't say why we liked these shows, but we can certainly say why we can't watch them now. Gallery Credit: Emma Stefansky