New Delhi, March 30 (Ians) Gary Mehigan, who was behind the humongous success of ‘MasterChef Australia’, has become a registered Indophile by the look of it.
Somewhat like the Australian (and also Delhi Capitals) cricket star David Warner, who almost became the face of Tollywood during his stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mehigan knows more about India than any homegrown desi would on a good day.
Not surprising, considering that he has been here 12 times in 18 months, travelling across the country from the highlands of Munnar in Kerala to Ladakh, soaking in the Hemis Festival, to Nagaland, chilling at Hornbill. Sampling ‘langarwali dal’ and roti at Anandpur Sahib one day or, on another, riding a truck in Kolkata carrying an idol of Goddess Durga being taken for immersion to the Hooghly, shooting for Nat Geo’s ‘India Mega Festivals’ series.
And of course, if you’re a chef who spends more time...
Somewhat like the Australian (and also Delhi Capitals) cricket star David Warner, who almost became the face of Tollywood during his stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mehigan knows more about India than any homegrown desi would on a good day.
Not surprising, considering that he has been here 12 times in 18 months, travelling across the country from the highlands of Munnar in Kerala to Ladakh, soaking in the Hemis Festival, to Nagaland, chilling at Hornbill. Sampling ‘langarwali dal’ and roti at Anandpur Sahib one day or, on another, riding a truck in Kolkata carrying an idol of Goddess Durga being taken for immersion to the Hooghly, shooting for Nat Geo’s ‘India Mega Festivals’ series.
And of course, if you’re a chef who spends more time...
- 3/30/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
She clarifies that her films are not about dealing with the unspoken and that she does not even think in that direction. “What attracts me to stories, from ‘Fire’ onwards are the human struggles to be seen, and how the characters go about achieving their rightful place in the human struggle,” filmmaker Deepa Mehta tells an entertainment portal.
Currently her latest documentary ‘I Am Sirat’, is doing the rounds at various international film festivals. It profiles Sirat Taneja, a transgender woman based in New Delhi who lives and works as a woman in her professional career and as a social media personality, but holds the familial responsibilities of a son to her widowed mother.
Mehta, who first met Sirat five years ago on the sets of the web series ‘Leila’ where she was playing the part of a transgender guard, remembers: “I got to know her during the intensive rehearsals...
Currently her latest documentary ‘I Am Sirat’, is doing the rounds at various international film festivals. It profiles Sirat Taneja, a transgender woman based in New Delhi who lives and works as a woman in her professional career and as a social media personality, but holds the familial responsibilities of a son to her widowed mother.
Mehta, who first met Sirat five years ago on the sets of the web series ‘Leila’ where she was playing the part of a transgender guard, remembers: “I got to know her during the intensive rehearsals...
- 3/18/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Rituraj Singh, who passed away at the age of 59 in the wee hours of Tuesday, was a member of Tag, the same Delhi theatre group as Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan. The two used to rehearse together and play football. And they acted together in Shah Rukh Khan’s debut film ‘In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones’.
Aired in 1989, it was made for Doordarshan by filmmaker-environmentalist Pradip Kishen based on Booker Prize-winning novelist Arundhati Roy’s script drawing heavily on her days as a student at Delhi’s School of Planning and Architecture.
Those days, Srk, despite being well-known for his pivotal role in the TV serial ‘Fauji’, was nowhere near being the super star that he was to become, so the role that he was so keen to essay went to Rituraj.
In the film, which won two National Awards (Best Feature Film in English and Best Screenplay...
Aired in 1989, it was made for Doordarshan by filmmaker-environmentalist Pradip Kishen based on Booker Prize-winning novelist Arundhati Roy’s script drawing heavily on her days as a student at Delhi’s School of Planning and Architecture.
Those days, Srk, despite being well-known for his pivotal role in the TV serial ‘Fauji’, was nowhere near being the super star that he was to become, so the role that he was so keen to essay went to Rituraj.
In the film, which won two National Awards (Best Feature Film in English and Best Screenplay...
- 2/20/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
“And the air was full of Thoughts and Things to Say. But at times like these, only the Small Things are ever said. Big Things lurk unsaid inside.” Those words, from Arundhati Roy’s 1997 novel The God of Small Things, come to mind while watching Shuchi Talati’s Girls Will Be Girls, a coming-of-age tale about a teenage girl who’s trying to navigate her newfound romantic feelings, burgeoning sexual desires, and longstanding familial tensions in a society where none of these things can be spoken about openly. Through its tender storytelling, complex characters, and intimate, tactile camerawork, Talati’s impressive debut feature manages to make all of these unspoken elements ring out loud and clear.
Sixteen-year-old Mira (Preeti Panigrahi) is the star student at a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayan foothills. She’s the first female Head Prefect in the school’s history, thanks to both her...
Sixteen-year-old Mira (Preeti Panigrahi) is the star student at a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayan foothills. She’s the first female Head Prefect in the school’s history, thanks to both her...
- 1/24/2024
- by Ross McIndoe
- Slant Magazine
“Things are bad all over,” I thought to myself, as I left ceasefire protests in New York to attend a film festival in Bombay, India, whose recent news cycle included the political persecution of writer Arundhati Roy for a comment made about Kashmir in 2010 — indicating an opportunistically timed defense of occupation. India, too, agreed to send 1,000 workers to Israel as replacements for deported Gazans (before Indian trade unions refused in protest), and the country’s military remains Israel’s biggest arms client. All of this gave me a queasy feeling as I was thrust into the pomp of the […]
The post Festival Report: The 2023 Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Festival Report: The 2023 Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 12/20/2023
- by Inney Prakash
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
“Things are bad all over,” I thought to myself, as I left ceasefire protests in New York to attend a film festival in Bombay, India, whose recent news cycle included the political persecution of writer Arundhati Roy for a comment made about Kashmir in 2010 — indicating an opportunistically timed defense of occupation. India, too, agreed to send 1,000 workers to Israel as replacements for deported Gazans (before Indian trade unions refused in protest), and the country’s military remains Israel’s biggest arms client. All of this gave me a queasy feeling as I was thrust into the pomp of the […]
The post Festival Report: The 2023 Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Festival Report: The 2023 Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 12/20/2023
- by Inney Prakash
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
BlogIn the vastness of life, there’s so much happiness out there to be claimed by anyone and everyone who dares to stand against oppression and abuse. Hannah DhanarajI finally watched Jeo Baby’s The Great Indian Kitchen. I had very recently watched his other film, the not-so-popular 2 Penkuttikal and loved it a lot, but felt it was a story left untold, or an unfinished tale, or one that lacked the necessary details. Tgik was however, a completely different story, though done along the same lines: the untold pain that women undergo due to unchecked, toxic masculinity. Most of the almost 1.5-hr long movie is shot in absolute silence or with very little dialogues or even background score. For most of the movie, the background score is filled with house noises, the dragging of chairs, the clanging of vessels against each other, the sounds of washing clothes, or the scratching...
- 4/13/2021
- by Sowmya
- The News Minute
This week, four Greenpeace Denmark activists swam their way onto an oil rig in the North Sea carrying Aquaman’s trident from actor Jason Momoa, a knitted red hat from actress and activist Jane Fonda, and a jar of spirulina from actress Lucy Lawless.
The items will help the Greenpeace activists maintain high spirits as they aim to camp on the ‘Dan Bravo’ oil rig for days, demanding the end of new oil exploration worldwide and the phase out of the existing production.
“Because I cannot be with you in person, I’m sending you this warm hat. I hope you find it useful on that cold, wet oil rig. My love and admiration comes along with it and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for fighting the good fight and putting your bodies on the line,”said Jane Fonda in a video message supporting her donation to the activists.
The items will help the Greenpeace activists maintain high spirits as they aim to camp on the ‘Dan Bravo’ oil rig for days, demanding the end of new oil exploration worldwide and the phase out of the existing production.
“Because I cannot be with you in person, I’m sending you this warm hat. I hope you find it useful on that cold, wet oil rig. My love and admiration comes along with it and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for fighting the good fight and putting your bodies on the line,”said Jane Fonda in a video message supporting her donation to the activists.
- 8/19/2020
- Look to the Stars
- 7/27/2017
- by Dee Lockett
- Vulture
On Tuesday morning actor-turned-politician Paresh Rawal dropped a bomb on Twitter by announcing that author-activist Arundhati Roy should be tied to an army jeep in Kashmir the way a stone-pelter was tied by an army man. While a lot of Paresh’s colleagues in the film industry chose to flay him in private Kamal Haasan who has directed Paresh in Chachi 420 had a lot toRead More
The post Kamal Haasan reacts to his friend Paresh Rawal’s outburst against author-activist Arundhati Roy appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
The post Kamal Haasan reacts to his friend Paresh Rawal’s outburst against author-activist Arundhati Roy appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
- 5/25/2017
- by Subhash K. Jha
- BollywoodHungama
It seems like singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya is not so social friendly anymore! After a spat of abusive comments against women on Twitter, singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya woke up to the surprise that his account has been suspended for not following rules and making offensive remarks against women. Recently, the firebrand singer, who is known to voice his opinions on issues rather seriously on social media, said something offensive against Jnu student Shehla Rashid and many other women on Twitter. After the tweet gate, he blamed author Arundhati Roy as the reason behind his suspension. Paresh Rawal too spoke out against her, who was later met with anger by netizens. However, a lot of users came out in support of the singer, with the hastag #IStandWithAbhijeet trending on the social media platform. When questioned by leading media, Abhijeet, who rose to fame in Bollywood in the late 90’s had to say this : "Yes,...
- 5/24/2017
- FilmiPop
Conflicts, economic inequality and physical or mental challenges limit the involvement of a large section of youth in film and other cultural pursuits.
An important component of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival in Doha is its partnership with the Giffoni Film Festival, youth’s foremost international film festival which was founded in 1971 by then 18-year-old Claudio Gubitose who remains its director and inspiration. This now year-long cultural event brings in children and young adults from 50 countries to Italy. It is now exported worldwide and Doha hosts its international summit.
Claudio Gubitosi, Director and Founder of Giffoni Experience, said that young people are the first victims of conflict, and through the Doha-Giffoni Youth Media Summit’s Planet-y, the creative community is taking tangible action to address the problems faced by youth globally.
Children in Conflict
“We want to focus on ways of including children who are not able to attend events such as Ajyal—because of conflicts, economic inequality, or physical and mental challenges. In the context of the global refugee crisis, now, more than ever, it is the time for inclusivity,” said Fatma Al Remaihi, Festival Director and CEO of the Doha Film Institute.
Empowering less fortunate children to share their stories was the focus of a session whose discussion was an emotional experience for the participants with heart-touching visuals and stories of the Syrian refugee crisis. Several panelists shared how to offer tools to young people around the world whose lives have been disrupted by sociopolitical conflict, illness and poverty to tell their stories.
Charlotte Giese, Specialist Advisor for Children & Youth at Danish Film Institute in Denmark, co-founder of the Buster Copenhagen International Film Festival for Children and Youth and former VP of the European Children’s Films Association (Ecfa) presented initiatives of the Danish Film Institute in Uganda, Palestine and Lebanon using film as a medium to promote self-expression by young people.
Presenting searing stories from the refugee camps, Mohammed Abu Asaker, Public Information & Communications Officer of Unhcr (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), choked on words as he narrated the story of a man who refuses to go home until late into night for fear of facing his children.
He reiterated the gravity of the refugee situation with the number of displaced people increasing to 42,500 per day now compared to 10,900 in 2010, the result of 15 wars that the world witnessed or continue to rage over the past five years. Adding that children pay the price for this, with 51% of all displaced people being below the age of 18, he said the crisis is unprecedented and the worst since the World War II.
Essa Al Mannai, Executive Director, Reach Out to Asia (Rota), explained the work of the organization in making a tangible difference, including adult literacy trainings, youth leadership programs and those designed to benefit students and teachers. Recounting a program that Rota conducted four years ago and how it transformed a participant’s life, Al Mannai said that it is such positive stories that keep him inspired. He added that international human aid to promote education is critical.
Matthew Cassel, an independent multimedia journalist and filmmaker, who embarked on a personal journey at the age of 20 from Chicago to the Middle East, narrated how he works to engage children in Gaza creatively, encouraging them to take photographs. It also led to a touring exhibition of their works in the U.S., which was a defining experience for the young people.
Farooq Burney, Director of Al Fakhoora Education Above All, presented a human portrait of the refugees stating “they all had a life similar to your or mine, and all they have today is hope for a bright future led by education.”
Abu Asaker shared the story of a how ten children were asked to make a simple statement, ‘I am a good boy.’ Nine of them expressed it with great difficulty and a good deal of coaxing while one simply couldn’t state it. “They have been living the camps for five years and they are so wounded from inside. It will take a lot of work to help them.”
The session was moderated by Firdoze Bulbulia, award-winning producer and director who is also Chairperson of the Children and Broadcasting Foundation for Africa, former President of the International Centre of Films for Children and Young People and a co-founder of Africa’s Best Channel, a television channel for young people in Nigeria. After producing four feature-length films and several TV productions, she is currently producing “Mandela’s Africa”, a Nelson Mandela legacy project.
Again, underscoring the importance of encouraging children in conflict areas to tell their own stories, the Q&A session was equally engaging with participants discussing the importance of promoting the psycho-social welfare of the refugees.
The session concluded with a call to all of humanity to make a difference – in whichever way they can, as volunteers or through assistance, with Essa Al Mannai reminding the audience a quote by Booker Prize winning author Arundhati Roy: “To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you...To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.”
Planet-y, a ground-breaking initiative launched in 2014 in Doha in partnership with Italy’s Giffoni Experience now, at its third edition at the Ajyal Youth Film Festival, has assumed tangible shape with the roll-out of five projects: One Platform, Many Voices – the Planet-y Video Channel, a speciality media channel by and for youth; The Magic Box – An Educational Radio Station for Syrian Children; Content is King – a Youth Production Program; Nomadic – a Festival Cooperation and Exchange Program; and Film Fun in Bed – a Hospital Outreach Program.
Discussions on Neuro-Communication – How to speak the language of the brain; and The Digital World – how to speak the language of youth, were also held. Over 40 delegates from across the world took part in the Summit with the common goal of engaging youth and enriching their lives.
Fatma Al Remaihi said: “Planet-y emerged from the need to identify a collective, industry-wide strategy to tackle the myriad challenges in the media sphere. Through our workshops, we aim to combine the experiences and wisdom of the Summit participants to create concrete takeaways and action plans. The deliberations of Planet-y have the power to shape the lives of children, and subsequently our own. Because in helping others we make our own lives meaningful.”
Doha-Giffoni Youth Media Summit aims to make the Planet-y projects beneficial for youth, said Al Remaihi. “We will follow up on each project and keep them growing. Next July at Giffoni, we will report back on the progress that was made. Many of these projects will take time, but I already see the collaborations coming out of the Summit now as a victory for Planet-y.”
Describing himself and the mission of the Summit as to be ‘producers of happiness and well-being,” Gubitosi said the time has come to act, not just think and pay lip-service to bright ideas that can bring positive change. “We have to stand together to find practical solutions through a culture of dialogue and knowledge exchange. Planet-y will help keep up with the ongoing cultural, social, economic and political evolution of younger generations.”
With world events today, this haven of safety and comfort is an important event creating dialogue in a field that we all profess to care about; certainly for our own children, and yet little is written or discussed in the international film circles. Why do films for, about and by children occupy a separate space in the international film world? Aren't the youth, after all, what all this is really about? Aren't we all involved in film to make the world a better place? And if so, then for whom? Why is there so little public discussion of this crucial area? Doha Film Institute, Giffoni and some children's film festivals around the world, like our own Children's Film Festival Seattle, or Tiff Kids, Lucas in Frankfurt, European Youth Film Festival Flanders in Belgium or Oulu International Children's and Youth Film Festival in Finland, the British Film Institute's Justin Johnson, Kineko International Childrens Film Festival of Tokyo were all here involved in lively panels sharing what has worked and what they would like to see working, embracing change as much as possible.
An important component of the Ajyal Youth Film Festival in Doha is its partnership with the Giffoni Film Festival, youth’s foremost international film festival which was founded in 1971 by then 18-year-old Claudio Gubitose who remains its director and inspiration. This now year-long cultural event brings in children and young adults from 50 countries to Italy. It is now exported worldwide and Doha hosts its international summit.
Claudio Gubitosi, Director and Founder of Giffoni Experience, said that young people are the first victims of conflict, and through the Doha-Giffoni Youth Media Summit’s Planet-y, the creative community is taking tangible action to address the problems faced by youth globally.
Children in Conflict
“We want to focus on ways of including children who are not able to attend events such as Ajyal—because of conflicts, economic inequality, or physical and mental challenges. In the context of the global refugee crisis, now, more than ever, it is the time for inclusivity,” said Fatma Al Remaihi, Festival Director and CEO of the Doha Film Institute.
Empowering less fortunate children to share their stories was the focus of a session whose discussion was an emotional experience for the participants with heart-touching visuals and stories of the Syrian refugee crisis. Several panelists shared how to offer tools to young people around the world whose lives have been disrupted by sociopolitical conflict, illness and poverty to tell their stories.
Charlotte Giese, Specialist Advisor for Children & Youth at Danish Film Institute in Denmark, co-founder of the Buster Copenhagen International Film Festival for Children and Youth and former VP of the European Children’s Films Association (Ecfa) presented initiatives of the Danish Film Institute in Uganda, Palestine and Lebanon using film as a medium to promote self-expression by young people.
Presenting searing stories from the refugee camps, Mohammed Abu Asaker, Public Information & Communications Officer of Unhcr (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), choked on words as he narrated the story of a man who refuses to go home until late into night for fear of facing his children.
He reiterated the gravity of the refugee situation with the number of displaced people increasing to 42,500 per day now compared to 10,900 in 2010, the result of 15 wars that the world witnessed or continue to rage over the past five years. Adding that children pay the price for this, with 51% of all displaced people being below the age of 18, he said the crisis is unprecedented and the worst since the World War II.
Essa Al Mannai, Executive Director, Reach Out to Asia (Rota), explained the work of the organization in making a tangible difference, including adult literacy trainings, youth leadership programs and those designed to benefit students and teachers. Recounting a program that Rota conducted four years ago and how it transformed a participant’s life, Al Mannai said that it is such positive stories that keep him inspired. He added that international human aid to promote education is critical.
Matthew Cassel, an independent multimedia journalist and filmmaker, who embarked on a personal journey at the age of 20 from Chicago to the Middle East, narrated how he works to engage children in Gaza creatively, encouraging them to take photographs. It also led to a touring exhibition of their works in the U.S., which was a defining experience for the young people.
Farooq Burney, Director of Al Fakhoora Education Above All, presented a human portrait of the refugees stating “they all had a life similar to your or mine, and all they have today is hope for a bright future led by education.”
Abu Asaker shared the story of a how ten children were asked to make a simple statement, ‘I am a good boy.’ Nine of them expressed it with great difficulty and a good deal of coaxing while one simply couldn’t state it. “They have been living the camps for five years and they are so wounded from inside. It will take a lot of work to help them.”
The session was moderated by Firdoze Bulbulia, award-winning producer and director who is also Chairperson of the Children and Broadcasting Foundation for Africa, former President of the International Centre of Films for Children and Young People and a co-founder of Africa’s Best Channel, a television channel for young people in Nigeria. After producing four feature-length films and several TV productions, she is currently producing “Mandela’s Africa”, a Nelson Mandela legacy project.
Again, underscoring the importance of encouraging children in conflict areas to tell their own stories, the Q&A session was equally engaging with participants discussing the importance of promoting the psycho-social welfare of the refugees.
The session concluded with a call to all of humanity to make a difference – in whichever way they can, as volunteers or through assistance, with Essa Al Mannai reminding the audience a quote by Booker Prize winning author Arundhati Roy: “To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you...To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.”
Planet-y, a ground-breaking initiative launched in 2014 in Doha in partnership with Italy’s Giffoni Experience now, at its third edition at the Ajyal Youth Film Festival, has assumed tangible shape with the roll-out of five projects: One Platform, Many Voices – the Planet-y Video Channel, a speciality media channel by and for youth; The Magic Box – An Educational Radio Station for Syrian Children; Content is King – a Youth Production Program; Nomadic – a Festival Cooperation and Exchange Program; and Film Fun in Bed – a Hospital Outreach Program.
Discussions on Neuro-Communication – How to speak the language of the brain; and The Digital World – how to speak the language of youth, were also held. Over 40 delegates from across the world took part in the Summit with the common goal of engaging youth and enriching their lives.
Fatma Al Remaihi said: “Planet-y emerged from the need to identify a collective, industry-wide strategy to tackle the myriad challenges in the media sphere. Through our workshops, we aim to combine the experiences and wisdom of the Summit participants to create concrete takeaways and action plans. The deliberations of Planet-y have the power to shape the lives of children, and subsequently our own. Because in helping others we make our own lives meaningful.”
Doha-Giffoni Youth Media Summit aims to make the Planet-y projects beneficial for youth, said Al Remaihi. “We will follow up on each project and keep them growing. Next July at Giffoni, we will report back on the progress that was made. Many of these projects will take time, but I already see the collaborations coming out of the Summit now as a victory for Planet-y.”
Describing himself and the mission of the Summit as to be ‘producers of happiness and well-being,” Gubitosi said the time has come to act, not just think and pay lip-service to bright ideas that can bring positive change. “We have to stand together to find practical solutions through a culture of dialogue and knowledge exchange. Planet-y will help keep up with the ongoing cultural, social, economic and political evolution of younger generations.”
With world events today, this haven of safety and comfort is an important event creating dialogue in a field that we all profess to care about; certainly for our own children, and yet little is written or discussed in the international film circles. Why do films for, about and by children occupy a separate space in the international film world? Aren't the youth, after all, what all this is really about? Aren't we all involved in film to make the world a better place? And if so, then for whom? Why is there so little public discussion of this crucial area? Doha Film Institute, Giffoni and some children's film festivals around the world, like our own Children's Film Festival Seattle, or Tiff Kids, Lucas in Frankfurt, European Youth Film Festival Flanders in Belgium or Oulu International Children's and Youth Film Festival in Finland, the British Film Institute's Justin Johnson, Kineko International Childrens Film Festival of Tokyo were all here involved in lively panels sharing what has worked and what they would like to see working, embracing change as much as possible.
- 12/6/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Documentary from Australian war artist George Gittoes centres on street kids in Afghanistan.
Tel Aviv-based sales company Cinephil has acquired the worldwide right to George Gittoes’ Snow Monkey ahead of its international premiere in competition at Idfa (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) (Nov 18-29).
The film is a portrait of daily life in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, where art activist Gittoes recruited gangs of war-damaged children to shoot local, Pashto-style films - vibrant, colorful and infused with the violence they experience on a daily basis.
Gittoes will return to Idfa, which runs Nov 18-29, having previously screened Miscreants of Taliwood, shot in Peshawar with Taliban-besieged filmmakers, some of which have helped create Snow Monkey.
Cinephil MD Philippa Kowarsky negotiated the deal with producers Gittoes and Lizzette Atkins of Unicorn Films.
Executive producers are Norway’s Torstein Grude and Bjarte Mørner Tveit for Piraya Film.
Kowarsky said the film “offers an unprecedented understanding of the lives of the people of Jalalabad...
Tel Aviv-based sales company Cinephil has acquired the worldwide right to George Gittoes’ Snow Monkey ahead of its international premiere in competition at Idfa (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) (Nov 18-29).
The film is a portrait of daily life in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, where art activist Gittoes recruited gangs of war-damaged children to shoot local, Pashto-style films - vibrant, colorful and infused with the violence they experience on a daily basis.
Gittoes will return to Idfa, which runs Nov 18-29, having previously screened Miscreants of Taliwood, shot in Peshawar with Taliban-besieged filmmakers, some of which have helped create Snow Monkey.
Cinephil MD Philippa Kowarsky negotiated the deal with producers Gittoes and Lizzette Atkins of Unicorn Films.
Executive producers are Norway’s Torstein Grude and Bjarte Mørner Tveit for Piraya Film.
Kowarsky said the film “offers an unprecedented understanding of the lives of the people of Jalalabad...
- 11/10/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Russell Brand has been more and more active expressing his views in recent years, and Prospect magazine has apparently taken notice. The British magazine originally ranked Brand among the 50 most influential world thinkers, later enlisting its readers to help narrow down the list to 10. They answered the call, ranking Brand fourth among world thinkers, just ahead of Nobel Prize-winning New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. Also Read: Russell Brand Equates Fox News to Terrorists Who Attacked Charlie Hebdo (Video) Brand also finished ahead of high-profile Indian author Arundhati Roy, Israeli-American psychologist Daniel Kaheman, German philosopher Jurgen Habermas, British philosopher John Gray and American surgeon.
- 3/26/2015
- by Jordan Chariton
- The Wrap
Brian Trenchard-Smith has, by his own estimation, directed "42 crimes against cinema"... which brings us to his latest filmmaking infraction, Drive Hard starring John Cusack and Thomas Jane.
From Rlj/Image Entertainment, Drive Hard will be available via VOD this week on September 4 and in theaters and on iTunes on October 3.
The action/adventure film was written by Brian along with Chad Law, Evan Law and Brigitte Jean Allen. Here's a synopsis:
With a heist in mind, a mysterious American called Keller (Cusack) arrives in Brisbane needing a getaway driver. Rather than recruit one from the local underworld, he tricks a driving school instructor, Roberts (Jane) into taking the wheel.
Keller chose well, Roberts just happens to be a washed out Formula-One driver. Chased by the cops and the mob, Roberts is forced to use his racing skills to evade pursuit on a Hard Drive that takes the two along the Gold Coast of Australia.
From Rlj/Image Entertainment, Drive Hard will be available via VOD this week on September 4 and in theaters and on iTunes on October 3.
The action/adventure film was written by Brian along with Chad Law, Evan Law and Brigitte Jean Allen. Here's a synopsis:
With a heist in mind, a mysterious American called Keller (Cusack) arrives in Brisbane needing a getaway driver. Rather than recruit one from the local underworld, he tricks a driving school instructor, Roberts (Jane) into taking the wheel.
Keller chose well, Roberts just happens to be a washed out Formula-One driver. Chased by the cops and the mob, Roberts is forced to use his racing skills to evade pursuit on a Hard Drive that takes the two along the Gold Coast of Australia.
- 9/3/2014
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
Hello Cinema has a really fascinating conversation about the reception of foreign films, Iranian and elsewhere, in North America referencing interesting movies like A Separation, Leila, Mother of George, Children of Heaven, City of God, and many more
Man, I Love Films on the beloved 40s noir horror Cat People (such a good flick, huh?)
My New Plaid Pants falls in love with (nsfw) 1966's Georgy Girl with Lynn Redgrave & Alan Bates
Guardian George Clooney, perpetual bachelor, is engaged!
ABC Musicians Paul Simon and his wife Edie Brickell arrested for disorderly conduct. The New Bohemians were not brought in for questioning
Theater Mania Grease Live! will be the next TV musical event after The Sound of Music's success. No cast yet (and good luck strying ot out Stockard/Olivia/John) but it's aiming for 2015
Serious Film my friend Michael liked Match, the Tribeca film starring Patrick Stewart I reviewed yesterday,...
Man, I Love Films on the beloved 40s noir horror Cat People (such a good flick, huh?)
My New Plaid Pants falls in love with (nsfw) 1966's Georgy Girl with Lynn Redgrave & Alan Bates
Guardian George Clooney, perpetual bachelor, is engaged!
ABC Musicians Paul Simon and his wife Edie Brickell arrested for disorderly conduct. The New Bohemians were not brought in for questioning
Theater Mania Grease Live! will be the next TV musical event after The Sound of Music's success. No cast yet (and good luck strying ot out Stockard/Olivia/John) but it's aiming for 2015
Serious Film my friend Michael liked Match, the Tribeca film starring Patrick Stewart I reviewed yesterday,...
- 4/28/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
All hail the queen! Beyoncé takes the prime spot as the cover girl on Time magazine's annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. And she's far from the only entertainer on the list. Also making the cut were actors Amy Adams, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matthew McConaughey, Robert Redford, Kerry Washington and Robin Wright, along with musicians Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams and Carrie Underwood. But it's Beyoncé who gets top billing, having proven she can do it all - juggling motherhood with activism while, oh yes, reinventing how music is made, sold and performed. "Beyoncé doesn't just sit at the table.
- 4/24/2014
- by Tim Nudd
- PEOPLE.com
All hail the queen! Beyoncé takes the prime spot as the cover girl on Time magazine's annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. And she's far from the only entertainer on the list. Also making the cut were actors Amy Adams, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matthew McConaughey, Robert Redford, Kerry Washington and Robin Wright, along with musicians Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams and Carrie Underwood. But it's Beyoncé who gets top billing, having proven she can do it all - juggling motherhood with activism while, oh yes, reinventing how music is made, sold and performed. "Beyoncé doesn't just sit at the table.
- 4/24/2014
- by Tim Nudd
- PEOPLE.com
Canadian filmmaker and doctor Tarek Loubani refuse food to protest their detention in a Cairo jail.
Canadian filmmaker John Greyson and emergency room physician Tarek Loubani have informed friends and supporters through their Egyptian lawyers that they will be refusing food beginning this week [Sept 16] to protest the “arbitrary nature” of their detention by Egyptian authorities.
Greyson and Loubani were travelling through Cairo on their way to Gaza - Greyson prepping a film project and Loubani working on a medical aid project - when they were detained in Cairo’s Tora prison.
They have been held there for more than 30 days, during which time Egyptian officials have not provided any reason for their ongoing detention.
Greyson and Loubani’s detention could be extended up to two years without formal charges being laid according to new emergency measures put in place in Egypt.
The filmmaker’s sister said in a statement: “We know that they did not take the...
Canadian filmmaker John Greyson and emergency room physician Tarek Loubani have informed friends and supporters through their Egyptian lawyers that they will be refusing food beginning this week [Sept 16] to protest the “arbitrary nature” of their detention by Egyptian authorities.
Greyson and Loubani were travelling through Cairo on their way to Gaza - Greyson prepping a film project and Loubani working on a medical aid project - when they were detained in Cairo’s Tora prison.
They have been held there for more than 30 days, during which time Egyptian officials have not provided any reason for their ongoing detention.
Greyson and Loubani’s detention could be extended up to two years without formal charges being laid according to new emergency measures put in place in Egypt.
The filmmaker’s sister said in a statement: “We know that they did not take the...
- 9/17/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Canadian filmmaker and doctor Tarek Loubani refuse food to protest their detention in a Cairo jail.
Canadian filmmaker John Greyson and emergency room physician Tarek Loubani have informed friends and supporters through their Egyptian lawyers that they will be refusing food beginning this week [Sept 16] to protest the “arbitrary nature” of their detention by Egyptian authorities.
Greyson and Loubani were travelling through Cairo on their way to Gaza - Greyson prepping a film project and Loubani working on a medical aid project - when they were detained in Cairo’s Tora prison.
They have been held there for more than 30 days, during which time Egyptian officials have not provided any reason for their ongoing detention.
Greyson and Loubani’s detention could be extended up to two years without formal charges being laid according to new emergency measures put in place in Egypt.
The filmmaker’s sister said in a statement: “We know that they did not take the...
Canadian filmmaker John Greyson and emergency room physician Tarek Loubani have informed friends and supporters through their Egyptian lawyers that they will be refusing food beginning this week [Sept 16] to protest the “arbitrary nature” of their detention by Egyptian authorities.
Greyson and Loubani were travelling through Cairo on their way to Gaza - Greyson prepping a film project and Loubani working on a medical aid project - when they were detained in Cairo’s Tora prison.
They have been held there for more than 30 days, during which time Egyptian officials have not provided any reason for their ongoing detention.
Greyson and Loubani’s detention could be extended up to two years without formal charges being laid according to new emergency measures put in place in Egypt.
The filmmaker’s sister said in a statement: “We know that they did not take the...
- 9/17/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Few actors draw us back like John Cusack – we can't get enough of that humble, sincere, over-articulate character he plays so well. So, Carole Cadwalladr asks the star of Say Anything and High Fidelity, why all the psychopaths?
Yesterday he was in Australia. Or was it tomorrow? John Cusack is confused. He's just returned from the Gold Coast, where he was filming his latest movie – Hard Drive, a heist thriller – and there's a brief interlude before he heads off again. Somewhere in between he saw the so-called "super moon", last week's fuller-than-normal full moon, but where?
"I was flying all day, so I saw it the second day," he says. "I was in the future, then I had to fly back to the past because I was a day ahead. It was day in Australia and then I flew all the way back, and it was daylight the entire time...
Yesterday he was in Australia. Or was it tomorrow? John Cusack is confused. He's just returned from the Gold Coast, where he was filming his latest movie – Hard Drive, a heist thriller – and there's a brief interlude before he heads off again. Somewhere in between he saw the so-called "super moon", last week's fuller-than-normal full moon, but where?
"I was flying all day, so I saw it the second day," he says. "I was in the future, then I had to fly back to the past because I was a day ahead. It was day in Australia and then I flew all the way back, and it was daylight the entire time...
- 7/8/2013
- by Carole Cadwalladr
- The Guardian - Film News
Films that gained a ‘cult following’ over the years, despite being unnoticed on release
Back in the 80s, all we had was Doordarshan. Anything you wanted to know about cinema, mythology, world literature, astronomy, science fiction, history; it was all there – right in your living room. So, in that glorious age of kitsch, I remember noticing this bubbly-looking but rather demure young woman in two films – one was Raghuveer Yadav-starrer Massey Sahib (1985) and this obscure film with an interesting name – In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989). By the third time I caught her on TV, she had won a Booker Prize for fiction, for her book The God of Small Things. She was Arundhati Roy – the above-mentioned films were made by her then husband, Pradip Krishen. But we’re more interested in the second film – In Which Annie… was about a group of students in an Architecture College in Delhi,...
Back in the 80s, all we had was Doordarshan. Anything you wanted to know about cinema, mythology, world literature, astronomy, science fiction, history; it was all there – right in your living room. So, in that glorious age of kitsch, I remember noticing this bubbly-looking but rather demure young woman in two films – one was Raghuveer Yadav-starrer Massey Sahib (1985) and this obscure film with an interesting name – In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989). By the third time I caught her on TV, she had won a Booker Prize for fiction, for her book The God of Small Things. She was Arundhati Roy – the above-mentioned films were made by her then husband, Pradip Krishen. But we’re more interested in the second film – In Which Annie… was about a group of students in an Architecture College in Delhi,...
- 8/21/2012
- by Amborish Roychoudhury
- DearCinema.com
John Cusack has told how he immersed himself in the life of Edgar Allan Poe for his starring role as the American writer in new movie The Raven.
On screen and in the flesh, Cusack looks much younger than his 45 years, thanks in part to losing 25 pounds to play the drunken, impoverished poet.
"I went on a strict diet to look super-thin for The Raven, because he was underweight," says the actor. "He was world-famous but dirt-poor and he once showed up the White House drunk."
This gritty thriller sees Cusack's character join forces with young detective Emmett Fields, played by Luke Evans (Immortals), to hunt down a serial killer who is using Poe's own works as the basis for a string of brutal murders.
Directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta), the film also stars Alice Eve (Sex and the City 2), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Faster).
Initially a suspect,...
On screen and in the flesh, Cusack looks much younger than his 45 years, thanks in part to losing 25 pounds to play the drunken, impoverished poet.
"I went on a strict diet to look super-thin for The Raven, because he was underweight," says the actor. "He was world-famous but dirt-poor and he once showed up the White House drunk."
This gritty thriller sees Cusack's character join forces with young detective Emmett Fields, played by Luke Evans (Immortals), to hunt down a serial killer who is using Poe's own works as the basis for a string of brutal murders.
Directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta), the film also stars Alice Eve (Sex and the City 2), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Faster).
Initially a suspect,...
- 3/17/2012
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
[Premiere Screening: Friday, January 20, 3:00 pm –Screening Room, Sundance Resort]
My new film, The Law in These Parts chronicles the legal mechanism created around Israel’s 44-year military occupation of the Palestinian people. It is a film which explores something theoretically there for people to see, but that is completely hidden from society’s eye.
The film’s raw materials are laws, verdicts, appeals – some of the driest and least appealing materials that exist. The effort to bring this material to life and create cinema around it was the most complicated task I have ever taken upon myself.
When I discussed the film with people or shared my writing about the project with them, they usually responded: “That’s really interesting, you should write a book,” or “And how are you going to make a film out of it?” The most common response was: “Important subject – isn’t it better nowadays to create a website?”
So why film?
The answer...
My new film, The Law in These Parts chronicles the legal mechanism created around Israel’s 44-year military occupation of the Palestinian people. It is a film which explores something theoretically there for people to see, but that is completely hidden from society’s eye.
The film’s raw materials are laws, verdicts, appeals – some of the driest and least appealing materials that exist. The effort to bring this material to life and create cinema around it was the most complicated task I have ever taken upon myself.
When I discussed the film with people or shared my writing about the project with them, they usually responded: “That’s really interesting, you should write a book,” or “And how are you going to make a film out of it?” The most common response was: “Important subject – isn’t it better nowadays to create a website?”
So why film?
The answer...
- 1/19/2012
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Afp/Getty Images Anna Hazare: a symbolic figurehead or a real leader?
Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy, an unapologetic critic of the Anna Hazare anticorruption campaign, suggested the 73-year old Gandhian was more of a puppet and less of a leader of the movement he came to symbolize.
Ms. Roy’s has been a rare voice of dissent at a time when Mr. Hazare’s hunger strike was rallying mass support across India, encouraging public figures ranging from opposition politicians...
Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy, an unapologetic critic of the Anna Hazare anticorruption campaign, suggested the 73-year old Gandhian was more of a puppet and less of a leader of the movement he came to symbolize.
Ms. Roy’s has been a rare voice of dissent at a time when Mr. Hazare’s hunger strike was rallying mass support across India, encouraging public figures ranging from opposition politicians...
- 9/1/2011
- by Margherita Stancati
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Axel Schmidt/Afp/Getty Images Arundhati Roy in a September 2009 picture.
Why is author and political activist Arundhati Roy blasting anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare? Did someone really spend $16.4 million for a car? And can you be a vegan like Bill Clinton? A look at the most interesting stories from the Wall Street Journal blogs.
Arundhati Roy Blasts Hazare: Author and political activist Arundhati Roy attacked what she described as the “aggressive nationalism” of Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement and slammed the Jan Lokpal Bill,...
Why is author and political activist Arundhati Roy blasting anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare? Did someone really spend $16.4 million for a car? And can you be a vegan like Bill Clinton? A look at the most interesting stories from the Wall Street Journal blogs.
Arundhati Roy Blasts Hazare: Author and political activist Arundhati Roy attacked what she described as the “aggressive nationalism” of Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement and slammed the Jan Lokpal Bill,...
- 8/22/2011
- by Christopher John Farley
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Activist and author of a book about Phoolan Devi, the Indian bandit turned MP
Mala Sen, who has died of oesophageal cancer aged 63, was best known for her 1991 book India's Bandit Queen: The True Story of Phoolan Devi, which formed the basis for the critically acclaimed though controversial feature film Bandit Queen (1994), directed by Shekhar Kapur. Behind the personal story of Devi, which took Mala years to coax out of her subject, she explored the wider issue of the victimisation of women, especially in rural India, where they are often conditioned to believe that they are worthless. She continued this theme in a second pathbreaking book, Death by Fire: Sati, Dowry Death and Female Infanticide in Modern India (2001).
She came to writing through social activism, having taken up numerous causes in London in the 1960s, at a time when women's groups were emerging and there was a combined movement of black activist organisations.
Mala Sen, who has died of oesophageal cancer aged 63, was best known for her 1991 book India's Bandit Queen: The True Story of Phoolan Devi, which formed the basis for the critically acclaimed though controversial feature film Bandit Queen (1994), directed by Shekhar Kapur. Behind the personal story of Devi, which took Mala years to coax out of her subject, she explored the wider issue of the victimisation of women, especially in rural India, where they are often conditioned to believe that they are worthless. She continued this theme in a second pathbreaking book, Death by Fire: Sati, Dowry Death and Female Infanticide in Modern India (2001).
She came to writing through social activism, having taken up numerous causes in London in the 1960s, at a time when women's groups were emerging and there was a combined movement of black activist organisations.
- 6/13/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
Actor Mahie Gill is playing a character based on writer-social activist Arundhati Roy in Vivek Agnihotri’s next film Buddha in a Traffic Jam. And to fit Roy’s look to the T, Mahie underwent a complete make-over. She even chopped off her long tresses. Her clothes were designed, keeping well in mind how Roy dresses up in real life. Costume designer Vishakha Kullarwar got together a trunk full of ethnic jewellery and also got printed cotton and khadi saris, etc. ...
- 5/4/2011
- Hindustan Times - Cinema
Actor Mahie Gill is playing a character based on writer-social activist Arundhati Roy in Vivek Agnihotri’s next film Buddha in a Traffic Jam. And to fit Roy’s look to the T, Mahie underwent a complete make-over. She even chopped off her long tresses. Her clothes were designed, keeping well in mind how Roy dresses up in real life. Costume designer Vishakha Kullarwar got together a trunk full of ethnic jewellery and also got printed cotton and khadi saris, etc. ...
- 5/4/2011
- Hindustan Times - Cinema
Actor Mahie Gill is playing a character based on writer-social activist Arundhati Roy in Vivek Agnihotri’s next film Buddha in a Traffic Jam. And to fit Roy’s look to the T, Mahie underwent a complete make-over. She even chopped off her long tresses. Her clothes were designed, keeping well in mind how Roy dresses up in real life. Costume designer Vishakha Kullarwar got together a trunk full of ethnic jewellery and also got printed cotton and khadi saris, etc. ...
- 5/4/2011
- Hindustan Times - Cinema
Actor Mahie Gill is playing a character based on writer-social activist Arundhati Roy in Vivek Agnihotri’s next film Buddha in a Traffic Jam. And to fit Roy’s look to the T, Mahie underwent a complete make-over. She even chopped off her long tresses. Her clothes were designed, keeping well in mind how Roy dresses up in real life. Costume designer Vishakha Kullarwar got together a trunk full of ethnic jewellery and also got printed cotton and khadi saris, etc. ...
- 5/4/2011
- Hindustan Times - Cinema
Actor Mahie Gill is playing a character based on writer-social activist Arundhati Roy in Vivek Agnihotri’s next film Buddha in a Traffic Jam. And to fit Roy’s look to the T, Mahie underwent a complete make-over. She even chopped off her long tresses. Her clothes were designed, keeping well in mind how Roy dresses up in real life. Costume designer Vishakha Kullarwar got together a trunk full of ethnic jewellery and also got printed cotton and khadi saris, etc. ...
- 5/4/2011
- Hindustan Times - Cinema
Actor Mahie Gill is playing a character based on writer-social activist Arundhati Roy in Vivek Agnihotri’s next film Buddha in a Traffic Jam. And to fit Roy’s look to the T, Mahie underwent a complete make-over. She even chopped off her long tresses. Her clothes were designed, keeping well in mind how Roy dresses up in real life. Costume designer Vishakha Kullarwar got together a trunk full of ethnic jewellery and also got printed cotton and khadi saris, etc. ...
- 5/4/2011
- Hindustan Times - Cinema
Actor Mahie Gill is playing a character based on writer-social activist Arundhati Roy in Vivek Agnihotri’s next film Buddha in a Traffic Jam. And to fit Roy’s look to the T, Mahie underwent a complete make-over. She even chopped off her long tresses. Her clothes were designed, keeping well in mind how Roy dresses up in real life. Costume designer Vishakha Kullarwar got together a trunk full of ethnic jewellery and also got printed cotton and khadi saris, etc. ...
- 5/4/2011
- Hindustan Times - Cinema
Actor Mahie Gill is playing a character based on writer-social activist Arundhati Roy in Vivek Agnihotri’s next film Buddha in a Traffic Jam. And to fit Roy’s look to the T, Mahie underwent a complete make-over. She even chopped off her long tresses. Her clothes were designed, keeping well in mind how Roy dresses up in real life. Costume designer Vishakha Kullarwar got together a trunk full of ethnic jewellery and also got printed cotton and khadi saris, etc. ...
- 5/4/2011
- Hindustan Times - Cinema
Actor Mahie Gill is playing a character based on writer-social activist Arundhati Roy in Vivek Agnihotri’s next film Buddha in a Traffic Jam. And to fit Roy’s look to the T, Mahie underwent a complete make-over. She even chopped off her long tresses. Her clothes were designed, keeping well in mind how Roy dresses up in real life. Costume designer Vishakha Kullarwar got together a trunk full of ethnic jewellery and also got printed cotton and khadi saris, etc. ...
- 5/4/2011
- Hindustan Times - Cinema
Actor Mahie Gill is playing a character based on writer-social activist Arundhati Roy in Vivek Agnihotri’s next film Buddha in a Traffic Jam. And to fit Roy’s look to the T, Mahie underwent a complete make-over. She even chopped off her long tresses. Her clothes were designed, keeping well in mind how Roy dresses up in real life. Costume designer Vishakha Kullarwar got together a trunk full of ethnic jewellery and also got printed cotton and khadi saris, etc. ...
- 5/4/2011
- Hindustan Times - Cinema
Actor Mahie Gill is playing a character based on writer-social activist Arundhati Roy in Vivek Agnihotri’s next film Buddha in a Traffic Jam. And to fit Roy’s look to the T, Mahie underwent a complete make-over. She even chopped off her long tresses. Her clothes were designed, keeping well in mind how Roy dresses up in real life. Costume designer Vishakha Kullarwar got together a trunk full of ethnic jewellery and also got printed cotton and khadi saris, etc. ...
- 5/4/2011
- Hindustan Times - Cinema
Caste is a contentious issue in India, and one rarely commented on in Bollywood films. But political change is on the way, and Indian cinema will have to reflect that
Caste is a contentious issue in India, but not a predictable one. In 2008, I watched television footage of violent protests in Rajasthan, as rioters clashed with the police in battles that cost dozens of lives. Their outrage was driven by the government's refusal to categorise their caste as one of the lowest. They were fighting to be relegated to a lower social rank. India has the most comprehensive affirmative action programme in the world and downgrading would have qualified the protestors for valuable quota schemes in welfare, education and government jobs.
As with so much in India, caste is an ancient institution that pervades everyday life, the mechanics of which remain a convoluted mystery. There was a buzz in 2007, when...
Caste is a contentious issue in India, but not a predictable one. In 2008, I watched television footage of violent protests in Rajasthan, as rioters clashed with the police in battles that cost dozens of lives. Their outrage was driven by the government's refusal to categorise their caste as one of the lowest. They were fighting to be relegated to a lower social rank. India has the most comprehensive affirmative action programme in the world and downgrading would have qualified the protestors for valuable quota schemes in welfare, education and government jobs.
As with so much in India, caste is an ancient institution that pervades everyday life, the mechanics of which remain a convoluted mystery. There was a buzz in 2007, when...
- 12/16/2010
- by Nirpal Dhaliwal
- The Guardian - Film News
Member of Parliament and writer Shashi Tharoor on Sunday hit out at Arundhati Roy at the Hay Festival here, saying the Booker prize winner-activist has "gone too far to the left" and "unfortunately chooses to write about those who carry guns". "Arundhati Roy has gone far too to the left like (writer-thinker) Christopher Hitchens, who has gone far too right. Arundhati Roy unfortunately chooses to write about those who carry with guns - it is sad for those at the receiving end of the guns. By writing about Gandhians with guns, she loses a large number of people. A large number ...
- 11/15/2010
- Hindustan Times - Celebrity
Colin Firth heads a production in the West End of London that aims to bring some of the most important passages of the past to life
An American theatrical phenomenon is staking its first claim on London's west end today in a performance in which all of the many actors involved, from Colin Firth to Juliet Stevenson, Sir Ben Kingsley and Sir Ian McKellen, will be happily upstaged by an unlikely rival – British history.
Firth is leading a host of talented names on stage at the Prince of Wales Theatre in the first British version of The People Speak, a show that aims to breath new life into the past by bringing audiences some of the most significant passages from recorded history.
Stars of the stage and screen will be joined by actresses Kelly Macdonald and Saffron Burrows, poet Benjamin Zephaniah, novelist Arundhati Roy and comedians Omid Djalili and Mark Steel,...
An American theatrical phenomenon is staking its first claim on London's west end today in a performance in which all of the many actors involved, from Colin Firth to Juliet Stevenson, Sir Ben Kingsley and Sir Ian McKellen, will be happily upstaged by an unlikely rival – British history.
Firth is leading a host of talented names on stage at the Prince of Wales Theatre in the first British version of The People Speak, a show that aims to breath new life into the past by bringing audiences some of the most significant passages from recorded history.
Stars of the stage and screen will be joined by actresses Kelly Macdonald and Saffron Burrows, poet Benjamin Zephaniah, novelist Arundhati Roy and comedians Omid Djalili and Mark Steel,...
- 9/18/2010
- by Richard Rogers, Vanessa Thorpe
- The Guardian - Film News
Film: ‘Red Alert: The War Within’; Director: Anant Mahadevan; Cast: Suniel Shetty, Sameera Reddy, Ashish Vidyarthi, Vinod Khanna, Seema Biswas, Ayesha Dharker, Bhagyashree; Rating: *** and 1/2
Arundhati Roy called their fight the single greatest resistance against oppression in the world, while our prime minister, the deceptively genial Manmohan Singh, called them the greatest internal security threat. Between these extreme reports of their bringing rural-equality and their massacres, what’s the truth about the Maoists or Naxalites?
What.
Arundhati Roy called their fight the single greatest resistance against oppression in the world, while our prime minister, the deceptively genial Manmohan Singh, called them the greatest internal security threat. Between these extreme reports of their bringing rural-equality and their massacres, what’s the truth about the Maoists or Naxalites?
What.
- 7/9/2010
- by realbollywood
- RealBollywood.com
The year before its second nuclear tests, the world's largest democracy hurled a bomb onto the international stage. At first, people didn't realize it was a bomb. It was tiny, looked harmless and took a while to explode. But explode it did and the world's largest democracy is still reeling. Or perhaps we should say "democracy". Perhaps, in fact, we should say "heavily sponsored, TV-friendly spectator sport". The bomb, of course, was Arundhati Roy, the fragile-looking beauty from Kerala whose whimsical tale of two-egg twins and pickles, literal and metaphorical, bagged the Booker and set the world on fire. For India, this was confirmation that theirs was a land rich in saleable exports: photogenic, charming and home-grown. No hooded eyes or fatwas here; no unseemly flight to London or New York. Here was glamor, here was grace, here was huge-eyed...
- 7/17/2009
- by Christina Patterson
- Huffington Post
Classic Indian actress Sharmila Tagore, the veteran of many films has been named as one of the members of the international jury of the Cannes Film Festival.
So after Arundhati Roy, Aishwarya Rai and Nandita Das, Sharmila will be the next Indian to serve on the Cannes jury in recent years.
But India’s no-show in the Festival’s official sections continues since 2002.
Maybe an Indian judge will make it up for that deficit again.
Her kids Saif Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan have reasons to cheer up too as even though they aren’t going there, their mother is
The.
So after Arundhati Roy, Aishwarya Rai and Nandita Das, Sharmila will be the next Indian to serve on the Cannes jury in recent years.
But India’s no-show in the Festival’s official sections continues since 2002.
Maybe an Indian judge will make it up for that deficit again.
Her kids Saif Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan have reasons to cheer up too as even though they aren’t going there, their mother is
The.
- 5/6/2009
- by realbollywood
- RealBollywood.com
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