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'It's time to think who should be referred to as actors, models': Actors Equity Bangladesh
Actors' Equity Bangladesh (Obhinoy Shilpi Shongho), a dedicated and professional organization of television actors, has issued a statement in response to the ongoing debate over the arrests of model and former TV presenter Faria Mahbub Piyasha and model Mariam Akhter Mou.
Shared from the organization's official Facebook page, the statement has disputed the attributes or accomplishments that permitted the disgraced duo to identify themselves as actors or models.
"Nowadays, anyone who appears in the photoshoots for tailoring shops or a few billboard ads or television and online commercials doesn't hesitate to call themselves actors or models; without having the dedication, concentration, knowledge, philosophy, preparation, social and professional responsibility and other necessary attributes that are required to become a model or an actor," the organization said through the statement.
READ: Model Piyasha and Mou placed on 3-day remand
The organization also pointed out that many Bangladeshi actors and models have earned respect with their work and made their families proud, have received unconditional love from people, garnered social and national recognition, have become the norm for millions of people as the role models - and all these achievements often get chastised when media labels random people as models and actors when they get arrested for their misdeeds.
"Labelling random people as cultural activists, entertainment stakeholders, models or actors - their works, interest in work, social responsibility, preparation, and other factors must be examined," the statement added.
Echoing their support to the statement, several actors and media personalities shared the post from their own Facebook profiles including Jaya Ahsan, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Sazu Khadem, Rafiath Rashid Mithila and more.
READ: Tashnuva Anan breaks the barrier again with Yamaha
The current president of Actors Equity Bangladesh is Shahiduzzaman Selim, who is serving the organization alongside Vice Presidents Azad Abdul Kalam, Tania Ahmed, and Iqbal Babu.
Earlier, the Detective Branch (DB) of police detained model and former TV presenter Faria Mahbub Piyasha following a raid at her Baridhara residence and another model named Mariam Akter Mou from her Mohammadpur residence during a separate drive in the early hours of Sunday. Foreign liquor, shisha, yaba pills and other narcotic substances were seized from the residence, according to Police.
MTV marks 40th anniversary with a new 'Moon Person' design
MTV is marking its 40th anniversary with a relaunch of its iconic image of an astronaut on the moon, with an MTV flag planted nearby.
On Sunday, the media network unveiled a large scale “Moon Person” during a ceremony at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The new design was inspired by a Moon Person image created this year by Kehinde Wiley, who painted the portrait of former President Barack Obama for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. In an interview this week with The Associated Press, MTV Entertainment President and CEO Chris McCarthy said that the image of space travel fit well with the spirit of its young audience.
READ: MTV, Save the Music launch grant named after J Dilla
“This is our third generation that we’re reinventing for. Gen Z is by far one of the most interesting, incredibly creative and optimistic generations,” he said. “And so we thought, “Let’s go back to the origins and do it with NASA, but really do it about the next frontier, which represents generation Z and really represents a beautiful moon person that Kehinde built and where we’re going to be heading next.’”
NASA footage of the historic Apollo 11 landing in 1969, with the MTV flag added to the mix, were the first images to appear on MTV back on August 1, 1981, and the first video was the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.” MTV vastly expanded the power of visual images in the music industry and has since broadly expanded its reach, broadcasting worldwide and adding such influential channels and programs as VH1, Comedy Central and the early reality show “The Real World.”
After fans, reviewers, music industry leaders and such artists as David Bowie criticized the channel for airing videos of virtually only white performers in its first years, MTV began playing more Michael Jackson and other Black artists who proved highly popular. The hip-hop program “Yo! MTV Raps,” which debuted in the U.S. in 1988, was lauded for highlighting a subculture which eventually became mass culture.
“I would be lying if I didn’t say that we made mistakes along the way. One of the bigger mistakes in the early years was not playing enough diverse music,” McCarthy said. “So we certainly have had our bumps in the road and made some mistakes. But the nice thing that I’ve always learned at MTV is we have no problem owning our mistakes, quickly correcting them and trying to do the right thing and always follow where the audience is going.”
MTV now has a vast presence on social media, with more than 700 million followers of MTV Entertainment.
READ: Missy Elliott honored at MTV VMAs; Swift wins top prize
“We launched as a video channel on what was the new medium of the time in 1981, which, hard to believe, that was cable,” McCarthy said. “I think the fun and interesting thing about MTV ... is to constantly have to blow yourself up and forget everything you knew in order for us to recreate a brand new entity for each generation.”
Habib releases new duet with Nancy
Popular singer-musician Habib Wahid released a brand new song titled "Brishti Jodi Na Thame Aj" on Friday, by initiating a unique lyric-hunting venture on social media platform Facebook.
Composed by Habib Wahid, the lyrics of the duet track which also features popular singer Nazmun Munira Nancy as Habib's co-vocal, are written by 6 of Habib Wahid's fans who were selected by the singer-composer himself from his official Facebook page.
Uploaded on Habib Wahid's official YouTube channel on Friday, the song has already garnered over 66 thousand views, just within a few hours of its release.
READ: Former Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison dies at 46
Initially, the project was focused on being a single track, later it was turned into a duet based on the demand of its lyrics, also revealing Nancy as a surprise in this exceptional song project. The announcement happened on Wednesday night during the recording of the song titled "Brishti Jodi Na Thame Aj".
After recording the song, Habib and Nancy appeared with a video message from Habib Wahid's official Facebook page, sharing the details of the song project.
In the video, Habib said, ‘Today I am very excited because I am going to announce a brand new track, that has been a totally new process of composing a song. It was a different experience for me. The biggest thing is that my fans have written the lyrics, picked from their submitted lines in my post on July 5 - and I was really surprised."
"I have never imagined that I would get such good lines from my audience, for the overall lyrics. I would have selected everyone's submitted songlines If I could fit them all, but I had to take the writings of a few. The song is going to be an amazing one, now being a duel featuring Nancy."
Praising this unique collaboration, Nancy said, "I think it was a very unique idea. The usual process that we always observe is that a song is written by one or two people, but I have never seen a song that has been written by 6 people - and that too from a social media platform like Facebook."
READ: Scarlett Johansson sues Disney over ‘Black Widow’ release
"This is a testament that how much Habib Wahid loves his fans and audiences. It is a great honour for me to be a part of such a project," she added.
On July 26, Habib announced the names of the selected commenters who have contributed the lines for the song titled "Brishti Jodi Na Thame Aj". These lyricists are Mukul Chandra Roy, Sufian Khan, Md Shahadt Hossain, Md Jahid Hasan, Md Ebriad Hasan Polock and Catherine Alo Mardi.
READ: Tashnuva Anan breaks the barrier again with Yamaha
Earlier, Habib wrote a status on his Facebook page on July 5 stating "Brishti Jodi ar Na Thame Aj". He then offered his fans to complete the song by writing the rest of the lyrics.
READ: Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty's husband arrested
Scarlett Johansson sues Disney over ‘Black Widow’ release
Scarlett Johansson is suing the Walt Disney Co. over its streaming release of “Black Widow,” which she said breached her contract and deprived her of potential earnings.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the “Black Widow” star and executive producer said her contract guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news of the lawsuit.
Johansson’s potential earnings were tied to the box office performance of the film, which the company released simultaneously in theaters and on its streaming service Disney+ for a $30 rental.
Also read: Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty's husband arrested
“In the months leading up to this lawsuit, Ms. Johansson gave Disney and Marvel every opportunity to right their wrong and make good on Marvel’s promise,” the lawsuit said. “Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the Agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel.”
Disney said the lawsuit has “no merit whatsoever.”
“The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Disney said in a statement. “Disney has fully complied with Ms. Johansson’s contract and furthermore, the release of Black Widow on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20M she has received to date.”
After its release was delayed more than a year because of COVID-19, “Black Widow” debuted to a pandemic-best of $80 million in North America and $78 million from international theaters three weeks ago, but theatrical grosses declined sharply after that. In its second weekend in release, the National Association of Theater Owners issued a rare statement criticizing the strategy asserting that simultaneous release lends itself only to lost profits and higher quality piracy.
Also read: ‘Titane’ wins top Cannes honor, 2nd ever for female director
Once taboo, hybrid theatrical and streaming releases have become more normal for many of the biggest studios during the pandemic, with each adopting its own unique strategy. This weekend, Disney is employing the same strategy with “Jungle Cruise,” and next weekend Warner Bros. big budget “The Suicide Squad” opens both in theaters and on HBO Max.
The revised hybrid release strategies over the 16 months have occasionally led to public spats from not just theater owners, but stars, filmmakers and financiers who are unhappy with the potential lost revenues and the alleged unilateral decision-making involved.
The WSJ said Warner Media, for instance, paid over $200 million in “amended agreements” with talent over its decision to release its entire 2021 slate simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max.
But none have been as public as Johansson’s lawsuit. The actor, who has been in nine Marvel movies going back to 2010’s “Iron Man 2,” quickly became a trending topic on Twitter on Thursday after news of the lawsuit broke.
Former Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison dies at 46
Former drummer and co-founder of the American rock band Slipknot, Joey Jordison has died at the age of 47, the musician's family said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Jordison, who left Slipknot in 2013, died in his sleep on Monday, July 26. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed. The musician's funeral will be closed to the general public, his relatives emphasized.
Read: Ginger Baker, Cream's volatile drummer, dies at 80
Slipknot was founded in Iowa in 1995. Jordison was it's drummer for over 18 years. Several Slipknot albums have been certified platinum (over 15 mln copies sold), and in 2006 the group was awarded a Grammy for the song "Before I Forget." After leaving Slipknot, Jordison played in such bands as Scar the Martyr and Sinsaenum.
Read: Aerosmith drummer sues to rejoin band for Grammy honors
Tashnuva Anan breaks the barrier again with Yamaha
Renowned model, artist and social worker Tashnuva Anan Shishir breaks the barrier of social stereotypes once again, this time with her appearance in the mainstream commercial advertisement industry in the country for international motorcycle brand Yamaha.As the first transgender woman appearing in the advertisement industry for a globally renowned brand, Tashnuva Anan Shishir has recently acted in a commercial for Yamaha Motorcycles Bangladesh, a concern of ACI Motors Ltd.The commercial, directed by Sojol Ahmed under the banner of Retro Pictures, has garnered an overwhelming response on social media with a stellar performance of herself and Niloy, telling an affectionate story between a jobholder duo of siblings.
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Sharing her feelings and working experience with UNB, Shishir said she is extremely overwhelmed with her maiden advertisement for an international brand, marking only her second appearance in the advertisement industry."I cannot express how overwhelming and supportive the entire team was for the commercial of Yamaha, which is a globally renowned motorcycle brand. I was a little bit nervous as this was a big venture for me, but the shoot went very well with everyone’s cordial cooperation," Shishir told UNB.
The first-ever transgender woman news presenter in Bangladesh, Shishir joined Boishakhi TV’s newsdesk marking the occasion of this year’s International Women's Day on March 8.
Read: Tashnuva Anan makes history as first transgender woman to present the news in Bangladesh
Alongside her activities in the media industry, Tashnuva Anan Shishir is currently pursuing her international Master’s degree in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at the Brac James P Grant School of Public Health (JPGSPH), Brac University with scholarships in two categories.An active member of the renowned theatre troupe BotTala, Shishir has been working for theatre since 2007. She has recently appeared in Anonno Mamun’s film ‘Koshai’ as a detective officer and will be seen on director’s Syed Shahriar’s upcoming cinema ‘Goal’ as a football coach.In her illustrious career, she worked as the Case Management Officer in the Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program (OKUP) from June 2020, worked as the project officer in Bandhu Social Welfare Society and also worked in other voluntary projects before for organizations including Sangat - A Feminist Network, Roopban, Oboyob and Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC).
Read: Meet Tashnuva Anan Shishir: the first transgender woman in Bangladesh to present the news
She also served as the Executive Officer for the National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh; Research Assistant for Re Think Bangladesh and ICDDR, B (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh), as well as the Cultural Facilitator for SEPP (Social Economic Enhancement Program).
Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty's husband arrested
Indian police have arrested Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty's businessman-husband Raj Kundra for allegedly making and uploading on OTT (over-the-top) platforms a number of pornograhic films.
Raj was taken into custody late on Monday evening by the crime branch of the Mumbai police in India's entertainment capital, after hours of questioning in a case involving the creation of pornograhic films that was lodged in February this year.
Read:Bollywood actor Fatima behind Aamir Khan's divorce?
According to police officials, the pornograhic films were shot in India and then transferred to Britain via a UK-based firm. The Mumbai police have arrested a total of nine people in this case.
"There was a case registered with the crime branch Mumbai in February 2021 about the creation of pornographic films and publishing them through some apps. We've arrested Raj Kundra in this case as he appears to be the key conspirator of this," the Mumbai police said in a statement.
Though cops claimed to possess "sufficient evidences" against Raj, the 45-year-old British-Indian businessman insisted that he was innocent.
In 2013, Raj hogged media limelight after he was grilled by Delhi Police in connection with a betting and spot-fixing scandal that rocked the multi-million dollar cricketing tournament Indian Premier League. He's a co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals team.
Shilpa and Raj tied the knot in 2009, after dating for a couple of months. They have two children -- a son and a daughter.
Read:Dilip Kumar: Life History, Success Story of the Legendary Indian Film Star
A former model, Shilpa made her Bollywood debut in the thriller Baazigar (1993) starring Shah Rukh Khan as an anti-hero in the lead role. She went on to act in several other successful flicks, including action comedy Main Khiladi Tu Anari in 1994 and romantic drama Dhadkan six years later.
Shilpa is also a celebrity endorser for several leading brands and products as well as a number of fitness campaigns such as the Fit India Movement, launched by the Indian government.
‘Titane’ wins top Cannes honor, 2nd ever for female director
Julia Ducournau’s “Titane,” a wild body-horror thriller featuring sex with a car and a surprisingly tender heart, won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, making Ducournau just the second female filmmaker to win the festival’s top honor in its 74 year history.
The win on Saturday was mistakenly announced by jury president Spike Lee at the top of the closing ceremony, broadcast in France on Canal+, unleashing a few moments of confusion. Ducournau, a French filmmaker, didn’t come to the stage to accept the award until the formal announcement at the end of the ceremony. But the early hint didn’t diminish from her emotional response.
“I’m sorry, I keep shaking my head,” said Ducournau, catching her breath. “Is this real? I don’t know why I’m speaking English right now because I’m French. This evening has been so perfect because it was not perfect.”
Read Best Comedy Movies of All Time: Humour in Films through Century
After several false starts, Lee implored Sharon Stone to make the Palme d’Or announcement, explaining: “She’s not going to mess it up.” The problems started earlier when Lee was asked to say which prize would be awarded first. Instead, he announced the evening’s final prize, as fellow juror Mati Diop plunged her head into her hands and others rushed to stop him.
Lee, himself, spent several moments with his head in his hands before apologizing profusely for taking a lot of the suspense out of the evening.
“I have no excuses,” Lee told reporters afterward. “I messed up. I’m a big sports fan. It’s like the guy at the end of the game who misses the free throw.”
Read Rehana Maryam Noor is one of the most powerful films from South Asia: Anurag Kashyap
“I messed up,” he added. “As simple as that.”
Ducournau’s win was a long-awaited triumph. The only previous female filmmaker to win Cannes’ top honor — among the most prestigious awards in cinema — was Jane Campion for “The Piano” in 1993. In recent years, frustration at Cannes’ gender parity has grown, including in 2018, when 82 women — including Agnes Varda, Cate Blanchett and Salma Hayek — protested gender inequality on the Cannes red carpet. Their number signified the movies by female directors selected to compete for the Palme d’Or — 82 compared to 1,645 films directed by men. This year, four out of 24 films up for the Palme were directed by women.
In 2019, another genre film — Bong Joon-Ho’s “Parasite” — took the Palme before going on to win best picture at the Academy Awards, too. That choice was said to be unanimous by the jury led by Alejandro González Iñárritu, but the award for “Titane” — an extremely violent film — this year’s jury said came out of a democratic process of conversation and debate. Juror Maggie Gyllenhaal said they didn’t agree unanimously on anything.
Read ‘Rehana Maryam Noor’ Review: The Bangladeshi movie screened in 74th Cannes Film Festival
“The world is passion,” said Lee. “Everyone was passionate about a particular film they wanted and we worked it out.”
In “Titane,” which like “Parasite” will be distributed in the U.S. by Neon, Agathe Rousselle plays a serial killer who flees home. As a child, a car accident leaves her with a titanium plate in her head and a strange bond with automobiles. In possibly the most-talked-about scene at the festival, she’s impregnated by a Cadillac. Lee called it a singular experience.
“This is the first film ever where a Cadillac impregnates a woman,” said Lee, who said he wanted to ask Ducournau what year the car was. “That’s genius and craziness together. Those two things often match up.”
Read Azmeri Haque Badhon: Starring the Title Role of 'Rehana Maryam Noor' Film Premiered in 74th Cannes
On stage, Ducournau thanked the jury “for letting the monsters in.” Afterward, she acknowledged to reporters her place in history, but also said she “can’t be boiled down to just being a woman.”
“Quite frankly, I hope that the prize I received has nothing to do with being a woman,” said Ducournau. “As I’m the second woman to receive this prize, I thought a lot about Jane Campion and how she felt when she won.”
More women will come after her, Ducournau said. “There will be a third, there will be a fourth, there will be a fifth.”
Read Dilip Kumar: Life History, Success Story of the Legendary Indian Film Star
Cannes’ closing ceremony capped 12 days of red-carpet premieres, regular COVID-19 testing for many attendees and the first major film festival to be held since the pandemic began in almost its usual form. With smaller crowds and mandated mask-wearing in theaters, Cannes pushed forward with an ambitious slate of global cinema. Last year’s festival was completely canceled by the pandemic.
The slate, assembled as a way to help stir movies after a year where movies shrank to smaller screens and red carpets grew cobwebs, was widely considered to be strong, and featured many leading international filmmakers. The awards were spread out widely.
The grand prize was split between Asghar Farhadi’s Iranian drama “A Hero” and Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen’s “Compartment No. 6.”
Read Abdullah Mohammad Saad: The Director of ‘Rehana Maryam Noor’
Best director was awarded to Leos Carax for “Annette,” the fantastical musical starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard that opened the festival. The award was accepted by the musical duo Sparks, Ron and Russell Mael, who wrote the script and music for the film.
Jurors also split the jury prize. That was awarded to both Nadav Lapid’s “Ahed’s Knee,” an impassioned drama about creative freedom in modern Isreal; and to Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasthakul’s “Memoria,” a meditative film starring Tilda Swinton.
Caleb Landry Jones took home the best actor prize for his performance as an Australian mass killer in the fact-based “Nitram” by Justin Kurzel. Renate Reinsve won best actress for Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World.” Best screenplay went to Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car,” a Haruki Murakami adaptation he penned with Takamasa Oe.
Read Asia in Cannes: Spotlight on Asian Movies in 74th Cannes Film Festival
The Croatian coming-of-age drama “Murina,” by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, took the Camera d’Or award, a non-jury prize, for best first feature. Kusijanović was absent from the ceremony after giving birth a day earlier.
Lee was the first Black jury president at Cannes. His fellow jury members were: Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Song Kang-ho, Tahar Rahim, Mati Diop, Jessica Hausner, Kleber Mendonça Filho and Mylène Farmer.
Read Best Movies Preview: The Anticipation on the Run for Cannes Film Festival 2021
Folk music legend Fakir Alamgir in ICU with Covid-19
Legendary folk singer Fakir Alamgir was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the United Hospital in the capital on Thursday night after contracting Covid-19.
The folk icon has been suffering from fever for the last three days and was taken to a local hospital after his condition worsened, said his wife Suraiya Alamgir.
Read:Mushfiq’s parents test positive for Covid-19
She said Alamgir's lungs are 25 percent infected and sought dua from his fans, admirers and well-wishers.
Fakir Alamgir stepped into the music arena in 1966 and played a vital role during the mass upsurge of 1969 as a member of the Kranti Shilpi Gosthi and Gana Shilpi Gosthi. During the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, he joined the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra and performed frequently to inspire freedom fighters.
After the independence of the country, Alamgir played a pivotal role in the development of Bengali pop music alongside Ferdous Wahid, Azam Khan, Pilu Momtaz and others by combining indigenous tunes with western music.
Read: Khaled Mahmud tests positive for Covid-19
In his illustrious career, several of his songs including "O Sokhina", "Shantahar", "Nelson Mandela", "Naam Tar Chhilo John Henry", "Banglar Comrade Bondhu" became very popular and achieved monumental success.
A Masters' graduate of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Dhaka University, Fakir Alamgir has also been a writer. He has published several books including 'Gono Sangeet er Oteet O Bortoman', 'Muktijuddher Smriti o Bijoyer Gaan', 'Amar Kotha', 'Jara Achhen Hridoypotey' and more.
Read: Abul Hayat tests positive for Covid-19
Alamgir is the founder of the cultural organization 'Wrishiz Shilpi Gosthi' in 1976. He has also served as the president of Gono Sangeet Shamanya Parishad (GSSP).
The government awarded the Ekushey Padak to Fakir Alamgir in 1999 for his significant contribution to music.
Spike Lee, ‘Annette’ kick off 74th Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival rolled out the red carpet for the first time in more than two years on Tuesday, launching the French Riviera spectacular with the premiere of Leos Carax’s “Annette,” the introduction of Spike Lee’s jury, and with high hopes for shrugging off a punishing pandemic year for cinema.
The 74th Cannes opened Tuesday with as much glitz as it could summon, led by “Annette,” a fantastical musical starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard and scored by the musical duo Sparks. The opening ceremony also returned last year’s Palme d’Or winner, Bong Joon Ho (for “Parasite”) and Jodie Foster, who first came to Cannes as a 13-year-old with Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver,” for an honorary Palme.
The occasion drew a wide spectrum of film luminaries back to Cannes to celebrate the festival, canceled last year due to the COVID-19 virus. Pedro Almodovar, Jessica Chastain, Helen Mirren and Bella Hadid walked the red carpet, which was again lined with tuxedoed photographers and surrounded by eager onlookers.
“So it feels good to go out,” said Foster in French.
Read:Bollywood legend Dilip Kumar dies
“Vivre la France!” declared Lee.
The festival was officially declared open by Bong, Almodovar, Foster and Lee, in a mix of Korean, Spanish, French and English. Over the next 10 days, the Cannes Film Festival will try to resuscitate global cinema on a grand scale.
Cannes has pushed ahead in much its usual form, with splashy red-carpet displays and a lineup of many of the world’s most revered filmmakers, including Asghar Farhadi, Wes Anderson, Mia Hansen-Love and Paul Verhoeven. Festivalgoers are tested every 48 hours, seated shoulder to shoulder and masked for screenings.
Lee, who is heading the jury that will decide this year’s Palme, arrived earlier in the day wearing a “1619” baseball hat and trying to keep a low profile. “I’m not trying to be a hog,” he said to reporters, urging them to ask his fellow jurors questions.
But Lee’s presence was hard to ignore. His face as Mars Blackmon from his 1986 feature film debut “She’s Gotta Have It” (which premiered at Cannes) adorns this year’s poster at the festival central hub, the Palais des Festivals. Lee is the first Black person to ever lead Cannes’ prestigious jury. In his first comments, in response to a question from Chaz Ebert, widow of Roger Ebert, Lee spoke about how little has changed since 1989′s “Do the Right Thing” — which made a controversial debut at Cannes.
“When you see brother Eric Garner, when you see king George Floyd murdered, lynched, I think of Ray (Radio) Raheem,” Lee said, referring to the “Do the Right Thing” character. After 30-plus years, you’d “think and hope,” Lee said, “that Black people would have stopped being hunted down like animals.”
Much of the talk on Tuesday at Cannes centered on injustice and survival. That the festival was even happening, after last year’s edition was canceled, was a surprise to some. Maggie Gyllenhaal, who’ll see the 24 films in competition for the Palme as a member of the jury over the next 12 days, said it will be her first time in a movie theater in 15 months. When “Parasite” actor Song Kang Ho was invited to be a juror, he said, “I thought: Will there really be a festival?”
“The fact that we’re here today, it’s really a miracle,” said Song.
Read:Bollywood actor Fatima behind Aamir Khan's divorce?
Still, much of the usual pomp is toned down this year. There’s a relative dearth of promotion up and down Cannes’ oceanfront promenade, the Croisette, and Hollywood has less of a role than in years past. Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho (“Bacurau”), a juror, added that in some parts of the world, cinema is under siege. In President Jair Bolsonaro’s Brazil, he said, the national cinematheque has been closed and its staff dismantled.
“This is a very clear demonstration of contempt for cinema and for culture,” said Filho, who noted the tragedy of Brazil reaching 500,000 dead from COVID-19 when, he said, many thousands could have been saved by a stronger governmental response.
That conversation was prompted in part by a Georgian journalist who asked jury members about resistance. Russia invaded the former Soviet republic in 2008.
“The world is run by gangsters,” said Lee, listing former U.S. President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In that context, the regular topics of concern at Cannes were perhaps dwarfed. But the jurors made passionate cases for the future of movies — and a more inclusive future. This year’s competition lineup includes a Cannes-high four female filmmakers, but they still make up a fraction of the 24 filmmakers vying for the Palme.
Read:Asia in Cannes: Spotlight on Asian Movies in 74th Cannes Film Festival
“I think when women are listening to themselves and really expressing themselves, even inside, about a very, very male culture, we make movies differently. We tell stories differently,” said Gyllenhaal. She recalled watching Jane Campion’s “The Piano” (the lone film directed by a woman to ever win the Palme) as formative and unfiltered. “It just went in straight.”
The rise of streaming also took the spotlight. Cannes has refused to select films without French theatrical distribution for its competition lineup. The festival and Netflix have been at odds for several years. On Monday, Thierry Fremaux, festival director, cited Cannes’ record at discovering filmmakers and asked: “What directors have been discovered by (streaming) platforms?”
Lee, who made last year’s “Da 5 Bloods” for Netflix, hardly bated an eye when asked about the subject.
“Cinema and screening platforms can coexist,” said Lee, who called Cannes “the world’s greatest film festival.” “At one time, there was a thinking that TV was going to kill cinema. So, this stuff is not new.”