Latest news with #SandCity
New Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Cinema Without Borders: Life in a metro—Sand City
The Bangladeshi film won the top award in the recently held Karlovy Vary International Film Festival's Proxima section that focuses on bold, radical and inventive works. True to that, the intrepidly crafted, off-the-beaten-path film is an exciting, artistically audacious addition to the new wave Bangladeshi cinema. The most obvious bit of its ingenuity lies in the visual flair with which it frames Dhaka. The city is a character itself, larger than life and looming large over its inhabitants, Emma and Hasan. The film unspools like a compelling collage or kaleidoscope of several snapshots of a tumultuous, anarchic Dhaka, its cheek by jowl way of life, all that drives and propels it and the tenuousness that underlines it. A city that is visibly crumbling but in a constant state of construction, albeit on a precarious foundation of sand. It's about the moral, spiritual degeneration seeping deep into the city, accompanying the thrust of economic pursuits. A concurrent flux of dissolution and continuation marks the lives of Emma and Hasan as well. The city and the humans that live in it are woven together in a compelling tapestry and are marked by a similar spirit of survival against all odds. Sand City opens with a steady flow of fractured images and situational sounds, accompanying human silence. In fact, the entire narrative is defined by such visual and aural fragmentation and wordlessness. Director Mahde Hasan, along with his cinematographer Mathieu Giombini, sound designer Oronnok Prithibi and art director Rainirr Borshon, play with the city's sights and sounds; the architecture, monuments, buildings, flyovers, statues, cement and concrete, and traffic get captured in a hyper-real manner. The spatial element—the structural grids, industrial geometry, factory settings and mall designs—and the chiaroscuro add to the hazy, doom-filled, gothic mood. However, the most mundane, often dehumanising routines also flow with a beat and rhythm of their own. Victoria delineates Emma with silence, stoicism and inscrutability. On the other hand, Monwar, one of the most spectacular contemporary South Asian acting talents, gives an unrestrained, expansive touch to his role of the eccentric misfit Hasan. Both their faces tell their own stories. Both are trapped in their own ways in Dhaka. Both are in search of better days, within it or outside. And both are as vulnerable as they are resilient, as fragile as they are unbreakable.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Superman' Star Nicholas Hoult Takes on New Role as Save the Children Ambassador
Even though Superman has just been released, Nicholas Hoult has already scored his next role — an ambassador for the global humanitarian organization, Save the Children. Hoult, who plays villain Lex Luthor in the new DC Studios film, recently stopped by the charity and community arts center Rich Mix in London to hold a Q&A with kids and discuss his childhood, what it's like being part of a superhero movie and his journey as an actor. More from The Hollywood Reporter Kanye "Ye" West Struggles Through Chaotic, Rain-Soaked Shanghai Concert Box Office: 'Superman' Saves the Day for DC Studios With $122M Domestic Opening, $217M Globally 'Better Go Mad in the Wild,' 'Bidad,' 'Sand City,' 'Forensics' Win Karlovy Vary Festival Awards 'It's been a real privilege to meet the children here at Rich Mix on my first day as an official ambassador for Save the Children,' Hoult said in a statement. 'Seeing the joy that they got from taking part in the workshop reminded me how much I loved being involved in film from a young age. It's clear how passionate they are and it's been so inspiring to meet the next generation of creatives, who come from all walks of life. I have no doubt they're on the right path to fulfill their dreams.' Save the Children, which helps kids get access to healthcare and education, has had a slew of notable ambassadors in the past including Jennifer Garner, Dakota Fanning, Camila Cabello and Olivia Wilde. 'We're thrilled to welcome Nicholas as our latest ambassador, and want to thank him for his unwavering support over the years,' Save the Children U.K.'s head of corporate partnerships Mabel McKeown said in a statement. 'It was wonderful to see how excited the children were at the opportunity to meet him at Rich Mix and hear about his journey in the film industry – something they're all so passionate about,' she added. 'Save the Children believes that every child should get a chance to realize their dreams, no matter what situation they're born into and today's workshop with Nicholas has been truly inspiring for the children involved.' James Gunn's Superman, starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, is currently playing in theaters. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Seeing Double? 25 Pairs of Celebrities Who Look Nearly Identical From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List
