MICK MCSHANE is roused by a band whose socialism laces every line of every song with commitment and raw passion

THEY come from different countries — Iran, Afghanistan and Russia — and each has their own unique way of expressing themselves, but what they have in common is their militancy and commitment to female emancipation and social justice.
Their powerful images are at present on show at the Festival of LaGacilly/Baden — Europe’s biggest open-air photography festival.
Thirty-seven-year-old Iranian Maryam Firuzi did not set out to become a photographer. She has a degree in calligraphy and film studies, has studied art, literature and architecture. Today, she sees herself as an artist rather than “just” a photographer.

JOHN GREEN recommends a German comedy that celebrates the old GDR values of solidarity, community and a society not dominated by consumerism

JOHN GREEN welcomes an insider account of the achievements and failures of the transition to democracy in Portugal

Mountains of research show that hardcore material harms children, yet there are still no simple measures in place

Peter Mitchell's photography reveals a poetic relationship with Leeds