Friday August 31 IRANIAN FILMMAKER ARRESTED: “A chill wind blew through the Iranian film world yesterday, with the news that feminist filmmaker Tahmineh Milani has been arrested. Milani is a heroine of the New Iranian Cinema, which, despite the restrictive politics of the fundamentalist regime, has produced some of the best recent films on the world … Continue reading “Media: August 2001”
Tuesday July 31 WE REAP WHAT WE SOW: Artists in China can have a hard time pushing the envelope, what with the political repression, the torture, and all. So many have turned to a completely apolitical form of “shock art” based on visually disturbing images. “They reflect the bizarre direction in which Chinese art has moved … Continue reading “Issues: July 2001”
Friday June 29 INVESTING IN CREATIVITY: A new New England report urges major new investment in the region’s arts. “Among the suggestions: setting up a Creative Economy Council to spur economic development and promote partnerships between arts groups, educational institutions, government, and business.” Boston Globe 06/28/01 LEAVING JAPAN INC: “Thousands of Japan’s most talented and creative individuals are … Continue reading “Issues: June 2001”
Friday June 29 ANTICIPATING AI: The most carefully watched-for movie of the season, after Pearl Harbor, is probably A.I., which has just opened. It began as a Stanley Kubrick project and was finished after his death by Steven Spielberg. Early reviews are mixed on the effectiveness of the collaboration: it’s “fascinating but cold,” “a movie at war with itself,” “uneven and ultimately … Continue reading “Media: June 2001”
Sunday April 29 A NEW ERA FOR BROADWAY? Does the success of The Producers signal the beginning of a new era on Broadway? “The Producers isn’t just a hit; it’s a fully-fledged event in a city that thrives on such things, and its cultural repercussions look sure to be felt in English-speaking theatre the world over, although given its subject … Continue reading “Theatre: April 2001”
While most dance companies struggle with paying the rent, the 11-member David Parsons Company “operates firmly in the black with a remarkable 90 percent earned income, and has been touring roughly 40 weeks a year. Four months ago, the company moved into a brand new building on 42d Street in Manhattan, affording it a 1,500-square-foot … Continue reading “DANCE AS A BUSINESS”
Wednesday February 28 CRACKING DOWN ON ILLEGAL ART IMPORTS: Until now, when the US Customs Office seized art it suspected was being illegally imported, it had to prove that the importer was not the real owner. Now, the US has collaborated with Italy to tighten import laws – from now on importers will have to prove … Continue reading “Visual: February 2001”
Wednesday February 28 MAD FOR MOVIES: The audience for movies in Korea grew by 12 percent last year. But that audience wasn’t wild about the home team. “The audience share of Korean films decreased 3.2 percent to 32.6 percent, with foreign films attracting 67.4 percent of the audience.” Korea Times 02/28/01 WHERE CREDIT IS DUE: One of the … Continue reading “Media: February 2001”
As Canada’s superstore bookseller struggles to keep alive, one thing is obvious: “This country is simply too sparsely populated over too great a geographic diversity to allow for the kind of volume turnover that a chain of 77 big-box stores and more than 200 smaller outlets requires to keep its bottom line from turning red.” … Continue reading “PERILS OF PUBLISHING, CANADIAN EDITION”
Gordon Davis, on taking the top job running Lincoln Center: “If you go to Lincoln Center in all its different facets, there is already a wide diversity of audiences, which is wonderful. What some people don’t understand is that you don’t try to reach more diverse audiences because it’s somehow “The Right Thing To Do.’ … Continue reading “NEW LINCOLN CENTER PREZ”
