Category Archives: Culture

Myanmar jailed more writers in 2021 than any other country, says rights group

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Exclusive: Junta detained at least 26 intellectuals last year as it sought to suppress opposition

Myanmar jailed more writers and public intellectuals in crackdowns last year than any other country, according to a freedom of expression advocacy group.

PEN America’s annual census of detained writers, the Freedom to Write Index, found Myanmar’s junta detained at least 26 writers in 2021 as it sought to suppress opposition after seizing power from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

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V&A acquires ‘autograph suit’ signed by stars at Baftas and Oscars

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Outfit worn by costume designer Sandy Powell bought by charity boss who has given it to museum

The costume designer Sandy Powell’s one-of-a-kind “autograph suit”, which was signed by more than 200 Hollywood celebrities and luminaries including Leonardo DiCaprio, Spike Lee and Donatella Versace, has been acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The suit, worn by Powell during the 2020 film awards season, was auctioned as part of a fundraising effort by Art Fund to save Prospect Cottage, the creative studio of Powell’s mentor and friend Derek Jarman. It was bought by Edwina Dunn, the chief executive of the educational charity The Female Lead, who has given it to the V&A.

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Gilbert Gottfried, comedian and actor, dies aged 67

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The standup comic, also known for voicing Iago in Disney’s animated Aladdin, has died after a long illness

Comedian and actor Gilbert Gottfried has died at the age of 67.

His family announced his death after a long illness via his Twitter page. Gottfried was known for his standup comedy and for roles in films including Aladdin and Problem Child.

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Gay references removed from Fantastic Beasts 3 for Chinese release

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Big-budget fantasy sequel has had six seconds cut, as Warner Bros releases statement to say ‘the spirit of the film remains intact’

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has been edited for release in China to ensure any gay references have been removed.

The fantasy sequel, which has an estimated budget of $200m, contains allusions to a romantic history between the characters of Dumbledore and Grindelwald, played by Jude Law and Mads Mikkelsen respectively. Six seconds of dialogue, including the lines “Because I was in love with you” and “The summer Gellert and I fell in love”, were taken out for the Chinese release on 8 April.

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Sam Elliott apologises for The Power of the Dog comments

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The actor expressed regret for his criticism of Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning film, saying he also wanted to ‘apologise to the cast … brilliant actors all’

The actor Sam Elliott has apologised for comments he made last month about Jane Campion’s western The Power of the Dog.

While speaking with Marc Maron on the latter’s WTF podcast, Elliott had described the film as a “piece of shit” western with “allusions of homosexuality”.

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Connecticut mechanic finds art worth millions in dumpster at abandoned barn

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Work by Francis Hines, who wrapped buildings and paintings and died at 96 in 2016, found in dumpster and now destined for sale

Paintings and other artwork found in an abandoned barn in Connecticut turned out to be worth millions of dollars.

Notified by a contractor, Jared Whipple, a mechanic from Waterbury, retrieved the dirt-covered pieces from a dumpster which contained materials from a barn in Watertown.

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Jack White marries musician Olivia Jean in on-stage surprise

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Star proposes in Detroit while singing lyric ‘let’s get married’, before ceremony performed by label co-founder

Jack White surprised fans by marrying the musician Olivia Jean on stage during his Detroit homecoming show on Friday.

The Detroit-born singer, songwriter and producer invited Jean onstage to join his performance and introduced her as his girlfriend.

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Will Smith banned from Oscars for 10 years after slapping Chris Rock

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Academy bars actor from all its events, condemning ‘unacceptable and harmful behavior on stage’

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences board of governors has banned Will Smith from all its events, including the Oscars, for 10 years after the best actor winner slapped presenter Chris Rock on stage at the Academy Awards ceremony.

Smith has publicly apologized and resigned from the academy. The Academy’s decision on Friday comes after its president, David Rubin, decided to bring forward a board meeting scheduled for 18 April. In his letter to board members, Rubin said that Ampas rules stipulated a 15-day notice to consider suspending a membership, but after Smith’s resignation that no longer applied.

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Suspect in shooting of Lady Gaga’s dog walker mistakenly released from jail

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James Jackson, 19, one of the three suspects accused in connection with shooting of Ryan Fischer, who was walking artist’s bulldogs

The 19-year-old man arrested over the shooting of Lady Gaga’s dog-walker last year was released from jail in California earlier this week – by mistake, the authorities have said.

James Jackson, 19, Jaylin White, 19, and Lafayette Whaley, 27, were charged after the incident last February, accused of attempted murder, second-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery in connection with the shooting of Ryan Fischer, who was walking the music artist’s French bulldogs.

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Rome villa with Caravaggio’s only ceiling fresco fails to sell again

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Sprawling Villa Aurora – at centre of legal battle – attracts no bidders for second time at cut-price €377m

For the second time in three months, a historic Rome villa that contains the only ceiling fresco ever painted by the Renaissance master and famed scoundrel Caravaggio has failed to attract a bidder.

More than four centuries after his death at the age of 38, the man known during his lifetime for his fistfights, arrests and lawsuits as much as for producing what would become many of history’s best-known paintings is still causing trouble.

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Bobby Rydell, US pop idol of the early 1960s, dies aged 79

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Singer, drummer and actor had five US Top 10 hits, and inspired the Beatles to write She Loves You

Bobby Rydell, who enjoyed numerous US hits during the teen pop craze of the early 1960s, has died aged 79. He suffered complications from pneumonia, and died in hospital in his native Philadelphia.

With songs of decorous romance sung in his clean, hearty voice, Rydell reached the US Top 10 five times – with We Got Love, Swingin’ School, his version of the standard Volare, Wild One (also a UK Top 10 hit) and Forget Him. The latter is believed to be the inspiration for the Beatles’ She Loves You after Paul McCartney said the song was inspired by an unnamed Rydell number.

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Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi faces plagiarism trial in Iranian court

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Director and grand prix winner at last year’s Cannes festival for A Hero was sued by former student for using story from her documentary without credit

Asghar Farhadi, the Oscar winning director of A Separation and The Salesman, has been indicted in a plagiarism case brought by one of his former students, who had claimed he took the idea for his 2021 film A Hero from a documentary she had made for a film class.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Azadeh Masihzadeh brought the case after Farhadi had earlier sued her for defamation; in both cases the courts ruled in Masihzadeh’s favour. The case will now pass to a second judge whose ruling will decide whether or not Farhadi will be convicted. This can then be appealed.

This article was amended on 5 April 2022. It had been originally stated that Asghar Farhadi was convicted of the crime, following widespread misinformation, but has now been changed to reflect that he has been indicted and a trial will decide the outcome.

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Grammy awards 2022: Olivia Rodrigo wins big and Ukraine’s Zelenskiy makes cameo

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The specter of Oscars chaos loomed over the music awards – a mega-concert which included a message of hope from the Ukrainian president

Teenage pop phenom Olivia Rodrigo and R&B duo Silk Sonic dominated the major categories, and Jon Batiste won album of the year at the 64th annual Grammys – a three-and-a-half-hour mega concert that mostly steered clear of politics or the pandemic, save for a virtual message from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and an emotional tribute to victims of the Russian invasion.

A week after one of the most chaotic Oscars in recent memory – during which Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage – the Grammys seemed to revel in its technical proficiency and lack of controversy. “We’re gonna be listening to some music, we’re gonna be dancing, we’re gonna be singing, we’re gonna be keeping people’s names out of our mouths,” said host Trevor Noah in his opening monologue, acknowledging the elephant in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

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Male striptease moves from UK city centres to small clubs – and even homes

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As The Full Monty is remade, entertainers are being booked for gigs in suburban and rural areas

With filming under way in Sheffield and Manchester for the remake of 1990s cult classic The Full Monty, the UK’s male strip scene is undergoing a makeover of its own, and paving the way for changes expected right across the entertainment industry as punters avoid city centre nightlife in favour of at-home entertainment.

Covid led to a surge in activities organised by and for local communities as people were confined to their immediate area. With restrictions lifted across the UK, many entertainers who spent the pandemic struggling for business are now increasingly being booked for out-of-town gigs in suburban and rural areas, and in venues such as social clubs, apartments and even old people’s homes – rather than city centre bars and nightclubs.

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Hula teacher and composer Edith Kanaka’ole to be featured on US quarters

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Native Hawaiian musician to be depicted in 2023 as part of program honoring eminent American women

The late Native Hawaiian hula teacher Edith Kanaka’ole is among five women who will be individually featured on US quarters in 2023 as part of a program that depicts notable women on the coins.

The US Mint described Kanaka’ole, who died in 1978, as a composer, chanter, dancer, teacher and entertainer.

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At least 53 culturally important sites damaged in Ukraine – Unesco

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True list of casualties of war, which include museums, churches and a Holocaust memorial, likely to be much longer

The UN’s cultural agency has confirmed that at least 53 historical sites, religious buildings and museums have sustained damage during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“This is the latest list, but it is not exhaustive, as our experts are continuing to verify a number of reports” filed by Ukrainian authorities, a Unesco spokesperson told AFP as the body published a list of the 53 damaged sites in the north and east of the country.

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Watch the Ukrainian drama Bad Roads at the Royal Court

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The live stream of Natal’ya Vorozhbit’s acclaimed drama has ended but will be available to watch again from 2 April

The Royal Court theatre in London is presenting a day of solidarity with Ukraine that includes a reading on its main stage of Natal’ya Vorozhbit’s play Bad Roads, which explores the brutal effects of war on personal relationships. The reading, at 8pm on 1 April, will be livestreamed on the Guardian website – including in a captioned version – and available again on 2 April to watch for a week.

Bad Roads was first staged at the Royal Court in 2017 in a translation by Sasha Dugdale. Vorozhbit, an acclaimed Ukrainian playwright whose work has also been performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, wove documentary stories of Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea and Donbas into its impressionistic scenes. Bad Roads explores daily life under siege, hostage-taking, journalism on the frontline, PTSD and sex at a time of war.

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French fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier dies at 78

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Demarchelier photographed Princess Diana, Beyonce and Madonna during long career

Patrick Demarchelier, the fashion photographer who worked with high-profile figures including Diana, Princess of Wales, has died at the age of 78.

His death was announced by his representatives on Instagram on Thursday. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Patrick Demarchelier on 31 March 2022, at the age of 78,” the post read. “He is survived by his wife Mia, his three sons Gustaf, Arthur, Victor and three grandchildren.”

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Chris Rock says he is ‘still processing’ Will Smith’s Oscars slap

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Comedian makes first public remarks since incident during comedy show in Boston

Chris Rock has made his first public remarks after being slapped on live television by Will Smith during Sunday’s Academy Awards, saying at a Wednesday night comedy show that he was “still processing” the incident.

At his show in Boston, his first since the Oscars and part of a pre-existing tour schedule, Rock addressed the controversy by jokingly asking the crowd, “How was your weekend?” before explaining he “did not have a lot to say” yet about that night.

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