Latest news with #Benavente
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bulova Documentary Puts a Spotlight on Brand's Backing of Veterans, Women's Rights and Other Social Initiatives
As New York watch company Bulova celebrates its 150th anniversary, managing director Michael Benavente can point to many milestones and achievements the brand can be proud of, but there is one that stands out. Speaking following Variety and Golden Globes' screening of Michael Culyba's documentary 'America Telling Time: 150 Years of Bulova' presented by Bulova, Benavente told an audience on Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival that the sequence that made the most emotional impact on him and other audience members he'd chatted with was the one featuring the work done with the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative, which the company supports. More from Variety 'A Pale View of Hills' Review: The Supple Ambiguities of Kazuo Ishiguro's Novel Stiffen and Seize Up in an Unsatisfying Adaptation 'Eagles of the Republic' Review: An Egyptian Movie Star Is Forced to Make a Propaganda Film in Tarik Saleh's Catchy but Muddled Age of Autocracy Thriller 'The Disappearance of Josef Mengele' Review: A Post-War Study of the Nazis' 'Angel of Death' Lacks Dimension The non-profit runs a tuition-free school that allows disabled veterans to learn watchmaking skills and offers them a dedicated job placement. In the film, veterans, some of whom had been homeless, explained how it had restored their sense of self-worth, as well as giving them a means to earn a living, despite their physical or mental challenges. For some it had literally been a life saver, as they had been contemplating suicide. Benavente explained that the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative was set up by Sam Cannan, who was a sniper for a SWAT team in Baltimore. 'He got shot off a three-story building while there was an active shooter, and he fell, and by the grace of God, there was an awning that broke his fall. But immediately he was disabled from the Baltimore Police Department,' Benavente explained. After attending the Joseph Bulova School of Watchmaking, Cannan went on to 'have a very illustrious career as a watchmaker. He goes to live in Switzerland for many years, and this project that you saw today is really a work of love for him to give back, because he was in the same place as these guys. So you can see he's very emotional and he's super passionate about it and he's a great guy, and so we're just happy to be able to be with him and support,' Benavente said. Among other not-for-profit initiatives the company supports that are covered in the film are the Latin Grammys; the Maestro Cares Foundation, co-founded by singer Marc Anthony; and the We Are Family Foundation, which was co-founded by singer-songwriter Nile Rodgers. Both Anthony and Rodgers are brand ambassadors for Bulova, have designed watches for the company, and feature prominently in the film. Anthony's wife Nadia Ferreira, the Paraguayan model and social influencer, also attended the Cannes screening. The film is broken into themed chapters, rather than following a series of milestones chronologically, and the one that stood out for Culyba was Bulova's impact on women's rights. In the 1970s, for example, the company ran a series of groundbreaking ads in support of equal pay for women. 'I would say that was another exciting part of discovery while I was making the film,' Culyba said. 'I wasn't necessarily aware of their advertising campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment, and that ad is so brave and bold of a company at that time to really take a social and political stand. 'At the time, Bulava really embraced women's rights, and it's a message that I think a lot of people, a lot of women, obviously, and men, can feel still today, through the brand it, it's still there.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bulova Documentary Puts a Spotlight on Brand's Backing of Veterans, Women's Rights and Other Social Initiatives
As New York watch company Bulova celebrates its 150th anniversary, managing director Michael Benavente can point to many milestones and achievements the brand can be proud of, but there is one that stands out. Speaking following Variety and Golden Globes' screening of Michael Culyba's documentary 'America Telling Time: 150 Years of Bulova' presented by Bulova, Benavente told an audience on Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival that the sequence that made the most emotional impact on him and other audience members he'd chatted with was the one featuring the work done with the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative, which the company supports. More from Variety 'A Pale View of Hills' Review: The Supple Ambiguities of Kazuo Ishiguro's Novel Stiffen and Seize Up in an Unsatisfying Adaptation 'Eagles of the Republic' Review: An Egyptian Movie Star Is Forced to Make a Propaganda Film in Tarik Saleh's Catchy but Muddled Age of Autocracy Thriller 'The Disappearance of Josef Mengele' Review: A Post-War Study of the Nazis' 'Angel of Death' Lacks Dimension The non-profit runs a tuition-free school that allows disabled veterans to learn watchmaking skills and offers them a dedicated job placement. In the film, veterans, some of whom had been homeless, explained how it had restored their sense of self-worth, as well as giving them a means to earn a living, despite their physical or mental challenges. For some it had literally been a life saver, as they had been contemplating suicide. Benavente explained that the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative was set up by Sam Cannan, who was a sniper for a SWAT team in Baltimore. 'He got shot off a three-story building while there was an active shooter, and he fell, and by the grace of God, there was an awning that broke his fall. But immediately he was disabled from the Baltimore Police Department,' Benavente explained. After attending the Joseph Bulova School of Watchmaking, Cannan went on to 'have a very illustrious career as a watchmaker. He goes to live in Switzerland for many years, and this project that you saw today is really a work of love for him to give back, because he was in the same place as these guys. So you can see he's very emotional and he's super passionate about it and he's a great guy, and so we're just happy to be able to be with him and support,' Benavente said. Among other not-for-profit initiatives the company supports that are covered in the film are the Latin Grammys; the Maestro Cares Foundation, co-founded by singer Marc Anthony; and the We Are Family Foundation, which was co-founded by singer-songwriter Nile Rodgers. Both Anthony and Rodgers are brand ambassadors for Bulova, have designed watches for the company, and feature prominently in the film. Anthony's wife Nadia Ferreira, the Paraguayan model and social influencer, also attended the Cannes screening. The film is broken into themed chapters, rather than following a series of milestones chronologically, and the one that stood out for Culyba was Bulova's impact on women's rights. In the 1970s, for example, the company ran a series of groundbreaking ads in support of equal pay for women. 'I would say that was another exciting part of discovery while I was making the film,' Culyba said. 'I wasn't necessarily aware of their advertising campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment, and that ad is so brave and bold of a company at that time to really take a social and political stand. 'At the time, Bulava really embraced women's rights, and it's a message that I think a lot of people, a lot of women, obviously, and men, can feel still today, through the brand it, it's still there.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'The government has let us down': Fayetteville rallies for democracy in Hands Off protest
More than 150 demonstrators gathered at the Market House in downtown Fayetteville this weekend to protest President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, calling the pair a threat to democracy. The Hands Off rallies were organized nationally, taking place in hundreds of cities across the country April 5, in response to policies that activists say concentrate power, reduce funding for social services and jeopardize civil rights. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., activists of all ages and backgrounds — veterans, people with disabilities, Baby Boomers and Gen Z — gathered to hold signs and chant in condemnation of Trump and his policies. Fayetteville City Council member and mayoral candidate Mario Benavente was in attendance and gave a speech to the crowd, saying that although it will take time to make changes in Washington, D.C., actionable change can happen in Fayetteville. 'I need everyone in this room to recognize what's happening in D.C. It's not something that we can change overnight,' said Benavente, who represents District 3 on the City Council. 'What's happening here in our own neighborhoods, in our own communities, we can have a change this summer to make Fayetteville a beacon of progressive values.' Benavente told the crowd the importance of their voice and pointed out that he sits on the City Council because of a handful of votes. Benavente won by six votes out of more than 2,000 cast in the district in 2022. Three officers with the Fayetteville Police Department made an appearance, but only to remind protesters that the use of bullhorns was prohibited. More protest news: Local religious leaders gather at Fayetteville's Market House to protest federal cuts Marvin Newkirk, a minister at Fayetteville's Divine Call Ministries, attended the protest to stand up for his son and others who have lost their jobs due to recent executive orders. Newkirk said his son was hired by the Department of Education in November 2023 but is now unemployed in Charlotte. He was terminated because of the dismantling of the DOE. 'The government has let us down,' he said. As a minister, he said, he also feels a deeper responsibility to speak out. 'I pray for our elected officials to stand up to this man that is tearing our country up.' Donna McCaslin, a 70-year-old who has lived in Fayetteville for more than a decade, joined the protest out of concern that American rights and freedoms are being stripped away by leaders she views as illegitimate and out of touch. 'Elon is unelected. As far as I'm concerned, he's not even a citizen,' she said, voicing alarm over what she sees as a shift toward authoritarianism. As a U.S. Navy veteran and retired educator, McCaslin said she feels deeply betrayed by a system she dedicated her life to. 'You work all your life … to see your rights taken. I feel abandoned,' she said. More local protests: 'I'd be dead': Fayetteville protesters demand protection in wake of proposed Medicaid cuts Kat Zietkiewicz, a union president at Fort Bragg and mental health social worker, came to the protest out of concern for how recent executive actions are undermining public service jobs and threatening the stability of military communities like Fayetteville. While she supports the idea of strong government leadership, she believes the current administration's sweeping decisions lack foresight. 'These massive changes are just not thought out,' she said, citing the elimination of remote work for psychiatrists as one example. 'We can't get psychiatrists to come to Fort Bragg, so now (Trump) did the executive order to remove psychiatrist remote workers ... How are we going to provide medication for our spouses, our children and our anyone, our retirees. This is not helpful.' A man who identified himself as an Army veteran named Mando entered the Market House chanting 'Trump is your president,' challenging the protest's message. He told a small group that Democrats prioritize "illegal immigrants" over U.S. citizens, sparking a heated debate with protester Alexander Cunningham over immigration and the wrongful deportation of Maryland father Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. A federal judge ruled Garcia's deportation illegal, ordering his return to the U.S. by April 7. However, the Trump administration has appealed, citing lack of jurisdiction and maintaining that Garcia is a dangerous gang member, a claim his lawyers dispute, saying there is little evidence to support it. Cunningham argued that Garcia's case reflected racism and abuse of power under Trump, while Mando falsely claimed Garcia was a gang member who missed court. Mando, originally from Los Angeles, told The Fayetteville Observer he came to the rally to challenge what he sees as misplaced priorities. He said he feels that undocumented immigrants are receiving aid while veterans and low-income Americans are left behind. 'I'm an American citizen, I pay taxes, I do so many things, and now I'm getting rejected by the government,' he said. 'Now you have all these illegal immigrants just coming like nothing, and you're like, dude, like, that's not fair for the other people who are doing it right.' Derrick Montgomery, chairman of the Cumberland County Democratic Party, also spoke to the crowd and emphasized unity and the importance of standing up for justice. "I don't know your name, and many don't know mine, but I know your struggle," he said. He highlighted that the rally represented people from all walks of life. "Whether we're wealthy, middle class, unhoused, veterans, or families with disabilities, we do not sit in silence," he said. Montgomery urged the crowd to set aside personal prejudices and come together for a common cause, channeling Martin Luther King Jr., "A threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Government Watchdog Reporter Claire C. Carter can be reached at ccarter@ This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Hands Off rally: Fayetteville, NC condemns Trump and Musk
