Author: Ewang Johnson
On a frigid January day, the clouds hung like a thick drape over the sun as I drove down an inner-city parkway. The lanes weren’t crowded, so I had a clear view of the bare banks on either side of the road. Instead of the usual mounds of weeds that choke the grass in the summer, all I could see was a frosting of white. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought it snowed without me knowing, and somehow the powdering had mysteriously covered only the banks next to the road, leaving the pavement untouched.After another look, though,…
As Mike Leigh’s five-decade career takes centre stage at the Paris Cinémathèque for a retrospective, the British filmmaker speaks to Eve Jackson about 50 years of making movies, from the raw intensity of “Naked” and the jubilant optimism of “Happy-Go-Lucky”, to historical storytelling in “Peterloo” and “Mr Turner”. With accolades like the Palme d’Or for “Secrets & Lies” at the Cannes Film festival and the Golden Lion for “Vera Drake” at Venice, at 82 Leigh continues to illuminate humanity’s complexities with his latest film “Hard Truths”. Source link
(Image credit: The Kinkade Family Foundation)Beloved by many, despised by others, Thomas Kinkade’s quaint rustic scenes and his wholesome image belied a dark and tortured story that contrasts with his ‘sugary’ artworks.Thomas Kinkade was one of the best-selling artists in history, as well as one of the most divisive. When he died in 2012, the American painter had been rocked by business problems, but at his commercial peak a decade earlier, his company was bringing in more than $100m a year. And yet his work was despised by many critics – not because it was blasphemous or obscene, but because,…
South Africa is collaborating with the World Bank on a $3 billion initiative to revitalize urban infrastructure in eight major cities, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. These cities have experienced challenges, ranging from power outages and water shortages to degraded road networks and waste management systems. Under the plan, the World Bank will provide $1 billion in funding, with the remaining $2 billion coming from the South African government. An additional $6 billion, generated from municipal revenue and borrowing, will be provided under the Metro Services Trading Program, bringing the fund’s total to $9 billion. To secure a grant…
“So what good is power if it is a source of constant worry and fear? Like any of the rest of us, kings would like to live out their lives without these kinds of worries, but they cannot. And they boast of their powers. But if you see a man who cannot accomplish what he wants to do, do you think of him as powerful?”—Lady Philosophy in The Consolation of PhilosophyI have long since taken to calling the first Tuesday in November National Alien vs. Predator Day, based on the franchise crossover’s seemingly apt marketing line, “Whoever Wins, We Lose.”…
French movie giant Gérard Depardieu on Tuesday gave his first testimony in a Paris trial where he is accused of groping two women on a 2021 movie set. The actor acknowledged using vulgar language and grabbing a woman’s hips but denied the sexual assault charges against him, saying his behaviour can sometimes be boorish. Source link
Emmanuel Lafont/ Enrico Cano(Credit: Emmanuel Lafont/ Enrico Cano)The daring, radical Pompidou Centre was derided by many when its design was first unveiled – yet it has continued to influence the architecture of public buildings ever since. As the building approaches a major renovation, its co-creator Renzo Piano recalls the furore.This summer, the Centre Pompidou will close for five years, as Paris’s popular polychrome landmark undergoes changes necessitated by current requirements in terms of health, safety and energy efficiency. French studio Moreau Kusunoki Architects, Mexican practice Frida Escobedo Studio and French engineer AIA Life Designers will undertake a major overhaul of…
Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua, the Minister of Hydrocarbons of the Republic of Congo, opened the Congo Energy&Investment Forum’s (CEIF) Gala Dinner announcing the premier event will take place for a second edition in 2026. “We commend the excellent organization of CEIF and are pleased to confirm its second edition in 2026. We also aim to host similar events, including one in Pointe-Noire, to further strengthen industry collaboration,” said Minister Itoua. The Gala Dinner, a gathering of high-level energy stakeholders sponsored by Imperatus Energy, including African Ministers and global energy leaders, took center stage as the winners of the prestigious CEIF in…
How should we engage with a holiday that feels both sacred and suspect?Every December, the clash of Christmas traditions and their perceived origins seems to resurface in pop culture and Christian circles alike. Alongside cheerful carolers and festive evergreens are debates about “pagan” roots and the commercialization of the holiday, ensuring that “the most wonderful time of the year” nevertheless remains a season rife with drama. It doesn’t help that neopagans take to social media with discussions about Yuletide traditions and how they were “stolen” by Christianity, while others argue over whether Christmas has drifted too far from its religious…
Join film critic Emma Jones and presenter Eve Jackson on this week’s arts24 film show as we explore the action-comedy “Novocaine” starring Jack Quaid, Nicole Kidman’s “Holland” on Amazon Prime and the critically acclaimed “The Grill” by Alonso Ruizpalacios. Plus, we dive into the legacy of German filmmaker Ernst Lubitsch with a retrospective at the Cinemathèque française. Source link