Latest news with #LifeisBeautiful
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Palestine Film Institute Calls for Decision-Makers to Amplify Palestinian Filmmakers' Voices at Cannes Docs Showcase
At today's Cannes Docs Palestine showcase, where four works in progress were pitched to industry delegates, spokespersons of the Palestine Film Institute (PFI) called for Cannes and key decision-makers to amplify the voice of Palestinian filmmakers, as the war in Gaza is causing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. 'Cannes Docs provides a vital platform where Palestinian stories can present our true complex realities beyond headlines and transcend imposed boundaries,' IDFA-winning Palestinian filmmaker Mohamed Jabaly ('Life is Beautiful,' 'Ambulance'), in charge of the PFI's Palestine Documentary Hub, told Variety. 'The powerful medium of documentary allows filmmakers to transform restriction into liberation at a moment when countering misrepresentation and reclaiming our narratives is more important than ever.' More from Variety Spike Lee Shades Trump at Cannes: 'I Don't Know How Much We Can Talk About American Values Considering Who Is President' 'Legally Blonde' Director Robert Luketic to Tackle Survival Thriller 'Resurface' (EXCLUSIVE) Denzel Washington Appears to Fight Back Against Pushy Cannes Photographer and Yells 'Stop!' During Tense Red Carpet Moment Added producer Mohanad Yaqubi, PFI public program consultant: 'The return of the Palestine Pavilion to Cannes [the first time being in 2018] at this time represents the strength of artistic persistence and the potential of creative voices that refuse to be silenced. It is extremely important that festivals with global influence, such as Cannes, hold space for Palestinian artists to be included in cinematic conversations during our struggle against attempted erasure in an ongoing genocide,' he stated. Taking center stage at the Marché du Film's Lerins 4, both Jabaly and Yaqubi warmly thanked Cannes Docs' organizers for their long-standing partnership. 'It's the 7th time that we've collaborated, and we are extremely thankful for Cannes Docs' unwavering support,' they stated. Pierre-Alexis Chevit, head of Cannes Docs, said: 'We've been having Palestinian Showcases of docs-in-progress since 2018, as it's always been very important for us to give visibility to stories from Palestine and the diaspora and help preserve all Palestinian narratives. Today, this obviously has an even greater importance and urgency than ever before,' he commented. The four documentaries from first-time filmmakers showcased today – 'Wolf Game' by Patricia El, 'My Rebel Heart' by Ida Kat Balslev, 'Sama' by Rabab Khamis and 'Asphalt' by Hamza Hamideh – were selected by an independent jury including Francesco Gai Via, Venice Film Festival programmer and industry expert, Arte France's experimental documentary expert Rasha Salti and Keisha Nicole Knight, founder of Solidarity Media Network. London-based producer and curator Elhum Shakerifar (Hakawati), Bafta-nominated for 'A Syrian Love Story,' said, 'The four projects selected for Cannes speak to different aspects of the Palestinian experience, with the potential to become bold, cinematic and important works that will resonate widely.' She also underlined the recent success of other doc works promoted by the PFI that gained acclaim and visibility: the Palestinian/Jordanian 'A State of Passion' by Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, selected for the Cairo, Geneva's Forum on Human Rights and Sheffield festivals among others, and 'The Palestine Comedy Club' by Alaa Aliabdallah (Palestine/U.K.) handled by First Hand Films, which was pitched at last year's Cannes Docs Palestine Showcase. All four films are backed by prominent producers and/or filmmakers, including 'From Ground Zero's' Palestinian producer Rashid Masharawi and 'Apolonia, Apolonia's' Danish producer Sidsel Lønvig Siersted. 'Asphalt,' (Hamza Hamideh, Jordan) The film is produced by Jordanian/Dutch seasoned producer and cinematographer Mahmoud Massad, a Sundance winner for the film 'Recycle.' 'Amid the escalating war in Gaza, 20-year-old Debs, a Palestinian refugee from the Baqa'a camp in Jordan, dreams of marrying his beloved. He is forced to postpone the wedding due to the death of his relatives in Gaza, one after another,' runs the logline. 'I chose to shoot my movie in the Baqa'a camp – perhaps the biggest in the world – because people see this place as a desolate ghetto, but I have family there. I wanted to give a different image of this place,' said the director. The film, in post-production, is due for release in 2026. 'My Rebel Heart,' (Ida Kat Balslev, Denmark, Palestine) Prominent Danish producer Sidsel Lønvig Siersted of Siersted Film, credited for the multi-awarded and smash hit 'Apolonia, Apolonia,' a double IDFA winner in 2022, and Sony Classics' 'Aquarela' among others, is driving this project in pre-production. Set in Gaza, the film follows young actress and activist Yara as she navigates the delicate balance between her artistic ambitions and the fight for Palestinian liberation. 'Yara fights for peace in the world and the right to become a Palestinian woman, actress, sister and daughter. But she sees limits from all fronts as she was born in Jaffa [Israel] and now lives in Ramallah [a Palestinian city in the West Bank]. 'With Israeli citizenship, she's being denied to be who she was supposed to be. Her contradictions represent the inner antagonist in the film,' said the rising filmmaking talent. 'In the film, we follow her struggle with her mum and sister, and their relationships form the emotional core. We see three generations of women facing a world that is constantly trying to redefine them. I want to honor this spirit and the courage it takes to follow your own voice, your own truth that brings us closer to a more human world,' she observed. Siersted said she aims to deliver the film in 2026. 'Sama,' (Rabab Khamis, Palestine, France) High-profile Palestinian producer Rashid Masharawi backs this project. His previous work includes this year's Oscar-short-listed 'From Ground Zero,' released in the US via Watermelon Pictures. The clip shown at Cannes Docs, introduced via a video link by Gaza-based Khamis, revealed a moving portrait of Sama (10), filmed in her daily chores, which range from collecting plastic and cardboard to selling fuel. The film team in Cannes said it will be shot mostly without dialogue, partly out of respect to the main protagonist who decided not to talk. The film's premiere is slated for September 2025. 'Wolf Game,' (Patricia El, Palestine, U.S., Spain) Spain/U.S.-based filmmaker and visual artist Patricia El's work has played at numerous festivals, with her 2023 virtual reality doc 'Remember This Place' premiering at the Venice Biennale. 'Wolf Game' is produced through her own label, The Office for Public Therapy Politics. Speaking to Variety, El said her intention with 'Wolf Game' is 'to show the infrastructures and flows of funds that enable the colonization of Palestinian land across the territory. We do this by showing three interweaving narratives: the story of a Palestinian shepherd boy who is the Main protagonist, a settler boy who becomes a shepherd in order to take over Palestinian land, and a crypto gamer who lives in Los Angeles and plays a crypto game called 'Wolf Game,' where players are encouraged to accumulate as much virtual land and sheep as possible, at the expense of other players in the game.' Delivery of the film is set for June 2026. 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
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Downtown Las Vegas bar owner hunts for new venue before closure
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – After nearly 20 years, the owner of a well-known downtown Las Vegas bar is searching for a new location. Hogs & Heifers Saloon Owner Michelle Dell said the bar's lease will not be renewed, and it may need to close on July 6 while it searches for its next location. The bar, popular among bikers and first responders, came to Las Vegas from New York City nearly 20 years ago. Dell told 8 News Now their arrival was part of former City of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman's efforts to revive downtown. Dell said she was not surprised by the lack of renewal. 'We knew our lease was coming up due, but, for a number of reasons, it took years to recover from COVID, it took years to regain this type of stability that gives you the opportunity to pull the loan that you need to buy the property to, be in charge of our own destiny,' she said. Dell said she has identified a site nearby to relocate and build a temporary bar. Currently, they either need time or money to acquire it. 'Both would be ideal because then we could build a proper structure and not a temporary structure that we then have to rebuild in order to get up and running in three months,' Dell said. 'It would certainly be a temporary structure. We're not buying a building, we would be buying a piece of property.' Dell claimed that the owners of the Downtown Grand, where they are located, are selling the property to Penkse Media Corporation, who are the owners of Rolling Stone and the Life is Beautiful music festival. Both Penske and the Downtown Grand's ownership told 8 News Now they have no comment. Dell added that the alleged new owners have no interest in keeping her bar on the property. 'We really just want an opportunity to talk to Penske,' she said. 'We have had no contact with them, and we're not even sure they know who we are really. Hogs & Heifers brings 175 to 200,000 people through our doors every single year. We know this because we wristband people as they come through our doors.' Dell has 45 employees and plans to support them during the transition. The team is considering ways to raise money for the new location, including possibly selling some of the bar's memorabilia. 'I rolled the dice on Las Vegas 20 years ago when nobody would, and I would like Las Vegas to roll the dice on me for one more year while I find a new home,' she said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Husband's shock over affair claims linked to British wife murdered in France
The husband of a British woman stabbed to death in a French village has described his shock after police said an affair with a local man could have been a motive. Alan Carter, 65, said the police investigation into the death of his wife of 30 years, Karen Carter, alleged a 'relationship I did not want to believe'. Ms Carter was found dying in her driveway with stab wounds on 29 April after she had been at a wine-tasting event in Trémolat, the Dordogne, earlier that evening. A statement by French investigators said: 'The investigation is focusing on the people who were likely after the victim or the couple she formed with her friend, both of whom were very active in the local social and community fabric.' Mr Carter, who lives in South Africa and spent some of his time in France, told The Times that the police statement had compounded his grief and that of their children. 'I could not have imagined that Karen got caught up in what is being talked about as some sort of love triangle that resulted in her being murdered in France,' he said. Ms Carter reportedly ran a cafe in the village with Jean-François Guerrier, a 74-year-old retired businessman, who worked as a volunteer. She lived in France and managed two holiday homes since visiting the country in 2009. At one stage, she ran a lifestyle blog for women over 50 called La Vie est Belle (Life is Beautiful). She was also a leading player in the Queens of Football (Reines du Foot) team, which in early April completed a tour of South Africa. Last week, a Trémolat resident said: 'Everyone is in total shock. Ms Carter was a delightful, energetic person who got on with everybody. 'We saw emergency vehicles in the village, and then lots of police cars, and then the area around her house was cordoned off,' said the resident, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons. 'Nobody can understand how this could have happened in a peaceful place like this. We are all keeping our doors locked. It is deeply worrying.' The Dordogne is an area of France hugely popular with British tourists, second home owners and expat pensioners. In February, British couple Andrew and Dawn Searle, who previously lived in East Lothian in Scotland, were found dead at their home in the southwest village of Les Peques, north of Toulouse.
The Independent
05-05-2025
- The Independent
Wife's affair a ‘complete betrayal', says husband of British woman murdered in France
The husband of a British woman stabbed to death in a French village has described a feeling of 'complete betrayal' after police said an affair with a local man could have been a motive. Alan Carter, 65, said the police investigation into the death of his wife of 30 years Karen Carter, confirmed a 'relationship I did not want to believe'. Mrs Carter was found dying in her driveway with stab wounds on 29 April by François Guerrier, a 74-year-old retired businessman, after they had been at a wine-tasting event in Trémolat earlier that evening. French investigators said the probe into her death was focused 'on people likely to have had something against the victim, or against the couple that she had formed,' according to The Times. Mr Carter, who lives in South Africa and spent some of his time in the France, said: 'It was obvious Jean-François had an affection for Karen, and I feel he took advantage of the time we spent apart.' 'I could not have imagined that Karen got caught up in what is being talked about as some sort of love triangle that resulted in her being murdered in France,' he added. Mrs Carter reportedly ran a cafe in the village with Mr Guerrier as a volunteer. She lived in France and managed two holiday homes. At one stage she ran a lifestyle blog for women over 50 called La Vie est Belle (Life is Beautiful). She was also a leading player in the Queens of Football (Reines du Foot) team, which in early April completed a tour of South Africa. Last week, a Tremolat resident said: 'Everyone is in total shock. Ms Carter was a delightful, energetic person who got on with everybody. 'We saw emergency vehicles in the village, and then lots of police cars, and then the area around her house was cordoned off,' said the resident, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons. 'Nobody can understand how this could have happened in a peaceful place like this. We are all keeping our doors locked. It is deeply worrying.' The Dordogne is an area of France that is hugely popular with British tourists, second home owners and expat pensioners. In February, British couple Andrew and Dawn Searle, who previously lived in East Lothian in Scotland, were found dead at their home in the south west village of Les Peques, north of Toulouse.
The Irish Sun
01-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Brit mum-of-four, 65, stabbed to death in French village was ‘found by pal who tried to save her' after frenzied attack
A BRIT mum who was fatally stabbed outside her home in France was found by a friend who is said to have desperately tried to save her. Karen Carter, 65, was brutally murdered in a " 6 Brit mum Karen Carter was murdered in France 6 She was found outside her home in Trémolat by a friend, who immediately alerted emergency services 6 The much-loved Brit local is to have suffered the "savage Bergerac prosecutor Sylvie Martins-Guedes said that on Tuesday at around 10.17pm, emergency workers were called to a home "for a 65-year-old woman in cardiorespiratory arrest". The prosecutor said that Carter was "discovered by a friend with whom she had been in a relationship for several weeks" and that she was found with "bleeding wounds". "The victim had several injuries, including five deep ones caused by a sharp object, notably on her right breast, groin, arm, and leg," the prosecutor explained. Read more on France A source close to the matter said that she suffered "five deep injuries" which pointed to "ferocious violence and a desire to The British-South African mother-of-four was found severely injured, lying on the ground near her car, according to the source. The man she was reported to be dating tried to save her, according to Despite his first aid efforts and those by medics, Carter tragically died. Most read in The Sun A homicide investigation has been immediately opened. The prosecutor said that, at this stage, all leads are being explored. School knife horror leaves girl dead and three students injured in France Originally from the UK, Carter had lived in the village for over a decade and was deeply involved in local life, La Dépêche reported. She was reportedly married and mother to four children living abroad. Carter is believed to have spent her time between Trémolat and South Africa. She is said to have ran a guesthouse and was involved in the local community café in the Périgord village. The community café has cancelled events scheduled for the days following the tragedy. At one point in her life, she also ran a lifestyle blog for women over 50 called "La Vie est Belle" (Life is Beautiful). Carter was also a member of the 'Football Queens', a women's team made up of women over 50 who recently represented Dordogne in a global 'Granny Football' tournament in South Africa. A Trémolat resident said: "Everyone is in total shock - Ms Carter was a delightful, energetic person who got on with everybody. "We saw emergency vehicles in the village, and then lots of police cars, and then the area around her house was cordoned off." They said that "nobody can understand how this could have happened in a peaceful place like this" and that many residents were "keeping our doors locked", according to France Bleu. The woman's friend is not in custody, and the Bergerac prosecutor says "all avenues are being explored". The Foreign Office told The Sun that they had not yet been approached for assistance but were "ready to support British nationals abroad 24/7". The Bergerac investigative unit and the Agen criminal investigation unit are continuing their efforts to identify the individual or individuals responsible for this crime. In February, Brit couple Prosecutors revealed that Andrew was found hanging by a rope attached to a radiator at his rural home in France. 6 Brit mum Karen Carter was a 'well-liked' member of her community in the Dordogne 6 Carter was active in the local community Credit: Facebook 6 Carter was found near her property in the Dordogne on Tuesday evening
