LIFESTYLE36 THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2015 Music & Movies Yemen film fans find calm in British-era cinema den’s Hurricane offers just one screening a day, but a devoted band of Yemeni film Alovers has kept the British colonial-era cine- ma going through communism, civil war and Al- Qaeda. A handful of ageing cinema buffs files qui- etly into the fading yellow building in Aden’s Crater district at the same time six days a week, just as the sun slips behind the volcanic hills encir- cling the city. This routine-every evening except Saturday-has withstood years of upheaval in vio- lence-wracked Yemen, and most recently weath- ered the political crisis that saw the president flee his residence to sanctuary in Aden. A former British protectorate and prosperous port city, Aden was exposed to foreign arts and culture in a way that set it apart from much of conservative Yemen. It retained its diversity in stark contrast to the austerity of the capital Sanaa, 430 kilometers (260 miles) to the north. When South Yemen gained independence in 1967, its socialist rulers encouraged Aden’s openness. But unification with the north in 1990, fol- A picture in the southern Yemeni city of Aden shows the screen of the Hurricane People sitting on benches before a screening at the Hurricane cinema. lowed by the 1994 crushing of a secession cinema, the city’s only functioning cinema. —AFP photos attempt, replaced the city’s liberalism with a more conservative Islamic climate. Aref Naji Ali, who taneously in Aden. increasing Al-Qaeda attacks, the cinema offers heads the cultural organisation Al-Waddah But the Hurricane’s success ended abruptly punters a rare escape of calm and culture. Its old Foundation, says attendance at Hurricane has after the family was stripped of its cinemas movie reels, now rotting in the warehouse, have never recovered. “The reason many spectators under a nationalization plan introduced by the been replaced by videos and a digital projector, have disappeared is the war of 1994, which was socialist government after independence. By the but the Hurricane’s audience remains largely followed by fatwa edicts that banned cinemas,” he time the Hammoud family regained its property unchanged. said. “Frightened, many families stopped going to in 1994, it was not able to save all four cinemas, “The television has dealt a fatal blow to cine- the movies.” three of which had already been converted to ma. It killed cinema and there is not a single alternative use. A growing real estate boom had house without a television,” complained Ahmed Family business swollen the number of Aden picture houses to Saleh, a 75-year-old retired public servant. The history of the Hurricane is intricately inter- 10, but the Hurricane survived thanks to the hard Although he does own a television, Saleh contin- twined with the story of a local wealthy family. work of its owners and the loyalty of its aging ues to come each day to watch films at the The patriarch, known as Master Hammoud, was clientele. Hurricane. “I continue to love cinema. It allows me the head of Aden’s education department under to mingle with people and kill time,” he said. British rule and his son Taher was lured into the ‘Television killed the cinema’ Other spectators file into the theatre, no young cinema business in the middle of last century. The Hurricane sits close to the site of the people or a single woman among them. At exactly Opening the Hurricane and four other picture Britain’s last stand in Yemen, the culmination of a 18:30 local time, a bell announces the start of the houses earned Taher the nickname of “King of local insurgency against British forces that began show-today, an Indian movie with Arabic subtitles. Cinema”. He oversaw the halcyon days of Yemen’s in late 1963. Amid a backdrop of a political crisis Not that anyone seems to care about the plot. For that has seen a Shiite militia seize control of the nostalgic audience of Hurricane, all that mat- cinema industry, ensuring that the latest Egyptian A visitor looks at movie posters at the Hurricane cinema. movies premiering in Cairo were screened simul- much of central Yemen-including the capital-and ters is that the cinema is still there at all. —AFP Checking in with the von Trapp kids from ‘Sound of Music’ even young actors became part of cin- 62, Cartwright works as a photographer, ematic history when they were cast as painter and writer in Los Angeles. Her most Sthe von Trapp children in Rogers & recent book was released last year: “Styling Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” - and the Stars: Lost Treasures from the Twentieth they also became lifelong friends. Known as Century Fox Archive.” “The SoM 7,” they formed their own sort of Kurt: Duane Chase, who played little family over the months of making the musi- brother Kurt von Trapp, continued acting cal. Their parents befriended one another as until his teens, including an appearance in the young performers traveled to Austria for the 1966 Kurt Russell film, “Follow Me, Boys!” filming, and the actors themselves have Chase switched gears in college, earning a remained close for decades. “We’re beyond bachelor’s and master’s degree in geology friends. We’re second family,” said Kym and working as a software engineer. Now Karath, who played the youngest von Trapp, 64, he recently went on sabbatical and is Gretl. “As adults, we were deeply bonded, so considering retirement. He lives near Seattle our lives have really interwoven with each with his wife and their two cats. other.” Friedrich: For Nicholas Hammond, who As “The Sound of Music” celebrates its portrayed the eldest von Trapp son, “The 50th anniversary, here’s a look at what the Sound of Music” came early in a still-thriving Actress Chairmian Carr, who plays the role of “SoM 7” are doing now: entertainment career. Hammond continued Liesl, in the film, “The Sound of Music.” Liesl: Now 72, Charmian Carr played the to collect film and TV credits as he pursued eldest von Trapp daughter and has pub- an English literature degree at Princeton. Menzies-Urich’s first movie. She continued acting after she lished two books about her experience mak- Now 64, he lives in Australia and works as an wed actor Robert Urich, but stopped when their children ing the film: “Forever Liesl” and “Letters to actor, writer and director. were born. Now 65, Menzies- Liesl.” She maintains a website (charmian- Gretl: Kym Karath was only 5 years old Urich runs the nonprofit organization she established carr.com) where she sells the custom furni- when she played Gretl von Trapp. She quit after her husband died from a rare form of cancer. The ture she designs, as well as autographed acting for high school and college at USC, Robert Urich Foundation provides funding for cancer photos from her “Sound of Music” days. She and focused on parenting rather than per- research and to help families relocate for specialized treat- lives in Southern California and regularly forming to care for her disabled son. Along ment. sees her “Sound of Music” sisters. with other parents, Karath helped establish Marta: Debbie Turner was as much an athlete as an Brigitta: Angela Cartwright, who started the Aurelia Foundation, which provides actress as a child, and she opted for sports after playing performing at age 3, went on to star in the services for special-needs individuals once Marta von Trapp. (A lifetime of skiing earned the 58-year-old This photo provided by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment shows, TV series “Lost in Space” and “Make Room for they finish high school. Now 56, Karath is a knee replacement earlier this year.) Turner owns a floral- from left, Julie Andrews, as Maria, Kym Karath, as Gretl, Duane Chase, as Granddaddy” after playing Brigitta in “The returning to her entertainment career as an design business in Minnesota. She recently was called on to Kurt, and Chairmian Carr, as Liesl, in a scene during the song, “Do-Re-Mi” Sound of Music.” She traded acting for other actress and writer. provide flowers for a wedding in Salzburg, Austria, at a from the film, “The Sound of Music.” —AP photos artistic pursuits after having children. Now Louisa: “The Sound of Music” was Heather palace that inspired the sets of “The Sound of Music.” —AP Actor Duane Chase, who plays the role of Kurt, in Actress Kym Karath, who plays the role of Gretl, in Actress Heather Menzies, who plays the role of Nicholas Hammond, who plays the role of the film, “The Sound of Music.” the film, “The Sound of Music. Louisa, in the film, “The Sound of Music”. Friedrich, in the film.”.