Author: Ewang Johnson
Actor Gérard Depardieu arrived in a Paris court on Monday for his trial over alleged sexual assaults on a film set, a case placing one of France’s best-known movie stars at the heart of the country’s broader reckoning over sexual violence. Source link
Getty Images(Credit: Getty Images)Does the success of women’s college basketball hinge on big names or can it build on the momentum that has come with more eyes and promotion? ESPN’s Monica McNutt and BBC special correspondent Katty Kay discuss the staying power of women’s sport.That success was largely fuelled by the surge in interest around two superstars, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark (who has reached such levels of celebrity that she’s recently been spotted alongside Taylor Swift). But now those two women have left the league, can it hang on to the public’s interest? Or did it all depend on…
The Helen Hayes Theater welcomed the official opening of Purpose, a powerful new play by Tony Award-winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad in her Broadway directorial debut. Following its sold-out world premiere at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company in March 2024, this epic family drama has arrived on Broadway, offering audiences a spirited, hilarious, and deeply intriguing exploration of Black American political legacy, faith, and familial duty. Purpose centers on the Jasper family, a fictional dynasty that has long stood as a pillar of Black American politics—civil rights leaders, pastors, and congressmen whose influence spans…
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…