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Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Film picks: John Lui recommended the Italian Film Festival, The Wedding Banquet and Walking With Dinosaurs
23rd Italian Film Festival The 2025 slate of films marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Singapore, and covers the genres of fiction, documentary and animation. The Italian Film Festival is organised by the Embassy of Italy in Singapore in collaboration with The Projector and the Singapore Film Society. The historical drama Vermiglio (2024, NC16, 119 minutes, screens on June 15, 4.30pm) is set in 1944. With the war drawing to a close, a stranger appears in the mountain village of the film's title, located high in the Italian Alps. He is Pietro (Giuseppe De Domenico), a deserter from the south of the coun try. He and Lucia (Martina Scrinzi), the eldest daughter of a local teacher, fall in love. Their relationship will transform the lives of those around them as more of Pietro's past comes to light. Film-maker Maura Delpero drew on her family's history to shape the story by returning to her family home to interview aunts and other villagers. The film won the Grand Jury Prize of the Silver Lion at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, and was selected as Italy's entry to the Best International Feature Film section of the 2025 Academy Awards. Where: The Projector at Cineleisure Orchard, 8 Grange Road MRT: Somerset When: June 7 to 22, various times Admission: $16.50 standard, with concessions for students, seniors, Singapore Film Society members and others Info: The Wedding Banquet (R21) 103 minutes, limited screenings at The Projector at Cineleisure from May 30 (From left) Kelly Marie Tran, Lily Gladstone, Han Gi-chan and Bowen Yang in The Wedding Banquet. PHOTO: UNIVERSAL PICTURES This remake of Lee Ang's 1993 film of the same name kicks off The Projector's Pink Screen season of films with an LGBTQ+ theme. The story follows Angela (Kelly Marie Tran), who lives with her partner Lee (Lily Gladstone) in Seattle. They are trying for a baby through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), but are running short of funds. Angela's best friend Chris (Bowen Yang) is worried that his partner Min (Han Gi-chan), a student from South Korea and the scion of a wealthy family, will be forced to leave once his visa expires. Angela's mother May (Joan Chen) is an ally, but Min's grandmother Ja-young (Youn Yuh-jung) is unlikely to support her grandson's relationship. A plan is born: Min and Angela will marry for the sake of his residency in the US. In return, Min will pay for Lee's IVF treatments. Chaos and comedy follow when Ja-young announces a visit. A review in The New Yorker magazine asks: 'In an era of wider LGBTQ+ acceptance, how do you fashion a romantic comedy predicated on the deceptions of the closet? Korean-American director and co-writer Andrew Ahn answers that question with the knowledge that acceptance brings pointed complications of its own. It's the warmth of Gladstone's presence that endows this remake with a whisper of something new.' The May 30 premiere is a fund-raiser for Proud Spaces, a community centre dedicated to building belonging for queer folks and allies in Singapore. Among the post-show events are fake weddings and a festival opening party at the No Spoilers lounge from 10.30pm to 12.30am. Walking With Dinosaurs A close-up of a Tyrannosaurus rex as it emerges from the forest in the BBC series Walking With Dinosaurs. PHOTO: BBC When the original series was released in 1999, its realistic computer-generated creatures caused a sensation. Narrated by actor and film-maker Kenneth Branagh, it spawned a new genre of documentary that used digital images to recreate animals from Earth's past. The six-part reboot from BBC Studios updates the science with more recent findings about the way the creatures lived, hunted, fought and died using state-of-the-art visual effects, with narration provided by Olivier and Tony award-winning actor Bertie Carvel. The series is available to stream on BBC Player. It will also be on the BBC Earth channel ( StarHub TV Channel 407 and Singtel TV Channel 203 ), Sundays at 8pm, from June 1. On July 5, from 5pm, families are invited to take along their picnic mats to the BBC Earth Screening Festival at Gardens by the Bay, with this series as the featured title. Entry is free at the event, held at the Supertree Grove. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
China's Fujian cuisine, culture shine at overseas Chinese celebration in New York
NEW YORK, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A Fujian food and culture share session was held in New York City on Saturday, attracting nearly 500 guests from the overseas Chinese, business and academic communities. The event, titled "Overseas Chinese Family Happiness in New York," was organized by the American Fujian Association of Commerce & Industry, aimed to promote Fujian Province's cuisine and traditional culture among both Chinese expatriates and the broader American public. Marking the association's 33rd anniversary, the event included a rich variety of traditional cultural demonstrations, such as lion dance, guzheng performance, Min opera interpreted in Fuzhou dialect, and a traditional Chinese dress cheongsam show, which drew applauses from the audience. In the spirit of the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, organizers distributed Zongzi and scented sachets to the audience, enhancing the festive atmosphere. The audience also experienced the charm of traditional food, art and festival culture through diverse cultural experience activities such as calligraphy, tea art and paper-cutting. It is a cultural event that allows overseas compatriots to revisit their hometowns and gives the American public a close sense of the glamor of Chinese culture, said Zheng Wei, president of the American Fujian Association of Commerce & Industry. Fujian cuisine is an important part of the overseas Chinese food industry. Overseas Chinese Family Happiness is a three-year-old event that has been successfully organized since 2022 in China's southeastern Fujian Province, as well as many other countries and regions such as the United States, Italy, Spain, and Malaysia, sharing the richness of traditional Chinese food culture with the world.
Business Mayor
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Mayor
South Korean Democrats Push For Faster KRW Stablecoin Adoption
Under its larger goal to strengthen the nation's financial independence and guarantee a competitive edge in the developing digital economy, South Korea's Democratic Party is intensifying efforts to fast-track the adoption of a Korean won-backed stablecoin (KRW stablecoin). The Democratic Party cautions against the dangers involved in depending on foreign digital currencies for local transactions, as international stablecoins like USDT and USDC are becoming more and more popular in home markets. Chairing the Democratic Party's Digital Asset Committee, Min Byoung-dug has been actively stressing the strategic relevance of stablecoins. He contends that these digital assets might be quite important in transforming payments and protecting South Korea's financial sovereignty. Min said, stressing their ability to change financial services, 'Stablecoins are no less important than artificial intelligence or semiconductors.' This drive is obviously urgent since South Korea's economy is closely linked with the world financial system, and unbridled capital outflows via stablecoin channels could compromise economic stability. Mostly via foreign stablecoins, nearly ₩26.9 trillion exited the nation in the first quarter of 2025 alone. Such a situation begs major questions concerning monetary management and capital flight. Economic Sovereignty And Global Competitiveness Advocates of a KRW stablecoin contend that, whilst maintaining financial flows inside the nation, a national digital currency might offer a safe and quick way of completing transactions. This will not only boost the nearby economy but also help to lessen reliance on stablecoins with dollar values that rule crypto markets. The CEO of Crypton, a blockchain company, Kim Jong-seung, reflected on these worries. He cautioned that depending too much on stablecoins produced abroad may compromise South Korea's monetary sovereignty and expose the country to outside economic pressure. Kim suggested that a KRW stablecoin supported by government bonds from South Korea may provide a dependable substitute, therefore guaranteeing stability and confidence among consumers. Such a step would also help South Korea to match other nations investigating stablecoins and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) as a means of upgrading financial systems. A native stablecoin might enable South Korea to land a leading role in Asia's growing crypto scene as rivalry in the digital currency market gets fiercer. Public Interest and Obstacles to Regulation The Democratic Party's plan appeals to a public surge in interest in digital assets. According to surveys, more than thirty per cent of South Koreans have made investments in cryptocurrencies; trading activity on local exchanges matches that of conventional stock markets. This wave of interest offers rich ground for the launch of a KRW stablecoin, which would probably be highly sought by tech-savvy consumers and companies looking for simplified payment options. Still, technical and legal obstacles abound. Already, the Bank of Korea is running a 100,000 citizen pilot program to evaluate the feasibility of a central bank digital currency in retail and wholesale uses. Although this CBDC is not a stablecoin specifically, it shows the central bank's openness to digital currency innovation, a promising indication for the Democratic Party's quest.
Korea Herald
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Min Byoung-chul's 'Land of Squid Game' launches in Turkey
"Land of Squid Game," authored by Min Byoung-chul, an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, founder of the Sunfull Foundation and a renowned scholar in English education and multicultural studies, was officially published in Turkey this May. Inspired by Netflix's hit series "Squid Game," the bilingual English-Korean book introduces traditional Korean games such as "ttakji chigi" and red light, green light, while centering on the question: 'Why do Koreans speak and behave this way?' Through vivid anecdotes, the author explores uniquely Korean customs — from gifting toilet paper at housewarming parties to the superstition about writing one's name in red, to the emotional concept of "jeong." These cultural aspects are presented in a way that is both informative and accessible. ''Land of Squid Game' offers foreign readers an engaging introduction to Korean life and culture," Min said. "For English learners, it provides a unique opportunity to acquire language skills while introducing K-culture content to foreign visitors. I am particularly delighted to introduce traditional Korean games and values in Turkey, a brother nation with deep historical ties to Korea.' "Land of Squid Game" is currently available at Kyobo Bookstore, major online retailers, and Amazon. The Turkish edition is being distributed through local Turkish publishers. The book has also been published in India and adopted as a university textbook at Gadjah Mada University in Indonesia.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Big Law firms double down on their Trump deals in letters to Congress
Nine law firms struck deals with President Trump to collectively provide $940 million in pro-bono work. Some Congressional Democrats suggested that the deals were illegal, and asked the firms to disavow them. In letters, most of the firms told Congress that their commitments were legal and ethical. White-shoe law firms that made deals with President Trump are doubling down on their commitments, insisting in letters to Congress that the agreements were legal and ethical. The letters were sent on May 8 in response to public scrutiny from Democrats about whether the deals amounted to illegal bribes. They were signed by representatives from the nine firms that agreed to provide pro-bono work for the president's preferred causes, including de-emphasizing DEI. "Your suggestion that the Firm may have violated federal law, state law, and rules of professional conduct in entering into the agreements is wholly without merit," the law firm Simpson Thacher said in one letter. "The Firm rejects your suggestion that Skadden's compliance with the Agreement reached with the Administration might constitute either legal or ethical violations," an attorney for Skadden wrote. The only firm that didn't explicitly defend the legality of its deal was Latham & Watkins. Chair Richard Trobman said the firm takes its ethical obligations "seriously." Beginning in late March, the nine firms committed $940 million in free legal work to support some of Trump's priorities amid punitive executive orders. The deals led several lawyers at the firms to publicly announce their resignations. Four other firms targeted with orders that threatened their client relationships have since won legal victories. Last month, members of Congress led by Rep. David Min and Rep. April McClain Delaney asked the firms that cut deals to repudiate them, calling them unethical and illegal. Critics of the deals say the vague commitments don't square with the firms' obligations to exercise independent professional judgment and provide legal help for the needy rather than the politically connected. Min told Business Insider he disagreed with the law firms' responses and said he and other Congressional Democrats were considering their next steps. He said the law firms might have violated state laws as well as federal laws, and said investigations and enforcement activities could take place in other jurisdictions — or once Democrats take power. "It's probably incumbent on state and local and federal, should that time arise, authorities to investigate these settlements," Min said. The law firms "can disavow the agreements," he added. "If they don't do that and continue to perform — for example, if they decide to represent January 6 protesters… then I think you have very clearly a circumstance where they violated a number of laws." In a statement, Rep. McClain Delaney called the deals a "real threat to the rule of law and integrity of the judiciary" and questioned how firms that cut deals with the White House could represent clients that "might be seen as antagonistic." Several of the firms also sent letters to Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Jamie Raskin defending the deals, Reuters previously reported. The nine law firms didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House didn't respond to a request for the original article on Business Insider
