Latest news with #Twilight
South Wales Argus
20 hours ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
NSPCC Cymru Childline highlights night shift volunteers
In these quiet, dark hours, support is available thanks to the dedication of Childline volunteers like Naomi Lea and Isha Daboh, who give their time to help children and teenagers in need of someone to talk to. Childline, a free and confidential service for young people up to the age of 19, is staffed around the clock by trained counsellors, including volunteers who work through the night. Naomi Lea, who has volunteered at Childline since 2018, said: "Being able to be there for children and young people that need Childline at any time of day always feels like an immense privilege. "But it feels even more important at night, knowing this is when young people are feeling completely alone with nobody else to turn to or that this may be the first opportunity they have to reach out without anybody else knowing." Ms Lea has volunteered at the Cardiff and Prestatyn Childline bases and is part of the 'Twilight shift,' which runs from 11pm to 2.30am following a team briefing at 10.45pm. Isha Daboh, another Cardiff-based volunteer, said: "Since starting the Twilight shifts, it has been such a different yet rewarding experience of Childline. "I've had a lot more flexibility shift-wise given the late time, meaning it doesn't particularly interfere with my normal day and it continues to open up more time for me to dedicate to volunteering." Joanne Shipp, a Twilight Childline practitioner for NSPCC Cymru, said: "Twilight shifts can be varied with a lot of contacts, yet it is a rewarding time of day to support young people late at night when they need us the most and this is when we also need volunteers the most as well. "Our thanks go to Isha and Naomi for being champions and joining us on Twilight shifts, as well as all our volunteers who give up their time to help us to support children when they may have nowhere else to turn." NSPCC Cymru is currently recruiting Childline volunteers in Cardiff, Prestatyn, and across Wales through Childline's virtual base. To find out more about volunteering, visit the NSPCC website.
Cosmopolitan
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
The 16 Best Movies by Female Filmmakers
There's a well-worn (read: tiresome) myth that there just aren't that many great films directed by women. We've gathered here today to shatter that illusion into a million glittering, high-frame-rate pieces. From dreamy indie gems to Oscar-anointed powerhouses, these are the female-directed films that critics adore, film students dissect, and your friend with the Letterboxd addiction is using to impress boys in Brooklyn. This list is far from exhaustive—but it's a solid start. Céline Sciamma's slow-burn queer romance between a painter and her subject unfolds on the windy edges of 18th-century France, simmering with erotic tension and serving some of the most beautiful visuals committed to film. Also, zero men. It's perfect. Stream Now Come for Paul Mescal's short shorts, stay for the devastating emotional autopsy of memory and fatherhood. Charlotte Wells gives us grief as memory, and love as a camcorder flicker. You won't cry until three days later in the shower. Stream Now A dreamy, melancholic portrait of suburban ennui and adolescent mythmaking. Still her most haunting—and debatably best—film. Stream Now Agnès Varda made existential dread look chic before it was cool. This French New Wave classic follows a pop singer in real time as she awaits medical results—and questions everything. Black-and-white, but make it deeply interior and defiantly feminist. Stream Now Now tell me why Twilight feels like an indie. Say what you want, but Catherine Hardwicke kicked off the YA vampire craze with blue-tinted angst and Kristen Stewart's best lip-bite acting. The remainder of the franchise was helmed by a rotating selection of men, but hey, at least we had Forks. Stream Now Chloé Zhao turns economic collapse into a spiritual odyssey, while Frances McDormand poops in a bucket and finds transcendence on the open road. Bleak? Sure. But also strangely liberating. Stream Now Ava DuVernay's blistering documentary connects the dots between slavery and the modern prison-industrial complex with clarity and conviction. Required viewing that doubles as a cinematic mic drop. Stream Now A Western for the modern era, Campion uses the genre to explore repression, queerness, and toxic masculinity—plus, Benedict Cumberbatch plays a cowboy with layers (of emotion and textiles). Stream Now Lorene Scafaria's stripper crime saga is Goodfellas meets Magic Mike, with pole-dancing as economic resistance. in this film is a moment, a movement, a manifesto. It's also a recession story, which feels…timely. Stream Now Possibly the quietest horror film ever made, Kitty Green captures the banality of evil via printer paper and passive-aggression. A single day in the life of a junior assistant at a Weinstein-esque firm becomes a subtle warning about complicity and silence. Stream Now A bisexual panic attack of a film, Emma Seligman traps us in the most claustrophobic Jewish funeral this side of Curb Your Enthusiasm and lets anxiety do the talking. If you've ever been trapped at a family function with your ex and your sugar daddy, you'll relate. Stream Now Kathryn Bigelow's high-octane war thriller drops you into Iraq with a fuse already lit. It's testosterone cinema, sure—but filtered through a woman's gaze that interrogates addiction, masculinity, and the futility of control. Stream Now This is coming-of-age storytelling at its sharpest and most specific. Greta Gerwig's semi-autobiographical teen dramedy is a perfectly imperfect ode to mothers, Catholic school, and Sacramento ennui. Every line is a quote, every feeling a gut punch. It's not boring—it's Sacramento. Stream Now A talky film that shouldn't work—but absolutely does. Sarah Polley's Mennonite #MeToo chamber drama is essentially a 90-minute moral philosophy debate—and it's riveting. Quiet fury, radical forgiveness, and the power of choosing your own exit. Stream Now An iconic meet-cute on a basketball court, this coming-of-age film is singular. It's a sports movie that is also a rom-com that is also a generational Black love story. We still quote 'double or nothing.' Stream Now Eliza Hittman crafts an odyssey out of necessity in this quietly radical, observational tale. Two teens, one unplanned pregnancy, and a bus ride to New York that becomes a study in sisterhood, strength, and the systemic failures of reproductive care. Again, timely. Stream Now
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GMA Network
a day ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Christopher Diwata takes his 'What hafen Vella?' trend up a notch on Abi Marquez's TikTok
Just when you thought the "What hafen Vella?" trend couldn't get any bigger, here comes the man himself Christopher Diwata to turn it up a notch. In Abi Marquez's TikTok video, Christopher not only made an appearance, he also proceeded to sing lines from Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years," which was used as the official soundtrack of the films. Even better: The guy was having fun and enjoying himself. This isn't the first time Christopher doubled-down on the Twilight references. He previously sang the song with Ben&Ben, who is just one of the many celebrities riding on his trend, among them Michael Sager, Anjo Petierra, and SB19. He's landed several endorsements as well, which he said is allowing him to pay off debts and support his family. "Kahit maliit man 'yan, tatanggapin ko 'yan. Iga-grab ko 'yan kahit maliit. Sana sa mga nag-aalala sa akin, huwag niyong intindihin 'yun at mas maganda 'yung meron kaysa sa wala," Christopher told GMA News Online in an interview. Christopher is also going to appear on "Mga Batang Riles." We're happy for him and we're glad to see he's having fun himself! — LA, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Limerence explained: Is it a crush or an obsession? We asked the experts
The term 'limerence" has been around since the 1970s, but it's been gaining traction lately, so if you haven't heard of it yet, you likely will. Although it's easy to think of limerence as a big crush, it's closer to an obsession with feelings of anxiousness and disappointment if the feelings aren't reciprocated. Anyone can experience it, but suffering through limerence can be especially painful for the LGBTQ+ community. With books and movies giving us ample examples of limerence and Lucy Dacus' brand new album featuring the single 'Limerence,' the word seems to have entered the pop culture lexicon, which means it's time to understand what limerence is really all about. To break it all down, we spoke with sex and dating experts who explained what limerence is, why the feelings can be so hard to shake, and what to do if you're struggling with these intense and all-encompassing emotions. - YouTube k.d. lang's "Constant Craving" isn't the only song about this kind of obsessive longing. Lucy Dacus just released her new album Forever is a Feeling, which features the song 'Limerence,' about this specific kind of 'love' that can take over your life. 'If I stay busy, maybe I'll forget how I feel and go on living life as I planned it,' she sings. Limerence is also fairly common to see in media geared toward young adults. Both Snape, who has an unhealthy lifelong fixation on Lily Potter in the Harry Potter franchise, and Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, who become obsessed with each other before they've even spoken to one another in Twilight, are struggling with limerence. Romeo and Juliet's tragic love story can be understood through the lens of limerence since the two teens fall madly and obsessively in love with each other after a single meeting. More recently, Alice Lowe directed and starred in the film Timestalker about a woman who repeatedly falls in love with the same man every time she dies and is reincarnated, despite never having a real relationship with him. And let's not even get started on limerence in lesbian cinema, its practically a subgenre all on its own with films like Notes on a Scandal, The Velvet Vampire, and Eileen all depicting a darker side of these emotions. There are also countless videos on TikTok of people describing their own experience with the feeling of limerence or defining the term for those not in the know. And Limerence by Scarlett Drake is a popular dark romance book that is frequently recommended on BookTok. If you ever covered your walls with posters of an actor or pop star and obsessively learned everything you could about them when you were a teen, you may have been experiencing 'limerence.' First coined in 1979 by American psychologist Dorothy Tennov in her book Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love, limerence is a romantic attachment where someone fixates on another person to the point of obsession. Instead of being in love or having a crush, people dealing with limerence almost 'trick' themselves into falling for someone, bisexual licensed sexologist and relationship therapist Sofie Roos tells PRIDE. You may think about the object of your obsession all of the time, stalk them on social media, fantasize about them in both sexual and mundane situations, imagine your future together, and have trouble sleeping because you are so excited about any little bit of contact you have with them. Being in limerence means riding an emotional rollercoaster full of high highs and low lows. 'You feel the strong feelings you do when being in love with a person, and many times you even get desperate or obsessed with them, but these feelings are instead triggered by your imagination and made up picture of how someone is,' she explains. You can even experience limerence for people you'll never meet or who it would be inappropriate to date, like a celebrity, coworker, or even the partner of a close friend. But when you are experiencing limerence it can feel like "equal parts of elation and despair when they think about or come into contact with the object of their desire,' according to Barbara Rowlandson, a dating coach who works with women who are coming out later in life and is a later-in-life lesbian herself. Oatawa/Shutterstock If the object of your obsessive desire doesn't reciprocate those feelings, or doesn't even know you exist, it can be agonizing. 'The roller coaster of limerence comes with extreme highs and lows,' Rowlandson says. "A client experiencing limerence might report feeling elated when the object of their desire likes their Instagram post or smiles at them in the hallway. But the high quickly fades to despair, knowing they cannot be with the person they are infatuated with.' Robyn Exton, CEO and founder of sapphic dating app HER, agrees, saying that unrequited limerence feels 'heady, torturous, a shortness of breath and a pull from the gut. You can lose your mind and heart every hour when its bad." Exton admits that while limerence is 'hard,' it can also be a beautiful experience. 'It's a lot of feelings to hold all at the same time but ultimately is one of the most powerful human emotions of attraction and desire and heartbreak all in one,' she says. Limerence is a pretty normal part of life, so if it's something you experience, you are not alone. It can even be a net positive if it motivates you to take action and ask someone out when you might not have the courage to otherwise. But it can quickly become toxic because limerents (a term for those experiencing limerence) are fearful of rejection, so when reality hits that you'll never have the relationship you've been dreaming of, it can feel like your whole world is coming crashing down. 'Where it becomes a problem is when it starts to disrupt regular daily functioning,' Rowlandson explains. 'Some folks really lock into that cycle of elation and despair, and it can get to the point where thoughts about their 'crush' become so all-consuming that it negatively impacts important things like sleep, work, or school obligations.' Exton says that at HER, they have noticed that sapphics tend to feel limerence more acutely than other people. 'We think sapphics over index highly for limerence because of our ability to fall hard and fast,' she explains. According to Exton, most LGBTQ+ people can probably relate to limerence because they likely experienced it before they came out as part of their 'sexual awakening.' Growing up with feelings of shame around your sexuality or being forced to hide it because you are queer, means that you may become obsessed with the first person who accepts you after you come out. The limited number of other queer people in the dating pool also can mean a higher probability of idealizing someone and falling into the trap of limerence. And crushing on a straight person who will never return your feelings or attraction is another almost universal experience that can lead to limerence for some LGBTQ+ people. 'That is a special kind of self-torture that only those of us in queer community experience! Didn't k.d. lang wrote a whole album about this? Invincible Summer, one of my faves,' Rowlandson said. But what can you do if limerence becomes a problem in your life? Exton recommends being honest about your feelings and then moving on if they're not reciprocated. 'Sometimes it's best to know if there's something there or in your head. And if not, take a deep breath, meet someone new, and fill your time with distractions,' she says. Rowlandson explains that if you get trapped in 'the vicious cycle of limerence,' where fantasizing about another person is getting in the way of your daily responsibilities, and if this is a pattern you have repeated throughout your life, it might be time to seek therapy. 'Limerence may be something you're engaging in that keeps you safely away from the realm of real, reciprocal relationships,' she says. 'If you're avoiding reality by frequently getting caught up in limerence, there's probably a fear underneath the surface that you should explore with a mental health professional.' Although it's easier said than done, according to Roos, you should try to avoid stalking the object of your obsession on social media, try not to masturbate to their pictures, and redirect yourself when you can't stop thinking and fantasizing about the person. Talking to a trusted friend about your feelings can also help you move on more easily. But Roos says focusing on self improvement and going on dates with new people who may reciprocate your feelings is a great way to get through the limerence you're feeling, 'When it all comes around, you're not really in love, and falling for someone genuinely, even though it can take time to get there when suffering from limerence, is often the best cure.'
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
'What haffen Vella?' Cristopher Diwata to appear on 'Mga Batang Riles'
"What haffen Riles?" Cristopher Diwata, aka the Taylor Lautner lookalike who is trending for his "What haffen Vella?" lines, is all set to appear on "Mga Batang Riles." GMA Drama teased Cristopher's appearance with him wearing an all-black outfit, similar to his trending look, and carrying a bat. "Wat haffen, Riles? Y U fightin' again? Victors, ryt?" the poster said, referencing the now-iconic lines. "Paparating na siya sa riles!" More details about Cristopher's role are yet to be revealed. Cristopher joined the "It's Showtime" segment "Kalokalike" in 2013 as Taylor Lautner's "Twilight" character, Jacob Black. Over a decade later, Cristopher's clip resurfaced, causing him to go viral again and stamp his place in the Philippine internet's hall of fame for memes. Recently, Cristopher has collaborated with several brands and Filipino artists, such as Ben&Ben, SB19, Michael Sager, and Anjo Perterria. "Mga Batang Riles" stars Jillian Ward, Kokoy De Santos, and Raheel Bhyria also hopped on the trend. "Mga Batang Riles" airs weekdays at 8:50 p.m. on GMA Network.
