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Home , Damien Chazelle, Josh Singer

Established 1961 T 21 Thursday, August 30, 2018 L i f e s t y l e Music & Movies

Fans dance in front of a Giant Crown installed to celebrate the 60th birthday of Michael Jackson, on the South Bank in London, Britain yesterday. — Reuters photos

ans of Michael Jackson honored the “King erected in his honor in London. Braving the Music on the south bank of the River Thames. “(Jackson was) really shy, but also really per- series of comeback concerts scheduled in of Pop” on what would have been his 60th rain, fans imitated his famed dance and moon- “The first time I saw him in person, I was 18 sonable. He would always try and make the London before his sudden death in 2009 at the Fbirthday yesterday by gathering at a tem- walk moves around the 13-foot (4 meter) white, years old, he came to London and it was just fans comfortable.” Jackson, famed for hits like age of 50. The crown monument will stand for porary monument in the shape of a crown sparkling crown erected by record label Sony manic,” said fan Mayah Thomas, now 31. “Bad” and “Beat It”, had been rehearsing for a just one day. —Reuters Women directors slam ‘toxic masculinity’ of he Venice film festival was slammed for its female filmmakers involves lowering standards.” “toxic masculinity” as it opened yesterday Others blamed a streak of Italian “toxic masculini- Twith just one female director represented ty” that saw actress and #MeToo campaigner among its most mouth-watering line-up in Asia Argento pilloried in her homeland for accus- decades. With Hollywood effectively turning the ing Harvey Weinstein of rape. festival into its launchpad for the Oscars with new films by , the , ‘I will resign’ Alfonso Cuaron and Lady Gaga’s much-hyped Barbera insisted that he chose the films “on screen debut, feminists have lashed the organiz- the quality and not the sex of the director”, ers for choosing only one film by a female direc- telling reporters that “if we impose quotas, I tor. It is the second year in a row that Venice has resign.” He was already under pressure for featured just one film by a woman among the 21 including a documentary by Bruce Weber, “Nice vying for the Golden Lion top prize. Girls Don’t Stay for Breakfast” despite claims of Festival director Alberto Barbera declared that coercive sexual behavior by the American fash- he would “rather quit” than give in to pressure for ion photographer made by 15 male models. a quota for women after the Cannes, Toronto and Weber denies any wrongdoing. Barbera also Locarno festivals pledged themselves to gender faced questions over his decision to invite dis- equality. But his stance-as Venice bids to rival graced Hollywood director to pre- Cannes as the world’s most important festival-was miere his film “The Private Life of a Modern lambasted by an alliance of European women Woman” at Venice last year. filmmakers. “Sorry, but we don’t buy this any- Toback has been accused of sexual harassment more,” said the European Women’s Audiovisual and assault by nearly 400 women, including Network in an open letter earlier this month. actresses Julianne Moore, Selma Blair and Rachel “When Alberto Barbera threatens to quit, he is McAdams. “I’m not in a position to judge, to decide perpetuating the notion that selecting films by if James Toback’s behavior was good or bad,”

Official Competition jury members (from left) Austrian actor Christoph Waltz, New Zealand’s actor and producer , British actress Naomi Watts, Polish producer Malgorzata Szumowska, Danish actress Trine Dyrholm, French actress Nicole Garcia, president of the jury and Mexican director , Taiwanese actress and director Sylvia Chang and Italian director Paolo Genovese pose during the jury photocall at the start of the 75th edition of a Venice Film Festival, on August 29, 2018, at Venice Lido, in Venice. — AFP Barbera said. “I’m not a judge. I’m not a lawyer. I’m films which might normally have been shown at the a festival director. I knew Mr Toback and I invited world’s biggest film festival. him,” he said of the director, who denies the allega- Venice’s staggering line-up this year includes tions. “We will see if the courts decide if the accu- new films by Oscar-winning “Son of Saul” direc- sations are true, and if they’re true he’ll go to jail.” tor Hungarian Laszlo Nemes, Britain’s But even the row over women directors cannot and , Chinese master Zhang take the shine off the way Barbera has turned Yimou, Emir Kusturica and two of ’s around the world’s oldest film festival. biggest directors, Jacques Audiard and Olivier Assayas, who would usually show at Cannes. The Launchpad for Oscars festival kicks off late yesterday with “First Man”, A host of Oscar winners over the past five years with Chazelle teaming up with his “” have been premiered at Venice including “Gravity”, star . The Canadian actor plays “Birdman”, “Spotlight”, “La La Land” and last astronaut in the years leading up year’s best film, “The Shape of Water”. Its Mexican to 1969, when he became the first man to walk on director Guillermo del Toro is the head of the jury the moon. Australian Jennifer Kent is the solitary this year. Barbera has stolen some of the Cannes’ woman gunning for the Golden Lion with “The Actor Ryan Gosling and actress pose thunder and its stars, with his festival’s timing mak- Nightingale”. The last time a woman took (From left) Screenwriter , actress Olivia Hamilton, director Damien Chazelle, actor Ryan during a photocall for the film “First Man” yester- ing it a better launchpad for the American awards Venice’s top prize was 43 years ago when Gosling, actress Claire Foy and actor Jason Clarke pose during a photocall for the film “First Man” yes- day prior to its premiere in competition at the season. Venice has also profited from Cannes’ feud German director Margarethe von Trotta won terday prior to its premiere in competition at the 75th Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido. 75th Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido. with streaming giant , scooping up all of its with “Marianne and Juliane”. — AFP Thousands pay respects as Aretha Franklin lies in state ans paid their respects en masse Tuesday the street and around the block, swaying to Parks in 2005. Franklin is resting in a 24-karat to US music icon and “Queen of Soul” Franklin tracks or breaking into song and dance, casket, the network added. A group of five FAretha Franklin, whose body lay in a golden with a steady flow trickling inside. friends told AFP they drove from Chicago, casket while dressed in a red dress and matching dressed alike in white pants and blue Franklin T- stilettos in Detroit. The 76-year-old singer, ‘On a cloud’ shirts to pay their respects despite heavy rain beloved by millions around the world, died of “Thank you Queen, thank you for all your sweeping parts of the Midwest. “It was beauti- cancer on August 16, closing the curtain on a years of loving us,” said one woman, dressed in ful, like she’s laying on a cloud,” said Clemey glittering six-decade career that made her one a floral romper suit dancing with her friends Robinson. “You can only look that restful and of America’s most celebrated artists. Thousands outside the venue to Franklin’s 1985 hit peaceful when you’re at home with the lord, so I of people are expected to bid her farewell at the “Freeway of Love.” In the marble museum, peo- know where she is and she’s in a better place Charles H. Wright Museum for African American ple gazed at the musical icon, resplendent in her and she looks wonderful,” added one of her History on Tuesday and Wednesday, at her finery. Outside, they posed for snapshots next to friends, Kim Harrison. Franklin won 18 Grammy The viewing of Aretha Franklin’s casket is seen at the Charles H Wright Museum of African American father’s New Bethel Baptist Church on Thursday her cream hearse. CNN reported that it was the awards and provided a soundtrack to the civil History in Detroit, Michigan. — AFP photos and a star-studded funeral on Friday. same 1940 Cadillac LaSalle that transported the rights movement, singing to raise money for the White-gloved, sharp-suited pallbearers body of her father and of civil rights icon Rosa cause and uplifting activists with her phenome- escorted her casket into the museum for the first nal voice and upbeat anthems. Her signature of two days of 9:00 am to 9:00 pm viewing, song, “Respect”-recorded as a feminist anthem- where she lay in state surrounded by enormous became a rallying cry as African Americans rose clouds of pink, white and purple roses. “I broke up nationwide in the 1960s to fight peacefully down when I see her. She was beautiful,” said for racial equality. nurse Monique Valentine. “It was just an awe- Born in the segregated American South in some experience. I was glad to be here.” The Memphis, Tennessee, she moved to Detroit with gospel, soul and R&B star influenced genera- her prominent Baptist preacher and civil rights tions of female singers from the late Whitney activist father. Martin Luther King Jr was a fam- Houston to Beyonce with unforgettable hits ily friend. She sang at his funeral after he was including “Respect” (1967), “Natural Woman” assassinated in 1968, as well as at the inaugura- (1968) and “I Say a Little Prayer” (1968). tions of presidents Bill Clinton and Barack People camped out through the night to pay Obama, the country’s first African American Fans of Aretha Franklin attend their respects to a woman considered royalty in head of state. She was awarded America’s high- a viewing for the soul music leg- her Michigan hometown of Detroit, and traveled Mourners line up to view the body of Aretha est civilian honor by president George W. Bush end at the Charles H Wright from far and wide, at times breaking into song Franklin at the Charles H Wright Museum of and tops Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 greatest Museum of African-American or wearing Aretha T-shirts. They queued down African American History. singers of all time. — AFP History in Detroit, Michigan.