This report has been produced with the support of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) covering the period from 13 July to 18 September This report is the last report produced in relation to the emergency unless the situation warrants additional reporting based on a deterioration of the humanitarian conditions in the country • In cooperation with state authorities IOM has been responsible for managing the three Humanitarian Reception Centers (CHA) which housed 803 people as of September 13 The CHAs are in the city of Porto Alegre (1) and in the city of Canoas (2) material and cash assistance for families affected by the floods in Vale do Taquari targeting so far over 1,066 families including 2,440 individuals UNHCR and UNFPA teams engaged in Shelter Management (CCCM) and Non-Food items areas of work and have been collaborating on cross-cutting actions UNICEF and OHCHR have launched the local task force on Protection Against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) to boost efforts on prevention and response against sexual misconduct in the emergency response This initiative was reinforced by the official visit of the Special Coordinator on Improving the UN Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse • The Protection Working Group has been established with the support of UN Agencies under the leadership of the State Social Development (SEDES) and co-leadership of Ministry of Social Development (MDS) aiming to better coordinate operational response and advocacy in the areas of access to justice and information land and property matters (HLP) as well as protection mainstreaming • Although water access has resumed to normality concerns remain in the population in relation to the potability of the water supply UNICEF has coordinated with Vigiagua (Water Quality Department) and DMAE (Water and Sanitation Municipal Department) to disseminate the results of water analysis to the population Five months after the historic floods that impacted the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul on 29 April 2024 continues to support national and local government recovery efforts According to the latest official report issued on 20 August the floods affected nearly 2.4 million people and widespread damage across 478 municipalities in the state The recovery and restoration efforts have enabled the resumption of basic services although there has been a noticeable decline in capacity in some areas UN agencies have contributed to several sectors humanitarian interventions continue to focus on the most vulnerable and affected populations with over 80,000 sheltering in official facilities across the state increasing the protection needs of vulnerable groups Although water levels have receded and access to basic services such as health concerns remain about the quality of these services Significant challenges persist in bringing them back to pre-flood standards state authorities have been expressing concerns over the weather forecast expected in the coming weeks seven alerts were issued by the civil defense regarding heavy rains and the potential for hail in various regions of the state This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Organising an auction for the best-quality young horses during the World Breeding Championship for Young Horses it has been a yearlong dream for Judy Ann Melchior. When discussing this with partner Christian Ahlmann and friend Jens Baackmann they decided to bring their collective vision to life it was clear: the auction immediately had to be the best of its kind featuring only horses of the highest quality. Horses unequalled in terms of sport qualities This auction is now a fact and so Zangersheide is incredibly proud to present the ‘Zangersheide Quality Jumpers - Powered by MBA’ “Behind the scenes we’ve been preparing for this auction for years now,” Judy Ann begins to explain Together with Christian and Jens the idea to develop an auction with well-bred top-schooled showjumpers with next level potential has now come to life and the trio is excited to share that the first edition of this auction  will take place during the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses 2024.14 horses have been selected to go under the hammer on the 19th of September at Domein Zangersheide Next to the already impressive line-up of auctions featuring high-quality foals and extra talented three-year-old jumpers equestrians can now look forward to another auction with only the best of the best!  “All three of us had been playing with the idea to add another dimension to the existing auction program We all come from different angles but with the same objective to create an auction that would be an added value for now and the future” “Over the years we have all gained valuable experience and by combining our knowledge in terms of breeding we’ve been able to secure a never-before-seen collection of top-tier jumpers.”  “Some of the selected horses come from our own breeding and have especially been preserved for this auction The jumpers in the collection do not only descend from top sport horses but they are also developing their own sport careers two selected mares have competed successfully in previous editions of the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses." We know what is required to guide a horse all the way to the top of the sport We each have our own perception on what we prefer in a horse All our opinions combined completed our common goal: to assemble a diverse collection of showjumpers with only top-quality horses Horses that have the potential to become Grand Prix-winners and Championship contenders “To ensure their qualities and nurture their talent these horses have been developed gradually The horses have passed extensive veterinary checks reflecting our belief that achieving high rankings requires both peak health and prime condition To maintain the well-being of these future stars and to prevent stress-inducing situations we have prolonged the trial period to several weeks preventing any risk to their future by avoiding over-jumping in a brief span,” concludes Jens If you have any questions about the horses or would like to try one of the horses please reach out to a member of the MBA team: Judy Ann: +32 477 47 02 60 Judy Ann Melchior was active at the highest level of the sport and has been breeding with her former GP mares like Cha Cha Z Grande Dame Z and As Cold As Ice Z for years already. No one knows the mares and stallions they were paired with better than Judy resulting in exceptional horses like the phenomenal AY CARAMBA Z, a grandson of Judy’s Cha Cha Z winner of the bronze medal at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky Jens Baackmann has been an international rider at the highest level for years He travels the world and combines the sport with his own trading yard Jens is a genius when it comes to matching horses and riders and in many cases he is the first port of call for the acquisition of a new super star. He is often the architect of new dream combinations in the sport as he has proven with many duos at the highest level Christian Ahlmann has been the world wide number one for a significant period during his career and has achieved victory in a remarkable 194 international classes. Christian has top knowledge of the sport and has the talent to bring a home bred horse to five star level, a feat he has successfully demonstrated in the past. He is keen to make the most of his expertise by helping other riders find the best-matching horse. This turning point in his career has led Christian to offer two of the world's best 7-year-olds the homebred ECLAIRE Z and the approved stallion CODEX DIAZ Z Explore our exclusive collection via this link. For general information please send an email to [email protected] or call us at +32 89 73 00 11 © 2025 World of Showjumping - All rights reserved Powered by Artionet - Generated with IceCube2.Net Chaumet travels to the romantic city of Venice to unveil its latest high jewellery collection at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco mansion The French maison’s pop-up boutique and lounge are open to the public from now till September 17th. Sweetening up its already impressive Bee My Love Collection is Chaumet, which releases a cluster of novelties for the year See every red carpet look from fashion's biggest night The duality of Chanel shines in the Maison newest bag of the season  Miu Miu's tie-up with Petit Bateau returns, and the house's Wander and Beau bags get summer-perfect in woven leather strips. Here, you'll find an effortless summer elegance and the timeless charm of Venetian life until 18 May. Special guests in the front row included Keira Knightley, Caroline De Maigret, Joan Thiele, and more. The singer lends her sunny aura to a glamorous collection celebrating the Versace art of living. Polène’s The Leather Florist in Paris is a must-visit for its playful leather flowers (display pieces or bag charms!) — an inspired way to upcycle leather scraps Each timepiece has a dial that adopts the hues of dawn, morning, dusk or moonlight “We wanted to start with the line ‘We are not historians’,” said co-curator Anthony Hudson “This is history that is accessible by anyone The curatorial statement for the exhibit 'My Father’s Father’s Sister: Our Ancestor Shimkhin' was taken at the Chachalu Museum and Cultural Center on June 26 “[Shimkhin] lived during a time of a lot of change during her lifetime reservations were established and there were massive cultural shifts,” Furby said “She was born in an era of acceptance from her community [but] that was no longer the overall environment by the time that she died.” During her lifetime, Indigenous children were also being taken from their communities and forced into boarding schools to learn English and adopt colonial ways of dressing Furby explained that as part of the process of assimilation one of the first things that white settlers attempted to control was gender “When Indigenous children were brought into a boarding school and any other genders or gender expressions that we “Felix was the first Queer person from my tribe that I’ve met,” said Hudson, who met Furby in 2019 after a performance of his drag persona, Carla Rossi I’m Queer and Grand Ronde’ and then we just stared at each other.” The pandemic caused the pair to lose touch, but they reconnected last year after a talk Hudson gave at the Chachalu Museum and Cultural Center as part of his Indigenous Place Keeping Artist Fellowship making art that is drag but calling it contemporary native storytelling,” Hudson said [we] got together and Felix started sharing all of this information about Shimkhin with me.” but a national conversation about the term a few years ago prompted him to start looking into his own identity as someone Queer do we have any Queer history?’” Furby said “Because what I’d heard around the community were things like that comes from a settler perspective’ [or] ‘That’s from the outside very plainly in the pages was Shimkhin – also referred to as Nancy Jack in this book – and it was just so completely obvious Furby explained that the entry for Shimkhin used different historical sources which switched between different pronouns and talked about her assigned sex at birth versus her presentation as a woman but Furby and Hudson said people just weren’t seeing it “When people that aren’t part of a specific identity or community they don’t recognize themselves in the content that they’re analyzing,” Hudson said “So sometimes look right past the thing that is right there staring at you.” “It’s an example of the bias that can erase Queer people from our history,” Furby said “When I laid my Queer eyeballs on the history all of this jumped out and became so obvious I was like The exhibit 'My Father’s Father’s Sister: Our Ancestor Shimkhin' celebrates Oregon's queer Indigenous history focusing on the respected 19th-century Atfalati Kalapuya healer Shimkhin on June 26 The exhibit is a mix of historical text, artwork, music and more, all surrounding a 7-foot-tall, backlit portrait of Shimkhin illustrated by Steph Littlebird Littlebird is a Grand Ronde tribal member who is also Two-Spirit and Atfalati Kalapuya Hudson explained that when they were creating the exhibit “It’s very likely that there are images of her hidden in collections just documented alongside other women,” Hudson said “And she just is missing in the middle like a “Where’s Waldo” of Queer history.” Littlebird’s portrait features Shimkhin in profile surrounded by a halo of light There are also coyotes and the image of water tributes to some of the spirit powers Shimkhin was said to possess as a healer “We have at a record of at least four spirit powers being mentioned for Shimkhin “Skiyup power [which was] the power to become women water power which we haven’t found a lot of description on and then dead person power which was part of her healing [power].” Jacobs thought he was capturing the last Indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest One of Jacobs’ interviews was with Shimkhin’s niece Victoria Howard “‘My father’s father’s sister was a shaman’ – that’s her words,” Hudson said “But then in parentheses after that you see ‘and also a transvestite’ [which] was added by Melville Jacobs.” Furby was fully prepared to go back to the original texts to retranslate them without a white settler lens this is still them talking to an outsider trying to explain things,” he said there’s them translating it for the settler and then there’s the settler re-translating it for other settlers.” In one section of text pulled from a first-hand account by Hudson’s great-great uncle John “Mose” Hudson Furby drew brackets around the male pronouns that were added in the translation “Those are all of the added pronouns that are necessary in order for English to function that are not necessary in order for Santiam Kalapuya,” he said “Santiam Kalapuya does not use pronouns the same way as English and it also does not specify gender most of the time.” Furby said that when you’re learning a language with the purpose of revitalization especially since many English words don’t have a counterpart in Indigenous languages “When we were trying to find a word for Queer – or like what is the word for our identities for that our ancestors had – we can’t find a word,” Hudson said “And when we find the precedent of Shimkhin being so respected in her tribe and in her community Each wall of the exhibit shares that sentiment via three different Indigenous languages – Santiam Kalapuyan Atfalati Kalapuyan and Chinuk Wawa – “We are always here” Hudson said a goal for the exhibit is to show a vision for the future that is rooted in the past which is why the final section celebrates the Indigiqueer people who exist today and those that will come tomorrow “We’re circular people and that’s a big part of the idea,” Hudson said you go so far forward that you’re back at the beginning.” and Felix Furby sitting in their exhibit at the Chachalu Museum and Cultural Center in Grand Ronde on June 26 'My Father’s Father’s Sister: Our Ancestor Shimkhin' celebrates Oregon's queer Indigenous history focusing on the respected 19th-century Atfalati Kalapuya healer Shimkhin Stand with OPB and protect independent journalism for everyone Listen to the OPB News live stream (opens new window)Streaming Now We've officially traveled back to the 1990s, guys. After a week of rampaging dinos at the box office, here comes Buzz Lightyear Here's a guide to new movies that will satisfy every cinematic taste plus some noteworthy theatrical films making their on-demand and streaming debuts:   'I love love, who doesn't?': Chris Evans on 'Lightyear,' playing bad guys and being 'a romantic person' If you live for the 'Toy Story' movies: 'Lightyear'No Tim Allen Evans voices a human Buzz – the cinematic inspiration for the "Toy Story" plastic space ranger – in a spiffy animated spinoff that has him facing existential crises befriending a scene-stealing robot cat and trying to get a crew of rookies battle-ready to take on the evil Zurg (James Brolin) Review: Chris Evans' Buzz is more fantastic than plastic in Pixar's spiffy 'Lightyear' There's a definite "Black Mirror" feel to this thriller which stars Hemsworth as the head man of a research penitentiary where convicts (including those played by Teller and Jurnee Smollett) live in posh quarters but endure drug experiments in return Where to watch: Netflix "Cha Cha" is a delightful and sweet-natured dramedy starring writer/director Cooper Raiff He plays a man-child college grad who goes from slinging fast-food meat sticks to being an ace party starter at bar mitzvahs and Johnson is just as fab as an older mom who strikes the guy's fancy Where to watch: Apple TV+ Sundance: Dakota Johnson's 'Cha Cha,' horror film 'Nanny' win top prizes Thompson stars as a widowed and retired British schoolteacher who wanting to have her world rocked between the sheets hires a super-charming sex worker (Daryl McCormack). One awkward hotel rendezvous leads to a series of meetings where the pair bare their souls (and much more) in the intimate Where to watch: Hulu Taking after past "Bride" classics – the 1950 Spencer Tracy movie and the 1991 Martin film – this decent redo sets the plot in modern Miami but still jerks the tears as an overly traditional Cuban architect dad (Garcia) faces a divorce from his wife (Estefan) and butts heads with his daughter (Adria Arjona) planning her impromptu wedding Where to watch: HBO Max In the deliciously sharp Spanish comedy about ego and art, Penelope Cruz plays a demanding director hired by a businessman to adapt a book about two rival brothers She casts a high-maintenance heartthrob (Antonio Banderas) and a serious thespian (Oscar Martinez), who become increasingly irked by each other and their neurotic boss The endlessly quirky and goodhearted romp stars David Earl as Brian a lonely Welsh inventor known for his failures travel-hungry robot made from a washing machine and random pieces of hardware who brings Brian out of his shell and is pretty much the coolest best friend ever The slow-burn rural horror film centers on a new mom (Emma Roberts) who moves to a remote farmhouse with her veterinarian husband (John Gallahger Jr.) Her frequent bouts with post-partum depression aren't helped by hearing eerie kid laughter around the house and learning of the place's tragic history from an oddball neighbor (MVP Michael Shannon) Where to watch: In theaters (and on VOD June 24) You can't beat the premise of this supernatural comedy Jon Bass and Jim Mahoney) who break out a board game they find They learn the rules – win or play this hellish thing for eternity – leading to a night full of personal revelations and out-there shenanigans Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies James Hong’s prolific success. Jen Yamato recently profiled the actor known for roles in films such as “Blade Runner” and “Big Trouble in Little China” (and on TV’s “Seinfeld”) who at 93 has seen one of the biggest successes of his career with the recent “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” On what has driven his performances all these years “It’s easy for me to create a character that wants love That search for love — a perfect love — always gets people into trouble there will be showings of “High Art” and “54,” both from 1998 Hall and other collaborators are scheduled to be at the screenings Mubi goes to the movies. For his Wide Shot newsletter this week Ryan Faughnder took a look at Mubi the art-house subscription streaming service that is launching a program that will allow members to see select movies in specific theaters at no additional charge some of the best things don’t have huge marketing budgets behind them,” said C “These are movies that maybe you haven’t heard of before But if you trust us and our curatorial vision you’re going to be surprised more often than not by what we offer.” Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber Written and directed by Cooper Raiff, “Cha Cha Real Smooth” premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival where it won the audience award in the U.S dramatic competition and was acquired in the biggest deal of the festival for $15 million a recent college graduate who is a bit aimless as he tries to find his way Through his job as a bar mitzvah “party starter,” Andrew befriends Domino (Dakota Johnson) The film is in theaters and streaming on Apple TV+ I spoke to Raiff and Burghardt for a story that will be publishing soon Raiff has an emerging bittersweet style that’s evident in the two features he’s made films that he’d rather not refer to as “dramedies.” “I think the reason why it feels so ‘ugh’ when I hear ‘dramedy’ — because that’s not a bad word but I always think it’s a bad word — [is] it feels split down the middle I think dramedies have a lot of situational comedy All of the funny moments come from something really deep inside of a character.” For The Times, Jessica Kiang wrote against the significant odds he sets himself a remarkably winning presence — imagine a Zach Braff type whom you don’t necessarily want to see fall in a moat As the movie dances right up to the conventions of this well-worn genre you might just find yourself clapping along in spite of it all being terminally uncool For the New York Times, Manohla Dargis came to an altogether different conclusion “Raiff also wrote and helped produce ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth,’ so he is clearly ambitious and as pandering as any big studio soft sell; it’s filled with stylistic clichés (hovering camerawork silly dialogue and absurd narrative contrivances a trite male fantasy who’s only a vessel for Andrew’s narcissism Raiff shrewdly complicates this cliché a touch For IndieWire, David Ehrlich wrote “If the whole thing still feels awfully slight even in the context of a Sundance movie — so unforced that you half expect it to fall out of orbit at any second — it’s nice to see a young filmmaker bring the stars to him instead of straining to reach their level This is a story about two people lost in the same limbo at very different points in their lives (or four people and it’s made all the more affecting because Raiff has the patience and maturity to let his characters map their own way forward Doing that is his gift to Andrew and Domino; it’s what finally might allow them to do something for themselves.” Directed by Sophie Hyde from a screenplay by Katy Brand, “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” plays out in a nondescript hotel room has hired male sex worker Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack) for a number of sessions in order to experience all that she did not in her staid marriage For The Times, Justin Chang wrote Leo Grande’ thus achieves both the intimacy of a chamber piece and the directness of a public service announcement one aimed at promoting sex/body positivity and debunking retrograde attitudes about women’s pleasure and the nature of sex work If that makes it sound stagy and even didactic — you could certainly imagine it working well as a play — well At times you can see the gears of Brand’s script grinding away the carefully engineered pivots from one point or revelation to the next leaves no point unaddressed.) But Hyde stages it all with an unfussy elegance that serves the material and any lingering creakiness is dispelled by Thompson and McCormack who always seem to be playing people rather than ideological mouthpieces.” Sonaiya Kelley spoke to Hyde and McCormack for a story that will be publishing soon As Thompson and McCormack rehearsed for scenes that required them to be nude you do whatever it takes [to make] the actors feel more comfortable It’s very powerful to have that moment of vulnerability with other people A closeness between us was built over the whole week we felt like we knew what we wanted to tell and could get there.” For the Washington Post, Ann Hornaday wrote — will already be sold on ‘Good Luck to You Leo Grande’ by premise alone: Nancy is a character the actress feels born to inhabit with her signature blend of vulnerability and pragmatism Nancy has repressed her own desires her entire life; in less capable hands But Thompson imbues her with flint and knowing humor: She’s self-aware enough to know how ridiculous her predicament is but dignified enough not to be ridiculous herself.” For the AP, Lindsey Bahr wrote “Female desire is not a topic that gets a lot of space in mainstream Hollywood movies that’s been almost exclusively the province of Nancy Meyers but it’s often either played for humor or scrubbed and sanitized of anything remotely carnal Usually it’s some horrifyingly infantilized combination of both It’s as though someone decided that audiences couldn’t possibly bear to watch a woman of menopause age acting or even feeling sexual and few have dared to challenge that notion That’s all to say that it is a small miracle that ‘Good Luck to You nuanced and adamantly sex-positive film about a 55-year-old woman For Vanity Fair, Richard Lawson wrote Leo Grande’ is a movie about time and aging as much it is about sex a soft encouragement to those in the audience who feel too committed — or condemned — to the limits of their life to seek out something new … There will no doubt be some people who see the film and find its power structure too blithe about Leo and all he’s carried with him into these trysts I was most struck by how generous ‘Leo Grande’ is It’s a movie about private encounters that just may be a public good: sex ed Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack in “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.” (Searchlight Pictures) ‘Official Competition’Directed by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn, “Official Competition” (also known by its Spanish-language title “Competencia Oficial”) features Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas in a revealing An aging industrialist (José Luis Gómez) finances a film as a tribute to himself hiring provocateur director Lola Cuevas (Cruz) to direct a superficial movie star For The Times, Sarah-Tai Black called the film “a welcome satire that makes work of biting meta-commentary and the immediacy of self-reflexive critique” adding “While the rehearsal process sets the stage for [the actors’] differences to shift from self-aggrandizing philosophical discussions into full-on conflict ‘Official Competition’ is more concerned with a deeper examination of the role of ego and power dynamics in artmaking.” Sergio Burstein spoke to Cruz and Banderas for a story publishing soon “I think the movie is really talking about the ridiculousness of being human and the ability we have to easily become what we criticize.” For the New York Times, A.O. Scott wrote this is a one-joke movie — a shaggy-dog meta-narrative — but it’s not a bad joke The production seems to have been undertaken during a time of relatively strict pandemic restrictions the sparsely populated scenes and the social distancing among the actors The austerity has its advantages: a busier behind-the-scenes comedy might not have been able to offer such a close study of the actors at work or such a dry and rigorous anatomy of what they do.” For the Hollywood Reporter, Lovia Gyarkye wrote pondering and poking fun at the artistic process is familiar terrain Their previous films — ‘The Man Next Door’ and ‘The Distinguishd Citizen’ — raised questions about the tensions between high and popular culture the costs of success and the broad ethical quandaries those of us delusional enough to commit to a creative life face They deal with those themes in ‘Competencia Oficial,’ but this film’s particular focus and one that makes it especially absorbing is the lengths to which actors go to deliver emotional and moving performances … Despite its commitment to biting humor and acerbic analysis a celebration of artists and their process.” Mark Olsen writes about all kinds of movies for the Los Angeles Times as both a feature writer and reviewer. Hollywood Inc. Entertainment & Arts Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed and Emma Thompson is a retired schoolteacher in the Hulu film Beyond the fact that they're arriving on streaming platforms the same week Leo Grande and Cha Cha Real Smooth have a couple of things in common They both mix comedy and drama and have somewhat odd They both focus on a hazily defined relationship between a younger man and an older woman And while I definitely prefer one to the other The better of the two is Hulu's Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, a funny and strikingly intimate British chamber piece that unfolds almost entirely between two people in a hotel room. Emma Thompson plays Nancy After a stable but unexciting long marriage to a husband who died two years earlier Nancy now wants to have the kind of sex she's always dreamed of But she's also extremely nervous and embarrassed and initially tries to talk herself and Leo out of their arrangement elegantly directed by Sophie Hyde from a sharp script by Katy Brand takes place over four separate appointments But most of the action takes place before the sex as the characters talk about what they're about to do and Leo helps Nancy work through her fears Confronting issues of ageism and sexism in a very different way from her 2019 comedy Late Night Emma Thompson brilliantly teases out Nancy's desires and her insecurities about those desires her body and the fact that she's never done anything like this before At times she projects her worries onto Leo pressing him about his personal background — Leo Grande isn't his real name — and whether he ever feels degraded by his work an Irish actor known for the series Peaky Blinders is superb as a young man who's very good at doing his job and defending it from the judgments of others The sex scenes strike a fine balance between discretion and frankness and Thompson has one nude scene that boldly challenges the idea that a middle-aged woman's body is unworthy of the camera's attention At times the movie feels like a PSA aimed at promoting sex positivity and debunking outdated assumptions about women's desire I mean that as a compliment; all PSAs should be this entertaining Cooper Raiff plays a recent college grad and Dakota Johnson is a single mom in the Apple TV+ film Cha Cha Real Smooth Cooper Raiff and Brad Garrett in "Cha Cha Real Smooth," premiering June 17 is about a much more chaste but similarly ambiguous relationship a 22-year-old college grad who's living back at home with his hard-working mom grumpy stepdad and adoring younger brother with a natural gift for befriending other people he singlehandedly jumpstarts a low-energy bar mitzvah party winningly played by newcomer Vanessa Burghardt Domino clearly returns Andrew's affections But she also holds herself back for a couple of reasons: She's engaged and wary of introducing more upheaval into her family's life especially when he becomes a good friend and occasional babysitter to Lola Cha Cha Real Smooth won an audience award at this year's Sundance and it sometimes too closely resembles any number of Sundance-premiered indies about restless 20-something screw-ups Raiff is a real talent and a charming screen presence but while you can sense him trying to tell a nuanced to see how amazing he is despite his many questionable decisions I wanted a little less of him and a lot more of Domino the more intriguing and complicated figure by far Dakota Johnson might just be one of the most interesting actors working today and she's the reason to watch this likable but not entirely satisfying movie Become an NPR sponsor • 677 people displaced by the floods left the shelters and returned to areas of origin or other locations during the returning period • Nearly 27,000 people were reached with life-saving messages on prevention and access to services through the multipliers of information over 1,722 children were provided with protection psychosocial support and recreational activities through the 18 child friendly spaces established in Porto Alegre 41 child protection cases requiring additional support and specialized services were identified and referred UNICEF and its implementing partners distributed over 2.000 cleaning and disinfection kits benefiting families with children and adolescent girls Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs there were 1.852 people displaced and hosted in 41 shelters in 23 municipalities This represents a reduction of nearly 98% when compared to the peak period on 12 May and it marks the first time since May that the number of people in shelters has dropped below 2,000 Three out of the 41 shelters are the so-called CHAs (Humanitarian shelter/Centro Humanitario de Acolhimento) hosting a total of 827 people in Porto Alegre (1 CHA) and Canoas (2 CHA)1 The CHAs were designed to host about 800 people each and as of 30 August they were at less than 50% of their full capacity About 40% of people displaced and hosted in shelters are in Porto Alegre and Canoas municipalities It is assumed that the remaining people that left the shelters either returned to their areas of origin or accessed the state/municipality benefits related to solidarity family (Familia solidária) social rent (Aluguel social) or are living with relatives the water supply was restored by the water companies in Porto Alegre the last treatment plant to be restored resumed operations on June 8 During the most critical period of the storms and floods 85% of the city's population was without water According to CORSAN (Rio Grande do Sul Water Company) 67 cities had their water supply interrupted during the floods all water supply systems had been recovered The army continues providing operational and logistic support to the state of Rio Grande do Sul to alleviate the suffering of affected population The support consists of cleaning of schools This support from army forces was planned until August 2024 the state of Rio Grande do Sul requested to extend until the end of September 2024 due to a forecast of potential heavy rains The Caravan of Rights (Caravana de Direitos) a program promoted by the Union Public Defender (Defensoria Publica de Unio - DPU) to bring public services close to the affected people continued with its activities having organized 45 missions (50 percent of the planned) and assisting a total of 17,935 people in the state2 The main requests from the people assisted were related to accessing social benefits established by the Government namely reconstruction support (Auxilio Reconstrução) PIX SOS Rio Grande do Sul (Electronic Cash Transfer) Social benefits through the Unified Registry for Social Programs (CAD Único) the state government gave USD 900,000 to 83 affected schools These funds are being distributed to 692 institutions based on the damage to infrastructure 8,463 students of the state network still depend on remote classes 12 are under restoration and two fully repaired leaving all 4,147 students either in alternative spaces or attending online classes seven schools which have been closed since May resumed activities in mid-September in addition to one state school - with 898 adolescents - that is expected to reopen in 2025 two of 39 early childhood development units are still closed recently faced school closures due to new floodings which was heavily affected with 90% of homes flooded and many crops destroyed At least 5,400 residents have not returned home exacerbating school dropout and evasion risks covering the period from 25 June to 10 July an update will be produced within the next 10 days depending on the evolution of the situation on the ground and the information available from impacted areas After nearly two months and a half of the historic floods that began on 29 April 2024 and affected 2.3 M people of almost 90% of municipalities of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator continues to support the national and local government response to the floods in the South of the country with a particular focus on the most vulnerable This includes 14 UN agencies engaged to address critical needs in humanitarian assistance with support from the OCHA Regional Office is streamlining information flows and strengthening coordination for various sectors The unprecedented floods have required a massive response Despite early recovery efforts and the gradual restoration of basic services hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced According to the latest reports from the Civil Defense with 29 people still missing and 806 were reported injured Although water levels have receded and several areas are now accessible to assistance meteorological forecasts predict more rain and alerts remain active in Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul floods have severe socio-economic impacts Sundance announced its 2022 Award Winners via Twitter After last year's history-making awards — in which CODA swept the top categories — the festival spread the love out this time: Nikyatu Jusu's debut feature Nanny won the U.S while writer-director Cooper Raiff's Cha Cha Real Smooth took home the Audience Award Dramatic Special Jury Award: Uncompromising Artistic Vision Documentary Special Jury Award: Creative Vision Documentary Special Jury Award: Impact for Change World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Excellence in Verité Filmmaking World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Documentary Craft World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Acting World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Innovative Spirit Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction Short Film Special Jury Award: Ensemble Cast Short Film Special Jury Award: Screenwriting Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Producers Award: Fiction Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Producers Award: Nonfiction Sundance Institute/Adobe Mentorship Award for Fiction Sundance Institute/Adobe Mentorship Award for Nonfiction Amy Poehler Believes This Is the Right Time to Celebrate Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Why Emma Stone Wanted to Produce 'Zombieland' Co-Star Jesse Eisenberg's First Film On Monday night, YouTuber JoJo Siwa and her dance partner, Jenna Johnson impressed the audience and judges of "Dancing With the Stars" with their cha-cha moves to the Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande song "Rain on Me" for their second dance of the season While judge Len Goodman called the pair's performance his "favorite Latin dance of the season," fellow judge Derek Hough was tougher with his comments.  more isn't more and you have to contain the energy a little bit," Hough told Siwa adding that he did "love" Siwa's performance and how much personality she showed on the ballroom floor.  we're going to be a little bit tougher on you," he continued.  Hough added that he believes Siwa should think about how to "contain that energy" in future performances on the show Sponsored link Plus: Claymation 'Eraserhead' in 'Mad God,' SF gay strippers in 'Baloney,' French extravaganza 'Lost Illusion,' more other openings of note encompass a slew of films from elsewhere on the festival circuit particularly those that played Sundance and SFFilm earlier in the year running a gamut from an adult stop-motion animation extravaganza to Emma Thompson getting her sexagenarian orgasm groove on there are a number of relevant things to view even beyond the Frameline smorgasbord Joshua Guerci’s documentary about the same-named SF male burlesque revue that played the Oasis (where it returns July 7-16) and out-of-town venues It’s now available for streaming on digital and cable platforms including iTunes This Sunday the Italian Cultural Institute is presenting another nonfiction feature, Let’s Kiss: Franco Grillini, Story of a Gentle Revolution, with both that Italian LGBTQ movement leader and director Filippo Vendemmiati in attendance to discuss it. (More info here.) Cha Cha Real SmoothThis Audience Award winning for Dramatic Feature at Sundance in January, as well as SFFilm’s closing-night selection a couple months ago, is indeed a “crowdpleaser” that deserves all the acclaim it gets Andrew (writer-director Cooper Raiff) is a rudderless recent college graduate back living with his mom (Leslie Mann) and stepdad (Brad Garrett) bidding adieu to a girlfriend whose Fullbright scholarship is taking her to Barcelona—and presumably better romantic options than Andrew the kind of natural ice-breaking type you’re glad to have invited to an awkward mixer or dinner party But does he have any skill beyond “getting the party started” it turns out that may actually be marketable: After he singlehandedly turns around a moribund bat mitzvah he finds himself a “designated party orchestrator” duly paid by Long Island’s Jewish mothers to make their ‘do’s a success this initially feels like familiar feel-good/underdog/comedy-drama territory (particularly reminiscent of The Wedding Singer) but the story introduces considerable nuance and complexity to winningly big-hearted effect Cha Cha Real Smooth opens Fri/17 at area theaters including the Opera Plaza simultaneous with streaming launch on Apple TV+ Leo GrandeNancy Stokes (Emma Thompson) is a widowed teacher with two grown children and one glaring life-experience lack: Decades of marital sex having been uninspired at best with the nose-to-grindstone attitude of an academic dutifully researching an unfamiliar topic she has hired a male sex worker to visit her London hotel room in order to “Conflicted is interesting” reassures Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack) a young mixed-race Irish hunk who fortunately has a great bedside manner—not unlike a doctor easing the way for a dreaded procedure with a terrified patient it takes multiple appointments before this homework can be marked completed Directed by Sophie Hyde and written by Katy Brand but it’s hardly a graphic depiction—indeed the deeds themselves stay pretty much off-screen here we have a series of dialogues between two characters not unlike a play in the realm of Same Time Next Year While their arc is predictable enough that it could be more concisely handled (this 97 minute movie might be better at 80) it’s also handled in a deft mix of comedy and drama Thomson (very de-glammed after Cruella) is aces as a relatable figure who’s alternately defensive and offensive sometimes lashing out in her endless self-doubt But McCormack (of “Peaky Blinders”) is equally impressive imbuing what might have seemed too much a convenient fantasy figure with his own complex dignity and boundaries This nicely realized film may well trigger a spike in the male-escort biz Let’s hope all customers are as expertly serviced as Nancy is by Leo Good Luck is releasing directly to streamer Hulu on Fri/17 Mad GodBerkeley-born-and-based Phil Tippett is a giant in the world of animation and FX his credits including the original Star Wars snagging Oscars and Emmys in the course of a long career it’s no wonder this first directorial feature (aside from one made-for-TV Troopers sequel) has taken over 30 years to realize It finally premiered at festivals late last summer and is now launching on genre streaming platform Shudder as well as select theaters like the Roxie this Fri/17 at least for fans of old-school stop-motion animation and the grungiest kind of fanboy sci-fi IMBD encapsulates the story as “A corroded diving bell descends amidst a ruined city and the Assassin emerges from it to explore a labyrinth of bizarre landscapes inhabited by freakish denizens.” Fair enough—I’ll admit I frequently had no idea what exactly was going on near-plotless phantasmagoria is not all that transporting in terms of narrative or emotional involvement it nonetheless fully engages as a major feat of design and quirky imagination hitting a sort of Eraserhead meets Brothers Quay median it’s a dystopian-nightmare delight that is the Heavy Metal of clay Lost IllusionsAn epic of another sort entirely is this plush French costume drama adapted (somewhat loosely) from the same-named Honore de Balzac novel it revolves around aspiring poet Lucien (Benjamin Voisin) a provincial orphan in humble circumstances who nonetheless has some parental connection to nobility He finds a benefactor in Mme de Bargeton (Cecile de France) Their relationship developing beyond patronage the affair’s disclosure forces him to leave for Paris—albeit with the lady herself their great difference in social standing soon forces the two apart The penniless young man then finds a different sort of mentor in cynical journalist Etienne (Vincent Lacoste) who teaches him the ropes of a glittering cultural milieu in which everything is rigged by bribes and blackmail: Book reviews fast acquiring the requisite “influential friends and famous enemies”—as well as serious debts He also acquires the affections of young actress Coralie (Salome Dewaels) Yet this whirlwind rise is sure to bring an even steeper fall in such an elaborately cutthroat world where the stakes are heightened by political mechanizations betwixt liberal and royalist factions Lucien illustrates “pride goeth before a fall” so readily that his ego is wearing elevator shoes by the time he takes that plunge A busy 149 minutes in which no expense is spared with results that make this past look both gorgeous and unpleasant Lost Illusions fairly swept this year’s Cesar Awards Parallels can easily be drawn between this semi-satirical expose of corrupt media two hundred years ago and our current “fake news” era but Xavier Giannoli’s film doesn’t belabor such points You might argue that Balzac’s narrative intrigue (being so dependent on the written word—not just as a novel and the story’s eventual turn toward tragedy has a potent sting An expert supporting cast includes Xavier Dolan The kind of movie you will be glad to have seen on a big screen Lost Illusions opens Fri/17 at the Vogue and the Rafael Film Center 48hills.org is the official publication of the non-profit San Francisco Progressive Media Center We are community supported journalism. Become a member. but we need you to help us beat the billionaires and fight for the soul of San Francisco by becoming a member or donating today ChaKell's heated exchange with the country star judge took place during Sunday night's episode "Even though Jenna slipped we had the highest score of the night That was insane," JoJo Siwa said of her week 1 scores despite her partner having a misstep chachalacas—sometimes nicknamed Mexican tree pheasants—are exceptionally challenging to hunt demanding hair-trigger reflexes and more than a little luck Their grayish heads and drab, olive-brown bodies—they are, after all, “plain” chachalacas and not one of the fancier varieties—provide ideal camouflage for hiding amid the Tamaulipan thornscrub of South Texas where chachalacas spend their days feasting on berries and bugs on the ground or along mid-story tree limbs Unlike popular game birds such as quail and dove these fowl won’t take flight above the brush when flushed they dart into the safety of dense thickets where larger predators can’t follow cha-cha-lac!” can seem almost like taunts If a flock of chachalacas moves into an overgrown lot in your neighborhood uses “chachalaca” as a mild insult for his political opponents “They’re funny birds,” said Robert Perez a biologist who supervises the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s Upland Game Bird Program The prospect of targeting a chachalaca had never occurred to him Then he took over the game bird program in 2008 and people kept asking him to describe the flavor of chachalaca meat and you don’t know what it tastes like?” Perez recalled thinking and Willacy; shooting chachalacas elsewhere in Texas is illegal although the birds are occasionally reported as far north as Alice and the Coastal Bend.) Perez heard a flock near the edge of the Longoria tract’s 373 acres “Those sons of guns came right in and were looking at us,” he said He then crawled on his hands and knees beneath an all-but-impenetrable canopy of Texas ebony where he felt around blindly until he found his kill but of the hunting Perez thought: “This is going to be so easy.” he and his friends never saw another chachalaca Although Perez hasn’t tried to bag a second one he has become something of a chachalaca guide leading hunts for other game management professionals who want to check the bird off their bucket list before they retire “It’s the thing that a guy does at the end of his hunting career,” Perez said “He’s shot all these different game birds across the country and if he can say he went down to the very tip of Texas and harvested a chachalaca he’s unique among game bird hunters.” Just don’t expect to come back from a chachalaca hunt with an entertaining story for your buddies around the campfire The sun wasn’t setting,” he said describing scenes from a more idyllic hunt “You have to leave all that stuff out I had never shot a chachalaca. Heck, I didn’t even know you could hunt chachalacas until this assignment came along. I’d heard the birds’ cacophonous calls only once—although I didn’t lay eyes on them—while strolling the native gardens of Quinta Mazatlan an urban bird and plant sanctuary in McAllen With scant hope that we’d actually see a chachalaca in the wild Perez and I met at the Longoria Unit early one overcast evening this past December A country road splits the nature preserve in two a heavily overgrown footpath loops through the virgin thornscrub a pocket of green surrounded by fields lying fallow in the winter “It gets pretty thick in here,” Perez said after we’d begun our hike into the western section of the preserve I’ll play a call and see if we get a response.” Perez blasted a few pre-recorded chachalaca calls through a portable speaker in a pouch slung over his shoulder (a legal practice in Texas) we heard rustling and the sound of prey flushing out of sight The population of chachalacas in South Texas is a bit of a mystery a TPWD wildlife biologist who’s based in the Rio Grande Valley “There has not been much research into chachalacas in recent decades,” he said “We don’t know much about them unfortunately.” Habitat loss throughout the twentieth century appears to have taken a toll on their numbers but hunting the birds occurs so infrequently and so often results in failure and frustration Chachalacas are reduced to living in overgrown lots in residential neighborhoods and the occasional tract of wilderness offering a tantalizing clue to their former abundance they were once found in numbers great enough to support a commercial harvest “These birds are much hunted for the Brownsville market,” wrote James C. Merrill, a military surgeon moonlighting as a birder, in Notes on the Ornithology of Southern Texas “though their flesh is not particularly good and the body is very small for the apparent size of the bird.” Merrill seems to have not been a fan of the chachalaca’s trademark call the birds are rarely seen or heard; but shortly before sunrise and sunset they mount to the topmost branch of a dead tree and make the woods ring with their discordant notes,” he wrote and are decided nuisances when kept about a house.” Their hoarse cries were “the first thing heard by the traveler on awakening in the morning.” the plain chachalaca is the only member of the chachalaca family found in the United States from the speckled chachalaca of the Amazon to the white-bellied chachalaca of tropical Central American forests and they’re closely related to curassows and guans Back at the Longoria wildlife preserve last December the light was fading and Perez and I had nearly completed our loop through the brush In an hour or two of crashing along the overgrown trail we’d come upon the tallest mesquite tree we’d ever seen among other impressive South Texas specimens from the anacua to the desert olive Perez filled his shirt pocket with little red peppers from a chiltepin bush that towered above us Perez and I were almost back to our vehicles when a chachalaca flashed across one of the rare clear stretches of trail about forty yards ahead of us only to slip back into the thicket in a second or less A third chachalaca darted across the trail before I finally fired at the fourth bird Several wine-dark berries from a coma tree Now it was time to clean and cook my harvest. Shannon Tompkins, the dean of Texas outdoors writers, says chachalaca meat is delicious After he shot his one and only chachalaca eight years ago and bobwhite quail breasts from a previous hunt “I could tell the difference,” Perez said I lightly seasoned the breasts and leg quarters with nothing but salt and pepper I slowly warmed them in a water bath to an internal temperature of 140 degrees which was probably a mistake; once I removed the meat from the bath I seared it in a smoking-hot cast-iron pan with a couple of pats of butter and found that the breasts were flavorful if a little tough from overcooking The flesh wasn’t as delicate as quail The drumsticks were a tasty mess of meat and toothpick-size bones I offered one of the thighs to the other taste-tester in my household who declared her nibble “pretty good.” to shoot a little bird that I promptly devoured while standing next to my kitchen stove But I also had a story to tell: of a trek through deep and unspoiled chaparral National Hurricane Center Brownsville NEXRAD RadarIntellicast Base Reflectivity South Texas RadarIntellicast Radar Summary TxDOT Road Conditions National Weather Service - BrownsvilleThe National Weather Service in Brownsville maintains this excellent website containing links to radar and satellite images IBWCThe International Boundary and Water Commission reports the latest information on the levels of Falcon and Amistad Reservoirs on this website Rio Grande River ConditionsThis is another IBWC website Here you'll find the latest Rio Grande River flow conditions NCEPThis is the official website of the National Hurricane Center/Tropical Prediction Center Pretty much everything you want to know about tropical weather including hurricanes threatening the South Texas coastline OSEIHere's a site where you can find amazing photographs taken from space of significant events around the world The Operational Significant Event Imagery website includes photos of hurricanes The Weather Dude: Weather for Kids Weather Wiz Kids Hurricane Page FEMA for Kids: Hurricanes UCAR's Web Weather for Kids Hurricane Page This year's Sundance Film Festival is set to factor into this weekend's entertainment options in a big way Dropping today on Apple TV+ is Cha Cha Real Smooth a romantic comedy of sorts that won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at January's festival Hulu premieres the Emma Thompson film Good Luck to You in which the Oscar-winning actress plays a reserved woman who seeks out the services of a male sex worker Both films were huge hits with both critics and audiences at the festival and their arrival on streaming is illustrative of the indie film pipeline as it now exists in an age of superhero cinema and everything-else television where it got acquired by Apple TV+ in a record $25 million deal and although it played in theaters long enough to qualify for an Oscars run Apple spent $10 million less this year for Cha Cha Real Smooth a relative bargain for a movie that charmed festival audiences Grand Jury Prize winner Nanny was acquired by Amazon Studios which also acquired last month's thought-provoking campus-hijinks-gone-wrong film Emergency Audience Award winning documentary Navalny premiered first on CNN+ and then HBO Max a contemplative futuristic film starring Colin Farrell that won rave reviews And after earning Emma Thompson the best reviews she's had in a long time Leo Grande's route to Hulu illuminates just how much the indie landscape has changed over the last few years The film was acquired at Sundance by Searchlight Pictures which was Fox Searchlight before Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019 Despite its tether to one of the major studios Fox Searchlight was one of the premiere indie film distributors that regularly acquired Sundance films and released them theatrically With Searchlight now under the Disney wing much of their film slate is being sent directly to streaming — see also fellow Sundance hit Fresh This marks a huge change in the indie landscape there was a period of time during the pandemic when even some larger films moved to streaming but while most studio films have returned to theaters The good news is that you'll be able to see two hit Sundance hits this weekend without leaving the comfort of your couch Cha Cha Real Smooth comes from writer/director Cooper Raiff whose 2020 film Shithouse also earned festival raves for being a funny and sweet one-crazy-night comedy and the effect of them come one right after the other is that he's perfecting a kid of twentysomething anxiety about striking out on one's own Raiff plays a post-collegiate guy working as a party host for Bar Mitzvahs who meets and is beguiled by a married mom There's a pleasant shagginess to the way Raiff constructs his stories and he's incredibly charming in the type of role that could so easily trend towards the obnoxious Leo Grande could very easily have rested on the laurels of its central performance a widowed retired teacher who hires a deeply hot young sex worker (the titular Leo Grande played by Daryl McCormack) in an attempt to step out of her comfort zone and Thompson is fantastic as she navigates Nancy's trepidation as well as the parts of her that long to be more adventurous Writer Katy Brand and director Sophie Hyde give Thompson a great showcase with a movie that has the guts to be both sexually frank and disarmingly honest and when Thompson delivers her much-talked-about nude scenes The film is also the beneficiary of a rather excellent breakthrough performance by McCormack who doesn't shrink from the task of going toe-to-toe with Thompson as they challenge Both Cha Cha Real Smooth and Good Luck to You Leo Grande are both worth your time this weekend but they're also worth more than getting lost in the great chasm of streaming television which is the danger for indie films now that streaming seems to be their destination of choice While indie houses like A24 and Neon persist admirably in getting indies into theaters (one need look no further than the success of Everything Everywhere All at Once this spring for proof that indies can still bring in crowds) streamers are going to have to get better at elevating and promoting these films to their at-home audiences Joe Reid is the senior writer at Primetimer and co-host of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast Song Hye-kyo and Cha Eun-woo looked like royalty attending the event TagsCelebritychaumetRelated ArticlesWatches & JewelleryTiffany & Co Dives Under the Sea for High Jewellery Blue Book 2023Tiffany & Co.'s high jewellery collection is an aquatic-inspired fantasy paying homage to iconic designer Jean Schlumberger The actress avoided a major fashion disaster after obtaining a last-minute pull an hour before her event Titled "Gucci Allegoria," the Italian house's new high jewellery collection is an ode to the beauty of nature's constant transformability Miu Miu's tie-up with Petit Bateau returns and the house's Wander and Beau bags get summer-perfect in woven leather strips you'll find an effortless summer elegance and the timeless charm of Venetian life until 18 May Special guests in the front row included Keira Knightley The singer lends her sunny aura to a glamorous collection celebrating the Versace art of living Each timepiece has a dial that adopts the hues of dawn she took thousands of photographs of Cuba as it fizzed with rebellion But the grande dame of French cinema hid them away in a box Agnès Varda’s pictures of Cuba had been sitting untouched in boxes since the mid-1960s. The images – of female bodies in form-fitting silhouettes, and men harvesting in cane fields – “were never meant to be shown,” says the grande dame of French cinema The compendium of thousands of photographs had been taken in service of her film That was until curator Clément Chéroux looked through her archives and discovered them It was four years after the pro-US dictator Fulgencio Batista had been overthrown by Fidel Castro, and in the wake of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, Cuba was defiant That rebellion crackled in its culture – and in Varda’s pictures The cha-cha-cha is danced by members of ICAIC Photograph: Agnès Varda“When you’re in a place what you’re doing can’t be confused for anywhere else – it should be an indication of the country and the epoch,” says Varda today An exhibition at the Pompidou Centre now lays out Varda’s photographs in cinematic sequences honouring their purpose as source material for her half-hour film Born in Belgium in 1928, Varda was a pioneer whose films diverged from the male-centric vision of the French New Wave. Her first feature, La Pointe Courte, was followed by the iconic 1961 film, Cléo de 5 à 7 – showing a woman’s point of view over the course of a day as she waits to find out about the life-changing result of a medical test Varda made nearly 20 films in the following five decades; this year she won an honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes – the first woman ever to do so With her distinctive hairstyle and brightly coloured style she has long been an icon of the Paris community She explains that her reason for making her Cuba film from still images was to avoid lugging around 16mm equipment and dealing with bad sound Congress of Women Photograph: Agnès VardaVarda was accompanied by her friend Jacques Ledoux director of the Belgian Cinémathèque; the two were invited by the Cuban film school Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos and cineastes from the school brokered many of her encounters in the local community Varda did not prepare for her trip by reading — “I am not an intellectual,” she says candidly – but rather went armed with addresses and ideas from Marker She spoke enough Spanish to strike up conversations with strangers and to learn from people … I tried to discover everything about Cuba by just being there.” The undertones of political fervour are more muted in her shots than the sense of vitality Varda calls the balance she achieved “socialism and cha-cha-cha” poetic beauty of spontaneous street dancing She photographed speeches by demagogues addressing vast crowds Benny Moré Photograph: Agnès VardaShe met Benny Moré (dubbed El Rey – the King) where he did an on-the-spot performance for her among restaurant carts stacked with plates and glasses Moré wore an untucked white shirt and a wide-brimmed hat moving gracefully between middle and foreground snatching portraits of men in straw hats with machetes after several attempts – it was a last-minute affair at his favourite seaside restaurant She made him stand before two huge boulders she noted: “He incarnates Cuba the way Gary Cooper incarnates the wild west.” Read moreThe voiceover – read alternately by herself and actor Michel Piccoli – shares her impressions Yes there are cigars.” But she also notices things that go way beyond outsider assumptions such as the fact that little girls had dolls of races other than their own or the male tendency to put their arms around women’s shoulders but it seemed symbolic,” says Varda of these accumulated details and won a bronze medal at the Venice documentary film festival a brilliant glimpse into a Cuba that has long since vanished Varda’s film and photographs convey a contradictory place of thriving and lacking “There was no food – they had to ration chicken,” she says a broadcast jockey (BJ) of a show that combines mukbang (eating broadcast) and beauty With her unique transformation makeup setting her apart from the others she’s showcasing various makeup looks along with Han Soo Yeon who has exceptional talent for makeup Jung Young Ah even shocked viewers with her transformation into Joker Jung Young Ah is showcasing both her innocent and sexy charms with her captivating Ariana Grande style makeup Jung Young Ah is already stealing the show as viewers anticipate her next makeup look “Touch” airs every Friday and Saturday at 10:50 p.m Source (1) the couple held a press conference before their small wedding at the Grande Walkerhill Hotel in Gwangjang-dong in Seoul “I am trembling because of the amount of people who showed up today [at the conference] and I think today is more precious and happier than any other day I was so nervous that I ended up drinking two bottles of soju by myself I thought I wouldn’t be nervous because I’ve participated in a lot of press conferences I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way before.” Meanwhile, Joo Sang Wook and Cha Ye Ryun worked together on the set of the MBC drama “Glamorous Temptation” last year their relationship developed into a romantic one and they were revealed to be dating in March 2016 Their wedding is set to take place at the Grand Walkerhill Hotel at 6 p.m and will be held in private with those who are close to the couple’s families Source (1) Published: Invalid Date But what is it like when you’ve paid that stranger This is something comedian Katy Brand explores in the film she has written about the delicate transaction of buying sex We are invited to peep behind the velvet curtains of a plush hotel room where nervous widow Nancy (Emma Thompson) has hired a male prostitute Leo (Daryl McCormack) to help her finally explore her sexuality despite being married to a man who “died prematurely more than 30 years ago." she’s never had an orgasm — so this is her time to explore And the dreamy-eyed, silky-voiced Irishman is the perfect antidote to her concerns. Their pre-coital conversation is hilarious, with Nancy sharing her insecurities and self-doubt about feeling like a dirty old woman. Looking at Leo, who is 30 years her junior she says: “I’m a pervert — I feel like Rolf Harris.” but littered throughout the many laugh-out-loud moments is something deeply tragic and heart-wrenchingly sad While laughing about how bad her husband was in bed — “he would put his pyjamas on afterwards and would go straight to sleep” — she then admits the only time she ever felt lust in her life was towards a waiter on a family holiday in Greece as a teenager The tears start to flow as she recounts the memory and her pain and longing for more feel real It is almost entirely a two-character piece set in a hotel room over several weeks but director Sophie Hyde never makes it feel claustrophobic or drab impossibly confident Emma Thompson could be believable as a downtrodden RE teacher who has never come near the big O Her bold and beautiful nude scenes should be applauded extra hard As for McCormack as the self-assured but clearly damaged Leo his fine performance stands up to the award-winning Thompson and will have many middle-aged women googling “male escorts in my area” clever and moving film is what Hollywood has been missing for so long And it feels hugely liberating to see it on the big screen BUZZ is back in this new offering from Pixar all about where the legendary character came from It focuses on the movie that Toy Story’s Andy – the beloved owner of Buzz, Woody and crew – fell in love with and the reason he was desperate to own a Lightyear Buzz (Chris Evans) has spent years trying to return home – and encountered many problems along the way mostly created by enemy Zurg (James Brolin) who wants to steal Buzz’s fuel source Something we’ll all understand with the current petrol prices This is a sci-fi adventure rather than a heart-warming Pixar film It even has a few nods to Star Wars for super fans Evans puts in a solid shift as a superhero The script is patchy and not engaging in parts – and the chase sequences become relentlessly confusing Lightyear won’t go down in the Pixar hall of fame like Toy Story 2 Up and Inside Out – instead settling alongside Monsters University directs and takes the lead in this saccharine twenty-something tale which tries really hard to make you feel good who has just graduated from college and is struggling to get on the career ladder Back where he grew up in New Jersey he’s eager but directionless living with his mum (Leslie Mann) and her partner working shifts at food outlet Meat World and saving up to visit Barcelona When a job opportunity falls into his lap he finds himself working as the local Bar Mitzvah party starter where he meets Domino (Dakota Johnson) and her autistic teenage daughter Lola (Vanessa Burghardt) Andrew forms a bond with Lola and senses a Mrs Robinson-style spark with the older Domino but although he thinks she might be his soulmate There are manufactured life-affirming moments aplenty but everything feels too contrived and constantly teeters over into twee territory ultimately leaving this Cha Cha out of step FOLLOWING Paddington’s success at the Jubilee Uma Thurman will star in The Old Guard sequel on Netflix Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ The 191 Emergency Centre said the incident occurred at 8:15 am. The aircraft, carrying five people, crashed into the sea off the Gulf of Thailand near Baby Grande Hua Hin Hotel in Cha-am district, Phetchaburi province, about 8km from Hua Hin town centre and close to Hua Hin airport. The aircraft involved was a DHC-6-400 Twin Otter, which was taking off and carrying a group for parachute training at the time of the accident. The cause of the crash is under investigation, while rescue teams continue search and recovery efforts at the scene./. Upvote if you think more people should see this post! TVING is the best OTT (over-the top, online video streaming) service in Korea that lets people watch domestic and foreign movies as well as original content including those of tvN, Mnet, OCN, JTBC, Tooniverse, and other popular cable channels anywhere and anytime. NETFLIX is a global streaming entertainment service offering movies and TV series, Netflix has become one of the biggest TV and movie studios in the world. This year during christmas day, ‘Miracle’ movie ranked #1 as the Most popular movie on Netflix in South Korea and also took first place as the Most popular movie on TVING, ‘Mogadishu’ movie ranked #2. Both movies is also among Top 10 Highest Grossing Korean Movies Release in 2021. NETFLIX's TOP 10 MOST POPULAR MOVIES ON CHRISTMAS DAY IN SK, 2021. Cast: Park Jung-min, Girls Generation's YoonA, Lee Sung-min, Lee Soo-kyung A korean movie based on a true story. In 1988, dreaming of making a way station for the villagers and his sister who have no choice but to commute along the dangerous train tracks every day, Joon-kyung (Park Jung-min) sends many letters to the President, but with no reply. Ra-hee (Girls Generation's YoonA) does everything she can to help him meet the President and to achieve his dream. Cast: Kim Yoon-seok, Jo In-sung, Heo Joon-ho Diplomats from the North and South Korean embassies in Somalia attempt a daring joint escape from Mogadishu when the outbreak of civil war leaves them stranded. Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi Astronomy professor Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his PhD student Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) attempting to warn humanity, via a media tour, about an approaching comet that will destroy Earth. The film is a satire of government and media indifference to the climate crisis. Singer Ariana and Mescudi also collaborated on the song "Just Look Up" as part of the film's soundtrack. Cast: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his friends go on a summer trip to Europe. However, they will hardly be able to rest - Peter will have to agree to help Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) uncover the mystery of creatures that cause natural disasters and destruction throughout the continent. Cast: Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker (Tom Holland), with the help of his mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City, with fighting crime as his superhero alter ego SpiderMan as a new threat, the Vulture, emerges. Cast: Andrew Garfield, Rhys Ifans, Emma Stone, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan Cast: Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, J.K. Simmons, Joe Manganiello After being bitten by a genetically altered spider, high school student Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is endowed with amazing powers. Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, Felicity Jones, Paul Giamatti Cast: Cha Seung-won, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Hye-jun, Kim Hong-pa Dong-won (Kim Sung-kyun) and his family move into a house bought. He invites his colleagues for a housewarming party, but the heavy rain during the night before creates a gigantic sinkhole, and in a mere minute, it swallows up the whole house and the people inside. Hundreds of meters down the hole, Dong-won, his neighbor Man-su (Cha Seung-won), and the unfortunate guests must find their way out. Cast: Bill Nighy, Gregor Fisher, Colin Firth, Sienna Guillory, Liam Neeson, Martin Freeman, Chiwetel Ejiofor Follows seemingly unrelated people as their lives begin to intertwine while they fall in, and out, of love. Affections languish and develop as Christmas draws near. TVING's TOP 10 MOST POPULAR MOVIES ON CHRISTMAS DAY, 2021. Cast: Kim Kang-woo, Yoo In-na, Yoo Yeon-seok, Lee Yeon-hee, Lee Dong-hwi, Chen Duling, Yeom Hye-ran, Choi Sooyoung Cast: Han Ji-min, Lee Dong-wook, Girls Generation's YoonA, Kang Ha-neul Cast: Jo Woo-jin, Lee Jae-in, Ji Chang-wook, Jin Kyung Cast: Cha Seung-won, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Hye-jun Cast: Kim Min Seok, Wi Ha Joon, Jung Won-Chang Cast: Matt Damon, Camille Cottin, Abigail Breslin 9. The Cursed: Dead Man’s Prey / A method: the second time Cast: Uhm Ji-won, Jung Ji-so, Jung Moon-sung, Oh Yoon-ah Cast: Ma Dong-seok, Kim Sang-joong, Kim Ah-joong, Jang Ki-yong aespa's 'Dreams Come True' ranks #1 on the 'Weekly K-Pop Radar' MV chart Pentagon confirm comeback date for January by revealing luxurious concept artwork miracle and dont look up so great movies 2021 Just finished watching miracle and dont look up... Wow!~ goddamn these two movies are such extremely good. the main cast of both movies so excellent and brilliant, excellent job. Images of ASTRO’s Cha Eunwoo and actress Park Yuna on the program before their debut has recently been resurfacing appeared on the 800th special episode of The Golden Bell Challenge in January 2016 along with fellow classmates from the Hanlim Multi Art School Cha Eunwoo introduced himself as Lee Dongmin (his real name) and revealed that he was preparing for his debut with the group who is the same age as Cha Eunwoo (born in 1997) and was his former classmate It’s quite the coincidence that the two classmates ended up appearing on a drama together Park Yuna has since been receiving much love from fans through her appearance on the popular series ASTRO has also been gaining momentum since their recent comeback and making some extraordinary strides ASTRO’s Cha Eunwoo To Take Legal Action Against Haters For The First Time In 9 Years Cha Eunwoo Accused Of “Using Moonbin For Profit,” Fans Demand Protection From Fantagio  ASTRO’s Memorial Song For Moonbin Receives Negative Response From Fans Netizens Are Pleasantly Surprised At ASTRO’s Proposal For Upcoming Concert See more ASTRO