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lifestyle SUNDAY, MAY 14, 2017 MOVIES Hollywood's Walk of Fame, the biggest star of all ctors come and go, radio presenters live or die by Millions of tourists their ratings and musicians top the charts only to be Nearly 50 years after its launch, the 2.5-mile stretch Adropped, hostages to the vagaries of fickle public smack in the middle of Hollywood now attracts an estimat- opinion. But some stars are destined to be remembered ed 10 million tourists a year, who come to soak up the forever, their successes immortalized in terrazzo and brass glamour. "It's very special to be here, to be here in person on the Hollywood Walk of Fame-a draw for visitors from to see the stars of the singers I love and I listen to often, across the world that has more staying power than any and of the actors that I grew up with," Brazilian tourist individual celebrity. Launched in 1958, the walk has built Daniela Oliveira said. up more than 2,600 stars, each a tribute to the contribu- Not all the honorees are actors and musicians, of tion of a public figure in the fields of motion picture, televi- course-the late film critic Roger Ebert has one, as do hock- sion, recording, radio or, latterly, live theater. ey announcer Bob Miller, LA Lakers owner Jerry Buss and "The criteria for getting a star are longevity in the field Winnie the Pooh. Other stars often go to groups-fictional of entertainment-of five years or more-awards nomina- or otherwise-such as the munchkins from "The Wizard of tions, and very important to us is that they do philanthrop- Oz," "The Muppets" and "The Simpsons," while Kermit the ic work," said Ana Martinez, who arranges the ceremonies. Frog, Mickey Mouse and Godzilla have their own. The ceremonies often coincide with the release of a movie as it is the celebrity who chooses the date, and a $40,000 Selection controversy fee is paid by the honoree's entourage -- $15,000 to cover E M Stuart, erstwhile president of the Hollywood the event and the rest for maintenance. Chamber of Commerce, is credited with coming up with In this photo, Miss New Jersey USA Chhavi Verg, right, competes during a preliminary competition for Miss USA in the idea in 1953 for an attraction that would "maintain the Las Vegas. — AP Trump's star vandalized glory of a community whose name means glamour." The Despite the large fee, the Hollywood Chamber of walk's initial costs came to $1.25 million and the first stars Commerce, which runs the show, received more than 300 honored the likes of Olive Borden, Ronald Colman, Burt applications last year, but generally accepts around 30. Lancaster and Joanne Woodward. The selection process Five immigrant women vie Martinez, who has been working for the Walk of Fame for for honorees sparked controversy, however, when it more than 30 years, tries to stage around 24 ceremonies a emerged that Charlie Chaplin had been turned down for a year, beamed live from the walk's website, but says the star and his son sued unsuccessfully for damages amount- number has been going up. ing to $400,000. Chaplin finally got his star in 1972, five Among the most photographed sidewalk stars are years before his death. The walk was designed to accom- those honoring Steven Spielberg, Nicole Kidman, Harrison modate 2,518 stars, and by the 1990s most of the space for Miss USA pageant title Ford and Donald Trump, who may well also hold the dubi- had gone, prompting the dedication of a second row. Now ous distinction of having the most vandalized star, there are hundreds of blank stars-leaving hope for new- although there is no official tally. Trump, now the US presi- comers to the entertainment industry pining after the ive of the contestants vying for the Miss USA title have a "Nobody wanted to talk to me at all. I came home one day dent, got a star in 2007 for his work as a reality TV celebrity. Hollywood dream. — AFP message to immigrant girls and women watching the and I asked my dad 'Why am I so different? Why isn't anyone Fpageant this weekend: Set goals, work hard and don't talking to me?'" Wellentin said. "My dad told me, 'You know, stay in the shadows. The contestants know what they are talk- you are not different. You are very unique yourself. You have to ing about as they were all born in other countries and immi- be strong and really accept this negativity from other people grated to the US at young ages as their families pursued their and have it motivate you.' I still keep that in my mind." Their versions of the American Dream. The women are now all US situation improved when they moved to the larger and more citizens. diverse Fargo, North Dakota. "I want them to see that anything is possible if you work Wellentin, 24, who wants to be a middle school teacher hard," said Linnette De Los Santos, who immigrated with her after she completes a student-teaching requirement, said her family from the Dominican Republic when she was 5 years experiences have taught her to not take no for an answer. "I old. "As Miss USA, I would love to be able to be that inspiration want to tell people that they need to make sure that they for our immigrant community. If I would have stopped follow- should not allow anyone to tell them that they can't do some- ing my dreams and working hard towards what I wanted, I thing because only you can determine your future," she said. wouldn't be sitting here as Miss Florida USA or in law school Like thousands of other immigrants, Litvinenko moved to the ready to become an immigration attorney." US with her family after her mother won the lottery for a The competition airs today from Las Vegas. De Los Santos, green card. She was 3 when they relocated from Ukraine a few Miss North Dakota Raquel Wellentin, Miss Hawaii Julie Kuo, years after the Soviet Union collapsed. Miss Connecticut Olga Litvinenko and Miss New Jersey Chhavi The 27-year-old business owner ventured into pageants Verg spoke to The Associated Press about the opportunities when she could no longer play basketball after injuring a foot and challenges they've faced as immigrants. Their remarks in high school. She won Miss Connecticut Teen on her first try stand in stark contrast to the scandal that enveloped the pag- but had to compete five times to reach the Miss USA competi- eant in 2015, when part owner and now President Donald tion. Her persistence, Litvinenko said, shows that every effort Trump offended Hispanics when he made anti-immigrant counts. "I want to showcase that no matter who you are, no remarks in announcing his bid for the White House. matter what your background is, your size or what you have Trump co-owned The Miss Universe Organization with done in the past, through hard work and discipline, through NBCUniversal, but the network and the Spanish-language perseverance and determination, you really can achieve what broadcaster Univision quickly cut ties with him, refusing to air you put your heart towards." — AP the show. Trump sued both networks, eventually settling and selling off the entire pageant to talent management company WME/IMG. Wellentin and her family left the Philippines over safety fears when she was 2 years old. Their first taste of American life was in the small community of Enderlin, North Leron Guber and Carol Goldsmith, wife of Jerry Goldsmith attend the posthumous Walk of Fame ceremony Dakota, where she and her siblings felt isolated. for composer Jerry Goldsmith in Hollywood, California. — AFP Red carpet for Gaza film festival minus the stars aza doesn't have much space for cultural events-there is no proper cinema in the entire enclave-but this week- Gend the city's port has been transformed into a venue for outdoor screenings. The Red Carpet Festival showcases films focusing on human rights issues and aims to provide Palestinians, many of them unemployed, with a rare opportuni- ty to explore their dreams, or at least practice a little escapism. True to its name, the festival's organizers have laid out a 100- metre long red carpet. But there are no celebrities, it's for the thousands of ordinary Gazans turning out to watch the films. "The children and poor people are walking on the carpet," organizer Saad Al-Saworki said proudly at Friday's opening night. "They are far more important than the carpet." The festi- val, which is in its third year, coincides with the Cannes Film Festival and aims to show that there is an alternative to the cat- walks and glamour of its French counterpart, Saworki said. The maiden event was organized by Palestinian director Khalil Al- Muzain in 2015 in the rubble of homes destroyed by the Israeli army in the most recent of the three wars that have devastated Gaza since 2008. This year for the first time, all of the festival's entries are being screened simultaneously in Ramallah in the West Bank and in the Israeli city of Haifa. Around 40 films by Palestinian and foreign directors are being screened over five days. The Palestinians walk on the red carpet, bearing the outline of the Balfour Declaration, dur- A Palestinian man’s silhouette is seen on a placard at a film festival.

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