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☆ Cate Blanchett dons habit in Australian director's conversion tale
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Alicia Powell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Newcomer Aswan Reid plays the titular 9-year-old New Boy in the film by Warwick Thornton based on his own experience of walking into a church for the first time at the age of 11. "That's a genesis for a great movie," Thornton told Reuters on Saturday, before joking: "You know, written by child and directed by a grumpy old man is probably how it worked." Blanchett's nun sets about trying to convert the boy, who can seemingly heal wounds with his touch and starts bleeding from his palms, in a magical-realist conflict of spirituality. Deborah Mailman, who plays another nun, told Reuters that the film helps viewers understand the emotional gravitas of colonization: "It actually emotionally pushes you to that point of going, 'This is what it is, this is what happened.'" Reporting by Alicia Powell Writing by Miranda Murray; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ McQueen documentary juxtaposes Amsterdam's Nazi-occupied past with the present
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"It's just putting things into context - how we're here, how did we arrive here today," McQueen told Reuters. Filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the documentary includes the street protests that erupted against the government's infection prevention measures and the celebrations afterward. Critics have described "Occupied City" as monumental, moving and as ranking among the great World War Two-themed films. The director's upcoming feature film, "Blitz," stars Saoirse Ronan and is also set during the World War Two. The Blitz in London was "very different to how we think it was," McQueen told Reuters, adding: "I'm hoping to show you."

☆ Lin-Manuel Miranda’s San Juan, Puerto Rico
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Danielle Pergament | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

“When I was a kid, my bond was really with my grandparents,” said Lin-Manuel Miranda, the songwriter, actor, director and producer. “I would go to Puerto Rico with my family for a month every year. “I didn’t stay in a hotel, I stayed in town, I ate Puerto Rican food. That’s different than being a tourist.”Over the years, Mr. Miranda has become one of the most prominent advocates for Puerto Rico. Next month, he will bring his musical “Hamilton” back to San Juan’s Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré for two weeks, hosting a fund-raiser to support the Hispanic Federation and the Flamboyan Foundation, a charity devoted to educational equity in Puerto Rico.

☆ Emotional Harrison Ford reflects on his years as Indiana Jones
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - Harrison Ford teared up on Friday as he recalled his years playing Indiana Jones, after the Cannes premiere of what he has said will be his last outing in the blockbuster film franchise. "I love to work and I love this character and I love what it brought into my life," he told journalists at the festival. The new film, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny", pits the adventurous archaeologist against a former Nazi scientist, played by Mads Mikkelsen, who is searching for a dial that makes it possible to travel through time. That's what I looked like 35 years ago because Lucasfilm has every frame of film that we made together over all these year," Ford said. Ford, who first played Indiana Jones in 1981, told Total Film magazine last month that he would hang up the character's iconic bull whip and hat for good after this film, which will be released to wider audiences in late June.

☆ 'Four Daughters' mixes documentary, fiction to portray Tunisian mother
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Miranda Murray | Thomson Reuters | Speed Editor On The Berlin Hub Who Provides General Coverage On Everything Politics To Energy In Germany | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Les filles d'Olfa" (Four Daughters) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 19, 2023. Nour Karoui, Ichraq Matar, Hend... Read moreCANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania mixes fiction and documentary to capture the story of Olfa Hamrouni, whose older daughters left to fight for Islamic State in "Four Daughters," her first entry for the Cannes Film Festival's top prize. It is the role of cinema to explore these areas, these ambiguities of the human spirit," Ben Hania said in a news release. For the film, Ben Hania wanted to show Hamrouni's complexities but noticed she would fall into the well-trodden narrative of guilt-ridden mother whenever the camera was on. Her last film, "The Man Who Sold His Skin," was the Tunisian entry for best international feature at the 2021 Oscars.

☆ Soggy Cannes premiere for Turkish director Ceylan's 'About Dry Grasses'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - Turkish auteur filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan returned to the Cannes Film Festival's red carpet on a particularly rainy Friday with his latest competition entry, "About Dry Grasses." Ceylan and his film team gathered in front of the Palais des Festivals as rain lashed the French Riviera city and puddles formed on the red carpet and the plastic sheets covering it. Including "About Dry Grasses," Ceylan's films have been in the running for the Palme d'Or seven times, with only "Winter Sleep" taking the top prize in 2014. Ceylan said in a statement that he wanted the film to impart the gradual decline in the personal convictions of civil servants and teachers sent to remote areas at an early age. Reporting by Hanna Rantala and Miranda Murray; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Sean Penn: Studios' AI stance in Hollywood writers strike a 'human obscenity'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Press conference of the film "Black Flies" in competition - Cannes, France, May 19, 2023. Cast member Sean Penn attends. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesCANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - Actor Sean Penn said on Friday he supported striking Hollywood writers and called studios' rejection of their demand to restrict the use of artificial intelligence in writing scripts a "human obscenity". "There are a lot of new concepts that are being tossed about, you know, including the use of AI," Penn said at a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival. The Writers Guild of America is seeking to restrict the use of AI in writing scripts.

☆ Auschwitz drama 'Zone of Interest' marks director Glazer's first Cannes foray
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "The Zone of Interest" in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 19, 2023. Director Jonathan Glazer, cast members Sandra... Read moreCANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - British director Jonathan Glazer will compete for the Cannes Film Festival's top prize for the first time this year with his Auschwitz drama "The Zone of Interest," whose premiere on Friday evening drew celebrities including Cate Blanchett and Carla Bruni. Sandra Hueller, star of Germany's 2017 Oscar nominee for best foreign-language feature "Toni Erdmann," plays Hoess' wife, Hedwig. "The Zone of Interest," which will be distributed by A24, is Glazer's first feature since 2013's "Under the Skin" starring Scarlett Johansson and was shot entirely in Auschwitz. Reporting by Miranda Murray; Editing by Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan reunite on screen in Cannes competitor 'Black Flies'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Black Flies" in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 18, 2023. Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan and Director Jean-Stephane Sauvaire... Read moreCANNES, May 18 (Reuters) - Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan are reunited on the big screen after more than a decade in "Black Flies," a gritty tale about New York City paramedics that premiered in Cannes on Thursday. The two actors previously appeared together in 2011's Palme d'Or winner "The Tree of Life," directed by Terrence Malick. Oscar-winning Penn, 62, plays veteran paramedic Rutkovsky while Sheridan, 26, known for his role as Cyclops in the X-Men film series, stars as Cross, who is just starting in the field. Former boxer Mike Tyson, Michael Pitt from "Funny Games," and Katherine Waterston of "Inherent Vice" also have parts.

☆ The bullwhip is back: Harrison Ford in Cannes for 'Indiana Jones' premiere
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Miranda Murray | Thomson Reuters | Speed Editor On The Berlin Hub Who Provides General Coverage On Everything Politics To Energy In Germany | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" (Indiana Jones et le cadran de la destinee) Out of Competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France,... Read moreCANNES, May 18 (Reuters) - Harrison Ford was in Cannes for the much-anticipated premiere of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" on Thursday evening, 15 years since the actor last picked up the adventurous archaeologist's iconic bullwhip and hat on the big screen. The newest movie's release date had been postponed several times after it had been announced in 2016 and follows 2008's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which received mixed reviews. The "Indiana Jones" franchise, created by George Lucas of "Star Wars" fame, has grossed nearly $2 billion at the global box office with four films and amassed a global fan base. It also inspired a TV series, "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles." "Dial of Destiny" is the first "Indiana Jones" movie the Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) has made after buying the distribution rights for the franchise from Paramount Pictures in 2013.

☆ Japan's Kore-eda: sexual identity not the focus in film 'Monster'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Alicia Powell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Press conference for the film "Kaibutsu" (Monster) in competition - Cannes, France, May 18, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierCANNES, May 18 (Reuters) - Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda said he did not want to focus on sexual identity in portraying the relationship between the two schoolboys at the centre of his latest film, "Monster." "The age that these children are at is an age where their sexual identity is maybe not fully... they're not fully aware of it at this stage," Kore-eda told Reuters on Thursday, the day after the movie's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Earlier Thursday, Kore-eda told journalists he did not think the story should be viewed as portraying two boys who have growing feelings for each other, as suggested in some reviews. For "Monster" Kore-eda once again teamed up with Sakura Ando, who starred in his 2018 Palmes d' Or winner "Shoplifters," and who portrays Saori in the new film.

☆ Director says she will work with intimacy coaches after Cannes film furore
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CANNES, May 18 (Reuters) - French director Catherine Corsini said on Thursday she would work with intimacy coaches and do more to help young actresses in future films, after concerns were raised about an intimate scene with minors in her Cannes Festival entry "Homecoming". Corsini told journalists on Thursday she would take different decisions and call in experts to help actors prepare for sex scenes if she were faced with similar circumstances in the future. "Maybe I was being a bit pretentious, thinking I had 30-35 years of experience in my career and maybe I thought I had more experience than an intimacy coach. Corsini told Variety magazine on Tuesday that she ultimately cut the intimate scene from the final version "to calm everyone down and especially so that people would stop bothering the actors." Including Corsini, there are a record seven female directors competing for the Palme d'Or top prize this year.

☆ Japan's Kore-eda angles for second Cannes win with 'Monster'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda hopes to repeat his success at the Cannes Film Festival, five years after winning the top prize, with "Monster," which breaks down the misunderstandings between a single mother and a teacher started by two schoolboys. "Monster" sees Kore-eda once again team up with actor Sakura Ando, who starred in his 2018 Palme d'Or winner "Shoplifters." The film is Kore-eda's second in competition since winning the top prize at Cannes, after his Korean-language entry "Broker" lost out last year to "Triangle of Sadness" by Swedish director and this year's Cannes jury president Ruben Ostlund. Kore-eda also brought Oscar winner Ryuichi Sakamoto on board to compose a soundtrack critics praised as particularly moving. Kore-eda and his cast took to the red carpet at Cannes on Wednesday night for the premiere of their film, which critics praised for its clever structure and atmospheric setting.

☆ Johnny Depp on Cannes comeback: I didn't go anywhere
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Photocall for the film "Jeanne du Barry " Out of competition - Cannes, France, May 17, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesCANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Johnny Depp pushed back at suggestions he was making a comeback with the Cannes Film Festival's opening movie "Jeanne du Barry" following a high-profile defamation trial a year ago, though he admitted people had "stopped calling" at the time. "I keep wondering about the word comeback, because I didn't go anywhere," Depp said after arriving 45 minutes later than scheduled at the news conference for the film on Wednesday. "Jeanne du Barry," in which Depp plays King Louis XV, received a seven-minute standing ovation at the luxurious Grand Theatre Lumiere, where it premiered on Tuesday evening. No, not at all, I don't feel boycotted because I don't think about it, I don't think about Hollywood," he said.

☆ Controversial 'Homecoming' film director attends Cannes premiere with cast
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Le retour" (Homecoming) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals – Cannes, France, May 17, 2023. Director Catherine Corsini, producer Elisabeth... Read moreCANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - French director Catherine Corsini appeared on the Cannes Film Festival's red carpet flanked by a cluster of cast members on Wednesday for the premiere of her drama "Homecoming," which has been the subject of some controversy in recent months. The director walked between producer Elisabeth Perez and actor Aissatou Diallo Sagna, who won France's Cesar award for best supporting actress in Corsini's 2021 film "The Divide." The movie had faced controversy after concerns were raised about an intimate scene involving minors. Wednesday's red carpet appearance was briefly interrupted by a protester at the barricades in a red dress, who flashed her pregnant stomach with the word "Surrogacy" and a barcode on it.

☆ Almodovar's gay Western draws Cannes crowd - even without Pedro Pascal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Kaibutsu" (Monster) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals – Cannes, France, May 17, 2023. Director Pedro Almodovar and cast members Ethan... Read moreCANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Throngs of people eager to watch Pedro Almodovar's "Strange Way of Life," a 31-minute Western film starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal as lovers, at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday afternoon were turned away after waiting more than an hour in the rain. "There is some very robust and old-fashioned storytelling here and 'Strange Way of Life' feels quite old-fashioned in its way," wrote The Guardian newspaper, which gave it four out of five stars. The film will be released later this year and is distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, according to the trade paper Variety. Reporting by Miranda Murray; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ At Cannes, independent film firms optimistic as streamers stumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Miranda Murray | Thomson Reuters | Speed Editor On The Berlin Hub Who Provides General Coverage On Everything Politics To Energy In Germany | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Independent film companies facing a market upended by the entry of streaming services are showing some optimism heading into this year's Cannes Film Festival as the Netflix era has begun flattening out and audiences start trickling back into cinemas post-pandemic. Cannes may make headlines for its glitz and glamour, but as the world's largest event for buying and selling movie rights, its importance to the industry is unparalleled. "It's a transitional time on the business side as the traditional business model that independent buyers use sees lessened value," said O'Shea. The similarity among much of the content offered on streaming platforms leaves theatre audiences wanting something different, an unmet appetite that independent companies could fulfil, he said. "Something good is happening, and I'm sure other streaming services will follow suit," Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux said in an interview with Le Film francais magazine in April.

[1/2] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Jeanne du Barry" Out of competition - Red Carpet arrivals - Cannes, France, May 16, 2023. Gong Li poses. REUTERS/Gonzalo... Read moreCANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Gong Li, one of China's best actors, told Reuters on Wednesday that Michelle Yeoh's recent success at the Oscars and Golden Globes was particularly encouraging for Asian actors. "Since the beginning of the epidemic to now, in fact, the film industry has not been so vibrant, not like it was before, so her award is also an encouragement," Gong said. "Well, congratulations to her, because I also take it as an encouragement to fellow Asian actors to enter the world."

☆ Cannes jury president to striking Hollywood writers: 'Yeah, go!'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Press conference of the jury - Cannes, France, May 16, 2023. Jury President Ruben Ostlund and jury member Brie Larson attend a press conference. REUTERS/Yara NardiCANNES, May 16 (Reuters) - Swedish director Ruben Ostlund, who heads the jury awarding the Cannes Film Festival's top award this year, expressed solidarity with striking Hollywood film and TV writers on Tuesday, saying industrial action was the only way to change work conditions. "It's great that people have a strong collegial feeling so you can go out and have a strike. Top executives close to the discussions have told Reuters that the strike could continue into the summer and possibly beyond.

☆ Johnny Depp marks celebrity comeback with Cannes opening film
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Jeanne du Barry" Out of competition - Red Carpet arrivals - Cannes, France, May 16, 2023. Johnny Depp poses. REUTERS/Yara... Read moreCANNES, May 16 (Reuters) - Johnny Depp seemed back in full celebrity mode on Tuesday, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans before the premiere of the Cannes Film Festival's opening film "Jeanne du Barry," which marks the actor's first major role since his high-profile defamation trial. "There are hundreds of film festivals all around the world, but there's only one Cannes," Douglas told the crowd. "Even the casting - some would say stunt casting - of Johnny Depp as the king offers a few early thrills and then mostly yawns," wrote The Hollywood Reporter.

☆ Cannes Film Festival 2023 kicks off with 'all killer, no filler' line-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We have 'Indiana Jones,' we've got Martin Scorsese's new film with Leonardo DiCaprio. Festival director Thierry Fremaux pushed back against criticism that Depp was a controversial choice for an opening-night film, telling Variety magazine the actor had not been banned from working. Other jury members include Brie Larson of "Captain Marvel" and Julia Ducournau, one of two women to win the Palme d'Or. Out of competition, Harrison Ford will return as adventurous archaeologist Indiana Jones, 15 years since the last film in the franchise, in the world premiere of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" on Thursday. Festival organizers are concerned the unrest seen during the pension reform protests could also make its way to the festival, said Roxborough.

☆ Cannes director open to letting green activists onto red carpet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CANNES, May 15 (Reuters) - Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux said on Monday he was open to letting climate demonstrators onto the red carpet, as the showbiz extravaganza prepared to launch amid bursts of activism on both sides of the Atlantic. But the confluence of at least three major protest movements has put unusual pressure on the organisers. "It's not impossible that we will welcome them at the top of the steps to express themselves," he added. It was too early to tell what effect the writer's strike would have on the festival, he said, but the right to strike had to be respected. Reporting by Miranda Murray and Mindy Burrows; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'I got a check the other day for $8': TV and film writers share why they're on strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

TV and film writers at the picket line in New York on the first day of the WGA strike, May 2, 2023. Every three years, the Writers Guild of America, the TV and film writers' union, negotiates a contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. "You go from job to job," and each contract can look different from writer to writer depending on their experience, for instance. TV writer Sheri Holman on strike in New York. TV and film writer Chisa Hutchinson.

☆ 'iCarly' writers join the WGA strike as showrunner Ali Schouten calls out Hollywood studios' 'corporate greed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Insider spoke to Ali Schouten, the showrunner behind Paramount+ series "iCarly," about what's at stake. The "iCarly" writers will link up with the picket line outside the lot where the show is filmed, according to Ali Schouten, the series' showrunner and executive producer. Ahead of the "iCarly" writers' picketing on Thursday, I spoke with Schouten to understand what she and her colleagues are fighting for. Lisa Rose/Paramount+The last writers' strike resulted in $2 billion worth of losses for the California economy, and some experts predict the impact of this work stoppage could be even greater. How is the writers' strike impacting you, your business, or your family?

☆ Siemens Healthineers reports lower Q2 profit, discontinues heart surgery robots business
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 10 (Reuters) - U.S.-German medical device maker Siemens Healthineers (SHLG.DE) on Wednesday said it is giving up part of billion-dollar acquisition Corindus' business as it reported a 30% drop in quarterly operating profit on lower contributions from COVID tests. Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) fell to 681 million euros ($750 million) in the January-March period, less than the 702 million expected by analysts, according to a consensus provided by the company. The group said it was discontinuing the robotic-assisted endovascular cardiology business in its Advanced Therapies segment and reported a 329-million euro writedown. Siemens Healthineers had acquired the business as part of the 1-billion-euro Corindus acquisition in 2019. This led to a 81% fall in quarterly net income, which came in at 108 million euros.

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