Latest news with #RobertRedford
Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
When love isn't enough: Why I left my ‘perfect' relationship
I walked out of my 'perfect' relationship. While it lasted — all of eight years — it looked like a match made in heaven. He was patient, kind, and loyal. Our relationship was supported and celebrated by our families and friends. But with time, I became aware of the vast gap in our perception of the world, which only grew larger by the day. There was not much drama or conflict, but the truth was undeniable and stark. Break-ups are usually messy, often a result of cheating or dishonesty. There's shouting, tears, blocked numbers, and divided friend groups. At least that's what social media, movies, and even our own fears would have us believe. It's almost as if a relationship can only end for explicit, solid and explosive reasons. But separations need not necessarily be about betrayal, disappointment, and anguish. They can happen when two people, who still love each other, stop moving in the same direction. For me, there was no single, seismic moment that marked the end. It was rather a slow unravelling, and here's how it possibly began. For quite some time, I wanted to have deeper conversations with him that challenged our social conditioning and pushed our boundaries of comfort. I wanted to interrogate the world and my place in it. He chose the comfort of certainty and was content with how things were, and I was not. One day, I asked myself: if this continues, what will I become? At first, it was just a niggling restlessness. Eventually, I understood that I was growing. Not away from him, but into myself. We often confuse love with compatibility, but are they the same? You can love someone deeply and still find yourself fundamentally out of sync. Love is not a guarantee of forever. It is a powerful bond, but it doesn't erase the need for shared growth, intellectual connection, or mutual curiosity about the world. I found myself thinking often about The Way We Were, starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. In one unforgettable scene, Streisand's character Katie says to Redford's Hubbell, 'If I push too hard, it's because I want things to be better.' That line helped me with the realisation: I wasn't trying to break us. I was trying to make us expansive enough to hold everything I was becoming. When that couldn't happen, I chose not to contort myself to fit into that limiting tent. Or take Eat Pray Love, where Julia Roberts' character, Liz, leaves a marriage not because it was terrible, but because it was stifling in its sameness. She says, 'I want to marvel at something.' That desire, to marvel, to stretch, to be wide open to the world, is not a rejection of love, but a reaching toward selfhood. She knew she was built for something different, something wider — that recognition is liberating. Then, there's Tamasha, where Deepika Padukone's character, Tara, falls in love with Ved in Corsica, only to be heartbroken when she realises the man he becomes in his routine life is far different from his inner light, his own self. Even in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Abhay Deol's character, Kabir, begins to confront the emotional weight of fitting into his relationship with Natasha, played by Kalki Koechlin. He has to decide if his own desires fit into her expectations. These are not stories of betrayal or failure. They are stories of truth. And the truth is, we can love someone and still choose ourselves. We can walk away from something that looks whole because we recognise a deeper ailment: one that is not about who the other person is, but who we have become. Relationship dynamics shift as people evolve. And staying in something you know will eventually shrink your spirit is one of the quietest, yet riskiest, things you can do — to yourself, and to the person you love. Because when alignment fades, love can curdle into resentment. And no one deserves that. So, I made the hardest, but perhaps the kindest choice I could. I walked away from my 'perfect' relationship. Our final conversations were quiet and gutting. He asked me if I was sure, and I said I was. He asked if I still loved him. I said yes, but added that I loved myself differently now. I could not shrink my curiosity, ambition, or shifting worldview to make someone else comfortable, even if it was someone I adored. He deserves someone who finds joy in the life he wants, and I deserve a life that reflects the depths of who I am becoming. When I tell people I ended a 'perfect' relationship, their first reaction is confusion. 'But everything was fine,' they say. And they are right. Everything was fine. But 'fine' is a dangerous trap. 'Fine' convinces us that comfort is the same as compatibility. 'Fine' is what keeps people captive in unspoken misery for years, trading depth for predictability. When it comes to growth, it doesn't always follow the same timeline. Sometimes, people evolve in parallel directions. Sometimes they don't. My decision underscores identity and autonomy, and not rebellion. I chose a real life, not one of labels. Shruti Kaushal is a social media sieve and catches'em trends before they grow big, especially cinema. She has been a journalist for 4 years and covers trends, art and culture, and entertainment. ... Read More
Axios
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Sundance Film Festival unveils plans for 2026 sendoff
Utah's final Sundance Film Festival is scheduled to kick off Jan. 22, 2026, organizers announced Monday, ending a four-decade run. Why it matters: The Utah-born independent film festival — set to relocate to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027 — will show appreciation for the Utah community, honor cofounder Robert Redford and feature archival screenings and special events. What to expect: Next year's event will showcase more than 90 feature films and over 50 shorts. The lineup will be released later this year. Park City's Main Street will again become pedestrian-only. At-home screenings will be available Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2026. What they're saying: "This year will mean so much for so many reasons," Eugene Hernandez, director of the festival and public programming, said in a letter. "Our focus is making the 2026 festival ... one to remember, a celebration full of gratitude and joy." Between the lines: Venues in Park City include: the Eccles Theatre, Holiday Village Cinemas, Library Center Theatre, the Ray Theatre, Redstone Cinemas and the Yarrow Theatre. Salt Lake City venues are Broadway Centre Cinemas and Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. The intrigue: Park City's iconic Egyptian Theatre, an emblematic venue for the festival, will not host screening this year. Catch up quick: Sundance announced it was moving to Colorado in March after launching a competitive bidding process last year for a new host city. News of the resettlement disappointed local and state leaders, including and Gov. Spencer Cox and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, who accused the festival of "using politics" as a "convenient excuse" for its move in a Los Angeles Times op-ed. Festival leaders have maintained that the state's conservative politics did not drive them away. By the numbers: Out-of-state visitors spent $106.4 million during this year's festival, drawing over 72,000 in-person attendees, per an economic impact report. The event's total economic impact was estimated to be $132 million and produced about 1,730 jobs for Utahns. Flashback: As the festival departs for neighboring Colorado, here's a list of influential movies that premiered at Sundance over the years:
UPI
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Sundance announces Robert Redford tribute at final Park City fest
1 of 5 | Robert Redford, seen at the 2018 Toronto Film Festival, will be honored at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. File Photo by Christine Chew/UPI | License Photo July 14 (UPI) -- The Sundance Film Festival announced plans for a tribute to Robert Redford and legacy Sundance films on Monday. The 2026 festival will run Jan. 22 to Feb. 1 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. 2026 will be the last Sundance Film Festival to take place in Utah. The festival previously announced its move to Boulder, Colo., beginning in 2027. Robert Redford founded The Sundance Institute in 1981, which runs filmmaker labs and has put on the festival since 1985. The Sundance Film Festival Celebration on Jan. 23 will honor Redford, as well as additional moments to be planned throughout the festival. The 2026 festival program will also include archival screenings of past festival movies. The Yarrow Theater in the Park City DoubleTree Hotel will be a screening venue after being dark for several years. Additionally, movies will screen at the Eccles Theater, Holiday Village Cinemas, Park City Library, The Ray and Redstone theaters. Salt Lake City screenings will be held at Broadway Centre Cinemas and the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Centre. United Press International has covered the Sundance Film Festival since 2020.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
10 Facts You Don't Know About ‘Jurassic World Rebirth' Star and Fan Favorite Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson stars in Jurassic World Rebirth, the latest film in the dinosaur franchise. Here are 10 things you probably don't know about the 40-year-old actress. 1. Scarlett was born in Manhattan to architect dad Karsten Olaf Johansson, a native of Copenhagen, Denmark, and New Yorker producer mom Melanie Sloan. The most important three minutes in Scarlett's life? The three minutes she was born ahead of her twin brother, Hunter! 2. Johansson got her first taste of acting when she attended the Professional Children's School in Greenwich Village. At age 8, she appeared in a 1995 skit on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. 3. Even though she had been in six films, Scarlett was given an 'introducing' credit for playing Kristin Scott Thomas' daughter in the 1998 Western The Horse Whisperer, starring Robert Redford. 4. Katy Perry paid 'lip service' to Scarlett — the pop star penned her breakout hit song 'I Kissed a Girl' after seeing a photograph of Johansson. 5. Producers say Scarlett was absolutely perfect for the lead role in the 2011 thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo except for one thing … she's too sexy! They eventually hired the alter-ego of Rooney Mara, who played the role. 6. Johansson got her most famous role as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when Emily Blunt was forced to pull out due to other obligations. Scarlett dyed her hair red in a bold bid to successfully win over director Jon Favreau. Having never set foot in a gym, she had five weeks to prepare for the physical role! 7. In 2020, Scarlett got a rare honor by being nominated for two Oscars: Best Supporting Actress for Jojo Rabbit and Best Actress for Marriage Story. Sadly, she went home empty-handed. 8. Scarlett is willing to doff her duds for a good role — she dared to bare her entire body as an alien hunter in 2013's Under the Skin and showed skin in several other films. 9. Third time's a charm? Johansson was married to Ryan Reynolds (2008–2011) and French journalist Romain Dauriac (2014–2017) before tying the knot with SNL star Colin Jost in 2020. She has daughter Rose Dorothy, 10, with Dauriac, and son Cosmo, 4, with Jost. As a child, Johansson had crushes on David Bowie and David Hasselhoff, her costar in 2004's The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. 10. Scarlett has a morbid fear of birds and cockroaches.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Dark Winds' Star Zahn McClarnon: 'I've Learned More in the Last Four Seasons Than in 30 Years'
Zahn McClarnon has been a film and TV actor for more than 30 years, and in that time, he's often played, as he puts it, 'the bad guy or Indian No. 1 over here by the tipi.' He went on to be featured in a succession of popular shows, including Longmire, Westworld and Fargo, as well as playing the quirky police officer (and Big Foot enthusiast) Big on FX's Reservation Dogs. So when George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford called him a few years ago asking him to be No. 1 on the call sheet for AMC's '70s-set Navajo detective series Dark Winds, there was no hesitation. What followed was a learning experience that surpassed anything he had done before, culminating in his upcoming directing debut in season four. The recently released third season saw McClarnon go deep into his character's past, uncovering repressed traumas that mirror experiences in McClarnon's own life, all while Joe Leaphorn tried to stop a murderer and reconcile his own morally questionable role in an earlier death. More from The Hollywood Reporter Jessica Biel, Meghann Fahy, Rashida Jones Dissect Their Characters' Complicated Emotions and the Challenges of Performing in Water 'Good Mythical Morning' Duo Rhett and Link Answer Five Burning Questions Grammys Reveal Key Dates for 2026 Awards, Unveil New Rules and Categories As we ease into Emmy season, the veteran actor hopped on a Zoom with THR to discuss the cultural strides that have been made, the role that he finds both hugely challenging and hugely rewarding, and how he untethers himself from his character at the end of the day. Joe Leaphorn is a complex character — he's got a lot of trauma and loss in his past, yet he's a mentor, leader and husband, too. What was it that originally drew you to playing him, and what are the things that excite you most as he continues to evolve? [Executive producers] Chris Eyre, Tina Elmo and George R.R. Martin came to me and asked if I wanted to be part of the show, and I was familiar with the Hillerman books [on which Dark Winds is based]. I'd read quite a few of them and I've read more since I started the show, but I was very familiar with Hillerman growing up and Chris Eyre is an old friend of mine. Just being part of a team with George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford is very exciting to me. Joe Leaphorn is already pretty much a fleshed-out character throughout the books, so it wasn't an easy task, but the foundation was already set for Joe and I just had to bring my own version of the characteristics he has. Just to be No. 1 [on the call sheet of a TV show] is a dream come true for an actor. I've been in the business for a long time, and these kinds of opportunities don't come along — especially for somebody like me, because I'm not the typical leading man. So, I jumped at the opportunity, and I've become very close to my new family in the last four seasons. And what I like about Joe Leaphorn and how he's changing is that he's got a lot going on and he's been through a lot, and to be able to explore those aspects of a character are a dream for any actor in this business. I recentlyand he pointed out how rare it is for a Native couple like Joe and his wife, Emma (Deanna Allison), to have their relationship shown in all its three-dimensionality. How do you feel about that relationship? We all grew up with the stereotypes, and we just have not seen these kinds of relationships with Native people on television, ever. To be able, as an actor, to explore being in a relationship as a Native man, I've never had an opportunity to do that before. So people are seeing different parts of our culture and of the Navajo culture and seeing these characters from a different perspective because we have the Native writing room and Native directors, Native producers, Native crew people. I've just had a wonderful time being on the show and we hope to keep going with it. And you're already in production on season four. We are. We're getting down to the last two episodes now. I understand you're making your directing debut this upcoming season. Have you gotten to work on that episode yet? Yeah, we've shot my episode, which is episode two. We shot that first so I had time to prep, because otherwise I wouldn't have time to prep being in almost every scene. It was a great experience. And I have wonderful people to learn from: [executive producers] Jim Chory, Tina Elmo, [dialogue coach] Rob Tepper, Chris Eyre, a great DP in Blake Evans and Dennis Crow is my first AD. I can take that and put it under my belt and maybe do it again, we'll see what happens. Why did you feel it was important or appealing to take on these additional roles of executive producing and directing at this point in your career? They asked me to be an EP on the show, they offered that to me, and to be able to have the opportunity to sit in all the production meetings and help with casting and give notes on scripts and edits of the episodes is brand new for me and it's been a wonderful learning experience. I've learned so much being on Dark Winds for the last four seasons, more than I've learned in the previous 30 years of being an actor, because you are completely involved in all aspects of production. And as far as directing, AMC asked me if I wanted to direct in the fourth season and I can't pass up an opportunity like that. It scared the heck out of me, it really did, being the number one [on the call sheet] and trying to direct. And I never had really any aspirations to direct, so when they asked me, it was just a huge learning opportunity for me to expand my horizons in this business. I've got a great team, and I knew that I wasn't going to fail with this team around me. The episode turned out really good, the story's being told and most importantly, AMC liked it. (Laughs.) So maybe we'll do it again, we'll see what happens. Looking back, did you have a favorite moment from season three? As an actor, you don't [often] get to be part of a character or show that develops over four seasons. It's not like a movie where you do this character for three months and you're done; I've been doing it now for four seasons, so those moments of realization were pretty special for me in season three. My character falling in love with his wife is a pretty special moment. And again, you rarely see that [with Native characters] on television. There was also some really tough content in season three. Was there an aspect of the season that was most challenging for you? The whole season was. It's a continued exploration of the tragedy that befell the Leaphorn family and the son's death and the consequences that come from that into what Joe Leaphorn did and his actions last season, and how it affects him mentally and his marriage with Emma. Just the struggle with guilt and the moral gray areas he's found himself in, the questioning of his decisions in season two with B.J. Vines: Did he really murder B.J. Vines or did he just leave B.J. Vines in the desert to fend for himself? Is that murder? Those choices have [led] him to a lot of fear and anxiety throughout the season, but also it's a growth season, more about self-understanding and healing and going back into his past and reconciling those traumatic events that affected him and his loved ones. It was a challenging season, but it's [also] fun to dive deep into those psychological issues that any character has and we've got a good writing team. You've said this season was cathartic for you as you tapped into experiences and traumas from your own past, which were similar to the relating to Joe's cousin when they were younger. What did that process entail for you? Great directors helped me through all that and just created a safe environment, along with my first ADs. We closed down some of the sets with only the camera people, the first AD and the actors. And I've got a great team around me that allowed me to be vulnerable and be in those moments. Yeah, I've had some past history with some very similar events in my life, so it's pretty easy to tap into a lot of that … trauma? Sure, I've dealt with a lot of stuff throughout my life and one of the things I enjoy about acting is to tap into that stuff and make it real, because if it's not real and not honest, it shows up on the camera. I could relate to a lot of what Joe had gone through, and it was cathartic. But mainly it was the environment, the trust of the people around me, that [allowed me] to be vulnerable and [still] feel safe. When you're dealing with such difficult, emotional content, how does it impact you? Do you find you take it home with you? There was a moment in season three that — I wish I could articulate this — the lines became blurred. As actors we have to make things real, they have to feel real in my body and I have to feel like I'm in that situation. So, you do find yourself in moments where it's very real, and the whole environment makes it [feel even] more real. We've got great production designers that make it feel like the '70s, and you have the dialogue and the script, so you get to [these] moments where you really feel like you're in that situation. And that's what we all strive for as actors. Again, I had this great team around me, so when I'm off the set and I'm still feeling that, I can go talk to them about it. Tina Elmo helped me out with that a lot, she held my hand or she hugged me. We talk through it, and then you come out of it. I think the main thing is the focus, that's what I have a hard time with. You're working a job for four months, and you're in it every day for 14 hours a day. It's that focus that the job requires, and it's hard to get out of. When the job is over, what do you do with all that focus? That's what I struggle with. So, what do you do? I've found things to help me with it, like taking off on a motorcycle for a month or going and hanging out with my mom or just driving in the car. I love driving, and I'll drive for a few days and go up and see my mom, and it helps me deal with losing all that focus, where I can replace it with somebody I love. I find different tools to deal with being that focused for so long and then dropping out of it immediately. And you know, they're healthy tools. (Laughs.) Back in the day, 25 years ago, I unfortunately had unhealthy ways to deal with some of that stuff. Today, it's healthy. That's important. By the way, what kind of motorcycle do you ride? I've got a couple bikes. I had four and I just got rid of a couple but they're all Harleys. I might be changing to a BMW GS, like a dual sport where I can do a little bit more gravel road, off-road, elastic stuff. Emmy nominations are coming, and you could be nominated. In recent years, several other Native actors have been. I wonder if you feel like that win is coming soon for a Native actor, and what it would mean to you? Oh, I think somebody's going to. We've got such great talent out there — D'Pharoah [Woon-A-Tai] was nominated last year for Rez Dogs, and Lily [Gladstone] came really close to winning the Academy Award. And we've got more content coming out. Sierra Ornelas just did a pilot for NBC, it's a Native comedy. We've just got too much talent out there for somebody not to get nominated or hopefully win one of those awards. And to be recognized by your community is a pretty cool thing. But we'll see what happens. Just to be in the conversation, to be honest with you, having a billboard or having people interviewing you, that's enough for me, it really is. People are recognizing the work you do. Speaking of , you also played on a police officer on that show. Do you have a special affinity for those characters? No, they just keep asking me to do them. (Laughs.) None of my family were in law enforcement or anything like that. I've learned quite a bit. On Longmire, I was a cop, too. And I did a film called The Silencing up in Canada with [Game of Thrones' Nikolaj Coster-Waldau], where I played a cop. I just get cast as cops. I'm this little 5-foot-6-inch guy, it doesn't make sense to me, but I guess it's because I have (in a deep voice) a strong presence. (Laughs.) I'm not going to say no, though! Any last thoughts before I leave you? We're not a documentary but it's an opportunity to reeducate people about [Navajo] culture and the values of that culture and it can lead to people getting more involved politically [because they get] to peek into a different culture. And it's a beautiful thing to be part of a television show that's also opening doors for Native talent. That's important to me. If I walk away from this business, I can say I was involved with something that did open these doors for Native writers, Native directors, Native producers, Native crew people. It's so difficult to get your foot into this business, and we've given a lot of Native people a foothold and something to put on their résumé — even myself as a first-time director. It's just a wonderful thing that AMC is backing and getting behind it and I'm very, very grateful for it. 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