The roar of protest over the distortions of history in the movie “The Patriot” has been deafening in recent weeks as the movie opened in Britain. So what is up with this month’s Smithsonian Magazine article trumpeting how it helped the movie-makers get the details of history right? Has “the nation’s attic” sold its soul? – Washington Post
Tag: 07.18.00
SO WHO NEEDS INFRASTRUCTURE?
Earlier this year the Australian government announced it was withdrawing funding from the Australian Film Institute. The AFI is the only distributor of Australian short films and independent documentaries in the country, and the primary source of information about Australia’s television and film industry. Aussie film luminaries are criticizing the government’s decision, saying the cuts “would harm the long-term health of the Australian culture and economy.” – The Age (Melbourne) 07/18/00
- QUIT TALKING AND RAISE MONEY: “In what is turning into a battle for industry support, the commission has hit back by saying that the AFI, which has twice claimed during the past six months to be facing insolvency, has failed to seek additional funding sources, sponsorship or strategic partnerships to maintain the threatened activities. Instead, it has devoted its resources to campaigning against the decision.” – Sydney Morning Herald 07/18/00
A MATTER OF HISTORY
The roar of protest over the distortions of history in the movie “The Patriot” has been deafening in recent weeks as the movie opened in Britain. So what is up with this month’s Smithsonian Magazine article trumpeting how it helped the movie-makers get the details of history right? Has “the nation’s attic” sold its soul? – Washington Post 07/18/00
QUEEN OF THE KIROV
“Altynai Asylmuratova, the reigning ballerina of the Kirov, has always been a special performer, a deeply intense dancer who can squeeze every nuance out of a drama. She gives of herself so completely that it is not surprising to hear that she finds today’s cool aesthetic a little too contrived and calculated.” – The Times (London)
NEXT GENERATION
The O’Neill Theatre Conference has a new director, only its second in 35 years. In his first season at the conference James Houghton is trying to put the emphasis even more firmly on the writers, and he has made small but significant alterations. – New York Times
A FLOP OF HISTORIC PROPORTIONS
A $10.8 million Australian production of “Pan” has closed in Sydney, a failure by any measure, and one of the biggest disasters in Australian theatre history. “More than any theatre enterprise in Australia, including the jinxed Sunset Boulevard and the ill-fated Sisterella, Pan appears to have been cursed.” – Sydney Morning Herald