www.thepeninsulaqatar.com CAMPUS | 3 COMMUNITY | 6 ENTERTAINMENT | 11

Bangladesh MHM School PEF hosts Cannes spotlight puts marks Rabindra & delegation from Iranian cinema Nazrul anniversaries NMC Lahore centre stage

SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 Email: [email protected] thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar SAVING CAVES P | 4-5

Abandoned for centuries, the Mogao Grottoes somehow survived everything that nature and man could throw at them, including earthquakes, floods and sandstorms.

SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 | 03 CAMPUS DeBakey High School students visit Qatar Museums exhibition

Students from DeBakey High School visited the new exhibition — What about the Art? — at Qatar Museums Al Riwaq Gallery, where they discovered amazing contemporary Chinese artists. This was an extension from their classroom lessons in Art class.

Bangladesh MHM School marks Rabindra & Nazrul anniversaries

angladesh MHM School and Col- tal role in the culture and history of the lege, Qatar arranged a discus- country. The programme was graced Bsion and a cultural programme by the presence of Ashud Ahmed, the to mark the birth anniversaries of Rab- Ambassador of Bangladesh to Qatar indranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul and Chairman of Bangladesh School. at the school premises on May 16. The High official of Bangladesh Embassy, birthdays celebration programme was faculty members and students were organised to pay homage to the two present on the occasion. The pro- great poets of Bengal since these two gramme wore a festive look with reci- remarkable men are remembered, as tation from poems of Nazrul Islam and their impact on Bangladesh and the Tagore, solo and group songs, dances legacy they left behind still play a vi- and drama. 04 | SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 COVER STORY

In China, a new threat to ancient caves

By Simon Denyer But the fragile wall paintings, some to 6,000 a day, but demand regularly visitors’ centre on the history of Dun- The Washington Post of which date to the 4th century and exceeds that in the peak July-to-Octo- huang and the caves themselves. show stories from Buddha’s life and ber season. Later, they are guided through a se- visions of the afterlife, face another To relieve the pressure, tourists lection of the 40 caves that are open threat — from a new army of tourists are asked to register in advance and, to the public, forbidden to take photo- t the heart of the ancient Silk and the lure of profit. before visiting the site, watch two graphs in case their camera flash dam- Road, on the edge of the “In the past 100 years, most of the 20-minute movies in a sweeping new ages the frescoes. Gobi Desert, lies a centuries- damage has been done by nature, but Aold place of pilgrimage: hun- visits by more tourists will break the dreds of caves hewn from a sandstone original balance inside the caves,” said cliff containing some of the most ex- Wang Xudong, president of Dunhuang quisite Buddhist frescoes and figures Academy, which runs, preserves and in the world. restores the site. “Constant entrance Abandoned for centuries, the and exit changes the temperature and Mogao Grottoes somehow survived humidity inside the caves. Human bod- everything that nature and man could ies also carry microorganisms, and if throw at them, including earthquakes, they start to grow inside the caves, it floods and sandstorms. Marauding would be very scary.” rebels, plundering European explorers More than 1.1 million tourists visited and White Russian soldiers all left their the caves in 2015, a rise of 40 percent mark. Rampaging Red Guards were in just a year and a roughly 20-fold turned away at the height of China’s jump in the past two decades. Cultural Revolution. The vast majority are Chinese, as Today, the caves outside Dunhuang, the country’s growing wealth fuels a in western China, enjoy a new stature, huge boom in domestic tourism and at the heart of Communist China’s ef- as interest is renewed in China’s Bud- forts to revitalise and rebuild the Silk dhist past. Road as a testament to its growing With advice from Getty’s experts, power in Asia. They also stand as a the Dunhuang Academy initially tried symbol of Sino-American cooperation to cap the number of tourists at 3,000 in China’s cultural preservation, thanks a day but later realised “that limit just to pioneering work by the Getty Con- would not stop people from coming,” servation Institute. Wang said. The limit was then raised SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 | 05 COVER STORY

in 1923 to find the portable treasures gone. Determined not to leave emp- ty-handed, he took some of the sculp- tures and used adhesive glue to rip a dozen paintings off the walls. The official history calls them the “despicable treasure hunters.” Others who weren’t seeking rel- ics inflicted their own sorts of damage. In 1870, rebels turned up at the caves, burning down many of the wooden ladders that gave access. They may al- so have been responsible for scratch- ing off the faces from some of the paintings. In 1921, White Russian soldiers who had retreated into China during the war against the Bolsheviks were de- tained by the Chinese government and temporarily jailed in the caves. The damage from their fires, and their graf- fiti, is still visible in several caves. But history was kinder during Chi- na’s Cultural Revolution, when, on or- ders from Premier Zhou Enlai, People’s Liberation Army soldiers and police were dispatched to protect the caves Register too late, above the 6,000 the Mogao Grottoes. They are going to was chosen to fill the gaps. from gangs of Red Guards intent on cutoff, and you’ll miss the movies and have their work cut out to control visi- The project has produced guide- destroying them. get to see only four caves. By giving tation, and, of course, I think you’d find lines that have been applied to other Today, 735 caves remain, hewn from these latecomers “a very bad experi- many people who are interested in de- grottoes across China as well as princi- the cliff over a period of 1,000 years. ence,” Wang said he hopes to encour- velopment of the region want more ples that have helped the country bet- Nearly 500 have paintings on the walls age more people to come during the visitors.” ter manage its heritage sites. It has al- — undecorated caves were for medita- low season, when ticket prices are Yet there is also state-of-the-art so spawned a major new exhibition at tion — while more than 2,000 sculp- halved. restoration work going on here, thanks the Getty Research Institute in Los An- tures have survived. The question is whether Wang can to a long-standing collaboration be- geles that runs from May until Septem- With partners all over the world, stem the tide. Beside the visitors’ cen- tween the Dunhuang Academy, Getty ber and includes full-size replicas of the Dunhuang Academy is working on tre, nine miles from the caves, con- and other foreign experts. three of the caves. a major digital archiving project, pho- struction workers are building a pri- Painstakingly, the restorers start in It is a much happier example of Si- tographing the caves and everything vately funded tourist complex, includ- each cave by taking hundreds of high- no-Western collaboration than the that was once contained within them. ing a theater and hotels. resolution photographs, in colour and caves experienced a century ago. In Wang said that more than 40,000 In the city of Dunhuang, a $250m black-and-white. Then the frescoes are 1907, Hungarian British archaeologist artworks or scriptures are scattered conference centre and a bigger, examined to see what materials were Aurel Stein persuaded a local monk to around the world but that this is a way 2,000-seat theatre are being built to used — and the causes of deterioration sell him 24 trunks packed with ancient to unite them and preserve them for- house an annual Silk Road Cultural Ex- diagnosed — before experts decide on Buddhist scriptures and five trunks of ever. po. The large modern airport is being the best materials and methods to re- paintings, embroideries and other art- “Of course, we hope that when the expanded, with a $150m upgrade. store them. works that had only recently been dis- world truly becomes a big family, they “There is enormous commercial Some of the paintings, rendered covered in a small walled-up cave. He can come back to Mogao caves and pressure,” said Neville Agnew, who has on a base of mud and grass, are part- paid the equivalent of 130 pounds. unite with the other relics here,” he been visiting and working in the caves ly detached from the rock face, and French, Japanese and Russian ex- said. “But reality is quite cruel some- for 28 years for the Getty Conserva- enormously vulnerable to humidity or plorers took thousands more priceless times. If we can get them back to the tion Institute. “The growth of the city earthquakes. Different kinds of grout documents in subsequent years before Internet family through digitalisation, of Dunhuang depends ultimately on were extensively tested before one American Langdon Warner showed up that is a target we can achieve for now.” 06 | SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 COMMUNITY

PEF hosts delegation from NMC Lahore

akistan Engineers Forum (PEF) hosted a reception dinner at Pistachio Restaurant Doha in Phonour of the visiting delega- tion to Qatar as part of their course being held at National Management College (NMC), Lahore. A 10-member delegation head- ed by Shahid Rahim Shaikh was on a study tour to Qatar, attending 104th batch of course from National Man- agement College Lahore. Other mem- bers of the delegation were, Ambreen Raza, Basharat Mahmood Shahzad, Bashirullah Khan, Nasir Hamid, Man- zoor Hussain Memon, Dr. Khalid Hus- sain, Munawwar Khan and Waseem Mukhtar Chaudary. Pakistan Embassy Qatar’s Charge D’ Affair, Wajid Hassan Hashmi, Com- mercial Attache. Arbab Qaiser, De- fence Attache, Massud Akram and former Ambassador to Qatar. Sarfarz Khanzada were also joined the dele- gation at the reception. Pakistan Engineers Forum Presi- dent Mohammad Tahir Jamil, PEF sen- ior members Mohammad Riaz, Ajmal Chaudary, Ghaiyas Rao, senior journal- ist Liaqat Malik, Pistachio CEO Rizwwa- tended the function. of Commerce, Ministry of Planning, Legacy, Lusial City, Qatar Foundation na Abdul Sattar and Abdul Sattar at- The delegation visited the Minstry Supreme Committee of Delivery and and AlJazeera Media.

10-day-long dents, teachers and parents of Eng- Ideal Indian School as many as 500 tor of Anti Smoking Society, adminis- lish speaking students in the country. students representing 15 different tered the anti tobacco pledge. The campaign is in connection with schools attending the inaugural cer- Amanulla Vadakkangara, founder anti-tobacco the World No Tobacco Day of World emony. and CEO of the Anti Smoking Society, Health Organisation. Jose Philip, Managing Director of conducted the event. campaign begins The gathering congratulated the Ceprotec Trading and Contracting, in- The campaign witnessed children advisory council of Qatar for their ex- augurated the event. from more than a dozen nationalities emplary decision to hike penalties for Addressing the large turnout of expressing their solidarity against the nti Smoking Society in associa- public smoking and observed that students and parents, he urged them evils of smoking through paintings. tion with the Ministry of Pub- strict implementation of anti-tobacco to join hands together to eradicate The winners of the competitions Alic Health has started a 10-day law is essential to ensure considera- the evil practice of smoking from the will be honoured at a function to be long anti-tobacco campaign. ble reduction in tobacco consumption. society. held at Doha Bank auditorium in West- The campaign is targeting stu- The campaign got off to a flying at Abdul Fathah Nilambur, coordina- bay on May 31, the organisers said. SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 | 07 MARKETPLACE Mediaplus releases 10th edition of Gulf Business Card Directory

ediaplus WLL, a Doha-based on a large scale. “The information ex- gbcdonline.com) facilitating people all managing director of Spectrum engi- advertising and event man- plosion witnessed by the world today over the world to refer to the directo- neering, Santhosh Kumar Pillai, manag- agement company, released has made business more and more ry as and when they require. The mo- ing director Vibrant Consultancy, Jose Mthe 10th edition of its Gulf challenging and it demands to be bile application launched this year has Philip, managing director Ceptrotec, Business Card Directory at a glittering more and more relationship oriented increased the scope of this publication. Anil Srinivasan, general manager of Jet function held at Warwick hotel yester- for business success. It was after thor- The directory, facilitating the busi- Airways, Jaseel CP, marketing manag- day. A prominent Qatari businessman ough market research and analysis we ness community to interact among er of Awasco Trading and Contracting, Ali Abdulla Jassim Al Kaabi released ventured up on the directory and it has themselves for mutually rewarding en- Shukkur Kinalur, managing director of the directory by handing over a copy proved to be successful as we were terprises, contains business cards of Acon Group, Amjad, commercial man- to Usman Muhammed Managing Direc- growing every year inspite of economic individuals and establishments which ager of Al Waraq Printing Press, spoke tor of speed line printing press group. crisis in the market,” he said. can be a ready reference of all the on the occasion. Addressing a packed crowd, Medi- Gulf Business Card Directory has leading business concerns in the en- The online version was launched by aplus CEO Amanulla Vadakkangara ex- become one of the most sought after tire region. Ashraf Cherakkal, while the mobile ap- plained the idea of business card di- tool for developing Intra-Gulf business An array of prominent personali- plication was launched by Anil Srinivas- rectory and observed that it was effec- especially in the SME sector. ties including Ashraf Cherakkal, region- an. The directory which will be distrib- tive and useful to connecting people The whole directory online (www. al director of Grand Mall, Roy Varghese, uted free of charge.

The bag is available in a beautiful Hydrangea Cath Kidston unveils print — the first time the brand has used this stand out floral, the new Her- new collection of bags baceous Border design which features a grow- ing garden of Lupin’s and his season, Cath Kidston show- Daisies, and a classic spot cases a new turnlock handbag in a new chambray hue. Tand backpack with a retro feel. Both styles ooze retro glamour with Trusty Tote a textured finish and a brass turnlock If there’s one bag clasp, securely fastening away your be- shape that you need longings in the chicest way. in your summer ward- Available in prints that pack a punch, robe, it’s a Trusty Tote. they will look right at home with your This shape will see you finest summer get-up! Take your pick through all of your sum- from Hydrangea — a new feminine flo- mer holidays and trips. ral, Greenwich Rose — a print full of en- This season, Cath Kidston ergy inspired by densely-planted Eng- has added a zip fastening lish gardens, or the classic Button Spot. to the tote design to keep everything safely stowed Bold bucket bags with luxury leather detailing, you can away for your travels. Large totes are A failsafe shape, the bucket bag is carry it across body or over your arm - available in two of the season’s must classic yet modern. This design works the choice is yours. The drawstring de- have prints, the beautiful Blossom with everything from off-duty denim tailing cinches in the top line to create Birds, a delicate design, which features to office tailoring, making it the perfect shape and keep your belongings safely feathered friends paired with beautiful addition to Cath Kidston’s new season stored — perfect for going hands free blossoms or a pretty pastel colorways collection. Made in lightweight cotton at this summer’s festivals! of the new Hydrangea print. 08 | SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 FOOD

Power flowers: Blossoming greens pack nutritious punch

By Barbara Damrosch The Washington Post

hen I first grew broccoli raab in the 1990s, I fig- ured I was doing some- Wthing wrong. I liked the way it produced small shoots rath- er than big heads and that edible leaves, stems and buds were all part of the deal. But they were bitter, a fact I chalked up to summer weather. Many cabbage relatives — brassicas — taste best when it’s cool. I’ve since learned more about this popular Italian crop, also known as rapini or cima di rapa. When Bill McKay, the founder of the catalogue Seeds From Italy, wrote about raab, he ad- vised gardeners to direct sow the crop and thin it twice as it grows. “You do not have to grow it in cool weather,” he asserts. trademarked green sold in produce and covered with small, tasty shoots. to replace bolted ones. The classic way to cook raab, he markets that is a cross between broc- These bore white flowers, which, unlike Kale, though cold-hardy, is a crop says, is to boil it until soft (“none of this coli and a leafier Asian vegetable called those of American broccoli, didn’t turn we once thought a waste of space in crunchy texture”), drain, and reheat in gai-lan or kai-lan. So I grew a vari- brownish when cooked. our unheated winter greenhouse, be- olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and ety called Happy Rich, another gai- The brassicas are a wide genus, cause it didn’t put out fresh leaves maybe a little cheese. And yes, it’s lan/broccoli cross but one for which and it might seem odd that cultivated if cut. If left to overwinter, it bolted slightly bitter. Italians like it that way. I could purchase seeds (from john- crops as different as cauliflower, cab- straightaway when spring came. Years later, searching for a sweet- nyseeds.com). The plants were state- bage, broccoli, kale, kohlrabi and Brus- But not long ago, we discovered er version, I discovered broccolini, a ly candelabras, somewhat blue-green sels sprouts were all derived from a that certain kale varieties, most no- wild plant on the coasts of northwest- tably Western Front (from adaptives- ern Europe. Nevertheless, they all share eeds.com), would produce new growth a great love of rich soil. They flourished when cut all winter and into ear- in the fertile soils of gardens and lent ly spring. This year, when the plants themselves to creative improvements. eventually bloomed, sending up nar- They are sought by cabbage worms, row, bright yellow clusters like upside- flea beetles and hungry humans in down brooms, a funny thing happened. search of nutritious greens. Their flow- Gus, a member of our farm crew, start- ers, if allowed to form, are always four ed eating the tops raw — flowers, petals in a single cross shape, hence leaves and stems — all of them tender the name of the larger family to which and sweet. they belong, the crucifers. There they were, the perfect brassi- Aside from feeding them heavily, ca shoots hiding right under my nose one of a gardener’s strategies in grow- as kale. Best of all, the golden colour of ing brassicas is to keep them from the flowers was undiminished by cook- blooming. When your broccoli bolts, ing. I cut the tops about six inches long with clusters of yellow flowers wav- and simmered them in a covered pan ing, the bees are happy, but no more with a little water, lots of olive oil and heads will form. So you pick regularly grated garlic. In five minutes, they were or have new transplants coming along done — with just a bit of crunch. SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 | 09 FASHION / LIFESTYLE

Baggy work pants winning new fans in Japan

Michiyo Horike to more traditional patterns. Some are to absorb sweat and dry quickly. To ex- The Washington Post made with plain cloth. pand the potential of the traditional The store’s monpe pants are slim- work pants, he has held monpe exhibi- mer than traditional ones, though both tions every year since 2011. This year, he have elasticised waists. “Our original in- plans to hold events in Yame, the Ten- ontrary to their past image as tention to make the pants slimmer was jin district of Fukuoka, and Tokyo from trousers worn by elderly wom- to reduce the use of expensive Kurume May to July. en, monpe baggy work pants kasuri, but it resulted in giving monpe He said that not only young peo- Care becoming a cool fashion wearers greater options in coordinating ple but also the middle-aged and eld- statement as manufacturers use Ku- their outfits,” Haruguchi said. erly have started wearing monpe pants. rume kasuri, a traditional fabric from He said monpe pants go especially Some of the comments he heard were, the Chikugo region of Fukuoka Prefec- well with ordinary modern clothes, in- “Monpe pants are good for lounging ture, to make new stylish monpe pants. cluding collared shirts and horizontal- around in, and as street clothes,” and Monpe pants with a variety of patterns ly striped T-shirts. Because monpe are “It’s convenient to take them with me and colors are displayed at Unagino- loose-fitting pants, choosing tight-fit- when I travel because they aren’t bulky.” Nedoko (literally: eel bed), a specialty ting upper garments makes the wearer Shiramizu said: “Our goal is to make shop in Yame in the prefecture that in- look refined. But he warned that tuck- monpe pants the Japanese version of troduces craft products and other Ky- ing in the shirt may make you look un- jeans. I hope people try them out and ushu goods. sophisticated. “The greatest thing is appreciate their good quality.” “We’re seeing more and more peo- that they are so comfortable. Once you Yamaguchi Prefectural University ple of different ages and genders,” said put them on, you want to wear them all students and graduate school students Shogo Haruguchi, manager of the shop. the time,” said Takahiro Shiramizu, the at its Fashion and Service Design labo- He was clad in monpe pants made of store’s operator. ratory have designed monpe pants for red Kurume kasuri with a polka-dot pat- His wife’s mother is from the fami- young people as street clothes. They’ve tern that went well with a black T-shirt. ly of a Kurume kasuri manufacturer, so been on sale under the brand name In cooperation with a local Kurume Shiramizu tried out monpe pants to see Mompekko since 2014. Their products kasuri manufacturer, the store makes how they felt. He was immediately at- have a pattern named Yamaguchi-jima and sells special monpe pants in a vari- tracted by the mild feel of the 100-per- stripes, which were created based on ety of patterns, ranging from checkered cent cotton and the ability of the pants the traditional Taki-jima stripes. 10 | SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 HEALTH & FITNESS Prediabetes is a wake-up call to get healthy

By Elana Dure es. It’s individualised, so we always say The Washington Post in the beginning to at least cut down [on sugar and refined carbs] and find an alternative that is as satisfying as the original but with less amount of dam- hen I was in sixth grade, age.” a friend approached me Ratner said people with prediabe- during recess. “When tes who are overweight should aim for Wyou’re older, you’re going a 10 percent reduction of fat content in to be really fat,” she said. “Just look at all their meals and an overall decrease in the junk you eat.” total calories. Fat consumption should I stopped munching on my bag of be a maximum of 25 percent of total nachos, thought of all the sugary treats daily calories. He said a 5 to 7 percent I’d packed for snack that day and knew reduction in body weight can lead to a I was guilty as charged. But given my 50 percent reduction of the risk of de- thin physique and fast metabolism, I veloping diabetes. didn’t worry. In January, the CDC, the ADA and the Ten years later, at the age of 22, American Medical Association, in part- those eating habits caught up to me. nership with the Ad Council, launched a After visiting my doctor for a checkup public-awareness campaign about pre- a few months ago, I received an alarm- diabetes to get out the message that ing call from him: My blood sugar lev- lifestyle and diet changes can reverse el was elevated; I needed to watch my the condition. Critics say the effort is glucose intake. In other words, I am pre- problematic because it focuses on in- diabetic, and if I don’t significantly de- veloping diabetes. That recognition is dividual behavior instead of on some of crease my sugar consumption, my body critically important because if you don’t the larger societal problems of income will react in a not-so-pleasant manner. People with certain suspect you’re at risk, then you’re not inequality and poverty that make dia- After a quick Google search, I discov- risk factors are likely to going to seek assistance,” said Robert betes more prevalent in lower-income, ered I am not alone. Approximately 86 develop pre-diabetes, Ratner, the ADA’s chief scientific and minority populations. Victor Montori, an million Americans — or 1 in 3 American medical officer. endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic in Ro- adults — have prediabetes, according according to the ADA. An intervention — in the form of die- chester, said the campaign targets too to the Centers for Disease Control and These factors include tary changes, extra exercise and some- many people who may have slightly el- Prevention (CDC). Without weight loss being 45 or older, being times medication — can prevent the de- evated blood sugar but will never devel- and physical activity, 15 to 30 percent of velopment of diabetes, Ratner said. op diabetes. “The definition [of predia- these folks will develop Type 2 diabetes overweight and having Nahrain Alzubaidi, an endocrinol- betes] that is currently being used is very within five years, the CDC says. a family member with ogist and nutrition specialist at Inova broad, and that broad definition makes Prediabetes, also known as im- Fairfax Hospital in Virginia, suggests it easy to find the people who are at risk, paired glucose metabolism, general- diabetes. that people with prediabetes do 30 but unfortunately it classifies too many ly has no symptoms. However, people minutes of activity three to four days a people as being at risk,” he said. whose blood sugar level is higher than week. She also said they should adopt a Ratner and Alzubaidi agree that normal but not high enough to be con- father and uncle both had diabetes) set diet with whole-grain carbs; good pro- not everyone with moderately high sidered diabetic should be tested for off an alarm, given that full-blown di- tein such as fish, tofu and skinless poul- blood sugar levels like me will develop diabetes once a year, according to the abetes can cause serious health prob- try; and food rich in “good” polyunsat- the disease, but they said it isn’t worth American Diabetes Association. lems including kidney failure and an in- urated fats such as olive oil and avoca- the gamble. Because diabetes remains People with certain risk factors are creased risk of heart disease or stroke. do. She advises her patients to avoid the leading cause of blindness in work- likely to develop prediabetes, according Given those risks, I was determined red meat if possible and to be cautious ing-age people and the leading cause to the ADA. These factors include be- to do what I could to make sure “pre” about some dairy, such as whole milk, of limb amputations and kidney fail- ing 45 or older, being overweight and did not turn into full diabetes. My doc- butter and rich cheeses, because these ure, its prevention is critically important, having a family member with diabetes. tor had already helped me take the first foods are high in saturated fat and may they said. “I guess the cynical way that As a 22-year-old, 5-foot-7 woman who step in that direction. “We know that a raise cholesterol and the risk of cardio- I would look at it is not everyone who weighs 110 pounds, I did not expect to very simple risk test, a series of ques- vascular disease. smokes cigarettes gets lung cancer, but find myself on the watch list. But my tions that you can take online or on pa- “We never say zero,” Alzubaidi said. the chance that you won’t get lung can- lack of regular activity and the genetic per, will give any individual an idea of “We all have habits and we all have cul- cer isn’t really a good reason to contin- component of the condition (my grand- whether or not they are at risk for de- tures or ethnic-background differenc- ue smoking,” Ratner said. SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 | 11 ENTERTAINMENT Cannes spotlight puts Iranian cinema at centre stage

AFP

s Iranian films and actors compete this weekend at Cannes attention is turning toward the country’s thriving independ- Aent cinema sector which is succeeding de- spite tough regulations. Religious, political and cultural red lines rep- resent obstacles to filmmakers and actors in . Scripts must be pre-approved by the state. Most learn to live with the restrictions but some leave the country, seeking more artistic freedom. “The Salesman” by Oscar-winning director is challenging for the prestigious Palme d’Or while “Varoonegi” (Inversion) directed by Behnam Behzadi, is competing in the sidebar section “Un Certain Regard”. Farhadi’s latest effort has already generated interest from US distributors, quoted French co-producer Alexandre Mallet-Guy as saying. This year in Cannes, two Iranian actresses com- pete for best actress; self-exiled in “Paterson”, by the award-winning US director Jim Jarmusch, and in Farhadi’s “The Salesman”. The momentum is partly due to Farhadi’s talent, most notably marked by his best foreign film Acad- emy Award in 2012 for “”, a dark but touching tale of family break up set in . “With the large global distribution of this film Farhadi gave a great visibility to Iranian cinema, that in fact started long before him,” Agnes Devictor, a professor at the Sorbonne in , specialising in Iranian cinema, said. “A Separation” won a Golden Globe in the same category and his follow-up, “The Past”, set in France, was nominated for the Palme d’Or in 2013. Farhadi is not alone in gaining accolades. In 2015, Iranian actor , director Behnam Behzadi and actress Sahar Dolatshahi during a photo call “Nahid”, Ida Panahandeh’s debut feature won the for the film ‘Inversion’ (Varoonegi) at the 69th Cannes Festival in Cannes. promising future prize in Un Certain Regard. Dozens

of cinemas screened the film in France, Spain and thorities. Farahani, lead actress in Farhadi’s “About Greece. Distribution companies such as the France- Elly”, was one of those who left Iran a few years based Noori Pictures, headed by Katayoon Sha- ago. The first top Iranian actor to star in a Holly- habi, have played a major role in bringing Iranian wood film, she raised eyebrows in her homeland films to a wider audience. Shahabi, a “lioness” who when she appeared in Ridley Scott’s “Body of Lies” has become “the embodiment of independent film in 2008, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. abroad” according to Devictor, is among the eight Kiarostami, one of the most well-known jurors for Cannes 2016. The success abroad reflects Iranian directors worldwide working in France for a continued rise at the box office. over a decade, believes recent cinema success Domestic sales in the first month of the Per- comes from a wave of independent filmmakers. sian year (March 20 to April 20) totalled 267bn rials Amir Pouria, an Iranian film critic, said that ($8.9m), more than the entire annual box office two Farhadi has helped break down Western stereo- years ago, media reported. types of movies coming out of Iran. “The world has But filmmaking in Iran has its own challenges. accepted that Iran’s cinema is capable of cinematic , whose “Taxi” —barred from screen- production with technical standards, and is not be- ing in Iran — won the Golden Bear in Berlin film fes- ing paid attention to only for an exotic atmosphere tival in 2015, is not allowed to exit the country or and common oriental tourist interests.” But still, it is make films. At the beginning of Cannes this year the “individuals” that make up Iran’s cinema, he be- more than 30 major European film organisations lieves. American independent legend Jarmusch al- appealed to Iran’s government to grant clemency so paid tribute to Iranian cinema in the press con- to a young director sentenced to 223 lashes. ference for “Paterson” on May 16. “I am very aware Keywan Karimi, 30, was sentenced to six years of the poetry in the and I’ve said this Actress Roya Javidnia of the film ‘Varoonegi’ at the in prison in 2015 but five years of the term was sus- for 15 years probably that this is one of the gardens 69th Cannes in Cannes. pended later. Other stars have fallen foul of the au- of cinema on our planet.” 12 | SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 ENTERTAINMENT B-Town all praise for solid performances in ‘Sarbjit’

IANS

ollywood celebrities like Ab- hishek Bachchan, Riteish , Band Athiya Shetty have appre- ciated the biopic “Sarbjit”, for the im- pactful performances by the cast. The film, released on Friday, is a bi- opic on , an Indian farm- er who was convicted of terrorism and spying in Pakistan and was sentenced to death. He was attacked by inmates at a prison in Lahore in April 2013 and died a few days later. “Sarbjit” stars Aishwarya Rai Bach- chan as the title character’s sister Dal- bir Kaur; while plays Sarabjit Singh and Richa Chadha plays his wife. Here’s what the celebrities had to say following a special screening of the directorial here: : It’s immense- ly brave of any actor to perform with such honesty and fearlessness and the Mrs. is the bravest of them all. So proud! ‘Sarbjit’. actress and husband and actor Abhishek Bachchan and actress (right) : ‘Sarbjit’. Richa pose for photographs during a promotional event for ‘Sarbjit’ in . Chadha truly magical on screen. Dar- shan Kumar another solid performer. needed to be told. What brilliant and bow! Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is simply Bhushan Kumar and , Mika Singh: Salute to the director honest performances Randeep Hooda, outstanding. My current favourite song Omung Kumar and T-Series. Omung Kumar, we Indians should save Richa Chadha, Aishwarya Rai Bach- is ‘salamat’. Parineeti Chopra: All the best team the girl child giving birth to Dalbir Kaurs chan, Omung Kumar. Anubhav Sinha: ‘Sarbjit’ totally ‘Sarbjit’! It’s going to be amazing!Watch that would stand nd fight for a cause. Neil Nitin Mukesh: ‘Sarbjit’ Omung lives up to the hype. Take it away Richa this important film guys...Jackky Bhag- Athiya Shetty: ‘Sarbjit’ a story that Kumar, Vanita, Sandeep Singh take a Chadha, Aishwarya, Randeep Hooda, nani, Priya Gupta Randeep Hooda. turns 56

IANS

uperstar Mohanlal turned 56 yes- terday and he used the occasion Sto release the teaser of his forth- coming film “Pulli Murugan”. Apart from the film in which he is seen fighting with a tiger, the two- time best actor National Award winner is currently busy shooting for the film “Oppam”. Directed by his close friend and popular director , it is being shot in and around Ernakulam district. Starting his acting career in 1978 in the yet-to-be released Malayalam film Bollywood director (second right) sits alongside actress “Thiranottam”, he has acted in more Usha Jadhav and actors Sandeep Bhardwaj (left) and Sachin Joshi as he than 325 films so far and continues to speaks at media briefing during promotional event of his film “Veerapan” be among the sought-after actors. in Chennai. SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 | 13 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY How do 20,000 genes determine so many wildly different traits?

By Sarah Kaplan can try to make these sorts of connec- The Washington Post tions between what you might think of as unrelated traits ... that gives us an- other angle of attack to understand the connections between these differ- ou probably wouldn’t be sur- ent diseases.” prised if a scientist told you To start, Pickrell and his team that your genes influence sought out genome-wide association Ywhen you hit puberty, how studies (GWAS) identifying particular tall you are, what your BMI will be and genetic variants associated with 42 dif- whether you’re likely to develop male ferent traits. Many had to do with dis- pattern baldness. eases (for example, studies that linked But what if he said that the same certain genes to the risk of develop- gene could hold sway over all four ing Alzheimer’s or type 2 diabetes) things? and other personal health traits (body That finding comes from a study mass index, blood type, cholesterol published on Monday in the journal levels). But the researchers also looked Nature Genetics. Using data from doz- at traits that don’t often get studied, ens of genome-wide association stud- such as chin dimples and the tendency ies (big scans of complete sets of DNA to sneeze when you see the sun (yes, from many thousands of people), re- the “photic sneeze reflex” is an actu- searchers at the New York Genome al genetic condition, and Rachel total- Center and the genetic analysis com- ly has it). pany 23andMe found examples of sin- Data from 23andMe was useful for the Food and Drug Administration schizophrenia will it have an adverse ef- gle “multitasking” genes that influence studying those kinds of traits, Pick- warned the company to stop giving fect on a person with Parkinson’s?” diverse and sometimes seemingly dis- rell said: a scientist can’t exactly go to customers health-related results out of In other cases, researchers weren’t parate traits. The scientists say that the NIH and ask for funding to find the concern that the tests might be inaccu- able to nail down the particular genet- the links they uncovered could help gene for sneezing in sunlight. But the rate or misleading in influencing medi- ic variant that linked traits. But usual- researchers understand how certain biotech company collects that kind of cal decisions. The company has since ly it made sense that the traits would genes work, and figure out better ways information anyway for its personal revamped its test, with input from reg- be associated with one another. For of treating some of the health prob- genome tests. Seventeen of the stud- ulators, to offer what it says are more example, height, age of puberty, BMI lems they might control. ies surveyed for the paper were con- scientifically sound results on a smaller and baldness — all associated with the “Most studies tend to go one dis- ducted by 23andMe researchers using group of diseases. same spot on the genome — are in- ease at a time,” said Joseph Pickrell, a the company’s database of more than Pickrell said he’s confident in the fluenced by hormones. It seems like- professor at Columbia University and 1 million users. 23andMe studies, adding that an out- ly that there’s a gene somewhere con- the New York Genome Center’s lead The biotech company has come un- side GWAS about the onset of me- trolling the release of hormones that investigator on the project. “But if we der scrutiny in recent years. In 2013, narche (the fancy term for periods) affect all these other things. Likewise, in girls gave very similar results to the many immune system-related prob- one done by the biotech company’s re- lems, including asthma, allergies and searchers. susceptibility to childhood ear infec- Armed with all these studies, Pick- tions, were clustered around a partic- rell and his team then cross-referenced ular spot on the genome. them to identify more than 300 spots Of course, the links between genes on the genome that were associat- and diseases aren’t one to one. Hav- ed with more than one trait. In some ing a particular variant may predis- cases, predisposition to two different pose you to allergies, or Parkinson’s, or diseases could be definitively linked sneezing when the sun comes out, or to a particular genetic variation — for even some combination of the three, example, a variant that controls the but it doesn’t determine your destiny. transportation of metals around cells Genes are complicated. was associated with increased risk for But the study could help disen- schizophrenia and decreased risk for tangle some of that complexity. “It’s a Parkinson’s disease. smart use of available data,” Matthew “That tells us that heavy metal trans- Rockman, a biologist at New York Uni- port is important for all those diseas- versity who was not involved in the es in different ways,” Pickrell said. It study, told the magazine the Scientist should also inform researchers try- about Pickrell’s work. ing to develop treatments for patients “Revealing commonalities among with either disease, he added: “If you different kinds of diseases could point can understand why [they are linked] towards unexpected avenues of ther- in principle, you could start to think apy, [even if that] is still very distant,” about ... if I’m developing a drug for Rockman said. 14 SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 CINEMA PLUS

VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER NOVO ROYAL PLAZA X-Men: Apocalypse (Action) 3D 11:00, 11:40am, 2:00, 2:30, 5:00, 5:20, X-Men Apocalypse (2D/Action) 11:15am, 8:00 & 10:45pm 8:00, 8:10 & 11:00pm Angry Birds(Animation) 2D 10:00am, 12:45, 3:30, 6:20, 9:10pm & 12:00midnight 2:00 & 5:00pm Captain America: Civil War(2D/Action) 11:30am, 2:30, 5:30, Ratchet & Clank (2D/Action) 11:30am & 3:45pm 8:30 & 11:30pm Captain America: Civil War (2D/Action) 5:30pm The Jungle Book(2D/Adventure) 10:00am,12:00noon, 2:00,4:00&6:00pm Sarbjit (2D/) 2:30 & 11:00pm Wyrmwood Road of The Dead (2D/Horror) 8:00, 9:50 & 11:40pm This Time (2D/Tagalog) 7:00pm Hassan Wa Baqloz (2D/Arabic) 11:00am, 3:10, 7:20 & 11:30pm Hassan Wa Baqloz (2D/Arabic) 9:00pm Kangar Hoppiena (2D/Arabic) 1:00, 5:10 & 9:20pm Ratchet And Clank (2D/Animation) 10:00am, 2:30 & 6:10pm Wyrmwood: Road of The Dead (2D/Horror) 12:00noon Term Life (2D/Action) 11:50am, 4:20 & 9:50pm Pettson And Findus (2D/Animation) 1:30pm The Trust (2D/Thriller) 12:40, 8:00 & 11:40pm The Jungle Book (2D/Action) 3:15pm Our Kind of Traitor (2D/Thriller) 10:00am, 2:30, 7:00 & 11:30pm Correspondence (2D/Romantic) 5:00 & 9:15pm Correspondence (2D/Romantic) 12:10, 4:40 & 9:10pm Our Kind of Traitor (2D/Thriller) 7:15 & 11:30pm Angry Birds (2D/Animation) 10:00, 11:55am, 1:50, 3:45 & 5:40pm Hepta (2D/Arabic) 7:40, 9:50 & 11:55pm X-Men: Apocalypse (3D IMAX/Action) 10:10am, 1:00, 3:50, 6:45, AL KHOR 9:40pm & 12:30am MALL X-Men (Action) 12:00noon, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00pm & 12:00 Angry Birds(Animation) 10:30, 11:30am, 1:30 & 3:30pm This Time (2D/Tagalog) 11:30am & 8:45pm Brahmot Savam (Telugu) 12:30, 3:15, 6:00, 8:45 & 11:30pm Pettson And Findus (2D/Comedy) 1:30pm King Liar (Malayalam) 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30pm Ratchet & Clank (2D/Action) 3:15pm Maruthan (2D/Tamil) 11:00pm Wyrmwood: Road of The Dead (2D/Horror) 5:00pm Correspondence (2D/Romantic) 6:30pm OUR KIND OF TRAITOR King Liar (2D/Malayalam) 2:00 & 10:45pm Our Kind of Traitor (2D/Thriller) 12:00noon & 9:00pm Angry Birds (2D/Animation) 5:00pm Hassan Wa Baqloz (2D/Arabic) 7:00pm Sarbjit (2D/Hindi) 2:00pm The Jungle Book (2D/Action) 3:15pm X-Men Apocalypse (2D/Action) 11:30am, 6:00, 8:30 & 11:00pm ASIAN TOWN King Liar (Malayalam) 4:30, 6:30, 7:30, 9:30 & 10:00pm Jacob’s Kingdom of Heaven (2D/Malayalam) 7:00pm Brahmot Savam (Telugu) 7:00pm A couple find themselves lured into a Russian oligarch’s plans Maruthu (Tamil) 10:00pm & 12:45am to defect are soon positioned between the Russian Mafia and Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice. the British Secret Service, neither of whom they can trust.

BABY BLUES

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016 15 BRAIN TEASERS

CROSSWORD

Yesterday’s answer

Conceptis Sudoku: Conceptis Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9×9 grid. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3×3 box contains the same number only once.

MEDIUM SUDOKU

TV LISTINGS

Yesterday’s answer

07:00 News 12:00 Yeh Vadaa 07:30 Rebel Geeks Raha 08:00 News 12:30 Ek Tha Raja ALL IN THE MIND 08:30 People & Ek Thi Rani Power 13:00 KumKum 09:00 Lifelines: Bhagya 13:30 Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal, The Quest Meri Saasu vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards. For Global Maa Health 14:00 Jamai Raja 10:30 Inside Story 14:30 Tashn E Ishq 11:00 News 15:00 Vishkanya 11:30 Talk To Al 15:30 Jamai Raja ASTEROID, ASTRONAUT, Jazeera 16:00 Yeh Vadaa King Features Syndicate, Inc. · 12:00 ASTRONOMY, News Raha 12:30 16:30 ASTROPHYSICS, Earthrise Ek Tha Raja 13:00 NEWSHOUR ATMOSPHERE, BLACK Ek Thi Rani 14:00 News 17:00 KumKum HOLE, CAPSULE, COSMOS, 14:30 Inside Story Bhagya COUNTDOWN, CREW, 15:00 Skyes-Picot: 17:30 Vishkanya 13:50 13:20 EXPLORATION, FLIGHT, Animals Gone Through The Lines In The 18:30 Kaala Teeka GALAXY, GRAVITY, Wild Wormhole Sand 19:00 Meri Saasu 14:45 LAUNCH, LIGHT YEAR, Urban Jungle With Morgan 16:00 NEWSHOUR Maa 15:40 Man And The Freeman 17:00 News 19:30 SaReGa METEOR, MISSION, 14:10 Wild Ecopolis 17:30 The Listening MaPa 2016 MODULE, MOON, NEBULA, 17:30 15:20 Hunting The Food Factory Post 20:30 Jamai Raja ORBIT, PLANET, PULSAR, 16:30 Hammerhead Mega Builders 18:00 NEWSHOUR 21:00 KumKum ROCKET, SATELLITE, SOLAR 18:25 18:00 I, Predator Mythbusters 19:00 News Bhagya SYSTEM, SPACECRAFT, 19:20 18:50 Urban Jungle Secret Space 19:30 101 East 21:30 Tashn E Ishq 20:10 SPACE STATION, STAR, Man And The Escapes 20:00 News 22:00 Vishkanya 19:40 SUPERNOVA, TAKEOFF, Wild How The 20:30 Inside Story 22:30 Ek Tha Raja 21:00 TRAJECTORY, UNIVERSE, Kingdom Of Universe Works 21:00 NEWSHOUR Ek Thi Rani 21:15 VELOCITY, VOYAGE, The Oceans Ecopolis 22:00 News 23:00 Best of Fear 21:50 22:00 Hunting The Secret Space 22:30 Talk To Al Files Season 2 Hammerhead Escapes Jazeera 00:00 Yeh Vadaa 22:40 22:45 I, Predator How The 23:00 In Search Raha 23:30 Shocking Universe Works Of Putin’s 1:30 Ek Tha Raja 23:35 Sharks Mythbusters Russia Ek Thi Rani