“Give me an aguardiente, made of the sugarcane of my valleys and the anise of my mountains.” So goes a popular song in Colombia. Yes, Colombians do tend to get a tad emotional about their national drink. In case the message wasn’t clear enough, one poet put it even more vividly: “What am I without aguardiente? I am a nation without people, a tree without roots.” Such heated passion for an aniseed-flavoured liquor, which translates appropriately as “burning water”.

Romantic notions of dying for one's art are profoundly overrated – just think of all the unfinished masterpieces waiting to be painted, sculpted, written or directed. Zhang Yimou, however, did at least suffer for his art, selling his blood to pay for his first camera.

Zhang would later make his name internationally as the director of lavish and impossibly beautiful art-house blockbusters such as Raise the Red Lantern and Ju Dou before switching tracks mid-career to direct, well, lavish and impossibly beautiful martial art blockbusters such as Hero and House of Flying Daggers. The latter film is the focus of our latest 'On Location' report.

Finally the construction story concerning Bella Desgagnés, a 97.10-metre commercial ship that is destined to link 12 ports on the bank of the St. Lawrence river in Canada, has a happy ending.

Budding filmmakers and photographers, get your waterproof cameras charged and ready – the Underwater Festival is about to begin. Now in its second edition, this celebration of marine life and the photographic arts is hosted by LUX* Resort Maldives on South Ari Atoll from April 15th to 21st, promising a star lineup of experts to offer courses in underwater photography, documentary making and free-diving.

Sometimes even the most luxurious of hotels can become a little tiresome after several stays, leaving guests wishing for something a little more out of the ordinary. For those suffering from wanderlust sydrome as they search for a unique retreat experience, these five quirky hotels may just be the perfect cure.