A San Sebastian competition contender, Isabel Herguera’s awaited debut feature film, animated feature “Sultana’s Dream,” (“El sueño de la sultana”), has a first trailer, which Variety can share exclusively.
Seen at Annecy as a work in progress, the feminist film will world premiere at Spain’s 71st San Sebastian, becoming the first animation feature directed by a woman to garner selection.
Producers of “Unicorn Wars” Abano Producións and UniKo, join El Gatoverde Producciones, Sultana Films and Fabian & Fred, to bring this three-part animated feature, recounting the modern-day vicissitudes of a Spanish artist in India; the travails of real-life feminist thinker Rokeya Hossain; and the story she published remarkably as early as 1905 about Ladyland, where women hold the dominant power.
The trailer showcases the immense artistry between the three parts. Visually distinct it shows Ines, the main protagonist, in 2D ink and watercolour. We then see shadow puppets...
Seen at Annecy as a work in progress, the feminist film will world premiere at Spain’s 71st San Sebastian, becoming the first animation feature directed by a woman to garner selection.
Producers of “Unicorn Wars” Abano Producións and UniKo, join El Gatoverde Producciones, Sultana Films and Fabian & Fred, to bring this three-part animated feature, recounting the modern-day vicissitudes of a Spanish artist in India; the travails of real-life feminist thinker Rokeya Hossain; and the story she published remarkably as early as 1905 about Ladyland, where women hold the dominant power.
The trailer showcases the immense artistry between the three parts. Visually distinct it shows Ines, the main protagonist, in 2D ink and watercolour. We then see shadow puppets...
- 9/20/2023
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
The film depicts a utopia where women rule the country.
Austria-based sales agency Square Eyes has acquired world sales rights to Sultana’s Dream, a Spanish animation feature that will have its world premiere in the official selection at San Sebastian Film Festival in September.
The feature debut of Spanish filmmaker Isabel Herguera, Sultana’s Dream follows a Spanish artist living in India, who stumbles upon a science fiction story about Ladyland, a utopia where women rule the country while men live in seclusion and are responsible for household chores.
The story is based on a 1905 short story of the...
Austria-based sales agency Square Eyes has acquired world sales rights to Sultana’s Dream, a Spanish animation feature that will have its world premiere in the official selection at San Sebastian Film Festival in September.
The feature debut of Spanish filmmaker Isabel Herguera, Sultana’s Dream follows a Spanish artist living in India, who stumbles upon a science fiction story about Ladyland, a utopia where women rule the country while men live in seclusion and are responsible for household chores.
The story is based on a 1905 short story of the...
- 7/31/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Get to shout out "Rhlstp!!" like a proper cool kid as the multi-award-winning and perennially popular live podcast interview series in which comedian Richard Herring chats with some of the biggest names in comedy and entertainment tours this autumn. Usually recorded in London’s glittering West End, Rhlstp is going on the road. The UK & Ire 2023 / 2024 tour will start in September and includes dates in Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Salford, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff and Dublin, along with multiple dates at the show’s spiritual home in London’s Leicester Square Theatre.
Tickets go on general sale at 10am on Friday 30th June with an exclusive fan pre-sale on Thursday 29th June for Rhlstp badgers and plussers. To become a badger/plusser or to view all dates visit, visit richardherring.com
Richard Herring enjoys continual success as both a writer and performer and is widely known an innovator in the world of podcasts,...
Tickets go on general sale at 10am on Friday 30th June with an exclusive fan pre-sale on Thursday 29th June for Rhlstp badgers and plussers. To become a badger/plusser or to view all dates visit, visit richardherring.com
Richard Herring enjoys continual success as both a writer and performer and is widely known an innovator in the world of podcasts,...
- 6/29/2023
- Podnews.net
Isabel Herguera’s upcoming feature debut “Sultana’s Dream” will be divided into three parts, San Sebastián-born animation artist said at Annecy.
“Innocently enough, I thought it would make things much easier. It didn’t,” she deadpanned, comparing the process to walking a tightrope.
“You don’t know if you are going to fall or not.”
In the film, Inés, a Spanish artist living in India, stumbles upon “Sultana’s Dream” – a story by real-life feminist thinker Rokeya Hossain, written in 1905. It describes Ladyland, a place where women rule the country while men live in seclusion, responsible for household chores.
“Here, we do the logical thing. It’s men that pose a danger to women, not the other way around,” it was explained in the clip presented at the fest, to the applause of the audience.
Each part comes with its own visual style, said Herguera.
While Inés’ journey is rendered in 2D,...
“Innocently enough, I thought it would make things much easier. It didn’t,” she deadpanned, comparing the process to walking a tightrope.
“You don’t know if you are going to fall or not.”
In the film, Inés, a Spanish artist living in India, stumbles upon “Sultana’s Dream” – a story by real-life feminist thinker Rokeya Hossain, written in 1905. It describes Ladyland, a place where women rule the country while men live in seclusion, responsible for household chores.
“Here, we do the logical thing. It’s men that pose a danger to women, not the other way around,” it was explained in the clip presented at the fest, to the applause of the audience.
Each part comes with its own visual style, said Herguera.
While Inés’ journey is rendered in 2D,...
- 6/15/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer has confirmed Kirsty Young’s first podcast as part of a range of new commissions for BBC Radio 4. The announcement was made during a speech at the Voice of the Listener and Viewer conference, with shows hosted by some of the country’s best-known names. The new content led by Kirsty Young, Helena Bonham-Carter, Mary Beard and Martha Kearney will range from ancient Rome to an ambitious partnership with The National Portrait Gallery and stories from the unsung war heroes of the Second World War.
- 5/11/2023
- by PodcastingToday
- Podcastingtoday
A more valid criterion will be to see how its influence survives today, or say, how at home we would be if we are somehow sent back to one of these civilisations?
On both these standards, ancient Rome, say in the late Republican period (1st century Bce), could well qualify.
In Rome of this period, you would find yourself in a large sprawling city, where plush neighbourhoods with elegant villas are interspersed with more crowded areas full of multi-storey buildings, streets teem with people from all over the known world, there are markets and various services, common people eagerly follow and gossip over the foibles of the rich and famous, are swayed by sops and entertainment spectacles, stay keenly involved in governance which, however, is largely a preserve of professional politicians with issues over public works, food subsidies, corruption et al predominating.
Unlike most other ancient civilisations across Europe, Asia,...
On both these standards, ancient Rome, say in the late Republican period (1st century Bce), could well qualify.
In Rome of this period, you would find yourself in a large sprawling city, where plush neighbourhoods with elegant villas are interspersed with more crowded areas full of multi-storey buildings, streets teem with people from all over the known world, there are markets and various services, common people eagerly follow and gossip over the foibles of the rich and famous, are swayed by sops and entertainment spectacles, stay keenly involved in governance which, however, is largely a preserve of professional politicians with issues over public works, food subsidies, corruption et al predominating.
Unlike most other ancient civilisations across Europe, Asia,...
- 4/9/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
The Lost King may look like geriatric matinee fare, but Sally Hawkins makes the film her own with another terrific, heartfelt performance. Hawkins is Philippa Langley, the amateur historian who led the exhumation of Richard III in a Leicester city car park. Some have questioned whether this event can sustain a feature film, but let’s not forget how remarkable this story is. Through diligence and almost obsessive focus, an enthusiast from the Edinburgh branch of the Richard III Society managed to rewrite history, correcting falsehoods that had lasted for over five hundred years.
Even if this still sounds dry to you, don’t discount the character work. I know very little of the real Philippa Langley, but the woman we are introduced to in The Lost King is deeply unhappy. Her life is one beset by stress and alienation. She’s separated from her partner John (Steve Coogan) and...
Even if this still sounds dry to you, don’t discount the character work. I know very little of the real Philippa Langley, but the woman we are introduced to in The Lost King is deeply unhappy. Her life is one beset by stress and alienation. She’s separated from her partner John (Steve Coogan) and...
- 9/28/2022
- by Jack Hawkins
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton have outlined the strategy behind their nascent film and TV company HiddenLight Productions, revealing that they have optioned a number of books, including Jacqueline Winspear’s “Maisie Dobbs” series.
Speaking at the Royal Television Society conference in Cambridge on Wednesday, the Clintons appeared via a virtual live-link, in conversation with British historian and presenter Mary Beard.
Hillary Clinton appeared to be very much in her element while discussing her production company’s goals within the content landscape, and what she and daughter Chelsea hoped to accomplish.
“It’s exciting because we believe passionately in bringing these stories to light,” said Hillary Clinton. “For too long, attention has been paid to the loudest voices in the room, but generations of tastemakers around the globe are making a difference. Today particularly, there’s a hunger for people to figure out how to make sense of our world.
Speaking at the Royal Television Society conference in Cambridge on Wednesday, the Clintons appeared via a virtual live-link, in conversation with British historian and presenter Mary Beard.
Hillary Clinton appeared to be very much in her element while discussing her production company’s goals within the content landscape, and what she and daughter Chelsea hoped to accomplish.
“It’s exciting because we believe passionately in bringing these stories to light,” said Hillary Clinton. “For too long, attention has been paid to the loudest voices in the room, but generations of tastemakers around the globe are making a difference. Today particularly, there’s a hunger for people to figure out how to make sense of our world.
- 9/15/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Russell Crowe Movie Shuts Down In Oz
Production on movie Poker Face, directed by and starring Russell Crowe, has been temporarily closed in Australia due to a Covid case among the crew. A second case is under investigation. The film had been shooting in and around Sydney, despite a local lockdown, and was six days away from wrap. Crowe announced the shutdown on Twitter this morning. The actor wrote: “Unfortunately 6 days from the end of our shoot on PokerFace we have had a confirmed positive Covid case amongst our crew and a second possible positive under further investigation by our PokerFace Covid team and NSWHealth…For the safety of cast and crew and the wider community, the production has been immediately paused and everyone instructed to isolate whilst the situation is looked into. We have followed strict protocols with cast and crew being tested 3 times a week for the past 11+ weeks…...
Production on movie Poker Face, directed by and starring Russell Crowe, has been temporarily closed in Australia due to a Covid case among the crew. A second case is under investigation. The film had been shooting in and around Sydney, despite a local lockdown, and was six days away from wrap. Crowe announced the shutdown on Twitter this morning. The actor wrote: “Unfortunately 6 days from the end of our shoot on PokerFace we have had a confirmed positive Covid case amongst our crew and a second possible positive under further investigation by our PokerFace Covid team and NSWHealth…For the safety of cast and crew and the wider community, the production has been immediately paused and everyone instructed to isolate whilst the situation is looked into. We have followed strict protocols with cast and crew being tested 3 times a week for the past 11+ weeks…...
- 8/31/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton will headline the Royal Television Society’s annual conference in Cambridge.
The two women will appear in conversation with Cambridge professor and television personality Mary Beard.
“They will talk about what they see in the world, the stories that fascinate them, and how their production company HiddenLight facilitates their global approach to storytelling,” the Rts said in a statement.
This year’s Rts Cambridge Convention, which is titled “Broadcast Britain: Reshaping Britishness on the global stage,” will also welcome speakers including England football manager Gareth Southgate, broadcaster Clare Balding and The Spectator editor Fraser Nelson, among others.
Broadcasting and political supremos will also be in attendance including British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, BBC director general Tim Davie and ITV CEO Carolyn McCall.
“The eminent combination of Hillary and Chelsea Clinton in conversation with Mary Beard promises an erudite and unmissable session, and a great...
The two women will appear in conversation with Cambridge professor and television personality Mary Beard.
“They will talk about what they see in the world, the stories that fascinate them, and how their production company HiddenLight facilitates their global approach to storytelling,” the Rts said in a statement.
This year’s Rts Cambridge Convention, which is titled “Broadcast Britain: Reshaping Britishness on the global stage,” will also welcome speakers including England football manager Gareth Southgate, broadcaster Clare Balding and The Spectator editor Fraser Nelson, among others.
Broadcasting and political supremos will also be in attendance including British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, BBC director general Tim Davie and ITV CEO Carolyn McCall.
“The eminent combination of Hillary and Chelsea Clinton in conversation with Mary Beard promises an erudite and unmissable session, and a great...
- 8/31/2021
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Warning: contains spoilers for Line of Duty series six.
When I tell Jed Mercurio that I felt bereft after the end of Line of Duty, he thanks me and jokes “Well, we do aim to leave people disappointed.” I’m talking about missing the communal viewing experience and frenzy of fan theories between episodes; he’s talking about a well-publicised outcry from some viewers that the finale’s ‘H’ mystery reveal was a let-down.
Speaking on Zoom three weeks after Line of Duty concluded – perhaps for good – Mercurio has answered the finale’s critics his way. On Twitter, he shared Audience Appreciation Index stats on the final series – scores out of 100 compiled on behalf of the BBC Audience Research Unit and used as an indicator of how viewers felt about a particular programme. He won’t argue with subjective reactions, he says, but will confront what he describes as a...
When I tell Jed Mercurio that I felt bereft after the end of Line of Duty, he thanks me and jokes “Well, we do aim to leave people disappointed.” I’m talking about missing the communal viewing experience and frenzy of fan theories between episodes; he’s talking about a well-publicised outcry from some viewers that the finale’s ‘H’ mystery reveal was a let-down.
Speaking on Zoom three weeks after Line of Duty concluded – perhaps for good – Mercurio has answered the finale’s critics his way. On Twitter, he shared Audience Appreciation Index stats on the final series – scores out of 100 compiled on behalf of the BBC Audience Research Unit and used as an indicator of how viewers felt about a particular programme. He won’t argue with subjective reactions, he says, but will confront what he describes as a...
- 5/27/2021
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
BBC Studios has pulled the curtain back on its latest global streamer, BBC Select, which will go live across the U.S. and Canada early next year and is being characterized as a TV service for “independent thinkers.”
BBC Select will launch on Amazon Prime Video and the Apple TV app and will specialize in factual programming, spotlighting culture, politics, and ideas. BBC Studios added that it will celebrate diverse voices with a candid, unbiased, and sometimes playful lens.
Its initial slate of shows will feature Louis Theroux’s BBC documentaries Selling Sex and Surviving America’s Most Hated Family, as well as Channel 4’s Grayson Perry: Big American Road Trip.
Exclusives include classicist Mary Beard’s Shock of the Nude, Reggie Yates in China, Putin – A Russian Spy Story, and Adam Curtis’ All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace.
“BBC Select is for those who crave knowledge,...
BBC Select will launch on Amazon Prime Video and the Apple TV app and will specialize in factual programming, spotlighting culture, politics, and ideas. BBC Studios added that it will celebrate diverse voices with a candid, unbiased, and sometimes playful lens.
Its initial slate of shows will feature Louis Theroux’s BBC documentaries Selling Sex and Surviving America’s Most Hated Family, as well as Channel 4’s Grayson Perry: Big American Road Trip.
Exclusives include classicist Mary Beard’s Shock of the Nude, Reggie Yates in China, Putin – A Russian Spy Story, and Adam Curtis’ All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace.
“BBC Select is for those who crave knowledge,...
- 12/16/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
The 77-year-old director’s thoughtful movie dispatch from his New York study for Mary Beard’s TV culture show is an affecting treat, and an honest reflection on ageing
Martin Scorsese’s Zoom call to the world is a marvellous coup for Mary Beard’s BBC Lockdown Culture special: a personal short film shot on his smartphone – sometimes artlessly in portrait mode, sometimes giving it a clockwise quarter-turn for the more professional landscape format. (He does seem to be holding the phone himself.)
It is a brief, intense, ruminative snapshot about his life in his New York apartment during the lockdown. We see Scorsese brooding on his house arrest. At some moments, his face looks very glum, as if perennially struck afresh with the novelty of what is happening, the fact that there is no end in sight, and the impossibility of coming to terms with it until there is.
Martin Scorsese’s Zoom call to the world is a marvellous coup for Mary Beard’s BBC Lockdown Culture special: a personal short film shot on his smartphone – sometimes artlessly in portrait mode, sometimes giving it a clockwise quarter-turn for the more professional landscape format. (He does seem to be holding the phone himself.)
It is a brief, intense, ruminative snapshot about his life in his New York apartment during the lockdown. We see Scorsese brooding on his house arrest. At some moments, his face looks very glum, as if perennially struck afresh with the novelty of what is happening, the fact that there is no end in sight, and the impossibility of coming to terms with it until there is.
- 5/29/2020
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Legendary filmmaker, Martin Scorsese has been putting his time in lockdown to good use. ‘The Irishman’ director has created an exclusive short based on his time in isolation for the BBC’s ‘Lockdown Culture with Mary Beard’.
The film sees Martin explore what lockdown has meant to him, self-shot by the award-winning filmmaker. It will premiere in the final episode of the show on Thursday 28th May at 7pm on BBC Two. In addition to Martin Scorsese, Director Lee Daniels will also feature, explaining why he believes the current shutdown in Hollywood could be a radical creative opportunity for filmmakers.
Talking about his experience in lockdown, Scorsese said: “What I look forward to in the future is carrying with me what I have been forced to learn in these circumstances. It is the essential. The people you love. Being able to take care of them and be with them as much as you can.
The film sees Martin explore what lockdown has meant to him, self-shot by the award-winning filmmaker. It will premiere in the final episode of the show on Thursday 28th May at 7pm on BBC Two. In addition to Martin Scorsese, Director Lee Daniels will also feature, explaining why he believes the current shutdown in Hollywood could be a radical creative opportunity for filmmakers.
Talking about his experience in lockdown, Scorsese said: “What I look forward to in the future is carrying with me what I have been forced to learn in these circumstances. It is the essential. The people you love. Being able to take care of them and be with them as much as you can.
- 5/28/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
While we wait and see if Martin Scorsese will get the help he needs to fund the budget for his next project Killers of the Flower Moon–which was just about to start production before Covid-19 hit in the U.S.–the filmmaker is also creating new work while in isolation. The BBC has announced the legendary filmmaker has made a new short film, which will make its debut on Lockdown Culture with Mary Beard.
Set to premiere tomorrow, May 28, on BBC Two at 7pm GMT, the director will explore what lockdown has meant to him through the lens of classic movies in the “very personal” film. For those with access to the channel, they can watch here. For those in the U.S., we hope a version will become available to view quickly after its premiere that doesn’t require Vpn finagling, and we’ll update this post when it arrives.
Set to premiere tomorrow, May 28, on BBC Two at 7pm GMT, the director will explore what lockdown has meant to him through the lens of classic movies in the “very personal” film. For those with access to the channel, they can watch here. For those in the U.S., we hope a version will become available to view quickly after its premiere that doesn’t require Vpn finagling, and we’ll update this post when it arrives.
- 5/27/2020
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Emma Thompson, Tom Hardy and Keira Knightley are some of the A-list stars that have been named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List alongside industry executives including BBC Studios boss Tim Davie and Endemol Shine CEO Sophie Turner-Laing.
Sense and Sensibility star Thompson has been awarded a damehood, known as a dame commander of the order of the British Empire in the honors list, while The Dark Knight star Hardy was awarded a Cbe and Pirates of the Caribbean star Knightley handed an OBE.
The awards recognize the achievements of a wide range of extraordinary people across the United Kingdom and are the most high-profile awards made by the British monarch.
Professor Mary Beard, Professor of Classics, University of Cambridge, best known for presenting BBC documentaries such as Pompeii, has also been awarded a damehood, while BBC News reporter Kate Adie has been given a Cbe, as has BBC Studios boss Davie,...
Sense and Sensibility star Thompson has been awarded a damehood, known as a dame commander of the order of the British Empire in the honors list, while The Dark Knight star Hardy was awarded a Cbe and Pirates of the Caribbean star Knightley handed an OBE.
The awards recognize the achievements of a wide range of extraordinary people across the United Kingdom and are the most high-profile awards made by the British monarch.
Professor Mary Beard, Professor of Classics, University of Cambridge, best known for presenting BBC documentaries such as Pompeii, has also been awarded a damehood, while BBC News reporter Kate Adie has been given a Cbe, as has BBC Studios boss Davie,...
- 6/8/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
David Abraham, former CEO of UK’s Channel 4 and boss of U.S. cable network TLC, has opened the doors of his new company Wonderhood Studios with two new hires and an aspiration to bring together the TV and advertising businesses.
Abraham has hired BBC creative director Samantha Anstiss and Emma Lorenz, previously director of development at All3Media’s Lion Television, to kick off its push into non-scripted television. Anstiss, who ran the BBC’s Auntie Productions, joins as Creative Director of Unscripted, while Lorenz joins as her deputy.
These hires come after Abraham unveiled the company in April, which he will lead as CEO, with Sachin Dosani, founder of media-focused investment bank Acf on board as managing director.
Abraham told Deadline that he wanted to work with the top creative people and believes that he can “build a better mousetrap” than some of the other, heavily consolidated production groups.
Abraham has hired BBC creative director Samantha Anstiss and Emma Lorenz, previously director of development at All3Media’s Lion Television, to kick off its push into non-scripted television. Anstiss, who ran the BBC’s Auntie Productions, joins as Creative Director of Unscripted, while Lorenz joins as her deputy.
These hires come after Abraham unveiled the company in April, which he will lead as CEO, with Sachin Dosani, founder of media-focused investment bank Acf on board as managing director.
Abraham told Deadline that he wanted to work with the top creative people and believes that he can “build a better mousetrap” than some of the other, heavily consolidated production groups.
- 6/6/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Over 200 projects announced, including 37 world and 70 UK premieres.
UK documentary festival Sheffield Doc/Fest has unveiled the programme for its 25th edition, which runs from June 7-12 this summer.
Amongst the titles are a screening of McQueen, Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s film about the late British fashion designer Alexander McQueen composed of archival footage and personal testimonials.
Last month Sean McAllister’s A Northern Soul was announced as the opening night film.
Scroll down for the full list of films in competition
The 2018 official competition jury includes documentarian Mark Cousins, director Sophie Fiennes and artists Liv Wynter and Samson Kambalu.
UK documentary festival Sheffield Doc/Fest has unveiled the programme for its 25th edition, which runs from June 7-12 this summer.
Amongst the titles are a screening of McQueen, Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s film about the late British fashion designer Alexander McQueen composed of archival footage and personal testimonials.
Last month Sean McAllister’s A Northern Soul was announced as the opening night film.
Scroll down for the full list of films in competition
The 2018 official competition jury includes documentarian Mark Cousins, director Sophie Fiennes and artists Liv Wynter and Samson Kambalu.
- 5/3/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from “Star Trek: Discovery’s” episode “Vaulting Ambition.”]
“All Hail her most Imperial Majesty, Mother of the Fatherland, Overlord of Vulcan, Dominus of Qo’noS, Regina Andor. All Hail Philippa Georgiou Augustus Iaponius Centarius.”
In the Mirror Universe, Philippa Georgiou is Emperor of the Terrans, a leader who is as ruthless as she is stylish. This is reflected in her pompous but very descriptive string of titles, as well as her full tongue-twister name. But what does it all mean? Because of course, her name is not a random assemblage of words. Within those syllables lie clues to her past.
Read More:‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Review: ‘Vaulting Ambition’ Delivers the Show’s Best Twist Yet
Fortunately, Jordon Nardino, the writer of the episode “Vaulting Ambition,” took to Twitter to break down all the names. Nardino had been reading Mary Beard’s “Spqr: A History of Ancient Rome” for inspiration to properly...
“All Hail her most Imperial Majesty, Mother of the Fatherland, Overlord of Vulcan, Dominus of Qo’noS, Regina Andor. All Hail Philippa Georgiou Augustus Iaponius Centarius.”
In the Mirror Universe, Philippa Georgiou is Emperor of the Terrans, a leader who is as ruthless as she is stylish. This is reflected in her pompous but very descriptive string of titles, as well as her full tongue-twister name. But what does it all mean? Because of course, her name is not a random assemblage of words. Within those syllables lie clues to her past.
Read More:‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Review: ‘Vaulting Ambition’ Delivers the Show’s Best Twist Yet
Fortunately, Jordon Nardino, the writer of the episode “Vaulting Ambition,” took to Twitter to break down all the names. Nardino had been reading Mary Beard’s “Spqr: A History of Ancient Rome” for inspiration to properly...
- 1/24/2018
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Sue Perkins has been confirmed for new BBC Two documentary series Himalaya.
The comedian and presenter will host the show, travelling across the South Asian mountain range over the course of the series.
Himalaya with Sue Perkins is among a host of newly commissioned BBC Two documentaries.
Also confirmed is This World - Children of the Gaza War, which takes a closer look at the lives of young people affected by conflicts in the Middle East.
Elsewhere, Britian's Forgotten Slave Owners will focus on the UK's dark history of slavery, while Let Us Entertain You will chronicle popular culture in post-war Britain.
Other newly commissioned history documentaries include Professor Mary Beard's Meet the Roman Empire and Neil Oliver and Alice Roberts' Celts.
New documentary The Detectives follows a specialised Greater Manchester Police unit as they attempt to tackle sex offences, while Horizon: Cosmic Dawn explores the moment...
The comedian and presenter will host the show, travelling across the South Asian mountain range over the course of the series.
Himalaya with Sue Perkins is among a host of newly commissioned BBC Two documentaries.
Also confirmed is This World - Children of the Gaza War, which takes a closer look at the lives of young people affected by conflicts in the Middle East.
Elsewhere, Britian's Forgotten Slave Owners will focus on the UK's dark history of slavery, while Let Us Entertain You will chronicle popular culture in post-war Britain.
Other newly commissioned history documentaries include Professor Mary Beard's Meet the Roman Empire and Neil Oliver and Alice Roberts' Celts.
New documentary The Detectives follows a specialised Greater Manchester Police unit as they attempt to tackle sex offences, while Horizon: Cosmic Dawn explores the moment...
- 4/21/2015
- Digital Spy
2014 is now in full swing, the Sundance Film Festival has closed its doors, and film festivals like South by Southwest and Tribeca are generating more buzz for the year’s noteworthy indie narratives and documentaries. In recent years, documentaries such as Restrepo, Gasland, and Searching For Sugarman went on to become heavyweights. This year’s contenders include topics taken from popular memoirs and biographies, along with subject matter pertaining to youths and youth culture. Below, you’ll find a comprehensive list of Sundance and non-Sundance documentaries to keep an eye out for this year, equipped with official synopsis and trailer when available. 2014 is shaping out to a versatile year in the documentary world, ranging from heavy-handed family dramas such as Tracy Droz Tragos’ and Andrew Droz Palermo’s Rich Hill, to baseball biographies such as Chapman and Maclain Way’s The Battered Bastards of Baseball and Jeff Radice’s No No A Dockumentary,...
- 3/9/2014
- by Christopher Clemente
- SoundOnSight
Proving that you never stop learning, Prince William attended his first day of classes at Cambridge University’s St. John’s College in Cambridge, England on Tuesday (January 7).
The royal hunk is reportedly studying Agricultural Management in an effort to understand the issues facing the UK’s rural communities and the farming industry.
A spokesperson from Kensington Palace told press, "The executive education program of seminars, lectures and meetings will draw on the strengths of academics across the university. It will start in early January and run until mid-March.”
And Professor Mary Beard is excited to see how William assimilates into the college culture. "I very much hope that he will take the opportunity to meet some of our more 'ordinary' students, struggling with making ends meet, worried about careers, future and debt."...
The royal hunk is reportedly studying Agricultural Management in an effort to understand the issues facing the UK’s rural communities and the farming industry.
A spokesperson from Kensington Palace told press, "The executive education program of seminars, lectures and meetings will draw on the strengths of academics across the university. It will start in early January and run until mid-March.”
And Professor Mary Beard is excited to see how William assimilates into the college culture. "I very much hope that he will take the opportunity to meet some of our more 'ordinary' students, struggling with making ends meet, worried about careers, future and debt."...
- 1/7/2014
- GossipCenter
Classics professor Mary Beard also honoured at 23rd Women in Film and TV Awards event at Hilton hotel, London
Angela Rippon has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award at an event recognising women in broadcasting. The 69-year-old, who also presents BBC1's Rip-Off Britain, collected her prize from the BBC director-general, Tony Hall, at the Sky Women in Film and TV (Wftv) Awards in London.
Others feted at the event included the actor Sheridan Smith, who took the best performance award for her portrayal of great train robber Ronnie Biggs's wife Charmian in the ITV drama Mrs Biggs. The academic Mary Beard, who has worked on many historical documentary series, took the best presenter award at the 23rd annual awards event, staged at the Park Lane Hilton hotel.
Rippon was the first regular female newsreader on national television in Britain, beginning her journalism career more than half a...
Angela Rippon has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award at an event recognising women in broadcasting. The 69-year-old, who also presents BBC1's Rip-Off Britain, collected her prize from the BBC director-general, Tony Hall, at the Sky Women in Film and TV (Wftv) Awards in London.
Others feted at the event included the actor Sheridan Smith, who took the best performance award for her portrayal of great train robber Ronnie Biggs's wife Charmian in the ITV drama Mrs Biggs. The academic Mary Beard, who has worked on many historical documentary series, took the best presenter award at the 23rd annual awards event, staged at the Park Lane Hilton hotel.
Rippon was the first regular female newsreader on national television in Britain, beginning her journalism career more than half a...
- 12/7/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Sheridan Smith and Angela Rippon were among the winners at this year's Women in Film and TV Awards.
The 23rd annual ceremony was held today (December 6) at the Park Lane Hilton Hotel in London, hosted by Ruby Wax.
Angela Rippon received the Eon Productions Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by BBC Director General Tony Hall.
The prize recognises Rippon's contribution to the industry for over 50 years, including her work as a journalist and newsreader, and presenting roles on shows such as Antiques Roadshow and Come Dancing.
Sheridan Smith was awarded the Mac Best Performance Award for her role in Mrs Biggs.
Doctor Who actor Peter Capaldi presented the Nep Visions Presenter Award to Mary Beard, for her work as a female TV academic and fighting against Twitter trolls.
Call the Midwife executive producer Pippa Harris received the Envy Producer Award, while Last Tango in Halifax creator Sally Wainwright was handed the Technicolour Writing Award.
The 23rd annual ceremony was held today (December 6) at the Park Lane Hilton Hotel in London, hosted by Ruby Wax.
Angela Rippon received the Eon Productions Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by BBC Director General Tony Hall.
The prize recognises Rippon's contribution to the industry for over 50 years, including her work as a journalist and newsreader, and presenting roles on shows such as Antiques Roadshow and Come Dancing.
Sheridan Smith was awarded the Mac Best Performance Award for her role in Mrs Biggs.
Doctor Who actor Peter Capaldi presented the Nep Visions Presenter Award to Mary Beard, for her work as a female TV academic and fighting against Twitter trolls.
Call the Midwife executive producer Pippa Harris received the Envy Producer Award, while Last Tango in Halifax creator Sally Wainwright was handed the Technicolour Writing Award.
- 12/6/2013
- Digital Spy
Actress Sheridan Smith, producer Pippa Harris, and director Penny Woolcock are among the honorees at the 23rd annual Sky Women in Film and TV awards in London.
The 2013 Eon Lifetime Acheivement award goes to broadcaster Angela Rippon.
Nearly 1,000 industry guests are in attendance at the Park Lane Hilton in London. Ruby Wax hosts this year’s event.
Presenters of awards included BBC Director General Tony Hall, actors Peter Capaldi, Ashley Walters, Julie Walters and James Corden, and BFI London Film Festival director Clare Stewart
Wftv CEO Kate Kinninmont said: “We have a new talent award which this year goes to Kelly Marcel for creating Terra Nova for Steven Spielberg, scripting Saving Mr Banks for Tom Hanks and now being commissioned to bring Fifty Shades of Grey to our screens.
“Sheridan Smith walked away with our acting award for her role as Mrs Biggs, and Clio Barnard won the directing award for her exquisite feature film, The Selfish Giant.
“It...
The 2013 Eon Lifetime Acheivement award goes to broadcaster Angela Rippon.
Nearly 1,000 industry guests are in attendance at the Park Lane Hilton in London. Ruby Wax hosts this year’s event.
Presenters of awards included BBC Director General Tony Hall, actors Peter Capaldi, Ashley Walters, Julie Walters and James Corden, and BFI London Film Festival director Clare Stewart
Wftv CEO Kate Kinninmont said: “We have a new talent award which this year goes to Kelly Marcel for creating Terra Nova for Steven Spielberg, scripting Saving Mr Banks for Tom Hanks and now being commissioned to bring Fifty Shades of Grey to our screens.
“Sheridan Smith walked away with our acting award for her role as Mrs Biggs, and Clio Barnard won the directing award for her exquisite feature film, The Selfish Giant.
“It...
- 12/6/2013
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
From new voices like NoViolet Bulawayo to rediscovered old voices like James Salter, from Dave Eggers's satire to David Thomson's history of film, writers, Observer critics and others pick their favourite reads of 2013. And they tell us what they hope to find under the tree …
Curtis Sittenfeld
Novelist
My favourite books of 2013 are Drama High (Riverhead) by Michael Sokolove, Sea Creatures (Turnaround) by Susanna Daniel, and & Sons (Harper Collins) by David Gilbert. Drama High is incredibly smart, moving non-fiction about an American drama teacher who for four decades coaxed sophisticated and nuanced theatrical performances out of teenage students who weren't privileged or otherwise remarkable and in so doing, changed their conceptions of what they could do with their lives. Sea Creatures is a gripping, beautifully written novel about the mother of a selectively mute three-year-old boy; when she takes a job ferrying supplies to a hermit off the coast of Florida,...
Curtis Sittenfeld
Novelist
My favourite books of 2013 are Drama High (Riverhead) by Michael Sokolove, Sea Creatures (Turnaround) by Susanna Daniel, and & Sons (Harper Collins) by David Gilbert. Drama High is incredibly smart, moving non-fiction about an American drama teacher who for four decades coaxed sophisticated and nuanced theatrical performances out of teenage students who weren't privileged or otherwise remarkable and in so doing, changed their conceptions of what they could do with their lives. Sea Creatures is a gripping, beautifully written novel about the mother of a selectively mute three-year-old boy; when she takes a job ferrying supplies to a hermit off the coast of Florida,...
- 11/24/2013
- by Ali Smith, Robert McCrum, Tim Adams, Kate Kellaway, Rachel Cooke, Sebastian Faulks, Jackie Kay
- The Guardian - Film News
What’s happened to Kristin Scott Thomas? As Ryan Gosling’s sultry, foul-tongued mother in ‘Only God Forgives’, the British actress is almost unrecognisable.
Gone is the icey pallor, the haughty but unmistakable classy presence to which we are accustomed. Instead we get what one critic called “Caligula mixed with Mary Beard“ - all hair extensions, misapplied makeup and attitude, lots and lots of attitude.
Kristin Scott Thomas, but not as we know her, in 'Only God Forgives'
But, if Kst herself relished the role she “based on Donatella Versace”, her director is equally unapologetic.
“I’ve just exposed her for what she really is,” Nicolas Winding Refn explains, with a glint in his eye. “She’s been hiding for all these years.
“When my casting director suggested Kristin, we met for lunch, and I realised this woman had no problem turning on the bitch-switch. You can just feel it…...
Gone is the icey pallor, the haughty but unmistakable classy presence to which we are accustomed. Instead we get what one critic called “Caligula mixed with Mary Beard“ - all hair extensions, misapplied makeup and attitude, lots and lots of attitude.
Kristin Scott Thomas, but not as we know her, in 'Only God Forgives'
But, if Kst herself relished the role she “based on Donatella Versace”, her director is equally unapologetic.
“I’ve just exposed her for what she really is,” Nicolas Winding Refn explains, with a glint in his eye. “She’s been hiding for all these years.
“When my casting director suggested Kristin, we met for lunch, and I realised this woman had no problem turning on the bitch-switch. You can just feel it…...
- 8/5/2013
- by Caroline Frost
- Huffington Post
Long Lost Family was the most-watched programme outside of soaps on Monday, overnight figures reveal.
Davina McCall's ITV series attracted 5.12 million viewers (23.5%) at 9pm, while a further 232,000 (1.3%) tuned in on +1. Earlier, The Dales was seen by 3.26m (15.4%) at 8pm (115k/0.5% on +1).
On BBC One, a repeat of The Sheriffs Are Coming appealed to 4.20m (21.7%) at 7pm, while a repeat of Death in Paradise brought in 2.93m (13.4%) at 9pm. A Panorama special on dating websites gathered 2.30m (10.4%) at 8.30pm.
BBC Two's University Challenge quizzed 2.53m (12.0%) at 8pm. Raymond Blanc's How To Cook Well interested 1.49m (6.7%) at 8.30pm, while Mary Beard's Caligula documentary educated 1.89m (8.7%) at 9pm.
Channel 4's latest episode of Undercover Boss was seen by 1.72m (7.9%) at 9pm (203k/1.1%).
On Channel 5, Botched Up Bodies attracted 789k (3.6%) at 9pm. The latest Big Brother entertained 1.59m (9.0%) at 10pm (91k/1.0%), followed by Bit on the Side with 705k (7.5%) at 11pm.
Davina McCall's ITV series attracted 5.12 million viewers (23.5%) at 9pm, while a further 232,000 (1.3%) tuned in on +1. Earlier, The Dales was seen by 3.26m (15.4%) at 8pm (115k/0.5% on +1).
On BBC One, a repeat of The Sheriffs Are Coming appealed to 4.20m (21.7%) at 7pm, while a repeat of Death in Paradise brought in 2.93m (13.4%) at 9pm. A Panorama special on dating websites gathered 2.30m (10.4%) at 8.30pm.
BBC Two's University Challenge quizzed 2.53m (12.0%) at 8pm. Raymond Blanc's How To Cook Well interested 1.49m (6.7%) at 8.30pm, while Mary Beard's Caligula documentary educated 1.89m (8.7%) at 9pm.
Channel 4's latest episode of Undercover Boss was seen by 1.72m (7.9%) at 9pm (203k/1.1%).
On Channel 5, Botched Up Bodies attracted 789k (3.6%) at 9pm. The latest Big Brother entertained 1.59m (9.0%) at 10pm (91k/1.0%), followed by Bit on the Side with 705k (7.5%) at 11pm.
- 7/30/2013
- Digital Spy
What my followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ saw today: • Doctor Who has a return date: Easter Saturday, March 30... Date Confirmed for the Doctor’s Return • Why your ISP is lying to you. (Hint: It's so that they can overcharge you. And also so they can protect their dying businesses.) Why Data Caps Suck • I wish I could say that this is surprising... Mary Beard suffers 'truly vile' online abuse after Question Time • Didn't think it was possible: Benedict Cumberbatch, unsexy (as Julian Assange, in Wikileaks movie *The Fifth Estate,* which just started shooting).
- 1/24/2013
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
A debut novel that reinterprets Homer's Iliad is the latest in an array of works to be inspired by the classics
When Madeline Miller won the Orange prize for fiction last week for her debut novel The Song of Achilles, it seemed only natural to wonder how the mythical Greek hero of her book might celebrate. "I think he'd do it in a very epic way," she says, laughing. "And luckily one of the lovely sponsors [of the prize] gave me a very large bottle of champagne."
Miller's book, written in her spare time while she taught Latin in Us secondary schools, is based on Homer's Iliad and vividly reimagines the story of Patroclus, the brother-in-arms of Achilles. Although Miller's inspiration was ancient, her themes are undoubtedly modern: The Song of Achilles charts the deep and loving relationship between these two, same-sex characters in a time of war and brutality.
"I...
When Madeline Miller won the Orange prize for fiction last week for her debut novel The Song of Achilles, it seemed only natural to wonder how the mythical Greek hero of her book might celebrate. "I think he'd do it in a very epic way," she says, laughing. "And luckily one of the lovely sponsors [of the prize] gave me a very large bottle of champagne."
Miller's book, written in her spare time while she taught Latin in Us secondary schools, is based on Homer's Iliad and vividly reimagines the story of Patroclus, the brother-in-arms of Achilles. Although Miller's inspiration was ancient, her themes are undoubtedly modern: The Song of Achilles charts the deep and loving relationship between these two, same-sex characters in a time of war and brutality.
"I...
- 6/2/2012
- by Elizabeth Day
- The Guardian - Film News
Every week I'll round up the biggest arts stories from around the web, recommend a long read and look ahead at what's coming up
Each Thursday, I am going to round up the main arts stories of the week. Here's the first instalment.
• It was Turner prize shortlist week. Here's Adrian Searle's verdict on Spartacus Chetwynd, Paul Noble, Elizabeth Price, and Luke Fowler. Fowler is yet another Glaswegian – or, rather Glasgow-based artist. He studied in Dundee. (Trivia: Elizabeth Price was in the 1980s indie band Talulah Gosh, as was the philosophy editor of Oxford University Press and the chief economist and director of mergers at the Office of Fair Trading.)
• Arts Council England/the BBC launched the Space. The reports mostly focused on the fact that John Peel's record collection will gradually be made available to rifle through online, but perhaps you should think of it as a "YouTube...
Each Thursday, I am going to round up the main arts stories of the week. Here's the first instalment.
• It was Turner prize shortlist week. Here's Adrian Searle's verdict on Spartacus Chetwynd, Paul Noble, Elizabeth Price, and Luke Fowler. Fowler is yet another Glaswegian – or, rather Glasgow-based artist. He studied in Dundee. (Trivia: Elizabeth Price was in the 1980s indie band Talulah Gosh, as was the philosophy editor of Oxford University Press and the chief economist and director of mergers at the Office of Fair Trading.)
• Arts Council England/the BBC launched the Space. The reports mostly focused on the fact that John Peel's record collection will gradually be made available to rifle through online, but perhaps you should think of it as a "YouTube...
- 5/3/2012
- by Charlotte Higgins
- The Guardian - Film News
The story of Elizabeth Taylor's jewellery was disgustingly decadent, absurd – and thrilling
I speak to you as one who has every biography of Elizabeth Taylor ever published neatly arrayed on her bookshelves and thoroughly read. They are in my Hollywood film section, which also comprises juicy, glittering hardbacks full of juicy, glittering facts – or, far more likely, factoids and outright, fabulous lies – about the lives of Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, James Dean, Montgomery Clift and all the glorious rest of them, and the even-more-fabulously-ridiculous autobiographies of gossip-column queens Hedda Hopper and Sheilah Graham. Louella Parsons' is literally in the post.
So (apart from the fact that I will go to my grave regretting that I did not manage to buy one of the six-volume catalogues that accompanied the sale at Christie's last year) I'm afraid I couldn't have been happier last night, luxuriating in Elizabeth Taylor: The...
I speak to you as one who has every biography of Elizabeth Taylor ever published neatly arrayed on her bookshelves and thoroughly read. They are in my Hollywood film section, which also comprises juicy, glittering hardbacks full of juicy, glittering facts – or, far more likely, factoids and outright, fabulous lies – about the lives of Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, James Dean, Montgomery Clift and all the glorious rest of them, and the even-more-fabulously-ridiculous autobiographies of gossip-column queens Hedda Hopper and Sheilah Graham. Louella Parsons' is literally in the post.
So (apart from the fact that I will go to my grave regretting that I did not manage to buy one of the six-volume catalogues that accompanied the sale at Christie's last year) I'm afraid I couldn't have been happier last night, luxuriating in Elizabeth Taylor: The...
- 4/18/2012
- by Lucy Mangan
- The Guardian - Film News
By focusing on gender and class, the biopic The Iron Lady paints Margaret Thatcher as a feminist icon. But was she? We asked a number of influential women
Natasha Walter, writer and campaigner
Thirteen years ago, in The New Feminism, I wrote: "Let's start with Margaret Thatcher. No British woman this century can come close to her achievements in grasping power. Someone of the wrong sex and the wrong class broke through what looked like invincible barriers to reach into the heart of the establishment. Women who complain that Margaret Thatcher was not a feminist because she didn't help other women or openly acknowledge her debt to feminism have a point, but they are also missing something vital. She normalised female success. She showed that although female power and masculine power may have different languages, different metaphors, different gestures, different traditions, different ways of being glamorous or nasty, they are equally strong,...
Natasha Walter, writer and campaigner
Thirteen years ago, in The New Feminism, I wrote: "Let's start with Margaret Thatcher. No British woman this century can come close to her achievements in grasping power. Someone of the wrong sex and the wrong class broke through what looked like invincible barriers to reach into the heart of the establishment. Women who complain that Margaret Thatcher was not a feminist because she didn't help other women or openly acknowledge her debt to feminism have a point, but they are also missing something vital. She normalised female success. She showed that although female power and masculine power may have different languages, different metaphors, different gestures, different traditions, different ways of being glamorous or nasty, they are equally strong,...
- 1/6/2012
- The Guardian - Film News
Beijing threw $100m at its gobsmacking Olympics opening ceremony. Can Danny Boyle top it? Meanwhile, six cultural figures reveal what they'd like to see at their fantasy opening ceremony
On 27 July, the world will see an elaborate and costly British cinematic event: the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, directed by Oscar-winner Danny Boyle. What on earth is it going to be like? So far, all we know is that he is hiring 10,000 people as extras to be performers and percussionists, and that they will have to make themselves available to rehearse two or three times a week, from March until the big day. No further announcements will be made until the new year. But all followers of the cinema know that Boyle's opening ceremony will be Britain's screen spectacular of 2012.
The pressure is on for Boyle to deliver something of which we can all be proud, and it is...
On 27 July, the world will see an elaborate and costly British cinematic event: the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, directed by Oscar-winner Danny Boyle. What on earth is it going to be like? So far, all we know is that he is hiring 10,000 people as extras to be performers and percussionists, and that they will have to make themselves available to rehearse two or three times a week, from March until the big day. No further announcements will be made until the new year. But all followers of the cinema know that Boyle's opening ceremony will be Britain's screen spectacular of 2012.
The pressure is on for Boyle to deliver something of which we can all be proud, and it is...
- 12/30/2011
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
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