lifestyle WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014 MUSIC & MOVIES Mexico bids farewell to Garcia Marquez exico bid farewell Monday to its lenato trio offered a performance to the beloved adopted son, Colombian crowd outside the palace. Then, people Mnovelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, took turns reading pages from “One in a national tribute filled with the late Hundred Years of Solitude.” “He loved this Nobel laureate’s favorite flowers and country. He was very grateful and felt as music. A coffee-colored urn containing his Mexican as any other person,” Jaime ashes was placed on a podium, surround- Abello, director of the Ibero-American ed by yellow roses, in Mexico City’s domed New Journalism Foundation founded by Fine Arts Palace as a string quartet played Garcia Marquez, told MVS Radio. classical music. Dozens of guests applaud- His biographer, British writer Gerald ed when his widow, Mercedes Barcha, Martin, said he understood the secular arrived dressed in black with their sons, nature of the ceremony because Garcia Rodrigo and Gonzalo, at the cultural cen- Marquez was not a religious man. “But he ter, where Mexico pays tribute to its late was a man who respected other people’s artistic icons. Hundreds of fans filed past beliefs, like his mother,” Martin told the urn to pay their last respects to the Colombia’s Caracol radio. author of “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” “He joked that he didn’t believe in God taking pictures and short videos with their but feared him a lot,” said the author of smartphones. “Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A Life.” His native Some of the guests even danced as a Colombia will hold its own ceremony at three-piece vallenato band played folk Bogota’s cathedral on Tuesday for the man songs from his native Colombia with an Santos hailed as “the greatest Colombian accordion, drum and guacharaca, a per- of all time.” On Wednesday, to mark World cussion instrument. Known affectionately A school teacher carries a made yellow butterfly during a symbolic funeral parade in Book Day, Colombians will have readings as “Gabo,” Garcia Marquez died last honor of the late Nobel literature laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez. of Garcia Marquez’s novel “No One Writes Thursday in the Mexico City house where “‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ will sur- his death has not been disclosed but he to the Colonel” in more than 1,000 he lived for decades with his wife and two vive 100 more years in our hearts,” she said, died a week after a bout of pneumonia. libraries, parks and universities. The family sons. He was 87. Visiting Colombian clutching three yellow roses. Garcia has not said where the author’s final rest- President Juan Manuel Santos was to Marquez first moved to Mexico in 1961 He ‘loved’ Mexico ing place will be but Colombia hopes his deliver remarks later with Mexican leader and it was there that the veteran journalist The palace was decorated with the late ashes will be divided between his home- Enrique Pena Nieto. wrote his seminal novel, a family and his- writer’s favorite flower, the yellow rose land and Mexico. His wife Barcha “says that “I want to thank him for the pleasure he torical saga that was published in 1967. He that he so often wore on his lapel for good it is a very difficult decision that will be tak- gave me in reading books,” said Joseline Guests play with yellow paper butterflies as they leav- was a leading exponent of “magical real- luck. Many mourners wore the rose as vio- en in due time,” said Rafael Tovar, president Lopez, a 21-year-old Venezuelan medical ing homage to Colombian Nobel Literature laureate ism,” a style of story-telling that blends fan- lins played Beethoven. A large portrait of of Mexico’s National Culture and Arts student who queued outside the palace. Gabriel Garcia Marquez. —AP photos tasy and realistic elements. The cause of Garcia Marquez hung on a wall. The val- Council. — AFP

Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos, left, and Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto, stand A man holds a copy next to the urn of One Hundred containing the Year of Solitude ashes of the late during a symbolic Marquez. funeral parade. With awards, Bollywood O’Connell on ‘Starred Up’ and his troubled past: ‘I really had to dig deep to get a second chance’ shows growing imprint in US hough he’s been acting profession- which enabled me free train fare,” he commission place in Northern Ireland ally for nearly a decade - you might explained. “I wouldn’t have been able to called Crumlin Road Gaol, which ollywood this week throws its pre- known for its extravagant song-and- to fill seats however they can, Pandya Tknow him from the British edition afford that if it wasn’t for my dad’s job.” O’Connell visited a week before anyone mier awards event for the first dance routines, its expansion into the said. “It’s incredible growth. Theaters that of “Skins” and the drama “This is All these experiences helped him else. “It certainly helped with the atmos- Btime in the United States, which United States has been more understat- five years ago would never think about England” - Jack O’Connell is only now channel the right emotions for “Starred phere, the slamming doors, the walls are has quietly become the leading overseas ed. Indian films are increasingly shown in playing one of these movies are now making his first visit to New York City. Up,” in which O’Connell plays a young very cold and very hard,” O’Connell said. market for India’s prolific film industry. mainstream US cinemas which set aside anxious to get the latest Shah Rukh Khan And while he’s here for work - his intense inmate named Eric who has just been “It was a hardened atmosphere. A lot of The International Indian Film Academy specific screens and times. or Aamir Khan movie,” Pandya said, refer- prison drama, “Starred Up,” is playing at transferred to a prison in which his the times when you’re doing stunts and today kicks off four days of festivities in The United States has topped Britain ring to two stars whose films are consid- the Tribeca Film Festival - he’s doing absentee father (played by Ben stuff, they cheat things and it’s padded. I Tampa culminating in an awards cere- in recent years as the largest overseas ered relatively high-brow in Bollywood. some sightseeing, too. Mendelhson) resides. He is angry and much prefer to stay with the hard, brutal mony Saturday that will bring out market for Bollywood, fueled by demand “I got a chance to walk yesterday, bitter about his circumstances, and nature of it.” Bollywood’s glitterati and Hollywood from the three million-strong Indian Seeking a wider audience along the waterfront, across the water rather volatile, but begins to break He’s sure to say over and over, legend John Travolta. While Bollywood is American community and the growing Pandya, who also manages the web- ease of distributing movies through the site boxofficeguru.com, said that India from New Jersey. Took some photos. I through emotionally with the help of a though, that they wanted to make every digital format. “Dhoom 3,” the latest was the only foreign country with a self- got as far as Little Italy,” he told TheWrap prison therapist (when not brawling character three dimensional, not just the installment of a thriller series which is sustaining film industry in the United on Monday, before adding two other with older inmates). The movie was writ- inmates; giving guards, who can seem nominated for best picture at the Tampa States, as European, Latin American or sightseeing ambitions: “Where John ten by Jonathan Asser, a man who spent corrupt, at least a fair representation was awards, broke US records for Indian cine- other international movies rely on Lennon died,” which is the Dakota apart- many years working with vulnerable important to everyone on the team. ma after it was released last year. Hollywood or art-house distributors to ment building on the Upper West Side, inmates. O’Connell first opened eyes with his Set largely in Chicago, “Dhoom 3” select and distribute them. “India is the “and that shop that was in ‘Home Alone,’ The film is bleak in its outlook on the role in Skins,” and was seen earlier this grossed more than $8 million in the only one that, 12 months a year, has that toy shop,” meaning FAO Schwartz. justice system, much more so than year in the “300” sequel. “Starred Up” United States and Canada, roughly on films that come in and play in theaters The latter was sort of a funny itinerary human nature; Asser and director David should also provide him some positive par with “Before Midnight,” the second here in the US,” Pandya said. In addition item to hear coming from O’Connell, MacKenzie work to convey the notion career momentum thanks to the rave sequel to the US romantic classic “Before to Bollywood films, which are in Hindi, who wears his tough and smart working Sunrise.” Indian cinema’s growth can eas- US cinemas regularly screen movies in class roots on his sleeve and in his voice. ily fly beneath the radar in the United other Indian languages such as Tamil In fact, at one point there was a chance States, which has by far the world’s and Telugu. he wasn’t even going to be able to come largest box office and is thoroughly Despite the growth, no Bollywood visit the United States, because of prob- dominated by domestic fare. India, in film has won over mainstream US audi- lems with the law. turn, has the largest output of films at ences and the annual awards-always “I had my run-ins,” O’Connell admit- more than 1,100 a year. held outside of India to show the indus- ted, alluding to childhood brushes with But Gitesh Pandya, a US-based con- try’s global reach-had shied away from the law while growing up in Derby, sultant for Bollywood studios, said that the potentially massive market. In hopes Indian cinema had innate advantages as of crossing over to a non-South Asian England. “I’m not clean as a whistle, it has a consistent audience of Indian audience, the International Indian Film hence my sort of overall relief that I final- Americans who are often well-educated Academy will kick off its Tampa weekend ly obtained an American working visa.” While he didn’t get specific about those File photo shows actor John and generally do not need expensive with a public party Wednesday in a park run-ins, O’Connell did admit that it took Travolta arriving for the screen- promotional campaigns to woo them to aimed at introducing US audiences to a lot of work to overcome them. ing of “Killing Season” at the 39th the movies. Indian films that just five India’s culture and film. Prominent Indian “In my country as is the case over American Film Festival in years ago would have opened at 80 to actress Vidya Balan, who will appear at 85 screens in the United States now start the awards, saw hope in her experience here, there is such thing as a second Deauville, Normandy, western in more than 200 theaters including in serving last year on the Cannes Film chance,” he said. “I really, really had to France. — AP smaller cities where cinemas are happy Festival jury. —AFP dig deep to get a second chance. I had to spend a lot of time doing drug tests and alcohol tests and even after doing that, I was denied once. It’s just been a case of letting my actions do the talking. Jack O’Connell I know I’m not a liability to myself, I’m that in so many cases, imprisonment reviews it has received (released last not violent either. My life isn’t a struggle and crime comes from nurture (or lack year in the UK, it was nominated for a anymore.” “When my life was a struggle, I thereof) rather than nature. “He offered slew British Independent Film Awards). was perhaps in an environment where, us the opportunity to meet a couple of Still, he’s largely a fresh face to American I’d always argue that I was just a product the lads that he worked with,” O’Connell audiences (and people in New York), but of my environment, and I’m not in that said, referring to some of Asser’s former that should change very soon, thanks to environment anymore,” O’Connell, who inmates (some of whom got small roles his leading role in Angelina Jolie’s went to a rough local Catholic academy in the film). “Seeing the way they operat- upcoming period drama, “Unbroken.” in Derby, said. “I elevated myself, and ed with him, with this level of immense now my intention is to help people like expect, real gratitude you see in them ‘Tulip Fever’ myself do the same in whatever field it approaching him, that helped validate “I’ve spoken a lot about her but still is. And to not necessarily be supported Jonathan’s point of view a lot.” don’t feel like I’ve been able to encapsu- in the way that you’d expect was very late fully the inspiration that she offered frustrating. But like I said, I think the Shooting in a real prison me,” he gushed when asked about Jolie. actions speak for themselves now. Of the inmates he met and worked “Even in directing, seeing her as she con- Overall, I’m grateful, everything’s worked with, O’Connell said, “The really frighten- tends with her public persona and the itself out.” ing people I met were actually quite woman herself, as well. Above all of that pleasant to talk to. Sometimes they’re as well, I’ve seen her engaged with Free train fare not even angry when they’re being vio- everyone on set, and that to me is The actor was saved in part by being lent. It’s almost professional.” Gloom and important. And also she’s remarkably accepted into a television workshop in sadness hang thick over the movie, talented. I watched ‘Girl, Interrupted’ Nottingham, which would generally which is filled with incredibly charged recently, since working with her, and I’d File photo shows Bollywood actors Sridevi and Prabhu Deva, left in yellow, performing during the require expensive travel. “The only way I performances, brooding and spring- like to see her again just to shake her International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards in Macau. — AP could travel to and from Nottingham loaded for sudden explosion. It helped hand for that. I think she achieved some- was my dad worked on the railway, that they shot in a real prison, an out-of- thing infinitely special.” —Reuters