Italy forges on with world's largest suspension bridge
Italy hopes to begin constructing the world's largest suspension bridge connecting Sicily to the Italian mainland this northern summer amid widespread scepticism that it will ever be built.
The €13.5 billion ($25.5b) project would carry trains and six lanes of traffic, allowing cars to cross the Strait of Messina in
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The surprising scene that the ‘Andor' cinematographer loved the most
Andor Season 2 switched directors every three episodes, but the same wasn't true of its cinematographers. Christophe Nuyens photographed the first six episodes of the 12-part season, including both the action-packed opening arc and the subsequent introduction of the planet Ghorman. On Andor, director of photography is not a simple job. Nuyens had to do a lot over the course of his six episodes, from filming action scenes (like Diego Luna's titular protagonist saving his friends from stormtroopers in a stolen TIE fighter) to figuring out the visual aesthetics for new planets like Ghorman. More from GoldDerby Clancy Brown, Joel McHale, and more actors who self-submitted at this year's Emmys 'Cross' star Aldis Hodge on building an aspirational hero - who's not a superhero Get a taste of 'The Valley' (literally) with this food and beer FYC event 'The nice thing is that Episodes 1, 2, and 3 were more like a classic Star Wars arc,' Nuyens tells Gold Derby, 'while Episodes 4, 5, and 6 show the more human side of the story. On Ghorman, it feels more like a spy movie. It was really nice to work on both of those. We really tried to give each arc of three episodes a different feel. That was really important for us.' The first three episodes of Season 2 were written by Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy, who is an experienced director in his own right. That means his scripts are loaded with visual details, according to Nuyens, but Gilroy also allows his collaborators room to come up with their own ideas, too. 'Tony's pitch for Ghorman was that it should feel somewhere between Italy and France,' Nuyens says. 'So we looked for references, one of which was the Italian film The Great Beauty, just looks-wise. We thought of Ghorman like Turin, in the Italian mountains. The story had to take place in winter, so always low sun, but with all the sun behind the mountains, so there's this blue gloom that we could mix with the warm practical lights. For us, it was important that this planet feel totally different and inspired by France and Italy as much as possible.' Not all of the action on Andor is violent, and not all of the violence is visible. The emotional climax of the first three episodes, after all, is a dance scene. At her daughter's wedding, Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) channels all of her conflicting emotions about family and politics onto the dancefloor. O'Reilly previously told Gold Derby that 'the chaos that is within her emerges through this big dance number … at different times in our lives, we've all done that dance for many different reasons.' Nuyens' job was to complement that aspect of her performance with the camerawork. 'It's a really chic wedding, but it was important for Tony that the dance sequence at the end feel like a rave,' Nuyens says. 'From the moment that she starts losing herself, we decided to use the camera that turns around her. We start with a fix on her, just fixed shots. But then she decides, 'OK, I'm going to go dance.' She takes one shot and goes on the dance floor, and from that moment the camera starts turning around her and stays with her, just zooming in on her. So we have the feeling that, together with her, we start to lose control of everything that's happening.' Part of Mon Mothma's emotional vortex in that moment is that she realizes her comrade Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) is going to kill her old friend Tay Kolma (Ben Miles) for threatening to expose him. Tay's murder is not shown on screen, but it doesn't have to be. The audience sees him get into a lift driven by diehard revolutionary Cinta Kaz (Varada Sethu) and we know he's toast. Most shows don't demonstrate that kind of restraint, but that's exactly what Nuyens loves about Andor. 'It's incredible because normally in a TV show, those things are all written and we see everything,' Nuyens says. 'On some shoots, I'm trying to convince the director, 'but we don't have to see this. We need to let the viewer use a little bit of imagination, like they're reading a book.' That's something that Tony does really well in his writing. All the beats that we have to see are written, the ones we don't have to see are not written. So we can really play with keeping a little bit of mystery for the viewer, so they can fill it in with their imagination. I think it's really important for a television show to leave a little room for the viewer.' Perhaps surprisingly, Nuyens' favorite scene to shoot in Season 2 of Andor didn't involve murder or stormtroopers at all. Lucasfilm/Disney 'There are a lot of setpieces I liked filming, but actually the scene I most liked filming is a simple scene. It's the scene between Syril (Kyle Soller) and Dedra (Denise Gough), When Syril's mom (Kathryn Hunter) comes to dinner,' Nuyens says. 'It's so well-written and also so well-played. The three of them are so talented. It was so fun to film, even though visually it's quite a simple scene. We tried to accentuate the awkwardness with central shots slightly too wide, which worked quite well. Kyle and Denise added those little extra bits to their performances, which worked really well on camera. That scene remains in my head one of the nicest to film, and I think if you ask the crew, they would say the same. I remember the crew was having fun filming that scene because it was so good. We were feeling the energy.' Nuyens continues, 'I'm always 10 times happier when I go home and a scene is really well-played. It's so much more important than beautiful lights and beautiful shots. I think it's just everything coming together, which is really nice.' Best of GoldDerby 'The best job I ever had': 'From 'Supernatural' to 'The Boys,' Eric Kripke talks his biggest hits — and miss (ahem, 'Tarzan') 'Cross' star Aldis Hodge on building an aspirational hero — who's not a superhero Jonathan Pryce on the 'great responsibility' of playing a character with dementia in 'Slow Horses' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Brooklyn Beckham Doubles Down Wife's Support With Tattoo Amid Intensified Family Feud
Brooklyn Beckham continues to flaunt his blossoming relationship with Nicola Peltz amid their reported estrangement from his family. The oldest of Victoria and David Beckham's four children has done little to stop the bad blood speculations from spreading by repeatedly showing support for his wife. His latest act of love features a heartwarming note from the model tattooed on his back. The post appeared to be his way of addressing the problems between him, Nicola Peltz, and the Beckhams. Before showing off the ink, Brooklyn Beckham went viral for covering up a tattoo that showcased his close relationship with his mother. Brooklyn seemingly proved his loyalty was to his wife and not his parents in his most recent Instagram post. He shared a shirtless picture of himself with his back to the camera, showcasing a note Peltz wrote before their 2022 wedding. He had the message tattooed below his neck, detailing Peltz's vow to treasure him no matter the obstacles they faced. Brooklyn sharing the statement amid his family's drama seemed to hint at him choosing his wife over his parents. "My forever boy. Read this anytime you feel anxious. I want you to know how deeply loved you are," the note began, adding: "You have the kindest heart I've ever met, and I hope I never go a day without your love. I think you are incredible. Just know we can get through it all together if you breathe slow and trust. I love you beyond. Love always, your future wifey." Although the post seemed to be Brooklyn's subtle diss to his parents, he captioned the post by tagging Frette, an Italian linen brand. He was holding a stack of white towels in the picture, presumably the brand's design, as indicated by the caption. Despite drawing attention to the Italian brand, fans were not distracted; instead, they focused on the intention behind the tattoo, sparking mixed reactions. Some supported his love for Peltz, while others condemned him for choosing a woman over his family. "Partners can come and go. Your parents and children don't," someone cautioned Brooklyn. Another echoed similar sentiments, advising him not to bite the hand that fed him for years. Meanwhile, supporters cheered him on, with an IG user declaring: "Looks great, it's your life, you do what's best for you!!!" "What's with all the hate for this young couple? He's standing by his wife. He chose her, he loves her, his parents should and probably still do love him unconditionally," a fan argued. They added that people shouldn't judge without knowing the whole story and advocated for peace. Days before his tattooed note from Peltz had fans divided, Brooklyn shocked many by removing his "mama's boy" ink. The artwork initially had a significant place on his chest in 2018, but an enormous cover-up has since replaced it. TMZ reported that eagle-eyed fans noticed the change, sharing that the tribute to Victoria had been buried by a bouquet of flowers resembling Peltz's bridal arrangement. The new tattoo fueled the ongoing narrative that Brooklyn had picked his wife over his family. Sources echoed similar sentiments, telling the outlet that Peltz did not appreciate the way "narcissistic" Victoria and David treated her husband. Her support for Brooklyn seemed to have influenced him, with insiders claiming they refused to attend David's 50th birthday bash over Brooklyn's "situationship" with his brother Romeo's then-girlfriend Kim Turnbull. While some sources painted Brooklyn and his wife as an unshakable force amid their issues with the Beckhams, other insiders shared a different story. These informants told Closer the lovebirds might be struggling because of Brooklyn's dependence on Peltz. "For the first time in his life, Brooklyn doesn't have his parents to lean on. He used to talk to them pretty much every day, especially his mum, so now Nicola has to fill that emotional void, and it's a lot of pressure," a source claimed. They claimed Brooklyn frequently needed "reassurance" or "attention" from Peltz, and it had started wearing her out. "He's become incredibly dependent on her, and she's starting to complain to friends that she feels like she's carrying the full weight of the relationship," the insider added. Brooklyn's alleged dependence on Peltz follows reports of his strict warning to his family. The Blast reported that a source claimed he "told his family he wants no contact, and he's not responding to those that try to connect." His decision to keep his family at a distance seemed to stem from his blossoming relationship with his in-laws amid their feud. Sources noted that Brooklyn had grown close to his wife's parents, billionaire Nelson Peltz and his wife, Claudia. Because of this growing distance between his family and his relationship with his in-laws, Brooklyn was not informed about David's long-awaited knighthood. While a source blamed the lack of contact on Brooklyn's warning, another claimed he and Peltz did not wish to find out about the news "through the media." Will Brooklyn Beckham ever reconcile with his family?
Borneo Post
2 hours ago
- Borneo Post
How China's porcelain capital is attracting international talent
BEIJING (June 13): In her sunlit studio tucked away in China's porcelain capital Jingdezhen, French ceramic artist Camille Grandaty is immersed in her latest sunflower-themed series. To Grandaty, the beauty of life in a foreign land is a constant spark for creativity. As she taps open her photo gallery and scrolls through images, her playful imagination comes to life: the legendary character Wu Song sporting sneakers, the mythological Nezha with a head of blue hair – fusing whimsy and tradition, the East with the West. A thousand years ago, Jingdezhen porcelain journeyed across the Maritime Silk Road. Today, the city continues to attract global talent – including Swiss artists, French museum professionals, and Italian traders – all united by their passion for ceramics. In recent years, Jingdezhen has seen not only a steady influx of domestic migrants but also a growing international community. Among them are nearly 5,000 foreigners who have become part of a vibrant, drifting community known locally as 'Jingpiao'. The term blends 'Jing', short for Jingdezhen, with the Chinese word piaoliu, meaning 'to drift'. Much like Beijing's Beipiao, Jingpiao refers to those who've chosen to live, create and chase dreams in this ancient porcelain capital. 'We've established several service stations specifically for foreign 'Jingpiao,' offering policy consultations, community events, and more,' said Chen You, deputy director of the service center for ceramic talent in Jingdezhen. The city supports foreign artists applying for major national and provincial talent programmes. To date, more than 20 individuals have received grants or awards in recognition of their work. To support this growing creative community, Jingdezhen has rolled out initiatives like innovation platforms, talent funds and international exchange programmes, fueling cross-border collaboration and revitalizing the city's centuries-old ceramic tradition. Thousands of miles away, Iznik, Turkey's own porcelain capital, is Jingdezhen's sister city. Cultural exchanges between the two have flourished. 'The future of ceramics depends on human creativity,' said Iznik's Deputy Mayor Ahmet Kaya, recalling his visit to Jingdezhen in a WeChat post. 'And that creativity is sparked when different cultures and mindsets meet.' After living in Jingdezhen for a decade, Grandaty is now fluent in Chinese. As she applies for a permanent residence permit, she is ready to further develop her artistic style – a fusion of Eastern and Western influences shaped by years of cross-cultural experience. – Xinhua
