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Motor Trend
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
Is Our Yearlong 2025 Mazda CX-70 Actually Luxurious?
Mazda set its sights on evolving into a 'traditional mainstream premium' brand about a decade ago, aiming to carve out space as an alternative to non-German luxury makes like Lexus and Acura. Fast-forward to today, and we've seen that ambition come to life with the introduction of the CX-70 and the brand's new flagship, the CX-90. These SUVs clearly raise the bar for Mazda, delivering cabins that feel a step above the rest of the lineup, with sleek designs, thoughtful tech, and a more upscale experience overall. But the big question remains: Do they truly measure up to Japan's established luxury contenders? 0:00 / 0:00 After more than six months behind the wheel of our yearlong review 2025 Mazda CX-70 Turbo S Premium (plus 14 months in our previous CX-90 PHEV), we appreciate the brand's push upmarket—but it doesn't quite feel like we're driving a true luxury SUV. Sure, the premium interior and sleek styling have turned heads; friends and family have even asked, 'Wait, this is a Mazda?' But luxury is more than skin deep. It's not just about large screens and upscale materials, it's the way a vehicle drives, the refinement in its ride, and the overall sense of effortlessness that separates premium from mainstream. And in those areas, the CX-70 still has room to grow. Where the CX-70 Feels Premium Our long-term CX-70 is a near-loaded trim, powered by the robust 340-hp inline-six turbo engine. But it's inside the cabin where this SUV truly stands out. The dashboard is wrapped in leather, giving the interior a refined touch, while twin 12.3-inch displays—one for the infotainment system and the other for the digital gauge cluster—add a modern, high-tech feel. Our CX-70's Bose premium audio system is, well, premium, too. Altogether, these elements work in harmony to elevate the cabin experience and give the CX-70 a genuine sense of occasion. Mazda also fits the CX-70 with a panoramic moonroof, three-zone climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, plush Nappa leather upholstery, and second-row sunshades—all thoughtful touches that add comfort for everyone on board. A few years ago, it would've been hard to imagine seeing features like these in a Mazda, but the brand's upmarket push is unmistakable. And we're glad to see it, especially when you factor in pricing. Our loaded CX-70 Turbo S Premium AWD rings in at $56,120, a few thousand bucks more than the starting prices of the 2026 Acura MDX and 2025 Lexus RX. Yet, the Mazda offers more horsepower and standard all-wheel drive, making it a strong value play in this segment. Where the CX-70 Lags As much as we appreciate the breadth of features our CX-70 offers at its competitive price, true luxury goes beyond the spec sheet. The driving experience matters—and matters a lot in this segment. The CX-70's 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six has delivered some solid moments. It feels punchy, with minimal turbo lag, and the power is well matched to a vehicle of this size. With 340 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, merging onto the highway is effortless. But it's not all smooth sailing. We've encountered noticeable hiccups from our Mazda's eight-speed automatic transmission and an unpolished stop/start system that detracts from the premium experience. As MotorTrend Buyer's Guide director Zach Gale put it, 'Driving smoothly at low speeds shouldn't be so difficult.' We couldn't agree more. At speeds under 30 mph, the CX-70's transmission feels confused, hunting for the right gear and creating a noticeably unrefined experience. When it finally decides to shift, the changes can be abrupt and jarring—enough to cause head toss in the cabin and break the sense of composure. 'I see this as a real issue that could discourage a CX-70 owner from getting another one when a lease is up,' Gale added. And honestly, we've found ourselves wondering how this transmission setup cleared Mazda's own testing. We've also experienced significant vibrations in the cabin when the start/stop system shuts off or restarts the engine. While the system is designed to let the CX-70 coast with the engine off under the right conditions, its behavior is inconsistent—like disengaging on the freeway while maintaining a steady speed. When that happens, the CX-70 begins to lose momentum, prompting us to press the throttle harder. That, in turn, triggers a jarring chain reaction: The engine restarts, the transmission downshifts abruptly, and only then does the vehicle regain speed. These are two key areas where the CX-70 needs improvement if Mazda wants to truly compete with non-German premium brands. Winning over Acura and Lexus customers will require more than just attractive styling and strong value—it demands a smoother, more polished powertrain than Mazda currently offers. And let's be clear: Mazda isn't a newcomer trying to find its footing. This is an automaker with a rich history of building engaging performance-oriented vehicles. The CX-70 doesn't live up to that legacy yet—but we believe it can. And if it does, it'll be far better positioned to stand with established luxury rivals. Last year, we spent time with a long-term 2024 Mazda CX-90 equipped with the plug-in hybrid powertrain—and we ran into multiple issues with its eight-speed transmission. It frequently shuddered, hesitated, and made abrupt shifts that disrupted the driving experience. On top of that, we found the steering overly heavy and the lane keeping assist system somewhat intrusive. Bottom Line Mazda is on the right track with its positioning of the CX-70 as a premium SUV, but the company still needs to sharpen the ride and powertrain experience. Sure, the cabin's clean design and the array of features make a strong first impression, but true luxury means more than just ticking boxes on an options list. The transmission quirks and stop/start system issues we've encountered hold the CX-70 back from delivering a fully refined experience. Ultimately, we'd enjoy the ride more in a Lexus or Acura—even if that meant paying a bit extra. More On Our Long-Term Mazda CX-70:
Indian Express
11-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Philipp Ackermann at Idea Exchange: ‘Pahalgam is a game changer in many ways. It is an attack on the heart of India'
German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann on 25 years of the Indo-German partnership, investment, immigration, skilled Indian manpower and the impact of Pahalgam in the neighbourhood. The session was moderated by Diplomatic Editor Shubhajit Roy. Shubhajit Roy: Give us a sense of how the Indo-German relationship has progressed over the last 25 years. One of the most interesting formats in this partnership are the intergovernmental consultations that happen every second year. These set a road map which is about stock-taking and also forward-looking. During my tenure, we have made a huge effort to deepen and intensify partnerships. Two things have changed over the last four years. First is migration. Germany is very interested in getting skilled labour from India in a fair and legal way. We work with the government through a mobility agreement to recruit people who are willing to go to Germany, have the appropriate qualifications and would like to work in Germany, at least for a couple of years. Then we have 50,000 Indian students, the biggest non-German group among foreign students. And the number is growing by 10 per cent every year. You get a good education for lesser money than you would anywhere in the Anglo-Saxon world. Second is the military strategic cooperation. We have done joint exercises with Indian Air Force (IAF) in Coimbatore last year. We have seen frigates and a provision ship coming into Indian ports. There is a very regular exchange of high-level defence generals. That also comes along with a renewed commitment to arms and product exchanges that was not always easy because the German government had a very restrictive policy towards arms exports to non-NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) members. That has changed. We now have a regular flow of German products and joint ventures with Indian companies in the armament sector. A submarine deal might be seeing the light of the day in the coming months. Next we will work together very closely on space. This partnership is dynamic. Shubhajit Roy: Migration has been a subject of debate in Europe and the US. Does the rise of the anti-migrant AfD (Alternative for Germany) as a political force jeopardise this dynamic? It's a very pertinent question as 20 per cent of German voters voted for a far-Right party. Migration has been a contentious topic in Germany for the last six years. It started with the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015 where we accepted a million Syrian refugees. It then continued with the Ukraine crisis where over one million Ukrainian refugees came to Germany. There is a constant flow of asylum seekers into Europe, not only Germany, from African, Asian and Middle Eastern countries. People felt overwhelmed by this influx of migration and thought their social welfare systems were undermined. There is a perception that migration leads to more crime in Germany. On INDIANS IN GERMANY | Germany is interested in getting skilled labour from India in a fair and legal way. We work with the government through a mobility agreement to recruit people. Then we have 50,000 Indian students But I think what the government has to do and has succeeded to a certain extent in doing is to distinguish between migration that is really attractive for the labour market in Germany and asylum seekers as well as economic refugees who want a better life and get in illegally. If we want to keep our level of prosperity, we need skilled labour to fill vacancies. At the same time, the government has to reduce illegal immigration and work with the social welfare system so that people feel more secure and less overwhelmed psychologically. Thirty per cent of Germans now have at least one non-German parent. So Germany has turned into an immigration country par excellence. The new migrants are often from non-European cultural backgrounds. That's something the population has to cope with. I think our democratic institutions can work with it. Shubhajit Roy: India has been partnering with Germany on skill development. Indian professionals are exploring prospects beyond Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. When a Brown Indian goes to an all-White village or a town, is there a problem? You cannot generalise the Indian diaspora in Germany, it's very differentiated. But what is remarkable about the three lakh Indians in Germany is that their average salary is higher than the Germans. That means they have ambition and a readiness to adapt, go the extra mile. The English-speaking IT engineer in Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin works in a start-up and can easily float through restaurants and bars. Indian skilled labour is also in high demand at what we call the German Mittelstand or medium-sized enterprises — we call them the hidden champions — that produce niche products. They are located outside cities. Here the Indian employee has to learn German as everybody may not understand English, particularly in the eastern part of Germany. But it seems as if Indians like Germany much better than Germans like Germany by now. When students go to Dresden or the eastern parts, we fear about them getting exposed to racism. But our empirical experience is that they have a great time. A girl student told me she had the best time of her life in Jena. Second, Indian students make great apprentices. So, a baker in Germany has a diploma, as do a plumber and a roofer. We offer vocational training but don't find enough apprentices of German origin. So smaller establishments in the Black Forest, a picturesque part of rural Germany, hire apprentices from India. Young people from Haryana and Uttarakhand go to the Black Forest and live in little villages, learning the art of baking or plumbing. It is surprising how well the blending works. The owner or the employers take their Indian recruits to football matches over the weekend, to village parties, and the latter find another family there. Indian apprentices must be a couple of thousands by now and show that once you get into a closely knit social structure, it's much easier to find acceptance. Shubhajit Roy: How do you see India's response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack? Is it different from the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai? The Pahalgam attack was horrifying for its selective killings. It should be called a terrorist attack and has had an impact on the consciousness. You cannot help but feel strongly when you see the families and spouses of those who have been killed. It's heartbreaking to see the young and newly-married lose their husbands. Pahalgam is a game changer in many ways and there's an enormous amount of solidarity that has gone out to India. I was in Kashmir last year and compared to what it was 15 years ago, I saw tourists everywhere. So basically, Pahalgam is an attack on the heart of India. I am a diplomat. So I feel that the language of diplomacy is the best language to speak. Both governments know that de-escalation is the question of the hour. Shubhajit Roy: Conservative leader Friedrich Merz was elected Chancellor in an unprecedented manner in a second round of voting. What does he think of India and this region? He has been very active in foreign policy before. So, what are the big tasks? His big tasks are dealing with the extremist party inside the country, migration, a stagnating economy and trans-Atlantic relations. The Americans, in our historical thinking, have saved us as leaders of the NATO alliance that's not only economic but also value-based. That has changed in the last three months because the new American government has decided to give this alliance up to a certain extent. This means we have to redefine trans-Atlanticism, set up a relationship with Washington but also become more independent from it. What do you do with the global economy? That's where we see India as our strategic partner. India's private sector is hugely successful internationally. We feel that India will be a big part of these free trade, global economy, supply chain economies. Maybe more than the US from what we are seeing now. Therefore, I think our investment in India will be huge. There might be big investments in India by German companies in the pipeline, for the coming years. You will see more business coming to India. On CHANGED DYNAMIC WITH US | There is a difference of value system between the current US and German governments. We feel our definition of freedom is different from what the American government puts on the table right now Very soon, we are looking at a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the new Chancellor. We hope that your foreign minister S Jaishankar will come to Germany next month, and we hope that our minister, once he has settled a bit, will plan a trip to India in the second half of this year. India is mentioned in the coalition treaty a couple of times and there is a clear commitment to make this partnership even more intense or dynamic than it has ever been. So prepare for German attention. Anil Sasi: What do you make of the problems at companies like Volkswagen, which have fallen behind in the electrical vehicle (EV) race? There have been layoffs at Thyssenkrupp and Porsche. To what extent is this reflective of the larger problems that German industry is facing? The big ships of German economy are in particularly difficult times right now, be it the car manufacturers or the chemical industry. Volkswagen has much better first quarter numbers this year than one would have expected. Their new car, after their new EV policy, is apparently quite good. I'm no expert but all these industries have a competitor who is very difficult to beat, and that's China. It has learnt so much over the last couple of decades and its cars are way cheaper and pretty good. The German industry has to figure out how to get ahead of the curve. We have to be much more innovative, creative and inventive. Anil Sasi: What do you have to say about US Vice-President J D Vance's and Elon Musk's support to AfD? I think we have to live with it. We are used to criticism from outside. You remember the financial crisis, where Germany was very strict with austerity measures, and we became the bad man? There is a difference of value system between the current American government and the German government as it stands right now. We feel that our definition of freedom is different from what the American government puts on the table right now. But you should not forget that trans-Atlanticism will be one of our lifelines, foreign policy-wise, and there will also be a time after Donald Trump. Shubhajit Roy: Do you see this as a foreign interference in your democratic processes? You have to sit at the table to sort out disagreements. We've seen how the meeting between the US President and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went at the White House. But then a couple of weeks later they found a common understanding. So I'm very confident that our relations will be okay with the current US government. We have to invest in this relation because America is important for us. But we have also to see that the old interdependence, where we worked closely together and where the Americans were the leaders of Western alliance, has, to a certain extent, come to an end. I would also critically say that our countries, mine included, had become a little comfortable with Americans looking after international security and us paying for humanitarian aid and development cooperation. This will have to change now. We are now talking about war in Europe because our neighbour Russia is on an expansive course and is looking to swallow the Baltic states. So we have to restructure our armed forces as well as European defence policy. Aakash Joshi: News about global conflicts, be it Israel-Palestine or the Ukraine conflict, are now on social media. Does that make the job of diplomacy and conversation harder? It is certainly more difficult for diplomats. Everybody gets agitated very quickly through this instant media consumption. So people are much more upset, much more opinionated and much more involved. We have a huge fake news problem in Europe. There are channels and trolls; the Russians are very active in this field. We have seen elections being manipulated by this. Getting the facts right or straight is much more difficult than it used to be, even in countries like mine, where you have a very strong public broadcast system. On China | We feel that China is overstepping lines internationally. We feel we have to engage in a dialogue to make China understand that what it does in the south and East Asia is, in many ways, not acceptable Kaushik Das Gupta: One of the biggest losers in the German election was the Greens party. Will this weaken some of Germany's green commitments in light of the energy crisis at hand? The new Minister of Economics and Energy has now changed, she is from the conservative party. During the handover of ministries, the new minister went to the dais and said, 'I'd like to thank you, my dear predecessor, because what you did after the energy crisis is just enormously successful.' What did he do? He changed our energy mix dramatically. So now 60 per cent of all electricity in Germany is from renewables. And that has happened in a couple of years because of the Russians (they stopped gas supply in 2022). The fact that she acknowledges his achievement shows that in general there is no fundamental change in the climate and energy policy of Germany. As for why did the Greens do so badly, I think they have not found the right way of communication. But they still got 11 per cent. Monojit Majumdar: The AfD has got 20 per cent of the vote. History has shown us that whenever we have kept groups following extreme ideologies out of the national discourse, we have found it difficult to engage them or find a middle ground. Is there a way out? There's an ongoing debate in Germany on whether we have to include them (AfD) or put up a firewall to not work with them. They have a nationwide 20 per cent; in Eastern states they have 30 per cent, which is a third of all voters. My personal take on this is to look at what they say and what they do. We will not be able to tolerate parties that reflect Nazi ideology. Now when they say that people with dark skin cannot be citizens of Germany, then we have to be very cautious and restrictive before reaching out to them. What will happen in the future? It's difficult to imagine that they will disappear. But parties can change and may be have to differentiate between their own members too. Devyani Onial: Germany has its first digital ministry now. Why did you feel the need for that and how do you see it vis-a-vis the digitalisation in India? The new ministry is very timely because compared to India, we are in the stone age in many ways. We are a completely cash-driven society. Let me give you two reasons why it is so difficult to push digitisation in Germany. One is data protection. This would never fly in Germany because people would be afraid that everything is transparent and that the government can see everything you do. The second reason is we are a federal state like India. State governments have a very strong executive power and aligning them with the central government is difficult. Shubhajit Roy: China has had a unique, robust relationship with Germany. Many would argue that China's rise has been aided by the Germans. How does Germany see this challenge? China has learnt a lot from the German industry, which has been investing in China for the last 30 years very successfully. Now China is a competitor. We see the aggressiveness in its immediate neighbourhood with concern. We feel that China is overstepping lines internationally. We feel that we have to engage in a dialogue to make China understand that what it does in the south and East Asian neighbourhood is, for us, in many ways, not acceptable. So China will stay an economic partner, there is no doubt. The new government will have to deal with China under these different hats.
Local Germany
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
How Germany's voting rules for foreigners compare to other countries
Foreigners who naturalised as German last year had the chance to take advantage of their newly granted right to vote in the last national election in February. But those who haven't gained citizenship for any reason were left out – in total around 10 million foreign nationals were ineligible to vote at the time. If voting in the next federal election is important to you, your only choice is to apply for German citizenship well ahead of the next federal vote – which is set for March of 2029. That's because Germany maintains some of the strictest rules around voting rights in Europe, matched only by Austria and France. Here's a look at voting regulations for foreign residents in Germany, and how they compare to European countries with more and less relaxed policies. The rules for voting in Germany for foreigners Only Germans can vote at either the federal or state level in the Bundesrepublik. Generally non-German EU citizens can vote at the municipal and district level in Germany, while non-EU citizens have no voting rights at all. Unfortunately for those living in Berlin, Hamburg or Bremen, these cities are also federal states which means that EU citizens living here can really only vote at the district level. Other EU citizens can also vote in EU elections in Germany. Non-EU foreign nationals have no right to vote in any official elections in Germany. OPINION: In Germany's snap elections, too many voices will yet again go unheard Advertisement Austria has tighter restrictions Austria's voting policy largely mirrors Germany's – here too only Austrian citizens are able to vote in all elections, and foreign EU citizens are limited to municipal and district elections. However, it's also harder to gain citizenship in Austria than in Germany, especially since Germany passed its dual citizenship law last year, which reduced the requirements to naturalise. In Vienna, for example, the combination of these voting regulations on top of tough requirements for citizenship has resulted in a whopping 600,000 foreign residents being unable to vote – more than a third of the city's entire population. Critics of the related regulations have gone as far as suggesting the Austrian capital is a 'half democracy'. READ ALSO: Who would win the Vienna elections if foreigners were allowed to vote? In comparison, Berlin has a lower proportion of foreign residents – at about 24 percent as of 2022 . (Statista data from 2023 shows that the proportion of foreigners to Germans was similar.) And with record- breaking numbers of applications for citizenship reported since the rules were updated last year, a growing portion of those foreigners have gained the right to vote. READ ALSO: 'Always be vigilant' - Expert tips for finding an apartment in Berlin Sweden has better voting rights for non-nationals Taking quite the opposite approach, Sweden allows all foreign nationals who have lived in the country for at least three years to vote at the municipal and regional levels (as opposed to only EU citizens as it is in Germany and Austria). Advertisement Sweden is joined by other EU countries like Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland and others in allowing third-country nationals to vote at this level. The impact of these policies varies immensely from country to country or even city to city, because of the different proportions of foreign residents. Federal parliamentary elections in Sweden, however, are limited to Swedish citizens over the age of 18, similar to many other countries. Basic requirements to apply for citizenship in Sweden are similar to those in Germany i.e. you need to live in the country for five years, have the right to residence and generally show that you're a working, law-abiding resident. EXPLAINED: Where in Europe can non-EU foreigners vote in local elections?
Russia Today
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Foreign nationals behind crime surge in Austria
Nearly half of all crimes in Austria last year involved foreign suspects, with a significant rise among young Syrians, according to the latest police statistics. In 2024, Austria recorded more than half a million criminal offenses – a 1.2% rise from the previous year – data released by the Interior Ministry on Monday shows. Of the nearly 336,000 suspects identified, 46.8% were foreign nationals. According to the statistics, more than 150,000 suspects did not hold Austrian citizenship. Among foreign nationals, individuals from Romania, Germany, and Syria were most frequently identified. The number of Syrian suspects, now exceeding 11,000, rose by around 30% compared to 2023. Youth crime also saw a significant uptick, particularly among those 10-14. Since 2020, reported offenses in this age group have nearly doubled. Foreign nationals accounted for 48% of the young suspects, with Syrians showing a 35% increase in reported offenses from the previous year. READ MORE: Germany witnesses significant drop in asylum applications – Spiegel In response, the Austrian government has proposed stricter measures, including mandatory counseling for minors, case conferences for repeat offenders, and specialized residential communities with temporary mandatory stays under judicial oversight. Austria was home to nearly 100,000 Syrian refugees as of early 2024. Following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December, Austria, along with several other EU countries, paused pending asylum applications from Syrians to reassess the situation. In addition, Austria has halted family reunifications and issued at least 2,400 notices to revoke refugee status. Germany faces a similar issue, with 41% of crime suspects in 2023 being non-German nationals, despite foreigners comprising only around 15% of the population. In response, the German authorities have pledged to enhance integration efforts and expedite the deportation of foreign offenders. Anti-immigration sentiment in Austria has gained traction following a stabbing attack in February, in which a 14-year-old boy was killed and five other people were injured by a Syrian asylum seeker. The Austrian authorities said it was an 'Islamist attack,' and that the 23-year-old suspect was radicalized online 'in a short space of time.'
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Log Lady' documentary about fascinating actress Catherine Coulson to be shown in Detroit
'One day my log will have something to say about this.' The wonderfully weird, often cryptic Log Lady spoke these words to Agent Dale Cooper in a 1990 episode of 'Twin Peaks,' the groundbreaking drama from director David Lynch that was the indie auteur's great gift to television. This week, Cinema Detroit, which had to leave its Midtown location in 2023, and Stadt Garten, a bar in the city's Midtown neighborhood, are partnering to screen 'I Know Catherine, the Log Lady,' a documentary about Catherine Coulson, the fascinating actress who played the unforgettable character. The collaboration could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship (to quote 'Casablanca,' not the Log Lady). For the past two years, Cinema Detroit has been operating as a pop-up venue at various sites like Hamtramck's Planet Ant. Teaming up with Stadt Garten will allow the indie theater 'to return to the area where we operated for 10 years, which is centrally located for a lot of our audience, and to have multiple shows in a week,' says Cinema Detroit co-founder and programmer Paula Guthat. Mark Beard, who founded Stadt Garten, describes himself as a longtime film enthusiast. The collaboration with Cinema Detroit is a way for him to take action and do something positive for the Motor City film community, which also has endured the demolishing of the Maple Theatre in Bloomfield Township in 2024 and Royal Oak's Main Art Theatre in 2022. 'I've always wanted a place for the community here at the building, no doubt,' says Beard of the 1880s mansion on Second Avenue that is home to Stadt Garten. 'And this seemed to be the best way at present to provide something that's good.' The 'Log Lady' documentary will be shown Wednesday and Thursday at 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. in an indoor screening room at the location, which has a 91 inch projection screen. Like regular patrons of the bar, moviegoers will be able to order from an ample menu of wine, beer, non-alcoholic drinks and snacks. 'The goal at present is to do this indefinitely,' says Beard of the weekly screenings. 'Our hope will be to add outdoor cinema at some point once we raise enough funds to get that done.' Stadt Garten calls itself "an exploration of Germanic food and beverage culture in an urban wine and beer garden." With indoor and outdoor seating, it offers a generous array of wines and beers from Germany and other nearby European regions and snacks in a setting that is 'chill, charming, gemütlich' (that's pleasant and cheerful for non-German speakers). Beard says the concept for the bar arose from a road trip through Germany and other countries that he took a decade ago with his friend Ryan Patrick Hooper, the writer and host of WDET-FM's 'In the Groove' weekdays at noon on Detroit's NPR station. According to Guthat, Beard and the rest of his staff 'really understand what we were doing with Cinema Detroit as a seven-day-a-week independent arthouse movie theater and they understand what we are doing now.' They also share an understanding of the process of curation, in her case of movies and in his case of wines. Beard says he is happy to leave the artistic decisions to Cinema Detroit, but he hopes that there will be room for future screenings tied to Stadt Garten's European flavor. Two summers ago, he recalls, they tried an outdoor screening with the fast-paced 1998 German thriller 'Run Lola Run.' Guthat sounds enthusiastic about the possibility of such themed events. 'I'm looking at a variety of films to pair with the wines,' she says, noting that she has tried 'some of the most amazing wines there' as a patron. 'I Know Catherine, the Log Lady' tells the story of Coulson, who rose to cult fame as Margaret Lanterman, aka the wood-carrying Log Lady on 'Twin Peaks.' Born to a father who worked in public relations for Disney, the actress had many credits in TV, movies and the stage. Her performing roots ranged from the avant-garde 1960s hippie scene of San Francisco to her long association with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Coulson became lifelong friends with Lynch around the time he was making his breakout movie, 1977's "Eraserhead." She worked as an assistant cameraperson and assistant to the director on the film and went on to work on the camera team of many more movies, including "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." The documentary ends with Coulson's diagnosis with lung cancer and the race to finish shooting her role as the Log Lady for 2017's "Twin Peaks: The Return" limited series for Showtime. "I Know Catherine, the Log Lady" features the final appearance in a film by Lynch, who died in January. '(Coulson) and Lynch were friends for decades and they thought up the Log Lady character while they were making 'Eraserhead,'' says Paula Guthat. 'She just had this amazing creative life that I think Lynch enthusiasts in particular will be fascinated by.' Tickets for the 'Log Lady' documentary screenings are available online at Cinema Detroit also plans to continue its pop-up screenings at other venues. On May 11, it will have a screening of "Everybody Loves Touda" at Planet Ant in partnership with the Arab American National Museum's Arab Film Festival. Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@ 9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday Stadt Garten 3980 Second Ave., Detroit Tickets are $12 general admission, $17 admission plus donation. Seating starts 30 minutes before showtime. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 'I Know Catherine, the Log Lady' documentary to be shown in Detroit
