When Ai Weiwei was detained by China’s secret police, the dissident artist imprisoned for 81 days for his supposed crimes against the state, the men tasked with interrogating him must have faced a unique challenge: He speaks in a stage whisper, murmuring with the flatness of someone to whom the world is always revealing itself. “They said I watched too many Hollywood movies,” he remembered. His voice barely went up a tick, even when imitating his furious jailers: “’This person is out of his mind! He’s talking about human rights and freedom of speech… can’t he just grow up?’”
The reasons for Ai’s release were as arbitrary as those for his incarceration, but perhaps he was set free because the Chinese government realized that he was fundamentally inextricable from his ideals. Born into exile during the Cultural Revolution, Ai was displaced before he even had a home...
The reasons for Ai’s release were as arbitrary as those for his incarceration, but perhaps he was set free because the Chinese government realized that he was fundamentally inextricable from his ideals. Born into exile during the Cultural Revolution, Ai was displaced before he even had a home...
- 10/18/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Basma Alsharif has garnered attention worldwide for her installations and shorts over the last few years. Her work invites the viewer to re-think the depiction of language, time and space, and to re-experience the understanding of creating images and telling stories.I interviewed the filmmaker about her feature debut Ouroboros, which will have its world premiere as part of the Signs of Life competition at the 70th Locarno Film Festival.Notebook: Could you comment on the process of creating this film as a mirror to your own experience and also as a bridge to your filmmaking ideas? Basma Alsharif: As a Palestinian in the Diaspora, I have watched and experienced the perpetual destruction of the Gaza Strip throughout the course of my life—as it has throughout my parents' lives and my grandparents' lives. With the privilege of distance coupled with the privilege of having access to visiting throughout my childhood into adulthood,...
- 8/9/2017
- MUBI
People around the world are looking forward to Wonder Woman's release in theaters, but unfortunately, because of political conflicts, not everyone will get to see it this weekend. Deadline reports that the movie has officially been banned in Lebanon.
"The ban was prompted by Lebanese group Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel-Lebanon because Gal Gadot, the film’s lead actress who plays Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman, is an Israeli and a former soldier in that country’s army."Lebanon is officially at war with Israel and has a law that boycotts Israeli products and bars Lebanese citizens from traveling or having contact with Israelis. The boycott group has indicated on its Facebook page that Gadot is a supporter of Israel’s military policies against the Palestinian region of the Gaza Strip."
Until the ban, the movie was only scheduled to play in 15 locations in Lebanon. Ironically Gadot's previous...
"The ban was prompted by Lebanese group Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel-Lebanon because Gal Gadot, the film’s lead actress who plays Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman, is an Israeli and a former soldier in that country’s army."Lebanon is officially at war with Israel and has a law that boycotts Israeli products and bars Lebanese citizens from traveling or having contact with Israelis. The boycott group has indicated on its Facebook page that Gadot is a supporter of Israel’s military policies against the Palestinian region of the Gaza Strip."
Until the ban, the movie was only scheduled to play in 15 locations in Lebanon. Ironically Gadot's previous...
- 5/31/2017
- by Kristian Odland
- GeekTyrant
With a filmmaking career extending to 35 years, the Romanian-born, Israeli-raised director Shimon Dotan (Repeat Dive, The Finest Hour, You Can Thank Me Later) will bow his latest film in U.S. theaters next month. The Settlers present audiences with the harsh reality that Jewish people who live along the West Bank face today. After earning acclaim following its Sundance Film Festival debut and appearance at New York Film Festival, the U.S. trailer has now arrived.
“Partisans on both sides of the conflict will find plenty to argue with, as would be the case with almost any movie on this topic,” Variety‘s Ben Kenigsberg writes. “The real achievement here is in going beyond the buzzwords of newscasts and talking points to convey a sense of what’s happening on the ground — and to give it a sense of urgency.”
Check out the trailer below and return for our review ahead of the theatrical release.
“Partisans on both sides of the conflict will find plenty to argue with, as would be the case with almost any movie on this topic,” Variety‘s Ben Kenigsberg writes. “The real achievement here is in going beyond the buzzwords of newscasts and talking points to convey a sense of what’s happening on the ground — and to give it a sense of urgency.”
Check out the trailer below and return for our review ahead of the theatrical release.
- 2/19/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) kicks off its 16th annual Doc Fortnight on Thursday, a 10-day festival that includes 20 feature-length non-fiction films and 10 documentary shorts. This year’s lineup includes four world premieres and a number of North American and U.S. premieres.
Read More: 2017 New Directors/New Films Announces Full Lineup, Including ‘Patti Cake$,’ ‘Beach Rats,’ ‘Menashe’ and More
The festival is far from the only major North American showcase for non-fiction cinema. Festivals ranging from Hot Docs to True/False have played key roles in the expanding documentary festival circuit. However, Doc Fortnight has maintained its own niche on the scene, by aiming to expose undiscovered stories and filmmakers, screening a range of documentaries from around the world and capturing the ways in which artists are pushing the boundaries of non-fiction filmmaking.
“It’s not an industry festival, there aren’t awards, and distributors aren’t all coming looking to buy,...
Read More: 2017 New Directors/New Films Announces Full Lineup, Including ‘Patti Cake$,’ ‘Beach Rats,’ ‘Menashe’ and More
The festival is far from the only major North American showcase for non-fiction cinema. Festivals ranging from Hot Docs to True/False have played key roles in the expanding documentary festival circuit. However, Doc Fortnight has maintained its own niche on the scene, by aiming to expose undiscovered stories and filmmakers, screening a range of documentaries from around the world and capturing the ways in which artists are pushing the boundaries of non-fiction filmmaking.
“It’s not an industry festival, there aren’t awards, and distributors aren’t all coming looking to buy,...
- 2/15/2017
- by Chris O'Falt and Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
After screening at both last year’s Sundance Film Festival and New York Film Festival, Shimon Dotan’s exceedingly timely look at the world of Israeli settlements — appropriately entitled “The Settlers” — is bound for a theatrical release. With the film, the filmmaker and educator aims for a full examination of not just the current state of the settlements sprinkled around the Occupied Territories, but the history of how things ended up in a such a complicated state.
By the end of the Six-Day War, Israel had tripled its territory, occupying the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, and the West Bank. Since that time, hundreds of thousands of settlers have made homes in these Occupied Territories, a move that makes a peace agreement with the Palestinians all the more complex. “The Settlers” starts from there and only grows bigger as it moves along.
Read More: Watch: Enter the...
By the end of the Six-Day War, Israel had tripled its territory, occupying the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, and the West Bank. Since that time, hundreds of thousands of settlers have made homes in these Occupied Territories, a move that makes a peace agreement with the Palestinians all the more complex. “The Settlers” starts from there and only grows bigger as it moves along.
Read More: Watch: Enter the...
- 2/10/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Gaza Strip has been called “the world’s largest open-air prison,” but amidst the media’s coverage of the area, it’s easy to forget that it borders the Mediterranean, and the beautiful sea has brought its own share of surfers to traverse the coastline. Philip Gnadt and Mickey Yamine’s new documentary “Gaza Surf Club” enters the world of the surfers on the Gaza Strip and the social forces of the region offer great challenges for the young generation who desperately want to feel the open water. Watch an exclusive clip from the film below and check out the poster as well.
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Gnadt and Yamine say that, “The film is not a report on Middle Eastern society; it’s a story.
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Gnadt and Yamine say that, “The film is not a report on Middle Eastern society; it’s a story.
- 9/9/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Sundance 2015 belonged to “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s crowd-pleasing big screen take on the popular Ya novel of the same name by Jesse Andrews. The adulation was obvious from the start, thanks to a premiere punctuated by a massive standing ovation and a late-night bidding war (with Fox Searchlight ultimately paying $12 million for the indie), all topped off nicely by the double-whammy win of the festival’s Grand Jury Prize and its Audience Award.
The tearjerking dramedy even came complete with a trio of up-and-coming talents to watch — the me, the Earl and, yes, the dying girl — including Thomas Mann, Rj Cyler and Olivia Cooke. As “dying girl” Rachel, former scream queen Cooke was tasked with being funny, sad, dramatic, creative, worldly and wise, all in one appealingly unsentimental package. Best known to audiences for her turns in a series of horror offerings, including “The Quiet Ones,...
The tearjerking dramedy even came complete with a trio of up-and-coming talents to watch — the me, the Earl and, yes, the dying girl — including Thomas Mann, Rj Cyler and Olivia Cooke. As “dying girl” Rachel, former scream queen Cooke was tasked with being funny, sad, dramatic, creative, worldly and wise, all in one appealingly unsentimental package. Best known to audiences for her turns in a series of horror offerings, including “The Quiet Ones,...
- 9/9/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The new teaser for Tiff drama “Buster’s Mal Heart” has arrived, and it looks like it’s going to be an intense addition to the festival. ‘Mr. Robot’ star Rami Malek plays a fugitive surviving a harsh winter climate by breaking into vacation homes. He earns the nickname ‘Buster’ after repeatedly calling into the same radio station to warn about Y2K. But things get strange once he’s haunted by images of his old life as a clean-cut family man and nightmares of being lost at sea.
Read More: Where I Shot It: Finding the Right Backdrop for a Character’s Spiritual Quest in ‘Buster’s Mal Heart’
“Buster’s Mal Heart” is the sophomore feature from filmmaker Sarah Adina Smith, who wrote, directed and edited the film. Smith describes the movie as an “existential journey.” It was shot in Montana and produced by Gamechanger Films, Everything is Everything,...
Read More: Where I Shot It: Finding the Right Backdrop for a Character’s Spiritual Quest in ‘Buster’s Mal Heart’
“Buster’s Mal Heart” is the sophomore feature from filmmaker Sarah Adina Smith, who wrote, directed and edited the film. Smith describes the movie as an “existential journey.” It was shot in Montana and produced by Gamechanger Films, Everything is Everything,...
- 9/9/2016
- by Annakeara Stinson
- Indiewire
While there may only be a brief teaser available for Philip Gnadt's Gaza Surf Club it is one hell of a tease. Gnadt's film explores the surfing community in one of the world's least likely surfing destinations - the war torn Gaza strip - and in doing so quickly and effortlessly puts a vital human face on a conflict that has raged so long that it has become little more than background noise to most. It would appear that by making a film in Gaza and about Gaza without making it about Palestine versus Israel, Gnadt really fresh and exciting here and - at absolute worst - has captured some truly striking imagery. We'll be keeping an eye on this as it makes it way...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 8/3/2016
- Screen Anarchy
Yesterday, as a sniper shot 13 police officers in Dallas, killing five, Michael Bautista logged onto Facebook Live and began recording. He speaks directly to viewers, calmly narrating the horrors he’s captured on his phone camera. He responded in real time to comments he received on the social network: “Don’t worry, I’m behind a tree… I’m safe, man, don’t worry about it. I appreciate it though, I love y’all.”
Just the day before, Black Lives Matter activists gathered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to mourn the death of Alton Sterling, who sold CDs outside a convenience stores; his killing was captured by bystanders. And, even as they mourned, many of those activists were watching Diamond Reynolds in St. Paul, Minnesota on Facebook Live as she streamed her nightmarish ordeal with the Roseville County Police Department after an officer shot and killed her boyfriend, Philando Castille, during a routine traffic stop.
Just the day before, Black Lives Matter activists gathered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to mourn the death of Alton Sterling, who sold CDs outside a convenience stores; his killing was captured by bystanders. And, even as they mourned, many of those activists were watching Diamond Reynolds in St. Paul, Minnesota on Facebook Live as she streamed her nightmarish ordeal with the Roseville County Police Department after an officer shot and killed her boyfriend, Philando Castille, during a routine traffic stop.
- 7/8/2016
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Director of The Band’s Visit to explore dilemma of being a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship.
Eran Kolirin is gearing up to shoot an adaptation of Palestinian writer Sayed Kashua’s 2006 tragi-comic novel Let It Be Morning in early 2017.
The work explores the trademark themes of Kashua, who rose to fame in Israel and internationally for his Hebrew-language newspaper columns, novels and TV dramas about the complexity of being a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship.
Kolirin’s adaptation revolves around Sami, an urbane Palestinian accountant (rather than a journalist as per the novel) with Israeli citizenship who left his Arab home village years ago to take up a post in Jerusalem.
He is forced to re-assess his Palestinian roots and Israeli citizenship after he is trapped in his Arab home village when an Israeli army blockade is unexpectedly set up while he is attending a family wedding with his wife and young son.
Yoni Paran, CEO of...
Eran Kolirin is gearing up to shoot an adaptation of Palestinian writer Sayed Kashua’s 2006 tragi-comic novel Let It Be Morning in early 2017.
The work explores the trademark themes of Kashua, who rose to fame in Israel and internationally for his Hebrew-language newspaper columns, novels and TV dramas about the complexity of being a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship.
Kolirin’s adaptation revolves around Sami, an urbane Palestinian accountant (rather than a journalist as per the novel) with Israeli citizenship who left his Arab home village years ago to take up a post in Jerusalem.
He is forced to re-assess his Palestinian roots and Israeli citizenship after he is trapped in his Arab home village when an Israeli army blockade is unexpectedly set up while he is attending a family wedding with his wife and young son.
Yoni Paran, CEO of...
- 7/8/2016
- ScreenDaily
Abramorama will release the new documentary, “Rock in the Red Zone,” in theaters nationwide starting Nov. 12, the company announced Thursday. Laura Bialis’ film follows musicians in Sderot, an Israeli city that has been the target of ongoing rocket fire from the Gaza strip. The distribution company plans a Nov. 12 opening in New York, followed by Los Angeles on Dec. 2 with more cities to be added. Also Read: FilmRise Acquires Us Rights to Janis Joplin Doc 'Janis: Little Girl Blue' The film features musicians such as Avi Vaknin, Robby Elmaliah, Hagit Yaso and Micha Biton, as well as the music of Kobi Oz.
- 10/22/2015
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
While the Toronto International Film Festival looks around the world and in all genres to find features for its annual incarnation, one area that receives focus is films aimed at children. With the understanding both that quality cinema is not dependent on its target audience, and that cinephiles can begin at any age, the festival’s Kids Programme highlights such features.
The Discovery Programme, on the other hand, brings together films from first and second time directors, with an eye on emerging talent. The festival has now announced the lineups for both Programmes in the 2015 incarnation of the event, along with further additions to the Cinematheque and Vanguard lineup. The Discovery lineup joins previously announced Canadian features. The films, with their official synopses, can be seen below.
Tiff Kids
The Boy and the Beast, directed by Mamoru Hosoda, making its International Premiere
A young boy in modern-day Tokyo stumbles into...
The Discovery Programme, on the other hand, brings together films from first and second time directors, with an eye on emerging talent. The festival has now announced the lineups for both Programmes in the 2015 incarnation of the event, along with further additions to the Cinematheque and Vanguard lineup. The Discovery lineup joins previously announced Canadian features. The films, with their official synopses, can be seen below.
Tiff Kids
The Boy and the Beast, directed by Mamoru Hosoda, making its International Premiere
A young boy in modern-day Tokyo stumbles into...
- 8/26/2015
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
The 5th Annual Napa Valley Film Festival (Nvff), scheduled to take place November 11-15, has announced its Narrative and Documentary feature film line-ups for juried competition. The complete program of approximately 125 films, including special presentations, sneak previews of award season contenders, narrative and documentary shorts, and short features, as well as jury members, will be announced soon.
Directors of the Narrative and Documentary feature films in competition will participate in Nvff’s unique Artists-in-Residence Program presented in partnership with the incomparable Meadowood Napa Valley. Directors will stay at the luxury resort for six nights during the festival and are treated to special events and workshops with their competition group and industry mentors. Meadowood Napa Valley will also award $10,000 to the winning filmmakers in both the Narrative and Documentary competition categories at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, November 15.
“We experienced nearly a 50% jump in submissions this year, making it just that much more difficult to whittle down to our 10 narrative and 10 documentary feature films for our core competition,” said Nvff Executive & Artistic Director Marc Lhormer. “We look forward to sharing these compelling real and imagined stories with our audiences in November, and to supporting these innovative filmmakers and getting to know them during their tenure with us as Artists-in-Residence at Meadowood."
Nvff has also announced that former USA Today Chief Film Critic Claudia Puig will be joining the festival team. She will serve as a consulting programming director and industry liaison for the balance of 2015, and then take on full responsibilities of program director at the beginning of the 2016 festival planning cycle.
“After 15 years as a film critic, I became increasingly intrigued by the film festival world and what makes compelling film programming,” said Puig. “Some of the best and most original movies I’ve seen have made their debut at film festivals. Joining the Napa staff is especially exciting - only in its fifth year, the Napa Valley Film Festival is growing by leaps and bounds with its ambitious, forward-thinking and innovative programming, panels and events. The combination of film, wine and a gorgeous location made this an easy choice for my new career path, and I look forward to working with Marc, Brenda and the entire Nvff team.”
Narrative Competition Section
Films in the Narrative competition section feature actors Alexis Bledel, Jamie Chung, Eliza Dushku, Lyndsy Fonseca, Bryan Greenberg, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Jordan, Josh McDermitt, Kal Penn and Jason Sudeikis, among others. The 10 films selected include:
"Astraea" – When humanity is mysteriously wiped out, clairvoyant 14 year-old Astraea is led by her older brother through the snowy landscapes of a post-apocalyptic America. Astraea chronicles their trek to find and connect with other survivors along the way to the far northeast where their parents are believed to still be alive. Directed by Kristjan Thor.
"Honeyglue" – Morgan seeks out a new perspective and lifestyle after receiving a severe life-threatening medical diagnosis. After meeting Jordan, an artist whose avenues for personal expression far transcend her conservative and stale world, the two spend her last months on an adventurous journey of self-discovery. Directed by James Bird.
"It’s Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong" – After a chance encounter in Hong Kong during which an ex-pat and a tourist seem to strike a romantic spark, Ruby and Josh are blessed with an equally coincidental second date. Unfortunately, the two seem to have found the perfect connections at the most inopportune times. Starring Bryan Greenberg and Jamie Chung. Directed by Emily Ting.
"Jane Wants a Boyfriend" – Jane, an aspiring costume designer on the autism spectrum, recruits her sister to help her find her first boyfriend. As she challenges the obstacles of her daily life in seeking a romantic connection, often failing, she also shows those closest to her that everyone deserves a chance at love. Starring Eliza Dushku. Directed by William Sullivan.
"Life in Color" – Mary, a failed nanny, and Homer, a floundering comedian, grapple with the harsh realities that preclude them from the success that appears to come so easily to others. The unlikely duo realizes that they can overcome their lack of home, job and purpose if they face defeat together. Starring Josh McDermitt and Katharine Emmer. Directed by Katharine Emmer.
"Lola’s Last Letter" – While completing her community service, a young woman continues to deal with the emotional trauma left over by the mistake that sent her to prison. As Lola’s camera captures details of her daily routine, the reason behind her resistance to moving on is revealed. Starring Valerie Brandy. Directed by Valerie Brandy.
"Moments of Clarity" – Two unlikely friends, Claire and Danielle, elude their protective parents and embark on a quest to repair an antique camera. A series of events lead to their adventure extending beyond their original plans, ultimately helping them both to better understand the worlds from which they had seemingly escaped. Starring Lyndsy Fonseca and Kristin Wallace. Directed by Stev Elam.
"Outliving Emily" – Twelve diverse actors portray the various stages of Tim and Emily’s anthologized marriage. Each pair uniquely captures the notable highs and lows that take place throughout the span of a life-long relationship, making their story highly relatable to couples everywhere. Starring Alexis Bledel, Zosia Mamet, Thomas Mann, Kal Penn, Jeremy Jordan, Phylicia Rashad and many more. Directed by Eric Weber and Sean Devaney.
"The King of New Orleans" – Larry’s story is chronicled from the passenger seat of his taxi cab. His regular commuters and new riders represent the various walks of life in the faded and haunted beauty of New Orleans. The compelling bond he creates with travelers and locals alike is forever changed by the heartbreaking effects of Hurricane Katrina. Directed by Allen Frederic.
"Tumbledown"– Hannah, the widow of an acclaimed folk musician, engages a New York professor to assist her in writing her late husband’s biography. Her emotions are thrown for a loop when he begins investigating the circumstances surrounding the untimely death. Starring Rebecca Hall and Jason Sudeikis. Directed by Sean Mewshaw.
Documentary Competition Section
"A Place to Stand" – Jimmy Santiago Baca was a seventeen-year-old petty thief and drug dealer when he was sentenced to five years in Arizona State Prison, one of the deadliest prisons in America. Baca began his incarceration violent, angry and illiterate. Against all odds, he taught himself how to read and write, discovering a passion for poetry that ultimately saved his life. Directed by Daniel Glick.
"Bounce: How the Ball Taught the World to Play" – Based on the book by anthropologist John Fox, “The Ball: Discovering the Object of the Game,” Bounce takes us to the far reaches of the globe and the deep recesses of our ancient past to answer the question: why do we play ball? Equal parts science, history and visual essay, the film follows the bouncing ball from animal play through professional sports to video games, exploring why we play and what play says about who we are and where we are going as a civilization. Directed by Jerome Thelia.
"Code: Debugging the Gap" –Code asks the questions: why is there a dearth of female and minority software engineers, what would society gain from having more women and people of color coding, and how do we get there? Code highlights breakthrough efforts that are producing a more diverse set of computer programmers. Directed by Robin Hauser Reynolds.
"King Georges"– Fiery French chef Georges Perrier is on a crusade to save his world-renowned 40-year-old Philadelphia restaurant, Le Bec-Fin, from closing. Times and tastes have changed – what was once cutting edge is now out of favor. "King Georges" is the story of a determined, tragi-comic figure, and his fight to keep culinary traditions alive. Directed by Erika Frankel.
"Life Under Siege: Exploring Gaza’s Secret Tunnels" – "Life Under Siege" is the story of a U.S.-Palestinian family divided by the siege on the Gaza Strip, and reunited under the cloak of the Arab Spring. Director Miriam Abu Sharkh’s travels to Gaza investigates the smuggling tunnels to Egypt, and attempts to forge relationships with her father and half siblings, whom she is only able to visit by result of monumental social movements. Directed by Miriam Abu Sharkh.
"Right Footed" – Despite being born without arms, Jessica Cox overcame both physical and emotional challenges to become fully independent. She learned to type with her toes, drive a car with her feet, and amazingly, fly an airplane. "Right Footed" follows Jessica as she transforms from a motivational speaker to a mentor, and eventually into a leading advocate for people with disability. Directed by Nick Spark.
"Romeo is Bleeding" – Donte Clark’s poetic voice was honed on the violent street corners of his struggling city of Richmond, California. Rather than succumb to the everyday pressures to just survive, Clark uses his artistic perspective – and a good dose of inspiration from the Bard – to create a personalized production of Romeo & Juliet as one man’s attempt to save his city from itself. Directed by Jason Zeldes.
"Since: The Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103" – When a terrorist-planted bomb destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988, 270 lives were ended and a heartbreaking new reality for thousands of relatives begun. Since follows the victims’ families on a 23-year quest for justice and the truth. Directed by Phil Furey.
"The Family Next Door" – He was the star Yale football player who went on to become an attorney. She was the beautiful cheerleader who became a loving, caring teacher. Their genes were perfect to start a dream family. Four children and seventeen years later, they are the family that no one wants to be: the family affected by autism, with drastically altered expectations, and yet with patience, grace, determination and unconditional love. Directed by Michael Messner and Barry Reese.
"The Uncondemned" – In 1997, a mismatched group of underdog lawyers embarked on a quixotic quest to have rape classified as an international war crime for the first time. "The Uncondemned" is the story of their fight for the first conviction and the story of the heroic Rwandan women who risked a wave of witness assassinations to testify.
Directors of the Narrative and Documentary feature films in competition will participate in Nvff’s unique Artists-in-Residence Program presented in partnership with the incomparable Meadowood Napa Valley. Directors will stay at the luxury resort for six nights during the festival and are treated to special events and workshops with their competition group and industry mentors. Meadowood Napa Valley will also award $10,000 to the winning filmmakers in both the Narrative and Documentary competition categories at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, November 15.
“We experienced nearly a 50% jump in submissions this year, making it just that much more difficult to whittle down to our 10 narrative and 10 documentary feature films for our core competition,” said Nvff Executive & Artistic Director Marc Lhormer. “We look forward to sharing these compelling real and imagined stories with our audiences in November, and to supporting these innovative filmmakers and getting to know them during their tenure with us as Artists-in-Residence at Meadowood."
Nvff has also announced that former USA Today Chief Film Critic Claudia Puig will be joining the festival team. She will serve as a consulting programming director and industry liaison for the balance of 2015, and then take on full responsibilities of program director at the beginning of the 2016 festival planning cycle.
“After 15 years as a film critic, I became increasingly intrigued by the film festival world and what makes compelling film programming,” said Puig. “Some of the best and most original movies I’ve seen have made their debut at film festivals. Joining the Napa staff is especially exciting - only in its fifth year, the Napa Valley Film Festival is growing by leaps and bounds with its ambitious, forward-thinking and innovative programming, panels and events. The combination of film, wine and a gorgeous location made this an easy choice for my new career path, and I look forward to working with Marc, Brenda and the entire Nvff team.”
Narrative Competition Section
Films in the Narrative competition section feature actors Alexis Bledel, Jamie Chung, Eliza Dushku, Lyndsy Fonseca, Bryan Greenberg, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Jordan, Josh McDermitt, Kal Penn and Jason Sudeikis, among others. The 10 films selected include:
"Astraea" – When humanity is mysteriously wiped out, clairvoyant 14 year-old Astraea is led by her older brother through the snowy landscapes of a post-apocalyptic America. Astraea chronicles their trek to find and connect with other survivors along the way to the far northeast where their parents are believed to still be alive. Directed by Kristjan Thor.
"Honeyglue" – Morgan seeks out a new perspective and lifestyle after receiving a severe life-threatening medical diagnosis. After meeting Jordan, an artist whose avenues for personal expression far transcend her conservative and stale world, the two spend her last months on an adventurous journey of self-discovery. Directed by James Bird.
"It’s Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong" – After a chance encounter in Hong Kong during which an ex-pat and a tourist seem to strike a romantic spark, Ruby and Josh are blessed with an equally coincidental second date. Unfortunately, the two seem to have found the perfect connections at the most inopportune times. Starring Bryan Greenberg and Jamie Chung. Directed by Emily Ting.
"Jane Wants a Boyfriend" – Jane, an aspiring costume designer on the autism spectrum, recruits her sister to help her find her first boyfriend. As she challenges the obstacles of her daily life in seeking a romantic connection, often failing, she also shows those closest to her that everyone deserves a chance at love. Starring Eliza Dushku. Directed by William Sullivan.
"Life in Color" – Mary, a failed nanny, and Homer, a floundering comedian, grapple with the harsh realities that preclude them from the success that appears to come so easily to others. The unlikely duo realizes that they can overcome their lack of home, job and purpose if they face defeat together. Starring Josh McDermitt and Katharine Emmer. Directed by Katharine Emmer.
"Lola’s Last Letter" – While completing her community service, a young woman continues to deal with the emotional trauma left over by the mistake that sent her to prison. As Lola’s camera captures details of her daily routine, the reason behind her resistance to moving on is revealed. Starring Valerie Brandy. Directed by Valerie Brandy.
"Moments of Clarity" – Two unlikely friends, Claire and Danielle, elude their protective parents and embark on a quest to repair an antique camera. A series of events lead to their adventure extending beyond their original plans, ultimately helping them both to better understand the worlds from which they had seemingly escaped. Starring Lyndsy Fonseca and Kristin Wallace. Directed by Stev Elam.
"Outliving Emily" – Twelve diverse actors portray the various stages of Tim and Emily’s anthologized marriage. Each pair uniquely captures the notable highs and lows that take place throughout the span of a life-long relationship, making their story highly relatable to couples everywhere. Starring Alexis Bledel, Zosia Mamet, Thomas Mann, Kal Penn, Jeremy Jordan, Phylicia Rashad and many more. Directed by Eric Weber and Sean Devaney.
"The King of New Orleans" – Larry’s story is chronicled from the passenger seat of his taxi cab. His regular commuters and new riders represent the various walks of life in the faded and haunted beauty of New Orleans. The compelling bond he creates with travelers and locals alike is forever changed by the heartbreaking effects of Hurricane Katrina. Directed by Allen Frederic.
"Tumbledown"– Hannah, the widow of an acclaimed folk musician, engages a New York professor to assist her in writing her late husband’s biography. Her emotions are thrown for a loop when he begins investigating the circumstances surrounding the untimely death. Starring Rebecca Hall and Jason Sudeikis. Directed by Sean Mewshaw.
Documentary Competition Section
"A Place to Stand" – Jimmy Santiago Baca was a seventeen-year-old petty thief and drug dealer when he was sentenced to five years in Arizona State Prison, one of the deadliest prisons in America. Baca began his incarceration violent, angry and illiterate. Against all odds, he taught himself how to read and write, discovering a passion for poetry that ultimately saved his life. Directed by Daniel Glick.
"Bounce: How the Ball Taught the World to Play" – Based on the book by anthropologist John Fox, “The Ball: Discovering the Object of the Game,” Bounce takes us to the far reaches of the globe and the deep recesses of our ancient past to answer the question: why do we play ball? Equal parts science, history and visual essay, the film follows the bouncing ball from animal play through professional sports to video games, exploring why we play and what play says about who we are and where we are going as a civilization. Directed by Jerome Thelia.
"Code: Debugging the Gap" –Code asks the questions: why is there a dearth of female and minority software engineers, what would society gain from having more women and people of color coding, and how do we get there? Code highlights breakthrough efforts that are producing a more diverse set of computer programmers. Directed by Robin Hauser Reynolds.
"King Georges"– Fiery French chef Georges Perrier is on a crusade to save his world-renowned 40-year-old Philadelphia restaurant, Le Bec-Fin, from closing. Times and tastes have changed – what was once cutting edge is now out of favor. "King Georges" is the story of a determined, tragi-comic figure, and his fight to keep culinary traditions alive. Directed by Erika Frankel.
"Life Under Siege: Exploring Gaza’s Secret Tunnels" – "Life Under Siege" is the story of a U.S.-Palestinian family divided by the siege on the Gaza Strip, and reunited under the cloak of the Arab Spring. Director Miriam Abu Sharkh’s travels to Gaza investigates the smuggling tunnels to Egypt, and attempts to forge relationships with her father and half siblings, whom she is only able to visit by result of monumental social movements. Directed by Miriam Abu Sharkh.
"Right Footed" – Despite being born without arms, Jessica Cox overcame both physical and emotional challenges to become fully independent. She learned to type with her toes, drive a car with her feet, and amazingly, fly an airplane. "Right Footed" follows Jessica as she transforms from a motivational speaker to a mentor, and eventually into a leading advocate for people with disability. Directed by Nick Spark.
"Romeo is Bleeding" – Donte Clark’s poetic voice was honed on the violent street corners of his struggling city of Richmond, California. Rather than succumb to the everyday pressures to just survive, Clark uses his artistic perspective – and a good dose of inspiration from the Bard – to create a personalized production of Romeo & Juliet as one man’s attempt to save his city from itself. Directed by Jason Zeldes.
"Since: The Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103" – When a terrorist-planted bomb destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988, 270 lives were ended and a heartbreaking new reality for thousands of relatives begun. Since follows the victims’ families on a 23-year quest for justice and the truth. Directed by Phil Furey.
"The Family Next Door" – He was the star Yale football player who went on to become an attorney. She was the beautiful cheerleader who became a loving, caring teacher. Their genes were perfect to start a dream family. Four children and seventeen years later, they are the family that no one wants to be: the family affected by autism, with drastically altered expectations, and yet with patience, grace, determination and unconditional love. Directed by Michael Messner and Barry Reese.
"The Uncondemned" – In 1997, a mismatched group of underdog lawyers embarked on a quixotic quest to have rape classified as an international war crime for the first time. "The Uncondemned" is the story of their fight for the first conviction and the story of the heroic Rwandan women who risked a wave of witness assassinations to testify.
- 8/19/2015
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
According to local filmmakers, the recent suppression of documentary Beyond The Fear is just one episode in a quickening erosion of artistic freedom in Israel.
As Nanni Moretti’s Mia Madre began to roll on the opening night of the Jerusalem Film Festival in the picturesque Sultan’s Pool amphitheatre in early July, another screening was kicking off just metres above the spectators’ heads.
On a terrace overlooking the event, some 50 film-makers and producers had gathered for a protest screening of Maria Kravchenko and the late Herz Frank’s Beyond The Fear.
They included The Kindergarten Teacher director Nadav Lapid; Keren Yedaya, who won Cannes’ Camera d’Or for her debut work Or; Ra’anan Alexandrowicz, whose credits include the award-winning The Law In These Parts; and Shlomi Elkabetz, co-director of the Golden Globe-nominated Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem which premiered in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in May 2014 and went on to win best film at...
As Nanni Moretti’s Mia Madre began to roll on the opening night of the Jerusalem Film Festival in the picturesque Sultan’s Pool amphitheatre in early July, another screening was kicking off just metres above the spectators’ heads.
On a terrace overlooking the event, some 50 film-makers and producers had gathered for a protest screening of Maria Kravchenko and the late Herz Frank’s Beyond The Fear.
They included The Kindergarten Teacher director Nadav Lapid; Keren Yedaya, who won Cannes’ Camera d’Or for her debut work Or; Ra’anan Alexandrowicz, whose credits include the award-winning The Law In These Parts; and Shlomi Elkabetz, co-director of the Golden Globe-nominated Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem which premiered in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in May 2014 and went on to win best film at...
- 7/24/2015
- ScreenDaily
"Although it was shot in Jordan," writes Ben Kenigsberg at RogerEbert.com, Tarzan Nasser and Arab Nasser's Dégradé "is a rare film to depict life in the Gaza Strip. What's more, the movie trains its lens on women's lives, in a part of the world that is often represented in the news through masculinized images of violence." Reviews are mixed. "What a fine actress like Hiam Abbass is doing here is a mystery, but not as great as how the film earned a slot in Cannes’ prestigious Critics Week," writes Deborah Young in the Hollywood Reporter. We have more and a clip. » - David Hudson...
- 5/21/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
"Although it was shot in Jordan," writes Ben Kenigsberg at RogerEbert.com, Tarzan Nasser and Arab Nasser's Dégradé "is a rare film to depict life in the Gaza Strip. What's more, the movie trains its lens on women's lives, in a part of the world that is often represented in the news through masculinized images of violence." Reviews are mixed. "What a fine actress like Hiam Abbass is doing here is a mystery, but not as great as how the film earned a slot in Cannes’ prestigious Critics Week," writes Deborah Young in the Hollywood Reporter. We have more and a clip. » - David Hudson...
- 5/21/2015
- Keyframe
Exclusive: Punjab-set drama Fourth Direction to premiere in Un Certain Regard.
Elle Driver has picked up Indian director Gurvinder Singh’s tense Punjab-set drama Fourth Direction (Chauthi Koot) ahead of its premiere in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard.
Set in the Indian state of the Punjab at the height of the separatist Sikh uprising in the early 1980s, the film captures the atmosphere of fear and paranoia of the period and the impact of the violence on ordinary people.
Singh intertwines two loosely connect incidents, an attempt by two Hindu friends to get to the city of Amritsar, home to one of the holiest shrines in the Sikh religion, and a farmer who is told to put-down his barking dog.
It is a second feature for Singh after his debut picture Alms for a Blind Horse, which premiered in Venice in 2011.
Elle Driver has strong links with India’s independent film scene, having previously...
Elle Driver has picked up Indian director Gurvinder Singh’s tense Punjab-set drama Fourth Direction (Chauthi Koot) ahead of its premiere in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard.
Set in the Indian state of the Punjab at the height of the separatist Sikh uprising in the early 1980s, the film captures the atmosphere of fear and paranoia of the period and the impact of the violence on ordinary people.
Singh intertwines two loosely connect incidents, an attempt by two Hindu friends to get to the city of Amritsar, home to one of the holiest shrines in the Sikh religion, and a farmer who is told to put-down his barking dog.
It is a second feature for Singh after his debut picture Alms for a Blind Horse, which premiered in Venice in 2011.
Elle Driver has strong links with India’s independent film scene, having previously...
- 5/11/2015
- ScreenDaily
Elie Wajeman’s The Anarchists, starring Palme d’Or winner Adele Exarchopoulos and Cesar winner Tahar Rahim, to open Critics’ Week
Scroll down for full list
Cannes Critics’ Week, devoted to first and second features, has unveiled the line-up for its 54th edition (May 14-22).
In total, 1,750 shorts and 1,000 features were submitted for consideration.
Artistic director Charles Tesson said this year’s poster - showing actress Lou de Laâge, seemingly embracing the air on a beach - captured the spirit of the parallel section.
“On the poster the actress Lou de Laâge embraces the open horizon in front of her,” he said. “This wonderful energy and amazing life force it carries embody the desire leading us to discover the new breath of fresh air in cinema worldwide.”
The section will open with French Elie Wajeman’s second film The Anarchists (Les Anarchistes) set in Paris in 1899, starring the reportedly sizzling on-screen couple of Tahar Rahim and Adèle Exarchopoulos...
Scroll down for full list
Cannes Critics’ Week, devoted to first and second features, has unveiled the line-up for its 54th edition (May 14-22).
In total, 1,750 shorts and 1,000 features were submitted for consideration.
Artistic director Charles Tesson said this year’s poster - showing actress Lou de Laâge, seemingly embracing the air on a beach - captured the spirit of the parallel section.
“On the poster the actress Lou de Laâge embraces the open horizon in front of her,” he said. “This wonderful energy and amazing life force it carries embody the desire leading us to discover the new breath of fresh air in cinema worldwide.”
The section will open with French Elie Wajeman’s second film The Anarchists (Les Anarchistes) set in Paris in 1899, starring the reportedly sizzling on-screen couple of Tahar Rahim and Adèle Exarchopoulos...
- 4/20/2015
- ScreenDaily
Gazing into the crystal ball, Screen rounds up its Cannes predictions.
With the unveiling of Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection now exactly three weeks away buzz over the titles that Thierry Fremaux and his team will select for the 68th edition is hitting fever pitch.
Official teaser announcements have started to roll this week, led by the confirmation on Wednesday that George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road would premiere in an Out of Competition screening on May 14.
Earlier the week, Cannes unveiled its poster featuring Ingrid Bergman to mark the centenary of the late big screen’s birth and it was announced that Stig Bjorkman’s documentary Ingrid Bergman – In Her Own Words would show in Cannes Classics as part of the commemorations.
For the rest of the Official Selection, except perhaps the opening film which is traditionally revealed in advance, Cannes watchers will have to wait for the announcement press conference in Paris on April...
With the unveiling of Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection now exactly three weeks away buzz over the titles that Thierry Fremaux and his team will select for the 68th edition is hitting fever pitch.
Official teaser announcements have started to roll this week, led by the confirmation on Wednesday that George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road would premiere in an Out of Competition screening on May 14.
Earlier the week, Cannes unveiled its poster featuring Ingrid Bergman to mark the centenary of the late big screen’s birth and it was announced that Stig Bjorkman’s documentary Ingrid Bergman – In Her Own Words would show in Cannes Classics as part of the commemorations.
For the rest of the Official Selection, except perhaps the opening film which is traditionally revealed in advance, Cannes watchers will have to wait for the announcement press conference in Paris on April...
- 3/26/2015
- ScreenDaily
Amal Clooney is adding another impressive line to her resume!
The London-based barrister will lecture on human rights law at Columbia Law School this spring as a visiting professor and senior fellow with the Law School’s Human Rights Institute.
"It is an honor to be invited as a visiting professor at Columbia Law School alongside such a distinguished faculty and talented student pool," said Clooney in a statement. "I look forward to getting to know the next generation of human rights advocates studying here."
News: A Stylish Amal Clooney Goes Back to Work, Rebuffs Fashion Question
Clooney has previously served as a senior adviser to Kofi Annan, and represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in extradition proceedings. Clooney has also handled cases before the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the European Court of Human Rights, as well as in domestic courts in the U.S. and the U.K.
"We...
The London-based barrister will lecture on human rights law at Columbia Law School this spring as a visiting professor and senior fellow with the Law School’s Human Rights Institute.
"It is an honor to be invited as a visiting professor at Columbia Law School alongside such a distinguished faculty and talented student pool," said Clooney in a statement. "I look forward to getting to know the next generation of human rights advocates studying here."
News: A Stylish Amal Clooney Goes Back to Work, Rebuffs Fashion Question
Clooney has previously served as a senior adviser to Kofi Annan, and represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in extradition proceedings. Clooney has also handled cases before the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the European Court of Human Rights, as well as in domestic courts in the U.S. and the U.K.
"We...
- 3/7/2015
- Entertainment Tonight
Banksy, the mysterious UK street artist, has released a new, two-minute documentary that draws attention to the destruction of the Gaza Strip. The video starts out as a fake tourist promotion ad - "Make this the year you discover a new destination" - but quickly shifts to a more somber note. The artist showcases rubble, secret tunnels, dilapidated buildings, and children playing among ruins on the street. Banksy left his own message on the wall of a building in Gaza, creating this image of a crying Greek goddess Niobe. Other artistic pieces include children in a carnival-type swing and a kitten with a pink bow. On his personal website, Banksy made a statement: "A local man came up and said 'Please - what does this mean?' I explained I wanted to highlight the destruction in Gaza by posting photos on my website - but on the Internet people only look at pictures of kittens.
- 2/26/2015
- by Marina-Liao
- Popsugar.com
Other new projects include prison drama Jailbirds (Taularde) starring Sophie Marceau.
Paris-based sales company Elle Driver has taken on world sales of Palestinian filmmakers Tarzan and Arab’s black comedy Dégradé capturing life on the Gaza Strip.
The film joins a strong Efm slate, which also includes Golden Bear contenders Nobody Wants the Night and Diary of a Chambermaid as well as Emmanuelle Bercot’s Standing Tall.
Twin brothers Tarzan and Arab’s short film Condom Lead, revolving around the complications of making love in a conflict zone, premiered at Cannes in 2013.
Their debut feature is set against the backdrop of the real-life liberation of a stolen lioness from the compound of the Hassanein family, one of Gaza’s most powerful clans.
“We’ll be showing first images of the film which is based on true events in Gaza in 2007,” said Elle Driver co-chief Adeline Fontan Tessaur, ahead of the European Film Market (Feb 5-13).
The film focuses...
Paris-based sales company Elle Driver has taken on world sales of Palestinian filmmakers Tarzan and Arab’s black comedy Dégradé capturing life on the Gaza Strip.
The film joins a strong Efm slate, which also includes Golden Bear contenders Nobody Wants the Night and Diary of a Chambermaid as well as Emmanuelle Bercot’s Standing Tall.
Twin brothers Tarzan and Arab’s short film Condom Lead, revolving around the complications of making love in a conflict zone, premiered at Cannes in 2013.
Their debut feature is set against the backdrop of the real-life liberation of a stolen lioness from the compound of the Hassanein family, one of Gaza’s most powerful clans.
“We’ll be showing first images of the film which is based on true events in Gaza in 2007,” said Elle Driver co-chief Adeline Fontan Tessaur, ahead of the European Film Market (Feb 5-13).
The film focuses...
- 2/2/2015
- ScreenDaily
The mystery behind USA Network’s upcoming drama “Dig” keeps getting deeper and more intense.
Ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, the network released its 15-second spot for the series with a screaming child and a group of religious figures huddled in a dark tunnel.
“You have seen things you are not supposed to see,” a weary voice warns in the video.
Also read: USA Sets Premiere Date for Event Series ‘Dig’ From ‘Homeland,’ ‘Heroes’ Producers
The teaser cuts quickly to star Jason Isaacs making his way through a dark corridor and an overview of a crowded street in Jerusalem.
A...
Ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, the network released its 15-second spot for the series with a screaming child and a group of religious figures huddled in a dark tunnel.
“You have seen things you are not supposed to see,” a weary voice warns in the video.
Also read: USA Sets Premiere Date for Event Series ‘Dig’ From ‘Homeland,’ ‘Heroes’ Producers
The teaser cuts quickly to star Jason Isaacs making his way through a dark corridor and an overview of a crowded street in Jerusalem.
A...
- 1/30/2015
- by Alicia Banks
- The Wrap
Park City — A great film is often one that it transcends the cliches of its genre. The 2015 Sundance Film Festival already debuted one movie that overcame the tropes of the coming-of-age picture, "The Diary of a Teenage Girl," Saturday. And on Sunday, it brought another genre-breaker to the zeitgeist with Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's powerhouse "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl." Let me start off by saying that the film's main character, Greg (Thomas Mann), would want everyone to know that the dying girl isn't going to die. She's gonna be Ok and what you'll eventually see in theaters is really just the story of their friendship. The dying girl is named Rachel, by the way, and she's wonderfully played by Olivia Cooke ("Bates Motel"). But back to Greg. Greg has spent most of high school trying to be casual friends with everyone while remaining as invisible as possible at the same time.
- 1/26/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
USA Network’s ambitious new six-episode event drama series “Dig” will premiere on Mar. 15.
From Tim Kring (“Heroes”) and Gideon Raff (“Homeland”), “Dig” stars “Harry Potter” and “Awake” star Jason Isaacs as Peter, an FBI agent stationed in Jerusalem who, while investigating a murder of a young female archaeologist, uncovers a conspiracy 2,000 years in the making.
See photos: The Scene at TCA: Funny, Frank and Flippant Quotes From the 2015 TV Press Tour
Isaacs stars on the thriller alongside Anne Heche, Lauren Ambrose, David Costabile, Richard E. Grant, Omar Metwally, Ori Pfeffer and Alison Sudol.
Previously set to debut in the fall,...
From Tim Kring (“Heroes”) and Gideon Raff (“Homeland”), “Dig” stars “Harry Potter” and “Awake” star Jason Isaacs as Peter, an FBI agent stationed in Jerusalem who, while investigating a murder of a young female archaeologist, uncovers a conspiracy 2,000 years in the making.
See photos: The Scene at TCA: Funny, Frank and Flippant Quotes From the 2015 TV Press Tour
Isaacs stars on the thriller alongside Anne Heche, Lauren Ambrose, David Costabile, Richard E. Grant, Omar Metwally, Ori Pfeffer and Alison Sudol.
Previously set to debut in the fall,...
- 1/15/2015
- by Jethro Nededog
- The Wrap
In case you didn't watch the Golden Globes, here's a little spoiler: It was all about the ladies. And we were loving every minute. From watching the dynamic duo that is Amy Poehler and Tina Fey to acknowledging that all eyes were on Amal Clooney (who's that husband George of hers, anyway?), it was time for a number of fierce females to shine at the 72nd annual ceremony, where a bevy of beauties stole the spotlight from their hunky movie star husbands. "Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an advisor to Kofi Annan regarding Syria, and was selected for a three-person Un commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza Strip. So tonight...
- 1/13/2015
- E! Online
1. Best wife – Amal Clooney
The new Mrs Clooney (née Alamuddin) out-glammed half the red carpet but rarely has a plus-one looked so awkwardly out of place . Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who won the whole night with their opening monologue, put it best when Fey said: "Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an adviser to Kofi Annan regarding Syria and was selected for a three-person commission investigating rules of war violation in the Gaza Strip. So tonight, her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award!" George later thanked her in his speech while she looked for the exit.
The new Mrs Clooney (née Alamuddin) out-glammed half the red carpet but rarely has a plus-one looked so awkwardly out of place . Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who won the whole night with their opening monologue, put it best when Fey said: "Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an adviser to Kofi Annan regarding Syria and was selected for a three-person commission investigating rules of war violation in the Gaza Strip. So tonight, her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award!" George later thanked her in his speech while she looked for the exit.
- 1/12/2015
- The Independent - Film
Amal Alamuddin may have been the most exciting guest at Sunday night's Golden Globes; it was the first time we've seen her on the red carpet at an award show since she and George Clooney tied the knot back in September, and the minute she stepped out of her car, all eyes were on her. She stunned in a black Dior Haute Couture gown, which she accessorized with her own white opera-length gloves, and was eloquent and charismatic while speaking to reporters. She was a total natural! Inside, though, Amal seemed pretty unimpressed with her husband's silly award show - we imagine her sitting there in the room, among A-list Hollywood stars, silently thinking, "So this is what you do?" Tina Fey and Amy Poehler paid homage to the accomplished lawyer in their opening monologue (resulting in one of the funniest jokes of the night), and Amal mustered a polite...
- 1/12/2015
- by Brittney-Stephens
- Popsugar.com
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler returned as hosts for what they dubbed the “72nd and final” Golden Globe Awards on January 11. The big winners of the night were Boyhood -- which won three awards, including Best Picture, Drama – and Birdman, which won two awards.
With a room full of famous actors, actresses, directors, and a handful of “normals,” Tina and Amy framed the Golden Globes with their usual easy grace and charm. Unfortunately, however, it seemed like the lack of air conditioning in the Beverly Hilton Hotel scared off the dynamic duo. Their combined screen time was minimal, to say the least, and we unfortunately didn’t get a “Matt Damon, you’re basically a garbage person” kind of laugh.
They did, however, manage to once again scandalize Jessica Chastain. The redheaded actress looked on in shock as the comedians attempted their best Bill Cosby impressions. Did she look more...
With a room full of famous actors, actresses, directors, and a handful of “normals,” Tina and Amy framed the Golden Globes with their usual easy grace and charm. Unfortunately, however, it seemed like the lack of air conditioning in the Beverly Hilton Hotel scared off the dynamic duo. Their combined screen time was minimal, to say the least, and we unfortunately didn’t get a “Matt Damon, you’re basically a garbage person” kind of laugh.
They did, however, manage to once again scandalize Jessica Chastain. The redheaded actress looked on in shock as the comedians attempted their best Bill Cosby impressions. Did she look more...
- 1/12/2015
- by Sasha James
- Cineplex
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler signed off as Golden Globes hosts in style last night with some killer zingers aimed at some of Hollywood biggest stars.
Everyone from Meryl Streep to George Clooney and, in riskier territory, Bill Cosby found themselves the butt of the joke. Digital Spy rounds up Tina and Amy's best bits below...
Watch Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's Golden Globes monologue
1. Tina kicks things off with a warm Scott Rudin-like welcome...
"Good evening and welcome you bunch of despicable, spoiled, minimally-talented brats."
2. Tina checks out Rotten Tomatoes for the verdict on The Interview...
"North Korea referred to The Interview as absolutely intolerable and a wanton act of terror. Even more amazing? Not the worst review the movie got."
3. Amy shows her admiration for Wild's use of performance capture...
"Reese Witherspoon is here, so great in the movie Wild. She did all of her own walking,...
Everyone from Meryl Streep to George Clooney and, in riskier territory, Bill Cosby found themselves the butt of the joke. Digital Spy rounds up Tina and Amy's best bits below...
Watch Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's Golden Globes monologue
1. Tina kicks things off with a warm Scott Rudin-like welcome...
"Good evening and welcome you bunch of despicable, spoiled, minimally-talented brats."
2. Tina checks out Rotten Tomatoes for the verdict on The Interview...
"North Korea referred to The Interview as absolutely intolerable and a wanton act of terror. Even more amazing? Not the worst review the movie got."
3. Amy shows her admiration for Wild's use of performance capture...
"Reese Witherspoon is here, so great in the movie Wild. She did all of her own walking,...
- 1/12/2015
- Digital Spy
If we have one complaint about Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's turn as hosts of the 2015 Golden Globes it’s that there wasn’t enough of them. And we wish they were meaner. So two complaints, but that’s it.
And the reason we wanted more of them was because — just like last year — their jokes were the best part of the show. From best to even best-er, here are the most Lol-worthy jokes from a very Lol-y show:
News: Uhhh, Jeremy Renner’s awkward comment about J.Lo’s boobs
9. Amy: “We should explain to all the people in the room — the Hollywood people — cake is like a, it's like a fluffy desert that people eat on their birthdays.”
Tina: “Oh, and birthdays are like a thing people celebrate when they admit that they have aged.”
8. Tina: “Steve Carell’s Foxcatcher look took two hours to put on, including his hair...
And the reason we wanted more of them was because — just like last year — their jokes were the best part of the show. From best to even best-er, here are the most Lol-worthy jokes from a very Lol-y show:
News: Uhhh, Jeremy Renner’s awkward comment about J.Lo’s boobs
9. Amy: “We should explain to all the people in the room — the Hollywood people — cake is like a, it's like a fluffy desert that people eat on their birthdays.”
Tina: “Oh, and birthdays are like a thing people celebrate when they admit that they have aged.”
8. Tina: “Steve Carell’s Foxcatcher look took two hours to put on, including his hair...
- 1/12/2015
- Entertainment Tonight
Tina Fey said it best. (Per usual.)
“George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin this year,” Fey joked during her Golden Globes monologue. “Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an adviser to Kofi Annan regarding Syria, and was selected for a three-person U.N. commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza Strip. So tonight, her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award.”
Which probably explains why Amal looked so bored tonight.
News: Tina and Amy joke about Bill Cosby rape allegations at Globes
To be fair, she seemed to like that joke about her and George:
But mostly, she just looked like she would rather be anywhere else:
Even when she smiled and laughed and tried to look like she was having a good time, she mostly just looked like she was miserable and very unimpressed by all her husband's actors buddies giving each other awards:
News: Here are all...
“George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin this year,” Fey joked during her Golden Globes monologue. “Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an adviser to Kofi Annan regarding Syria, and was selected for a three-person U.N. commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza Strip. So tonight, her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award.”
Which probably explains why Amal looked so bored tonight.
News: Tina and Amy joke about Bill Cosby rape allegations at Globes
To be fair, she seemed to like that joke about her and George:
But mostly, she just looked like she would rather be anywhere else:
Even when she smiled and laughed and tried to look like she was having a good time, she mostly just looked like she was miserable and very unimpressed by all her husband's actors buddies giving each other awards:
News: Here are all...
- 1/12/2015
- Entertainment Tonight
Hollywood’s impossibly handsome leading man-cum-conscience George Clooney modestly thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for keeping small films alive, in picking up the group’s Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes tonight.
“Big ones do fine; it’s the small ones that need the audience,” said Clooney, who’s known for his “one for them, one for me” approach to his career.
Leave it to Clooney to put the trophy show in perspective. “For the record, if you’re in this room you’ve caught the brass ring,” he told the crowd. “You get to do what you’ve always dreamed to do and be celebrated for it, and it ain’t losing.”
That said, Clooney noted that awards don’t really mean much in the long run. “I don’t remember how many awards Lauren Bacall won. I remember her saying, ‘Just put your lips together and blow.
“Big ones do fine; it’s the small ones that need the audience,” said Clooney, who’s known for his “one for them, one for me” approach to his career.
Leave it to Clooney to put the trophy show in perspective. “For the record, if you’re in this room you’ve caught the brass ring,” he told the crowd. “You get to do what you’ve always dreamed to do and be celebrated for it, and it ain’t losing.”
That said, Clooney noted that awards don’t really mean much in the long run. “I don’t remember how many awards Lauren Bacall won. I remember her saying, ‘Just put your lips together and blow.
- 1/12/2015
- by Lisa de Moraes
- Deadline
Well, if Bill Cosby is already joking about the rape allegations made against him...
During their Golden Globes monologue, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler didn’t shy away from taking a dig at Cosby and the still-growing number of women who have come forth and accused him of rape or other sexual assault.
Related: Check out ETonline’s Golden Globes live blog!
“In Into the Woods, Cinderella runs from her prince, Rapunzel is thrown from a tower for her prince, and Sleeping Beauty just thought she was getting coffee with Bill Cosby,” Poehler cracked.
The audience hooted and hollered as Fey continued, “I don’t know if you saw this on the news today, but Bill Cosby has finally spoken out about the allegations against him. Cosby admitted to a reporter [Cosby impression] ‘I put the pills in the people! The people didn’t want the pills in them!'”
“No, Tina. That’s not right...
During their Golden Globes monologue, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler didn’t shy away from taking a dig at Cosby and the still-growing number of women who have come forth and accused him of rape or other sexual assault.
Related: Check out ETonline’s Golden Globes live blog!
“In Into the Woods, Cinderella runs from her prince, Rapunzel is thrown from a tower for her prince, and Sleeping Beauty just thought she was getting coffee with Bill Cosby,” Poehler cracked.
The audience hooted and hollered as Fey continued, “I don’t know if you saw this on the news today, but Bill Cosby has finally spoken out about the allegations against him. Cosby admitted to a reporter [Cosby impression] ‘I put the pills in the people! The people didn’t want the pills in them!'”
“No, Tina. That’s not right...
- 1/12/2015
- Entertainment Tonight
Tina Fey and Amy Poeher did their final No Accountability Opening Monologue at the Golden Globe Awards, welcoming the ballroom full of “despicable minimally talented brats” to their third Globe at-bat, noting they were all gathered to “celebrate the TV shows we know and love as well as all the movies North Korea was okay with.”
They complained that North Korea’s attack on Sony and threats against theater goers had “forced us all to pretend we wanted to see [The Interview], saying North Korea calling the movie “absolutely intolerable” was not the worst review the movie got.
Most zingily, the co-hosts noted George Clooney married Amal Ramzi Alamuddin this year. “Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an adviser to [former Un Secretary General] Kofi Annan regarding Syria, and was selected for a three-person Un commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza strip,” Fey said. “So tonight,...
They complained that North Korea’s attack on Sony and threats against theater goers had “forced us all to pretend we wanted to see [The Interview], saying North Korea calling the movie “absolutely intolerable” was not the worst review the movie got.
Most zingily, the co-hosts noted George Clooney married Amal Ramzi Alamuddin this year. “Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an adviser to [former Un Secretary General] Kofi Annan regarding Syria, and was selected for a three-person Un commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza strip,” Fey said. “So tonight,...
- 1/12/2015
- by Lisa de Moraes
- Deadline
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have skewered Hollywood in their opening monologue at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards.
The former Saturday Night Live stars opened their "last" awards ceremony as hosts by poking fun at the controversy surrounding The Interview.
"Tonight, we celebrate all the great television shows that we know and love, as well as all the movies that North Korea was okay with," Fey quipped as she opened the telecast.
Fey and Poehler went on to humorously compare George Clooney's career achievements to those of his wife Amal ahead of his acceptance of the Cecil B DeMille Award.
"George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin this year. Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an adviser to Kofi Annan regarding Syria, and elected for a three-person Un commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza Strip.
Golden Globes 2015: All the TV...
The former Saturday Night Live stars opened their "last" awards ceremony as hosts by poking fun at the controversy surrounding The Interview.
"Tonight, we celebrate all the great television shows that we know and love, as well as all the movies that North Korea was okay with," Fey quipped as she opened the telecast.
Fey and Poehler went on to humorously compare George Clooney's career achievements to those of his wife Amal ahead of his acceptance of the Cecil B DeMille Award.
"George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin this year. Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an adviser to Kofi Annan regarding Syria, and elected for a three-person Un commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza Strip.
Golden Globes 2015: All the TV...
- 1/12/2015
- Digital Spy
The hosts of the show drew gasps with jokes about Bill Cosby, as well as ribbing George Clooney and The Interview
Boyhood wins best film and best director awardsRed carpet fashion – the best Golden Globes looksThe Golden Globes 2015 – as they happened
“George Clooney married Amal Almuddin this year. Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case; was an adviser to Kofi Annan regarding Syria; and was selected for a three-person Un commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza Strip. So tonight … her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award.”
Continue reading...
Boyhood wins best film and best director awardsRed carpet fashion – the best Golden Globes looksThe Golden Globes 2015 – as they happened
“George Clooney married Amal Almuddin this year. Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case; was an adviser to Kofi Annan regarding Syria; and was selected for a three-person Un commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza Strip. So tonight … her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award.”
Continue reading...
- 1/12/2015
- by Guardian staff
- The Guardian - Film News
During their Golden Globes opening monologue, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler said what most of us were thinking when they introduced George Clooney and his wife, Amal Alamuddin. The hilarious hosts took a feminist slant with their joke: "George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin this year. Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an advisor to Kofi Annan regarding Syria, and was selected for a three-person U.N. commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza Strip. So tonight . . . her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award." They went on to make George a little nervous by insinuating that the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award he's being honored with could be a hoax; "you've been pranking people for 25 years," Amy said, adding that he could just be getting "Cecil B. DeBurnt." George and Amal made their first-ever award season appearance on Sunday evening...
- 1/12/2015
- by Brittney-Stephens
- Popsugar.com
The expectations were high, the hosts self-deprecating, the zingers at the ready as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler took the stage Sunday for their third stint hosting the Golden Globes.
After well-received outings in 2013 and 2014, the pressure for the comedic actresses to pull off a third successful evening was high. After all, their delivery of that George Clooney/Gravity joke from last year’s ceremony was near perfection; would they be able to top it?
From the raucous reaction inside the Beverly Hilton Hotel’s International Ballroom, that answer seems to be a resounding “hell yeah!” But we all know...
After well-received outings in 2013 and 2014, the pressure for the comedic actresses to pull off a third successful evening was high. After all, their delivery of that George Clooney/Gravity joke from last year’s ceremony was near perfection; would they be able to top it?
From the raucous reaction inside the Beverly Hilton Hotel’s International Ballroom, that answer seems to be a resounding “hell yeah!” But we all know...
- 1/12/2015
- TVLine.com
40. Night Moves
Since 2006, Kelly Reichardt has found a way to reach inside of the hearts of her audiences, plucking out strings one by one with desolate re-imaginations of the American Pacific Northwest, seen through the eyes of people not so different than ourselves. With Meek’s Cutoff, she departed from her typical genre and moved in to the Old West, but you could still see her stark realism, perfectly imagined on-screen. Now, Reichardt has shifted gears again, this time to present day (still in the Pacific Northwest), following three environmental activists as they plan to blow up a dam. But this time Reichardt has eschewed all sense of dry, dirty characterization for a much more flowing story where the characters emerge from their settings more fully. It’s still methodical, but somewhere in between the planning and heist itself, Reichardt’s star Jesse Eisenberg finds notes we haven’t seen...
Since 2006, Kelly Reichardt has found a way to reach inside of the hearts of her audiences, plucking out strings one by one with desolate re-imaginations of the American Pacific Northwest, seen through the eyes of people not so different than ourselves. With Meek’s Cutoff, she departed from her typical genre and moved in to the Old West, but you could still see her stark realism, perfectly imagined on-screen. Now, Reichardt has shifted gears again, this time to present day (still in the Pacific Northwest), following three environmental activists as they plan to blow up a dam. But this time Reichardt has eschewed all sense of dry, dirty characterization for a much more flowing story where the characters emerge from their settings more fully. It’s still methodical, but somewhere in between the planning and heist itself, Reichardt’s star Jesse Eisenberg finds notes we haven’t seen...
- 12/28/2014
- by Staff
- SoundOnSight
Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania is developing a new project inspired by the true story of a woman raped outside a beachfront nightclub in 2012.
“It follows her efforts to prove the crime and get justice. It’s based on true facts,” said Tunis-based producer Habib Attia of Cinetelefilms who is producing.
“We’ve managed to secure half the budget from Tunisia’s Ministry of Culture and are now researching international financing options.”
Ben Hania’s last work, mockumentary Challat Of Tunis, about a mysterious knife-wielding man who slashes women’s buttocks in the Tunisian capital, played in the Muhr Arab competition at last year’s Diff and also went on to screen in Cannes in the Acid selection.
The filmmaker also won Dubai Film Connection support for documentary Zaineb Hates The Snow in 2011.
Attia is also continuing to work on two other Dfc supported projects: Tunisian director Fares Naanaa’s A Full Moon Night and Rashid Masharawi’s Gaza...
“It follows her efforts to prove the crime and get justice. It’s based on true facts,” said Tunis-based producer Habib Attia of Cinetelefilms who is producing.
“We’ve managed to secure half the budget from Tunisia’s Ministry of Culture and are now researching international financing options.”
Ben Hania’s last work, mockumentary Challat Of Tunis, about a mysterious knife-wielding man who slashes women’s buttocks in the Tunisian capital, played in the Muhr Arab competition at last year’s Diff and also went on to screen in Cannes in the Acid selection.
The filmmaker also won Dubai Film Connection support for documentary Zaineb Hates The Snow in 2011.
Attia is also continuing to work on two other Dfc supported projects: Tunisian director Fares Naanaa’s A Full Moon Night and Rashid Masharawi’s Gaza...
- 12/15/2014
- ScreenDaily
Mbc’s pan-Arab show Laish La (Why Not?) has turned to Dubai-based, crowd-funding site Aflamnah to finance a project to rebuild a women’s radio station in the Gaza Strip.
The popular show, fronted by four Saudi social activists with big YouTube followings, aims to fulfil wishes sent in by viewers.
For their latest project, they are trying to raise $20,000 to help rebuild the Nisaa radio station, the first community radio station in the Gaza Strip for women, which was destroyed during the Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian territory over the summer.
“It’s an interesting concept for us, combining a radio station, TV show and crowd-funding,” said Vida Rizq, who runs Aflamnah alongside co-founder Lotfi Bencheikh. “These guys have a huge following on YouTube and the campaign has generated some 100,000 hits since it started two weeks ago.”
Launched in July 2012, Aflamnah is a fund-raising platform for creative projects in any domain in the Arab world.
Film...
The popular show, fronted by four Saudi social activists with big YouTube followings, aims to fulfil wishes sent in by viewers.
For their latest project, they are trying to raise $20,000 to help rebuild the Nisaa radio station, the first community radio station in the Gaza Strip for women, which was destroyed during the Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian territory over the summer.
“It’s an interesting concept for us, combining a radio station, TV show and crowd-funding,” said Vida Rizq, who runs Aflamnah alongside co-founder Lotfi Bencheikh. “These guys have a huge following on YouTube and the campaign has generated some 100,000 hits since it started two weeks ago.”
Launched in July 2012, Aflamnah is a fund-raising platform for creative projects in any domain in the Arab world.
Film...
- 12/14/2014
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Basil Iwanyk’s Thunder Road has acquired screen rights to the Steven Pressfield hybrid history The Lion’s Gate: On The Front Lines Of The Six Day War. The producer will use the book as a template to tell the story of how Israel, faced with extinction as Jordan, Syria and Egypt prepared to attack, routed the enemy in less than a week in 1967 with a brilliant battle plan. By the time the smoke cleared, Israel had gained hold of three times as much land as it started with, taking over the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and Judaism’s holiest site, the Western Wall that was part of the ruins of Solomon’s Temple, real estate that hadn’t been in Jewish hands for 1900 years.
Though a period tale, it certainly is a topical one, because the repercussions are still felt today in the constant tension between Israel and its neighbors.
Though a period tale, it certainly is a topical one, because the repercussions are still felt today in the constant tension between Israel and its neighbors.
- 10/10/2014
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline
Fox News Channel is regularly No. 1 in cable news, but last week it was No. 2 across all of cable — a rare feat for the channel. CNN did not crack the Top 10 and MSNBC finished outside the Top 25. The last time that Fnc was second across cable in total day was April 15, 2013's coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing. In primetime, Fox last accomplished the feat July 14 of this year, which was during breaking news of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and turmoil on the Gaza Strip. Also read: Read Turner's Internal Memo to Its Staff About Buyouts Last week,...
- 8/27/2014
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Despite reports to the contrary, Amal Alamuddin will not be serving on the United Nations' Gaza Human Rights Commission. George Clooney's fiancé released the following statement regarding the recent news, and explained why she chose to turn down the position. "There are various reports published today stating that I have been appointed as one of the three members of the Un Commission of Inquiry for Gaza. I am horrified by the situation in the occupied Gaza Strip, particularly the civilian causalities that have been caused, and strongly believe that there should be an independent investigation and accountability for crimes that have been committed." The British attorney continued,...
- 8/11/2014
- E! Online
Amal is in demand.
Amal Alamuddin is a busy gal indeed!
Although the British lawyer -- and George Clooney's fiancée -- had been chosen for the United Nation's three-member commission of inquiry looking into possible violations of the rules of war in Gaza, she had to turn it down due to prior commitments.
"There are various reports published today stating that I have been appointed as one of three members of the Un Commission of Inquiry for Gaza. I am horrified by the situation in the occupied Gaza Strip, particularly the civilian casualties that have been caused, and strongly believe that there should be an independent investigation and accountability for crimes that have been committed. I was contacted by the Un about this for the first time this morning," Amal, 36, explained in a statement Monday.
"I am honoured to have received the offer, but given existing commitments -- including eight ongoing cases -- unfortunately could not accept...
Amal Alamuddin is a busy gal indeed!
Although the British lawyer -- and George Clooney's fiancée -- had been chosen for the United Nation's three-member commission of inquiry looking into possible violations of the rules of war in Gaza, she had to turn it down due to prior commitments.
"There are various reports published today stating that I have been appointed as one of three members of the Un Commission of Inquiry for Gaza. I am horrified by the situation in the occupied Gaza Strip, particularly the civilian casualties that have been caused, and strongly believe that there should be an independent investigation and accountability for crimes that have been committed. I was contacted by the Un about this for the first time this morning," Amal, 36, explained in a statement Monday.
"I am honoured to have received the offer, but given existing commitments -- including eight ongoing cases -- unfortunately could not accept...
- 8/11/2014
- Entertainment Tonight
George Clooney's fiancee has turned down the United Nation's offer to put her on a commission to examine possible war crimes in Gaza ... because she says she's simply too busy.Amal Alamuddin -- an international lawyer -- says she's got 8 cases on the front burner and can't accept the role to become a member of the 3-member commission.She says "I am horrified by the situation in the occupied Gaza Strip, particularly the civilian casualties that have been caused,...
- 8/11/2014
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Nessa Stein is Batman. She’s born into a world of wealth and privilege. She’s lost both of her parents, and even watched her father’s gruesome death enacted before her. And now, bound to no specific law, she wields her parents’ power.
But Nessa doesn’t live in Gotham City. She’s a second generation Israeli. Her father wasn’t a do-gooder philanthropist but a Holocaust survivor–turned–weapons manufacturer. And while Nessa begins The Honorable Woman by donning a new costume (the ceremonial member robes of House of Lords), her actions are predicated not on some abstract ideal,...
But Nessa doesn’t live in Gotham City. She’s a second generation Israeli. Her father wasn’t a do-gooder philanthropist but a Holocaust survivor–turned–weapons manufacturer. And while Nessa begins The Honorable Woman by donning a new costume (the ceremonial member robes of House of Lords), her actions are predicated not on some abstract ideal,...
- 8/1/2014
- by Jackson McHenry
- EW - Inside TV
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