With haute couture week in Paris concluded, the spotlight of the fashion world shifted en masse to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, the village perched on the Maritime Alps in southern France. Simon Porte Jacquemus chose it as the location to present his new collection for 2024 in the Maeght Foundation, a few kilometers from Nice, calling together his high-profile friends Gigi Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, model (and girlfriend, reportedly, of Leonardo DiCaprio) Vittoria Ceretti and Deva Cassel (daughter of Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel) who paraded on a platform set up among the works of Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder and Alberto Giacometti.
Not surprisingly, the collection of 47 looks, both women’s and men’s, was given the name “Les Sculptures” by the French designer (who himself grew up in the south of France, in the town of Mallemort, not far from Marseille). The presentation showcased leather dresses with rounded shoulders and sleeves curving...
Not surprisingly, the collection of 47 looks, both women’s and men’s, was given the name “Les Sculptures” by the French designer (who himself grew up in the south of France, in the town of Mallemort, not far from Marseille). The presentation showcased leather dresses with rounded shoulders and sleeves curving...
- 1/30/2024
- by Pino Gagliardi
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The piano Freddie Mercury used to compose “Bohemian Rhapsody” sold for $2.2 million on Wednesday as part of Sotheby’s 1,500-piece estate sale of the singer’s treasured possessions.
The sale of Mercury’s 1973 Yamaha Grand surpassed the $2.1 million paid for John Lennon’s Steinway, which he used to write “Imagine” and was swooped up in 2000 by George Michael, according to the Wall Street Journal.
His collection, which Mercury once described as “exquisite clutter,” included handwritten lyrics for Queen’s operatic anthem that sold for $1.7 million. Notably, the 15 pages of lyrics...
The sale of Mercury’s 1973 Yamaha Grand surpassed the $2.1 million paid for John Lennon’s Steinway, which he used to write “Imagine” and was swooped up in 2000 by George Michael, according to the Wall Street Journal.
His collection, which Mercury once described as “exquisite clutter,” included handwritten lyrics for Queen’s operatic anthem that sold for $1.7 million. Notably, the 15 pages of lyrics...
- 9/7/2023
- by Charisma Madarang
- Rollingstone.com
More than 1,400 of Freddie Mercury ‘s personal items, including his flamboyant stage costumes, handwritten drafts of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and the baby grand piano he used to compose Queen’s greatest hits, are going on display in a free exhibition at Sotheby’s London ahead of their sale.
The vast collection of the singer’s personal belongings, which had been left to Mercury’s close friend Mary Austin, had remained undisturbed in his west London mansion for 30 years since his death in 1991.
Austin, 72, said in a BBC interview in April that she has decided to sell almost all the items to “close this very special chapter in my life” and “put my affairs in order.”
Among the hundreds of Mercury’s personal treasures were previously unseen working drafts of hits “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “We Are the Champions” and ”Somebody to Love”.
More than 1,400 of Freddie Mercury's personal items, including...
The vast collection of the singer’s personal belongings, which had been left to Mercury’s close friend Mary Austin, had remained undisturbed in his west London mansion for 30 years since his death in 1991.
Austin, 72, said in a BBC interview in April that she has decided to sell almost all the items to “close this very special chapter in my life” and “put my affairs in order.”
Among the hundreds of Mercury’s personal treasures were previously unseen working drafts of hits “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “We Are the Champions” and ”Somebody to Love”.
More than 1,400 of Freddie Mercury's personal items, including...
- 8/9/2023
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
Adapted from Julie Orringer’s novel, “The Flight Portfolio,” the Netflix drama miniseries, “Transatlantic” revisits the incidents of 1940 when the world witnessed its second most tragic war, the World War II. The series centers on the Emergency Rescue Committee, which was founded by an American intellectual, Varian Fry, with the primary purpose of assisting Jewish refugees and artists in fleeing Nazi-controlled French territory to the United States. Together with Fry, an American heiress named Mary Jayne Gold continued to provide assistance to the refugees in whatever way she could. Despite hailing from an affluent family, Mary Jayne had a kind heart. Both Varian Fry and Mary Jayne played a significant role in the mission, which they accomplished, but they both had the misfortune of not being able to end up with the people they loved. Let’s learn more about these real-life personalities who were represented in the show from a fictitious point of view.
- 4/10/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
TV shows and movies inspired by real-life events tend to overstate the truth for dramatic effect. Netflix’s Transatlantic is a rare case of underplaying history — in this case, the work of Varian Fry, Mary Jayne Gold, and the rest of the European Rescue Committee, who worked to get Jewish refugees safely out of Europe in the early days of World War II.
In reality, Fry, a journalist, and Gold, an heiress, helped the Erc smuggle more than 2,000 refugees — many of them great artists and intellectuals like Marc Chagall and Hannah Arendt — out of France.
In reality, Fry, a journalist, and Gold, an heiress, helped the Erc smuggle more than 2,000 refugees — many of them great artists and intellectuals like Marc Chagall and Hannah Arendt — out of France.
- 4/7/2023
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
Anna Winger, an American writer, producer and showrunner who has spent more than 20 years, and her entire TV career, in Berlin, specializes in stories that combine a very specific European, usually German, history filtered through very American sensibilities.
Deutschland ’83, and its sequels Deutschland ’86 and Deutschland ’89, which aired on Amazon Prime stateside, told the story of the decline of East Germany and the fall of the Berlin Wall from the perspective of an East German spy, but told in the style of a slick Hollywood thriller.
Similarly, her Emmy-winning Netflix limited series Unorthodox, the story of a woman who flees her life in an ultra-Orthodox community in Brooklyn to find liberation in modern-day Berlin — based on Deborah Feldman’s best-selling memoir — borrows heavily from genre conventions to package a spiritual character study in the guise of more mainstream entertainment.
That combination of European history and U.S. entertainment is also part of Transatlantic,...
Deutschland ’83, and its sequels Deutschland ’86 and Deutschland ’89, which aired on Amazon Prime stateside, told the story of the decline of East Germany and the fall of the Berlin Wall from the perspective of an East German spy, but told in the style of a slick Hollywood thriller.
Similarly, her Emmy-winning Netflix limited series Unorthodox, the story of a woman who flees her life in an ultra-Orthodox community in Brooklyn to find liberation in modern-day Berlin — based on Deborah Feldman’s best-selling memoir — borrows heavily from genre conventions to package a spiritual character study in the guise of more mainstream entertainment.
That combination of European history and U.S. entertainment is also part of Transatlantic,...
- 4/5/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director Roy Andersson, who has won Venice Film Festival’s Silver Lion for best director, delivered his latest film, “About Endlessness,” much quicker than usual. The typically deliberate Swedish filmmaker is known for taking long breaks between projects – including one 25-year stretch he spent directing commercials. Since his 2000 comeback, “Songs from the Second Floor,” he’s averaged a film every seven years. He broke that record this year, delivering his follow-up to 2014’s Golden Lion winner “A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence” two years faster than usual. “You are more skilled, more mature, and you know how to work better,” he explained to Variety. “But I don’t think I can work any faster than now. It will always take me at least three years to make a feature, so I think I’ll keep the same distance between works.”
How do you think “About Endlessness” differs from your previous work?...
How do you think “About Endlessness” differs from your previous work?...
- 9/7/2019
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Whether by accident or design, it is most characteristically droll of Swedish auteur Roy Andersson to title his sixth fiction feature “About Endlessness,” only to have it clock in at just 76 minutes. Barely have you settled into its cockeyed cosmic view of human existence in all its infinite, cyclical tragicomedy than the credits are already rolling. With Andersson appearing to view our societal foibles as simple, consistent and doomed (or perhaps blessed) to eternal repetition, what might seem a vast topic ends up with rather a succinct essay from the 76-year-old veteran. (Perhaps there’s one minute here for each year he’s been quizzically observing the world around him.) Humanity, in short, is at once endless and easily, elegantly distilled.
Yet if the cut-to-the-quick running time of “About Endlessness” has you wondering if Andersson has changed his form, rest assured that his first film since 2014’s Venice Golden Lion...
Yet if the cut-to-the-quick running time of “About Endlessness” has you wondering if Andersson has changed his form, rest assured that his first film since 2014’s Venice Golden Lion...
- 9/3/2019
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Early in the filming of his documentary “The Quiet One,” Oliver Murray knew he had his emotional centerpiece after capturing his subject, the longtime Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, talking about an encounter with Ray Charles. It’s a simple and quiet moment in a film packed full of tales of pop-culture upheaval, one that touchingly displays the importance of elder musicians on this particular musician’s life.
Wyman is not a man to let his emotions run wild in talking about his childhood, the pluses and minuses of being the Stone least likely to be recognized, or even his enthusiasm for photography and filmmaking. He’s clearly the quiet one for a reason.
Murray, a music video director making his feature debut with “The Quite One,” neatly assembles a chronology of Wyman’s life heavy on still photographs and plenty of Super 8 footage that the musician took himself.
Wyman is not a man to let his emotions run wild in talking about his childhood, the pluses and minuses of being the Stone least likely to be recognized, or even his enthusiasm for photography and filmmaking. He’s clearly the quiet one for a reason.
Murray, a music video director making his feature debut with “The Quite One,” neatly assembles a chronology of Wyman’s life heavy on still photographs and plenty of Super 8 footage that the musician took himself.
- 5/3/2019
- by Phil Gallo
- Variety Film + TV
The drama series "Genius", Season 2 "Picasso", stars Antonio Banderas ("Desperado") as the woman-chasing iconic painter, premiering the first of 7 episodes April 24, 2018:
"...the artistic career of 'Pablo Picasso' spanned more than 80 of his 91 years, much of it in his second home of France. His passionate nature and relentless creative drive were inextricably linked to his personal life, which included tumultuous marriages, numerous affairs and constantly shifting political and personal alliances.
"He lived most of his life in the vibrant Paris of the first half of the 20th century and crossed paths with writers and artists including 'Coco Chanel', 'Henri Matisse', 'Marc Chagall', 'Gertrude Stein', 'Georges Braque' and 'Jean Cocteau'..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Genius: Pablo Picasso"...
"...the artistic career of 'Pablo Picasso' spanned more than 80 of his 91 years, much of it in his second home of France. His passionate nature and relentless creative drive were inextricably linked to his personal life, which included tumultuous marriages, numerous affairs and constantly shifting political and personal alliances.
"He lived most of his life in the vibrant Paris of the first half of the 20th century and crossed paths with writers and artists including 'Coco Chanel', 'Henri Matisse', 'Marc Chagall', 'Gertrude Stein', 'Georges Braque' and 'Jean Cocteau'..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Genius: Pablo Picasso"...
- 4/12/2018
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
As part of the National Geographic anthology period drama series "Genius", Sneak Peek new footage, plus images from "Genius: Pablo Picasso", starring Antonio Banderas ("Desperado") as the iconic painter, in a 7-episode season, premiering April 24, 2018:
"...the artistic career of 'Pablo Picasso' spanned more than 80 of his 91 years, much of it in his second home of France. His passionate nature and relentless creative drive were inextricably linked to his personal life, which included tumultuous marriages, numerous affairs and constantly shifting political and personal alliances.
"He lived most of his life in the vibrant Paris of the first half of the 20th century and crossed paths with writers and artists including 'Coco Chanel', 'Henri Matisse', 'Marc Chagall', 'Gertrude Stein', 'Georges Braque' and 'Jean Cocteau'..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Genius: Pablo Picasso"...
"...the artistic career of 'Pablo Picasso' spanned more than 80 of his 91 years, much of it in his second home of France. His passionate nature and relentless creative drive were inextricably linked to his personal life, which included tumultuous marriages, numerous affairs and constantly shifting political and personal alliances.
"He lived most of his life in the vibrant Paris of the first half of the 20th century and crossed paths with writers and artists including 'Coco Chanel', 'Henri Matisse', 'Marc Chagall', 'Gertrude Stein', 'Georges Braque' and 'Jean Cocteau'..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Genius: Pablo Picasso"...
- 4/9/2018
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
With his Living trilogy completed, which is among the best trio of films cinema has offered this century, Roy Andersson has embarked on his next feature, one which will arrive much faster than we’re used to from the meticulous Swedish director. Though still coming along at the director’s usually patient pace, production began last February on About Endlessness and will continue through much of this year ahead of a 2019 premiere.
As reported on back in 2016, certain sequences will depict World War II (including Hitler in his bunker), “a couple, loosely inspired by Marc Chagall’s paintings,” and “a divorce prosecutor who doesn’t trust banks and keeps his savings under his mattress,” while characters include “an angry dentist, a midwife who loves champagne, a young girl going to a birthday party in the rain, a distracted waiter, a priest having a nightmare that he is being crucified, and...
As reported on back in 2016, certain sequences will depict World War II (including Hitler in his bunker), “a couple, loosely inspired by Marc Chagall’s paintings,” and “a divorce prosecutor who doesn’t trust banks and keeps his savings under his mattress,” while characters include “an angry dentist, a midwife who loves champagne, a young girl going to a birthday party in the rain, a distracted waiter, a priest having a nightmare that he is being crucified, and...
- 2/14/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Labor Day weekend is upon us! Before you jet off to Palm Springs or some other exotic, out-of-state locale, make sure you’re aware of what’s going on right here in L.A. If you’re opting for a stay-cation, we’ve got ample opportunities to wind down by the pool, head to the movies, or scare yourself silly. (Reminder: Halloween is coming up, people!) Whatever you do, remember to be safe, have fun, and stay inspired. Dust off your Sunday best at Lacma.You love Disneyland’s legendary Dapper Day but hate going all the way to Anaheim to don your fancy duds, right? Never fear, stylish lads and ladies! On September 2, head to Lacma for its Dapper Day + Celebrate Chagall fete. The day’s agenda includes time for picnicking on the lawn, great Latin music, docent-led tours of the museum’s Marc Chagall exhibit, and even a...
- 8/31/2017
- backstage.com
National Geographic has announced who its next “Genius” might be, and the choice moves the ongoing drama series from the world of science to art.
Following its well-received exploration into the life of Albert Einstein, Season 2 will dig into the complex life of artist Pablo Picasso. The artist, who lived from 1881 to 1973, is famed for his skewed looks at the world, which surrounded him created not just a lifetime’s work of unforgettable art – but an entire movement that made us reassess what art could be.
Read More: ‘Genius’: Hear the Song That Foreshadowed Johnny Flynn’s Breakout Role as Young Einstein
“Genius” is executive produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, the latter of whom directed the first episode of Season 1. Executive producer and showrunner Ken Biller will return for Season 2.
There is no official word yet as to who will play Picasso, but in the first season of “Genius,” Geoffrey Rush and Johnny Flynn played the older and younger versions of Einstein (respectively). Producers said they plan to court a similar level of talent for the next season.
Prior to “Genius,” on screen Picasso has been portrayed on screen about 40 times, with portrayers including Marcial Di Fonzo Bo in Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” and Anthony Hopkins in the film “Surviving Picasso.”
Also, Picasso mingled with plenty of other historical figures of his time we might look forward to seeing depicted — from the official release:
His passionate nature and relentless creative drive were inextricably linked to his personal life, which included tumultuous marriages, numerous affairs and constantly shifting political and personal alliances. He lived most of his life in the vibrant Paris of the first half of the 20th Century and crossed paths with writers and artists including Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Gertrude Stein, Georges Braque, and Jean Cocteau.
“What we were looking for, as with Albert Einstein, was someone who saw the world in a completely different way,” Biller said during a conference call this morning tied to the announcement. “One in scientific realm and one in art realm. This is a declarative statement, that ‘Genius’ is not only about scientists, [but people] who are iconic figures in history who changed the world. Pablo Picasso came to mind among many figures for Season 2.”
Picasso was the first name the producers considered for the project, Biller said, and after discussing several names, “we circled back to that idea and felt that his story, which is rich and emotional and passionate and controversial, would not only allow us to expand the palette, but his life was so turbulent and interesting. It’s a fascinating story.”
Howard said many men and women were considered for the project, and the producers used the success of depicting Albert Einstein’s life as a guide in finding a story subject with similar breadth.
“We wanted to try to live up to an achievement we were very proud of, with Einstein’s life, and we needed to know the drama was there,” Biller said. “Talking to friends, family, and kicking it around, his name stimulates curiosity in people. He’s famous, a household name, but you don’t really know the story of his life – how through the turbulence, he achieved artistic greatness in many ways and over many years.”
Biller said the producers considered a female subject for Season 2, and are “hoping to do a woman for Season 3.”
“Unfortunately the way history works, when you Google ‘geniuses’ online, history doesn’t remember a lot of [women],” Biller said. “The pool from them to choose is smaller. We explored ideas of people in science, politics, the arts. It’s a fun parlor game. There are probably very few people you could mention that we didn’t discuss on some level.”
Biller pointed out that although Season 1 was about Einstein, it spent time on the women characters surrounding him, including his first wife, physicist Mileva Maric.
“We did feel a responsibility to explore this other brilliant scientist we didn’t know, Mileva,” Biller said. “You’ll see also in Picasso’s story that there are many fascinating women in his life who inspired him and were artists in their own right. We will give them their due and explore what it was like to be a woman not only in that time but also in Picasso’s life.”
Given the subject matter, Howard said he expects to be able to play with visuals in Season 2. Like Season 1 of “Genius,” Season 2 will cover different stages of Picasso’s life and include two actors portraying the artist.
“We have no casting in mind yet but we’re hoping to attract that same level of talent to the project,” Biller said.
Biller defended the idea of portraying Einstein’s sexuality. “The idea of seeing Einstein with his pants down wasn’t designed for titillation,” he said. “One of the truths of Einstein is that most of the world didn’t know about was he had many sexual relationships. He was not faithful to his wife. He had an unorthodox view of sexuality and monogamy. If we were going to spend ten hours exploring character, the audience wouldn’t be interested in watching him at a blackboard for ten hours.”
“We’re in heavy development of the show,” he added. “We have some of the same writers from the first season, and some new ones. Our intention is to be in production before the end of this year in the fall.”
The Season 1 finale of “Genius” aired Tuesday, June 20. The 10-episode second season is expected to air in Spring 2018.
Stay on top of the latest film and TV news! Sign up for our film and TV email newsletter here.
Related storiesHow Screaming Beatlemania Comes Alive in Ron Howard's 'Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years''Genius': Hear the Song That Foreshadowed Johnny Flynn's Breakout Role as Young Einstein'Genius' Sneak Peek: See Einstein Reveal E=mc2 for the First Time...
Following its well-received exploration into the life of Albert Einstein, Season 2 will dig into the complex life of artist Pablo Picasso. The artist, who lived from 1881 to 1973, is famed for his skewed looks at the world, which surrounded him created not just a lifetime’s work of unforgettable art – but an entire movement that made us reassess what art could be.
Read More: ‘Genius’: Hear the Song That Foreshadowed Johnny Flynn’s Breakout Role as Young Einstein
“Genius” is executive produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, the latter of whom directed the first episode of Season 1. Executive producer and showrunner Ken Biller will return for Season 2.
There is no official word yet as to who will play Picasso, but in the first season of “Genius,” Geoffrey Rush and Johnny Flynn played the older and younger versions of Einstein (respectively). Producers said they plan to court a similar level of talent for the next season.
Prior to “Genius,” on screen Picasso has been portrayed on screen about 40 times, with portrayers including Marcial Di Fonzo Bo in Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” and Anthony Hopkins in the film “Surviving Picasso.”
Also, Picasso mingled with plenty of other historical figures of his time we might look forward to seeing depicted — from the official release:
His passionate nature and relentless creative drive were inextricably linked to his personal life, which included tumultuous marriages, numerous affairs and constantly shifting political and personal alliances. He lived most of his life in the vibrant Paris of the first half of the 20th Century and crossed paths with writers and artists including Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Gertrude Stein, Georges Braque, and Jean Cocteau.
“What we were looking for, as with Albert Einstein, was someone who saw the world in a completely different way,” Biller said during a conference call this morning tied to the announcement. “One in scientific realm and one in art realm. This is a declarative statement, that ‘Genius’ is not only about scientists, [but people] who are iconic figures in history who changed the world. Pablo Picasso came to mind among many figures for Season 2.”
Picasso was the first name the producers considered for the project, Biller said, and after discussing several names, “we circled back to that idea and felt that his story, which is rich and emotional and passionate and controversial, would not only allow us to expand the palette, but his life was so turbulent and interesting. It’s a fascinating story.”
Howard said many men and women were considered for the project, and the producers used the success of depicting Albert Einstein’s life as a guide in finding a story subject with similar breadth.
“We wanted to try to live up to an achievement we were very proud of, with Einstein’s life, and we needed to know the drama was there,” Biller said. “Talking to friends, family, and kicking it around, his name stimulates curiosity in people. He’s famous, a household name, but you don’t really know the story of his life – how through the turbulence, he achieved artistic greatness in many ways and over many years.”
Biller said the producers considered a female subject for Season 2, and are “hoping to do a woman for Season 3.”
“Unfortunately the way history works, when you Google ‘geniuses’ online, history doesn’t remember a lot of [women],” Biller said. “The pool from them to choose is smaller. We explored ideas of people in science, politics, the arts. It’s a fun parlor game. There are probably very few people you could mention that we didn’t discuss on some level.”
Biller pointed out that although Season 1 was about Einstein, it spent time on the women characters surrounding him, including his first wife, physicist Mileva Maric.
“We did feel a responsibility to explore this other brilliant scientist we didn’t know, Mileva,” Biller said. “You’ll see also in Picasso’s story that there are many fascinating women in his life who inspired him and were artists in their own right. We will give them their due and explore what it was like to be a woman not only in that time but also in Picasso’s life.”
Given the subject matter, Howard said he expects to be able to play with visuals in Season 2. Like Season 1 of “Genius,” Season 2 will cover different stages of Picasso’s life and include two actors portraying the artist.
“We have no casting in mind yet but we’re hoping to attract that same level of talent to the project,” Biller said.
Biller defended the idea of portraying Einstein’s sexuality. “The idea of seeing Einstein with his pants down wasn’t designed for titillation,” he said. “One of the truths of Einstein is that most of the world didn’t know about was he had many sexual relationships. He was not faithful to his wife. He had an unorthodox view of sexuality and monogamy. If we were going to spend ten hours exploring character, the audience wouldn’t be interested in watching him at a blackboard for ten hours.”
“We’re in heavy development of the show,” he added. “We have some of the same writers from the first season, and some new ones. Our intention is to be in production before the end of this year in the fall.”
The Season 1 finale of “Genius” aired Tuesday, June 20. The 10-episode second season is expected to air in Spring 2018.
Stay on top of the latest film and TV news! Sign up for our film and TV email newsletter here.
Related storiesHow Screaming Beatlemania Comes Alive in Ron Howard's 'Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years''Genius': Hear the Song That Foreshadowed Johnny Flynn's Breakout Role as Young Einstein'Genius' Sneak Peek: See Einstein Reveal E=mc2 for the First Time...
- 6/21/2017
- by Liz Shannon Miller and Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
Watch almost any scene from Roy Andersson‘s Living trilogy and you’ll understand why he takes several years to produce one normal-length feature. Their ornate quality is expected, even anticipated, and so it’s a pleasant surprise that he’ll be giving us his new feature a bit sooner — by only a couple of years than expected, sure, but none of us are getting younger anytime soon.
Screen Daily tracked Andersson in his Stockholm-based Studio 24 while the writer-director handled test shoots for a feature that’s currently using numerous working titles: On Endlessness, On Inexhaustibility, On Infinity, and The Inexhaustibility Of The Human Condition. These all sound like movies he’d make, and it’s fitting that he’ll again partner with Gergely Palos (cinematographer), Pernilla Sandstrom (producer), and Johan Carlsson (line producer), if not more, once production commences at next year’s start. Though some in his circle...
Screen Daily tracked Andersson in his Stockholm-based Studio 24 while the writer-director handled test shoots for a feature that’s currently using numerous working titles: On Endlessness, On Inexhaustibility, On Infinity, and The Inexhaustibility Of The Human Condition. These all sound like movies he’d make, and it’s fitting that he’ll again partner with Gergely Palos (cinematographer), Pernilla Sandstrom (producer), and Johan Carlsson (line producer), if not more, once production commences at next year’s start. Though some in his circle...
- 11/10/2016
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Fiddler On The Roof Broadway Theatre, NYC
I was in my local supermarket when Gwen Stefani came on the speakers:
If I was a rich girl (na, na) See, I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl No man could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end 'Cause I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl
And it made me wonder how many teenage music consumers around the world had any idea where that little tune came from. My conclusion? Not many.
Oh sure, Jewish kids, musical theater kids, maybe even most New York City kids. But that’s about it.
In musical theater, context is everything. In the Stefani version, it’s about the ability to shop til you drop. But in the original version, as the wonderful showcase song at the heart of Fiddler On The Roof,...
I was in my local supermarket when Gwen Stefani came on the speakers:
If I was a rich girl (na, na) See, I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl No man could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end 'Cause I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl
And it made me wonder how many teenage music consumers around the world had any idea where that little tune came from. My conclusion? Not many.
Oh sure, Jewish kids, musical theater kids, maybe even most New York City kids. But that’s about it.
In musical theater, context is everything. In the Stefani version, it’s about the ability to shop til you drop. But in the original version, as the wonderful showcase song at the heart of Fiddler On The Roof,...
- 12/31/2015
- by webmaster
- www.culturecatch.com
Singer, songwriter, actress, and fashion mogul Jessica Simpson, whose Jessica Simpson Collection marks its 10th anniversary this month, shared 25 surprising and adorable facts about herself with Us Weekly. 1. My favorite ice cream is pistachio or butter pecan. 2. As a kid, I left space camp because the ice cream was dehydrated. But I still dream of being an astronaut. 3. Marc Chagall is my favorite artist. 4. I make my kids [Maxwell, 3, and Ace, 2] dinner almost every night. 5. Robert Plant, Sting, Willie Nelson, and Sam Cooke are my [...]...
- 9/9/2015
- Us Weekly
Painter Man: Mitta’s Return to Filmmaking a Lofty, Honeycombed History Lesson
Ungainly and distractingly saccharine, Russian auteur Aleksandr Mitta returns with Chagall-Malevich, a whimsical biopic of politically opposed painters Marc Chagall and Kazimir Malevich. Considering the filmmaker is now in his eighties, there’s potential to be impressed with this technically proficient undertaking. However, as evidenced by a recent trend in sanctioned Russian cinema, this feels like the kind of watered down inconsequentiality resulting from interference of the Ministry of Culture. Perhaps more meaningful as a patriotic reenactment for those within its native climes, the film feels like a bright eyed and bushy tailed bit of propaganda, its political rhetoric washed down with an easy elixir of colorful hues.
Narrating his own birth near Vitebsk, Belarus, amidst a chaotic, fiery backdrop we come to understand as taking place during a pogrom, Marc Chagall (Leonid Bichevin) spends the next three...
Ungainly and distractingly saccharine, Russian auteur Aleksandr Mitta returns with Chagall-Malevich, a whimsical biopic of politically opposed painters Marc Chagall and Kazimir Malevich. Considering the filmmaker is now in his eighties, there’s potential to be impressed with this technically proficient undertaking. However, as evidenced by a recent trend in sanctioned Russian cinema, this feels like the kind of watered down inconsequentiality resulting from interference of the Ministry of Culture. Perhaps more meaningful as a patriotic reenactment for those within its native climes, the film feels like a bright eyed and bushy tailed bit of propaganda, its political rhetoric washed down with an easy elixir of colorful hues.
Narrating his own birth near Vitebsk, Belarus, amidst a chaotic, fiery backdrop we come to understand as taking place during a pogrom, Marc Chagall (Leonid Bichevin) spends the next three...
- 6/11/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
ShiM-Film, LLC will be in charge of the U.S. Theatrical release of "Chagall-Malevich," a film by Alexander Mitta. After having screened at numerous international film festivals including Palm Springs, Montreal, Haifa, Moscow, Busan, and the L.A. Jewish Film Festival, the film will open at Cinema Village in New York on June 12 and at Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills and at Town Center 5 in Encino, CA on June 19.
The artistic and political revolution of early 20th century Russia is mythologized in "Chagall-Malevich," a magical period drama about the uneasy relationship between two artistic geniuses. Inspired by the memoirs of Marc Chagall and those of his contemporaries, the film blends fact and folklore to evoke the return of the iconic Jewish artist (portrayed by Leonid Bichevin "Cargo 200") to his childhood home of Vitebsk.
Having left behind immense success in Paris, Chagall returns to the Russian empire in 1917 in hope to marry the love of his life Bella Rosenfeld (Kristina Schneidermann); he produces copious paintings and establishes the Academy of Modern Art. A rivalry develops with abstract painter Kazimir Malevich (Anatoliy Belyy), invited to teach at the art school. As Bella rekindles a childhood friendship with military Red Commissar Naum (Semyon Shkalikov), Chagall competes for the affections of his muse and future wife.
As the October Revolution sweeps across Russia, historical events intrude on personal struggles and upend the quiet provincial life in Vitebsk. Brimming with surrealistic imagery from the paintings of Chagall and Malevich (over 140 paintings were used in the film), this sumptuous melodrama marks veteran Russian filmmaker Alexander Mitta’s return after a decade-long hiatus.
The artistic and political revolution of early 20th century Russia is mythologized in "Chagall-Malevich," a magical period drama about the uneasy relationship between two artistic geniuses. Inspired by the memoirs of Marc Chagall and those of his contemporaries, the film blends fact and folklore to evoke the return of the iconic Jewish artist (portrayed by Leonid Bichevin "Cargo 200") to his childhood home of Vitebsk.
Having left behind immense success in Paris, Chagall returns to the Russian empire in 1917 in hope to marry the love of his life Bella Rosenfeld (Kristina Schneidermann); he produces copious paintings and establishes the Academy of Modern Art. A rivalry develops with abstract painter Kazimir Malevich (Anatoliy Belyy), invited to teach at the art school. As Bella rekindles a childhood friendship with military Red Commissar Naum (Semyon Shkalikov), Chagall competes for the affections of his muse and future wife.
As the October Revolution sweeps across Russia, historical events intrude on personal struggles and upend the quiet provincial life in Vitebsk. Brimming with surrealistic imagery from the paintings of Chagall and Malevich (over 140 paintings were used in the film), this sumptuous melodrama marks veteran Russian filmmaker Alexander Mitta’s return after a decade-long hiatus.
- 6/8/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Russia will present a total of six pictures at the 5th Beijing International Film Festival, to be held April 16th–23rd. Sergey Mokritsky’s "The Battle For Sevastopol" and Ramil Salakhutdinov’s "White, White Night" are included in the main competition while Andrey Konchalovsky’s "The Postman’s White Nights," Alexander Mitta’s "Chagall – Malevich" and Mikhail Kosyrev-Nesterov’s "Journey to the Mother" will be screened in the festival’s sidebar. Roman Prygunov’s "Downshifter" has been selected for the Gala Premiere section.
Among the Beijing festival jury members is Fedor Bondarchuk, the prominent Russian filmmaker, actor, producer, and Chairman of the Lenfilm studio Board of Directors. Roskino provides Public Relations support for the heavy Russian presence at the 5th International Festival in Beijing.
Katya Mtsitouridze, Roskino CEO: “From this year on, the Beijing Festival will be curated by Marco Mueller, previously at the helm of the Venice Festival. It is his ardent love of Russian culture that we have to credit for launching international careers of such stellar young filmmakers as Ivan Vyrypaev, Kirill Serebrennikov, Alexey German Jr., and Alexey Fedorchenko. Venice has also honored many a luminary from Russia, ranging from Nikita Mikhalkov to Alexey Balabanov. Alexander Sokurov’s Faust even took the Golden Lion in 2011. This tradition lives on as we can see already, in Marco Mueller’s first year, six Russian movies at Beijing. The governments of our countries are currently collaborating to expand the Russian quotas in Chinese theatres, and Roskino’s first business trip to Beijing, with any luck, should be the next step in this direction. Over the last couple of years, China has made tremendous progress undermining, by its rapid growth, the Hollywood monopoly in the film industry. There is still plenty of room for improvement for us.”
Alyona Shumakova, member of the Selection Committee, Beijing International Film Festival: “We were faced with the tall order of presenting Russian film as a vital artistic force which reflects, at the same time, a dramatically changed reality. It is also worth bearing in mind that the huge audience of these films will consist mostly of regular moviegoers, besides the usual festival crowd of film buffs. We are, mind you, dealing with a country that knows very little about Russian cinema and has yet to develop a concrete image of it. I believe that our picks, with their magnificent visuals and emotional intensity, more than rise to the challenge and accurately reflect the new world we live in.”
At the 2014 Cannes Iff, "The Battle for Sevastopol" was first pitched to industry professionals and international press at the Russian Pavilion opening ceremony. A Russian–Ukrainian co-production, this period drama tells the story of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, a legendary WWII sniper. The wide release in Russia is scheduled for April 2nd, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Liberation. The protagonist is played by the masterful thespian Yulia Peresild.
Sergei Mokritsky, director: “As I was making a movie about the most lethal female sniper of WWII, I didn’t even dare dream of an international premiere in Beijing. It is an honor as well as a huge responsibility. Overall, China is the closest in spirit, and yet most mysterious country for me as it is for every Russian. I’m really looking forward to the Chinese reception of my movie, because what I aspired to with it was a blend of Soviet war-film mythology, modern cinematic language, and typically Slavic zest for life.”
Ramil Salakhutdinov’s "White, White Night" tells the story of a young man who suddenly goes missing when he travels to Saint Petersburg for a concert. Sent over from Moscow, the private eye hired to locate him meets a lot of people during investigation, and gradually immerses himself in the bleak present-day atmosphere of the city he once lived in. Against his better judgment, the sleuth takes the guy under his wing, which ultimately validates him and boosts his own sense of self-worth. The movie first played in competition at the 2014 edition of Kinotavr.
Ramil Salakhutdinov, director: “I strove to understand––to feel––what it’s like to live in our trying times, in an era of profound change.”
Alexey German Jr., creative director: “It’s a huge victory for Ramil. He’s a wonderful filmmaker, a magnificent actor, and an artist of incredibly fine sensibilities. His recognition by the Biff proves yet again that Salakhutdinov’s work is appreciated internationally.”
Andrey Konchalovskiy's "The Postman’s White Nights" will play in the festival’s sidebar.
In 2014, the film was awarded Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival. It recounts the life of a real man, village postman Alexey Tryapitsyn, who resides in the Arkhangelsk region and portrays himself on screen. Though a work of fiction rather than a documentary, the film has only one professional actress in its cast.
Mikhail Kosyrev-Nesterov’s drama "Journey to the Mother" is also playing in the festival’s parallel section. It is the story of a Russian guy who goes to France to see his mother, and meets his sister for the first time. The film’s leading actress is Adele Exarchopoulos, the star of Palme d’Or-winning "Blue Is the Warmest Color" and co-recipient of the Cannes festival’s highest honor.
Aleksandr Mitta’s "Chagall – Malevich" will play in the Special Screenings section. Set during Marc Chagall’s “Vitebsk period,” the story of an all-consuming love between the great artist and his wife Bella plays out against the backdrop of a historic duel he fought with Kazimir Malevich, his genius contemporary and fierce opponent.
Roman Prygunov’s "Downshifter" is set to bow internationally in the Gala Premiere section of the festival.
A sequel to the highest grossing Russian movie of 2012, "Downshifter" continues with the adventures of Max Andreev, a senior executive forced by the vicissitudes of his life to wipe the slate clean. The star of the production is Danila Kozlovsky, one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation. Made for $4M, the movie recouped its budget over the first weekend in theaters. Fedor Bondarchuk, who produced the box-office smash, currently predicts a final take north of $9M.
Russian filmmaker and producer Fedor Bondarchuk, whose historical drama "Stalingrad" was a runaway success in China in 2013, has been appointed a jury member for the 5 Beijing International Festival. He will share his duty with such directors as Ki-duk Kim (South Korea) and Fernando Meirelles (Brazil); screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen (USA); producer and director Peter Chan (Thailand); and Chinese actress, star of "Cloud Atlas," Zhou Xun. French director and producer Luc Besson, whose output in both capacities has long transcended the confines of local fame, will serve as President of the Jury. The festival program comprises 930 films from 90 countries. The festival’s top prize Tiantan is awarded in ten categories, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Actor.
Fedor Bondarchuk, producer, filmmaker: “ I’m honored and humbled to be invited to serve as a jury member for the Beijing Iff. The strategic partnership between Russia and China is now reinforced not only in politics and economy but also in the cultural sphere, of which film is an integral part. Stalingrad’s impressive Chinese grosses show enormous demand for Russian filmmaking.”
Marco Mueller, Chief Adviser for the Beijing Iff: “Ever since Stalingrad dominated the Chinese box office in 2013 (it was the highest-grossing foreign film of the year, apart from the American “commercial heavy artillery”), the interest in Russian film has reached a new level in the country. I think that from this year on, our festival’s appreciation of Russian film will also move to the next level. This year our program boasts an amazing selection, and Fedor Bondarchuk has every chance to achieve cult status in China––he is, after all, already on the jury! I would also like to note that our cooperation with China is off to a highly professional start as the Russian presence at the festival is supported by the government-owned Roskino. It is this level of commitment that allows us to make serious plans for the future.”...
Among the Beijing festival jury members is Fedor Bondarchuk, the prominent Russian filmmaker, actor, producer, and Chairman of the Lenfilm studio Board of Directors. Roskino provides Public Relations support for the heavy Russian presence at the 5th International Festival in Beijing.
Katya Mtsitouridze, Roskino CEO: “From this year on, the Beijing Festival will be curated by Marco Mueller, previously at the helm of the Venice Festival. It is his ardent love of Russian culture that we have to credit for launching international careers of such stellar young filmmakers as Ivan Vyrypaev, Kirill Serebrennikov, Alexey German Jr., and Alexey Fedorchenko. Venice has also honored many a luminary from Russia, ranging from Nikita Mikhalkov to Alexey Balabanov. Alexander Sokurov’s Faust even took the Golden Lion in 2011. This tradition lives on as we can see already, in Marco Mueller’s first year, six Russian movies at Beijing. The governments of our countries are currently collaborating to expand the Russian quotas in Chinese theatres, and Roskino’s first business trip to Beijing, with any luck, should be the next step in this direction. Over the last couple of years, China has made tremendous progress undermining, by its rapid growth, the Hollywood monopoly in the film industry. There is still plenty of room for improvement for us.”
Alyona Shumakova, member of the Selection Committee, Beijing International Film Festival: “We were faced with the tall order of presenting Russian film as a vital artistic force which reflects, at the same time, a dramatically changed reality. It is also worth bearing in mind that the huge audience of these films will consist mostly of regular moviegoers, besides the usual festival crowd of film buffs. We are, mind you, dealing with a country that knows very little about Russian cinema and has yet to develop a concrete image of it. I believe that our picks, with their magnificent visuals and emotional intensity, more than rise to the challenge and accurately reflect the new world we live in.”
At the 2014 Cannes Iff, "The Battle for Sevastopol" was first pitched to industry professionals and international press at the Russian Pavilion opening ceremony. A Russian–Ukrainian co-production, this period drama tells the story of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, a legendary WWII sniper. The wide release in Russia is scheduled for April 2nd, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Liberation. The protagonist is played by the masterful thespian Yulia Peresild.
Sergei Mokritsky, director: “As I was making a movie about the most lethal female sniper of WWII, I didn’t even dare dream of an international premiere in Beijing. It is an honor as well as a huge responsibility. Overall, China is the closest in spirit, and yet most mysterious country for me as it is for every Russian. I’m really looking forward to the Chinese reception of my movie, because what I aspired to with it was a blend of Soviet war-film mythology, modern cinematic language, and typically Slavic zest for life.”
Ramil Salakhutdinov’s "White, White Night" tells the story of a young man who suddenly goes missing when he travels to Saint Petersburg for a concert. Sent over from Moscow, the private eye hired to locate him meets a lot of people during investigation, and gradually immerses himself in the bleak present-day atmosphere of the city he once lived in. Against his better judgment, the sleuth takes the guy under his wing, which ultimately validates him and boosts his own sense of self-worth. The movie first played in competition at the 2014 edition of Kinotavr.
Ramil Salakhutdinov, director: “I strove to understand––to feel––what it’s like to live in our trying times, in an era of profound change.”
Alexey German Jr., creative director: “It’s a huge victory for Ramil. He’s a wonderful filmmaker, a magnificent actor, and an artist of incredibly fine sensibilities. His recognition by the Biff proves yet again that Salakhutdinov’s work is appreciated internationally.”
Andrey Konchalovskiy's "The Postman’s White Nights" will play in the festival’s sidebar.
In 2014, the film was awarded Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival. It recounts the life of a real man, village postman Alexey Tryapitsyn, who resides in the Arkhangelsk region and portrays himself on screen. Though a work of fiction rather than a documentary, the film has only one professional actress in its cast.
Mikhail Kosyrev-Nesterov’s drama "Journey to the Mother" is also playing in the festival’s parallel section. It is the story of a Russian guy who goes to France to see his mother, and meets his sister for the first time. The film’s leading actress is Adele Exarchopoulos, the star of Palme d’Or-winning "Blue Is the Warmest Color" and co-recipient of the Cannes festival’s highest honor.
Aleksandr Mitta’s "Chagall – Malevich" will play in the Special Screenings section. Set during Marc Chagall’s “Vitebsk period,” the story of an all-consuming love between the great artist and his wife Bella plays out against the backdrop of a historic duel he fought with Kazimir Malevich, his genius contemporary and fierce opponent.
Roman Prygunov’s "Downshifter" is set to bow internationally in the Gala Premiere section of the festival.
A sequel to the highest grossing Russian movie of 2012, "Downshifter" continues with the adventures of Max Andreev, a senior executive forced by the vicissitudes of his life to wipe the slate clean. The star of the production is Danila Kozlovsky, one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation. Made for $4M, the movie recouped its budget over the first weekend in theaters. Fedor Bondarchuk, who produced the box-office smash, currently predicts a final take north of $9M.
Russian filmmaker and producer Fedor Bondarchuk, whose historical drama "Stalingrad" was a runaway success in China in 2013, has been appointed a jury member for the 5 Beijing International Festival. He will share his duty with such directors as Ki-duk Kim (South Korea) and Fernando Meirelles (Brazil); screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen (USA); producer and director Peter Chan (Thailand); and Chinese actress, star of "Cloud Atlas," Zhou Xun. French director and producer Luc Besson, whose output in both capacities has long transcended the confines of local fame, will serve as President of the Jury. The festival program comprises 930 films from 90 countries. The festival’s top prize Tiantan is awarded in ten categories, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Actor.
Fedor Bondarchuk, producer, filmmaker: “ I’m honored and humbled to be invited to serve as a jury member for the Beijing Iff. The strategic partnership between Russia and China is now reinforced not only in politics and economy but also in the cultural sphere, of which film is an integral part. Stalingrad’s impressive Chinese grosses show enormous demand for Russian filmmaking.”
Marco Mueller, Chief Adviser for the Beijing Iff: “Ever since Stalingrad dominated the Chinese box office in 2013 (it was the highest-grossing foreign film of the year, apart from the American “commercial heavy artillery”), the interest in Russian film has reached a new level in the country. I think that from this year on, our festival’s appreciation of Russian film will also move to the next level. This year our program boasts an amazing selection, and Fedor Bondarchuk has every chance to achieve cult status in China––he is, after all, already on the jury! I would also like to note that our cooperation with China is off to a highly professional start as the Russian presence at the festival is supported by the government-owned Roskino. It is this level of commitment that allows us to make serious plans for the future.”...
- 4/9/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
For almost 30 years, Mark Landis forged artwork and passed it off as his own to various museums around the country. It wasn’t until Matthew Leininger, a registrar at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, investigated the pieces in 2008 that the forgery was exposed. Leininger dedicated his time to investigating Landis further, and the scale of forgeries was revealed in 2012. Both men are featured in Art and Craft, a documentary about Landis, directed by Jennifer Grausman and Sam Cullman and co-directed by Mark Becker. Because Landis never sold his work to the museums, only donated the works in what he calls acts of “philanthropy”, he was never prosecuted.
The Hollywood Reporter’s John DeFore said, “The film will appeal to art lovers, but some viewers who can hardly tell their Cezannes from Chagalls will find the story fascinating as well.”
The film was picked by...
Managing Editor
For almost 30 years, Mark Landis forged artwork and passed it off as his own to various museums around the country. It wasn’t until Matthew Leininger, a registrar at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, investigated the pieces in 2008 that the forgery was exposed. Leininger dedicated his time to investigating Landis further, and the scale of forgeries was revealed in 2012. Both men are featured in Art and Craft, a documentary about Landis, directed by Jennifer Grausman and Sam Cullman and co-directed by Mark Becker. Because Landis never sold his work to the museums, only donated the works in what he calls acts of “philanthropy”, he was never prosecuted.
The Hollywood Reporter’s John DeFore said, “The film will appeal to art lovers, but some viewers who can hardly tell their Cezannes from Chagalls will find the story fascinating as well.”
The film was picked by...
- 12/19/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
We talk to one-of-a-kind filmmaker Michel Gondry about his new film Mood Indigo, Eternal Sunshine, Philip K Dick adaptation Ubik and more...
Interview
Over the period of 20-or-so years, Michel Gondry has steadily built up a voluminous and relentlessly individual body of work, ranging from commercials and experimental short films to full-length features. Although Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind is arguably Gondry’s best-known and most acclaimed work, he's also made such films as Be Kind, Rewind, The Science Of Sleep, his quirky collaboration with Noam Chomsky, Is The Man Who Is Tall Happy?, and The Green Hornet, while flawed, has much to enjoy in it.
Mood Indigo is Gondry’s latest feature, and once again, it’s hand-crafted, warm and decidedly dreamlike. Based on the novel L'Écume des jours by Boris Vian, it’s about a young man named Colin (Romain Duris) who falls in love with a...
Interview
Over the period of 20-or-so years, Michel Gondry has steadily built up a voluminous and relentlessly individual body of work, ranging from commercials and experimental short films to full-length features. Although Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind is arguably Gondry’s best-known and most acclaimed work, he's also made such films as Be Kind, Rewind, The Science Of Sleep, his quirky collaboration with Noam Chomsky, Is The Man Who Is Tall Happy?, and The Green Hornet, while flawed, has much to enjoy in it.
Mood Indigo is Gondry’s latest feature, and once again, it’s hand-crafted, warm and decidedly dreamlike. Based on the novel L'Écume des jours by Boris Vian, it’s about a young man named Colin (Romain Duris) who falls in love with a...
- 7/25/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Putting an end to globe-spanning competitions, the 2014 Winter Olympics came to an end today (February 23), with the final closing ceremony in Sochi, Russia.
Sochi's mayor presented the Olympic flag to the mayor of Pyeongchang, South Korea, the next host of the Winter Olympics, and a massive animatronic bear blue out the iconic Olympic flame.
Thomas Bach, International Olympic Committee President, commended Russian president, Vladimir Putin for being host to the games, and for creating "A new Russia…efficient and friendly, open to a new world."
Athletes from around the world marched into the arena, and a Marc Chagall painting appeared on stage as masked dancers cavorted on stilts to violin and viola, along with a piano performance of Rachmaninoff, as well as presentations of Russian ballet and literature.
The ceremony began at 8:14 Pm local time, and Russia, the champion overall, brought home 33 medals; the United States coming in second...
Sochi's mayor presented the Olympic flag to the mayor of Pyeongchang, South Korea, the next host of the Winter Olympics, and a massive animatronic bear blue out the iconic Olympic flame.
Thomas Bach, International Olympic Committee President, commended Russian president, Vladimir Putin for being host to the games, and for creating "A new Russia…efficient and friendly, open to a new world."
Athletes from around the world marched into the arena, and a Marc Chagall painting appeared on stage as masked dancers cavorted on stilts to violin and viola, along with a piano performance of Rachmaninoff, as well as presentations of Russian ballet and literature.
The ceremony began at 8:14 Pm local time, and Russia, the champion overall, brought home 33 medals; the United States coming in second...
- 2/23/2014
- GossipCenter
That thud you just heard was “Winter’s Tale” landing in the theaters today, and poised to become a touchstone in the history of misbegotten literary adaptations. It’s been 30 years since Mark Helprin published his enchanting and enchanted novel about time travel, Old New York, beautiful consumptives, a gang called the Short Tails, and a Marc Chagall-meets-steam-punk aesthetic. But given what Akiva Goldsman has chosen to do with it, well, there was really no hurry. The veteran screenwriter ("The Da Vinci Code"), making his feature directorial debut, apparently thought what Helprin’s magic-realist novel needed was less magic. This he has provided. The baroque construction of the novel is lost, the emotional resonance of the language is abandoned, the things that seemed charmed in the book now seem juvenile, especially since they’re given no room to breathe or live. The movie isn’t just inert, it seems silly.
- 2/14/2014
- by John Anderson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Richard Curtis has spent the last two decades telling love stories. The first movie he wrote, “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” launched Hugh Grant’s career and was, at the time, the highest-grossing British film in history. He followed that up with several more critically and commercially successful films, some of which broke his own record and all of which portrayed bumbling lovers. “It’s very odd how you are attracted to the same subjects,” Curtis told TheWrap. “I take comfort from painters. Marc Chagall must have known there was more to life than people dressed in blue carrying flowers,...
- 10/31/2013
- by Lucas Shaw
- The Wrap
Pawel Pawlikowski’s Ida scored a second top festival prize in one night, after success in London.
The international jury of the Warsaw Film Festival has awarded the City of Warsaw Grand Prix to Pawal Pawlikowski’s Ida, which won Best Film at the BFI London Film Festival on the same night.
The black-and-white film set in the 1960s, which the international jury praised for “the superb combination of script, directing, cinematography, acting and music”, also received the prize of the Ecumenical Jury in Warsaw.
Speaking to ScreenDaily after the awards ceremony, producer Ewa Puszczynska of Lodz-based Opus Film said the film will be released on 90 screens in Poland this Friday (Oct 25) by distributor Solopan Spólka.
Fandango Portobello Sales is handling international distribution, and Music Box Films are planning the North American release for the second quarter of 2014. It debuted at Toronto last month.
Puszczynska was joined on stage to receive the Grand Prix by the non-professional...
The international jury of the Warsaw Film Festival has awarded the City of Warsaw Grand Prix to Pawal Pawlikowski’s Ida, which won Best Film at the BFI London Film Festival on the same night.
The black-and-white film set in the 1960s, which the international jury praised for “the superb combination of script, directing, cinematography, acting and music”, also received the prize of the Ecumenical Jury in Warsaw.
Speaking to ScreenDaily after the awards ceremony, producer Ewa Puszczynska of Lodz-based Opus Film said the film will be released on 90 screens in Poland this Friday (Oct 25) by distributor Solopan Spólka.
Fandango Portobello Sales is handling international distribution, and Music Box Films are planning the North American release for the second quarter of 2014. It debuted at Toronto last month.
Puszczynska was joined on stage to receive the Grand Prix by the non-professional...
- 10/21/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Actor Mark Wahlberg has vowed to stop buying work by famous artists because his wife is exasperated with his growing collection.
The Fighter star is a fan of artwork, and recently invested in a painting by Russian-French artist Marc Chagall - much to his partner Rhea Durham's annoyance.
He tells Britain's Total Film magazine, "I gotta stop collecting art. I bought a piece by Marc Chagall recently and my wife wanted to kill me. She said it looked like my daughter had painted it."...
The Fighter star is a fan of artwork, and recently invested in a painting by Russian-French artist Marc Chagall - much to his partner Rhea Durham's annoyance.
He tells Britain's Total Film magazine, "I gotta stop collecting art. I bought a piece by Marc Chagall recently and my wife wanted to kill me. She said it looked like my daughter had painted it."...
- 1/23/2012
- WENN
Mark Wahlberg's wife wants him to stop collecting art. The Fighter star has an impressive collection but admitted he may have to cut back after his spouse Rhea - with whom he has four children Ella, eight, Michael, five, Brendan, three, and two-year-old Grace - put her foot down. He explained: 'I gotta stop collecting art. I bought a piece by Marc Chagall [the Russian-French artist] recently and my wife wanted to kill me. She said it looked like my daughter had painted it.' Rhea has also put a stop to Mark's long preparation time for movies. In the past he...
- 1/22/2012
- Virgin Media - Celebrity
New York, Sept 22: Mick Jagger was pictured visiting the rare-book room at the Strand near Union Square.
The 68-year-old musician was also spotted at the preview of Bob Dylan's paintings at Gagosian Gallery, the New York Post reported.
Accompanied by gal pal L'Wren Scott and two bodyguards, the 'She's the Boss' hitmaker bought "a stack of antiquarian and rare" tomes on painters Egon Schiele and Marc Chagall, graphic designers Merle Armitage and Alex Steinweiss, fashion designer Madeleine Vionnet and photographer Helmut Newton.
He also left some room for fun as he bought a first edition.
The 68-year-old musician was also spotted at the preview of Bob Dylan's paintings at Gagosian Gallery, the New York Post reported.
Accompanied by gal pal L'Wren Scott and two bodyguards, the 'She's the Boss' hitmaker bought "a stack of antiquarian and rare" tomes on painters Egon Schiele and Marc Chagall, graphic designers Merle Armitage and Alex Steinweiss, fashion designer Madeleine Vionnet and photographer Helmut Newton.
He also left some room for fun as he bought a first edition.
- 9/22/2011
- by Machan Kumar
- RealBollywood.com
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Fine art, jewelry and Hollywood memorabilia owned by Tony Curtis -- including the yachtsman jacket he wore in "Some Like It Hot" -- brought in over $1 million on the auction block on Saturday, more than twice the presale estimates.
Curtis, who enjoyed a 60-year career in show business before his death in 2010 at age 85, appeared in more than 100 films and received an Oscar nomination for the 1958 drama "The Defiant Ones." He was an art lover and painter as well.
The estate items on sale at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills featured property Curtis acquired throughout his life, from the time he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II to the 2000s. The presale estimate on the collection was $500,000.
Highlights included the Andy Warhol "Some Like It Hot" shoe lithograph, signed by Warhol to Curtis around 1955, which sold for $53,125; the "Some Like It Hot" yachtsman jacket,...
Curtis, who enjoyed a 60-year career in show business before his death in 2010 at age 85, appeared in more than 100 films and received an Oscar nomination for the 1958 drama "The Defiant Ones." He was an art lover and painter as well.
The estate items on sale at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills featured property Curtis acquired throughout his life, from the time he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II to the 2000s. The presale estimate on the collection was $500,000.
Highlights included the Andy Warhol "Some Like It Hot" shoe lithograph, signed by Warhol to Curtis around 1955, which sold for $53,125; the "Some Like It Hot" yachtsman jacket,...
- 9/18/2011
- by Reuters
- Huffington Post
Something of a national treasure in his native France, Joann Sfar (The Rabbi’s Cat) is the award–winning author of graphic novels, comics, and children’s books, including the New York Times bestseller Little Vampire Goes to School and a fresh re-imagining of Saint-Exupéry’s classic Le Petit Prince. Sfar was a serious student of philosophy at the University of Nice despite his strict religious upbringing (his mother is Ashkenazi and his father Sephardic), but decided to chase his youthful dream of publishing comics. He studied under painter Jean-François Debord at the School of Fine Arts in Paris (Aderf) and eventually became one of the rising young stars of an underground comics movement that included Lewis Trondheim and Christophe Blain. Recently, Sfar has immersed himself in the world of filmmaking, transforming his whimsical comics (think Marc Chagall meets Will Eisner) into equally fanciful, story-based films. Earlier this year in France,...
- 8/31/2011
- by Damon Smith
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
NEW YORK -- The new Manhattan-based producer-distributor Elephant Eye Films has optioned two projects: Dara Horn's mystery novel "The World to Come" and Etan Frankel's musical screenplay "Country Song".
Horn's 2006 book, inspired by a real-life crime, focuses on a former child prodigy who writes questions for a TV game show. Convinced that a Marc Chagall painting was stolen from his family, he steals the Chagall from a museum and persuades his twin sister to create a forgery. The novel traces the history of the painting and the family from 1920s Russia to Vietnam to the present day.
"Country" follows Carrie, an aspiring country music singer whose family responsibilities threaten to thwart her dreams. It marks the first screenplay from Frankel, whose plays, including "Truth and Reconciliation", have won him two Le comte du Nouy Awards from Lincoln Center and the Williamstown Theatre Festival's Weissberger Award.
"World" and "Country" are in development.
Elephant Eye, formed in the summer, is ramping up two docu film fest hits for theatrical release: Jennifer Venditti's "Billy the Kid" next month and Benson Lee's "Planet B-Boy" in March.
Horn's 2006 book, inspired by a real-life crime, focuses on a former child prodigy who writes questions for a TV game show. Convinced that a Marc Chagall painting was stolen from his family, he steals the Chagall from a museum and persuades his twin sister to create a forgery. The novel traces the history of the painting and the family from 1920s Russia to Vietnam to the present day.
"Country" follows Carrie, an aspiring country music singer whose family responsibilities threaten to thwart her dreams. It marks the first screenplay from Frankel, whose plays, including "Truth and Reconciliation", have won him two Le comte du Nouy Awards from Lincoln Center and the Williamstown Theatre Festival's Weissberger Award.
"World" and "Country" are in development.
Elephant Eye, formed in the summer, is ramping up two docu film fest hits for theatrical release: Jennifer Venditti's "Billy the Kid" next month and Benson Lee's "Planet B-Boy" in March.
- 11/16/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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