Well, probably not, but that’s about how much footage the Russian director shot of the DAU project, “a multiyear experiment in which hundreds of nonprofessional actors lived and worked in a replica of a Soviet research institute, what may be the most ambitiously immersive film set ever made, in Ukraine. People played versions of themselves, transposed to lifestyles and careers of the Soviet Union. Artists, scientists and religious leaders visited the set, becoming part of the production and even holding lectures and workshops.” Two of the planned 13 resulting feature films premiered at the Berlinale this week. – The New York Times
Author: ArtsJournal2
In One Of The Most Expensive Cities In The World, Ballet School Decides To Offer Room, Board
The San Francisco Ballet School is facing an unpleasant reality for its dancers – and (finally, say some) changing up the way it operates. “For the San Francisco Ballet to operate both a school and a full-service dorm — with plans for healthy food service and in-residence physical therapy to meet the needs of dancers — might set a new standard.” – San Francisco Chronicle
How Bob Iger Transformed Disney, And Hollywood
When Iger, who suddenly stepped down as CEO of Disney last week, took over at the top 15 years ago, no one expected much from him – and they said so in the press. He was called “a loyal drone,” for example. But the man who said that also said, “The expectations were so low for Bob. … But no mogul in traditional entertainment has accomplished what he has.” – Los Angeles Times
A List Of All The Books Referenced In The Brilliant British Comedy ‘Sex Education’
Perhaps you haven’t yet watched the Gillian Anderson-fueled comedy (it’s streaming in the US on Netflix), but you should know that there’s a high school girl who is a love interest for Anderson’s character’s son. But more than that: “What we learn about Maeve over the course of the show is that she is, secretly, a real Lit Girl. While her classmates are drinking cheap beer at house parties, she’s home reading the classics.” – LitHub
Gerald Krone, Co-Founder Of The Negro Ensemble Company, Has Died At 86
Krone was a theatre producer and manager who joined with Douglas Turner Ward, an actor and playwright, and Robert Hooks, an actor and producer, to found the company in 1967. The company won a special Tony after two years of existence, and sent three plays to Broadway. “In 1981 it staged, Off Broadway, the premiere of Charles Fuller’s A Soldier’s Play, with a cast that included Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson; the play won the Pulitzer Prize.” – The New York Times
As Roman Polanski Wins Best Director, Actors Leave The Césars, Calling Him A Pedophile
While most of the César ceremony was predictable (and perhaps this was too), “the ceremony’s most notable moment was only indirectly related to what was happening on its stage, as Portrait Of A Lady On Fire star Adèle Haenel [and director Céline Sciamma, followed by other actors] pointedly walked out of the theater after the announcement of this year’s Best Director award, which went to convicted sexual abuser Roman Polanski.” – France24
Comedy Duo Dedicates A Tiny Confederate Statue To Iowa Politician Steve King
King is generally regarded as a white nationalist; he has a decades-long history of xenophobic and racist comments which earned him censure from other Republicans. One of the comedians said the four-inch statue should definitely be seen as a metaphor. “Racists are trying to bring down others so they can make themselves feel better. That’s the mark of somebody who is very small.” – The Guardian (UK)
The Soothing, Anti-Prestige, Counter-Programming Of Network TV
Stressed by prestige TV on streaming networks? Hey, here’s the solution: Just go with the networks. “It’s a soft parade of uniformly telegenic people in clothes that always fit perfectly, bantering like aliens who grew up watching only Friends and ER. Nothing bad can happen to me while these sitcoms and dramas are on, twirling through the latest iteration of an ancient dance. Everything is alright, and if it’s not, it’s surely headed for a quick resolution.” – Fast Company
What A Time To Be Making A Plague Movie In Italy, As Coronavirus Mounts In The Country
The director, calmly: “It’s certainly been strange. … This synergy between what we’re working on and what’s been happening in the world, with the quarantine line getting closer.” – The New York Times
What In The Heck Is Going To Happen To All Of Our Books?
At some point, academics and scholars but also fiction lovers have to face the facts: Kids or other descendants aren’t going to want all of those lovely books. What happens to them? (And, uh, everything else in a country that “has become awash in stuff.”) – Inside Higher Education