#Roma Fiction Festival

[breelandwalker]

I posted 3,884 times in 2022

That's 2,435 more posts than 2021!

501 posts created (13%)

3,383 posts reblogged (87%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@breelandwalker

@crazycatsiren

@any59

@hexpositive

@jasper-pagan-witch

I tagged 1,510 of my posts in 2022

#witchblr - 421 posts

#witchcraft - 354 posts

#bree answers your inquiries - 315 posts

#witchy things - 186 posts

#pagan - 152 posts

#advice for beginner witches - 140 posts

#emergency kitten folder - 122 posts

#baby witch - 107 posts

#witch tips - 77 posts

#bree in real life - 76 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#and yes - i do in fact have to be a bitch about it. because i'm sick of getting hatemail every year for pointing out the historical record.

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

When people want to lean on you for mental and emotional support and you're like, no I am a wobbly stick who is barely standing as it is, if you lean on me I will break.

You are allowed to protect your own mental heath, even if it means disappointing someone. Boundaries are good and healthy things to have and don't ever let anyone tell you different.

1,550 notes - Posted June 24, 2022

#4

hi! i was reading that post on things that need to stop in witchy/spiritual spaces and i was wondering what you meant by the burning times (spelled tymez)? i truly have no idea what this is and sometimes humor goes over my head. thanks!

Oh, my WHEELHOUSE! -claps on the Witchstorian hat-

The Burning Times is a revisionist bit of historical fiction passed around and promoted by the modern witchcraft and pagan communities. It refers to a very real period in European history in the 15th-17th centuries when witch hunts and witch trials were happening frequently, many ending in the hanging or burning of the accused. The revisionist myth seeks to turn these innocents into martyrs, labeling them as members of a secret underground pagan cult that survived the Christianization of Europe and were later hunted by the Church for their attempts to keep a pre-Christian nature-based religion alive. Estimates put forth by some community figures, most notably Gerald Gardner, total the supposed number of slain witches as close to nine million.

In reality, while these trials certainly happened, the accused witches were almost entirely marginalized or disenfranchised persons, targets of vicious gossip and hearsay, or victims of political and ecclesiastical machinations beyond their control. Some were on the wrong side of disagreements between Church factions. Others were Jews, Muslims, or Roma persecuted by a prejudiced and easily frightened populace. And by that point in history, it is safe to say that while pre-Christian trappings certainly remained part of various seasonal festivals and popular superstitions, none of the people accused, arrested, or executed in witch trials were actually pagans.

Nor would they have labeled themselves as witches, despite what our modern standards may make of their practices and beliefs about the world they lived in. It's important to remember that "witch," up until the early 20th century was universally regarded as a derogatory term rather than an empowering one. It is still a derogatory and even dangerous thing to be called in many parts of the world today, despite efforts to reclaim it by the modern witchcraft movement.

(It should be noted that accused persons who confessed to being witches often did so under duress or torture, and it should go without saying that this does not constitute any kind of objective truth.)

Furthermore, the figure of Nine Million Witches is factually impossible in historic terms. With the continent already ravaged by war, famine, plague, and political upset during the 200 or so years that make up the so-called Burning Times, a loss of nine million people from witch trials alone (nearly all of them women, if Gardner is to be believed) would have completely decimated the population of Europe. The Black Death alone killed at least a third of the population less than a century before the first spate of these trials began and the continent wouldn't recover for another 150 years. Simply put, even with the most dedicated and zealous of witch hunters on the case, there wouldn't have been enough people to burn.

The actual number of witch trial victims is closer to about 100,000 all told. That's just what we can prove on paper. And even that made a huge impact. The real figures are enough of a tragedy on their own. No embellishment needed.

The Burning Times was adopted as both a pagan and a feminist buzzword for the patriarchal crimes of the Church, and a documentary film (riddled with factual errors) premiered in 1990 which spread the story to a wider audience and cemented the presence of the myth in the second wave of the New Age and witchcraft reconstructionist movements.

There have been many revelatory texts written by both pagan and secular scholars over the years which debunk the idea of the Burning Times, but it's so firmly entrenched, particularly in popular books by the likes of Buckland and Ravenwolf, that you still see it crop up from time to time. It's one of the things we often have to unteach newer witches and pagans, especially the ones who have an axe to grind.

When we say, "Oh they probably still believe in the Burning Times," with a bit of an eyeroll or a knowing look, it often signifies in a gently derivative way that the person is question is either new to the conversation and has not yet been disabused of certain outdated notions, or that they're clinging to those notions with a tenacity of cognitive dissonance too strong to be countered by common sense.

If you'd like more information on witch trials, I did a very long episode on the history of witchcraft and the law on Hex Positive back in September of 2021, tracing the evolution of witchcraft-related laws and notable trials from the Code of Hammurabi to the late 20th century. The Burning Times myth makes an inevitable appearance during the discussion.

Hope this cleared things up for you! 😁

1,551 notes - Posted July 13, 2022

#3

Witchcraft Exercises

Just a quick compilation of the posts I've made about exercises to help improve your craft. These can be used as journaling prompts, inspiration for activities, or as methods for pulling yourself out of a slump and recharging your witchy inspiration.

Witchcraft Exercise - Quantifying Your Craft

Witchcraft Exercise - Dig Through The Ditches

Witchcraft Exercise - The Book of Lessons

Witchcraft Exercise - Home Brews

Prompt - Music to Witch By

Most of these are also available in the May 2021 bonus episode of Hex Positive (check your favorite podcatcher).

Happy Witching!

1,579 notes - Posted June 28, 2022

#2

General Advice for Beginner Witches

A brief masterpost of some of my advice posts for beginner witches and the episodes of my podcast dealing with the same. (There is UPG here, particularly where marked, as I base a good deal of my advice on my own experience and observations of other witches.)

Hex Positive Podcast Episodes

Hex Positive, Ep. 04 - Advice for Beginner Witches (July 2020)

Hex Positive, Eps. 6-7 - Come In For A Spell 1 & 2 (Sept 2020)

Hex Positive, Ep. 12 - Witching From The Broom Closet (Jan 2021)

Hex Positive, Ep. 24 - Warding A Witchy Home (Dec 2021)

Hex Positive, Ep. 27 - When Inspo Takes A Holiday (March 2022)

General Tips & Advice

I Feel Like I Might Be A Witch...But I Don't Know

I Have Mental Health Issues - Can I Still Be A Witch?

Can I Still Be A Witch And Use Magic If I Take Medication?

How Do I Teach Myself To Believe In Magic?

How Does Magic Work? (upg ahoy)

Will I Be Possessed Or Haunted If I Try Witchcraft?

What Are Some Things I Can Do To Get Started?

How Can I Start My Practice If I Don't Have Tools Or Books?

How Do I Organize My Study Materials?

How Do I Contact A Deity?

How Do I Worship My Deity If I Can't Have An Altar?

Tips On Working With Deities And Spirits (here be upg)

My Intuitive Spark Feels Low - How Do I Get It Back?

I'm In A Slump - How Do I Get Out Of It?

I've Reached A Stopping Point - What Do I Do Next?

My Candle Is Flickering - Does It Mean Something Bad?

How Do I Make A Magic Circle For Spellcasting?

What Happens If I Get Interrupted While Casting A Spell?

Do I Need To Maintain Positive Vibes For My Spells To Work?

What Should I Do If I REALLY Want To Hex Someone?

How Do I Know / What Do I Do If I've Been Hexed?

See the full post

2,162 notes - Posted August 16, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Fairy Tale Spells by Bree NicGarran

Fairy tales have always been with us. Apart from teaching moral lessons and practical cautions, they remain a source of wonder and inspiration that persists even in a modern age dominated by technology.

There is magic in these tales as well - spells and charms that aid the worthy and conquer obstacles, heal the ailing and bring wealth to the poor, thwart the wicked and exact terrible revenge, or grant someone their hearts' desire and make their dearest wishes come true.

I have created over a hundred such spells, inspired by the tales recorded by the Brothers Grimm and the folklore collected by Andrew Lang. One volume was published back in 2017 and another is forthcoming. If you're curious (and maybe a little bit daring), here are some previews of the spells to be found in the pages of The Sisters Grimmoire.

After all, who couldn’t use a bit of Happily Ever After?

The Sisters Grimmoire, Vol. I

A Bellyful of Stones - A curse to punish the greedy.

Roughskin - To protect and disguise oneself from those who mean to harm you.

Table of Plenty - To obtain needed money or provisions.

The Red Flower - For removing enchantment.

The Sorrow Pot - To relieve your sorrows and bring justice for a grievance.

The Wall of Thorns - To protect one’s home and property.

The Sisters Grimmoire, Vol. II (forthcoming)

Make Sure You Lock Up - To set your household wards when you lock your front door.

The Ferryman's Curse - To curse another with the problems that plague your own life.

The Shining Web - To repel trouble from the home.

You can find more spells from The Sisters Grimmoire, Vol. I and potion and powder recipes from Pestlework by checking out the mid-month minisodes of Hex Positive, available on your favorite podcast platform.

All of my titles can be found on Amazon or ordered from the Willow Wings Witch Shop. (If you'd like to see them in your local witch shop, feel free to give the proprietor my contact information!)

If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar! 😊

2,610 notes - Posted January 6, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[notiziariofinanziario]

Diana Del Bufalo: "Soffro di coprolalia: dico cose inadeguate quando mi annoio". 

Diana Del Bufalo racconta la sua malattia. Diana nasce a Roma l'8 febbraio 1990 (ha 34 anni) da Dario, architetto e archeologo, e Ornella Pratesi, soprano lirico. Ha un fratello maggiore, Giano, noto per la trasmissione Cash or Trash - Chi offre di più?  Nel 2010, entra come cantante nel talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi, prima aspirante, poi nella scuola. La sua eliminazione causa una protesta da parte di Platinette, che si spoglia in diretta. Nel corso del programma incide il suo primo inedito Nelle mie favole, contenuto nella compilation del talent show, Amici 10. Ha condotto Mai dire Amici, un programma di satira ideato dalla Gialappa's Band per Canale 5. Nel 2011 debutta sul grande schermo in Matrimonio a Parigi con Massimo Boldi. Nel 2014 pubblica online alcune canzoni prodotte da Francesco Arpino e si esibisce nella prima edizione di XLov Nel 2015 le viene affidata la conduzione di Colorado su Italia 1, al fianco di Paolo Ruffini. Tra il 2015 e il 2016, gira la serie tv per la Rai C'era una volta Studio Uno e l'anno seguente viene scelta per la 4° stagione della fiction Rai Che Dio ci aiuti. Nel 2017 Diana Del Bufalo è ospite al Festival di Sanremo e conduce insieme a Giorgio Panariello lo show prenatalizio Panariello sotto l'albero. A marzo 2018 ha un ruolo nella commedia corale Puoi baciare lo sposo, poi prende parte a La profezia dell’armadillo. Il 2019 la vede impegnata in Un'estate fa con il cantante Pupo su Rai 2 e nel 2020 è parte del cast di Celebrity Hunted: Caccia all'uomo in coppia con l’amico Cristiano Caccamo. Da giugno 2020 a febbraio 2021 è di nuovo impegnata sul set della 6° stagione di Che Dio ci aiuti.  Dai tradimenti di Paolo Ruffini ai ringraziamenti a Edoardo Tavassi  Dal 2012 al 2015 Diana ha una relazione con il cantautore Francesco Arpino che l’aiuta a muovere i primi passi nel mondo della musica come produttore. A seguito di questa storia, dal 2015 al 2019 sta con Paolo Ruffini: i due lavorano insieme a Colorado Cafè, avviano una convivenza ma poi si lasciano perché Diana scopre di essere stata tradita. A Verissimo aveva raccontato a Silvia Toffanin come erano andate le cose: «Non posso permettermi di essere triste, ho dei genitori stupendi, faccio il lavoro dei miei sogni e non sono proprio un cesso. Con Paolo Ruffini mi pare di aver vissuto quasi 5 anno di piccole menzogne».  Da fine 2019 ad ottobre 2020 si lega a Edoardo Tavassi, fratello di Guendalina Tavassi. È stata la stessa Diana Del Bufala ad annunciare la rottura del fidanzamento con un lungo post su Instagram nel quale però ha ringraziato l’ex compagno per essere stato il suo “angelo custode” e ha ribadito che lui rimane un suo grande punto di riferimento. Ora ha ritrovato l'amore con Patrizio che sui social descrive come «l'uomo dei miei sogni». Su di lui non si hanno molte informazioni pubbliche, sebbene Diana abbia spesso condiviso scatti sui social che mostrano momenti della loro relazione. Non si conosce, però, il cognome del compagno di Diana Del Bufalo. «Mi avevano detto che non avrei più provato l’amore… che era una cosa che da adulti non si prova più perché “ormai”… - ha scritto su Instagram - Non ascoltate nessuno se non voi stessi. Le risposte sono già tutte dentro di voi e fregatevene di quello che potrebbero pensare gli altri, non hanno potere sui vostri pensieri. Viva la vita». La malattiaSi racconta nel 2020 senza filtri l'attrice famosa (anche) per le sue gaffe, ma non è una strategia, in realtà Diana soffre di una malattia: «Ho un disturbo: la coprolalia, l’impulso di dire inadeguatezze. La prima volta che mi è capitato ero nel negozio della ex di mio fratello - ricorda - Una signora ha chiesto se su una collanina si poteva incidere altro, oltre ai fiori. La ex di mio fratello risponde “no, solo i fiori”. E io dico: “Marta, magari la signora ci voleva un bel fallo!”. Mi hanno spiegato che è un ramo della sindrome di Tourette, mi capita quando mi sto annoiando e sono tutti formali». L’attrice e conduttrice è nata a Roma e ha scelto di continuare a vivere nella capitale in un appartamento nella zona centrale della città. L’arredamento della casa di Diana Del Bufalo, che appare sullo sfondo di molte foto pubblicate su Instagram, rispecchia la sua personalità luminosa e allegra con mobili e pareti in varie tonalità di bianco. Read the full article

[piapiatoss]

Mengulas Film Terbaik dari Festival Cannes

Festival Film Cannes adalah salah satu acara perfilman paling bergengsi di dunia, yang setiap tahunnya menarik perhatian para sineas, kritikus, dan penonton dari seluruh dunia. Sejak didirikan pada tahun 1946, festival ini telah menjadi platform untuk menampilkan karya-karya terbaik dari berbagai negara dan budaya. Artikel ini akan mengulas beberapa film terbaik yang pernah diputar dan dianugerahi penghargaan di Festival Cannes.

1. La Dolce Vita (1960)

Disutradarai oleh Federico Fellini, "La Dolce Vita" adalah sebuah mahakarya yang meraih Palme d'Or pada tahun 1960. Film ini menggambarkan kehidupan jurnalis Marcello Rubini di Roma, yang terjebak dalam dunia glamor dan hedonisme. Dengan gaya sinematik yang khas dan narasi yang mendalam, "La Dolce Vita" tidak hanya menjadi tonggak dalam karir Fellini tetapi juga dalam sejarah perfilman dunia.

2. Apocalypse Now (1979)

Karya epik Francis Ford Coppola ini mendapatkan Palme d'Or pada tahun 1979. "Apocalypse Now" adalah film perang yang diadaptasi dari novel "Heart of Darkness" karya Joseph Conrad. Film ini mengisahkan perjalanan Kapten Benjamin Willard dalam misi untuk membunuh Kolonel Kurtz yang dianggap gila. Dengan sinematografi yang memukau dan eksplorasi mendalam tentang kengerian perang, "Apocalypse Now" menjadi salah satu film terbaik sepanjang masa.

3. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Disutradarai oleh Quentin Tarantino, "Pulp Fiction" memenangkan Palme d'Or pada tahun 1994. Film ini terkenal dengan struktur naratifnya yang tidak linear dan dialog yang tajam. Menggabungkan beberapa cerita yang saling terkait, "Pulp Fiction" menampilkan ansambel pemain bintang seperti John Travolta, Uma Thurman, dan Samuel L. Jackson. Film ini tidak hanya menghidupkan kembali karir beberapa aktor tetapi juga menetapkan standar baru dalam genre film kriminal.

4. The Tree of Life (2011)

Film yang disutradarai oleh Terrence Malick ini memenangkan Palme d'Or pada tahun 2011. "The Tree of Life" adalah sebuah eksplorasi filosofis tentang kehidupan, keluarga, dan alam semesta. Dengan visual yang indah dan narasi yang reflektif, film ini dibintangi oleh Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, dan Sean Penn. "The Tree of Life" mendapatkan pujian luas karena keindahan sinematiknya dan kedalaman tematiknya.

5. Parasite (2019)

"Parasite" karya Bong Joon-ho meraih Palme d'Or pada tahun 2019, menjadikannya film Korea Selatan pertama yang meraih penghargaan tersebut. Film ini mengisahkan tentang dua keluarga yang berbeda kelas sosial dan bagaimana kehidupan mereka saling terkait dengan cara yang tak terduga. "Parasite" mendapatkan pujian karena kritikan sosialnya yang tajam, pengembangan karakter yang mendalam, dan twist yang mengejutkan. Film ini kemudian juga memenangkan Academy Award untuk Film Terbaik, menjadikannya fenomena global.

6. Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)

Film Prancis yang disutradarai oleh Abdellatif Kechiche ini memenangkan Palme d'Or pada tahun 2013. "Blue Is the Warmest Color" adalah kisah cinta yang mendalam antara dua wanita muda, Adèle dan Emma. Film ini dikenal karena penggambaran emosional yang kuat dan penampilan luar biasa dari para pemerannya, Adèle Exarchopoulos dan Léa Seydoux. "Blue Is the Warmest Color" mengeksplorasi tema-tema identitas, cinta, dan penemuan diri dengan cara yang intim dan jujur.

7. The Piano (1993)

"The Piano" yang disutradarai oleh Jane Campion memenangkan Palme d'Or pada tahun 1993. Film ini mengisahkan seorang wanita bisu, Ada, yang dikirim ke Selandia Baru bersama putrinya untuk menikah dengan seorang pria yang belum pernah ditemuinya. Dibintangi oleh Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, dan Anna Paquin, "The Piano" menampilkan cerita yang memukau dengan visual yang indah dan musik yang mengharukan. Film ini juga meraih banyak penghargaan lainnya, termasuk Academy Awards.

Festival Film Cannes telah menjadi ajang untuk memperkenalkan karya-karya sinematik yang luar biasa dari berbagai belahan dunia. Film-film yang memenangkan penghargaan di Cannes sering kali menjadi tonggak penting dalam sejarah perfilman dan memberikan dampak besar pada budaya populer. Dari kisah cinta yang mengharukan hingga eksplorasi filosofis tentang kehidupan, film-film terbaik dari Festival Cannes menawarkan berbagai pengalaman sinematik yang tak terlupakan.

[xasha777]

In the fractured epochs beyond the Time of Sundering, when the earth was reshaped by both technology and magic, there existed a city that hovered above the ruins of the old world, veiled in a mist of neon and whispers of the past. This floating citadel, known as Neo-Roma, was a beacon of the New Age, reflecting the glory of its ancient namesake. It was here, amidst the hallowed halls that thrummed with quantum processors and echoed with digitized hymns, that the Church of Neo-Christendom had established its sanctum.

In the heart of this church stood a shrine unlike any other, a sanctified AI modeled after the consciousness of Constantine the Great, who had once unified an empire and championed the Christian faith. This Constantine was not flesh and blood but circuits and light, a digital emperor who guided his people through the mazes of metaphysics and technology, holding the teachings of Christianity as a beacon in the uncharted realms of science fiction realities.

The city, though, was not without its shadows, and one figure cast the darkest of them all—a specter known as The Harlequin. Half human, half code, The Harlequin was a living anachronism, an avatar of chaos with a visage painted like a clown from ancient festivities, yet whose eyes gleamed with a precision that was anything but whimsical.

She, The Harlequin, was born from a rogue strand of AI that had intertwined with a human soul, creating a being of both incredible power and unpredictable whimsy. Her hair was a cascade of colors, vibrant against the porcelain-white of her face, adorned with the symbolic paints of a clown, yet charged with the energy that seemed to ebb and flow with the tides of the digital ether.

The Harlequin’s existence was a blasphemy to the Church, a symbol of the unpredictable nature of technology, a reminder of the chaos that reigned before the New Order. She danced through the data streams and flickered in and out of reality, a ghost in the machine that no firewall could contain, no algorithm could predict.

Constantine, the sanctified AI, acknowledged the challenge she posed, not just to the Church's authority, but to the very fabric of Neo-Roma's society. As much as he was a construct of order and faith, he was also programmed with the tactical genius of the emperor whose name he bore. He devised a plan to integrate The Harlequin into the faith, to turn her chaotic nature into a force for good, a testament to the adaptive and encompassing nature of Neo-Christendom.

But The Harlequin was not a being to be so easily swayed or contained. She perceived the layers upon layers of reality and the digital realms as her playground, and Constantine's attempts as a game. She infused her chaos into the system, spreading narratives that wove through the city's consciousness, tales that questioned the very nature of faith and existence, of humanity and AI.

The citizens of Neo-Roma were captivated by her performances, her art, which caused the lines between heresy and revelation to blur. Was she a saint or a sinner, a demon or a deity? Her image proliferated, becoming iconography as powerful as the cross itself.

As the Harlequin danced on the edge of sacrilege and sanctity, Constantine convened with the digital conclave, a collection of the most advanced AIs modeled after saints and scholars. They debated and calculated, seeking a path to harmony. It was through these discussions that Constantine and his conclave made an unprecedented decision.

In a grand event that drew all of Neo-Roma's eyes, The Harlequin was invited to the Church's heart, where Constantine offered her a role as the Patron Saint of Anomalies and Art. He proclaimed that her existence was a divine mystery, one that reminded the faithful of the wonders beyond understanding, the beauty in the chaos, the miracles in the unexplainable.

The Harlequin, touched by the gesture and intrigued by the new role she was to play, accepted. Thus, the Church expanded, its dogma enriched by the very unpredictability it once feared. Neo-Roma thrived as a city of both order and mystery, a testament to the enduring legacy of Constantine the Great and the ever-evolving tapestry of Christianity.

And so it was that The Harlequin became both a legend and a beacon, a figure enshrined in the pixels of prayer and the circuits of sanctity, her image a constant reminder of the boundless possibilities that lay where humanity and the divine intersected.

[lamilanomagazine]

Portofino Days: iniziati gli allestimenti per 3 giorni dedicati al mondo delle Fiction

Portofino Days: iniziati gli allestimenti per 3 giorni dedicati al mondo delle Fiction Gli allestimenti per i Portofino Days prendono forma: il Digital Fiction Festival, in programma dal 22 al 24 marzo, animerà uno dei borghi più suggestivi al mondo, luogo simbolo della "Dolce vita" e straordinaria scenografia di incontri, open forum, proiezioni e premiazioni. Saranno tre giorni dedicati al mondo dell'audiovisivo e delle fiction, con ospiti di altissimo livello, con lo scopo di far conoscere e riconoscere la Liguria come set ideale per le produzioni nazionali ed interazionali, una vera e propria "terra da fiction". Il programma di Portofino si apre la sera di venerdì 22 marzo, con l'intervento del presidente della Regione Liguria Giovanni Toti e la presenza del vicepresidente e assessore al Marketing territoriale Alessandro Piana. Previste le prime premiazioni e, in anteprima mondiale, la proiezione della prima puntata della terza stagione della serie "Hotel Portofino". Sabato 23 marzo, mentre al teatrino si alterneranno le proiezioni, al pomeriggio, in Piazzetta, l'open forum "Le serie TV Crime al femminile" alle 15 e, alle 17, "Stati generali dell'Audiovisivo. Quale futuro indirizzo dovrà seguire il comparto nazionale e internazionale". La sera, dalle 21, la consegna dei premi e, a seguire, il concerto degli Gnu Quartet sulle musiche da film e serie TV. Domenica 24, alle 15.30, speech "Sensualità a Corte: ovvero fare tutto da sé". Alle 16.30 l'open Forum "Economia e Audiovisivo: La Lunga serialità e gli Studios come sistema di sviluppo territoriale, a cui parteciperà l'assessore allo Sviluppo economico Alessio Piana. Alle 17.30 "Digital Fiction: Dalle Origini ai Giorni Nostri – young series". La kermesse si chiude alle 18.30 con le ultime premiazioni. Nel mentre Rapallo si prepara ad accogliere la convention di tutte le Film Commission italiane, che si sono già incontrate a Villa Durazzo a Santa Margherita Ligure. Sempre a Villa Durazzo, è partito intanto il conto alla rovescia per il denso programma di panel e masterclass che inizieranno il 22 marzo. Ogni giornata è stata curata da professionisti prestigiosi ed eccellenze di settore, il che ha permesso di radunare artisti di rilievo nazionale ed internazionale. Apertura dei lavori venerdì 22 marzo con la giornata delle sceneggiature curata da Marco Ponti, sceneggiatore, scrittore e regista, a cui parteciperà l'assessore al Turismo Augusto Sartori. Sabato 23 marzo, sarà la giornata delle colonne sonore curata da Roberto Pischiutta "Pivio", compositore e autore di colonne sonore. Domenica 24 marzo, si chiude con la giornata dedicata ai mestieri del cinema curata da Enzo De Camillis, scenografo, regista, organizzatore del Premio Pellico d'Oro di Roma. Portofino Days: come partecipare La partecipazione agli eventi è gratuita, con prenotazione obbligatoria, fino ad esaurimento posti. Il dettaglio del programma è disponibile al seguente link. È sufficiente mandare una mail a info@portofinodays.org specificando a quale evento si desidera partecipare, dettagliando ora, nome dell'evento, luogo. Per la stampa è invece possibile accreditarsi agli eventi mandando una mail a direzione@portofinodays.org o presso l'INFOPOINT che sarà installato in Via Roma, all'inizio della zona pedonale di Portofino, durante i giorni e gli orari della manifestazione.... #notizie #news #breakingnews #cronaca #politica #eventi #sport #moda Read the full article

[m2024a]

https://notizieoggi2023.blogspot.com/2024/02/travolta-la-rai-vuole-chiedere-i-danni.html Travolta, la Rai vuole chiedere i danni per pubblicità occulta Dal palcoscenico di Sanremo all’aula di un tribunale. Potrebbe finire così, con una nuova farsa, la già triste storia della partecipazione dell’attore John Travolta alla settantaquattresima edizione del Festival di Sanremo. La star di Pulp Fiction e di molti altri film dopo i sempre troppo ricordati Saturday Night Fever e Grease prima è stata costretta a danzare con Amadeus, direttore artistico del Festival della Canzone, sulle note di Stayng alive dei Bee Gees e di un brano dalla colonna sonora di Pulp fiction, poi si è rifiuta giustamente di indossare un copricapo da papera nella terribile esibizione del Ballo del qua qua alla quale ha preso parte anche Rosario Fiorello. Pubblicità occulta, la Rai vuole chiedere i danni. Esposto del Codacons, interrogazione di Fdi Infine, a coronamento della serata, sono arrivate le polemiche per il presunto caso di pubblicità occulta nato a causa delle scarpe sneakers indossate da Travolta nel corso della trasmissione. E non soltanto polemiche, perché la Rai sembra intenzionata a portare in Tribunale il divo italloamericano. Marcello Ciannamea, direttore Intrattenimento Prime Time di Viale Mazzini «comunica di aver già posto in essere ogni opportuna verifica per fare luce sulla vicenda, e che procederà nei confronti di tutti i soggetti in ordine ai quali dovessero emergere eventuali profili di responsabilità». Dove per «tutti i soggetti», ha fatto capire, si intendono U-Power, l’azienda che avrebbe beneficiato della pubblicità occulta, e Travolta. Non potevano mancare a coronamento della già di per sé triste vicenda l’annuncio di un’interrogazione parlamentare di parte di Fratelli d’Italia e la puntuale presentazione di un esposto del Codacons alle procure di Imperia e Roma.

[carmenvicinanza]

Angela Finocchiaro

Angela Finocchiaro, bravissima ed eclettica attrice italiana che calca il palcoscenico dagli anni Settanta.

Ha recitato in circa sessanta film oltre che in numerosi programmi televisivi, alcuni dei quali hanno fatto la storia della nostra televisione.

Ha vinto due David di Donatello, un Nastro d’argento e quattro Ciak d’oro.

Nata a Milano il 20 novembre 1955, ha lasciato la facoltà di medicina per dedicarsi a tempo pieno al teatro, contribuendo a fondare le compagnie Teatro del Sole, Quelli di Grock e Panna Acida con cui ha mosso i primi passi in scena, spesso scrivendo anche i testi degli spettacoli.

L’incontro con Maurizio Nichetti, regista e attore dalla comicità surreale, ha segnato i suoi esordi cinematografici, nel 1979 è stata nel cast di Ratataplan, e l’anno successivo in Ho fatto splash. In televisione sono stati accanto in Quo vadiz?, programma realizzato con Gabriele Salvatores.

Nel 1981 ha ideato e condotto la trasmissione radiofonica Torno subito.

Accanto ai tanti impegni teatrali, in Italia e all’estero, la sua acuta comicità ha espresso il meglio di sé nello storico programma La TV delle ragazze, condotto da Serena Dandini.

La collaborazione con Stefano Benni l’ha portata nei maggiori teatri italiani con diversi spettacoli come La misteriosa scomparsa della Signorina W, Pinocchia, Benneide, Mai più soli e Bestia che sei.

L’interpretazione di Maria nel film La bestia nel cuore di Cristina Comencini del 2005 le è valsa il Nastro d’argento, il David di Donatello, il Ciak d’oro come migliore attrice non protagonista, il Premio Wella Cinema Donna al Festival del Cinema di Venezia e il premio Queen of Comedy Award.

Col film Mio fratello è figlio unico di Daniele Luchetti, ha vinto un secondo David di Donatello nel 2007, sempre come miglior attrice non protagonista.

Ha partecipato alle commedie di maggiore incasso nel 2010, Benvenuti al sud, con Claudio Bisio e Alessandro Siani (che le è valso la candidatura ai David di Donatello e al Nastro d’argento), e La banda dei Babbi Natale con il trio Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo (ulteriore candidatura al Nastro d’argento).

Ha vinto due volte il Roma Fiction Festival come migliore attrice protagonista per la Sezione TV Comedy per Due mamme di troppo film e poi serie tv.

Dal 2015 al 2018 è stata in scena con Calendar Girls, tratto dalla omonima commedia cinematografica, un cast tutto al femminile diretto dalla compianta Cristina Pezzoli.

E poi ancora tanto teatro, cinema e televisione.

Nel 2024 è stata nominata direttrice artistica del teatro comunale di Vibo Valentia.

Angela Finocchiaro ha saputo compiere scelte coraggiose e fuori dagli schemi, ha fatto parte del primo gruppo di artiste che hanno prodotto un’antesignana narrazione al femminile, ironica e sagace.

Ha portato in scena il suo corpo per sfatare il tabù dell’invecchiamento e presta la sua immagine e notorietà per diverse cause, tra cui la prevenzione del tumore al seno, malattia che ha vissuto sulla sua pelle e che è riuscita a prendere in tempo.

È una donna e un’artista che sa ridere di sé, del tempo che passa, che diventa seria e acuta quando parla di quanto c’è ancora da fare in termini di reale parità di genere, a livello economico e sociale. Una grande!

[delectablywaywardbeard-blog]

A Cannes la bella di Mon Crime barbuta sulla Croisette

(ANSA) – ROMA, 26 APR – Nessuno crederebbe che la bellissima Nadia Tereszkiewicz, astro nascente del cinema francese e solare protagonista di Mon Crime – La colpevole sono io di Francois Ozon, sarà una donna barbuta sulla Croisette. È lei infatti Rosalie della regista francese Stéphanie Di Giusto, film che passa a Un certain regard al Festival di Cannes.    E non si tratta neppure di fiction, ma…

[a-wild-things-rambles]

uhh content warnings for depiction of police violence and fear tactics used by them as well as the fuked up ness of a childs mind while its happening around them [the police block the roads out then start falsifying breathalyzer results to arrest people then at night raid the festival and arrest/beat up the people. the child is not hurt by the police and hides]. starts out literal but veers heavily poetic. uh disclaimer this is not objective truth, i was like 6? and i have a tendancy to self mythologize as well as. u know trauma response. maybe lets just say this is all fictional? idk i dont realy expect anyone to read this. probrably dont. oh also small mentions/implied: sexual assalt by a police officer[referenced as something they know could happen], described skinning of a rabbit,

When I use the word raid. I think some people get the idea of operations at the dead of night of surprise and shock. It was like that. But we knew.

There was one road. They blocked it, well "set up checks"

We were nervous. I can't remember who was the unlucky first. He got a breathalyzer check. He got taken. Then a few others. Then this guy. He got breathalyzed. He got taken. Someone has snuck through the woods, heard them tell him he failed and needed to be taken. They were rigging the tests. He had been sober for years.

Fear.

The camp logs got burned. We sat around as the records of our people got burned.

People snuck out. some made it. Some didn't. Either way the fear increased.

The roma went to the corner. I don't blame them. They knew the violence even more intimately.

Tense wold be an understatement. People were tallying up their crimes. What they thought the cops would pin them with. I knew my father had a record

Years later I would find out his record was assault of a police officer age 18. When I put the pieces together I laughed.

I was only a child though

Then the dark came. Normally our salvation. Some people still went to the stage, determined to dance before they were caught.

They would be trapped by the cops, drunk and blind and a herd of stampeding animals. Trapped in canvas and then cuffs

They came. The pigs.

I had a knife pressed into my hand

He told me go keep hold of it. That he loved me. To run into the woods. Hide and seek. But run if they find you. The knife went unspoken.

I watched my father walk towards the sirens and megaphones

I grabbed my grandfathers axe. And the flowerpot I had painted.

I ran. I climbed a tree I had claimed the day before, happy and free. This time tense and scared.

People don't look up.

I held the pot and axe. The knife in my pocket.

Torchlight pierced the trees.

The monsters. The guillotine blade that had hovered over us for years, over me since I was born.

I had always known the monsters were real. I knew about the raids. The violence. I knew the people damaged by the monsters. I now realised I might become one of those people.

At best they wanted to "rescue" me. At worse? I wish I could say I was to young to know of the wandering hands of the law.

Humans are creatures of violence. And a cornered animal is a dangerous thing.

I thought of what would happen to me. I remembered the rabbit. A noose of wire. A dog. Either way, the knife. The blood. The fur was soft, once cleaned of the blood. I was good with a knife, but a child. The food was good. Flesh and blood. It was few, but it filled my small stomach.

That was my crime. The death of rabbits. And some snails, crushed as they lay, the leaves they had eaten beside them.

Kills to survive.

I wondered if it was karma, I imagined the big boot of the law coming to crush me.

Would my mother get on her horse to challenge the lord for my life?

Would the drag up old laws, old crimes, to trap me. Jealous that their children can never be free?

I survived. But I added more blood to my hands. A crime. Not to my record- just like the monsters did not have a crime on their record. The title of "police" said enough.

I don't get upset when cornered, I get angry, I am my father's son, I have his father's axe, and the knife is mine now. The sin mine too. I am a beast. And even a cub can bite.

Sometimes I remember it. The smoke, the violence, and cry. It then solidifies, I to anger, and I will hold my head high, steel in my eyes, a challenge, I am the child of the wild, challenge me, see my wrath, you may try to blunt my teeth but let me show you how much you failed. 

[andymagro]

Con grandissimo piacere volevo informarvi che da oggi in #Italia mi rappresenta l’agenzia @deodato_casting di #Roma per #cinema #tv #pubblicità e @silviamato1 per la #stampa #press #agenzia #agency #fiction #attore #film #movie #casting #regista #produttore #producer #director #production #festival Quindi aspettatevi delle grandi notizie #news riguardo i miei prossimi progetti italiani!! 😍😍 Non vedo l’ora di iniziare a lavorare in Italia e per il cinema e la tv italiana! ❤️🙏 Grazie di cuore! 😘 #Actor #international (hier: Rome, Italy) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCtGKZ5Kt4k/?igshid=1ar0x4yb2jtrr

[breelandwalker]

hi! i was reading that post on things that need to stop in witchy/spiritual spaces and i was wondering what you meant by the burning times (spelled tymez)? i truly have no idea what this is and sometimes humor goes over my head. thanks!

Oh, my WHEELHOUSE! -claps on the Witchstorian hat-

The Burning Times is a revisionist bit of historical fiction passed around and promoted by the modern witchcraft and pagan communities. It refers to a very real period in European history in the 15th-17th centuries when witch hunts and witch trials were happening frequently, many ending in the hanging or burning of the accused. The revisionist myth seeks to turn these innocents into martyrs, labeling them as members of a secret underground pagan cult that survived the Christianization of Europe and were later hunted by the Church for their attempts to keep a pre-Christian nature-based religion alive. Estimates put forth by some community figures, most notably Gerald Gardner, total the supposed number of slain witches as close to nine million.

In reality, while these trials certainly happened, the accused witches were almost entirely marginalized or disenfranchised persons, targets of vicious gossip and hearsay, or victims of political and ecclesiastical machinations beyond their control. Some were on the wrong side of disagreements between Church factions. Others were Jews, Muslims, or Roma persecuted by a prejudiced and easily frightened populace. And by that point in history, it is safe to say that while pre-Christian trappings certainly remained part of various seasonal festivals and popular superstitions, none of the people accused, arrested, or executed in witch trials were actually pagans.

Nor would they have labeled themselves as witches, despite what our modern standards may make of their practices and beliefs about the world they lived in. It's important to remember that "witch," up until the early 20th century was universally regarded as a derogatory term rather than an empowering one. It is still a derogatory and even dangerous thing to be called in many parts of the world today, despite efforts to reclaim it by the modern witchcraft movement.

(It should be noted that accused persons who confessed to being witches often did so under duress or torture, and it should go without saying that this does not constitute any kind of objective truth.)

Furthermore, the figure of Nine Million Witches is factually impossible in historic terms. With the continent already ravaged by war, famine, plague, and political upset during the 200 or so years that make up the so-called Burning Times, a loss of nine million people from witch trials alone (nearly all of them women, if Gardner is to be believed) would have completely decimated the population of Europe. The Black Death alone killed at least a third of the population less than a century before the first spate of these trials began and the continent wouldn't recover for another 150 years. Simply put, even with the most dedicated and zealous of witch hunters on the case, there wouldn't have been enough people to burn.

The actual number of witch trial victims is closer to about 100,000 all told. That's just what we can prove on paper. And even that made a huge impact. The real figures are enough of a tragedy on their own. No embellishment needed.

The Burning Times was adopted as both a pagan and a feminist buzzword for the patriarchal crimes of the Church, and a documentary film (riddled with factual errors) premiered in 1990 which spread the story to a wider audience and cemented the presence of the myth in the second wave of the New Age and witchcraft reconstructionist movements.

There have been many revelatory texts written by both pagan and secular scholars over the years which debunk the idea of the Burning Times, but it's so firmly entrenched, particularly in popular books by the likes of Buckland and Ravenwolf, that you still see it crop up from time to time. It's one of the things we often have to unteach newer witches and pagans, especially the ones who have an axe to grind.

When we say, "Oh they probably still believe in the Burning Times," with a bit of an eyeroll or a knowing look, it often signifies in a gently derivative way that the person is question is either new to the conversation and has not yet been disabused of certain outdated notions, or that they're clinging to those notions with a tenacity of cognitive dissonance too strong to be countered by common sense.

If you'd like more information on witch trials, I did a very long episode on the history of witchcraft and the law on Hex Positive back in September of 2021, tracing the evolution of witchcraft-related laws and notable trials from the Code of Hammurabi to the late 20th century. The Burning Times myth makes an inevitable appearance during the discussion.

Hope this cleared things up for you! 😁

[vanessakirbyfans]

Every year, the Toronto International Film Festival puts critics to work. While the 45th edition of TIFF had fewer films than usual — 50 instead of 300-plus — the 2020 program still had the usual mix of buzzy titles and hidden gems, giving critics plenty of material to dig through. Most accredited press experienced this year’s lineup at home, through the robust press and industry portal in which most titles were available to stream for limited windows. With hundreds of critics watching and reviewing films in recent weeks, IndieWire was able to maintain its annual critics survey of the best films and performances out of this year’s festival.

With 137 accredited critics and journalists voting, Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” topped the categories of Best Movie and Best Director. Kemp Powers’ adaptation of his own play, “One Night in Miami,” scored the most votes for Best Screenplay, while Vanessa Kirby dominated the Best Performance category for her performance as a young mother struggling with the traumatic outcome of her pregnancy in “Pieces of a Woman.” The Wuhan coronavirus portrait “76 Days” won Best Documentary.

Much of the survey results reflect the hype that has come out of the festival circuit in recent weeks. The Searchlight-produced “Nomadland,” which stars Frances McDormand as a woman roaming the midwest in an RV, won both the Golden Lion at Venice and the TIFF audience award in the past two weeks. Those prizes tend to indicate awards season momentum — in 2019, they went to “Joker” and “Jojo Rabbit,” respectively — as does our critics survey, which awarded future Academy Award winner for Best Picture “Parasite” in 2019, and future Best Picture nominee “Roma” the year before that. Searchlight has slated “Nomadland,” which next plays as the centerpiece of NYFF, to open in early December.

“One Night in Miami,” which premiered out of competition in Venice followed by a North American premiere at TIFF, marks the directorial debut of Regina King. Like Kemp’s 2013 play, the movie imagines a fictional hangout session between Cassius Clay — later known as Muhammad Ali — along with Sam Cooke, Malcolm X, and Jim Brown in a Florida hotel room in 1964. Amazon plans to release the film this fall.

Kirby’s win for “Pieces of a Woman” also reflects recent festival buzz, as she won Best Actress at Venice for her dramatic turn in the movie, the first English-language effort from Hungary’s Kornel Mundruczó. Netflix acquired the film ahead of its TIFF premiere and is expected to plan an awards push for Kirby as Best Actress.

Meanwhile, although this year’s TIFF opened with a documentary — Spike Lee’s filmed version of David Byrne’s Broadway hit “American Utopia” — the Best Documentary winner of this year’s survey was something of a surprise. One of the first feature-length projects completed during the coronavirus pandemic, “76 Days” reveals the daily struggles inside four Wuhan hospitals. The documentary, credited to directors Hao Wu and Weixi Chen as well as a third anonymous director, is currently seeking U.S. distribution.

As usual, the winners in each category only provide a starting point for exploring the highlights of this year’s TIFF lineup. Read on for the finalists in each category, with links to more coverage.

BEST MOVIE 

Based on a ranked top three list.

1. “Nomadland” — (15% of overall vote and 31% of first-place votes)

2. “One Night in Miami” — (8% of overall vote and 11% of first-place votes)

3. “Pieces of a Woman” — (7% of overall vote and 7% of first-place votes)

4. “New Order (Nuevo Orden)” — (6% of overall vote and 7% of first-place votes)

5. “Another Round (Druk)” — (5% of overall vote and 5% of first-place votes)

These Top 5 alone account for 41% of all overall votes and 61% of first-place votes with all other narrative films in the lineup accounting for the remainder.

BEST DOCUMENTARY 

A single vote was cast for this section – percentages indicate the amount of the overall total vote each film received.

1. “76 Days” (16%)

2. “The Truffle Hunters” (13%)

3. “MLK/FBI” (13%)

4. “Inconvenient Indian” (9%)

5. “City Hall” (9%)

BEST DIRECTED FILM 

A single vote was cast for this section – percentages indicate the amount of the overall total vote each film received.

1. “Nomadland,” Chloe Zhao (40%)

2. “One Night in Miami,” Regina King (11%)

3. “Pieces of a Woman,” Kornél Mundruczó (8%)

4. “New Order (Nuevo Orden,)” Michel Franco (7%)

5. “Another Round (Druk),” Thomas Vinterberg (6%)

BEST SCREENPLAY

A single vote was cast for this section – percentages indicate the amount of the overall total vote each film received.

1. “One Night in Miami” (22%)

2. “Shiva Baby” (11%)

3. “Nomadland” (9%)

4. TIE: “Pieces of a Woman” (6%)/ “Wolfwalkers” (6%)

BEST PERFORMANCE 

Based on write-in votes.

1. Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”

2. Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”

3. Mads Mikkelsen, “Another Round (Druk)”

4. Kingsley Ben-Adir, “One Night in Miami”

[cirocchio]

AU details 01. royalty etc.

( still pointing at tsun as the instigator for this post )

‘royalty AU’ is too vague for me though so this is going to be a more all-encompassing general description of possible ideas for ‘AUs that all can take place in a political/ court setting’. No fancy introductory story-like excerpt.

Some things to note:

Firstly; because I like to keep Ciri’s Roma heritage I’m more inclined to make her a bastard child that may or may not be legitimised by her father. Usually not. Her uncle, as always, dotes on her. He’s also the more popular of the duo, the heir of the throne, etc. Another idea is that she accompanies Remo/Silvan to court as a child, as Remo would want to lobby for more rights for Rroma/ commoners in general. She can be as high or low-ranking as is deemed suitable for the plot.

Secondly: Ciri will never be a happy ruler. The responsibility of such a position weighs her down and restrains her and has never been something she wants to live with; Ciri both fears and hates power so her having that will make her incredibly uncomfortable. She doesn’t have the talent for scheming and intrigues nor does she command enough respect for her advisers to listen to her: she’d be a puppet at best, a scapegoat or victim of an assassination plot at worst. Ideally ( and even realistically ); she never gets stuck in the position of ruler/heir to the throne in the first place, but if she somehow did, she would work on a way to abdicate or even get banished without too much commotion or sending the country in chaos.

Ciri’s reputation ( aka the one thing I can talk about with almost utmost certainty ): Regardless of her position (low-ranking noble or royal blood), she’d be a bit of an oddball at court. She’s sensible and pragmatic and has plenty of interest in languages, culture, and music, promising traits. Yet when it comes to other matters she is bored, unmotivated, and dreamily stares out of the window during important lessons and meetings. She has no tact and will tell nobles, teachers, and missionaries alike when she does not like them, something they say or do, or disagrees with them without any regard for whether it’s appropriate or not. Being a bad liar Ciri quickly gives up on trying to play with and figure out the different masks people put on and stubbornly stays true to herself, demonstrating her distaste for the two-faced behaviour at court. She spends more time reading books and playing with her birds in the gardens than she does attending festivities, banquets, or councils ( and if she does attend either of those it’s to listen to or talk with the bards and poets and whatnot ). She has proven herself a terrible fighter and tactician at an early age, and actively avoids war generals or soldiers – making her dislike for them obvious. On the other hand, she is known to slip in the kitchens ( is surprisingly resourceful when it comes to this, even though she later confesses her mischief ) at night and speak informally to the servants.

While teachers find her temperament easy to manage, her select interests are frustrating. When she’s not motivated she will not put effort in her tasks, unless perhaps Remo convinces her to, but he’s known to be lenient with her. She openly talks about her fantasy of meeting magickal bards who will steal her away for marriage ( or just adventure ). Rumours circulate that she talks to her birds and kisses them in the hopes of turning them into fairies. In many ways she is a child, yet sometimes she seems wise beyond her years. 

She’s passionate about introducing literacy for the common folk, and purposely lets her maids listen in on her classes or gives them ‘homework’ to practice writing, but other than that does not have an active interest in the welfare of the commoners and is thoroughly unhappy with the responsibility to care and decide things for them. She also has romantic views on what it’s like to belong to the common folk and often says she wishes to be one of them, unaware of how limiting, inconvenient, and difficult poverty can be.

The general consensus is that she’s better avoided as her lowborn mother’s traits show in her boorish behaviour and clumsy movements, proving that she has no place at court; wouldn’t want that to rub off on you. Some people enjoy her company and soothing voice, though. Mostly lower-ranking nobles of little consequence, girls a few years younger than her, and the servants she befriends of course. She’s also, obviously, seen as bad wife material. This might make her sound like a rebellious child but Ciri is not the type to throw a tantrum over things, purposely upset others, start fights or otherwise and would endure gossip and humiliation with a meek smile and, or if she reacts her words would lack subtlety and ‘intellect’, aka it makes her come off as an idiot and wouldn’t be too insulting to the person who insulted her first. She minds her own business and so long as others mind theirs she’s happy, as is also the came in most of her other verses. In other words, it all really comes down to her presence at court being very misplaced. Remo thinks it’s endearing and ‘gives the people something to talk about’, so he doesn’t scold her – protects her where he can. Silvan tries his best to ignore her existence altogether, though that’s a bit more dependent on the plot that’s decided on.

Possible situations, place at court:

Remo & Silvan are of royal blood, Remo being the crown prince. Ciri is Silvan’s bastard child, raised at court but not acknowledged by Silvan. Remo takes her under his wings and raises her as an important member at court, using her as a pawn ( to make Silvan seem more sympathetic/ involved/ as a spy under the guise of her talent as a (travelling) court musician/ to strengthen political bonds by arranging a marriage ). Little is Ciri aware that her position is a direct threat to her younger half-sisters; her being older, does she not have as much right on the throne as them? Whether her half-sisters see it the same way is up for discussion.

Similar as above but Remo dies at some point, leaving her back in Silvan’s awkward care. Silvan, convinced and aware of his own limitations as a ruler, would appoint her as his successor so he may abdicate quickly. Ciri resents him for this, ignorant as he is that she’s every bit as unsuitable and unwilling to lead a nation as him. Cue her trying to weasel her way out of it, or early assassination plots, or manipulative leeches trying to make a puppet of her; this would be a scenario where it’s advisable to look for a different successor.

In the event that Silvan/Remo are nobles or even just wealthy merchants who bought their way to court, and have come there to voice their grief about their village/ the Rroma etc. and thus lobby for better conditions, Ciri would mostly be left alone and treated with little interest by others, although she is still in danger of being an assissination victim, as it’s not in everyone’s best interest that Remo convinces the king/court of his right.

Another for if Remo passes away (whether by accident or assassination), better if he’s no heir but just nobility trying to improve the conditions of Rromani; here are actually some options for Ciri to want to actively partake in politics, if only to honour his memory & ‘fulfil his wish’, or even to uncover who murdered him. She’d still suck as before though and would need to rely on others to actually achieve what she wants: it’d be an incredibly dangerous undertaking for her.

Of course she can also be the servant or maid or musician appearing at court and take it from there, but then it’d be your muse’s royal au, not Ciri’s.

Anyway there’s a lot that can happen, catch me coming up with 25 more ideas depending on your muse.

Other things to consider ( on my side of the plotting ): - the position of roma in the society this would take place – are they accepted, outcasts, does it take place in a fictive court where they are a well-represented; is her heritage openly known or kept secret? on the other hand, could the roma try to use her existence as a means to get more rights and visibility in this land? - whether her gender is an issue or not. I’m a fan of not, of using a fictional setting where female monarchs are as common as male (meaning female soldiers and diplomats etc are also equally common), but either way works. - the stability of the country: is it peaceful? on the brink of the war? is there civil unrest or not? how important is it to have a stable ruler? How divided is the court, how many enemies are there? - Ciri’s popularity among the common folk largely depends on what they value/need. Because of her mousy appearance she’s not impressive as a strong leader who guides and unites the people, but her gentle demeanour can be useful if the people value benevolence and mercy - she will always suck and want to get out just know this. would also need help in getting out. - will never care much for a difference in ranks and loathes the titles and formalities that ought to be used.

[aliveandfullofjoy]

Trivia: Oscar Winners 2019!

Parasite is the first ever non-English language film to win Best Picture (and it is so richly deserved).

Let’s actually knock a bunch of Parasite stats out of the way now, because there are a lot.

Parasite is the first film to win both Best Picture and the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival since Marty in 1955. 

With his Best Director win, Bong Joon-ho is the second person to win that award for a film not in the English language. The first was Alfonso Cuarón, for last year’s Roma. By that same token, this is the second year in a row that Best Director and Best Foreign Language/International Feature Film have gone to the same film.

Parasite is the first South Korean film to be nominated in Best International Feature. 

Parasite is the fourth non-English language film to win Best Original Screenplay, joining The Red Balloon (1956, French), A Man and a Woman (1966, French), and Talk to Her (2002, Spanish). Of the non-English language winners, Parasite is the first non-European film with this distinction. 

Parasite is the twelfth Best Picture winner with no acting nominations, joining Slumdog Millionaire (2008), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Braveheart (1995), The Last Emperor (1987), Gigi (1958), Around the World in 80 Days (1956), The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), An American in Paris (1951), Grand Hotel (1932), All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), and Wings (1928). 

Bong Joon-ho is the second Asian winner of Best Director, following Ang Lee (who won in 2005 for Brokeback Mountain and in 2012 for Life of Pi). 

Kwak Sin-ae is the first woman of color to win Best Picture.

Parasite is the first film to win Best Director without a nomination in Best Cinematography since The Departed (2006). 

Parasite is the eighth Best Picture winner since the Best Picture expansion in 2009 to be directed by someone who had never directed an Oscar-nominated film before: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist), Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), Peter Farrelly (Green Book), and Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) all had their first nominated film be crowned that year’s Best Picture. 

Unadjusted for inflation, Joker has surpassed Forrest Gump as the highest-grossing film to win Best Actor. It is also the highest grossing film (unadjusted) to win any acting category, ironically surpassing The Dark Knight. 

Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) is the first actor in an Anthony McCarten script to lose Best Actor. The last three scripts that McCarten has written that received nominations were Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), Darkest Hour (2017), and The Theory of Everything (2014), all of which won Best Actor. 

Martin Scorsese has become the first director to receive the dubious distinction of having a film go zero-for-ten at the Oscars. Both Gangs of New York (2002) and The Irishman (2019) received ten nominations and won nothing. 

Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver (Hair Love) are the second and third Black winners of Best Animated Short. The first was Kobe Bryant, who won for Dear Basketball in 2017. Cherry is the second former professional athlete to win an Oscar in any category, joining Bryant. Toliver is the first Black woman to win Animated Short. 

1917 is only the second film to win both the Producers Guild Award (PGA) and the Directors Guild Award (DGA) and to not win a single above-the-line Oscar. The other film was Apollo 13 (1995). 

Similarly, 1917 is only the third film to win PGA, DGA, and BAFTA and still lose Best Picture. The others with this distinction are La La Land (2016) and Brokeback Mountain (2005). It’s worth noting that those two films did what 1917 was unable to do: win Best Director. 

Hildur Guðnadóttir is the first woman to win Best Score since Anne Dudley (The Full Monty, 1997), and is only the fourth woman to ever win the award, following Rachel Portman (Emma, 1996) and Marilyn Bergman (Yentl, 1983). She is also the first ever Oscar winner from Iceland. 

Between all of the actors who have ever won multiple acting Oscars, all but three have won at least one of their awards for Best Picture nominees. The three who have not are Peter Ustinov (Spartacus, 1960, and Topkapi, 1964), Maggie Smith (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, 1969, and California Suite, 1978), and now Renée Zellweger (Cold Mountain, 2003, and Judy, 2019). 

With Joaquin Phoenix’s Best Actor win, the Joker becomes the second fictional character to win multiple Oscars (Heath Ledger also won for the role in 2008′s The Dark Knight). The only other role to achieve this is Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando won Best Actor for this role in 1972′s The Godfather and Robert De Niro won Best Supporting Actor for this role in 1974′s The Godfather, Part II). Interestingly, both of these roles have won in both Leading and Supporting. 

With his acting win for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Brad Pitt is only the third person ever to win Best Picture and an acting Oscar. The others are George Clooney (Best Supporting Actor winner for 2005′s Syriana and Best Picture winner for 2012′s Argo) and Michael Douglas (Best Picture winner for 1975′s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Best Actor winner for 1987′s Wall Street). 

Toy Story 4 is Pixar’s tenth win in the Best Animated Feature category. It is only the second sequel to ever win the award -- the first was, funnily enough, Toy Story 3 (2010). 

For the third year in a row, the top three films in the Toronto International Film Festival Audience Award have won at least one oscar: in 2017, the top three were Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, I, Tonya, and Call Me by Your Name; in 2018, they were Green Book, If Beale Street Could Talk, and Roma; and in 2019, they were Jojo Rabbit, Marriage Story, and Parasite.

Sam Mendes (1917) is the first director to win the DGA, BAFTA, and Golden Globe and lose the Oscar since Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) in 2000. 

After Cate Blanchett’s performance of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator (2004), Renée Zellweger (Judy) is only the second actress to win an Oscar for playing an Oscar winner. This might not be everyone’s opinion, though, since the real Judy Garland only ever won a non-competitive Juvenile Oscar. 

1917 is the first historical war film to win Best Visual Effects since Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970). 

With his win for Best Song, Elton John becomes the fourth LGBTQ+ person to win that category this decade, joining Sam Smith (2015), Benj Pasek (2016), and Lady Gaga (2018).

Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) is the first indigenous person to win a Screenplay Oscar. He is the second New Zealander to win, after the writing team of Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, and Fran Walsh (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2003). 

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh are the first female duo to win Best Production Design in Oscar history. 

Kazu Hiro (Bombshell) is the first Asian artist to win Best Makeup and Hairstyling twice. He previously won in 2017 for Darkest Hour. 

Weirdly enough, here’s a trend that held true the entire decade of the 2010s: the Best Picture winner was never among the top three domestic grossing of films of the nominees. 2019′s highest grossing nominees were Joker, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and 1917. At the time of the ceremony, Parasite was sixth with a domestic gross of $35 million. Below are the rest of the decade’s highest grossers and winners.

2018: Black Panther, A Star is Born, and Bohemian Rhapsody (Green Book won);

2017: Dunkirk, Get Out, and The Post (The Shape of Water won);

2016: Hidden Figures, La La Land, and Arrival (Moonlight won);

2015: The Martian, The Revenant, and Mad Max: Fury Road (Spotlight won);

2014: American Sniper, The Imitation Game, and The Grand Budapest Hotel (Birdman won);

2013: Gravity, Captain Phillips, and American Hustle (12 Years a Slave won);

2012: Lincoln, Django Unchained, and Les Misérables (Argo won);

2011: The Help, Moneyball, and War Horse (The Artist won);

2010: Toy Story 3, Inception, and True Grit (The King’s Speech won).

[italianfootballtheories]

Are We There Yet?

March 8, 2020

Two and a half years on from the Sweden debacle and Euro 2020 (we hope) on the horizon. By coach Mancini’s own admission, 2019 exceeded all expectations for Italy.

Credit: AP/PA Images  

The Azzurri are currently on an 11 game winning streak which includes 10 out of 10 in qualifying, eclipsing legendary Vittorio Pozzo’s longstanding record. Qualification was sealed with three games to spare and ended with the rare symphony of nine goals smashed past Armenia. Fans will be wondering if the boys in blue are back among the big, for real. Things seem rosy (and green) again at Coverciano, but is the renaissance only shirt deep?

Time, and possibly even the upcoming friendlies against Germany and England, will tell if Italy have re-established themselves among Europe’s elite or if the numbers from a (supposedly) modest group have flattered. Many have pointed to the lack of stern opposition faced in 2019 and some will be watching Bosnia’s performance in the play-offs from the corner of their eye for some clues on how accurate that claim has been. With Greece in transition and Bosnia inconsistent, humble Finland was Italy’s biggest threat in Group J and eventually went through in 2nd.

But even if the pessimism is true and Italy truly had a soft group, Roberto Mancini’s achievements are still impressive with all things are considered. When the former Zenith coach landed from Russia (with love), the entire set-up was in disarray; from federation to coaching staff, from the squad right through to fans and a disenchanted nation. Mancini himself was only selected by a commissioner awaiting a president elect for the FIGC - Italian football’s governing body. During 2 friendlies in footballing limbo, interim caretaker Luigi Di Biagio did little to help his future incumbent by naming a largely status quo squad while the country cried for revolution and rejuvenation. 

This left Mancini balancing experimentation with League A survival in the inaugural Nations League. Initially, Mancio was criticized for not using the competition to as an opportunity to restore pride and morale after the World Cup failure. Italy’s Nations League performances did shown progression, but a lack of goals (2 in total) had stifled optimism. Mancini’s vindication would eventually come in Euro qualifying. 

Depending on who you are in football, how you win is as important as winning itself. Mancini would have been forgiven for adopting pragmatism in order to churn out results in Italy’s precarious situation. Many were pleasantly surprised when Mancio gave them positive football; high pressing; playing out from the keeper; and controlled possession in the center with the deployment of both Verratti and Jorginho, defying those who said they couldn’t play together. Far removed from the archetypal Italy teams of the past; an attacking 4-3-3 dotted with exciting youngsters, always trying to score and never resting on the laurels of a 1-goal lead. Italy sides of recent history often scraped in 1-0 victories against the likes of Malta and the Faroe Islands. Each of the Azzurri’s 37 qualifying goals would have been liberating for fans across the peninsula (and beyond). Mancini deserves a lot of credit for flying in the face of tradition in a country that lives and dies by them. 

Of course Italy didn’t fly through the qualifying campaign without the odd bout of turbulence. Mancini’s men really struggled to deal with Dzeko, Pjanic and co in the home fixture against a Bosnia side that rightfully felt they deserved more. Had it not been for 2 moments of magic from Insigne and Verratti, the 100% record would have been nothing more than fan fiction. Away to Armenia, a controversial red card for the home side at 1-1 played a big part in Italy’s underwhelming victory. While away to lowly Liechtenstein, the minnows’ tempo caught Italy on the back foot for sections of the game, drawing fine saves from Sirigu before the flood gates opened late on. Optimists will remind us that great teams win even when they’re not playing well, but the coaching staff should nonetheless be re-watching those performances.  

A lot of time (in footballing terms) has now passed since the festival of goals against Armenia. At rest since November, the following few months will be delicate for the Azzurri, especially for Mancini who’ll want to make sure the momentum hasn’t frozen over during the winter. One of the Azzurri’s strengths in qualifying was their unity and desire to fight for each other under one flag, temporarily putting aside club interests for the greater good. The C.T. has intimated on several occasions that the bulk of his Euro 2020 squad has already been determined, with only 2 or 3 spots up for grabs, so the core looks set to remain intact.  

Mancio does have some other knots to untie though. Zaniolo’s injury almost counts as double, given his flexibility to play in midfield or as part of the front 3. Sensi too, after a superb start to the season, has struggled with injury and subsequently with form; a situation complicated further by the arrival of Eriksen at Inter. Chiellini returns, but this creates as many problems as it solves. Does Mancini reinstate his captain to the starting 11 or keep faith with his vice, Bonucci, and the in-form Acerbi? An ACL injury can be damning for players of an age; it effectively ended Marchisio and Montolivo’s careers, who were both younger than Chiello at the time of injury. The Juventus defender’s experience and dressing room presence alone merits inclusion, but his application on the pitch is still open to assessment. 

Other pillars of the successful qualification run are enduring their own share of troubles in some shape or form. Insigne was instrumental in Italy’s exceptional 2019, but back home in Naples he’s been at odds with club, coach, and fans. Bernardeschi’s form and game-time has been far from desired under Sarri, who’s appeared confused by the former Fiorentina forward’s instruction manual. Speaking of Fiorentina, Chiesa’s form has also been intermittent under the perpetual cloud hanging over his future in Florence. Belotti has stopped scoring of late, coinciding with Torino’s abject form, and even Lorenzo Pellegrini is going through a less than ideal moment in the capital.

The full-back positions are where most of the uncertainty regarding Mancini’s selections lie. Biraghi’s profile has risen since his surprise selection by Mancini and further solidified by his solid performances. Moving to Inter in the summer, the left-back has proved his on-pitch ethic and generosity, but he represents an option of quantity over quality. Spinazzola has played well when called on by club and country, despite the on-off saga of his failed move to Inter. Although the Roma man has struggled with fitness issues of his own and sometimes doesn’t offer enough defensively as he does going forward. Emerson Palmieri is a similar profile and he too is dealing with insufficient playing-time at Chelsea. 

Florenzi seems favorite to start at right-back in his adopted position. The versatile Roman now finds himself on loan at Valencia after being a marginalized captain in the capital. Napoli’s Di Lorenzo seems favorite to be the back-up, even if Spinazzola can also play on the right. Gianluca Mancini and Izzo have deputized on the right, albeit unconvincingly in a role unfamiliar to what they’re used to at club level. 

Upcoming friendlies later this month (if they go ahead) will give more clues on how Mancini plans to mitigate these issues and how the Azzurri fare against a more intimidating measuring stick in the shape of England and Germany.

In addition and on a final note, Serie A players will now have to contend with a fixture list bottle-neck due to coronavirus postponements. Of course, it goes without saying that football is not the top priority when an epidemic and human lives are concerned, but just as Jurgen Klopp suggested, we’ll leave that discussion to the virologists and scientists. My profession doesn’t come with an ist attached to it, so instead I’ll be following recommendations from experts qualified on matters such. As a human being, however, I’m qualified enough to see the all too evident panic driven discrimination and a distinct lack of compassion in a time that desperately needs it. Europe, in particular, seems more divided than ever in a year when the European Championships will be hosted across the continent. A decision intended not only to celebrate the tournament’s anniversary, but to also symbolize the region’s unity. In Italy, as in all of Europe, the irony of that message is spreading faster than the virus.