Follow Voice of America - Arts & Entertainment, filter it, and define how you want to receive the news (via Email, RSS, Telegram, WhatsApp etc.) https://follow.it/voanews22 Tue, 06 Jun 2023 08:32:53 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbH9JU1zU6RsNaCY3L745TL_ Tens of thousands of people in Thailand celebrated Bangkok Pride with a parade on Sunday. Some Thais say they hope laws will one day allow same-sex marriage in a society that has already changed. Vijitra Duangdee reports from Bangkok.]]> Mon, 05 Jun 2023 23:09:08 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbH9JU1zU6RsNaCY3L745TL_ https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbF_whZdK2mMvl1cWWor9YPv Seven people involved in different racist attacks against Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr have been punished by Spain's State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport, the country's Sports Commission said on Monday. Four men were fined $64,255 and banned from sports venues for two years after hanging a banner reading "Madrid hates Real" and an inflatable black effigy in a replica of Vinicius' No. 20 shirt on a bridge near Real's facilities before the team's Cup match against Atletico Madrid on Jan. 26. Three other people were fined $5,354.50 and banned from sports venues for one year after making racist gestures towards the Brazil international during a LaLiga match at Valencia's Mestalla Stadium on May 21. The sanctions come 11 days after the arrest of the four men on suspicion of hanging the effigy and their release on bail by a Madrid court. Vinicius Jr has been in the spotlight for the past couple of weeks after calling LaLiga and Spain racist following the abuse he suffered during Real's match against Valencia.   The sporting world has shown solidarity with the 22-year-old since then and the Brazilian government has called for severe sanctions against those responsible for the racial slurs. Brazil will play friendlies against Guinea on June 17 and Senegal, three days later, as a part of an anti-racism campaign.  ]]> Mon, 05 Jun 2023 20:35:47 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbF_whZdK2mMvl1cWWor9YPv https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbFQU2828kXQVMb1naedg1wr  PARIS (AP) — France’s beloved abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel has reached a ripe old age. It’s been 1,000 years since the laying of its first stone.  The millennial of the UNESCO World Heritage site and key Normandy tourism magnet is being celebrated until November with exhibits, dance shows and concerts. French President Emmanuel Macron is heading there on Monday.  Macron plans to deliver a speech and to see a new exhibit tracing the Romanesque abbey’s history via 30 objects and pieces, including a restored statue of Saint Michael.   Legend has it that the archangel Michael appeared in 708, duly instructing the bishop of nearby Avranches to build him a church on the rocky outcrop.  The exhibit, two years in the making, opened last month. It covers the complex process of building what is considered an architectural jewel on a rocky island linked to the mainland only by a narrow causeway at high tide.  Four crypts were constructed on the granite tip along with a church on top. The exhibit explains how the original structure, built in 966, became too small for pilgrims, spurring on the builders to create the 11th century abbey that stands to this day.  France has spent more than $34 million over 15 years to restore the building, and the work is nearing completion. Authorities have also tried in recent years to protect the monument’s surrounding environment from the impact of mass tourism.  One of the most popular French destinations outside Paris, Mont-Saint-Michel island attracted 2.8 million visitors last year, including 1.3 million for the abbey. It was not closed to visitors for the presidential visit, but local authorities were taking measures for it to go as smoothly as possible. ]]> Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:36:37 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbFQU2828kXQVMb1naedg1wr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbHMFerrLCk5nMb1naedg1wr Among the thousands of fans in the stands at Europe's biggest soccer games are a few people operating undercover. Trained volunteer observers listen for racist chants and watch for extremist symbols on banners. "You have to be aware of the environment and fit in without standing out. You have to be discreet," one observer, who has worked at games involving some of soccer's best-known clubs and national teams, told The Associated Press. "Obviously nothing gets published on social media. You have to be anonymous. You have to just sort of blend in. Don't engage in conversations with anybody." A way to improve soccer The observer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the job requires it, is part of a program run on behalf of European soccer's governing body, UEFA, by the Fare Network, a prominent anti-discrimination group. Fare monitors about 120 games per season in Europe's main three men's club competitions, executive director Piara Powar told the AP, and more around the world in national team events like World Cup qualifying. Evidence from the program, including photos taken surreptitiously from the stands, is used in disciplinary cases against clubs or national teams whose fans display racist behavior in European competitions like the Champions League. It's not a career, but a way to make soccer better for the future, the observer said. Observers work on a volunteer basis, with expenses covered, and are expected to keep tabs on hardcore fan groups' social media to track where incidents may occur. Inside the stadium, an observer watches the stands for signs of racist, homophobic, sexist or other discriminatory chants or banners, while also keeping an eye on the action on the field, which shapes what happens among fans. "If you get a disgruntled fan base and they're getting beaten 5-0 and they get knocked out of a competition that they felt that they were going to progress in, then that could be another catalyst," the observer said. "You have to constantly read the situation as it unfolds." Observers are expected to be familiar with symbols used by nationalist groups, especially the logos and number codes — like 88 for Heil Hitler — they use to send surreptitious messages. Games are given risk ratings to determine how many observers are needed, and up to three observers can work at the highest-risk games. Sometimes a game rated "medium-risk" can "blow up in your face" unexpectedly, the observer added. That sets off a scramble to document the evidence and send it to a UEFA delegate in the stands — not always easy on overloaded stadium Wi-Fi. That documentation can then be used by the UEFA disciplinary unit for "further investigation and possible proceedings," the European soccer governing body said in a statement to the AP. Sometimes feeling 'ill at ease' Hooliganism incidents have decreased in European soccer in recent decades, but some fan groups have a reputation for racist behavior and violence. For security reasons, the identity of the observers at a game are known to as few people as possible. The observer described feeling "ill at ease" in some situations, but never in personal danger. Observers are not expected to infiltrate close-knit, hardcore fan groups, but to watch from a distance. "You need to get as close as you can, but be as far away as your safety requires," the observer said. Fare's work isn't always welcome. In a case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport over a banner at a 2019 game that was judged to contain a coded racist message, Georgian club Dinamo Tbilisi sought to challenge Fare's assessment, arguing that the observer collecting the evidence was "professionally trained to recognize potentially racist symbols and is therefore biased." The panel rejected the argument and pointed out that even if the banner's message wasn't clear to most fans, it still broke rules against racist messages. Like referees, Fare observers can't work at games involving clubs they support. The observer said the goal is to make the atmosphere at games safer and more inclusive for the future. Over several years working games, the observer has seen change for the better, but so far only "baby steps." "It's a professional endeavor. It's not going for the sake of it," the observer said. "I'm indifferent to the results. When a goal's scored, sometimes I have to stand up to feign excitement, but they are teams that I have zero emotional moments with."]]> Mon, 05 Jun 2023 09:05:24 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbHMFerrLCk5nMb1naedg1wr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbEALjR8YToC311cWWor9YPv The National Building Museum in Washington has launched a new long-term exhibition called Brick City, which re-creates the iconic architecture of cities around the world using Lego bricks. Maxim Moskalkov has the story. Camera: Andrey Degtyarev]]> Mon, 05 Jun 2023 04:20:33 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbEALjR8YToC311cWWor9YPv https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbEUGMA2lOiH1-zdsCmHakzH Stretch limousines — once a symbol of the rich and famous — are now rarely seen on the roads and at red carpet events. Karina Bafradzhian investigates why demand for limousines has declined.]]> Mon, 05 Jun 2023 03:14:15 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbEUGMA2lOiH1-zdsCmHakzH https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbH3pI1qzSg8WXn9ye8UNv30 Hollywood's major studios reached a tentative labor agreement with the union representing film and television directors, likely averting a work stoppage that would have piled pressure on media companies to settle with striking writers.  The Directors Guild of America (DGA) will ask its 19,000 members to approve the three-year contract, which was announced late Saturday after three weeks of talks.  The agreement includes gains in wages and residuals plus guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence, according to the DGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Netflix, Walt Disney Co. and other major studios.  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has been on strike since May 2, shutting down several TV and film productions, and has no new talks scheduled with the studios.  During the last WGA strike in 2007 and 2008, a studio deal with the DGA prompted writers to head back to the bargaining table. On Friday, WGA negotiator Chris Keyser argued that strategy would not work this time.  "Any deal that puts this town back to work runs straight through the WGA, and there is no way around that," Keyser said in a video posted on YouTube.  The DGA's board will consider whether to approve the deal Tuesday before it goes to members for ratification. No date has been set for the ratification vote.  If approved, the deal could offer a blueprint for the striking writers and upcoming talks between studios and SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors.  WGA representatives did not respond to requests for comment Sunday, but some writers voiced reactions on social media.  "Spartacus" creator Steven DeKnight called the DGA deal "disappointing, but not surprising."  Writer Bill Wolkoff said he had mixed emotions. "Happy for gains DGA members made, frustrated we were stonewalled on all our asks. My resolve is only stronger," he wrote.  In the DGA's agreement, directors secured wage increases starting at 5% the first year, an increase in residuals from streaming, and a guarantee that "generative AI cannot replace the duties performed by members."  AI has emerged as a major concern of writers and actors, who see their jobs as especially vulnerable to the new technology.  Both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA are seeking protections from AI in their negotiations as well as increases in compensation that they say has lagged as companies have benefited from the rise of streaming television.  SAG-AFTRA has asked members to give its negotiators the power to call a strike if needed, and the results of that vote are expected to be announced Monday. Contract talks between the actors and studios begin Wednesday. The current labor agreement expires June 30.  The WGA work stoppage has disrupted production of late-night shows and shut down high-profile projects such as Netflix's "Stranger Things" and a "Game of Thrones" spinoff. ]]> Mon, 05 Jun 2023 01:02:03 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbH3pI1qzSg8WXn9ye8UNv30 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbG2Herhwx6_8pVjH6qdYdAk "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" opened in U.S. and Canadian theaters with a massive $120.5 million, more than tripling the debut of the 2018 animated original and showing the kind of movie-to-movie box-office growth that would be the envy of even the mightiest of Hollywood franchises.  Sony Pictures' "Across the Spider-Verse," the multi-verse spinning animated Spider-Man spinoff, sailed past expectations, according to studio estimates Sunday, riding terrific reviews (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and strong buzz for the hotly anticipated follow-up to the Oscar-winning "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse."  In the sometimes-formulaic realm of superhero movies, 2018's "Into the Spider-Verse" offered a blast of originality, introducing a teenage webslinger from Brooklyn, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a punk-rock Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) and a host of other Spider-People. It launched with $35.4 million on its way to $384.3 million worldwide.  "Across the Spider-Verse," which exponentially expands the film's universe-skipping worlds, cost $100 million to make, about half the cost of the average live-action comic-book movie. So, at even the forecast $80 million that "Spider-Verse" had been expected to open, "Across the Spider-Verse" would have been a hit.  Instead, it has turned out to be a box-office sensation, and the second largest domestic opening of 2023, trailing only "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." "Across the Spider-Verse," directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson, even topped "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," which debuted with $118 million, for the best opening weekend of the summer so far.  The film, shepherded by writer-producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, is part two in a trilogy that will conclude with a third chapter to be released next year. "Across the Spider-Verse" over-performed abroad, too, with $88.1 million overseas.  After few family offerings for much of the first half of 2023, theaters are suddenly flush with kid-friendly entertainment. Last week's top film, the Walt Disney Co.'s live action remake "The Little Mermaid," slid to second with $40.6 million in its second weekend.  After launching with $95.5 million and $117.5 million over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, "The Little Mermaid" dipped 57%, partly due to the formidable competition from "Across the Spider-Verse."  Having cost a reported $250 million to make, "The Little Mermaid" was met with mixed reviews but more enthusiasm from audiences, which gave it an "A" CinemaScore. But overseas, where previous Disney live-action remakes have thrived, is proving harder territory this time. The film added $42.4 million internationally over the weekend.  Disney also supplied the weekend's top counter-programming option in "The Boogeyman," a mostly well-received horror adaptation of a Stephen King short story. Director Rob Savage's $35 million film, starring Sophie Thatcher and Chris Messina, had originally been intended to debut on Hulu before the studio pivoted. It opened with $12.3 million in ticket sales.  In limited release, the Sundance breakout film "Past Lives" launched with an impressive $58,067 per-screen average on four screens. Celine Song's directorial debut stars Greta Lee as a woman torn between a childhood friend from Korea (Teo Yoo) and her American husband (John Magaro).  Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.  1. "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," $120.5 million.  2. "The Little Mermaid," $40.6 million.  3. "The Boogeyman," $12.3 million.  4. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," $10.2 million.  5. "Fast X," $9.2 million.  6. "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," $3.4 million.  7. "About My Father," $2.1 million.  8. "The Machine," $1.8 million.  9. "Suga: Agust D Tour Live in Japan," $1.2 million.  10. "You Hurt My Feelings," $770,000. ]]> Sun, 04 Jun 2023 23:56:47 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbG2Herhwx6_8pVjH6qdYdAk https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbG1D9mtMsoW-11cWWor9YPv Kaija Saariaho, who wrote acclaimed works that made her the among the most prominent composers of the 21st century, died Friday. She was 70.  Saariaho died at her apartment in Paris, her family said in a statement posted on her Facebook page. She had been diagnosed in February 2021 with glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable brain tumor.  "The multiplying tumors did not affect her cognitive facilities until the terminal phase of her illness," the statement said. Her family said Saariaho had undergone experimental treatment at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris.  "Kaija's appearance in a wheelchair or walking with a cane have prompted many questions, to which she answered elusively," the family said. "Following her physician's advice, she kept her illness a private matter, in order to maintain a positive mindset and keep the focus of her work."  Her "L'Amour de Loin (Love from Afar)" premiered at the Salzburg Festival in 2000 and made its U.S. debut at the Santa Fe Opera two years later. In 2016, it became the first staged work by a female composer at the Metropolitan Opera since Ethel M. Smyth's "Der Wald" in 1903.  "She was one of the most original voices and enjoyed enormous success," Met general manager Peter Gelb said. "It had (an) impact on one's intellect as well as one's emotions. It was music that really moves people's hearts. She was truly one of the great, great artists."  Saariaho did not like to be thought of as a female composer, rather a woman who was a composer.  "I would not even like to speak about it," she said during an interview with The Associated Press after a piano rehearsal at the Met. "It should be a shame."    Helsinki-born Born in Helsinki on Oct. 14, 1952, Saariaho studied at the Sibelius Academy and the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg. She helped found a Finnish group "Korvat auki (Ears Open) in the 1970s.  "The problem in Finland in the 1970s and '80s was that it was very closed," she told NPR last year. "My generation felt that there was no place for us and no interest in our music — and more generally, modern music was heard much less."  Saariaho started work in 1982 at Paris' Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music (IRCAM), a center of contemporary music founded in the 1970s by Pierre Boulez. She incorporated electronics in her composition.  "I am interested in spatialization, but under the condition that it's not applied gratuitously," she said in a 2014 conversation posted on her website. "It has to be necessary — in the same way that material and form must be linked together organically.  Inspired by viewing Messiaen's "St. Francois d'Assise" at the 1992 Salzburg Festival, she wrote "L'Amour de Loin." She went on to compose "Adriana Mater," which premiered at the Opéra Bastille in 2006 and "Émilie," which debuted at the Lyon Opéra in 2010.  Award-winning work Her latest opera, "Innocence," was first seen at the 2021 Aix-en-Provence Festival. Putting a spotlight on gun violence, the work was staged in London this spring and is scheduled for the Met's 2025-26 season.  "This is undoubtedly the work of a mature master, in such full command of her resources that she can focus simply on telling a story and illuminating characters," Zachary Woolfe wrote in The New York Times.  Saariaho received the University of Louisville's Grawemeyer Award in 2003 and was selected Musical America's Musician of the Year in 2008. Kent Nagano's recording of "L'Amour de Loin" won a 2011 Grammy Award.  Saariaho's final work, a trumpet concerto titled "HUSH," is to premiere in Helsinki on Aug. 24 with Susanna Mälkki leading the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.  The announcement of Saariaho's death was posted by her husband, composer Jean-Baptiste Barrière; son Aleksi Barrière, a writer; and daughter Aliisa Neige Barrière, a conductor and violinist. ]]> Sat, 03 Jun 2023 23:34:20 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbG1D9mtMsoW-11cWWor9YPv https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbE_CuJZ-kOPmilmFkX7M1Jw In California, members of an under-the-radar, minority religious community are stepping into the public eye to advocate for making the state the first in the nation to outlaw caste bias. They are the Ravidassia — followers of Ravidass, a 14th century Indian guru who preached caste and class equality. There are about 20,000 members of the community in California, most of them in the Central Valley. Guru Ravidass belonged to the lowest-rung of the caste system formerly considered untouchable and also known as Dalit, which means "broken" in Hindi. Today, many Ravidassia members share that caste identity, but they are hesitant to make that widely known, fearing repercussions for being exposed to the larger community as "lower-caste." Members of the Fresno Ravidassia community say publicly championing the anti-caste bias legislation is worth the risk, noting that fighting for equality is part of their history and their spiritual DNA. The faith itself emerged in response to the societal exclusion of the lowest caste members, including persistent roadblocks to landownership, said Ronki Ram, professor of political science at Panjab University in Chandigarh, India. Caste-based discrimination was outlawed in India in 1947. WHO WAS GURU RAVIDASS? Ravidass was an Indian guru, mystic and poet who was one of the most renowned figures in the North Indian bhakti movement, which placed love and devotion to god above all and preached against the caste system. Ravidass was born in the 14th century in a village near Varnasi, India, to a family of cobblers and tanners who belonged to the then-untouchable or leather-working caste known as "chamars." The Guru Granth Sahib, which is the sacred text of Sikhism, bears 40 verses or shabads of Ravidass. RAVIDASSIA TEMPLES A Ravidassia place of worship is called a sabha, dera, gurdwara or gurughar, which could all be translated as temple. Adherents cover their heads and remove their shoes before entering the prayer hall or place of worship. In California Ravidassia temples, the Guru Granth Sahib is the focal point of the prayer hall. The temples serve a post-worship meal as Sikh gurdwaras also do, which is known as langar. Ravidassia temples often display idols and/or pictures of Guru Ravidass in the prayer halls. THE RAVIDASSIA IDENTITY Professor Ronki Ram says the Ravidassia identity is challenging to pin down because it "cannot be compartmentalized." "More recently, they have been trying to carve out a separate identity for themselves," he said. "But, they also follow Sikh traditions." Many male Ravidassia members wear long hair in a turban and carry Sikh articles of faith such as the kada or bracelet, kangha or wooden comb and kirpan, the sheathed, single-edged knife. Many men and women in the community also have Sikh last names — Singh and Kaur. Ram points out that idols and images of Ravidass, however, can only be seen in a Ravidass temple. In addition, the community celebrates the birthday of their guru, which typically falls in February. Many Ravidass temples also observe the birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar, the Indian Dalit rights icon whose given name was Bhimrao. The faith also has followers who are Hindu and those who are from different parts of India. Ravidassia community members in California are largely of Punjabi descent. THE COMMUNITY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH SIKHISM The Ravidassia community's relationship with Sikhism is "flexible and nuanced," said Sasha Sabherwal, assistant professor of Anthropology and Asian Studies, Northeastern University. "It's not an either-or relationship," she said. "It's a much more complex idea of what their faith means for them. Some (Ravidassia temples) may be autonomous spaces. But, in many cases, it's blended or overlapping rather than something entirely independent. There is still a commitment to this larger Sikh project." Sabherwal said the path to unity may lie in making "meaningful structural changes." "The issue is that often, caste is not even acknowledged as a problem," she said.]]> Sat, 03 Jun 2023 09:05:52 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbE_CuJZ-kOPmilmFkX7M1Jw https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbFg5c-AHtGxjiejEQ2Mq9rY The arrest of Byuhar, a popular rapper in Myanmar, has caused widespread alarm among his loved ones and fellow artists. The 38-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Min Oak Myanmar, had strongly criticized the Myanmar junta, calling them "incompetent fools," on social media because of the worsening power outage situation in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon. He was arrested at his residence in North Dagon, a suburb of Yangon, on May 24. In the video posted on Facebook, Byuhar praised the ousted civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi for providing "24 hours of electricity, not only that, but the electricity bill was also going down during her five years in office." After criticizing the junta ministers in the video, the rapper stated his home address, challenging the authorities to arrest him if they disapproved of the post. Two days later, they did just that. After Byuhar's arrest, his family and friends were unable to reach him for five days. According to his wife, she went to the police station to find out where he was being held but received no response from the police. In an interview with VOA by phone Monday, Byuhar's wife said that her husband cannot hire a lawyer because the ruling junta has declared the area where they live to be in a "state of emergency." According to the junta's state of emergency rules, trials in those areas must be conducted in a military court without the need for a civilian court trial. Police finally let Byuhar's family visit him five days later, on Monday. "I took our two children to see him at the North Dagon police station, where he was detained," his wife told VOA. "I was told he will be kept there until June 9th.” She doesn't know what will become of him after that, but she fears for the worst. “We were so worried about him after false reports on social media that he had died during interrogation. We are very concerned for his safety.” Section 505(a) The rapper's detention is the latest in a string of arrests of artists who have spoken out against the regime. One such artist, Phyo Zaya Thaw, was executed by the military last year for his involvement in the anti-coup movement. The arrests of influential artists are widely viewed as an attempt by the junta to silence its critics. Byuhar is the son of renowned composer Naing Myanmar, who penned the popular song The World Is Unforgiving during Myanmar's 1988 uprising, a series of nationwide protests, marches, and riots in Burma (now Myanmar) that culminated in August 1988. Monday, Myanmar's state-owned newspaper, Myanmar Ahalin, reported on Byuhar's arrest. The report stated that "the anti-terrorism law and the electronic communication law can be used to prosecute those who distribute through social networks incitement to destroy government apparatus, propaganda, or threats." The report goes on to state that Byuhar can be charged under section 505(a), which criminalizes comments that "cause fear, spread false news, or agitate a criminal offense against a government employee." Following the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the military junta amended section 505(a) to criminalize "fake news" and "incitement" against the military. According to experts, the amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Law issued March 1 permits authorities to eavesdrop on suspects, seize their assets, and take other measures to suppress the opposition. Byuhar’s wife told VOA that her husband doesn’t know which charges he could be facing. "When I saw him, he was still strong mentally," she said, "but he has stomach pain and needs medication." When asked about signs of torture or physical abuse, she declined to comment. According to a news release issued by Burma Campaign UK on May 30, "more than 22,000 people have been detained [since the beginning of the coup], and political prisoners have been subjected to torture and sexual violence after their arrest. For the first time in decades, executions are occurring again. There is no freedom of speech, media outlets are banned or extensively censored, and internet access is restricted or blocked entirely." Lin Htet, a Myanmar musician and composer, told VOA that he and his fellow artists are concerned about being detained and beaten for criticizing the junta over things like the lack of regular electrical service. Lin Htet himself opposed the military revolution in February 2021 and actively participated in anti-coup movements. He escaped overseas and is currently residing in the United States. “I am concerned for Byuhar’s life and health, especially because the junta is arresting and torturing individuals." Lin Htet told VOA. "Byuhar expressed what the people were actually experiencing. In addition to not receiving consistent electricity, people are suffering due to the current predicament. Byuhar is incredibly courageous for articulating how people suffer under the junta.”]]> Thu, 01 Jun 2023 10:14:41 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbFg5c-AHtGxjiejEQ2Mq9rY https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbH70z_C8hjsfl1cWWor9YPv Female artists examine their lives and cultures in an exhibition featuring art from the Middle East and other areas, now on display in Los Angeles. The exhibition, called “Women Defining Women,” explores the roles of women in traditional societies and modern life. Mike O’Sullivan takes a look.]]> Tue, 30 May 2023 23:48:22 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbH70z_C8hjsfl1cWWor9YPv https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbGcWzComoo0nXn9ye8UNv30 Vinicius Junior is an idol to millions for his sublime goalscoring skills for Real Madrid but off the football pitch he has prompted a stark national debate over racism in Spain. The 22-year-old Brazilian player was reduced to tears after, once again, being the target of ugly abuse during a game between his team and Valencia last week. “I am sorry for those Spaniards who disagree but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists,” he said after the match, implying the latest insults were proof of how racism permeates not just La Liga but Spanish society. His words were echoed by Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who called on FIFA, football’s governing body, and La Liga to take serious measures. “We cannot allow fascism and racism to seize control of football stadiums,” he added. Within Spain, politicians were swift to condemn the racist insults directed at Vinicius Jr and promised action. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that “hatred and xenophobia should have no place in football nor in our society.” Three people were arrested for alleged hate crimes against Vinicius Jr and another four were detained for hanging a black blow-up effigy of the player from a bridge. Valencia will have part of its stadium closed for five games. Debate over xenophobia But beyond the political bubble, what is the reality for racial minorities in Spain? Spain is a country which has a relatively small population of Black people, compared to Britain or France. Moroccans form the largest group of non-Spaniards, with 833,343 people according to government figures from 2022, followed by Romanians with 627,478. A survey published last year by the Centro Reina Sofia research center found 25% of Spaniards aged 15-29 hold clearly racist or xenophobic views, with most of their hatred directed to Roma, Black people, and people of Moroccan origin. Spanish police investigated 639 racist or xenophobic incidents in 2021, a 24% rise compared to 2019. Ousman Umar’s life is a world away from that of a superstar footballer. Dumped in the Sahara by traffickers, the then 13-year-old son of a traditional healer believed that he was going to die like other migrants. Umar survived not just the desert but every other step of a five-year odyssey from Ghana to Spain. Sixteen years later, he is a successful businessman in Barcelona with a master’s degree from one of the world’s top business schools. He has made it his mission to persuade Africans to stay at home rather than follow his footsteps through the NGO Nasco Feeding Minds. “I don’t think Spain is a racist country. You have to remember that Britain and France have much larger populations of Black people. Spain is the entrance to the European continent, but they go to France or Germany,” Umar told VOA. “I don’t share Vinicius’ opinions at all but unfortunately in sport you do get cases like this and there should be rigorous ways to stop this.” However, Umar, who lived rough on the streets for two years when he arrived in Barcelona, said he had been the victim of racism. “(Recently) I went to give a lecture to young businessmen at a leading business school, but I could see this woman guarding her bag. It’s a very racist way of acting. I could give you hundreds of cases like this.” Ignacio Garriga, whose mother emigrated from Equatorial Guinea to Spain in 1960, is a lawmaker for the far-right Vox party, the third largest party in Spain’s parliament. He is one of a handful of lawmakers from racial minorities. “I don’t think Spain is a racist country. There are cases of racism like the anti-Spanish racism which I suffer in parliament from separatist supremacists,” he told VOA. “They say ‘a Black person cannot have the views that I have, that a Black person cannot say that illegal immigrant should be expelled, that a Black person should be left-wing." Mikel Mazkiaran, of NGO SOS Racismo, said many migrants suffer ‘institutional racism’. “It is good that a debate of this kind happens, but most migrants suffer problems accessing residence permits, accessing home rental and their treatment which they receive in detention centers,” he told VOA. Spain created a specific law against violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance in sports in 2007, Associated Press reported, which said a state commission has monitored cases which might break the law. However, the law stipulates that not all cases of racism can be punished criminally, only those in which there is an extra element affecting the victim. In practice, this means perpetrators, like the fans at Valencia, escape with fines or bans from stadiums. Some information in this report was provided by Associated Press.]]> Tue, 30 May 2023 14:01:37 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbGcWzComoo0nXn9ye8UNv30 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbHcD2i8m20tvClmFkX7M1Jw For the first time since 1937, a Chinese man competed in the main draw of the French Open — and, actually, a total of three did, all playing opening-round matches on Monday. The first of the groundbreaking group in action on the red clay of the Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros was Shang Juncheng, who made it into the field via qualifying and faced Juan Pablo Varillas of Peru on Court 5. With some Chinese flags waving in the stands and chants of support from spectators, Shang grabbed a two-set lead at the outset. But it was Varillas who emerged with a 4-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 comeback victory after nearly 3 1/2 hours. The next turn went to Wu Yibing, who took on No. 19 seed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain over on Court 12. Bautista Agut picked up the win by the relatively straightforward score of 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-1. Later in the day, back on Court 5, Zhang Zhizhen gave China its first man in the second round at the French Open since Kho Sin-Kie got to the third round 77 years ago. Zhang advanced when his opponent, Dusan Lajovic of Serbia, stopped playing because of a stomach virus while trailing 6-1, 4-1. "That's quite special," said Zhang, a 26-year-old from Shanghai who is ranked 71st. "I mean, we have so many (people) waiting for us to get the first win," Zhang said. "Just step (by) step, and then we can get a lot of wins." He was the first of the trio who played Monday to make a Grand Slam breakthrough, appearing at Wimbledon two years ago. In 2022, he and Wu both participated in the U.S. Open, with Wu getting to the third round there. In January, Zhang, Wu and Shang all were in the field at the Australian Open; Shang reached the second round. Another big moment came in February, when Wu became the first Chinese player to win an ATP Tour title, beating John Isner in the final of the Dallas Open. Zhang said he hopes he and his countrymen can someday achieve the sort of success Chinese women have accumulated in tennis. That includes International Tennis Hall of Fame member Li Na, who won titles at the French Open in 2011 and the Australian Open in 2014. Peng Shuai won two Grand Slam trophies in doubles and reached No. 1 in those WTA rankings; she also made it to the U.S. Open semifinals in singles. Peng dropped out of public view after making sexual assault accusations against a high-ranking Chinese government official in 2021. The WTA announced soon after that it would suspend all of its tournaments in China, a boycott that was lifted last month.]]> Tue, 30 May 2023 04:03:22 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbHcD2i8m20tvClmFkX7M1Jw https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbFXOkb16EA8YClmFkX7M1Jw For those seeking to live in the most sustainable way, there now is an afterlife too. A Dutch intrepid inventor is now "growing" coffins by putting mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms, together with hemp fiber in a special mold that, in a week, turns into what could basically be compared to the looks of an unpainted Egyptian sarcophagus. And while traditional wooden coffins come from trees that can take decades to grow and years to break down in the soil, the mushroom versions biodegrades and delivers the remains to nature in barely a month and a half. In our 21st century, when the individual spirit can increasingly thrive way beyond the strictures of yore, death and funerals are all so often still hemmed in by tradition that may fall far short of the vision of the deceased or their loved ones. "We all have different cultures and different ways of wanting to be buried in the world. But I do think there's a lot of us, a huge percentage of us, that would like it differently. And it's been very old school the same way for 50 or 100 years," said Shawn Harris, a U.S. investor in the Loop Biotech company that produces the coffins. With climate consciousness and a special care of nature a focal point in ever more lives, Loop Biotech says it has the answer for those wanting to live the full circle of life — and then some — as close to what they always believed in. Bob Hendrikx, the 29-year-old founder bedecked in a "I am compost" T-shirt at a recent presentation, said that he had researched nature a great deal "especially mushrooms. And I learned that they are the biggest recyclers on the planet. So I thought, hey, why can we not be part of the cycle of life? And then decided to grow a mushroom-based coffin." Moss can be draped within the coffins for the burial ceremonies. And for those preferring cremation, there is also an urn they grow which can be buried with a sapling sticking out. So when the urn is broken down, the ashes can help give life to the tree. "Instead of: 'we die, we end up in the soil and that's it,' Now there is a new story : we can enrich life after death and you can continue to thrive as a new plant or tree," Hendrikx said in an interview. "It brings a new narrative in which we can be part of something bigger than ourselves." The coffins cost 995 euros (more than $1,000) each, and the price for an urn is 196.80 euros ($212). To put nature at the heart of such funerals, Loop Biotech is partnering with Natuurbegraven Nederland — Nature Burials Netherlands — which uses six special habitats were remains can be embedded in protected parks. Currently, Loop Biotech has a capacity to "grow" 500 coffins or urns a month, and are shipping across Europe. Hendrikx said they have caught on in the Nordics. "It's the Northern European countries where there is more consciousness about the environment and also where there's autumn," he said. "So they know and understand the mushroom, how it works, how it's part of the ecosystem."]]> Mon, 29 May 2023 08:47:41 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbFXOkb16EA8YClmFkX7M1Jw https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbG62dSHlARIMJVjH6qdYdAk The Mogadishu Book Fair, an annual literary event that was launched in 2015, took place last week after a three-year break because of the COVID pandemic. The fair, meant to promote reading and Somali culture and heritage by bringing together literary creatives and young people, was held at the National Theatre of Somalia. Mohamed Sheikh Nor has more from Mogadishu.]]> Mon, 29 May 2023 01:02:42 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbG62dSHlARIMJVjH6qdYdAk https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbGEHzp-7uOug6CY3L745TL_ "The Little Mermaid " made moviegoers want to be under the sea on Memorial Day weekend. Disney's live-action remake of its 1989 animated classic easily outswam the competition, bringing in $95.5 million on 4,320 screens in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. And Disney estimates the film starring Halle Bailey as the titular mermaid Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as her sea witch nemesis Ursula will reach $117.5 million by the time the holiday is over. It ranks as the fifth biggest Memorial Day weekend opening ever. It displaces "Fast X" in the top spot. The 10th installment in the "Fast and Furious" franchise starring Vin Diesel lagged behind more recent releases in the series, bringing in $23 million domestically for a two-week total of $108 million for Universal Pictures. In its fourth weekend, Disney and Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" made an estimated $20 million in North America to take third place. It's now made $299 million domestically. Fourth went to Universal's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," which keeps reaching new levels in its eighth weekend. Now available to rent on VOD, it still earned $6.3 million in theaters. Its cumulative total of $559 million makes Mario and Luigi the year's biggest earners so far. Comics couldn't stand up to Ariel as the week's other new releases sank. "The Machine," an action comedy starring stand-up comedian Bert Kreischer, finished fifth with $4.9 million domestically. And " About My Father," the broad comedy starring stand-up Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro, was sixth with $4.3 million. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday. 1. "The Little Mermaid," $95.5 million. 2. "Fast X," $23 million. 3. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," $20 million. 4. "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," $6.3 million. 5. "The Machine," $4.9 million. 6. "About My Father," $4.3 million. 7. "Kandahar," $2.4 million. 8. "You Hurt My Feelings," 1.4 million. 9. "Evil Dead Rise," $1 million. 10. "Book Club, The Next Chapter," $920,000.]]> Sun, 28 May 2023 23:55:28 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbGEHzp-7uOug6CY3L745TL_ https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbGrH-0vGyOPY5s0ohxaO6Yr The chants of "monkey!" at the Spanish soccer stadium echoed across the Atlantic, reaching people on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. That's where Vinícius Júnior, who is Black, grew up and launched his soccer career. Now, despite his global fame and millions, he was again the target of crude European racism. His city in multiracial Brazil was sickened and has rallied to his defense. Racism in the Spanish league has intensified this season, especially after Vinícius started celebrating goals by dancing. On at least nine occasions, people have made monkey sounds at Vinícius, chanted the slur "monkey!" and other racist slurs. Vinícius has repeatedly demanded action from Spanish soccer authorities. Vinícius' 2017 move to Real Madrid was the culmination of years of effort. One of the most popular clubs in global soccer paid about $50 million — at the time the most ever for a Brazilian teenager — even before his professional debut with Rio-based Flamengo. Relentless racism wasn't part of Vinícius' dream when he was growing up in Sao Goncalo. Sao Goncalo is the second-most populous city in Rio's metropolitan region, and one of the poorest in the state of Rio de Janeiro, according to the national statistics institute. At night in some areas, motorists turn on their hazard lights to signal to drug-trafficking gangs that the driver is local. It is also where the 2020 police killing of a 14-year-old sparked Black Lives Matter protests across Rio. Racism has once again fanned outrage. Rio's imposing, illuminated Christ the Redeemer statue was made dark one night in solidarity. The city's enormous bayside Ferris wheel this week exhibits a clenched Black fist and the scrolling words: "EVERYONE AGAINST RACISM." "My total repudiation of the episode of racism suffered by our ace and the pride of all of us in Sao Goncalo," the city's mayor, Nelson Ruas dos Santos, wrote on Twitter the morning after the incident. On Thursday, Spanish league president Javier Tebas held a news conference claiming that the league has been acting alone against racism, and that it could end it in six months if granted more power by the government. At the same time in Rio, representatives of more than 150 activist groups and nonprofits delivered a letter to Spain's consulate, demanding an investigation into the league and its president. They organized a protest that evening. "Vinicius has been a warrior, he's being a warrior, for enduring this since he arrived in Spain and always taking a stand," activist Valda Neves said. "This time, he's not alone." On Saturday, players from Vinícius' former club, Flamengo, took the field at the Maracana Stadium before a Brazilian championship match against Cruzeiro wearing jerseys bearing the player's name and sat on the pitch before kickoff in an anti-racism protest. In the stands, thousands of supporters made a tifo that read "everyone with Vini Jr." The first Black Brazilian players to sign for European clubs in the 1960s met some racism in the largely white society, but rarely spoke out. At the time, Brazil still considered itself a "racial democracy" and did not take on the racism that many faced. In the late 1980s, the federal government made racial discrimination a crime and created a foundation to promote Afro-Brazilian culture. At the time, many Brazilian players who might identify as Black today did not recognize themselves as such. Incidents of racism in Europe prompted little blowback in Brazil. In the decades since, Brazil's Black activists have gained prominence and promoted awareness of structural racism. The federal government instituted policies aimed at addressing it, including affirmative-action admissions for public universities and jobs. There has been heightened consciousness throughout society. Vinícius' own educational nonprofit this week launched a program to train public school teachers to raise awareness about racism and instruct kids in fighting discrimination. A teacher at a Sao Goncalo school that will host the project, Mariana Alves, hopes it will provide kids with much-needed support and preparation. She spoke in a classroom with soccer-ball beanbag chairs strewn about, and enormous photos of Vinícius on the walls. Most of the school's students are Black or biracial, and many have experienced racism, Alves said in an interview. This week, her 10-year-old students have been asking if she saw what happened to Vinícius because they don't fully understand. "He has money, he has all this status, and not even that stopped him from going through this situation of racism," said Alves, who is Black and from Sao Goncalo. "So the students wonder ... 'Will I go through that, too? Is that going to happen to me?'" As a boy, Vinícius started training at a nearby feeder school for Flamengo, Brazil's most popular club, before signing with its youth team. Sao Goncalo kids practiced there Wednesday afternoon. One of them, Ryan Gonçalves Negri, said he has talked about it with his friends outside the soccer school, and that Vinícius should transfer out of the Spanish league "urgently." "I would never want to play there," Negri, 13, said. "It's not for Brazilians who know how to score goals and celebrate."]]> Sun, 28 May 2023 03:02:26 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbGrH-0vGyOPY5s0ohxaO6Yr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbGUSXW8ZIV8UV1cWWor9YPv Fantasy adventure "Brahmastra: Part One — Shiva" won a series of prizes as the glitzy International Indian Film Academy Awards show started in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Star songstress Shreya Ghoshal won best female playback singer for her turn in the romance-laced epic, which also took awards for music direction and lyrics. The show, studded with flashy dance numbers, is being held in the capital of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, a third of whose population is Indian, for the second year running. Earlier the green carpet — adopted in 2007 in a vote for environmentalism — bore some of Bollywood's biggest names including Abhishek Bachchan, Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan. "What does IIFA mean for (Indian) cinema? I think opening up to the global stage and also bringing us to the global stage as well, so it's exciting both ways," said actress Jacqueline Fernandez, wearing an Arab-inspired head covering. The Hindi-language film industry was worth $2.5 billion in 2019. India also releases hundreds of films in its 21 other official languages, churning out about 1,600 each year. But Mumbai-based Bollywood, the world's most prolific producer of movies, has been mired in crisis since the pandemic with ticket sales remaining low since cinemas reopened. The rise in streaming services, competition from other parts of India and demand for meatier fare than Bollywood's trademark song-and-dance routines have all contributed to the slump, experts say. However, superstar Shah Rukh Khan's "Pathaan" smashed Indian box office records in January, in a positive sign for the industry. Indian cinema also received a boost in March when the viral dance hit "Naatu Naatu" won an Oscar for best song, a first for a film from the country. The IIFA show, one of several Indian awards ceremonies, is aimed at reaching international audiences and has been held in several countries since its debut in London in 2000.]]> Sun, 28 May 2023 00:06:16 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbGUSXW8ZIV8UV1cWWor9YPv https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbH_wHw5vp8gOiejEQ2Mq9rY Justine Triet's "Anatomy of a Fall" won the Palme d'Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in a ceremony Saturday that bestowed the festival's prestigious top prize on an engrossing, rigorously plotted French courtroom drama that puts a marriage on trial. "Anatomy of a Fall," which stars Sandra Hüller as a writer trying to prove her innocence in her husband's death, is only the third film directed by a woman to win the Palme d'Or. One of the two previous winners, Julia Ducournau, was on this year's jury. Cannes' Grand Prix, its second prize, went to Jonathan Glazer's "The Zone of Interest," a chilling Martin Amis adaptation about a German family living next door to Auschwitz. Hüller also stars in that film. The awards were decided by a jury presided over by two-time Palme winner Ruben Östlund, the Swedish director who won the prize last year for "Triangle of Sadness." The ceremony preceded the festival's closing night film, the Pixar animation "Elemental." Remarkably, the award for "Anatomy of a Fall" gives the indie distributor Neon its fourth straight Palme winners. Neon, which acquired the film after its premiere in Cannes, also backed "Triangle of Sadness,"Ducournau's "Titane" and Bong Joon Ho's "Parasite," which it steered to a best picture win at the Academy Awards. Triet was presented the Palme by Jane Fonda, who recalled coming to Cannes in 1963 when, she said, there were no female filmmakers competing "and it never even occurred to us that there was something wrong with that." This year, a record seven out of the 21 films in competition at Cannes were directed by women. After a rousing standing ovation, Triet, the 44-year-old French filmmaker, spoke passionately about the protests that have roiled France this year over reforms to pension plans and the retirement age. "The protests were denied and repressed in a shocking way," said Triet, who linked that governmental influence to that in cinema. "The merchandizing of culture, defended by a liberal government, is breaking the French cultural exception." The jury prize went to Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki's "Fallen Leaves," a deadpan love story about a romance that blooms in a loveless workaday world where dispatches from the war in Ukraine regularly play on the radio. Best actor went to veteran Japanese star Koji Yakusho, who plays a reflective, middle-aged Tokyo man who cleans toilets in Wim Wenders' "Perfect Days," a gentle, quotidian character study. The Turkish actor Merve Dizdar took best actress for the Nuri Bilge Ceylan's "About Dry Grasses." Ceylan's expansive tale is set in snowy eastern Anatolia about a teacher, Samet (Deniz Celiloğlu), accused of misconduct by a young female student. Dizdar plays a friend both attracted and repelled by Samet. "I understand what it's like to be a woman in this area of the country," said Dizdar. "I would like to dedicate this prize to all the women who are fighting to exist and overcome difficulties in this world and to retrain hope." Vietnamese-French director Tràn Anh Hùng took best director for "Pot-au-Feu," a lush, foodie love story starring Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel and set in a 19th century French gourmet château. Best screenplay was won by Yuji Sakamoto for "Monster." Sakamoto penned Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda's nuanced drama, with shifting perspectives, about two boys struggling for acceptance in their school at home. "Monster" also won the Queer Palm, an honor bestowed by journalists for the festival's strongest LGBTQ-themed film. Quentin Tarantino, who won Cannes' top award for "Pulp Fiction," attended the ceremony to present a tribute to filmmaker Roger Corman. Tarantino praised Corman for filling him and countless moviegoers with "unadulterated cinema pleasure." "My cinema is uninhibited, full of excess and fun," said Corman, the independent film maverick. "I feel like this what Cannes is about." The festival's Un Certain Regard section handed out its awards Friday, giving the top prize to Molly Manning Walker's debut feature, "How to Have Sex." Saturday's ceremony drew to close a Cannes edition that hasn't lacked spectacle, stars or controversy. The biggest wattage premieres came out of competition. Martin Scorsese debuted his Osage murders epic "Killers of the Flower Moon," a sprawling vision of American exploitation with Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone. "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," Harrison Ford's Indy farewell, launched with a tribute to Ford. Wes Anderson premiered "Asteroid City." The festival opened on a note of controversy. "Jeanne du Barry," a period drama co-starring Johnny Depp as Louis XV, played as the opening night film. The premiere marked Depp's highest profile appearance since the conclusion of his explosive trial last year with ex-wife Amber Heard.]]> Sat, 27 May 2023 23:44:38 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/AR2XxCUqVbH_wHw5vp8gOiejEQ2Mq9rY