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noona-clock · 5 years

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First Impression

Genre: Museum!AU

Pairing: Youngjae (Got7) x You

By Admin B

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Youngjae paused, his right foot still lifted up in the air, in the middle of a step. His hands, which were clutching the straps of his backpack, squeezed a little bit tighter in anticipation. Had he just seen what he thought he’d seen?

He set his foot back down. He took a couple of steps backward. His gaze shifted to the large poster advertisement on the inside of the bus station.

Yep. He had just seen what he thought he’d seen.

A Renoir exhibit was coming to the local art museum. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, one of the leading painters in the ever popular, revolutionary Impressionist movement in the 19th century.

And Youngjae just so happened to be getting his Master’s Degree in Art History. And writing his thesis on Impressionism.

So now you understand why he had to stop walking and make sure he’d read the advertisement correctly. An exhibit like this could help write... twenty or more pages of his thesis! I mean, just the inspiration alone from seeing these paintings in real life! It was incredibly thrilling to think about...

He was such an art nerd, my god.

As he began walking again, his feet once more heading forward in the direction of his just slightly off-campus apartment, Youngjae slid his phone out of his back pocket and pulled up the art museum’s website. A grin pulled at his lips when he saw the Renoir painting front and center on the main page, the dates of the exhibit laid out in black, bold font underneath it. And underneath that, a red box with a link to buy tickets.

He was a poor graduate student - a poor graduate, art student, even - but he would shell out fifteen bucks to go see this exhibit. It would be more than worth it.

By the time he reached his apartment, he’d already purchased his tickets. The exhibit was starting in two days, and he would be visiting in three. After shrugging off his backpack and letting it slide to the floor in his small foyer, Youngjae shuffled over to his somewhat tattered, very worn secondhand couch. He plopped down with a soft sigh, swinging his legs up and resting his ankles on the armrest at the other end.

He’d visited the art museum before, of course, but it had been a long time since he’d been this excited to see an exhibit. He wasn’t sure if it was because it was relevant to his studies or because he just really did love Impressionist paintings; either way, the anticipation was already breathing down his neck, making his spine tingle and his hair stand up on end.

It sounded strange - it probably was strange - but Youngjae had the sort of eerie feeling that this exhibit would change things for him. It would give him that bit of motivation he needed to finish his thesis and make it through the rest of his last semester of grad school. He would graduate, find a job, be immersed in art, and pretty much reach his true Youngjae form.

He couldn’t help but chuckle softly to himself, rolling his eyes at how utterly optimistic he was being. But he couldn’t help it. Positivity had always done wonders for him, so why stop now? Even if the exhibit turned out to be... just an exhibit, he would still enjoy himself.

Now he just had to wait three days. Three long, excruciating days.

When Youngjae had purchased his tickets for the exhibit, he’d selected the earliest available date and time, not even bothering to work around his schedule. His ticket ended up being right in the middle of his French class... but he was sure his professor would understand! Honestly, she would probably be jealous. He was going to see French paintings done by a French artist in the height of one of the most French artistic movements in history.

So... he didn’t really feel that bad.

But, on the off-chance she asked why he’d been absent, he would still probably say he’d been sick.

Just to be safe.

About a half hour before the time on his ticket, Youngjae boarded the city bus, his heart racing with excitement and his stomach a bundle of joyful nerves. He was ready to see the paintings and jot down whatever thoughts came into his head, whatever details he could observe, whatever emotions rose to the surface. So ready.

The bus engine rattled and vibrated underneath him as he sat on the hard, plastic seat. The trees from campus whizzed past the windows, slowly morphing into the buildings and bustling streets of the city as they neared the museum.

When the driver rolled to a stop in front of the sprawling, all-white building, its clean, modern architecture such a contrast to the messy, historical paintings now housed inside, Youngjae sprang from his seat and skipped down the aisle. Well, as much as the semi-crowded bus would allow, at least.

He shot the driver a wide, bright smile, lifting his hand in a wave and thanking him for his service. The cool, breezy air hit Youngjae’s face as he stepped off the bus, the feeling momentarily reminding him that Spring was just around the corner. But then the sight of the museum pulled him back to the present, and he hurried up to join the queue to get inside.

Once he’d scanned his ticket and grabbed a pamphlet about the temporary exhibit, he began to meander his way through the galleries. He was there to see the Renoir paintings, of course, but he wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to see other works of art, too. The museum had something for everyone: sculptures, portraits, pieces of furniture, photography, tapestries. European art, American art, Folk art, African art, modern art - you name it, this museum probably had it.

Youngjae spent probably two hours in the permanent exhibits, studying as many pieces as he could. Even though they had nothing to do with his thesis, he just loved art. I mean... why else would he be getting a degree in Art History, right?

When he - finally - arrived at the Renoir exhibit, he quietly slid his backpack off one arm and reached inside to grab his notebook. He wanted to write down every little thing he could, not just for his thesis but also for his memory. The exhibit was only here for about three weeks, and there was no guarantee he would be able to come again. He wanted to, of course, but time and money were in short supply for a grad student.

The first painting on display was one of Youngjae’s favorites, Girls at the Piano. It was one of his later works, and the colors weren’t quite as vivid as his earlier paintings. Maybe that’s why he liked it so much; it was still very much Renoir, but it was also different. It stood out from the rest.

Youngjae bent his head over his notebook, scribbling down every thought in his mind right now. It didn’t matter if the thought didn’t make sense - he still wanted to record it, just in case.

After he’d seen about three paintings, something else caught his eye. His gaze shifted from his loopy, scrawling handwriting to the doorway of the gallery. He had no idea why he felt the need to look up in this particular direction, but when he did, he saw you.

He didn’t know it was you, of course. And you didn’t realize it was you.

But it was.

You were standing there, your posture upright but also relaxed, in a way. You were dressed more professionally than any of the tour guides, but you were still wearing a name tag, so you obviously worked here. You also weren’t talking to any of the museum patrons, but you did lean over and whisper something to a nearby security guard.

If Youngjae hadn’t noticed you, he probably wouldn’t have noticed you. It sounds dumb, but you were doing nothing to attract his attention. You were simply standing in the doorway to the gallery, observing and hardly making any noise. He had just so happened to look up in your direction and see you.

He tried to divert his attention back to the paintings since they were the real reason he’d come... but even as he wound his way through the maze of the gallery, he found his focus kept wandering from the artworks.

He kept thinking about you.

Who were you? What did you do? What did you think of Renoir? Were you as good-looking up close as you seemed from far away?

It was strange, actually. Youngjae had never experienced something like this before. Even with the people he’d dated in the past, he’d never been quite this intrigued. Especially without even knowing anything about them. He’d only seen you for the first time about twenty minutes ago, and for goodness’ sake, he hadn’t even spoken to you. You didn’t even know he existed!

But his first impression of you was so remarkably powerful and compelling. You just seemed like a remarkably powerful and compelling person, just by standing there.

By the time Youngjae made his way through the whole exhibit, he’d decided he couldn’t let the fact he was busy and poor keep him from coming back here. The draw of the paintings and the pull of you, whoever you were, was much too strong.

He would be returning, even if he had to skip another French class to do it.

Part 2

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sartle-blog · 5 years

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Good News from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Last week, Sartle was invited to the Director’s Breakfast at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, held in celebration of Thomas P. Campbell’s first year as director and CEO of the umbrella organization that oversees the de Young and the Legion of Honor. They gave us the scoop about upcoming events, but also shared some exciting news about their latest efforts to better serve their community.

Campbell spoke candidly about the pressure museums are under from various forces, from the politics of patrimony to the consuming, attention-diminishing powers of technology. Museums across the world are being forced to grapple with the question of what the role of an art museum in contemporary society should be. Campbell believes, as he eloquently phrased it, that art museums are “engines of empathy,” and as such, are essential in this time of polarization, identity politics, globalization, and existential peril. Perhaps now more than ever museums need to be accessible to people of all ages, incomes, and identities.

All of this is why the museum has decided to extend free admission on Saturdays to residents of all nine Bay Area counties! Starting on October 19, 2019, general admission to the Legion of Honor and the de Young will be free on Saturdays to those who live in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties. (Just be sure to bring a photo ID or postmarked envelope with your home address when you go.) This is all thanks to a generous gift by Diane B. Wilsey, Chair Emerita of the Board of Trustees.

Furthermore, the museum is pleased to be unveiling a number of new internships for high school students that will be paid. Yes, paid, and with real money! And they are taking steps to make more paid internships in the future. The fact that most museum internships are unpaid has forced only people of a certain economic bracket to be able to take them, thus perpetuating elitism in the art world. It seems this venerable institution, now in its 125th year, is making some serious strides for equality and accessibility.

The Fine Arts Museums also announced their upcoming 2020 special exhibitions, many of which have unique connections to San Francisco, and all of which further cement FAMSF’s reputation as a world-class art institution. There’s a lot of excitement brewing about these shows, so if you’ll be in San Francisco any time in the next year, there’s sure to be something worth seeing.

Upcoming Special Exhibitions

James Tissot: Fashion and Faith at the Legion of Honor (October 12, 2019 - February 9, 2020)

Put on in conjunction with the Musée d'Orsay, this lavish exhibition is the first in the United States in over twenty years to cover the 19th century society painter James Tissot. Boasting fresh scholarship and a full reassessment of his work, this exhibit features over seventy drawings, paintings, and objets d’art that operate as a fantastic lens into Belle Époque society and the artist’s own extraordinary, unconventional life. There will certainly be paintings of debutantes wearing decadent dresses, but there will also be séances and spiritualism, and deeply religious works, too. An artist who can’t quite be placed among the Impressionists (despite his friendship with Degas), but who doesn’t fit squarely into any other art movement, Tissot is thoroughly deserving of the nuanced, fresh take Melissa Buron and her fellow curators have no doubt prepared.

If you can’t make it to San Francisco, you can read all about it in the sumptuous exhibition catalog. (paid link)

Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power at the de Young (November 9, 2019 - March 8, 2020)

Organized by Tate Modern, this internationally celebrated show promises to be powerful, provocative, and relevant. This exhibit features over 150 works of art by African American artists made between 1963 and 1983, a turbulent time which saw the height of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. Over sixty artists will be represented, including Faith Ringgold, Romare Bearden, David Hammons, Elizabeth Catlett, and Barkley L. Hendricks, and in the De Young’s version of the exhibit, works with close ties to the San Francisco Bay Area will also be included. Long marginalized, the artists on display worked to give a voice to the African American community, promoting self-determination and empowerment for their brethren, and often drawing upon European aesthetic traditions only to subvert them. Giving a thorough, timely analysis of an important part of the American experience, this exhibit will be an absolute must-see.

You can find the exhibition catalog here if you can’t make the trip. (paid link)

Uncanny Valley: Being Human in the Age of AI at the de Young (February 22 - October 25, 2020)

The de Young will be the exclusive venue of this groundbreaking new exhibition, the first ever in the United States to consider Artificial Intelligence as something other (and more) than just a tool. Examining the way our behavioral patterns are shaped by AI, and questioning what it even means to be human as technological innovations change our identities and societies, this show is urgently needed, particularly in the Silicon Valley area. It brings together the works of contemporary artists like Ian Cheng, Martine Syms, Stephanie Dinkins, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Hito Steyerl, and Trevor Paglen, and also explores AI’s master-slave dialectic and the myth of technological neutrality. So please, Tech companies, PLEASE bring your employees to this exhibit for a field trip. The question is not whether you can afford to go, but whether you can afford not to.

Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving at the de Young (March 21 - July 26, 2020)

In the last few decades, Frida Kahlo has transcended artist and celebrity status and truly become an icon, her image instantly recognizable, heavily reproduced, and everywhere adored. And yet, the Frida underneath it all is continually full of surprises. This new show brings together a variety of her intensely intimate paintings as well as personal items that had been sealed away in her home, La Casa Azul, now Museo Frida Kahlo, until 2004. It will also highlight her connections to San Francisco--where she depicted herself in her Tehuana-inspired attire for the first time, and where she married Diego Rivera for the second time. Viewers can expect to see intimate photographs, clothing and jewelry, and even her orthopedic corsets, which she wore every day to hold her spine in place and which she decorated herself, often with revolutionary and reproductive imagery. The exhibit will offer a glimpse into the ways politics, gender, sexuality, trauma, and heritage affected her creative output. All signs point to this show being colorful, intimate, and very, very popular.

Judy Chicago: A Retrospective at the de Young (May 9 - September 5, 2020)

This exciting show is the very first retrospective dedicated to the work of legendary Feminist artist Judy Chicago. You probably know her from that famously vulvar Dinner Party, which premiered in San Francisco forty years ago next year, but her career has spanned almost six decades and has encompassed a shockingly large variety of themes and media. There will be over 150 works of art (from ceramics and paintings to needlework and performance art) that prove how revolutionary she was and still continues to be. Though her artwork comes in many forms, one thing that can be said about all of it is that it is shaped by a commitment to radical empathy--for women throughout history, for those who suffered in the holocaust, for the polar bears who are losing their habitat, etc. This celebratory show coincides with the one hundredth anniversary of the Women’s Vote in the United States, connecting Chicago’s legacy to a long line of women who broke barriers and defied tradition.

New Acquisitions on Display Now

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco were also pleased to share new acquisitions the museums have recently made. All of these can be seen on the second floor of the de Young.

The Turkmen bag

The de Young’s textile department, which boasts one of the nation’s finest collections of carpet weavings, is absolutely thrilled to be displaying a set of Turkmen Storage Bags. These bags were used by the Turkmen people, who dwelled in the Central Asian steppes for over 10 centuries. Rugs were essential to their way of life, as their nomadic lifestyle did not permit the use of furniture. Instead, they furnished their yurts with carpeting for floors and these portable storage rugs (called chuvals) hung from two slats to hold utensils and other goods. Who needs a cupboard or dresser when you have these bad boys? Chuvals made up a substantial part of a girl’s dowry, along with other woven goods like floor carpets and pouches, and were often made by the girl herself. The de Young’s display of these bags touches upon their anthropological, as well as aesthetic, significance. And while they are very tempting to touch, you probably shouldn’t.

The Turkmen storage bags will be on view now through November 15, 2020.

in Pursuit of Venus [infected] by Lisa Reihana

This seventy-foot-long, animated video installation is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Artist Lisa Reihana, who is of both Māori and British descent, was inspired to create this panoramic vision after viewing a set of 19th century French wallpaper titled Les Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique (Native Peoples of the South Pacific) that depicted Captain James Cook’s voyages in the Pacific and the peoples he encountered there. The original wallpaper (which is also part of FAMSF’s collection and can be seen alongside Reihana’s work) is full of paradise scenes depicting natives prancing about like Grecian goddesses in a Botticelli painting. Reihana challenges the Imperialist viewpoint expressed in the wallpaper by creating her own, animated version of the wallpaper that gently drifts across a large screen from right to left, showcasing vignettes and backgrounds inspired by Les Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique. Only she uses actual Pacific Islander actors engaged in traditional rituals and dances, and the vignettes are not all happy little hula dances -- they drift into moments of violence, of floggings and trade for sexual favors, shedding light on the dark truths behind colonization. This unique work is a must-see, astonishingly well-researched (she read extensively about Cook’s voyages from the point of views of both the Europeans and Pacific Islanders), mesmerizing to watch, and essential to current conversations about imperialism, race, and patrimony.

in Pursuit of Venus [infected] is on view now through January 5, 2020.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by all these wonderful looking shows coming up, don't worry! You're not alone. We're looking forward to them, too. Stay tuned for our exhibit reviews in the coming months, and maybe we'll see you at the museum!

By: Jeannette Baisch Sturman

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bbclesmis · 5 years

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TV Is Unwhitewashing History One Character, Period, and Genre at a Time

From “Les Miserables” and “Harlots” to “The Spanish Princess” and “The Terror,” TV producers are restoring the historical narratives of people of color.

Black characters on a show set in Tudor England would be a “stark anachronism” one consultant told “The Spanish Princess” co-showrunner Emma Frost in no uncertain terms. “Even I knew just from basic research that that wasn’t true,” she said in an interview with IndieWire during a set visit last year.

As TV shows seek out more inclusive storytelling, many producers are looking to the past to find new ways to freshen old stories. And while historical records and artwork have shown plenty of black, brown, and Asian faces through centuries of Western history, that same diversity has been largely absent in history class and on the screen unless it takes place after the 1950s. This dearth has affected the types of roles offered and even considered by actors of color.

Mandip Gill, who plays a British police officer of South Asian descent on “Doctor Who,” has only performed in contemporary projects. “I have always said I won’t be in a period drama. I just don’t see it happening,” she said. “I can’t even imagine it. When I’ve written down what types I like to play or where I would like to push the boundaries, it’s not with period dramas. I don’t watch them because I can’t relate to them.”

Danny Sapiani has had a better track record for landing period roles — such as Will North in “Harlots” and Sambene in “Penny Dreadful” — but that wasn’t always the case. “Period drama on screen was not a consideration when I began my professional career. Most film and tv roles were confined to the modern era, post-1950s, ghetto-ized in nature or victims of oppression,” he said.

David Oyelowo, who stars as Inspector Javert in the upcoming PBS-BBC adaptation of “Les Miserables,” agrees. “That was the case for me. And having grown up in the UK, and more specifically, on period drama, I had just resigned myself to the fact that, ‘Okay, those amazing shows are going to be shows I love, but they’re never going to have folks like me in it.’”

Sites like The Public Medievalist and historians like Onyeka have worked to challenge the narrative of the pure-white Western history that’s been widely accepted, even by people of color. Now actors and producers are following their example to restore the place of marginalized people on screen and into the public consciousness.

“The excuse has been used that it’s not historically accurate, and that’s just not true,” said Oyelowo. “If you are an actual genuine student of history — and not just coming from an ignorant kind of purely white lens in relation to European history — you’d know that people of color have been in France, in the UK, all over Europe, for centuries, and not just as slaves.”

Sapiani points to the discoveries and documentation available for anyone to research about the existence of people of color in Europe for centuries.

“As evidenced by the discovery of Cheddar Man, the first complete skeleton found in a gorge in Somerset, the first modern Britons who arrived on the island 10,000 years ago had black to brown skin, blue eyes and dark wavy hair. It is from these earliest arrivals that the inhabitants of Britain derive their origins,” he said.

“In fact, there are very few periods in history where people of color do not feature, not only in Britain — the setting of most costume dramas — but across the entire European continent. The census notes 20,000 blacks living in Britain in 1780, the century we focus on in ‘Harlots,’ more than half that number living in London, which is where ‘Harlots’ is set. Even though this was during the height of the slave trade, not all those people were slaves or victims of white racism. Fascinating characters like Will North, spanned social and class boundaries, often, though not always, against incredible odds.”

Hulu’s “Harlots,” about the war between two brothels in Georgian London, not only features the free man Will North, but also several black harlots, one of whom ran her own brothel.

“There were tens of thousands of people of color living in London in the 1760s. We have found stories of musicians, estate managers, fencing masters, actresses, grocers, prize fighters, haberdashers, soldiers, poets, activists, librarians and clerks,” said “Harlots” co-creator Moira Buffini.

“Some were clearly people of means, like the ‘black lady covered in finery,’ spotted by Hester Thrale at the opera. ‘Harris’s List of Covent Garden Ladies’ has entries for several women of color who were making their living in the sex trade and The Nocturnal Revels tells us of ‘Black Harriot,’ a very successful courtesan who ran a popular ‘house of exotics.’ All our stories are about people trying to find agency when society gives them none — and this seems in especially sharp relief for our characters of color. Violet is a street whore and pickpocket but from her perspective, society is the thief. Her mother was stolen. Violet, in her own eyes, is neither victim nor criminal. She has a raw integrity and a personal truth that others find both intimidating and irresistible.”

For “The Spanish Princess,” an adaptation of two Philippa Gregory historical novels set in Tudor England about Catherine of Aragon, Frost and co-showrunner Matthew Graham turned to books by Onyeka to develop characters of color who would have fit in during that time. In particular, they discovered the story of the real-life Lina de Cardonnes (played by Stephanie Levi-John in the series), a high-ranking noble woman who acted as Catherine’s lady-in-waiting and companion.

“There was a character that was referenced in Phillipa’s books who was what they call a dueñas or a lady-in-waiting to Catherine. Her name was Catalina de Cardonnes and she was just this larger than life character who was depicted as white Spanish,” said Graham. “Then we just did a bit of cursory research and discovered that it was based on Lina de Cardonnes and that she was African Iberian. She was a black lady. So, we were certainly like, ‘Wow, this is a bigger story and a more interesting story than we can possibly imagine.’”

This discovery of the larger part that people of color have played throughout history has been increasing the more people look into telling marginalized stories. The author of “The Miniaturist” Jessie Burton and Netflix’s “Anne With an E” creator Moira Walley-Beckett had similar epiphanies and added black characters in significant roles to their stories set in the Dutch Golden Age and Edwardian Canada, respectively.

In many of these cases, ignorance or acceptance of the dominant narrative could explain the lack of representation in these TV shows. The absence of photographic or film evidence made it easier to whitewash the presence of people of color.

But there’s really no excuse with period dramas set in the 20th century and beyond, when plenty of visual records show the diversity present. As with the #OscarsSoWhite campaign started by activist April Reign, the biggest problems facing more inclusive TV lay in challenging the mindset at the studio level and changing who’s behind the camera.

As seen with many of the shows that are including people of color in historical narratives, the show’s creators are often women, people of color themselves, or part of the LGBTQ community. When marginalized groups help each other, this can address intersectionality.

For example, Carol Hay and Michelle Ricci co-created the Jazz Age mystery adventure show “Frankie Drake Mysteries” coming to Ovation on June 15. Not only did they make a show about Toronto’s first female private detective, but they also cast Chantel Riley as Trudy, Frankie’s partner who happens to also be a black woman.

“When Shaftesbury [Films] came up with this idea and decided to have a black female lead, it was mind-blowing to me because you never really hear about black folk or Asian folk, in that time,” Riley said. “We touch on the Asian community, the black community, even the Indian community as well. That’s why I was really attracted to this particular show, because no one’s really doing that in this particular era.”

In some cases, actors have had to step behind the cameras themselves to increase the opportunities for people of color. Daniel Dae Kim left “Hawaii Five-0,” and the first series that he produced afterward is ABC’s “The Good Doctor,” which has provided numerous on-screen opportunities for actors from marginalized groups.

Similarly, Oyelowo became an executive producer on “Les Miserables” to take control of how his role of Javert and the other people of color were portrayed. Oyelowo also co-produced and starred in the period film “A United Kingdom.”

“I wanted to make sure that me being in [‘Les Miserables’] wasn’t going to be a token thing. I wanted to make sure that people of color were integrated through the story in an organic way that didn’t feel imposed,” he said.

“But also, something very important to me was the American distribution. I wanted it to be on a channel that was worthy of the work that everyone was putting into it. And so, I had a hand in it going to PBS Masterpiece. Anything that takes me away from my kids for any period of time better be worth it. And so, some of the times I produce in order to develop. Some of the times I produce in order to be able to have a say in how things are cast, how they are marketed, how they are distributed. And that’s basically been the case with this.”

Currently, there aren’t many period shows by people of color about people of color on TV. John Singleton’s “Snowfall” on FX is set in Los Angeles during the 1980s crack epidemic and was renewed for a third season.

Over on broadcast, the late 1990s-set comedy “Fresh Off the Boat,” based on the memoir of Eddie Huang and created by Nahnatchka Khan, a queer woman of Iranian descent, is currently in its fifth season. It’s the first TV show with an Asian cast in over 20 years — since Margaret Cho’s short-lived “All American Girl” — and stars Randall Park and Constance Wu as the Huangs, who had relocated to the Florida suburbs with their family. Khan had to make a case for why the show had to remain in the ‘90s to replicate the real-life Huangs’ feelings of alienation.

“I remember having a creative discussion with 20th [Century Fox] at the very beginning about them asking me, ‘Why does it have to be set in the ‘90s?’” she said. “For me it was creating a sense of isolation with the family. They moved to Orlando in the middle of the white suburbs and they don’t know anybody. But in the present day, you can get online and talk to your friends and you can text people. You have a connection outside of your everyday life, even if it’s virtual.”

Other than those, “Underground” was the last period show about people of color by a creator of color, Misha Green. WGN’s critically acclaimed slavery-era period drama lasted two seasons and was canceled shortly after Sinclair Media Group announced it would purchase Tribune Media, which owns WGN.

Fortunately, this scarcity won’t last for long. Many period shows that feature significant narratives for people of color are on the horizon. Green has teamed up with Jordan Peele for the HBO drama horror “Lovecraft Country,” which takes place on a road trip during 1950s Jim Crow America. Barry Jenkins executive produces and directs the upcoming Amazon series “The Underground Railroad,” an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s book. Justin Lin and Jonathan Tropper’s “Warrior” premieres April 5 on Cinemax and is based on Bruce Lee’s original concept about a Chinese immigrant who becomes a hatchet man for the most powerful tong in late 1800s Chinatown in San Francisco.

One other upcoming series explores a new genre for the period TV show that adds a provocative take on a historical event. In its second season, AMC’s anthology series “The Terror” explores the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II through the lens of Japanese horror. Actor George Takei, who experienced internment, acts as a consultant and series regular.

“We’re telling the story of a very underserved piece of American history using the vocabulary of Japanese-style horror as an analog for the terror of the actual historical event,” said co-creator and showrunner Alexander Woo.

“I don’t want the audience to feel removed from the events that are happening on screen. What a horror movie or horror series does is it makes you feel viscerally in the shoes of the person who’s trapped in the house or the person who’s running away from the monster or whatever it is. So we’re using that style, that language, to make you really feel how terrifying the experience of the Japanese Americans who lived through this terrible experience.”

While the Japanese ghost story trappings fits the tone of the narrative in “The Terror: Infamy,” Woo acknowledges that the genre twist might have helped pitching the show.

“We’re in an era of so much content and a period of such creative power, we have more sophisticated viewers that will hopefully appreciate a period drama told in a specific style,” he said. “Those two things used to not mix. That was not something that you would want to try because it might seem complicated or it might seem challenging, which I think now, in this time, that sounds very appealing… It’s also a terrific lens for us to understand things that are happening in the present. The story of internment is obviously relevant in a host of ways to the present day, so I think it’s a valuable story and has to be told now.”

While these more inclusive narratives continue to be discovered and told, inevitably people used to the status quo will resist and deny those stories. It’s the very reason that these stories haven’t been told in the first place.

“The more recent phenomenon of whitewashing, a political tool of the imperialists, dates back only a few hundred years,” said Sapiani. “I am so proud to see, and be a part of this change towards a more accurate and frankly more interesting dramatized interpretation of our world history. Needless to say, there is so much further to go.”

https://www.indiewire.com/2019/03/tv-unwhitewashing-history-period-dramas-hbo-hulu-pbs-abc-1202049639/

#les mis bbc #bbc les mis #david oyelowo #javert #Interviews #articles #indiewire

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champagnediva · 5 years

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If you want to drive in Santo Domingo “Don’t” . Nerves of steel is an understatement, at least for me.

Red lights ! oblivious. Lanes !! only a suggestion. Imagine you open a room full of crazies and distribute driving licences, cars and motorcycles and just say “go out there and drive, Don’t Worry about the rules , there are none” I know you think I’m exaggerating or being funny, NOT!!!. Utter chaos. Although I must say I didn’t see any bodies on the road so I suppose there must be a method to their madness . Anyway that was my experience . Aside from the driving part it was a good experience. They do have a good transit system ,so if you are not a daredevil maybe you could travel by train or Taxi , lots of people use Uber ( Orange cars). Renting a car is cheap but by the time you add insurance it becomes a bit expensive. Another thing which I think needs mentioning is safety, driving around in Santo Domingo, I was told not to keep my window down, I guess driving my convertible is out of the question 😦 .

Santo Domingo random street photos

train station

Drove around Santo Domingo a bit. fascinating electrical work. How the heck to they figure this out?

The casino next to The Sheraton.

The first night we spent at the Sheraton Santo Domingo on the Malecon. Star quality hotel ,very welcoming staff. I always prefer to eat local but we decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant with friends ( not a big fan of hotel food). Can’t say I was disappointed, the ceviche was pretty delicious.

Shrimp Cocktail

Cevice

A good night sleep on BTW was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in, at a hotel.

Breakfast , then off we went to las Terrenas. The purpose of my trip was to go check out the possibilities of buying a property.

On the road keep the speed limit ,radar is everywhere ready to catch you. If you are stopped , they just want money. Of Course we were stopped, they somehow know when you are a tourist. I was told that most people just pay and go, and I did notice that they didn’t really want to give us a ticket. We could have just paid and left but instead we pretended we did not understand Spanish or what they were saying, frustrated the crap out of them, after 15 minutes of frustrations, no ticket, no payola. The words “La Prensa” (my Press pass ) got us on our way. Guess they didn’t want a write up. LOL .

We finally arrived in las Terrenas after more than 2 hours of driving from Santo Domingo.The tolls from Santo Domingo to Las Terrenas are about 25.00 Usd or about 1200 Pesos. Make sure you have Pesos , they don’t accept USD.

Las Terrenas

A resort town on the Samaná Peninsula, in the northeastern part of the Dominican Republic. A beautiful safe town inhabited by lots of European retirees. I found it quite interesting that in most place I went in town, most people spoke French,of course English and Spanish .

The French bakery and of course the local Cigar shop.

Graffiti in las terrenas

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LODGING: Residencia El Balata

A very unique property about 2 km from the beach, you can actually walk to the beach. very Original in design , natural woodwork . The owner is very friendly and very accommodating. English, French and Italian are spoken. Of course Spanish .

its the perfect spot , quiet and very relaxing . The property gives you the feeling of really being away from civilization.They have a large parking and no problems with Wi-Fi. We did not opt for the breakfast but they serve a wonderful breakfast for an additional $5.00 and for an additional $10.00 you can request AC, we didn’t need it, as the temperature was quite comfortable with the windows open and the ceiling fan. Our room was very clean , modern , large and comfortable. The wood theme was carried throughout the rooms and the entire property. The prices are quite affordable. There is also a 3 legged Rottweiler , who is very shy.

On my next visit to las Terrenas I will definitely stay there again and highly recommend it..

What would a beach town be without beach bars and restaurants?.We took a liking to MOJITOS specially for their Mojito Happy Hour. This is a Cuban restaurant owned by Carlos he is originally from Cuba and travels back and forth. you can also get dinner there.

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Most people seem to prefer Motorcycles and ATVs as a mode of transportation. This makes the center of town a bit noisy.

But my favorite for prices and food,is the retaurant Le Tre Caravelle a convivial little spot for Italian food. The decor might throw you off a bit , as it looks more like seafood than Italian,but dont let that sway you, the food is fabulous, and at 0.50 pesos for $1.00 you can have a lovely inexpensive little vacay.

Whale Watching in Samana

we booked a trip with whale Samana with Marine biologist Kim Beddall In Samana Bay. One of the top 10 places in the world to watch whales. The humpback whales comes every year to give birth in Samana Bay making them, honorary citizens of the Dominican republic.

The sea was really rough , I was being thrown around like a beach ball , my friends were like “What the heck? ‘they laugh at me since I seemed to have been the only one flying around. Thank god they gave out sea bands for sea sickness ,usually I travel with my own, but forgot them on this trip. Unfortunatly and before knowing that they were going to distribute sea bands I was given a Dramamine pill ( hate to take those ) since I become sort of a useless zombi for the entire day. Oh Well.)

after ge got back to santo Domingo we still had one more night so we checked into the Crown Plaza Hotel . I would have prefered an older hotel in the colonial zone but the one we wanted was full. Anyway can’t go wrong with the crown plaza.

One more drive around the city to visit and take pictures before heading to the airport.

The Colonial zone is definitely worth a visit. The rum museum Museo Del Ron Y La Cana is fabulous, we got yo taste the various flavored and top of the line aged rums. They even had cilantro flavored rum. I bought a bottle of pineapple rum but had to leave it behind ( no checked baggage ) NO charge for the visit. Unfortunately my trip was very short ,I would have liked to spend a little more time to take pictures in the colonial zone and learn a bit more history.

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As you walk down Calle El conde ,The first commercial street in the New World and a popular pedestrian shopping area, 10 blocks long and cuts right through the Colonial city. The cobblestone road is lined with restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops and also street art vendors selling colorful paintings. There are plenty of historic sights along the way , starting at Calle El Conde’s entrance at Parque Independencia, onto the Parque Colón and first cathedral, to its edge at Calle Las Damas.

The home ofDiego Colon

At the beginning of every block there is a Munecas Limé .

You maybe wondering why the dolls have no face?. In the 1980’s s sculptor Liliana Mera Limé (hence the name) created these faceless dolls. The are called munecas Limé. They represent a people of diverse ancestral blend from the native Quisqueyanos, the Africans, and the Spanish Conquistadores. The dolls, have no faces so as not to show preference to one branch of their ancestral lineage (i.e.. discriminating against the black or native american ancestry). Great souvenir to take back or to collect. they are found everywhere.

Unfortunately my trip was very short ,I would have liked to spend a little more time to take pictures in the colonial zone and learn a bit more history. Next time.

One last little note about tipping;

Another interesting Tidbit . On all bills , restaurant and other purchases , there is a fee added of 10% P/Legal and a service charge of 18 % which they call a tip. You are actually paying an additional fee on your bill of 28% ( You are still expected to tip). Its was very confusing when i first got my first bill in the restaurant. thinking the tip was included. I understand that the wages are very low so even if you give an extra 10%.

I hope that you found this to be interesting and It encourages you to take a little trip. I would really appreciate your comments and recommendations.

Nerves of steel, Dominican driving.It’s more than that. If you want to drive in Santo Domingo "Don't" . Nerves of steel is an understatement, at least for me.

#cigars #colonial Art #Graffiti #las terrenas #Mural Artist #rum #santo domingo #tipping #travel #Travel Art #wellbeing #whale watching #whales

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allthatwonderwander-blog · 6 years

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Why Learn a new language and how i am learning!

Salut!/ Oye!/ Dia dhuit!/ Salaam ‘alaykum/ Salam!/ Bonjourno!/ Priyvet!/ Hello! <3

Now being a Linguistic anthropology major you can tell right away that i love to learn new languages, but when i tell people how many languages i am learning i get questions like “How do you keep them straight in your head?” “Why do you need to know so many languages?” and my favorite “You are a blonde, white girl, why do you want to learn Persian and Arabic?” well, my friend, ill tell you why!!!!

Being an American, you can verify that there are only two languages that most people speak, being English, and Spanish. America has a long history of being a melting pot of different culture and languages, some of which stay alive in the family of those former immigrants that wanted to find a new and better life for their family due to the growing opportunities and the famous “American Dream” complex arising. However, there’s a lot of dark history in these Immigrants stories; due to the pushing of assimilation as well as American nationalism of the time, and still happening in modern day, some families lost their culture and diverse language to fully become an English speaking, Anglocentric American. For instance, my family are descendants of Irish, Scottish, German and English immigrants (everyone in America, except Native Americans, are descendants of immigrants) and yes, we speak English, being that it is the official language of the USA, but that’s as far as I am connected to my English history; you don’t see me whipping up English tea and blood pudding for breakfast. As far as my German side, we celebrate Christmas with a Christmas tree just like everyone else; but HEYYYYYYYY bonus fact, the tradition of the Christmas tree was started in Germany ---> (https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees). But as far as connection to my heritage, when you look at me you can pick out what I am based on my features and that is pretty much it.

Now how does America compare to the rest of the world based on Language education? Well simply, America is very America centric with most of its citizens only speaking English fluently, and some can speak at a beginner to intermediate level of another language, most popular being French and Spanish because those are provided in the public-school system. As for Europe and Africa, most of my European/African friends speak many language; for example, my French buddy can obviously speak French, and English, I also have English speaking, as well as regional native speaking, friends that are Persian, Italian, Ivorian (Cote d’ivore), Egyptian, Swedish, German, Irish (yes, Irish people have their own language), Welsh (yes, they do as well), Romanian, and Russian. All of them speak their native language, as well as English, but also speak other languages on top of that! For instance, my Ivorian friend speaks English and French as well as many native tribal languages. So why is America so unilingual while a lot of the world is polylingual? I believe it’s geography. Going back to my Ivorian friend, she comes from Cote d’ivore where their Official language is French, but the common people still hold on to their tribal roots and have continued the native tribal languages, so when she goes to the market she needs to know these languages so that she can communicate with individuals that speak another tribal language, as well as for English, she moved to America when we were in high school, so for her to communicate she learned English. In America, our neighbors to the north speak majority English, so in North America unless you are going to Mexico or Quebec, Canada, there is no real need to learn a different language; even if you do go to Quebec or Mexico you don’t need to know the respective languages because chances are there will be English speakers in these areas, or at least understand enough to help you. So, Why learn a new language even if you are not traveling to a different country, or even thinking about traveling to a different country? My answer is quite simple; Understanding. In America everyone can pretty much agree that the news platforms are biased towards the news that they think either will or won’t boost their views and rating. Which is a smart strategy when you’re just looking at the success of the news group, but when it comes to understanding different cultures an ocean’s away from our own, it can create prejudices, and stereotypes. Why I chose to learn new languages, I did it to understand more about the Iranian Nuclear conflict, as well as the Israel/Palestine conflict; I’m a huge history and politics buff if you couldn’t tell. So, since I was only getting the American side of what I was learning, I decided if I truly wanted to see both sides I would have to understand the language of the other side of the argument, because I was always taught, history is written by Victor. So, I took to the internet to find a way to learn languages, and found websites books and apps, while they are great for practicing and learning the written language, but they don’t help you KNOW the language in the sense of being able to speak to a native speaker. So, I went to find Pen pals, what is a pen pal? They are people just like you from all over the world that wish to see what life is like for citizens of different parts of the world from their own, also they are perfect for language exchange. I came across this great website called interpals.net and set my status as “Trying to learn Persian, would someone like to help?” and I got a message not too long after saying [Hello, my name is {Persian friend} and I am from Tehran and now live in Azerbaijan for university. I saw you wanted to learn Persian, I would be honored to be your Persian friend.” That was my first pen pal and now we have been talking for almost 2 years. We talk about visiting each other and truly seeing what our respective countries look like. But I learned how to say Salam Sobh bekheir, chetori chakhabar? (Hello good morning, how are you?) sorry if the spelling is wrong I speak it not write it xD.

But since learning these languages I have found out what they see as important in their society, for example in Arabic there are manyyyyyyyyyyyyyy words for the word “love,” as well as the history of the nation because language is an adaptive thing, it changes from nation to nation and you can see where the people came from based on language families, as well as seeing the history of the conquered nations based on the official languages of the country, for example in Ukraine they speak Russian but they also speak Ukrainian, which is another Slavic language, this shows that not only did Ukrainians and Russian hailed from similar ancestors, but at one point Russian had political power over Ukraine.

So, now the question you all been asking (maybe…). How do you even learn a language? I don’t want to pay 100s of dollars to sit in a classroom confused? Well you don’t have to! Go online or travel and find a friend that speaks the language you wish to learn! That’s how I learned! Get them to teach you as many phrases as you think you can handle a day by just throwing them into conversation and provide a translation, from there you can try and throw those words into similar context in your part of the conversation. I also find it really helps to learn how the language is spoken as well as accents of the language by watching foreign movies, television shows and by listening to music from a different country. But the one thing that is the biggest help in practice is language apps, like Duolingo, which I use. Duolingo uses pictures, sentence translations, matching and speaking exercises to help you study, and the app does talk to you if you are an auditory language learner like myself!

Language learning is practice but if you want to connect with another culture through their language, the work is well worth it!

“if you talk to a man in his second language, you’re talking to his brain, if you talk to him in his mother language you're talking to his heart.” --Nelson Mandela

#language #understanding #language learning #europe #africa #america #english #french #farsi #arabic #lingustics #irish #welsh #learning #friends #pen pal

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shooktim-blog · 5 years

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Whether you’re in Europe, North America or elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere, there’s no doubt that the summer of 2019 has already been a hot one. If heat isn’t your thing, there are plenty of places you can still visit to cool off though, which is why I decided to share a few favorites today. This year I’m working with Allianz Travel Insurance to share my thoughts about travel, what makes me happy when I explore the world and why I even travel in the first place. This post is done in partnership with them and I’m excited for the opportunity to share some amazing places to visit this summer. Remember though, no matter where you go travel insurance is always a good idea, as I discuss in this post.

Iceland

I’ve been to Iceland several times now, each trip focusing on a different region of the country. It has very quickly become one of my favorite places to visit for any number of reasons, including how much fun it is to explore. For the best experience though in Iceland, I firmly believe that visitors need to leave the capital city and venture out into the countryside, especially the somewhat-remote northern areas. The northern regions, particularly the Lake Mývatn area, are rich with natural wonders no matter the time of year, but in the summer months the landscapes are green and easy to access without being too hot. Whether you drive yourself or take a tour with a local, there are plenty of natural sights to enjoy from waterfalls and lava fields to natural baths and mountain landscapes. Spending time in the northern tier of Iceland feels like standing on the edge of the world because, well, you are.

Incredible Museums

Even if you do find yourself visiting a place that’s hot in the summer, there are plenty of ways to enjoy yourself without suffering from heat stroke. One of my favorites of course is to visit a great museum. I love museums, but I’m fairly picky about the ones I spend time visiting. My personal interests veer towards history and culture more so than art, and thanks to that natural proclivity I’ve discovered some fairly amazing museums around the world. Any museum I believe is to be treasured because it means that someone or a group of people cared so deeply about a subject that they devoted a significant portion of their lives to showcase what makes it so great. That’s to be admired I think and it makes the museum, almost no matter what the topic, worth at least a short visit. Granted, not all museums are made the same and believe me, I’ve visited some truly horrible ones over the years. But I’ve also had the great opportunity to visit smaller, quirky and off the beaten path institutions that I think are well worth anyone’s time to visit. So when you visit a new city, yes, seek out the famous museums but also do a little research to find those quirky spots that you’ll probably enjoy even more.

Melbourne, Australia

Of course if it’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere that means it’s winter in Australia and a great time to visit. One of my favorite cities in the world just after a few hours of being there – some places you just fall in love with right away and for me that was Melbourne. Still, I felt like I owed it to myself to go back and confirm whether or not this love was for real, or just a one-night stand. On one of my trips to Australia I rearranged the schedule and frankly went out of my way just to have a couple of nights in beautiful Melbourne and you know what? It was totally worth it. I don’t know if it’s the convenient downtown core or just the surprising beauty of the city, but it all clicks for me and it’s not only a place I could visit again and again, but I know I could also happily live there. I’m not alone either; Melbourne frequently makes the top list of most livable cities in the world owing to this unique combination of beautiful neighborhoods, diverse activities and just overall charm.

Cape Town, South Africa

Calling the tip of Africa home, the Mother City is one of the most popular cities in the world for a reason, it’s amazing. Routinely named to the Best in the World lists, Cape Town is unlike any other city you’ve visited before. In a quirky mix of European and African sensibilities, it’s easy to forget that you’re in southern Africa as you stroll around this colonial city. Days could be spent exploring the historical and cultural treasures of The Mother City, as well as admiring the natural beauty that is all encompassing. From the omnipresent Table Mountain to Chapman’s Peak Drive, your jaw will drop many times as you survey the beautiful landscapes that define this area of South Africa. Travel umami is something that is impossible to define, but rather the combination of all elements of a destination that culminates in a sort of perfection that has to be felt to be properly understood. That’s Cape Town and that is certainly South Africa. Long before my first trip to Southern Africa I was told that there is something in the air, something that latches onto your soul and refuses to let go. I naturally didn’t believe them until my first time experiencing it firsthand and then I understood, I got what they were talking about – this special travel umami. That’s simultaneously my top reason why everyone should visit but also the only one I can’t prove. So just trust me, plan a trip and go, go see and feel and taste South Africa and then I dare you to come back and say I was wrong.

Ireland

The Aran Islands are a group of three islands located in Galway Bay on the west coast of Ireland and even in the summer they’re not usually too hot. Largely isolated throughout the centuries, their remote location has defined culture on the islands even up to today. There’s a reason why thousands of tourists visit Inishmore every week during the high season – it’s amazing. Due to its location and history, Inishmore remains a destination that honors its past in a way that is almost unique in Ireland. This is experienced through language and culture, but also the preserved thatched roof homes and ancient stone walled farms dotting the island. Although my time in the Aran Islands was all too brief, it was a highlight of my trip to Ireland. I love visiting small, remote islands, to enjoy both unique cultures as well as gorgeous landscapes. Inishmore is one of the most impressive I’ve seen around the world and instead of satiating my curiosity, my first visit has only fueled a strong desire to return and explore even more.

New Zealand

Like Australia, once again take advantage of the winter weather in the Southern Hemisphere with a visit to New Zealand. If you visit before the snows start, then I recommend driving around to best experience the country. Tackling the Great West Coast Drive on New Zealand’s South Island was one of the most remarkable experiences of my life. State Highway 6 is massive, extending from the northeastern corner of the South Island across the top and then down the length first along the West Coast and then across the Southern Alps. To complete the entire drive would take weeks, and I only had time for the West Coast portions, but even that brief encounter was enough to convince me that this truly is one of the world’s great road trips. The beauty of New Zealand exists on a scale unheard of in other parts of the world. Starting in Greymouth and following the coastline, it seemed as if there was another “once in a lifetime” view every few minutes. Whether it’s rainforests or glaciers, Hobbit country is just as amazing as it appears on the big screen.

Seattle

Sandwiched between lakes and mountains, Seattle’s climate is famously temperate. With a moderate temperature and a vibrant atmosphere, Seattle is one of the best places in the country to escape the summer heat. The city is full of fun things to do like visiting the iconic Space Needle, towering over the city, and exploring the massive Pike Place Market where visitors and locals alike indulge their taste buds with delicious foods and shop for odd gifts. For those who would rather take advantage of the cooler temperatures of Seattle to venture into the great outdoors, the city is a good home base. Washington State has some of the most gorgeous and untouched forests in the country and are perfect for some light day hikes.

Canadian Maritimes

I have spent a fair amount of time exploring Canada and almost never have I had a bad experience. But not all parts of the country get equal attention by international tourists, which is one reason why I want to highlight the provinces that comprise the Maritimes. Specifically, over the last few years I’ve had the great opportunity to explore two Maritime provinces, Newfoundland & Labrador and Nova Scotia. Made famous by the ultra-luxury hotel on Fogo Island, Newfoundland has had its fair share of press lately, but there’s so much more to the province than a nice hotel. Whether it’s St. John’s or taking a coastal road trip, the scenery, food and people will quickly endear you to the province. Many of those qualities aren’t endemic to Newfoundland though, they’re part of the overall Maritime experience, as I learned after spending a week in Nova Scotia. Those same kind and very curious people made the trip remarkable, accentuated by natural wonders like the Bay of Fundy and a surprisingly high level of great food. So skip some of the more flashy provinces and instead plan to spend some time along the gorgeous Atlantic seaboard of Canada.

What would you add to this list?

The post Summer Loving – Great Places to Visit When Temperatures Soar appeared first on LandLopers.

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asocio-blog2 · 4 years

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Reside Malta: When is it a good idea to reside or start a business in Malta?

Malta is a quiet archipelago in the middle Mediterranean within Sicily and the North African Coast. The Mediterranean sea consists of the sunny holiday islands which are Malta, Gozo, Comino and the Uninhabited Islands Filfla, Cominotto and St. Paul’s Island. It is a best known in the world for historic sites related to a succession of rulers including the Moors, Romans, Knights of Saint John, British and French. It was last ruled by Britishers, who occupied the Maltese archipelago for almost 2 centuries and as a result, English is considered as one of the two official languages besides Maltese. Other languages which are widely spoken are French and Italian.

Malta is considered as the central island of the archipelago because it is charming, attractive and sunny holiday island. It consists of alluring and fascinating past with rich and varied cultural and architectural heritage. The island beautifies itself by the unique landscape of rugged coastlines and beautiful bays. There are various wonderful and cultural buildings with centuries-old history. There are various options for opting for one of the small beaches in the bays of Malta or you will get many options the beautiful white beaches of the neighbouring island Gozo. Why don’t you choose to live there? You can also choose to live there for one or more years. Things are quite easy there because Malta is a member of the EU for example, non-EU nationals who should decide to become resident of Malta can enjoy visa-free access to the Schengen area.

Starting up a company in Malta

Malta is unique in many terms like it is one of few states in the world with an imputation system for corporate taxes. This makes Malta a high corporate tax on companies but most of it ends up being reimbursed later. Malta’s Corporate tax rate is 35%. However, the Maltese tax authority reimbursement includes 85% of this 35% tax rates within two weeks. The actual tax rate actually prevails at 5%, which is among the lowest in the whole EU. Within the system, you also can not avoid CFC rules.

The greatest hurdle in reimbursement is money isn’t transferred back to the company, instead 30% is put into another account that you choose. It can bring lots of problems which will be far beyond the imagination.

So, reimbursement isn’t received in the form of dividends but rather as income. In case you are paying high taxes, your reimbursement will be assessed (when the money is transferred to a private account) and in case of progressive income tax, often exceeding 26.8% withholding tax.

If you are running a business as a non-dom living in Malta your tax reimbursement is considered national income and is taxed entirely according to a progressive system. In both these cases, you can only able to avoid this by creating a holding structure that channels the reimbursement into earnings. With this, you can receive earnings with a considerably lower corporate tax or depending on the holding company, completely tax-free.

If we look deeper into this, in any case, it is important to give attention to the credibility of the holding company, for this it is necessary that at least when you are registered in a country with its CFC rules. If your company is from the EU and has real assets, then it can be more expensive. The business owners in Malta living in countries with CFC rules are considered to be double structured with a worth of starting at very high-income levels (anything over 250000 euro.

If you are thinking to live in Malta as a non-dom, you do not need to pay attention to the credibility of this company as a foreign company. So before taking any decision make sure that you really need this type of double structure.

Starting a business in Malta as a non-dom

The lawyers always know it but they make much money from helping business-owners getting the non-dom status (because this only involves one payment). So they take advantage of this and instead of leaving it there, they sell these very experience Maltese companies in global packages, they extend it further by accounting including, which brings in an annual income that may be in thousands of euros.

Various law firms try to sell the double structure between the company in Malta and the foreign company to obtain the status of non-doms for every individual migrate rates to Malta. Notwithstanding, there are only a few future non-doms who are aware that to get tax reimbursement, neither a Maltese company nor an additional foreign company is required.

It is quite genuine that a non-dom can find the solution works in Malta and paying off for it can be a clumsy and time-consuming process. The better option for this is you can simply complete the registration process yourself and establish a foreign company in any part of the world. You can easily work with this without any complications in Malta as a non-dom, and because there are no strict CFC rules, you can operate in an offshore country completely tax-free.

In comparison to the system in Cyprus, emigrating to Malta doesn’t require you to establish a company there.

Non-Domiciled Status

Under Maltese law, The Domicile Of the origin of any individual is that acquired at birth from the father and this will change when the father obtaining a different domicile of choice and showing an intention to reside fully in the new domicile while severing ties with his domicile of origin. At the time of attaining the age of majority that is eighteen (18), the individual his own domicile of choice in the same way. Malta is not deemed with domiciling rules as having been developed in the United Kingdom.

Resident Non-Dom Status

To live in Malta the individuals need the most appropriate residence rules applicable to them. The non-EU/EEA nationals, individuals and families may take up residence under the Global Residence Programme. If the EU nationals want to live in Malta than they take up residence in Malta under the Malta Ordinary Residence system or benefit from The Residence Programme Rules.

Source & Remittance Basis of Taxation

The non-domiciled residents of Malta are taxable on a remittance basis only on foreign-source income and not the foreign source capital. They are remitted to Malta only to the extent remitted. The income and capital gains arising in Malta are always subject to tax in Malta at the applicable personal income tax rates.

Double Taxation relief

Malta owns more than 60 double treaties. Persons who take their way to live in Malta can receive their pensions in Malta free of tax at source and subject to a mere 15% under the Global Residence Programme or the Retirement Programme.

With this, Malta also offers the Overseas capital funds invested locally and they are only taxed on any interest or dividends generated thereon, with only 15% flat rate. The benefits for the permanent residents include double taxation agreements existing between Malta, many countries like Canada, Australia, and the USA ensures that the tax charged by them is never relying twice on the same income.

The used household stuff and personal effects like furniture and other domestic articles (excluding firearms and weapons of all kinds) are imported free from import duty if you import them in six months before your arrival in Malta to take up residence. In these cases, import licenses are not required.

Other Tax Considerations

No inheritance tax

No estate tax

No wealth tax

No municipal tax

No rates

There is a stamp duty which the acquirer needs to pay on the transfer of immovable property situated in Malta and transfers of shares in any Maltese company. (including transfers on death). If any company is listed on the Malta Stock Exchange or if the vast majority of business interests are outside Malta then the exemptions from stamp duty are available on the transfer of shares in any Maltese company.

How to get tax residence in Malta for EU citizens

You have to open a company in Cyprus to earn the non-dom status and in case of Malta, any foreigner can become a non-dom without even having to apply for it. All these are possible because of the freedom of establishment within the EU, there are the following minimum requirements.

You have spent at least six months of the year in Malta

You have to pay the rent of all year or own a house

You need to have a valid health insurance

You need to be independent means you need to make 14000 euro a year or 84.95 euro a week.

The Maltese HNWI program as an alternative for wealthy people

In the year 2014, the Malta Individual Investor Programme (IIP) was introduced which offers high and ultra-high net worth individuals and families worldwide citizenship in a highly respected EU Member Country. Becoming a member of the European Union since 2004 Malta enjoys a stable political climate, bi-partisan political scene, growing economy, and has some of the soundest banks in the world. The European Commission has recognised Malta IIP the first investment citizenship program, the executive body of the European Union has formally acknowledged the legality of the program paving the way to success.

A certificate of Naturalization is granted to the successful candidates, it can be extended for the family members of individuals. Once a candidate is awarded Malta citizenship including EU citizenship, they have the right of establishment in all 28 EU countries and Switzerland. They are also free to set their business in Malta and also they can get a Malta Passport which enables them to enjoy visa-free travel to more than 160 countries across the world including the United States.

Update:

More than 1000 Malta passport applications are distributed for more than 40 countries until 2019 under the Individual Investor Program. As of date, the IIP Malta is accepting new applications yet.

Eligibility for Individual Investor Programme Malta

The Malta government passed an amendment in 2013 to chapter 188 of the Maltese Citizenship Act, as well as the enactment of Legal Notice LN47 in 2014, according to these it legally grants eligible persons EU citizenship by Investment via the Malta Individual Investor Program. To apply for the Malta citizenship scheme 18 years of age is mandatory and the applicant needs to meet all the Malta Immigration requirements, which are listed below:

Fit and Proper Test

The Malta citizenship by investment program has some of the strictest diligence standards for any immigrant investor in the world, for this, only deserving and reputed applicants are granted Maltese citizenship. There is a four-tier diligence process carried out directly by the government to assess candidates as a part of the Malta Individual Investor Programme.

The applicants need a clean cut record from any type of crimes, to check the criminal record the Malta government conducts extensive criminal checks with INTERPOL, the International Criminal Court, and various other sources and authorities. The applicants must have to provide a Police certificate before they get approved for European citizenship.

Good Health

For becoming a citizen of Malta you must need to show that they are healthy and not suffering from any contagious diseases. All the applicants must need to be covered by an international health insurance policy.

Financial Contribution

A non-refundable contribution is important for all the individuals applying to the Malta Individual Investor Program, it is necessary for the National Development and Social Fund set up by the government of Malta and it is run by a board of trustees. The fund which is of the same level as the central bank, finances projects in the country linked to public health, education, job creation, social improvement, and innovation. The below contributions are necessary to make within four months of being issued a Malta IIP Letter of Approval in Principle:

Main applicant- €650000 each

Spouse- €25000 each

Minor children €25000 each

Children 18-26 (unmarried) €50000 each

Dependent parents & grandparents €50000 each

Adult children (physically or mentally challenged) €50000 each

Real Estate Purchase or Rental

To get citizenship in Malta the Applicants must commit to live as an immovable residence in Malta for a minimum time period of five years. For doing this they must have to buy a property in Malta for at least € 350000 and maintain ownership for 5+ years, or by leasing property for five years or more with a minimum annual rent of € 16000. They need to provide evidence of owning or leasing a property on the islands within four months of receiving a citizenship Malta Letter Of Approval in principle.

Bonds Investment

An investment of € 150000 in government approved financial instruments is mandatory for applicants to become a Maltese Citizen by investment. They must commit to keeping the investment for at least five years.

Residence Requirement

If you are purchasing a real estate or entering into a property lease to live in Malta, then being an investor candidate you will get a Malta identity document called an eResidence card. This represents the starting of their residency in Malta and it also explains the candidate’s genuine link with the country. After 12 months of living and getting residency in Malta applicants will be granted citizenship to be known as a Maltese. As now if you are thinking you need to spend all 365 days in Malta before citizenship is granted, then make sure that you will not have to live a complete year in Malta because according to Maltese law “an intention to reside in Malta for any fiscal year, usually evidenced by a stay of a minimum of 183 days or by the buying or selling of property together with a visit to Malta”. Therefore upon purchasing or leasing an apartment or villa in the Mediterranean island nation and procuring a Malta residence card, applicants are not required to spend any time in Europe. Candidates who have been a resident of the country for at least one year before the I.I.P approval already satisfy this residency requirement and can subsequently become a citizen of Malta much faster than any other.

What are the things which people don’t understand about the non-dom system?

The non-dom status signifies that the foreign income is exempt from taxes as long as it doesn’t enter the country. The foreign income that stays in a foreign account will be tax-free in all senses. Many non-doms does not know the meaning of repatriating foreign income, thus it doesn’t make any use for them.

Bringing money in the country implies on all types of transactions like transfer to a bank account, withdrawing money from ATMs within the country, making payments there with credit cards, bringing cash from other countries (although this is hard to detect), etc.

All the types of money you are using in Malta are really “repatriated” money, as it has been introduced from other countries to Malta. All the costs that are arising in situ in Malta, therefore, have to be taxed completely. Malta owns more permissive non-dom system in comparison to Ireland and Great Britain.

In other countries, you need to outline everything earned by you from non-dom taxes on your return, Maltese non-doms can able use the transfer law. There are various countries in which you have to register all your international income although only repatriated foreign income is taxed. Living in Malta you only have to legally hide your foreign income, because only repatriated data needs to be declared. Malta is different and best place to live because it does not put the burden of the high tax on your shoulders just like many European countries, they have a progressive tax system with tax-exemption up to€ 8500 and three tax brackets of 15%, 25% and 35%.

Unmarried people have to pay 15% up to € 14500, then 25% up to € 60000, and after that pay 35% (married people or people with children have more generous brackets). If you think that tax exemption will help you in any manner then you are doing a mistake because this exemption does not apply to non-doms. This means that every type of money spend in Malta is progressively taxed.

With all these, You just need to add the necessary social security contributions, which are calculated taking into account many factors, but in case of freelancers and business owners, it comes to a maximum of €53.08 per week, starting at an annual income of €18500. This puts an additional tax burden of €2700 a year. For income less than €18400, there is a 15% tax on net income, or 0.15x €1020= €153 of additional monthly costs, which comes out at almost €1850 a year. The legally safe non-dom structure determines that you will contribute to the tax system and social security in Malta.

For more information contact www.sociodigi.com

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thelondonfilmschool · 7 years

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Making a Scene

Article by Sophie McVeigh, photography by Cameron Ward

The London Film School (LFS) prides itself on the collaborative nature of its courses, and while that’s more often than not related to film making itself, recent graduates Shalini Adnani and George Bartlett are proof that opportunities are everywhere if you’re open to them.

Having met in the LFS dark room, they discovered not only a shared love of photography, but also a passion for seeing the screenplay as a literary form aside from the film making process. With this in mind, Shalini, a Chilean-Indian graduate of the Filmmaking programme with a background in publishing and George, a recent British graduate from last year’s screenwriting masters who had previously worked as a journalist, decided to create Scenes - a bi-annual screenwriting and photography journal (the first print-version of its kind) to showcase the talents of budding screenwriters and photographers, and to foster critical thinking around the themes of each issue. We caught up with them at the BFI for its launch.

Sophie McVeigh: Hi, George and Shalini. It’s great to be here with you at the launch of Scenes Journal. How did you two come to be working together and what was the inspiration behind the journal?

G.B: We met each other during a dark room class and found we had similar taste in films and wanted to work together as a screenwriter and film maker. Then we started discussing how we read screenplays and how it’s perhaps misunderstood as a piece of literature in and of itself. So we wanted to push it out to a wider audience and get people reading screenplays.

S.M: Had you worked on anything similar before? And what was the process of getting it off the ground?

S.A: We hadn’t really worked on anything similar together but I worked in publishing before and that was my background. So, I just love books, I love touching things, and I wanted it to be tangible for us. I think there was a motivation to get screenplays on paper, in a format that people would appreciate reading. And the process… the process was quite long, especially for the first one. It required curating quite a bit, reaching out to people, trying to get them interested, and I think one of the hardest bits was trying to get people to understand what we were doing. Because a lot of people don’t understand, or didn’t grasp the concept of, reading screenplays. But, slowly, as people understood what we were trying to do, they actually really enjoyed it, because we watch all these films, and we love certain films, but then to read them and to see how a director actually envisaged it is kind of special. It’s very special. So the process really involved a mixture of all kinds of things, talking to people, getting things together, and then getting a designer involved and bringing it all together in a way that would be cohesive.

S.M: The theme of the first issue is ‘Our Past’. What was behind the choice of that subject and what are some of the highlights of the first issue?

S.A: The reason we ended up going for the past, at first we were really attracted to the idea of talking about the self, actually, and the way that people in our generation are just looking inwards, and we’re obsessed with selfies and that kind of things. But, as it started progressing, we actually realised that for our first issue it was really important to start with the genesis of things and the beginning of things, and the past is really powerful for us. We are part of a generation that is constantly looking backwards, we’re obsessed with just, generally, the past, y’know.

G.B: Our culture has become obsessed with looking backwards but not learning from history, not learning from the past but gaining short term pleasure from reaching back to memories that gave us that pleasure. Things like vinyl and Instagram, that started as exactly that – filters to give a nostalgic feel. That’s what we’re interested in, and then perhaps by looking at and examining our past, we can try and learn something about what’s going on.

S.A: I think one of the biggest highlights is the interview with Gonzalo. Gonzalo Maza is the screenwriter of Gloria, A Fantastic Woman and The Year of the Tiger. It was really interesting for me to interview him. I think that, as people that go to film school and learn about film making in a very structured way, speaking to him broke down any of those rules. He was constantly talking about screenwriting as something that is very mysterious, that you don’t have answers to, that doesn’t have a structure, that shouldn’t be formulaic … And so the interview is definitely a highlight. I think another highlight is the piece that Sabrina Mahfouz wrote, who is a poet and a screenwriter but primarily a poet. I think that what she did was take the screenwriting format and experiment with it in a very literary and experimental way, which I think is what we really want to do: take the format and have people understand that in a different way. And a lot of the photo essays are really special.

G.B: It’s a screenwriting and photography journal. Even though we’d love personally to just have a book of screenplays, I understand that people need something visual, and at the end of the day cinema is a visual format. We’re not expecting people just to take it and go, oh yeah, that is literature, but to understand that as a screenwriter, to get it in the hands of a producer, in the hands of someone with money, it has to be literary. Cinema is a visual medium and in the screenplay the screenwriter has to understand the tools of the director. It can’t just read like a novel, it has to read, some would say, like a shot list and it has to evoke some sort of visual and emotional response. By pairing the screenplays loosely with the photo essays, that’s what we wanted to get across. And a lot of the photo essays are documentary form, some of them are set up. But they all, again, pertain to that theme of the past.

S.A: I think another highlight is the essay by Ekua Agha on Ousmane Sembène who, I didn’t know this, but he was what is so-called the father of African film making. I think that what he really did was challenge the European aesthetic of what film was and was one of the founders of third cinema, I suppose. And that to me was really special because I didn’t know who he was, I didn’t learn about him at film school, but this person that was really interested in the film maker brought him into my world and highlighted what I think is really important in film making.

S.M: You’re planning to release two issues a year – what can we expect from future issues and how can people get involved if they want to contribute?

G.B: The next issue we hope to be longer – I think the first issue runs at almost 130 pages, ideally it would be thicker, longer, more screenplays, more essays and more critical thinking about screenplays and the theme. The next issue is going to be on the theme of fractured societies, which kind of needs no explanation as to why it’s relevant now. So we’re looking for scripts from anybody, whether it’s your first screenplay or you know someone that is a talented or established screenwriter, get in touch with us. In an ideal world we’d have a system where people could send us stuff, even if it’s just an idea, and we’ll work with them to develop that script.

S.M: You’ve both graduated now. How did you find LFS as an environment for collaboration?

G.B: I think the fact that the screenwriting department is just over the road from film making one is really crucial and I’d encourage any student in either department at the school to take the time and the advantage of having that as an opportunity and to use it. 9:25-9.30. It’s been said a million times but film school has to do with what you’re willing to put in. The opportunity’s there, it just has to be taken.

S.M: Thank you very much for talking to us, we’ll let you get back to enjoying your launch party and congratulations on the first issue.

***EXCLUSIVE! LFS Students can get a 10% discount when they order online using code LFS10. Hurry, offer ends September 26th 2017! ***

Follow @scenesjournal on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for regular updates:

https://www.facebook.com/scenesjournal

https://twitter.com/ScenesJournal

https://www.instagram.com/scnjournal/

Below is an extract from the interview with Gonzalo Maza, writer of the Silver Bear-winning Una Mujer Fantástica and recent graduate of the MA Screenwriting at LFS. To read the rest of the article and a journal’s worth of other inspiring, thought-provoking new work, go to https://www.scenesjournal.com/ to order your copy and find out how to submit your work.

You can also buy Scenes from the BFI library and bookstore and Magculture (270 St John Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1V 4PE).

EXTRACT FROM ‘INTERVIEW WITH A SCREENWRITER’ NO. 1

GONZALO MAZA

Article by Shalini Adnani, photography by Cameron Ward

Gonzalo Maza likes women — especially complex ones. Both Gloria and his latest film, Una Mujer Fantástica (A Fantastic Woman), for which he was awarded Best Screenplay at Berlinale, celebrate female endurance and resilience. So it was no surprise that Gonzalo, when I met him at the dimly-lit cafe at the London Film School, proposed, apologetically, that I lead the way, as long as I fed him. The cash machine had just swallowed his card, he was one week late on a deadline, and, with no cash or accessible money in his pocket, he was back to being a penniless screenwriter from his younger years. It was the least I could do for him in his frazzled state, which I soon came to realise was a constant for this prolific screenwriter who is always fighting against the next deadline. To talk of Gonzalo Maza’s life and work is to speak of a man who is on a quest to understand the human condition and is willing to risk reason in doing so. In his eternal mission, one still sees a teenager in the forty-two year old who exclaims he loves “the contradictions of melancholy and cheery beats of Britpop” — a juxtaposition that runs through his work.

Born in Valparaiso, Chile, a port city not far from Santiago, he spent most of his childhood in a beach town nearby, Viña del Mar. A cinephile since he can remember, Gonzalo’s first job was working as a VHS store clerk for his mother’s store, but it wasn’t until an exchange program at the University of Texas that his hope of pursuing screenwriting was solidified. Since his powerful collaboration with the Chilean director and good friend, Sebastián Lelio, Gonzalo has decided to pursue a Masters in Screenwriting at the London Film School, and a PhD exploring the use of current events in screenwriting.

I first encountered Gonzalo’s work in my early twenties when I was back in my hometown, Santiago, and experiencing what some refer to as post-graduation existentialism. I walked into the national cinema buried underneath La Moneda, the national palace, to watch El Año del Tigre (The Year of the Tiger), the only feature film Gonzalo has been the sole writer for. I left the cinema that day deciding I wanted to tell stories that were simple and poignant, and since then have observed Gonzalo’s work and knack for tragicomedy with great admiration. I sat down with Gonzalo in a quiet courtyard in Central London to have a chat.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I wrote a short story once and showed it to a teacher. He didn’t like it. He wanted to change the end. Then I showed it to my father, he didn’t like it either, or he didn’t totally understand it. So I ended up dedicating myself to math, but I always liked journalism — I wrote for a school paper, I had a column, I took workshops and so on and I was also part of a theatre group. When I joined the theatre group, I wanted to be an actor but I quickly realised I had no talent for that - which was very liberating. But one day I wrote a play. This was all when I was about 12. I wrote the play in one evening, showed it to my professor, he liked it — it was very funny. So we got together as a class to make it play happen. We went on to win some awards and went to a national theatre competition.

That was my only ‘dramatic’ event. Then I just dedicated myself to journalism, studied it and continued on that career path. Until 1999 when I did a year abroad at the University of Texas where I took lots of film classes. In this class, I realised that I really liked this medium, and it was what I wanted to do, but I had no idea how to go about it. I had a friend who worked for TV in Chile, so I started writing for TV where I learned lots about docudrama and melodrama. I worked on one TV series that would take real-life events and sort of have a talk show. They would take articles written in magazines and create fictionalised cases on them. That was a really good learning process for me, because they had pretty low expectations and it gave me more liberty. No one ever told me I was any good, but that was my melodrama school—in its purest form, very Latin American. Then I quit journalism completely and joined a production company that did television for children.

I was a producer on this show and wrote various episodes. This is when I met Sebastián Lelio, who was finishing up his first feature film, and I wanted to know if he wanted a screenwriter. He didn’t want a screenwriter, but at the same time he needed one because he didn’t really know how to take on some elements of writing. I told him I wasn’t a screenwriter with much experience but thought we could get together to work on certain things and bounce ideas around and talk. So, we would get together and just talk about films.

What kind of stories or characters are you attracted to?

There are two things I am very attracted to. One being people who try to seem strong, externally, but are weak or emotional at heart. I think people hide emotion a lot. That get’s me excited - people who hide their feelings. And what excites me even more is when a person who hides their feelings, knows how to hide them really well. Those kind of characters are very touching to me. And I always find myself gravitating towards that. Even though we don’t know where that pain comes from, I like the mix those characters create.

I like Britpop a lot, the basis for which is sad lyrics set against upbeat melodies. I think my spirit towards life is absolutely happiness, but in my interior I’m a very sad person. And that — which happens to me, happens to everyone.

So, I tend to do two things if I am stuck. One is if the character is a man, I turn him into a woman and he becomes infinitely better and more interesting. If they are kind of flat, I just turn them into women and they automatically have problems or just come into being and have more shape. Or I go back to this premise of people who hide their feelings. In fact, at the moment I am editing a film I wrote and directed, my first feature I’ve directed, where that is the main conflict I’m tackling. How do you show that construct of happiness and sadness at the same time? It’s generally easier to do something like this through comedy rather than drama. I’m more attracted to comedy. I don’t know if my comedy is that funny, but I still laugh at it. I think I also belong to the school of anti-male.

What do you mean by anti-male?

I guess it has to do with my upbringing. I went to an all boys school and hated it, I thought it was very prosaic and primitive. I just found it very primitive. I just don’t find men very interesting. What I find interesting is their blindness and not being capable of seeing themselves as they actually are. But I just find women more interesting. I’ve always listened to women, everywhere I go I want to talk to them, it’s the world I want to know and understand. I think they are funnier and entertaining and I admire them. In college, I would be in love with a girl and in my eternal insecurities and fear, I never told them anything. So I always liked being the friend that was close and could hear everything they had to say, rather than confess my love which wouldn’t amount to anything, they would reject me and I would just be miserable. And on top of that, I wouldn’t be able to hear the stories anymore. So, I preferred staying with the experiences these women would give me.

The character of Gloria is very much like the actress who played her, did you have her in mind before you started writing?

We started writing Gloria when we found this character of our ‘mothers’, just this world of our mothers that no one pays attention to, or falls into the background in life. A woman of a certain age, she’s an old lady; she has no more meaning in her life, and therefore is neurotic, and therefore, is everything we complain about. Someone that complains, is bitter. So we saw that and realized how unjust it was to view certain women this way, as a society. So based on that idea, we decided to make a film about our mothers, and then started investigating it until we found Paulina Garcia. I remember being in love with Paulina when I was younger, when she was acting at 18, but we eventually thought of her and started looking through her Facebook photographs. We realised we kept talking about her and had to ask her because the film, wouldn’t exist without her. So she came over, and we pitched the idea to her. She liked it. So it was a kind of mix between an idea that we wanted to explore and Paulina who was the character and actress we imagined. A kind of character we thought only existed in Chile and had no idea it would be so universal.

Did you specifically think about post-dictatorial Chile in your writing of Gloria?

I think that film and politics are inevitably intertwined. A film is political because it belongs to a time and place. And when you have a character in a specific space, it is a document of that time and place. We all live in political moments and we are a consequence of that. So that was something we took into account. Seeing the generational difference between our mothers and the students who were out in the streets protesting, it was a very strong contrast between Gloria’s generation who didn’t protest at all. They protested against the government but because of that it meant they were constantly thinking of others, especially if a family member was missing or killed, and they always put their needs in second place. These women were always putting themselves in the second place, never really having a moment for themselves, to liberate themselves, have their moment of glory. In that sense, the film is political.

#berlinale #screenwriting #filmmaking #londonfilmschool #gonzalomaza #gloria #unamujerfantastica #filmfestival #mastersinfilm #masterscourse #magazine #lfsorguk #universityoftexas #photography #journal

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nofomoartworld · 7 years

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Hyperallergic: Required Reading

The Jebel Irhoud site in Morocco where the 300,000-year-old homo sapiens fossils were found, suggesting that human evolution may have no emerged from one place but may have emerged from more than one cradle of civilization. (image Credit Shannon McPherron, MPI EVA Leipzig, License: CC-BY-SA 2.0, full story at New York Times)

An entertaining takedown of the Bernadette Corporation show in LA by LA Times writer David Pagel:

As a whole, the exhibition is far less interesting than any of its sources. Think of it as the visual equivalent of flatulence in a bubble bath.

Only one piece does more than highlight its desire to be academic. It’s also the crudest. With a syringe for a beak, bent drinking straws for legs and a foam cup for its head, “Gull Sculpture” is an antidote to the overproduced nonsense that makes up the rest of the exhibition. This show would be better if it were forgettable.

The ancient origins of feminist “craftivism“:

The pussyhat is part of a larger contemporary phenomenon known as Craftivism, which actively challenges the longstanding disparagement of women’s traditional art forms and has itself become a vehicle for feminist opposition.

…

The women of Homer’s epics (8th c. BCE) are told repeatedly to return to their weaving and stay out of the business of men. In the Iliad Andromache, wife of the Trojan warrior Hector, meets her husband on the city’s famous walls. She knows too well the toll of war; her father and seven brothers were killed in battle and her mother enslaved. She asks Hector to take up position in a less dangerous area of the battlefield. He replies, “Go home and tend to your own tasks, the distaff and the loom, and keep the women working hard as well. As for the fighting, men will see to that.” With Andromache silenced, Hector returns to the battlefield; he is killed and she enslaved.

In the Odyssey Penelope, still awaiting Odysseus’s return, overhears a bard singing tales of the Greek warriors’ homecomings. Descending to the suitors’ feast, she requests a different song, whereupon her teenage son Telemachus repeats Hector’s words to Andromache almost verbatim: “Go back to your quarters. Tend to your own tasks, the distaff and the loom, and keep the women working hard as well. As for giving orders (mythos), men will see to that.” Mythos here connotes public speechmaking, from which Greek (and later Roman) women were always excluded.

In these Homeric passages, men’s activities are dynamic and variable while women are meant to remain fixed in the interior of the house, engaged in the static occupation of wool-work. Wives who uphold these divisions become archetypes of marital chastity; Penelope has indeed come down to us as the paradigmatically chaste Greek woman whose fidelity to her husband withstands two decades of his absence.

An illustrated guide to Frank Lloyd Wright includes this downloadable poster-sized PDF version here.

A great conversation between Scot Miller and Robin D.G. Kelley on the Afrosurreal. The whole thing is a must-read:

Kelley: There is an inherent prejudice against Surrealism because of its mixed history. By mixed history, I mean a multiracial, trans-global history. That’s why it was important that Franklin wrote the introduction, that was done by consensus for good reason. He’s been having to write this for three or four decades. You may believe Surrealism is this, or hack journalists say it’s that, but this is the truth. Surrealism stays connected to the struggle, and isn’t exclusionary or racist. When I first started talking about Surrealism and the Black Radical Tradition, I would get people believing they were racist in the romanticization of primitivism. Which may be true, but put that in historical context, it all makes sense. Look to Senghor and in hindsight, criticize him for his essentialism, criticize him for the way he’s so romantic about the African past, and the only way to have that critique is to have the experience of a post-colonial Africa. Standing in 1935, no one knows what’s coming down the pike from Africa in the violence and oppression that you can’t romanticize or essentialize Africa. Even the notion of essentialism comes from a critique of a certain kind of Identity Politics, which comes out of political struggle. The critique we rage against Surrealism and its flirtation with Primitivism comes out of the critique that would not be possible until after Revolutionary Nationalism, and the critique of Cultural Nationalism. So the critique, I feel, is legitimate, but to me, we must remember what was at stake. We must ask the question what the European Surrealist were attracted to as what they saw as Primitivism.

Is there a “free-speech crisis” and who is it impacting?

Those of us who are routinely called “bitch”, “faggot” or “nigger” on the regular –and who are threatened with violence and death – have a much harder time accessing the right of “free speech”. Just look at what happened to Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, a Princeton professor and the author of From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation, last week.

Taylor is a rising public intellectual, and the students of Hampshire College asked her to be their commencement speaker. She gave a forceful, riveting address in which she correctly said that Donald Trump had “fulfilled the campaign promises of a campaign organized and built upon racism, corporatism and militarism”. While it was excellent, it wasn’t really a matter of national news. But Fox News decided it was and whipped up hysteria around her.

Not long after a “Fox story and video were published”, Taylor wrote, “my work email was inundated with vile and violent statements. I have been repeatedly called ‘nigger,’ ‘bitch,’ ‘cunt,’ ‘dyke,’ ‘she-male,’ and ‘coon’ – a clear reminder that racial violence is closely aligned with gender and sexual violence. I have been threatened with lynching and having the bullet from a .44 Magnum put in my head.” She had to cancel talks in Seattle and San Diego.

What’s up with Arizona’s Confederate monuments?

They tell another, even less well-known story: one of white Southerners who moved to Arizona in the post-World War II era and brought their fondness for intimidating black citizens with them. The state’s oldest Confederate memorial was dedicated nearly 80 years after the Civil War ended, in 1943. The newest, shockingly, went up in 2010.

Artists Clarity Haynes and Kate Hawes have started a relatively new podcast named Magic Praxis. You should check it out as it includes interviews with a whole range of artists in their studio.

This study found that as immigration increases, violent crime decreases.

This dude really likes the Woman Woman movie:

And support Native American education by purchasing a Pendleton blanket, which benefits the American Indian College Fund is called “Gift of the Earth.” It honors the Hopi Tribe of the Southwest:

Required Reading is published every Sunday morning ET, and is comprised of a short list of art-related links to long-form articles, videos, blog posts, or photo essays worth a second look.

The post Required Reading appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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junker-town · 7 years

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MLS has finally become a grown-up

In its 22nd season, Major League Soccer has finally done away with gimmicks and unfounded arrogance. It’s decided to just be itself.

On Friday, MLS kicks off its 22nd season. And at age 22, MLS finally appears capable of settling into adulthood. You shouldn’t wonder anymore whether it’s a league you really want to spend time with. It’s different now, and you’ll probably like it.

If you’re older than 22, the following paragraph will make a lot of sense to you. If you’re younger than 22 and you’re wondering if you fit this description as well: you absolutely do. I’m sorry.

Much like a human person, MLS entered the world amidst excitement over its arrival. It didn’t take long at all for it to get into trouble, though, and people got over how cute it was very quickly. As a pre-teen and through its early teenage years, MLS was a poser, desperate to show everyone that it was cool. By its late teens, it developed unfounded arrogance and told everyone who would listen that it had the whole world figured out. But as a young adult, MLS started to figure out who it really was. Now, at age 22, it has a decent grasp of its strengths and weaknesses. It’s starting to come to terms with what it is, and what it could realistically become in the future.

MLS is different now, and you’ll probably like it.

A self-assured and realistic MLS is a significant departure from the days when commissioner Don Garber told anyone who was willing to listen that MLS would become a top league in the world by 2022. Whether rooted in delusion or a need to entice expansion bidders, it didn’t make sense to anyone who was paying attention — Europe’s top clubs are growing revenue and increasing salaries just as quickly as MLS clubs are.

It was a bombastic claim, and one that did more harm than good to the league’s cause among knowledgeable fans in North America and abroad. But Garber has no reason to trot out this stump speech anymore, since the league has more solid expansion bids than they have teams to give out.

Those new teams will thankfully avoid being saddled with horrible poser names, or so we hope. Whether you’re a fan of the current naming convention — Minnesota United FC, Atlanta United FC — or the old one — New England Revolution, Los Angeles Galaxy — we should all be able to agree that both are better than the cringeworthy franchise names produced by middle-era MLS.

With big apologies to fans of Sporting Kansas City, Real Salt Lake, Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas, these team names are entirely rooted in insecurity. They could not possibly be more corny. They scream: “SEE, WE’RE AUTHENTIC! PLEASE LIKE US!!!” People did like those teams (a lot!), but not because they offered an “authentic European soccer experience,” which is a fake thing marketing executives made up. Instead, people liked them because having a local professional soccer club to support is awesome.

And supporting your local club is getting better all the time, no matter where you live.

@MNUFC on Twitter

If you’re in Minnesota, go hang out with Dark Cloud and True North Elite.

This season, two expansion teams enter the league. Minnesota United has one of the best supporters group sections in the country before they even play an MLS game. Atlanta United appears to be the most ambitious expansion franchise in history — they’ve hired former Barcelona manager “Tata” Gerardo Martino, broken a league transfer record to sign Miguel Almiron and set up an academy that produced United States Under-20 star Andrew Carleton.

Even the league’s signature joke franchises aren’t jokes anymore. Toronto FC took nine years to make the playoffs, but made it to the MLS Cup Final last season. Their star, Sebastian Giovinco, is arguably the league’s best player, and TFC is among the favorites to win Supporters’ Shield this season. Last year’s last-placed team, the Chicago Fire, had an excellent offseason by signing former New York Red Bulls captain Dax McCarty and Hungarian international striker Nemanja Nikolić, among other players. There are no hopeless, laughing stock teams in MLS anymore. Every fanbase has something to be excited about.

Rich teams are a bit less worried about their brand these days as well. New York City FC and LA Galaxy appear to have abandoned their former strategy of signing the biggest name Old that was willing to sign for them, regardless what they could do to help the team win. Frank Lampard has retired and was replaced by Maxi Moralez, an attacking midfielder still in his prime. Steven Gerrard has retired, opening up a Designated Player spot for 27-year-old Frenchman Romain Alessandrini. It’s likely that most Galaxy fans had never heard of Alessandrini before he signed, but he’s expected to play better than Gerrard did, and that’s what matters now.

Even the league’s signature joke franchises aren’t jokes anymore.

Players like Moralez and Alessandrini are inarguably better for MLS than most of the first generation of Designated Players. For every genuine superstar like David Beckham or young talent like Fredy Montero, there were three duds. Most of these players were signed because they played for a famous club in Europe, or as a cynical ploy to appeal to Latino fans. This line of thinking has gone by the wayside in recent years, and teams now sign Designated Players based on what they can contribute to results on the pitch.

The league’s American players should get a bit of a boost from a USMNT coaching change too. Jürgen Klinsmann, a frequent critic of MLS, is out. Bruce Arena, a big believer in the league, is in. He’s been very open about his belief that the majority of USMNT players should be developed in the United States and spend some time in MLS. A number of MLS players who found themselves marginalized or frozen out entirely over the previous five years will have their national team prospects revived, and that can only be a good thing for their club teams’ drawing power.

Arena has better reason to believe in those players than his predecessors did as well — they’re facing increasingly better competition. MLS’s biggest foreign stars are no longer in their mid-30s, but in their primes. The average age of all players signed from abroad during this winter transfer window is 26.

"Wherever you travel, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Ecuador or in Europe, MLS is a destination right now,” FC Dallas technical director Fernando Clavijo told the league’s website. “We are a place where people like to come. They know what it is, they know the league, they watch games. That has changed drastically from 20 years ago ... Today you can compete with teams around the world to sign those players; before it was not the case."

MLS might not be able to sign world class players before they’re well past their prime, but they can sign very good mid-level South American and African players, as well as occasional impressive prime-age talents from Europe and Asia. When given the option of trying to fight for their place on European relegation battlers or being first choice on an American team, the latter option is looking increasingly attractive for players who want to leave their current league for a new challenge. Slowly, over time, American and Canadian players get better from competing against superior competition from other continents. And that, in turn, attracts even better players to the league — Nicolas Lodeiro and Miguel Almiron are the latest examples.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Nicolas Lodeiro starred at Boca Juniors, and he helped turn around Seattle Sounders in 2016.

The league also gets a little bit more serious about developing their own talent each year. The 2017 roster rules were released this week, and they include two more Homegrown Player slots than last season. Teams are also allowed to use up to $200,000 of Targeted Allocation Money to buy down the contracts of Homegrown Players, so they count less against the salary cap. Previously, TAM was only used on players with salaries over the Designated Player threshold.

But about those Designated Players: teams are spreading the cash around their rosters now, rather than putting big money into attackers and fielding mostly cheap replacement-level players in defense. According to Jeff Carlisle at ESPN, teams have made 15 defensive signings with a financial commitment over the DP threshold, which is more than double the number of players signed that met that criteria in both 2015 and 2016. Carlisle spoke to Orlando City manager Jason Kreis for the above story, and he offered up his opinion on why the league has started valuing defensive players more.

"I felt like there's been an unevenness almost that the attacking groups of most teams were better than the defending groups of most teams," said Kreis. "Now I think it's only natural that now the market is starting to correct itself, where everybody is saying, 'Wait a second, I've actually got to be able to defend against guys like Giovinco and Altidore and David Villa and those types of players.’”

“Today you can compete with teams around the world to sign those players; before it was not the case."

That correction wasn’t always a certainty, though. It’s one that required owners to start valuing wins and losses over everything else. They had to believe that the core value proposition of their product was similar to that of every other sports product. People who like sports, for the most part, want to be a fan of their local team, and they want their team to win. MLS is no different, but it believed that couldn’t possibly be the case for most of its life. After spending decades trying to be more of a pure entertainment product and cultural experience than a sports league, MLS has decided to be itself. It is now, finally, primarily about soccer.

And that’s why MLS is more worth your time now than ever before. It has given up on gimmicks. Every team’s primary goal is to win as many soccer games as possible. They believe in themselves enough to trust that results on the pitch — with or without internationally famous stars — is enough for them to draw fans. Every team has been given an incentive to develop their own young talent and to sign prime-age players who can help them win, regardless of name recognition. If you go to an MLS stadium or flip on a game on TV, you are more likely to see good soccer than ever before.

In year 22, MLS has finally grown up.

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