It’s been quite some time since we were treated to nude pics of classy, ass-y British actress Emma Thompson …the last time she stripped down on screen was nine whole years ago for the movie Imagining Argentina (2003). So seeing a topless paparazzi pic of Emma changing on the set of her new movie Love Punch was like an unexpected phone call from an old friend, or a bank error in our favor, or the last donut left over in the conference room being our favorite kind (chocolate glaze). In other words, it was sweet. Long time no peep, Emma! See more from British beauty Emma Thompson right here at MrSkin.com
‘I haven’t read it, but yeah, anything racy, hot … sure, let’s get hot!’ actress tells MTV News. By Christina Garibaldi Emma Roberts Photo: It seems that every young starlet in Hollywood has been mentioned for the role of Anastasia Steele in the upcoming film adaptation of E L James’ hit erotic trilogy, “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Many fans have opinions as to who they feel will be a perfect fit to play the naive, love-stricken character, whose story began as “Twilight” fan fiction. Fan favorite Kristen Stewart , who we know has read at least part of the book , is certainly topping the list for some fan sites, while Nina Dobrev may pass on the opportunity to play the role if her “Vampire Diaries” co-star Ian Somerhalder lands the part of Christian Grey . Most recently, Selena Gomez decided to take herself out of the race, calling the role “a little too much” for her and saying that someone a bit older should take it on. Could that older someone be Emma Roberts ? MTV News caught up with Roberts at Seventeen magazine’s Pretty Amazing Contest event in New York, and it seems that the young star might be putting herself into the competition for the role. There’s just one problem: She still has to read the book. “Everyone says read ‘Fifty Shades of Grey.’ I don’t really understand,” Roberts said. “But everyone on the plane was reading it, and I was like, ‘I should probably just get it.’ ” Roberts may be perfect to take on the part of Ana, since, at 21, she is around the same age and already has the dark hair to match. But would she be willing to do those steamy love scenes? “I haven’t read it, I don’t even understand, but yeah, it sounds awesome. Anything racy, hot,” Roberts said. “Sure, let’s get hot.” Do you think Emma would be a perfect Anastasia Steele? Let us know in the comments!
ML turns the spotlight on three filmmakers screening new work at the Los Angeles Film Festival this week. Directors with films in the festival’s Narrative and Documentary competitions have offered up their observations on their latest and greatest. Monday’s titles include three docs: Jeff Howlett’s A Band Called Death , Mai Iskander’s Words of Witness and Dominga Sotomayor’s Thursday Till Sunday . And trailers are included (naturally). A Band Called Death , directed by Jeff Howlett [Documentary Competition] Synopsis: Before Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols or even the Ramones, there was Death. Formed in the early ’70s by three teenage brothers from Detroit, Death is credited as being the first black punk band, and the Hackney brothers, David, Bobby, and Dannis, are now considered pioneers in their field. But it wasn’t until recently — when a dusty 1974 demo tape made its way out of Bobby’s attic nearly 30 years after Death’s heyday — that anyone outside a small group of punk enthusiasts had even heard of them. Equal parts electrifying rockumentary and epic family chronicle, the story of Death is one of brotherly love and fierce, divinely inspired expression. [Courtesy of Los Angeles Film Festival] Responses by Jeff Howlett: Howlett gives his take on A Band Called Death : A Band Called Death is a documentary about the Hackney’s, three African-American brothers from Detroit that formed the proto-punk band “Death” in the early 70s. The film is a family story of brotherly love, and the human spirit that uncovers a treasure in the form of a 1974 demo tape that established their name in American Punk Rock History. And why audiences should check the film out at the LA Film Festival: The audiences should check out our film to discover an inspiring story about a band who not only played infectious, groundbreaking music but also had a rich family history to tell. The audience is taken back into a neighborhood where Motown was the religion and rock and roll was, as the Hackney’s eldest describes it best “white-boy music”. Following 35 years of their lives we take a journey with the Hackney family as they tell us their personal stories, the struggles of being black in a “protopunk” band and having the spirit to never give up on your dream. Some anecdotes from the shoot: Our film was as one of our friends put it “discovered on twitter and produced through email”. Since each of the directors and producers were spread out across the map, the challenge became only viable through these virtual channels. Short end of that story is that a year into the project Mark and I were at the end of our budgets with working on the film to which we either needed to stop production or make it a ten year project. That very day it was brought to our attention that Scott Mosier was Tweeting about a trailer we had made and posted online, and saying how he would love to know more about the film. This conversation led to Scott turning on Matt Perniciaro, Kevin Mann and Jerry Ferrara who then helped develop it into the feature film it is now. About the trailer: This clip is of Brian Spears of Groovesville Productions who takes us on a virtual tour of the studio as the band records their first album, “For the Whole World to See.” — Words of Witness , directed by Mai Iskander [Documentary Competition] Synopsis: Updating your Facebook status is a political act in this visceral, on-the-ground documentary of a 21st century revolution in progress. When the Egyptian people rose up against President Mubarak, Heba Afify was a 22-year-old journalist for an English-language paper. Her Facebook and Twitter accounts, along with those of many young Egyptians, become essential weapons in bringing down the former regime, a means to rally support and focus the movement’s strength. Director Mai Iskander follows Afify into the homes and offices of protestors, organizers and citizens caught up in revolutionary fervor, providing a thrilling perspective on a populace rising up to demand the right to live their own lives. [Courtesy of Los Angeles Film Festival] Responses by Mai Iskander: Iskander gives her take on Words of Witness : Words of Witness is a feature-length documentary that follows 22-year-old journalist Heba Afify as she navigates Egypt’s revolution and the rigid boundaries of her concerned mother to examine the struggles, hopes and fears of a people on the brink of democracy. And why audiences should check the film out at the LA Film Festival: Despite the cultural, linguistic and societal differences that separate Egypt and the United States, Words of Witness reveals at least one universal truth: where there is no struggle, there is no progress. Whether the rallying cry is, “Out with Mubarak” or “We are the 99 percent,” people everywhere know that the first step in making their country better, is to “lead themselves.” Through the lens of a country on a path to self-determination, Words of Witness inspires audiences—wherever they are—to reflect on the value of democracy and their role in the democratic process. Iskander shares some observations about the shoot: Since I do not look particularly Egyptian, I was often stopped and questioned as to why I was there. People were often very suspicious, and I certainly don’t blame them. This was a very tumultuous, volatile time. Here they were ripping at the seams of a regime that had been in place for 30 years. A revolution is a very vulnerable time for a country—it is only natural that they should question everything. And some insight on the trailer: I hoped to communicate the deep desire to shape one’s own fate—which dwells within not only a people, but also within every individual. I wanted to tell a story that shows how this desire cannot be quelled indefinitely; eventually it will overcome any obstacle in order to be realized. — Thursday Till Sunday , directed by Dominga Sotomayor [Narrative Competition] Synopsis: In the soft pre-dawn light, a young family loads into their car and begins a journey that will affect them all far deeper than the usual weekend get-away. With a mixture of nostalgia and anxiety, Thursday till Sunday deftly captures the end of a childhood as the young daughter, from her vantage point in the back seat, begins to realize that something is strained — or possibly broken — between her mother and father. With uncommon beauty and style, writer/director Dominga Sotomayor perfectly captures the emotional dynamics of a young family at a crossroads and the claustrophobia of the open road. [Courtesy of Los Angeles Film Festival] Sotomayor gives her take on Thursday Till Sunday : It’s the road trip of two children and their parents to the north of Chile during a long weekend. Everything is seen from 10-year old Lucía’s distant and fragmented point of view. As the landscape gives in to the desert, the parents’ crisis is revealed and the holiday slowly turns into a possible last family trip. And why audiences should give it a look at the LA Film Festival: I hope they will connect with real feelings, along with their own childhood memories and the sensation of being a kid. Some anecdotes from the set: The anecdotes are several (shooting almost everything within the constraints of a car; having kids in every shot; traveling with the whole crew out of the city), but most of these were self-imposed challenges and ended up working in favor of the film. I personally believe the greatest challenge of the film was creating a sense of intimate atmosphere and an overall intimate film when surrounded by a very ‘un-intimate’ environment during the production (trucks, crew, grip, etc); keeping the children’s energy upbeat and have them feel this trip as a long game. An observation about the trailer: I wanted to transmit the overall atmosphere of the film, its ability to convey genuine emotions, and introduce the point of view of the 10-year old girl that drives the whole film.
Is The Man Who Killed The Child Molester Who Harmed His Child A Criminal In Shiner, Texas, there’s little doubt among residents that a 23-year-old man who reportedly killed a man he found molesting his 5-year-old daughter in a horse barn should be hailed as a hero, not denounced as a criminal. Yet some legal experts question why the father hasn’t yet been arrested and charged with murder, saying vigilante justice, no matter how the circumstances come about, can’t be tolerated in a civil society. A Texas grand jury will have to deal with those questions next week as it takes a deeper look at the circumstances of the killing, and whether the father was justified in hitting the man so hard with his fists that he died. In most jurisdictions, according to “Criminal Law,” a widely used textbook, the use of fists in defense if there are no other weapons present is automatically an example of reasonable force. But in this case, were emotions an extenuating circumstance that caused the angry dad to go too far? More broadly, when is a person in a defensive fight required to stop? “Assuming it’s true that this guy was molesting the daughter … he would then have the right to defend her and hit him enough to have him stop,” James Harrington, director of the Texas Civil Rights Project, told Foxnews.com. “But you cannot summarily execute him, even though I can understand the anger he would have.” He added: “The question is: When does it move beyond self-defense?” The killing happened last Saturday, according to Lacava County Sheriff Micah Harmon, after the man’s daughter had gone to a barn to feed the family’s chickens, and then began screaming. When the father ran to investigate, he found a man described as a family acquaintance, a horse groomer, sexually abusing the girl. Police have not released any names, in part to protect the girl’s identity, and, in the case of the man who was killed, because they have not yet located his relatives in Mexico. According to the county coroner, the man died of blunt force trauma to the head and neck. Eyewitnesses arrived to see the alleged molester already on the ground, not moving. The girl was taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released for minor injuries. While police continue to investigate, they have so far found no reason to disbelieve the man’s story. The dad “had remorse,” says Sheriff Harmon. “It wasn’t his intent [to kill anybody]. He was protecting his daughter and doing what he thought he had to do to protect his daughter.” Discuss… Source
[ A version of this interview originally ran as part of Movieline’s coverage of Sundance 2012 .] It says something about how far Ice-T has come since his gangsta rap days that his directorial debut, the hip-hop documentary Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap , premiered in January at Sundance to a house packed with hip-hop heads and white older moviegoers who likely know Ice better from Law & Order: SVU than “New Jack Hustler.” And it says something about the film itself, which explores the historical landscape of hip-hop in intimate detail with over 40 of Ice-T’s fellow rappers, that even the L&O -watching grandmas in the audience were bopping their heads the whole way through. Taking a fresh approach to the music documentary, The Art of Rap (co-directed by Andy Baybutt) sees Ice-T as a tour guide of sorts, navigating the viewer through home and studio visits with fellow MCs on both coasts as he has wide-ranging discussions about the roots of rap, what hip-hop means, and the skills and talent required of a truly great MC. (Among the hip-hop titans appearing in the film: Chuck D, Grandmaster Caz, Afrika Bambaataa, KRS-One, Melle Mel, B-Real, Mos Def, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, MC Lyte, Q-Tip, Redman, Immortal Technique, Nas, Common, and Kanye West.) As he travels from New York City to Los Angeles — with a detour to Detroit to see Eminem, described as one of the greatest rappers of all time — Ice asks his subjects to spit “something no one’s ever heard before,” resulting in a tapestry of astounding, off the dome freestyles and rare rhymes from some of the best rappers alive. With the intention of keeping the film feeling fresh and present, Ice-T forgoes include archival or concert footage as he revisits hip-hop’s colorful past, a choice that turns The Art of Rap into something of a communal, if dense, oral history of the genre. But with legends like these on hand speaking comfortably to one of their own — spilling their vulnerabilities as artists, exposed beyond the typically hard façade of the genre — it’s all utterly fascinating. (The film has received critical kudos, currently enjoying a very fresh 100 percent rating over at Rotten Tomatoes with 8 reviews in.) Movieline spoke with Ice-T as the rapper-turned-actor-turned-filmmaker explained what motivated him to grab his Rolodex and a tiny crew in the first place, why rap needed an Ice-T film more than another album, why the genre doesn’t get the respect it deserves, and how the film’s success or failure will determine his future directorial aspirations. Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap opens in limited release today. How do you think things went at your premiere? I wasn’t breathing the whole night before, I was so nervous. I put a lot of time and work into it, but you never know. Sundance was our goal when we made the movie — I only wanted to make it to Sundance. This was it for me. And if I could make it here, I was in the right company of good movies. Why Sundance? It was interesting to see it play well here for a crowd of predominantly white, older viewers, and last year Beats, Rhymes, and Life also did quite well. Well, I didn’t know what films would be here when we submitted the film and got accepted. When you think about it, I’m an indie artist; I started out making hardcore records, so I wanted to make something that was raw. I said, I know Sundance is artsy but if I can get accepted there, then I’m on the right track. White people, black people, it really doesn’t matter. It’s just a matter of is it good? So when the movie came on and people started cheering and laughing and bobbing their heads, it was like oh my god — we got it! It’s kind of like not a normal documentary, it’s like a performance experience, an intimate concerts with a lot of the artists that people love. I was just happy. You’ve said that once you decided a documentary on rap should be made it was easy to just call your friends to be in the film, but in terms of the actual filmmaking what was your approach? Did you study documentary form to develop the style you eventually used? Not really. I mean, I’ve been watching movies and I’ve been in the film business for 20 years so I know what’s good. I wanted to shoot it, but I wanted to blur the lines of the filmmaking and behind the scenes. If the mic was exposed, that was good. A lot of the stuff, you see me talking to people; I wanted you to get the idea of what it was like to make it, not just watch it. People are into reality right now so this was like real reality; you’re with me, you’re on the set, I’m going to walk up to this guy and ask him a few questions. So as I edited, I just wanted the camera to feel like it might be anywhere at any moment. There are times people are talking and you’re showing the wall, or his hands, or his shoes. And then we shot with a Super 8 to kind of break up the cleanness of high definition. And we shot the big cinematic shots because I felt that if you just shoot the talking heads the movie becomes claustrophobic, so it’s just like, listen, listen, listen, breathe. Listen, listen, listen, breathe. Those sweeping overhead cinematic shots, of the cityscapes over New York City and Los Angeles and the places you visit in between, also do well to connect visually to a sense of place and geography… even though that also makes it conspicuous when you don’t visit, say, the Bay Area or the South. That’s what Mos Def said in the movie — the music is dictated by the geography, and that’s why New York sounds different than Detroit, different than L.A. And you know, I couldn’t go to the South; the biggest problem I ran into with the movie was once we started, just the lack of time and the amount of film we shot. When I got the nod for Sundance I had a three-hour film and they said the longest they’d run them here is two. We had interviewed 54 [musicians]; even to make a three-hour cut we had 47, and I had 25 people waiting to be filmed when we had to wrap shooting! So like Chuck D said [at the film’s Q&A] at being asked why this person wasn’t in it and why that person wasn’t, you know what? The movie’s not about that, it’s not about ‘Come see your favorite rapper.’ I feel every form of rap, every style, was represented. Are you currently considering extending this two-hour film somehow into something else, perhaps a series? I won’t speak on that, only because we don’t want to lower the integrity of this as a film. We want it to be a film, and once it does its dance as a film, whether it’s a theatrical release which looks like it’s about to happen… I’ll put it like this: We’ve got two hours on each artist. Wow. That’s pretty incredible considering that many of the rappers we only see for a minute or two at most. [Laughs] I have two hours! So you look at KRS-One; KRS-One talked about so much stuff, but my job is, let’s show the part where KRS talks about being vulnerable, like the moment where he got dissed. I want you to see the different dynamics of these artists. See, when you take young artists, right, young artists have their guards up. They never want to show any weakness, they’re scared. They’re worried about their persona. When you talk to people once they’ve been down the lane, they’ll tell you the story. They’ll say, “Wow, man — I’m Public Enemy and Mel was dissing us!” Now they’re comfortable with themselves. Even the stories, WC was talking about how I would use kids as teleprompters. Early in my career I wouldn’t have said that, but now I’m like, let’s laugh about it! I think that’s part of this film’s charm, too. There’s a segment where you’re talking with Ice Cube and 50 Cent is referenced; Cube jokes that you don’t want to get rich and die trying. Was that a jab at Fiddy, or just an offhand remark? No, that’s not a diss — it’s more like saying, this is my play on what you said. I don’t want to get rich and die trying. 50 Cent said “Get rich or die trying,” but you can get rich and die trying. So once you made it now, let’s not fuck it off. That would be part two of Fifty. The next one is Get Rich AND Die Tryin … I just think that the way that rappers speak about each other in the movie is very endearing, how they speak about how they were inspired by this one, and also I think really showing Grandmaster Caz as one of the unsung heroes. Grandmaster Caz wrote “Rapper’s Delight!” It’s important shit. That’s a nice quality to the movie; it engenders appreciation not only between the artists that you interview, but having MCs spit live, directly into the camera without music really highlights rap as a performance and an art form. And you’ve got to remember this: Nobody knew they were going to rap. That’s part of being a rapper. Nobody knew they were going to rap. It’s like at the [Sundance premiere Q&A, where Ice-T was asked to spit his favorite rhyme] the guy said, “Ice, can you quote a rhyme?” Yeah, I’m a rapper — I’d better know how to fucking quote a rhyme! I pulled Rakim outta my ass, and that’s it. But during the interviews I said, “You want to spit something — you got anything in the head, want to say something no one’s ever heard?” And bam! They just, bam! I didn’t tell anyone, “You’re going to rap.” I didn’t tell Kanye he was coming over to rap. But you knew they could, because that’s what they do . Exactly! That’s what they do. You can’t interview a basketball player on a basketball court, with a basketball within his reach, and he won’t take a shot. It’s just what they do. He’s going to want to dribble the ball — he’s at home! So when you get a rapper in a comfortable situation with one of their friends and say, “Spit something,” they might go, “Aww, come on Ice!” Then they might go, “Hold on…” bam! And another thing I did in the movie, if you really watch — some of the rappers in their rhymes kind of fuck up. They kind of slur words, because they’re connecting two rhymes together. That’s the art. You know, what you hear on records is something different. But when you hear it live, that’s all good. I mean, hopefully none of the rappers are so vain that they’re like, “Ice, you saw me fucking up.” But that’s just what they did. That’s real shit. Which of your interviews was the most challenging to pull off, or to break through to? None. None of them. Every interview was just as easy to do, the only hard part was getting Ice-T, them, and a camera crew from London in the same place at the same time. How did you find your crew? When I came up with the idea, my manager said “I’ve got somebody who might be interested in doing it.” We hooked up with a guy named Paul Toogood, he does a TV show called Songbook where they interview singers and they break down a song. It’s right up his alley. He said, not only do I want to do it, I’ll get the money to do it. I had to find somebody who was as passionate about it as me, and thank god – these guys are incredible cinematographers… the thing about this film is there were only five people that made it. There’s Paul, the cinematographer, myself, my guys that helped me wrangle the artists, Coco, Little Ice, and the sound crew. It’s apparent how small your crew is in the film when you have trouble fending off onlookers and fans while interviewing Q-Tip in New York… We just grabbed Q-Tip on the corner and we started shooting, I’ve got one of the homies out there blocking, I’ve got a camera guy and a boom, and we just go. So it’s very guerrilla, but I think that’s part of what makes the movie good. That comfortable distance of time and age that you mentioned that allows you to be more open with your experiences – do you feel like the impetus for making this film came from a desire to revisit where you’ve been in your career, to reconnect with your roots after transitioning into acting and television and beyond? I think it’s trying to do something for hip-hop, but do something that I am the only one who’s really capable of doing it. It’s kind of like, Ice-T could make another record, but we all know that. Now Ice is in another lane, he’s moved up, he’s got different credentials. So now it’s my job; I’ve got to make a movie. I’ve got to give hip-hop something they didn’t even know they wanted. Right now you make records and people don’t listen to them. You write a book and some people read. But people go to movies! And I wanted to direct; I have a lot of films that are in my sights, but I always learned in business that if you’re going to start a new business, go for the lowest hanging fruit. Start with something you know the best, first. And this is what I know the best. So I said, let me do something that’s important, that’s my way of giving back to hip-hop, and if it’s successful I’ll move on with my filmmaking career. If it’s not, I’ll re-assess my mistakes, maybe try again, or I’ll stop. But what is your barometer for success with this film? When will you be happy or satisfied with the results? It’s really just the response of the people. I never go by the critics, because critics’ jobs are to criticize. So a critic will look at you and how well you’re dressed but they’re looking for something they don’t like. Film journalists, I respect. But anyone who uses the word ‘critic’ in their description, I don’t fuck with them. But I can tell from the fans. Now, the internet and all the ways people can get back at you… you’ll know if you did something good or not. My first barometer is the hip-hop community. If they love it, and they’re like, “Man, you did something great. Thank you, Ice…” That’s the first thing. Secondly will be the people and how they respond to it. So far, I went home last night and went through 30 reviews and didn’t get one bad, not one. I’m speechless! In the movie, we ask the question “Why don’t you think hip-hop is respected?” Well, to have this film respected kind of says it is respected. It’s maybe not vocal, but it is, because people loved the movie. So it is respected. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
With the world premiere of Woody Allen’s latest under its belt, the Los Angeles Film Festival is now ready to get truly underway with its lineup of premieres, parties, panels and more celebrity guests. Movieline is doing its part to get audiences in the mood, giving sneaks on many of the titles appearing in the festival’s Narrative and Documentary competitions with comments from the real stars at the ten day event – the filmmakers. Yesterday , ML published its first round of filmmaker interviews and trailers screening in the tests competition and several more are featured today. Call Me Kuchu , directed by Katherine Fairfax Wright, Malika Zouhali-Worrall [Documentary Competition] Synopsis: To be openly gay in Uganda is to risk imprisonment and death. The stirring and heartbreaking Call Me Kuchu exposes the horrors of a homophobic government — its hatred fueled by right wing American evangelicals — that terrorizes the LGBT community. Yet brave men and women like David Kato, the country’s first openly gay activist, have fought back at great risk. This intimate and impassioned documentary takes us inside this life and death struggle for human rights. Whether you are familiar with Katos’s story or hearing it for the first time, you will find this a shattering and inspiring testament. [Courtesy of Los Angeles Film Festival] Responses by Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall: Wright and Zouhali-Worrall’s take on the film: In Uganda, a proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill threatens to make homosexuality punishable by death. David Kato – Uganda’s first openly gay man – and his fellow activists work against the clock to defeat the legislation while combatting vicious persecution in their daily lives. But no one is prepared for the brutal murder that shakes their movement to its core and sends shock waves around the world. And why audiences should check out Call Me Kuchu at the LA Film Festival: Call Me Kuchu is an intimate portrait of a courageous man determined to bring an end to the discriminatory status quo in his country. In depicting the last year in his life, the film introduces the viewer to the David Kato we knew, and David Kato as he saw himself, before he was so suddenly and tragically murdered. The film also sheds light on the stark parallels between the situation for LGBT communities in both Uganda and the United States, illustrating not only the role of American evangelicals in the now notorious Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill, but also what can transpire in a democracy when fundamental human rights are left up to a popular vote. Realizing how the story came together… During our initial shoot, David mostly played the role of fixer, advising us on whom to contact and diligently introducing us to a multitude of his friends and colleagues in the LGBT, or “kuchu” community. It wasn’t until we got home from that first shoot, and began to really comb through the footage and story-lines, that we realized that the man known as the “grandfather of the kuchus” was indeed one of the most outspoken and inspired activists in East Africa, and hugely charismatic to boot. It soon became clear that he was the protagonist of Call Me Kuchu . …and comments on the trailer: Over recent years, the vast majority of the international news coverage about the LGBT community in Uganda has been based on a narrative of victimization. During our first shoot, we learned that this was only half the story–so we decided to make a film that goes further: a nuanced narrative that shows David and Kampala’s kuchus boldly working to change their fate, and that of other kuchus across Africa. — Sun Kissed , directed by Adi Lavy and Maya Stark [Documentary Competition] Synopsis: With remarkable strength of spirit, a husband and wife examine their lives as they search for answers as to why their children and others in their small Navajo reservation have been stricken with XP, an extremely rare pediatric disorder that turns sunlight into a deadly foe. Crafting a sensitive, intricate film that organically expands beyond the tragedy of one family to encompass the story of an entire community, directors Maya Stark and Adi Lavy unearth familial taboos, a disturbing history of forced migration and a cultural belief system of cosmic karma in this powerful documentary. [Courtesy of Los Angeles Film Festival] Responses by Adi Lavy and Maya Stark: And they give their take on Sun Kissed : Sun Kissed is a film about a life-changing journey of rediscovery. When a Navajo couple learns that their children have a disorder that makes exposure to sunlight fatal, they find out that their reservation is a hotbed for this rare genetic disease and they go on a journey to find out why. On that journey, they confront cultural taboos, tribal history and their own unconventional choices to learn the shocking truth: The consequences of the Navajos’ “Long Walk” — their forced relocation by the U.S. military in 1864 — are far from over. Ultimately their children’s rare genetic disorders sets them off on a journey that makes them redefine who they are as modern day Navajos. Why audiences should check out Sun Kissed at the LA Film Festival: There is nothing else like Sun Kissed at LAFF, because it is a story that has never been told before with rare access to the Navajo community that is otherwise very suspicious of outsiders. It combines verite scenes with a level of intimacy that only few docs have reached, and unravels like a classical mystery with one unsolved question – why are all these Navajo kids born with this mysterious genetic disorder. We believe that the film’s message is very important when the world is becoming less tolerant to minorities and to the “others.” Even though Sun Kissed is an all American story, this film serve as a cautionary tale of what happens when we try to colonize and assimilate another group of people. Few of us ever realize that 150 years later, people are still dealing with the effects of what we have done. In that sense, Dorey and Yolanda’s intimate tale embodies the larger story of their tribe. We hope that this important and compelling story will be as impactful for audiences as it has been for us. Some tales from making the film… After two years of filming the movie, when Dorey and Yolanda had finally met other XP families on the Reservation and discovered there might be a connection to the Long Walk, we found ourselves confronted by forces that didn’t want us to make this film. The taboo surrounding any discussion of the Long Walk was so great, that we were stonewalled by members of the community and almost gave up on the project. As outsiders to the Navajo community we wanted to be respectful of their culture. We realized that it wasn’t our place to move forward with the story and decided to pack up and go home, until Dorey and Yolanda asked us not to give up on their story. They realized how deeply they had internalized the Western narrative about the Long Walk, and wanted to finally understand what had happened there from their point of view. It was then that we realized how important this story is, and we found the strength and justification to push forward with Dorey and Yolanda as they went up against the silence and taboos. The very process of making the movie showed what they were up against in their quest for answers. As we continued shooting, several members of the Navajo community came forward and championed the cause, believing that these controversial issues should be talked about and dealt with. That’s what’s beginning to happen on the Reservation today. Some thoughts on the trailer: We tried to find the delicate balance between telling enough of the story of Sun Kissed and intriguing audiences but not revealing too much of Dorey and Yolanda’s journey. Because Sun Kissed is a journey of discovery, we did not want to create one big spoiler but we wanted to give enough information so that audiences will understand that there is more to this film than children with a rare genetic disorder. What the trailer tips off is that it’s a story that starts with a search for the origin of a single gene and quickly unravels to explore the larger narrative of a nation impacted – culturally, religiously and physically – by historical events. — Breakfast With Curtis , directed by Laura Colella [Narrative Competition] Synopsis: Over the course of a balmy east coast summer, an introverted, bespectacled teenager is brought into the strange and delightful world of his bohemian neighbors. What unfolds, against the backdrop of lush flowerbeds and overgrown vegetable patches, is a mirthful story of unlikely and rekindled friendships. But for all of its wine-soaked, pot-infused dreaminess, Breakfast is firmly rooted in reality. The rambling purple house where the action happens is writer/director/co-star Laura Colella’s, and her captivating cast is composed of her very own housemates and neighbors.Despite the homespun approach and unfettered narrative, Colella’s smartly written, tightly directed tale has a distinct vision and clear intention, one joyously devoted to the pleasure principle. [Courtesy of Los Angeles Film Festival] Responses by Laura Colella: Colella gives her take on the film: A troubled 14 year-old’s life is shifted in a new direction by his neighbor, a bookseller who has delusions of grandeur fueled by red wine. It’s about the experience of having a seminal summer that rocks your world, and also about letting go of old grudges. And why people should check Breakfast with Curtis out at the LA Film Festival: It’s very fun and unique. Many early viewers have said they want to keep spending time with the people in the movie, and come hang out where we filmed it (at my house)! Also, anyone who comes to our world premiere on 6/17 is invited to the after-party! Some quick anecdotes from the set: I made this film with my neighbors, who are all great actors (and characters). We would shoot for only a few hours a day, and the budget was so low that I didn’t provide any craft services, and people would just go home if they needed a drink or snack. — Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives , directed by Sara Lamm and Mary Wigmore [Documentary Competition] Synopsis: In the early 1970s, Ina May Gaskin and the courageous Midwives of the Farm commune inspired the modern midwifery movement. Today, their efforts continue at the Farm Clinic and across the country, working against an ever-growing hospital culture of intervention and C-section births. Revealing the Midwives’ stories with intelligence and wit, directors Sara Lamm and Mary Wigmore weave extensive archival footage, enlightening interviews and contemporary stories into a beguiling document of past and present. Through Ina May and the Midwives, Lamm and Wigmore portray childbirth in empowering and thrilling ways we’ve never seen before. The result is not just an illuminating documentary, but a joyful rallying call to see humanity through a new lens. [Courtesy of Los Angeles Film Festival] Responses by Sara Lamm and Mary Wigmore: The directors give their take on Birth Story : Birth Story is about an incredible group of women who taught themselves how to deliver babies on a hippie commune in the 1970s. It’s sweet, funny, educational, and it honors women’s leadership and women’s bodies in a time when both are under political attack in our country. Plus, the film features original music by Fleet Foxes front man, Robin Pecknold. …And why audiences should check it out at the LA Film Festival: This film is about community, and about how much we can accomplish when we work together, so we expect the experience of seeing it in the shared space of a theater will be very special. Also, this movie may show the only breech birth in the history of cinema. (Note to film historians: is that true?) Watching that scene in the company of two hundred people will be something to remember forever. Tales from the shoot: Besides our own birth experiences, before making this film we had never seen a baby being born. And so, after a week of waiting around in Nashville for one of our subjects to go into labor, we were impressed with how much dedication it takes for midwives, doulas, and doctors to be on call all the time. And, just at the point where we thought we couldn’t take the suspense any longer, dear Heather went into labor. Once we were at her house, and the Christmas tree was on, and her mother was making cookies, we just couldn’t believe how beautiful and simple it all was. Then, when she pushed her baby out, we were blown away–she was calm and beautiful in labor (just like Ina May says women should be). What also struck us was the camaraderie between Ina May, the newest Farm Midwife Stacie Smith-Hunt, and Heather’s mother, who was a labor and delivery nurse for many years. A lightbulb went off for us–ah, its hard being on call, but wow birth is not only sacred, but when everything goes well, its also a lot of FUN. Afterwards, even though it was 2 in the morning, we had so much energy that we went to a bar and drank two beers. Some thoughts on the clip: In this clip, Ina May and the other Farm Midwives talk about the writing of their famous 1976 book, Spiritual Midwifery–it’s a collection of birth stories and an educational manual that’s had a huge impact on women all over the world. For nearly forty years now, women have passed it along to their newly pregnant friends who in turn give it to their newly pregnant friends. (In fact, friends passed the book on to us when we were each pregnant, and that’s how we became interested in making this movie.) We think the book has had such a long life because it’s one of the only things out there that encourages a reader to think of birth as a beautiful, positive, empowering experience. Read more of Movieline’s coverage of the LA Film Festival here.
Paramount’s big-budget live-action, Michael Bay-produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot has run into some budgetary obstacles, reports Nikki Finke, with production delayed in order to shave down the film’s budget to the reported target of $125 million. This means the heroes on a half shell won’t hit screens until five months beyond their initial Christmas 2013 date, moving to May 2014 — if a satisfactory budget is reached, that is. Are the Turtles in trouble? Over at THR , a report puts it in more definite, less hopeful terms, citing sources who say the studio has shut down prep on the film “indefinitely”: The issue is said to be the script. Paramount has delayed several big movies from this year to 2013, including G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Brad Pitt’s World War Z , leaving it with a spotty pipeline for the current year. Now it has halted work on its planned holiday movie for 2013, temporarily laying off preproduction staff and informing those prepping the film that the work stoppage is “indefinite,” according to sources. Another source close to the production says the movie has been pushed by ten weeks. [ Deadline , THR ]
Some were skeptical that Woody Allen would make an appearance at the opening night of the LA Film Festival , even with his latest Euro-whimsy To Rome With Love premiering in the kick-off slot Thursday night. But show up Woody did, with five of his starlets in tow — including Alison Pill, Greta Gerwig , and a dazzling Penelope Cruz — to debut his 43rd feature film with a few charmingly self-deprecating zingers. “I had a wonderful time making the picture in Rome,” Allen said, introducing his film to a packed theater at LA Live with a quip. “That doesn’t mean that you’ll enjoy it.” Allen continued, quietly demurring the palpable adoration of the opening night crowd, joined by Cruz, Pill, Gerwig, and Italian co-stars Alessandra Mastronardi and Simona Caparrini. “I had fun. I was there for three months eating pasta, working with beautiful actresses and scintillating leading men. It was great for me. But whether it came out or not, you have to be the judge. If you like it, I want you to tell your friends and pressure Sony, so they don’t put it in the Witness Protection Program.” [Sony Pictures Classics releases the film in select cities next week.] Allen’s Roman outing follows in the vein of his Oscar-nominated hit Midnight in Paris , exploring the spirit of the Eternal City through four light-hearted, if exhausting and scattered vignettes. In one, renowned architect Alec Baldwin visits his old Rome stomping grounds, running into Jesse Eisenberg’s 30 years-younger counterpart as he falls into an ill-advised affair. In another, a fiery hooker (Cruz) upends the life of a timid Italian newlywed. Roberto Benigni (“delightful, brilliant, sensational,” lauded Allen) shines in his own Fellini-esque tale of an average Roman businessman who becomes an overnight celebrity, enjoying — then bemoaning — the trappings of fame. And Allen stars himself, alongside Pill and a wonderfully acerbic Judy Davis, as a neurotic visiting American navigating culture clash with his Italian in-laws. To Rome may lack the pure magic and cohesion of Midnight in Paris , but it’s more fascinated with riffing on the fantasy that the Italian city inspires. (Critics were mixed following the film’s LA Film Fest premiere.) Among the themes turned over and over by Allen’s characters: Celebrity, desire, and the twin, or dueling, identities entrenched in the very fabric of the city — a place where the ruins of ancient civilization are an inescapable part of the modern landscape, a reminder of humanity’s impulse to reach for greatness, even at the risk of great failure. That hunger for life’s “what ifs?” is, the film argues, as essential as it is impossible to ignore. A starstruck woman ponders the extramarital affair that would make for a lifetime of stories; a mortician seizes the chance at operatic greatness, even under the silliest of circumstances. In the film’s most Allenesque pairing, Baldwin’s knowing John peppers Eisenberg’s Jack with the advice he knows he won’t heed, because he didn’t take it himself as a young man. Their double dose of relentless, self-aware commentary — about life, love, and the wrong choices (and ill-advised love affairs) you just can’t help choosing — speaks to a filmmaker who is all too haunted by his past, yet content to come to terms with the naivete of his younger self. Given how baldly he confronts the funny business of art and celebrity in the film, from all sides — the fleeting pointlessness (and compulsive appeal) of being famous for famous’ sake in today’s reality TV culture, the eternal struggle to balance art and commerce, even the oiliness and pretension pervasive to Hollywood types alike, personified by Italian actor Antonio Albanese and with particular deftness by Ellen Page — Allen’s pre-screening sign-off remained softly humble. “Thank you very much for showing up tonight,” he said. “If you like the picture, I’m thrilled. If you hate it and think it was a waste of time coming, don’t let me know [pause] because I get depressed easily.” To Rome with Love opens on June 22. Read more from the LA Film Fest here . Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Obama also attended a campaign fundraiser that featured a private concert by Mariah Carey. By Gil Kaufman President Barack Obama, Sarah Jessica Parker Photo: After a hard day of trading stump speech barbs with Republican rival Mitt Romney during dueling appearances in the crucial swing state of Ohio, President Obama jetted to New York City on Thursday night for a pair of celeb-studded campaign fundraisers. His first stop was at the home of “Sex and the City” star Sarah Jessica Parker for a money ball co-hosted by Vogue editor Anna Wintour. The 50-person, $40,000-a-pop event, attended by celebs including Oscar winner Meryl Streep, Bravo boss Andy Cohen and fashion designer Michael Kors, included a moment of levity when Parker’s nine-year-old son, James, interrupted Obama during his speech with a round of applause, according to Politico . “He wanted to fire up the crowd,” Obama quipped. “He knows an applause line,” Cohen chimed in. “Right on cue!” “We’ve got as fundamental a choice this time out than we have had in 30, 40 or 50 years,” the president told the small group packed into a low-lit, art-filled room. “What we are going to have to do is present very clearly to the American people that choice.” Making a rare joint appearance with First Lady Michelle Obama, the president raised $2 million at the event, which included a private question-and-answer session between the commander-in-chief and his guests. Parker’s husband, actor Matthew Broderick, was not present due to his current starring role in the Broadway musical “Nice Work If You Can Get It.” The First Couple then moved to another glamorous 250-person, $10,000-a-plate dinner event at the Plaza Hotel that included a performance by Mariah Carey and some remarks from Alicia Keys. That soiree raised another $2.5 million for the campaign. While Romney has been filling his coffers with huge donations to his campaign and to Super-PACs supporting his effort from a number of mega-millionaires and billionaires, Obama has struggled to get the same kind of big-cash donations from his supporters. He continues, however, to have a solid (if somewhat diminished from 2008) base of entertainment industry boosters who have stepped up lately to help raise money, including George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Cher, Spike Lee, Julia Roberts, Ellen DeGeneres, Jessica Alba, Keys, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, Jon Bon Jovi and Cee Lo Green. Related Artists Mariah Carey
