“Local farmers, who have laid claim to part of the vast necropolis at Cyrene, began demolishing a mile-long section of the site last week in the hope of selling 500 sq. m parcels to real estate developers. Although the proper authorities have been notified, the country’s current fragile political situation has left them unable to intervene.”
Tag: 09.04.13
Algerian Dancers Seek Asylum In Canada Following Islamist Threats
“Seven members of the Algerian National Ballet have been granted refugee status in Canada, and the claim of an eighth is being reviewed, after they deserted and asked for asylum following performances in Ottawa and Montreal. The dancers sought refuge on the grounds they had been threatened by Algerian Islamists, whom they said equate ballet with homosexuality and ‘depravity’.”
Detroit Institute Of Arts Amends Donor Policy To Protect Future Gifts
DIA director Graham Beal: “We are inserting into our deed of gift a line stating that from any sale of the work, the proceeds can only be used to buy more art” – meaning the city of Detroit could not use any such money to pay down debt.
China’s Answer To Bridesmaids Sparks A Culture War
Tiny Times 1 and 2, “about four fashion-obsessed girlfriends at a Shanghai university, … have become a lightning rod for this nation’s evolving view of its growing youth culture. Many established Chinese cultural commentators are outraged by these works’ overt celebration of materialism, and this anger has spurred a surprisingly robust counterattack by the movies’ many young fans.”
How Brian De Palma Uses Dance In His Films (Creepily)
“At the center of Passion, the new psychosexual thriller from master manipulator Brian De Palma, is a split-screen sequence featuring a classic work of modern choreography alongside a highly choreographed murder.”
Errol Morris On Donald Rumsfeld (His Latest Subject)
“I’ve made a whole number of movies over the years about characters that seem to be completely unaware of themselves. I suppose in English the word that we often use is ‘clueless’. That’s the central feeling I’m left with at the end of making this movie. What is he thinking? Is this a performance? Is he acting? Does he believe in what he is saying?”
Asia Society Museum Changes As Americans Get Comfortable With Asian Art
By the 2000s U.S. museums “were exhibiting an increasing amount of Asian art. So no longer does the Asia Society Museum present ‘Asia 101’ … Rather, [it] strives to reveal aspects of Asian art to Americans for the first time or to see ahead to ideas that will be topical when an exhibition, which may take years to organize, comes to fruition.”
Stars Of Cannes Winner Say Filming Was A Nightmare
“The stars of Palme d’Or-winning drama Blue is the Warmest Colour have said that making director Abdellatif Kechiche’s film was ‘horrible’ … [They] said the Franco-Tunisian film-maker ranted and raved at them [throughout the project], … while a fight scene was the result of a continuous one-hour take during which Kechiche refused to allow his stars to simulate blows.”
The Protestant Work Ethic Is Real, Say Dutch Researchers
“The connection between work and happiness is much more intense in Protestant countries than in others. Protestants suffer intense hardship from unemployment; the ‘psychic harm from unemployment is about 40 percent worse for Protestants than for the general population,’ according to the authors. This also holds true for non-Protestants living in Protestant countries.”
Extra! Read Van Gogh’s Own Words After Cutting Off His Ear!
“The newly discovered article in a Parisian daily records important details. Le Petit Journal reported that Van Gogh used a razor. He then went to a ‘house of ill repute’, where he ‘gave his ear in a folded piece of paper’ to the doorkeeper. Van Gogh told the recipient: ‘Take it, it will be useful’.”