#Lolita Rodriguez

[ausetkmt]

In the middle of the 20th century, one woman became the face of the movement for Puerto Rican self-determination. Her name was Lolita Lebrón, and in an effort to draw the world's attention to Puerto Rico's colonial subjugation by the United States, she and a handful of men opened fire in the U.S. House of Representatives.

After the United States Capitol was stormed by insurrectionists on January 6th, 2021, Amarilis Rodriguez questioned how long the domestic terrorists would serve in prison, considering that Lebrón and her fellow pro-independence activists served 25 years (after being sentenced to even more.) Will the United States legal system punish insurrection as harshly as it punishes anti-colonialism?

Although Puerto Rico remains a US territory today, the independence movement that Lebrón was a part of has never disappeared. Lolita Lebrón and her collaborators expected to die in the attack, and although five congressmen were wounded, they claimed that they had never intended to kill anyone. This is the story of the 1954 attack on the Capitol and the woman who led it.

Who was Lolita Lebrón?

Lightfoot/Getty Images

Born on November 19th, 1919, Dolores "Lolita" Lebrón Sotomayor was the fifth and final child of a financially insecure family living in Lares, Puerto Rico. Her father tragically died at the age of 42, when Lebrón was a teenager, due to an inability to access sufficient medical care, and their financial situation only worsened afterwards.

Although she may have had some nationalist ideas, during her youth she didn't keep up with politics or activism. But according to Latinas in the United States, although Lebrón didn't take "much notice of Puerto Rico's political situation" while she was growing up, after moving to New York City, she joined the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party chapter in the early 1940s.

However, one event that is said to have resonated with Lebrón was the Ponce Massacre of 1937, where, according to the Zinn Education Project, 19 Nationalists were massacred by the police and over 200 others were wounded. The Guardian claims that the event "radicalized" Lebrón, but she never explicitly said that herself. Lebrón even claimed that she only ended up knowing about the massacre "because someone came to our house who had lost a relative in it. I had heard about a man named Pedro Albizu Campos but I never knew him personally."

The United States and Puerto Rico

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Before the Spanish colonized Puerto Rico, the island was inhabited by the Taíno, who were a subset of the Arawak people. But after the Spanish invaded in the 15th century, they ended up subjugating the island for almost 300 years. Then in the 1800s, according to National Geographic, the people of Puerto Rico started advocating for self-determination and self-governance.

Although the Spanish ended up allowing the island relatively more autonomy, the United States invaded Puerto Rico on July 25, 1898 during the Spanish-American War. And in the subsequent peace treaty, signed December 1898, the Spanish gave the colony to the United States. According to Boricua Power, almost as soon as the United States took control of Puerto Rico, they started encouraging people from the island to emigrate to the United States, Hawaii, Cuba, and Santo Domingo. The United States government pushed the perception that Puerto Ricans were "a good source of labor," though often the jobs that Puerto Ricans traveled to pursue "didn't live up to expectations and promises." 

Puerto Rican people who'd emigrated frequently protested their unjust working conditions and the devaluation of their labor. However, even cigar makers in New York City, which was an industry that was "the highest-paid, best organized, [and] most independent," found its work rendered "obsolete, unemployed, and poor" by the tobacco employers. During this entire time, Puerto Ricans continued to demand the right to self-governance.

The Gag Law and the Smith Act

Fox Photos/Getty Images

Meanwhile, on the island itself, the United States sought to suppress any and all nationalistic and pro-independence activity. On June 11, 1948, Jesús T. Piñero, a Puerto Rican man appointed governor by the United States, signed a bill into law that would become known as the Ley de la Mordaza, or the Gag Law.

According to War Against All Puerto Ricans, Law 53, as it was known in the legislation, was entirely intended to disrupt the Puerto Rican independence movement. It made it illegal to speak in favor of independence, write in favor of independence, sing a patriotic tune, or even display the Puerto Rican flag, per Mother Jones. The penalty for breaking this law was a fine of $10,000 and/or 10 years' imprisonment. And when the Puerto Rico colonial government adopted the pro-independence flag in 1952, they changed the blue color on the flag to make it more similar to the United States flag, nullifying the flag's symbolism, "whether intended or not."

Some also referred to the Gag Law as "the Little Smith Act" since it resembled the Smith Act from the mainland United States, which had been intended to suppress communist movements. A big component of both of these Acts made it a felony to "advocate for the violent overthrow of the government" or to be associated with such an organization.

The 1950 uprisings in Puerto Rico

Rosskam/Getty Images

Over the course of four days in 1950, there were several uprisings in Puerto Rico that were led and organized by Pedro Albizu Campos, the president of the Nationalist Party. Along with staging uprisings in eight different towns (Arecibo, Jayuya, Mayagüez, Naranjito, Peñuelas, Ponce, San Juan, and Utado), there were attempts to assassinate both Governor Luis Muñoz Marín of Puerto Rico and President Harry S. Truman of the United States.

According to Introduction to Latino Politics in the U.S., the nationalist groups carried the Puerto Rican flag around and in turn were "attacked by U.S. bomber planes from the air and by U.S. artillery on the ground." Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola, who were living in the United States, made an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate President Truman at Blair House on November 1st, 1950. In response to the uprisings, President Truman allowed Puerto Rico to hold a referendum over the creation of a new constitution. After it passed, the new constitution was implemented by July 1952.

According to the Encyclopedia of Activism and Social Justice, Albizu Campos was caught and sentenced to 80 years imprisonment the following year. Although he was pardoned two years later by the governor he tried to assassinate, the pardon was revoked after Lolita Lebrón's attack on the U.S. House of Representatives in 1954.

Lolita Lebrón moves to New York City

Orlando/Getty Images

In the 1940s, Lolita Lebrón moved to New York City and found it difficult to find work. Although she was able to be hired as a seamstress several times, whenever she confronted the discrimination against Puerto Ricans, she was fired. According to Lebrón herself, "After three days of looking for work, getting lost in the trains, walking in the snow, without money for lunch or shelter, I had to deny that I was Puerto Rican in order to have a job."

In response to the prejudice and racism she experienced, Lebrón joined the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party in 1946 and started promoting both feminist and socialist values within the organization. According to Latina, she soon became incredibly influential in the organization and was promoted to top positions like executive delegate and vice president.

Albizu Campos was the party's president and Lebrón had learned everything she could about its founder. According to The Guardian, the two began to correspond as Lebrón took on more and more responsibility within the organization. And in 1954, Lebrón was asked by Albizu Campos to come up with "strategic targets" for an attack. Lebrón chose the United States Congress as their target.

Deciding to attack Washington, D.C.

Shutterstock

In the new constitution of Puerto Rico, the official name of the island was made Estado Libre Asociado, or Commonwealth of the United States. According to Women on the Edge: Ethnicity and Gender in Short Stories by American Women, although this allowed people in Puerto Rico to elect local political officials, the description of "commonwealth" was "an ambiguous political designation" that kept the island "situated within American politics."

According to CENTRO Journal, as with the Guyana Uprising, the attack on the United States government wasn't "so much an attempt to seize power as it was 'a supreme act of protest to attract the attention of the world to the cause of Puerto Rico's independence.'" The ultimate goal was always to throw off the colonialist yoke, but even the note found in Lolita Lebrón's purse after the attack stated that the attack was "aimed at making the Puerto Rican plea heard throughout the world, as no one seemed to pay attention to the sufferings of her people." She reiterated this statement years later from prison, stating, "Attacking the U.S. in its own heart, its own entrails, was Puerto Rico's last recourse... because the island could not arm itself... and confront the U.S. in a traditional war. We made our war the only way we're able to."

Lolita Lebrón recruited Irving Flores, Rafael Cancel Miranda, and Andres Figueroa Cordero for the mission and on March 1st, 1954, they set out for Washington, D.C.

'¡Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre!'

Peter Keegan/Getty Images

On the day that Lebrón, Flores, Cancel Miranda, and Figueroa Cordero traveled from New York City to Washington, D.C. and entered the United States House of Representatives, there were two imperialist topics on the agenda. According to The Young Lords, Puerto Rico was one of the topics, and the other was the Chamizal district between Mexico and Texas, which the United States government didn't want to give back to the Mexican government.

The group waited in the visitor's gallery, and around noon, Lebrón shouted, "¡Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre!" and opened up the Puerto Rican nationalist flag. They all opened fire, firing both into the ceiling and the House floor. Five congressmen were wounded, although no one died in the attack. According to Latina, they had "no intentions of murdering anyone during their attack. Rather, they had prepared to die in their struggle for liberation."

When they were captured, Lolita Lebrón insisted that the men weren't responsible for the attack and that she was the sole instigator, but they were all given lengthy sentences.

And although The Guardian notes "Extraordinary as it seems today, the four Puerto Rican radicals had no difficulty in entering the visitors' gallery of the House of Representatives armed with their Lugers," it was revealed in the attempted coup of 2021 that maybe it's not actually that extraordinary.

Lolita Lebrón's capture and trial

Shutterstock

Lolita Lebrón and her fellow nationalists were captured almost immediately, although one was able to escape briefly before being apprehended. The trial started three months later, lasted 12 days, and on June 16th, 1954, they were all found guilty. According to The New York Times, while Cancel Miranda, Figueroa Cordero, and Flores were sentenced to 25 to 75 years in prison, Lebrón was sentenced to only 16 to 50 years. Since Lebrón had fired at the ceiling rather than the House floor, she was cleared of "assault with intent to kill," which is why she had a lesser sentence.

Although the defense counsel attempted to bring up the question of the nationalist's sanity, even claiming that the "appellants' adherence to an organized minority group in Puerto Rico is said to indicate irrationality," the defendants actively refused an insanity defense. Per the Washington Post, during her trial, Lebrón insisted that she was "being crucified for the freedom of my country." In another trial, an additional six years were added to all the shooters' sentences for "seditious conspiracy."

Lebrón also lost her 12-year-old son during the trial, although no one knew until she was testifying on the stand, and she recounted "what her life had been like with her child and the meaning of his loss."

Continuing to protest in prison

Shutterstock

Lolita Lebrón was imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution for Women in Alderson, West Virginia. According to Latinas in the United States, most of her time in prison was spent writing poetry, praying, sewing uniforms, and advocating for the rights of those imprisoned alongside her.

Helping organize a number of hunger strikes in the prison, Lebrón was furious that "women were intimidated and placed in isolation just to keep them in line." She also "refused to accept the validity of her conviction" and refused to apply for parole unless her fellow nationalists were also going to be freed. Insisting that she wouldn't leave prison for anything less than a presidential pardon, she devoted herself to her religion.

In 1978, Assata Shakur was transferred to Alderson and the two political prisoners crossed paths. They knew of the other's activism and admired one another, and at the moment they met there was an outburst of joy in a traditionally austere place. As their eyes recognized one another in the middle of prison, they called out the other's name in happiness and "hugged and kissed each other." It was an auspicious meeting, since the following year both Shakur and Lebrón left prison, one by escape and the other by pardon, respectively.

President Carter commutes Lolita Lebrón's sentence

Fox Photos/Getty Images

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter started reviewing the cases of the nationalists and pardoned Figueroa Cordero first since he had been diagnosed with cancer. The following year, President Carter also commuted the sentences of Lebrón, Flores, and Cancel Miranda after they had been imprisoned for 25 years.

Although some claim that this pardon came out of the pressure from political circles, academics, and the Catholic Church in Puerto Rico, the Washington Post claims that the pardon was "widely suspected to have been part of a prisoner swap to release CIA agents jailed in Cuba." However, according to Women of Color, in Solidarity, the governor of Puerto Rico at the time, Carlos Romero Barceló, was against the pardon because he claimed that it would "encourage terrorism and undermine public safety."

Although Lolita Lebrón was initially treated as a heroine when she was released from imprisonment, some of her followers abandoned her when they became aware of "her pacifist views and her devotion to the Catholic faith." In her autobiography, Shakur also notes how "anticommunist and antisocialist" Lebrón was at the time of their meeting.

Lolita Lebrón's continued activism

Gerald Lopez-cepero/Getty Images

Out of prison, Lolita Lebrón continued her activism for Puerto Rico's self-determination. According to The Guardian, although she recognized the economic benefits of living under American colonial rule, Lebrón "regarded freedom from foreign interference as more important than material well being."

In 2001, Lebrón was arrested twice during the struggle to remove the U.S. Navy from the island of Vieques, which it was using as a bombing range. She was 81-years-old at the time, and although she served 60 days at one point, their protests were ultimately successful.

According to Radical Women, on March 8th, 2008, she led a protest demanding for Puerto Rico's right to self-determination, saying, "We want everyone to know that in Puerto Rico, we women are fighting for our rights as workers, we are fighting for a healthy environment, for poor and marginalized communities, for the freedom of the political prisoners, the well-being of children, for peace, for the defense of our culture and all the rights they intend to take from us."

The end of Lolita Lebrón's life and her legacy

Kevin Hagen/Getty Images

On August 1st, 2010, Lolita Lebrón died as a result of a respiratory disease. But according to Latina, her legacy continues to be celebrated amongst Puerto Ricans. Her portrait is illustrated in murals across Puerto Rico as well as in neighborhoods in Chicago and New York. According to Maria de Lourdes Santiago, a member of the Puerto Rican Independence Party, Lebrón was "the mother of the independence movement."

Lebrón claimed that she had renounced violence due to her religious convictions, and she maintained the new pledge of nonviolence for the rest of her life. However, Lebrón stated that although she herself would not take up arms, "I acknowledge that the people have a right to use any means available to free themselves."

Although votes for independence in Puerto Rico typically garner up to 5 percent of the vote and statehood accounts for up to 50 percent of the vote, Puerto Rico remains a colony of the United States empire. And Lolita Lebrón never repented for her actions. When released, she said "We didn't do anything that we should regret. Everyone has the right to defend their right to freedom that God gave them."

[nj-stone]

Lena Rodriguez Tarot Down Under - EPSTEIN'S LOLITA EXPRESS BUDDIES TO BE NAMED & WORST CONGRESS IN HISTORY https://youtu.be/rCRb3JK8-AA?si=i3IoKyfRKS0rE0Nm via @YouTube

[ugurcifdaloz]

KADIN KODLARI

A104 ANGEL A112 ALIEN A114 DIOR ADDICT A117 CACHAREL AMOR AMOR A118 ARMANI MY WAY A120 ARMANI CODE A121 ARMANI BECAUSE IT YOU A122 ARMANI SI PASSION (KIRMIZI ŞİŞE) B103 BURBERRY HER (ÇİLEKLİ KOKU) B104 BURBERRY CLASSIC B106 BURBERRY WEEKEND C118 MAD CASHMERE C119 CACHAREL YES I AM C120 CHANEL COCO MADEMOSIELLE C121 CALVIN KLEIN EUPHORIA C123 CHANEL CHANCE C124 PRADA CANDY C126 212 SEXY CAROLINE HERRERA D101 DAVIDOFF COOL WATER D104 DIOR JOY D114 MISS DIOR BOUQET D115 DOLCE GABBANA LIGHT BLUE D116 DOLCE GABBANA Q D119 DAVIDOFF ECHO (VODKA) D121 DONNA KARAN BE DELICIOUS (YEŞİL ELMA) E101 ELIE SAAB GIRL NOW E104 ARMANI SHE E109 ESCADA COLLECTION E117 ESCADA MAGNETISM G101 GUCCI ENVY ME (BEBEK KOKUSU) G103 GOOD GIRL CAROLINE HERRERA G104 GIVENCHY L'NTERDIT G106 GOOD GIRL SUPREME G107 MON GUERLAIN H102 HUGO BOSS CLASSIC H103 HYPNOTIC POISON H104 HUGO BOSS ALIVE H105 HUGO BOSS INTENSE (122) I102 ISSEY MIYAKE J101 JADORE J102 JEAN PAUL GAULTIER SCANDAL J103 JEAN PAUL GAULTIER 2 J104 JO MALONE WOOD WAGE & SEA SALT K101 KILLIAN GOOD GIRL K103 KENZO FLOWER L101 LANCOME IDOLE L102 LANCOME LA NUIT L103 LA VI EST BELLE INTENSE L111 LOLITA LIFT L112 LANCOME HYPNOSE L113 LACOSTE CLASSIC M101 MIRACLE M104 MONTALE PINK EXTASY M109 ARMANI MANIA N101 CACHAREL NOA N103 NAOMI CAMPLE N105 NARSICO RODRIGUEZ FOR HER N106 NARSICO RODRIGUEZ P101 DE MARLEY ORION P104 OLYMPEA P105 PACO RABANNE FAME P107 PRADA PARADOXE R105 GUCCI RUSH R109 GUCCI RUSH 2 R110 RALPH LAUREN S101 SHISEDIO GINZA S112 ESCADA SEXY GRAFITI T101 TRUSARDI INSIDE WOMEN T103 TOM FORD VELVET T105 TOM FORD LOST CHERRY U101 ULTRAVIOLET V101 SCANDALOUS VICTORIA SECRET V102 VICTORIA SECRET NIGHT V103 VICTORIA SECRET XO VICTORIA V104 VERY IRRESISTIBLE V105 VICTORIA SECRET BOMBSHELL INTENSE V106 VICTORIA SECRET ORCHID V107 VICTORIA SECRET SEA V109 VICTORIA SECRET TEASE CREME CLOUD V110 BOMBSHEL SUNDRENCHED V112 VICTORIA SECRET BARE VANILLA W101 CHOPARD WISH W113 MIDNIGHT FANTASY W125 SHISEDIO ZEN W132 IRRESISTIBLE ABSOLUTE (BİHTER KOKUSU) W144 CHLOE CLASSIC W150 VERSACE CRYSTAL NOIR W153 LADY MILLION W154 CHANEL CHANCE TENDER W155 ACQUA DI GIO ARMANI W160 212 VIP W162 CHLOE LOVE (PUDRA KOKUSU) W164 CALVIN KLEIN BEAUTY (YASEMIN KOKUSU) W165 GUCCI GUILTY W169 JIMMY CHOO W174 HERMES ELIXIR W175 BURBERRY BODY W179 VERSACE VANITAS W183 VICTORIA SECRET NOIR TEASE W184 HERMES MERVEILES W185 ROBERTO CAVALLI CLASSIC W190 CHRISTIANA AGUILERA W197 ANGE DEMON LE SECRET W201 LANCOME LA VIE EST BELLE W203 ARMANI SI W204 MAD FORBIDDEN ROSE W208 YSL MANIFESTO W209 MY BURBERY W212 MICHAEL KORS SEXY AMBER W213 BLACK OPIUM (KAHVE) W214 VICTORIA SECRET BOMBSHELL W217 VERSACE BRIGHT CRYSTAL W222 OLYMPEA W230 OMNIA CRYSTAL Y101 YSL LIBRE Y102 YSL LIBRE INTENSE Z101 ZADIG VOLTAIRE THIS IS HER Z102 ZADIG VOLTAIRE ZODIAC ROCK HER A113 ALIEN GODDESS

[shopofthemoment]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: new Robert Rodriguez ★ Draped Overlay Strappy Silk Cami Top ★ Wine ★ Size 12 ★.

[oldschoolteenflicks]

WEIGHED BUT FOUND WANTING (1974) dir. by Lino Brocka

[sconesfortea]

Psych Rewatch | 6.16: Santabarbaratown

[seijiskatayama]

bobby in lolita fashion thank you for your time

[f0xd13-blog]

Y'all lolita is just a kawaii way of saying lola or lole which is a given name, Dolores. We have a lot of gitanas named lole like for example lole montoya rodriguez

Was lolita the book and movie, supposed to be horror btw? I'm used to being part of that genre when you make movies about things that concerns us so no big deal

[blogmediamustache]

📚 Books In this Episode:

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

Villains by V.E. Schwab

Meet Addy: An American Girl by Connie Rose Porter

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Independent Ed: Inside a Career of Big Dreams, Little Movies, and the Twelve Best Days of My Life by Edward Burns

Rebel Without a Crew, or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker with $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player by Robert Ridriguez

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

The Whole Town Is Sleeping by Ray Bradbury

Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine by Bebe Moore Campbell

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

A Song of Ice & Fire by George RR Martin

Sex.Lies.Murder.Fame. by Lolita Files

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Chew by John Layman & Rob Guillory

A Red Death by Walter Mosley

In the Dinosaur’s Paw by Patricia Reilly Giff

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

[solipsistful]

me: *thinks the words “light of my life”*

part of my brain, like some sort of call-and-response: “fire of my loins”

... ?????? have i not noticed that i have a goddamn automatic reaction to the first lines of Lolita before now, or did i have to jokingly think about Control “John Rodriguez” as “the light of my life” before i unlocked that realization

- ace

[theanticool]

My most anticipated fights of October 2021

Just pick a bunch of fights from here - except Rodtang who has covid :(

Giorgio Petrosyan vs Superbon - ONE Championship: First Strike (Oct. 15) - Two of the P4P best kickboxers on the planet face off in a 5 round kickboxing match for the vacant ONE Featherweight Kickboxing title? I mean, nothing could possibly top this.

Sitthichai vs Tayfun Özcan - ONE Championship: First Strike (Oct. 15) - ONE put together another featherweight kickboxing grand prix and it’s so good we’re getting Sittichai vs Ozcan in the very first round. That’s just too good.

Petr Yan vs Cory Sandhagen - UFC 267 (Oct. 30) - A replacement fight but a damn good one. Sandhagen is a fantastic fighter that can replicate some of the things Aljo did to have early success against Yan. But can he do it over 5 rounds? Excited to find out.

Enriko Kehl vs Davit Kiria - ONE Championship: First Strike (Oct. 15) - Basically see #3! That tournament is STACKED.

Saemapetch vs Tawanchai - ONE Championship: First Strike (Oct. 15) - Tawanchai is considered one of the P4P best in Muay Thai and Saemapetch is always a treat. Just one part of an immensely stacked card.

Mackenzie Dern vs. Marina Rodriguez - UFC Fight Night (Oct. 9) - The pure chaos of grappler vs striker is lit in this one. Dern has made it to this point in her career by being a dedicated grappler who can take a punch. Rodriguez has made it this far by being a wildly dangerous striker who can get takendown but has yet to be submitted. One of these things has to give here and that is compelling enough for me.

Jan Błachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira - UFC 267 (Oct. 30) - Some people may be surprised this one isn’t higher but my fear is this Glover fight is going to be like every Glover fight on his recent streak, where Glover gets the crap beat out of him til the other guy gets tired. Except I don’t think Jan will fall into that trap and instead it’s going to be a slow destruction of Glover. Hope I’m wrong but that’s why it’s not higher.

Chantelle Cameron vs Mary McGee - Oct. 30 - The IBF and WBC super lightweight titles are on the line as Hearn works to have one unified champ. Cameron, the UK’s best boxer, returns to action after injury and long suffering American Mary McGee gets the biggest stage she’s ever had in her long career. What’s not to love about this one!

Rico Verhoeven vs Alistair Overeem -  Glory: Collision 3 (Oct. 23) - I don’t know what I’m expecting from this one but I want to see two dudes with action figure physiques who are clearly on that horse meat trade punches until one of them collapses under the size of their own bulk, probably Overeem. Since it’s heavyweight, I’m also expecting some shenanigans so that should be fun. 

Amanda Ribas vs. Virna Jandiroba - UFC 267 - I still believe in Amanda Ribas as a prospect at strawweight. Looked good against Rodriguez before getting KOed. Jandiroba just had her best performance against Murata following a loss to Dern. I’m expecting something special from this one as both women have something to prove.

Other notables: Magomed Magomedkerimov vs Ray Cooper 2; Douglas Lima vs Michael Page 2; Teofimo Lopez vs George Kambosos Jnr; Jamel Herring vs Shakur Stevenson; Savannah Marshall vs Lolita Muzeya; Islam Makhachev vs. Rafael dos Anjos; and Bruno Cappelozza vs Ante Delija

Feel free to share what you’re looking forward to this month or complain about how I didn’t have Fury-Wilder 3 here or whatever.

[millenium-blog]

Enfin ! Cette saga mythique fait son retour sur les plateformes de streaming

Le 01/02/2022 à 19:35 par Doriane Kiniali

Vin Diesel

Ce mardi 1er février, Prime Video a mis en ligne les sept premiers volets de la saga Fast & Furious. L’occasion de (re)voir les premières aventures de Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez et Jordana Brewster !

Alors que le tournage du dixième volet devrait bientôt commencer, Prime Video vient de mettre en ligne les sept premiers volets de la franchise Fast & Furious. Sorti en 2001 pour la première fois au cinéma, le film d’action met en scène Dominic Toretto, un ex-prisonnier reconverti en pilote de courses de rue, entouré de sa bande composée de sa sœur Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Vince (Matt Schulze), Jesse (Chad Lindberg) et Leon (Johnny Strong). Un nouveau se rajoute à la bande, il s’agit de Brian O’Conner (le regretté Paul Walker), un policier choisi pour enquêter sur des attaques de camion. Le film a connu un grand succès au box-office mondial avec plus de 200 millions de dollars engrangés, ce qui a conduit à plusieurs suites. Désormais, la saga compte neuf volets et deux autres en production !

La saga Fast & Furious débarque sur Prime Video !

Pour faire face à ses concurrents comme Netflix et Disney+, Prime Video enrichit son catalogue avec des productions originales, des films et des séries. Pour toucher une large audience, la plateforme vient de mettre en ligne les sept premiers épisodes de la saga Fast & Furious. L’occasion de revoir à l’écran, l’amitié formée entre Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) et Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker). Si vous n’avez pas encore vu les sept premiers volets, c’est l’occasion idéale pour se rattraper ! En plus de la saga Fast & Furious, Prime Video a prévu la sortie des deux volets du Flic de Beverly Hills, de Cinquante Nuances de Grey et de la comédie Lolita malgré moi. Et la plateforme ne s’arrête pas là ! Vous pouvez également choisir entre le biopic Steve Jobs avec Michael Fassbender, E.T l’extra-terrestre de Steven Spielberg, le film d’action Top Gun avec Tom Cruise et le film culte Forrest Gump avec l’illustre Tom Hanks. Les plus jeunes peuvent profiter dès aujourd’hui des films d’animations Kung-Fu Panda 3, Dragon 2, Madagascar, Les Trolls, Comme des bêtes et Charlotte aux Fraises : aventures à Fraisi-Paradis.

Jason Momoa au casting de Fast & Furious 10

Jason Momoa, récemment séparé de sa femme Lisa Bonnet, a officiellement intégré la franchise Fast & Furious. L'acteur, qui vient de terminer le tournage d'Aquaman 2, jouera face à Vin Diesel dans le dixième volet de la saga. L’équipe a officiellement accueilli l’acteur en postant un message sur le compte Twitter officiel du film. Réalisé par Justin Lin (Star Trek : Sans limites), le long-métrage comptera sur le retour de Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Sung Kang et Charlize Theron. Le tournage devrait bientôt commencer pour une sortie prévue en mai 2023. Si le rôle de Jason Momoa est encore inconnu, de nombreuses sources affirmeraient qu'il pourrait jouer un méchant. Cette nouvelle survient après le refus de Dwayne Johnson de revenir dans la saga. L’ex-catcheur, toujours en froid avec Vin Diesel, était apparu dans quatre volets de la saga et dans le spin-off Fast & Furious : Hobbs and Shaw.

Quand sortiront les derniers volets de la saga Fast & Furious ?

Avant la sortie du neuvième film, Vin Diesel avait confirmé que le chapitre dix de Fast & Furious serait le dernier. “J'apprécie de pouvoir jouer Don Toretto. Le final est prévu car chaque bonne histoire a besoin d'une fin, chaque livre que vous lisez a un dernier chapitre, parce que c'est la nature même de la narration. Je sais qu'il y a des gens qui souhaitent que Fast & Furious continue encore et encore. L'univers, le Fast Universe, le fera assurément et il y aura différentes histoires dans le futur”. Un dernier film qui sera coupé en deux parties, comme l'avait confirmé le réalisateur Justin Lin à Collider. “L'idée est que les deux derniers films soient un seul chapitre. Je dois dire que je suis tellement content. Parce qu'à l'époque où je suis arrivé, faire une suite n'avait rien d'évident. Tu devais la mériter. Être en train de vous parler et de vous dire qu'il va y avoir deux autres films ça signifie beaucoup. Donc, chaque jour, quand je me réveille, j'essaie de m'assurer que tout ce dont nous parlons donnera le meilleur résultat. Mais je pense qu'avoir un chapitre en deux films est une bonne idée”. Si la première partie devrait sortir en mai 2023, aucune indication n’a été donnée pour la sortie du dernier volet… En attendant les deux derniers films de Fast & Furious, (re)découvrez vite les sept premiers volets de la saga sur Prime Video !

[fatalesbeauty]

FATALES   I   

Do your legs look like they’ve spent the past few months hibernating in tights? Tom Ford Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil adds a sexy golden sheen in seconds. Its amber-and-sandalwood scent was inspired by white-sand beaches.

La chaîne Fatales met à votre disposition une large gamme de produits cosmétiques, parfums, maquillage et soins dans les marques les plus sélectives : LITTLE MARCEL,  AA Cosmetic,  Abril et Nature,  Agatha Paris,  Aigner,  ALEXANDER MC QUEEN, Anastasia Beverly Hills ,  Antonio Banderas ,  Armani,  Atelier Maquillage,  Azzaro, Beauty Pro, Beyonce,  Blauer,  Bourjois,  Brasil Cacau,  Bronx Colors,  Burberry,  Bvlgari,  By Terry,  Cacharel, Calvin Klein,  Carobels,  Carolina Herrera,  Cartier,  CERRUTI,  CHANEL, Chloé,  CIGAR collection , Clarins,  Clinique,  COLAB,  Copines Line,  CREIGHTONS,  David Beckham,  Davidoff,  DEBORAH, DIEGO DALLA PALMA,  Diesel,  Dior,  Disney,  Dolce & Gabbana ,  Elie Saab,  Energie Fruit,  Escada, Estée Lauder,  EVOLUDERM,  Façonnable,  FARMAVITA,  Ferrari,  FOREO ,  Franck Olivier,  Furla, Garnier,  Givenchy,  Gosh,  Grace Cole, Gucci,  Guerlain,  Guess,  HEI POA,  Hermès,  HorseBall, Hugo_Boss,  IKKS,  IKOO,  ISADORA,  Issey Miyake,  jacadi,  Jean Paul Gaultier,  JENNIFER LOPEZ , KABEAH,  Kaloo,  Kenzo, Kérastase,  Keune,  KOTO,  L'Action,  L'oréal,  L’OCCITANE,  Lacoste, Lancôme,  lasplash,  liu jo,  LOLITA LEMPICKA,  Louis Varel,  Lulu Castagnette,  Mades Cosmetics, Maison Margiela, Manoush,  MARC JACOBS,  Marco Serussi,  MAUBOUSSIN,  Maxfactor, Maybelline,  Metallic Flash Tattoos,  Miss Cop,  Moliabal,  Morgan,  MOSCHINO,  Mugler,  Narciso Rodriguez, Nelly,  Nina Ricci,  NOU,  Paco Rabanne,  Pascal Morabito,  Payot,  PEPE JEANS,  Polaar, Porche Design,  Prada,  PROFUSION Cosmetics,  PUPA,  REAL TECHNIQUES,  René Furterer, Replay, REVLON,  Rexaline,  Rimmel,  Roberto Cavalli,  Saint Hilaire,  Sally Hansen,  Salvatore Ferragoamo , Schwarzkopf,  Shiseido,  Sleek,  Terry De Gunzburg,  Tom Ford,  Valentino, Versace,  Viktor & Rolf, VITAMASQUES,  Women Secret,  YUNSEY,  Yves Saint Laurent,  Ziaja,

Explore our Magazine

[justpieit-reads]

Reading List 📖

Title Published Author Birth of a Theorem: A Mathematical Adventure* 2012 Cédric Villani Bart lent this to me in late 2019 and I'm finally taking a crack at it now. The Picture of Dorian Gray 1962 Oscar Wilde Carol gifted me the uncensored version edited by Nicholas Frankel; I finished it on August 12, 2020. Consider the Lobster and Other Essays 2005 David Foster Wallace I bought this at the Strand near Union Square in early 2020. I finished it on August 5, 2020 (I skipped American Usage because I don't have the stomach for a sixty page essay about dictionaries, even if it's written by DFW). 1984 1949 George Orwell Carol bought me this at Barrington Books. I finished it on July 7, 2020. The Phantom Tollbooth 1961 Norton Juster I first read this in middle school and re-read it in the summer of 2020. South by South Bronx 2008 Abraham Rodriguez I read this for a "Latino Literature in English" class I took in the spring of 2020. Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories 1991 Sandra Cisneros I read this for a "Latino Literature in English" class I took in the spring of 2020. Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid* 1979 Douglas Hofstadter I bought this at a used bookstore at Pike Place in the August 2019. Shiver: Junji Ito Selected Stories 2015 Junji Ito I bought this at Powell's in August 2019 and finished it during the trip. Brave New World 1932 Aldous Huxley I bought this at Powell's in August 2019 and finished it during the trip. Reveries of the Solitary Walker* 1979 (translated) Jean-Jacques Rousseau I picked this up at the Book Thing of Baltimore in April 2019. Quantum Mechanics: The Theoretical Minimum* 2014 Leonard Susskind and Art Friedman I bought this at the MIT Press Bookstore in January 2019. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1979 Douglas Adams Read in the summer of 2017. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions 2008 Dan Ariely Read sometime in 2016-2018. Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China 2008 Leslie T. Chang Read sometime in 2016-2018. Lolita 1955 Lolita Nabokov Read sometime in 2016-2018.

* = unfinished/currently reading

[scenesandchapters]

Comparison Corner Ep.1: Annihilation

I recently read the book Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer and couldn’t help but compare to the film. I thoroughly enjoyed both, but they were both so different that I was inspired to write this post after rewatching the film. I also figured I’d make this a series where I compare film or even television adaptations of novels. I’m also going to issue a SPOILER warning now, I will be going into some detail about plot points in both the book and film so only read ahead if you have watched/read or don’t intend to do so and are just curious.

 I remember getting excited about the release of the film, featuring familiar stars such as Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez and Tessa Thompson so I just had to watch it! I was in awe of the mind baffling imagery on the screen and the engaging plot which I understood wasn’t for everyone. But for me, it was what I needed. I was in desperate need of a film that didn’t quite make sense in a world that wasn’t quite ours but familiar enough that I could feel the fear of the people in it.

 I’m going to start off with stating that the film is not, and was never intended it be, a direct adaptation of the film, but rather a film that took the story in its own direction. It takes the skeleton of the narrative, a biologist who enters Area X after her husband returns and finds a mutated world what promises to violate your mind and body, and makes changes small enough that it still seems familiar to a reader of the book but big enough that it takes its own narrative. Throughout this comparison, I will try to keep the two pieces of art separate in my mind.

 We start off the film with an immediate emotional attachment to the Biologist, played by Natalie Portman and referred to in the film as Lena, learning about her backstory and her motivations before she even enters Area X, unlike in the book which feeds you this information slowly throughout the chapters. This is because in a film, they need to grip you immediately as they have a short amount of time to convey the story and if you don’t get behind the protagonist quickly then you can easily lose that interest you may hold longer in a book. The book creates tension differently that the film, it is a first-person narrative with a biased narrator that withholds things.

 The film is slightly different, following Lena but also allowing you attachment to the other characters so you feel their pain. The film also starts off with a reassurance that our hero makes it through, showing post interviews about her time in the “shimmer”, whereas the book is written as a journal of thoughts, so the reader doesn’t have that reassurance. Somewhere around here in my notes, I put “The Shimmer is a rubbish name” so I will continue to call it Area X like in the book because the film changed it for some reason.

 Part of what makes the film so different is the removal of a true antagonist. In the book, the Psychologist (referred to as Dr Ventress in the film) hypnotises the rest of the members of the expedition to do her bidding, ignoring uncomfortable details about their surroundings and even having a trigger word to make them end their lives as fast as possible. However, in the film, we don’t see this from Ventress but instead, we see Area X messing with the crew, sending some of them insane with paranoia and killing others with the creatures it created.

 We don’t see these creatures in the book, in fact, the Biologist doesn’t come into physical contact with many creatures in Area X. She can hear them and she sees some things from a distance, but apart from the Tower’s breathing walls and spores and the Crawler, the only other beings are the people she entered with. This really alienates the Biologist, something I love about the book as she is left to her own devices for half of the narrative, leading minimal dialogue throughout the whole book. You are left with the imagery created by the descriptive text, creating undeniable beautiful and unforgettable passages that allow you to explore so much more than what you are given in the film.

 One detail about the film I’m not a massive fan of is the detail it feels the need to explain to us as a modern audience seems to frown upon purposeful missing details to create mystery. The book will often leave things out because of the basic reason that the character doesn’t know because Area X is so haunting and alien to them that they can’t find such an explanation. However, in the film, they begin talking about Area X refracting signals and DNA to create the mutated creatures. While this explanation adds an element of WTF to the narrative by inspiring fear into the characters, it seems too convenient for them to tie a little bow on the mystery of what goes on there.

 However, the film does create some amazing moments that aren’t in the book. One example is after the bear kills Sheppard, it finds the others and, instead of its usual noises, it mimics her cries for help. This is an incredible addition to the narrative as it creates this notion of your mind being absorbed as you die with the only thing being left behind is your fear and screams for help.

 Finally, I’d like to discuss the way that the film makes nods to the book. From the little things like the Psychologist leaving for the lighthouse on her own, the people turning into plants and the Biologist’s interest in the fungi and spores coating walls on the former Southern Reach Headquarters. We also see a hint of a link to the Tower when we see a hole in the ground of the lighthouse which leads to an underground cavern where we see the Crawler or at least a version of it. I am disappointed we never see a true version of the Crawler or the Tower in the film as this was my favourite part of the book. I loved the mystery you became wrapped up in, trying to understand what is down there and I hope in the future books they come back to it and we find out what is behind the door.

 It’s an inspiring adaptation, I commend the courage from straying from the path of a direct narrative copy and creating a new story within Area X to further explore the horrors within it. I look forward to my next one of these comparisons where I will discuss Lolita and both of its film adaptations.

[keepingupwithlinmanuel]

Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'Hamilton' funds give Puerto Rican art groups a second chance

As Puerto Rico's financial crisis has deepened over the last decade, arts organizations have faced dwindling resources or been defunded.

But nearly two years after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, many have been given a second chance to continue their artistic and cultural work thanks in part to "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Miranda, alongside his family and "Hamilton" producer Jeffrey Seller, partnered with the Flamboyan Foundation to create an arts fund to help revitalize arts in Puerto Rico. The foundation is named after one of the island's best-known and beloved trees, the flamboyán, or flamboyant tree, which grows in warm zones.

The fund provides grants to Puerto Rican arts organizations. After "Hamilton’s" 17-day run in Puerto Rico, Miranda helped raise nearly $15 million from ticket sales and contributions to the fund.

Andanza, a contemporary dance company and school in San Juan, is one of over 12 grant recipients.

“It’s the first time that we have funds guaranteed for the beginning of the year so it’s been very important,” said Lolita Villanúa, executive director of Andanza, adding that the grant “was like a big prize on our 20th anniversary."

Andanza has struggled financially since its founding in 1998, Villanúa said. "The search for funds has always been very difficult," she said, recalling an instance in which the government gave Andanza $8,000 for the dance company to operate for a year.

“Let’s hope that other foundations [and] other institutions come together to continue to support the arts here, because it is needed,” she said.

...

The arts fund aims to help a number of different types of organizations, said Carlos J. Rodriguez Silvestre, executive director of the Flamboyan Foundation.

“It’s not just museums or visual arts. It’s a fund for both large and small organizations” he added.

Y No Había Luz, a San Juan theater company managed by seven local artists, has also received Flamboyan arts funds to continue its work with communities throughout the island. The name in English means, "And there was no light," or "And there was no power."

Founded in 2005, the company's mission is to create art experiences that foster creativity, solidarity and social justice in Puerto Rico.

“The arts are individual, but a community is created,” Yari Helfeld, one of seven co-directors of Y No Había Luz, said, adding that the arts "lets us humanize us.”