Instead of a virtual Cannes, though, the prestigious festival “will be organizing a ‘redeployment ‘outside the walls’ (of Cannes), in collaboration with fall festivals,’ said the spokesperson.” That includes the Venice Film Festival (still on, at the moment) and theatres, if they do reopen in the fall. – Variety
Blog
In The UK, Equity Calls For Much More Support For Self-Employed Creatives
Most theatres won’t reopen until 2021 (if they can even open then), says the leader of Equity. “While it may be possible for some sections of the audiovisual industry to go back to work in the coming months, health and safety issues such as social distancing provide complex challenges to a sector where audiences are an integral part of the experience. We anticipate that the majority of theatres, pubs, comedy clubs and other live entertainment venues across the country will not start to open their doors until early next year – if indeed they manage to survive until then.” – The Stage (UK)
When You Come To The End Of Your Books
Nana Ruby reads almost her weight in books every week, but the libraries are closed. Where to turn? – The New York Times
Bread, Jobs, And The Worth Of Stories
“What does it mean to be worth something? Or worth enough? Or worthless? What does it mean to earn a living? What does it mean to be hired? What does it mean to be let go? It’s May now. More than thirty million Americans have lost their jobs. What mattered in February hardly seems to matter now.” – The Paris Review
Bookstores And Publishers Are Going Through Hell, But The Lockdown Might Drag Some Into The 21st Century
Will publishers finally use their data to sell books themselves instead of relying on the fragile chain that is Amazon? Will indies survive? Will they survive if they combine forces? It’s all a mess, but: “This time of seclusion has put the book centre stage once again; it has not seemed so alive, or so vital, in many years.” – The Observer (UK)
A Harpist Had An Idea, And The Dallas Symphony Delivered
Idea originator Emily Levin: “Preparing and recording a video was already a large time commitment. I expected my colleagues to simply send me their recordings. That’s not what happened. Instead, the string players worked together to coordinate their bowings. The woodwinds came up with recording systems that allowed them to tune to one another. Players recorded multiple takes and created videos of the highest musical and technical quality. They went to extraordinary lengths to make the project a success.” – Dallas Morning News
The Plan For Movie Theatres, If There Can Be A Plan At All
What the shutdown has revealed; “The theater industry is crucial to giant studios, which for the most part aren’t interested in proceeding without theaters. The profits come from selling tickets.” – The Atlantic
Sneaking In A Terrible Private Development Idea Under Cover Of The Pandemic
Does any of this seem like a good idea right now? “The scheme is set to bring a 12,500-seat arena, 300-room hotel and three vast exhibition halls to the 10-acre waterside site, along with shops and restaurants, all packed inside a crumpled mishmash of competing structures. It looks like the compromised result of design-by-committee, employing a plethora of materials and awkward angles in a vain attempt to break up the lumpen mass. Public reaction has been caustic.” – The Guardian (UK)
A New PBS Series Is (Depressingly) Relevant Right Now
Actor Daniel Dae Kim, one of the first celebrities (after Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson) to reveal that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, is one of the narrators for a new series that chronicles the centuries-long history of Asian Americans in North America. Kim: “What will it take for us to be considered American? I think that’s a central question of this documentary, as you see even today elderly Asian-Americans being beaten and taunted in the midst of this virus.” – The New York Times
Museums In Europe Reopen Slowly, Cautiously, And With Both Joy And Fear
This is the way it’s working in Germany and (soon) Belgium: “How are art museums to reopen without endangering staff and visitors? Cimam, the international committee for museums and collections, has already laid out some unarguably rational rules. Timed entry, limited viewing slots, one-way systems. Online booking, plexiglass barriers, face masks and hand gel. No paper, no maps, no headphones; obviously no group tours.” – The Guardian (UK)