“Their films are rarely show in Tunisia’s 17 movie theaters. They are hard to find even in cinemas or video stores throughout the Arab world. But the productions of a group of pioneering female moviemakers have drawn international acclaim to film in Tunisia, where most are oblivious to their home-grown version of Hollywood.”
Author: sbergman
A Century Of MacDowell Retreats
New Hampshire’s legendary MacDowell Colony, where artists, writers, and poets are invited to work in seclusion, “relieved of all domestic distractions,” turns 100 this year. “During the past 100 years, more than 5,500 artists have become MacDowell Fellows, and while gaining admission is based upon accomplishment, talent, or promise, once in residence, a spirit of equality reigns.”
What Would You Pay If You Didn’t Have To Pay At All?
In the days since Radiohead released its new album for download under a pay-what-you-want policy, the band’s fans have been participating in what amounts to a fascinating study in consumer behavior. “Each donation is a sort of commentary: on the nature of fandom and band loyalty, on the indier-than-thou current rock scene, and on the worth of buying — not sampling or stealing — new music.”
Film Release Delayed Out Of Concern For Child Stars
“The studio distributing The Kite Runner, a tale of childhood betrayal, sexual predation and ethnic tension in Afghanistan, is delaying the film’s release to get its three schoolboy stars out of Kabul — perhaps permanently — in response to fears that they could be attacked for their enactment of a culturally inflammatory rape scene. The boys and their relatives are now accusing the filmmakers of mistreatment, and warnings have been relayed to the studio from Afghan and American officials and aid workers that the movie could aggravate simmering enmities.”
File-Sharing Trial Goes To The Jury
Testimony has wrapped up in the first trial of an alleged file-sharing music thief in Duluth, Minnesota, and a verdict is possible as early as today. The defendant, who called no witnesses in her defense, is counting on a jury made up of people who described themselves as not computer-savvy to believe her contention that, despite circumstantial evidence linking her to the downloads, she was not the user who downloaded 1,700 songs without paying.
How BBCSSO Snared Runnicles
Donald Runnicles was a surprise choice to succeed Ilan Volkov as chief conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony. “What on earth is bringing a conductor who works in the world’s leading opera houses, and with orchestras of the calibre of the Berlin Philharmonic and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, to Glasgow? The answer, from a dozen angles, is always the same: it’s the chemistry that ignited when Sir Brian McMaster teamed Runnicles with the BBC SSO at the 2001 Edinburgh International Festival.”
Sleuthing LA’s Architectural Legacy
Everyone loves to beat up on Los Angeles as a soulless metropolis with little in the way of cultural legacy. But America’s second-largest city has a rich history, and the architectural pedigree to go with it. You just have to look for it. A new book examines L.A. through the prism of its classic houses, even those which have been gone for years and left nearly no trace. “We don’t just tear down our treasures. We toss out all written records about them as well.”
Why Adams Left Minimalism Behind
John Adams may be best known as an agent of minimalism, but he didn’t become America’s most successful living composer by remaining static as the world changes around him. “Adams moved years ago far beyond the basic chords, reiterative melodies and pulsating beat of that musical language.” Why the change in harmonic thinking? Put simply, he “began to feel that the minimalism was like cubism, limited in its potential. My needs are enormous. I need expressiveness, shock, surprise, high energy.”
Publishing Industry Fearing ‘Libel Tourism’
“Today, any book bought online in England, even one published exclusively in another country, can ostensibly be subject to English libel law. As a result, publishers and booksellers are increasingly concerned about ‘libel tourism’: foreigners suing other foreigners in England or elsewhere, and using those judgments to intimidate authors in other countries, including the United States.”
Keenan Wins Satire Prize
“Joe Keenan, an Emmy-winning writer for the comedy Frasier, has won the Thurber Prize for American Humor. He earned the $5,000 award for his novel My Lucky Star, a satire about Hollywood involving two luckless screenwriters, an aging glamour actress and a leading man with a secret.”