AWARDS SEASON IN HOLLYWOOD

 

Pra quem curte os shows de premiacao de Hollywood tem materia nova no CHUMBO GORDO

#criticschoiceawards #oscars #goldenglobes #screenactorsguildawards #hollywood

https://www.chumbogordo.com.br/399080-mais-um-player-em-hollywood-por-wladimir-weltman/

SPIELBERG'S DARING PAYED OFF

Um feliz natal a todos os amigos e mais uma materia do CHUMBO GORDO, para os que curtem musicais e Steven Spielberg...

#WestSideStory #spielberg #musicais #hollywood #awards 

https://www.chumbogordo.com.br/399335-a-ousadia-de-spielberg-valeu-a-pena-por-wladimir-weltman/

NEW STORY AT "CHUMBO GORDO"

https://www.chumbogordo.com.br/397613-king-richard.../

#venuswilliams #SerenaWilliams #willsmith #tennis #family #hollywood #RichardWilliams

Nova reportagem do CHUMBO GORDO. O assunto é o novo filme do Will Smith - KING RICHARD - Que estreia depois de amanha nos cinemas e na HBO.

 

NEW STORY AT "CHUMBO GORDO"

 https://www.chumbogordo.com.br/396818-polemica-do-the-closer-por-wladimir-weltman/

#thecloser #chappelle #netflix #lgbt #hollywood

NEW STORY AT "CHUMBO GORDO"

 

https://www.chumbogordo.com.br/396554-halloween-aqui-e-ai-por-wladimir-weltman/

#halloween #hollywood #vampires #monsters 

NEW ARTICLE AT CHUMBO GORDO

 

Homenagem a um amigo que se foi...

https://www.chumbogordo.com.br/376870-sem-nani-um-halloween-sem-graca-por-wladimir-weltman/

#nani #zorratotal #falecimentos

NEW ARTICLE IN "CHUMBO GORDO" ONLINE

 https://www.chumbogordo.com.br/360946-quando-o-rabo-balanca-o-cachorro-por-wladimir-weltman/

#Bolsonaro #Presidents #Assassinations #Fakenews

THE ACADEMY MUSEUM OPENS ITS DOORS TO THE PRESS

 

By Wladimir Weltman

Since 2019, everyone in Los Angeles has been waiting for the opening of the Academy Museum. The pandemic made it impossible for it to happen in 2020. Now, on September 30^th, 2021, the long-awaited inauguration will take place. And, to promote this mega-event, the Academy today, September 21^st, invited local and international press to visit the museum before the general public.

The building itself is a spectacle. Originally budgeted for $250 million, it ended up costing $388. The delays and cost increases were due, according to The Hollywood Reporter to: "Unforeseen challenges involving the spherical structure similar to the Death Star (from Star Wars)", which is the greatest architectural find of the place.

This nickname seems to have offended the project's creator, award-winning Italian architect Renzo Piano. At the conference today, in the great theater inside the sphere itself, he said: “This is not the Death Star, but a dreamlike soap bubble, or a flying spaceship ready to take off. "

Actors Anna Kendrick and Tom Hanks were also present. Tom was one of the great enthusiasts of the project. Along with other celebrities such as Laura Dern, Whoopi Goldberg, Ryan Murphy, Ted Sarandos, and Diane von Fürstenberg, he struggled to raise funds to bring the museum to life.

The museum's Director and President, Bill Kramer, also spoke to the journalists, saying that it was about time for the movie capital of the world to have its own museum. The President of the Academy, David Rubin, agreed with him, telling the presents that this has been a dream of the American movie industry since 1927 when the Academy was created; almost 100 years ago.

Despite being an old dream, the philosophy that guides its creators today is very current, keeping up with the “inclusive” mentality so fashionable in the new millennium Hollywood. The Museum's Artistic and Programming Director, Jacqueline Stewart, said that "There are multiple histories of film and multiple ways of looking at them." 

I was able to verify this intention to be true, when I saw, to my delight, the poster of the Brazilian film PIXOTE by Hector Babenco exposed in one of its rooms. And, among the various exhibitions, an exhibit of Pedro Almodóvar's films, and a wonderful temporary show of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki.

The four-story museum is considered the largest in the United States dedicated to the history, arts, sciences, and cultural impact of the film industry. It is located in West Hollywood, at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue (oddly enough, the location from the 1997 disaster movie VULCANO).

The museum comprises the aforementioned round structure (Death Star) and the 1939 historic May Company Art Deco building. Inside there are several exhibition spaces, containing a collection of more than 13 million artifacts from cinema history. Among his best-known pieces are Dorothy's ruby ​​sleepers from THE WIZARD OF OZ, Alfred Hitchcock's typewriter, STAR WARS R2-D2 and C-3PO, past and present Oscar’s statues, and a multitude of other wonderful things.

Tom Hanks was keen to promote his TV special with Laura Dern called “A Night in the Academy Museum” and which will air on October 12th at ABC, about the art and magic of cinema, so the many fans who cannot immediately visit the museum can have a glimpse of what is stored for them.

On September 30th, the museum opens its doors to only 50% of its capacity, requiring the use of masks by all visitors. Coming to Los Angeles, be sure to visit it.

#Academy Museum #Hollywood #Oscars #Star Wars #Death Star #Tom Hanks #Anna Kendrick #Cinema

A ACADEMIA DE HOLLYWOOD ABRE AS PORTAS DO SEU MUSEU A IMPRENSA

Desde 2019 que todo mundo em Los Angeles aguarda a inauguração do Museu da Academia de Artes e Ciências Cinematográficas. A promessa era inaugura-lo em 2020, mas aí aconteceu a tal de pandemia. Finalmente agora, no dia 30 de setembro de 2021, acontece a tão esperada inauguração. E, pra promover esse megaevento, a Academia hoje, dia 21 de setembro, convidou a imprensa local e internacional para conhecer o museu, antes do grande público.

Fui um dos afortunados cinéfilos que teve esse privilégio. Não fiquei desapontado. Só o edifício em si já é um espetáculo. Originalmente orçado em $250 milhões de dólares, acabou custando $388 milhões. Os atrasos e aumentos de custos foram devidos, segundo o jornal Hollywood Reporter: "Aos desafios imprevistos envolvendo a estrutura esférica semelhante à Estrela da Morte (de Guerra nas Estrelas)”, que é o grande achado arquitetônico do lugar.

Esse apelido parece ter melindrado o criador do projeto, o premiado arquiteto italiano Renzo Piano. Na conferência para os jornalistas hoje, no grande teatro que fica exatamente no interior da tal esfera, ele disse: “Não é a Estrela da Morte, mas uma onírica bolha de sabão, um dirigível, ou ainda, uma nave voadora pronta para decolar."

Além do arquiteto da obra, também estavam presentes, os atores Anna Kendrick e Tom Hanks. Este último foi um dos grandes entusiastas do projeto. Junto com outras celebridades como Laura Dern, Whoopi Goldberg, Ryan Murphy, Ted Sarandos e Diane von Fürstenberg, ele batalhou para angariar fundos e concretizar o museu.

Junto com Hanks e Kendrick, também falaram aos jornalistas o Diretor e Presidente do museu, Bill Kramer, que comentou que já era hora da Meca do cinema ter um museu a altura de sua importância. Ao que o Presidente da Academia de Hollywood, David Rubin, concordou, contando que a sua criação era um sonho da indústria americana desde 1927, quando a Academia foi fundada, ou seja, há quase 100 anos.

Apesar de ser um sonho antigo, a filosofia que guia os seus criadores é atualíssima; completamente em acordo com a mentalidade “inclusiva”, tão na moda na Hollywood do novo milênio. A Diretora Artística e de Programação do Museu, Jacqueline Stewart, declarou que o museu parte da premissa de que existe mais de uma “história do cinema” e que o museu pretende abraçar todas essas diferentes “historias”. Pude conferir essa intenção numa de suas salas, quando avistei, para minha alegria, o poster do filme brasileiro PIXOTE de Hector Babenco.

E, entre as diversas exposições, nas muitas salas do museu, pude ver uma amostra dos filmes de Pedro Almodóvar, e uma maravilhosa exibição temporária do cinema de animação do japonês Hayao Miyazaki.

O museu tem quatro andares é considerado o maior dos Estados Unidos dedicado à história, artes, ciências e impacto cultural da indústria cinematográfica. Ele fica no bairro de West Hollywood, nas esquinas da Wilshire Boulevard e a Avenida Fairfax (curiosamente o local da ação do filme VULCANO – A FURIA, de 1997).  O museu compreende a estrutura redonda (Estrela da Morte) já mencionada e o antigo e histórico edifício Art Decô da May Company, construído em 1939. No seu interior existem diversos espaços de exposição, contendo uma coleção de mais de 13 milhões de artefatos da história do cinema. Entre suas peças mais conhecidas estão os sapatos  de rubi de Dorothy de O Mágico de Oz, a máquina de escrever de Alfred Hitchcock, os robôs de GUERRA NAS ESTRELAS, Oscars do passado e do presente, e uma infinidades de outras coisas maravilhosas.

Tom Hanks fez questão de promover o especial de TV que ele e Laura Dern fizeram, chamado “A Night In the Academy Museum” e que vai ao ar dia 12 de outubro pela rede americana ABC, sobre a magia e a arte do cinema, para os muitos fãs da sétima arte que não poderão visitar imediatamente as exposições do museu.

Dia 30 de setembro o museu abre suas portas para apenas 50% da sua capacidade, exigindo o uso de máscaras para todos os visitantes. Vindo a Los Angeles, não deixem de visitar. Vale a pena.

#Academy Museum #Hollywood #Oscars #Tom Hanks #Anna Kendrick #Pixote #Babenco #Almodovar #Miyazaki #Estrela da Morte

FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN HOLLYWOOD...

With the GOLDEN GLOBES TV show canceled for 2022, Hollywood is looking foward to less controversial and more categorized awards. Take a look at this article...

https://www.cinepremiere.com.mx/world-movie-awards-nueva...

#Hollywood #CriticsChoiceAwards #HFPA #Journalists #Awards

THE GOOD THIEF'S RETURN

 I just watched LUPIN's second season and enjoyed it a lot. My relationship with the character is old and very affectionate. I read the entire collection and always expected a suitable adaptation in the movies or on TV. The ones I've watched until today, I didn't like. None of them managed to capture the lightness, modernity, and charm of Maurice Leblanc's books.

Having emerged in the wake of the 20th century – in 1905, in a series of short stories published by the magazine “Je Sais Tout”. Arsène Lupine was born modern in its amoral mentality, in its surprising twists exactly like today’s streaming series, and its main character's delicacy and vulnerability.

My first contact with the gentleman thief was through my neighbor Zeca. José Carlos de Almeida Oliveira was the son of a Portuguese family that moved to Brazil in the 1950s and lived in an apartment above ours, in Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro. A chic apartment building was built in 1930 when the neighborhood was still populated only by houses.

The Oliveira’s were the most aristocratic family in our building. Family dinners took place over a beautiful setting in the dining room, with silver cutlery, crystal goblets, and white linen napkins. Mr. Oliveira was a serious and disciplinarian man, as a Prussian officer. Everyone in the family had to be showered and dressed properly at the table, at 7 o'clock sharp.

Unlike most Portuguese jokes told among Brazilians in the 1950s, Senhor Oliveira did not own a grocery store or a bakery. He had an advertising agency, which advertised on the city's trams and buses. They had money both in Brazil and in Portugal. Zeca and Mario, the couple's children, had a first-rate education in the best private schools in Rio. They had the most expensive toys and almost all were imported from the USA or Europe. It was while playing at their house that I got to know the wonderful Leggo building blocks, back in the 1960s.

Zeca was the second person in my life to inspire my love for books. The first was my father. The second, Zeca, was a voracious reader. From comics to books, he devoured everything. He was the one who introduced me to Arsène Lupin. Zeca had a real passion for his adventures. I believe that like the character in the French TV series, he designed his life in the footsteps of the charming literary anti-hero. Zeca knew everything about science, history, martial arts, weapons, makeup, safes, and other ideal arts to become a true “cambrioleur”...

When we were 14, 15 years old, one night, Zeca invited me to participate in an “adventure” with him. We walked along with Rua Barata Ribeiro, close to our building, and reaching the corner of Rua Constante Ramos, he entered a residential building back door and signed me to follow him. We took the service elevator and went up to the top floor. When he got there, he opened a door and we found ourselves at the top of the building, next to the water tank. There he opened his backpack and took out a pair of leather gloves, which he put on. He also took out a rope, one of those used for climbing, and tied it to a pipe on the roof, throwing the rest onto a balcony on the floor below. The apartment seemed to be dark and Zeca started to climb down the rope and invited me to follow him. Terrified at the prospect of falling, or being arrested for breaking in, I thanked him for the offer and said I wouldn't, not even for a million dollars. Zeca, obviously, was very frustrated, but he understood my indisposition and we returned home, without getting into any major debates on the subject. He never again invited me to these crazy “adventures”, I don't even know if he single-handedly carried them out. But I never forgot. Years later I found him in Portugal, living in a cellar in Cascais, studying archeology in college, and working at night in the local morgue.

I tell this to show how much Leblanc's character affects his readers and fans. Something that the new French series refers to very intelligently. Hats off to George Kay, creator of LUPIN for the ingenious adaptation of his NETFLIX series. Being faithful to Leblanc's literary spirit, Kay knew how to breathe new life into the character. No one was better than Omar Sy for the new millennium version of the gentle-man thief.

While the original Lupin faced the challenges of upward social climbing as part of his persona. Ossane Diop faces the same challenges in France today, with thousands of African immigrants seeking the same insertion in their society.

The second season finalizes the plot started in the first, leaving us happy with the story's solution, but curious to know what will be the next adventure of the charming thief in the third season. Making it clear, at the end of the final episode, with the entire police force in France chasing Assane through the streets of Paris that Arsene Lupine will still be here to rob our hearts and minds...

 #LUPIN #Arsene Lupin #Maurice Leblanc #Gentleman Thief #Netflix

THE INCREDIBLE SUCCESS OF ISRAEL'S TV SERIES

Thanks to the pandemic, it has never been more important to have audiovisual content available 24 hours a day, accessible to everyone on the planet. Television networks, cable, and streaming channels have been dedicated to supplying this gigantic demand.

Amid this phenomenon, Israel has stood out as the third-largest provider of content to the US, behind only the UK and the Netherlands.

How is it possible that a country with only 72 years of existence, slightly larger than New Jersey, lost among enemies in the Middle East, with a population of just 9 million inhabitants, and with less than 30 years of experience in TV production, is capable of such a feat?

SHORT HISTORY OF THE ISRAELI TV

At the birth of the State of Israel in 1948, the country only had one radio station, administered directly by the government. Meanwhile, in the 1940s the rest of the world was giving its first steps into the brave new world of the television broadcast. Countries such as the US, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union started television broadcasts at that time.

But Israel's population only gained access to television broadcasts much later, when, in 1960, its neighbors Egypt, Lebanon, and Cyprus began to have television. Its programming was entirely in Arabic, very popular among Israeli Arabs. This had the Israeli government quite worried. But it wasn't until 1963, when Levi Eshkol became prime minister, that they decided that it was necessary to establish a television channel in Israel. The new station only started official broadcasts 3 years later, in March 1966, and initially, the programming was only educational.

COLOR TV

The Israelis' next battle was to watch color TV. Despite having already available equipment to broadcast the color images for a long time, the Israeli broadcaster took 10 years to do so. Meanwhile, TVs in Jordan and Egypt began broadcasting in color in 1974.

The reason for the Israeli delay was political. Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir described color television as "artificial and unnecessary”. And the official justification for the delay was that the Israeli government considered importing color televisions to be a frivolous luxury that would increase social differences.

Only in 1977 did the Israeli government allow color broadcasts on state television during the historic visit of Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat to Israel.

Public pressure demanding color TV finally succeded in 1981, but the process only normalized in 1983.

THE NEXT FIGHT – COMMERCIAL TV

In 1978 the government appointed a special committee to explore the possible establishment of a second channel free from government supervision and commercial. In October 1986 the second channel went on air. But it only started to work fully in 1990.

CABLE TV

In the late 1980s, illegal cable television transmissions became popular in Israel's major cities. They were stations broadcasting from private homes to subscribers. The content was mostly home video films. These local stations disappeared with the introduction of regulated cable television in 1989. By mid-1994 some 720,000 Israeli homes were connected to cable TV. And in 2000 satellite television was introduced in Israel.

THE SEARCH FOR EXPRESSION CHANNELS

Behind Israel's audiovisual mass media growth process, there was a struggle between two Israels – the one of the Kibbutzim and socialist spirit that existed before 1967, and one that came to be after the Six-Day War, when Israel felt safe in its new borders and wanted all the benefits of the modern capitalist world.

I see in this a certain parallel between the Jews of the Diaspora, who for centuries were locked in their ghettos and synagogues, immersed in their sacred books and traditions. And, finally, at the beginning of the 20th century, with the secularization of a great portion of the Jewish communities in Europe, Jews who had lived in exile for centuries from the Gentile cultural universe, suddenly had access to these channels of personal expression. Eagerly they excel in the fine arts, literature, cinema, radio, and even on television. The twentieth-century cultural landscape was strongly populated by Jewish artists. In just a century of escaping the Shtetl, Jews have become major producers of culture in every field. Centuries of deep intellectual incubation have regurgitated priceless artistic works to the world.

LESS THAN 30 YEARS OF TV PRODUCTION

Israeli production of television audiovisual content is extremely recent – ​​less than 30 years. And it wasn't necessarily a gradual evolution.

The 1980s produced quite an insipient TV programming in Israel. The main shows of the decade - BLI SODOT, EREV CHADASH, HAMIS'ADA HAGDOLA, KISHKASHTA, and KROVIM-KROVIM, among others, were mostly educational programs aimed at children; there were also some Sitcoms, comedy sketches shows, and documentaries.

The '90s provided little development: the number of comedy shows increased, children's programs continued to happen, and some reality TV came about to add to the programming. In the series area, the first dramatic production appeared. It was called - INYAN SHEL ZMAN (A MATTER OF TIME) and it was about the teenage world, talking about themes such as high school, teenage love, sex, and drafting into the army.

Finally, from the year 2000, the production of series increased a lot, at least 9 of them made it to the small screen - HA-BORER, DEUS, ESTI HAMEKHO'ERET, HA'NEPHILIM, HASHMINIYA, THE RAN QUADRUPLETS, and SRUGIM. In 2003 one of them became the great watershed. Its name – BE TIPUL. A drama revolving around the personal and professional life of a psychologist. The series featured him seeing patients five days a week and, on the sixth, he is the one who seeks supervision and psychological treatment for himself.

Filmmaker Ori Sivan was the main screenwriter for the series. The program has been adapted into local versions in the United States, Argentina, Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Moldova, Netherlands, Japan, Canada, Russia, Italy, France, and Brazil. Always with great success.

THE NEXT GREAT NOVELTY

HATUFIM – PRISONERS OF WAR series premiered in Israel in 2010 and was created by Gideon Raff. It tells the story of three Israeli soldiers, captured during a secret mission in Lebanon and held as prisoners, mysteriously released nearly 20 years later. The critically acclaimed program aired in about 20 countries in its original Hebrew format with subtitles. The series gained an adaptation in the US that became a worldwide success.

HOMELAND tells the story of an American soldier, Nicholas Brody, played by actor Damian Lewis. Captured by al-Qaeda for several years, he is eventually returned to the US, and CIA agent Carrie Mathison, played by Claire Danes, suspects he has been tricked into acting covertly against the US. HOMELAND debuted in 2011 and has since won numerous awards. Its eighth and final season was broadcast in 2020.

FOREIGN PRODUCTIONS

Perhaps because of the continuous demand for new material, some of the streaming giants lately have put aside concerns about adaptation and are preferring to directly broadcast the original material in the language in which it was produced – even though it is widely known that the American market is averse to content in a foreign language. This was a big step forward, bold, and reckless.

In this category, two recent productions from Israel stand out. FAUDA and SHTISEL, spoken in Hebrew, Yiddish, and Arabic. They are an absolute success, and their new seasons are awaited with anxiety and anticipation.

STHISEL

Is called a dramedy set in the Orthodox Hasidic community of Jerusalem. The main characters are Akiva (played by Michael Aloni), an artist desperately seeking love; and his father, Rav Shulem, (comedian Dov Glickman), the neighborhood children's school principal, who recently lost his wife. The plot of the series revolves around these two and their families.

I even wrote about the first and second seasons of the series in 2019, as it surprised and pleased me a lot. Although at the time I lived in Jerusalem in the 1970s, I had a real dislike for the Haredim (ultra-Orthodox) in the Mea Shearim and Geula neighborhoods, I enjoyed the show so much that I made a point of meeting one of its authors and directors, Ori Elom, in June 2019 when he and actors Michael Aloni, Dov Glickman, Neta Riskin, and Ayelet Zurer were here in Los Angeles talking to fans and the Jewish community.

After waiting for almost 2 years, it was with happiness that I finally watched the third full season of SHTISEL. In a zoom-chat, I participated, a friend commented on how much he identified in the scripts of this third season, inspiration in Bashevis Singer’s books and also in Chagall's paintings.

I fully agreed with him. I remember that the characters in the series, in one of its episodes, even mention Singer. And the final scene of the season, in which living and dead characters gather in a symbolic supper, everything has to do with Chagal's fantastic paintings.

The other Israeli series that also won hearts and minds around the world, is opposed to Shtisel and passes miles away from Chagal and Singer...

FAUDA…

… Means chaos in Arabic and is an Israeli series that is successful everywhere, even among neighboring Arabs, some of the enemies of Israel. One of its creators and star, Lior Raz, Israeli agent Doron Kavillio, lived in Los Angeles, where he was Arnold Schwarzenegger's bodyguard. He was born in Ma'ale Adumim but raised in Jerusalem. The son of an Iraqi immigrant, Raz grew up speaking Arabic with his father and grandmother. He was a commando in the Israeli navy and served in “Shin Bet”, a mix of Israeli secret service and the FBI. Israelis, after serving 3 years in the country's armed forces every year, do one month of reserve service. It's what they call “miluim”. In Raz's case, for 20 years he was part of the “Duvdevan” unit, specializing in anti-terrorism.

In 1990, when Raz was 19, his girlfriend Iris Azulai was stabbed and killed by a Palestinian terrorist.

With his military experience, his personal life, and his passage through Hollywood, Lior Raz could easily create the series together with Avi Issacharoff, an Israeli journalist specializing in the Palestinian issue. For over 20 years, Lior has been preparing for this role.

Another aspect of the series that is remarkably interesting is the presence in the cast of Arab actors.

UNORTHODOX

Contrary to what most SHTISEL and FAUDA fans might think, Netflix's UNORTHODOX is not an Israeli miniseries. It is a German American production that debuted on Netflix in March 2020.

The series is inspired by Deborah Feldman's 2012 autobiography, "Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots." The four-part miniseries was created and written by Anna Winger and Alexa Karolinski, and directed by Maria Schrader.

Award-winning and applauded by audiences and critics, it tells the story of Esty, a Jewish woman from the ultra-Orthodox community of Williamsburg, New York. After marrying to satisfy her family's expectations, she flees to Berlin, running away from the oppressive reality of her community.

The reason everyone thinks that UNORTHODOX is an Israeli miniseries is due to the presence of Shira Haas, an Israeli actress, who captivated everyone with her portrayal of Ruchami Weiss in SHTISEL.

HOW DO EXPLAIN ALL THIS SUCCESS?

The artist from Israel knows how to tell a good story. No wonder they wrote the greatest bestseller of all time, the Bible. But there are certainly other interesting and unique reasons responsible for this phenomenon.

In 2019 when SHITSEL's main cast actors -- Michael Aloni, Dov Glickman, Neta Riskin, Ayelet Zurer, and their creator Ori Elom were in Los Angeles, they were asked what makes Israeli series so appealing to millions of viewers around the world?

Neta Riskin said that success took the cast by surprise. During the first filming, shooting the scene in which she was assaulted at home, they had little time to do it and she was not satisfied with the result, to which the continuity person soothed her saying: "Relax, no one will watch what we’re doing here!"

Michael Aloni said that was what they thought: who would watch a series about a community of Orthodox Jews, living in this little neighborhood in Jerusalem, without shooting, car racing, violence, and, above all, no sex! For him, the most erotic scene in the series is the one in which Elisheva takes off her wig and shows her gray hair to Kive. Michael also said that in the Haredim neighborhoods in Jerusalem no one has a television or internet. This is forbidden between them. But many watched the series on their cell phones.

Israeli series, in general, have smaller budgets. It was for lack of money that the third season of Shtisel took so long to arrive. To overcome the limitations of the budget, they invest deeply in character development. Whether in the orthodox universe of SHTISEL or the violent conflicts between Israeli forces and terrorists in FAUDA, the construction of the characters and their environment is exquisite.

Any good script teacher tells us that we should write about what we know. And Israeli authors are doing just that. The more honest your script, the more effective.

And I think that when you, as a writer, are faithfully about your microcosm you succeed in touching the hearts of people around the world. We are all human beings essentially with the same dramas and hope.

THE SECRET INGREDIENT

But there is a secret ingredient that gives these Israeli series a special taste. Something that other shows around the world often don't have – this element is called “chutzpah”.

I looked in a dictionary and found some adjectives that help to define it - supreme self-confidence, courage, determination, audacity, daring, outrage, impertinence, insolence, fearlessness, conceit, shamelessness!

All of this is “chutzpah”, and nothing more perfectly defines the Israelite's spirit and soul. Without “chutzpah” Israel would never have survived this long.

Israeli series also have “chutzpah”. They are not afraid to push the envelope and go for it. They are bold. They are not afraid to criticize themselves, their own country. They often generate controversy and radical opinions because of this.

And, most incredible, it gets the most unexpected social results. Dov Glickman, Shule Shtisel, told that he was in Paris with his wife and, while having coffee on a Parisian boulevard, he was approached by 3 Muslim ladies from Lebanon. They watched the series and said that the problems that the Haredim face daily are the same as those of the Muslim community in Lebanon. And, they even said that, who knows, the series would be a way for both peoples to find peace.

If SHTISEL caused this kind of reaction among Lebanese viewers, FAUDA generated unexpected reactions in an even more surprising audience.

When visiting the UAE, Lior Raz was warmly received by several Arab interlocutors. He sat with Palestinians, Iranians, Syrians, Lebanese, Kuwaitis, and people from the Emirates in one place, and felt at home. They were all very receptive. According to him, the magic of the show was to win over people on both sides of the conflict. Extremists among Israelis, after FAUDA, felt empathy for the Palestinians. And on the other side, the Palestinians told him that it was the first time they felt compassion for the Israelis. They connected with the narrative and could see the other side.

This is only possible because the script avoids clichés. Palestinians and Israelis are presented as people of flesh and blood, living real dramas.

THE FUTURE

At the moment the production of content was greatly harmed by the pandemic and broadcast channels and streaming platforms in the US and the world are eagerly seeking content. Israeli series has certainly benefited from this. As a result, recently, streaming platforms are buying international rights and signing co-productions from some of Israel's top providers.

Apple TV+ alone has added five unprecedented Israeli productions and adaptations to its roster in recent months, including a limited series about Hedy Lamarr starring Gal Gadot, which was originally supposed to air on Showtime. So, whoever likes this type of content, be prepared. There’s more to come.

I searched and found some titles, and I'll pass them on here to you.

They are EUPHORIA and OUR BOYS series from HBO, FALSE FLAG from Hulu, STOCKHOLM, and AUTONOMIES from Topic, TEHRAN, and LOSING ALICE from Apple TV +, CONFESSE from the web, as well as VALLEY OF TEARS and ON THE SPECTRUM. I haven't seen any of these yet. The only one I've watched and recommend is Netflix's miniseries WHEN HEROES FLY, with Michael Aloni from SHTISEL; about four Israeli army veterans traveling into the Colombian jungle to rescue a person they thought was dead.

#Israel #Fauda #Shtisel #Betipul #Hatufim #Terapia Session #Homeland #Series #Streaming #Cape #WladimirWeltman

THIS MONDAY, AT 5 PM, DON'T MISS!

 

SHTISEL IN TIMES OF FAKE NEWS

"Men like the opinions to which they have been accustomed from their youth; they defend them and shun contrary views: and this is one of the things that prevents men from finding truth, for they cling to the opinions of habit." 

                                                                            Maimonides, Guide for the Perplexed 1:31

This commentary was written by the great Rabbi, philosopher and Sultan Saladin personal physician, Moses Ben Maimon (1138-1204), commonly known as Maimonides, aka Rambam. Had he not been one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars of the Middle Ages, I would have sworn that Maimonides, like me, watched SHTISEL latest season.

Despite the fact that when I lived in Jerusalem, I really disliked the Haredim (ultra-orthodox) from Mea Shearim and Geula, in January 2019 I wrote about the series’ first two seasons, because it surprised and pleased me a lot.

I enjoyed the series so much that I made a point of meeting one of its creators, Ori Elom, in June 2019 when he and SHTISEL’ s actors Michael Aloni, Dov Glickman, Neta Riskin and Ayelet Zurer were here in Los Angeles talking to fans and local Jewish community members.

It was with happiness that after waiting for almost 2 years, I finally could watch the third season of SHTISEL, recently aired by NETFLIX. I liked what I saw, although it took me a few days to digest it.

A few days ago, in a zoom conference with my friend, Sergio Zalis, he identified in this season’s scripts some influence by Bashevis Singer’s writings and Marc Chagall’s paintings.

I fully agreed with him. In one of their episodes, the characters even mention Bashevis Singer’s works. And the season’s final scene looked like a Chagall’s painting, with the living and the dead characters getting together in an imaginary supper.

Myself I noticed that in this season almost all the characters, at one time or another, lied. They did that forced by old habits, silly traditions, and idiotic community rules. Those lies generate problems and difficulties to the characters.

On my previous review of the series, I observed that these old habits, traditions, and rules kept the Haredim frozen in time. A group of people living in todays’ Israel but following the same behavior of the Eastern European “Shtetls” (Jewish villages) from the 18th and 19th centuries.

This season the writers showed us that the only effective solution to the character’s problems, was to face and reveal the truth. Despite being intelligent people, basically decent and with good intentions, they lie to avoid conflict with these idiotic habits, traditions, and rules. Afraid of the inevitable judgment of their peers.

The Haredim of Jerusalem microcosm in SHTISEL serves as a mirror to us, modern citizens of the 21st century. Doesn’t matter our political or social positions; if we are right or left; from classes A, B or C; men, women or any other denomination - we all lie, all the time, to avoid questioning idiotic habits, traditions and rules. Nobody wants to be catch breaking the cannons of “accepted” behavior.

It’s symbolic that in a TV series about ultra-orthodox Jews, the key to solve all the plots deadlocks is a Christian quote from John’s gospel - "The truth will set you free". At least the phrase was coined by a Galilean revolutionary Jew, who ended up crucified.

I end this piece by quoting another Christian who summarize the importance of the truth:

"In times of falsehood, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

                                                                                                                    George Orwell

#SHTISEL #NETFLIX #Hollywood #WladimirWeltman

UMA QUESTÃO DO TAMANHO DO CAZAQUISTÃO

 

Ontem pela manhã recebi um e-mail do Sr. Ayauly Akylkhan, Presidente do Conselho da Associação Americana Cazaque. Uma copia da carta que ele havia enviado à HFPA – Hollywood Foreign Press Association, organização da qual não faço parte, mas por ser um jornalista estrangeiro acreditado junto a MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), fui incluído:

“6 de janeiro de 2021

 

Associação de Imprensa Estrangeira de Hollywood

 

Ao

Sr. Ali Sar, Presidente.

Conselho de Administração

& Todos os membros votantes da HFPA

 

Caro Sr. Sar, Diretores do Conselho, Membros votantes da HFPA,

 

A comunidade cazaque americana, ao lado da comunidade cazaque mundial e 18 organizações internacionais e domésticas representando milhões de pessoas em todo o mundo, estão convocando você e sua organização a se posicionarem contra o racismo e a intolerância do Filme Borat Subsequente. Ao longo do filme Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova, o elenco e a equipe promovem branqueamento, estereótipos étnicos, racismo, apropriação cultural e xenofobia.

 

A comunidade cazaque em todo o mundo é sub-representada. Os cazaques são nativos da Ásia Central, ainda se recuperando de um passado colonial opressivo, e não têm representação substancial da mídia. Cohen entende isso e explora o Cazaquistão sequestrando sua identidade étnica e lavando-as. Cohen vai além de qualquer padrão moral ou ético, retratando o povo cazaque como misógino, incesto, antissemita, bárbaro e retrógrado, e o público ocidental o leva a valor facial devido ao uso de símbolos e linguagem nacionais cazaques reais.

 

Desde 2006, os cazaques em todo o mundo têm relatado casos de assédio sexual e físico, bullying e perda de emprego como resultado direto de Borat. As crianças cazaques têm medo de dizer que são cazaques. Mulheres cazaques relataram assédio sexual por pessoas alheias ao fato de que as tradições nacionais cazaques não incluem rituais sexuais, danças e incesto, como é sugerido pelos filmes de Borat. Em geral, Borat causou sofrimento mental aos cazaques, traumatizando uma jovem nação que sobreviveu ao nazismo e ao comunismo. Isso não é "apenas comédia" ou "diversão inofensiva", esses filmes têm um impacto direto em milhões de pessoas reais que vivem em todo o mundo.

 

Considerando o clima político social e racialmente consciente de hoje, é inacreditável que um filme racista que repreende abertamente, intimida e traumatiza uma nação de pessoas de cor é uma forma aceitável de entretenimento.

 

Embora o filme de Borat exponha a intolerância no público americano, um filme não pode contrariar a intolerância contra algumas pessoas enquanto se envolve ativamente em intolerância contra outras pessoas. "Racismo irônico" ainda é racismo. Vários meios de comunicação de massa relataram racismo em Borat (Variety, Guardian, Independent, CNN, Yahoo). Embora veículos como o The New York Times indicassem que o Cazaquistão abraçou a sequência de Borat porque a National Kazakh Tourism Company (NKTC) usou o slogan "Very Nice" em sua campanha publicitária, isso não é preciso. O NKTC é uma empresa semiprivada e a ideia foi lançada e implementada por um cidadão americano branco, Dennis Keen, que usou essa oportunidade para obter ganhos financeiros.

 

A posição oficial do Ministério das Relações Exteriores do Cazaquistão afirma: "Tanto o povo do Cazaquistão quanto seus símbolos nacionais são ridicularizados para fins provocativos. Na verdade, o filme [Borat] tem uma forma pronunciada de racismo e xenofobia. Nossos cidadãos estão justamente indignados com os ataques racistas flagrantes." 

 

Em 2006, Mr. Cohen recebeu o Golden Globes Award de melhor performance, enquanto Borat foi indicado para melhor filme (Comédia ou Musical). Isso não deve acontecer novamente em 2021. Convocamos os membros votantes da Associação a se levantarem contra o racismo em Hollywood e entretenimento, não votando em Borat Subsequente Moviefilm, seu elenco e equipe. Não há lugar para o racismo em 2021.

 

Ayauly Akylkhan

Presidente do Conselho da Associação Americana cazaque

 

Gia Noortas,

Membro do Conselho da Associação Americana cazaque

 

CEO Hollywood Film Academy LLC

Nihad Awad

 

Diretor Executivo Nacional

Conselho de Relações Americano-Islâmicas

 

Hiba Rahim

Coordenador Regional de Tampa Bay

Conselho de Relações Americano-Islâmicas – Flórida”

Achei interessante a questão e me fez ficar pensando nesse dilema, afinal sou jornalista, mas também roteirista e de humor.  

Por coincidência isso aconteceu poucos dias depois da palhaçada engendrada em Washington pelos seguidores de Mr. Trump, empurrando os EUA para o perigoso terreno da galhofa política, dando a nós, autores cômicos, mais material pra criticar através de piadas...  

Como jornalista que sou, antes de me manifestar, fui ouvir as partes envolvidas e buscar informações. Em ato continuo escrevi a amigos meus que são membros da HFPA e pedi a posição oficial da entidade a essa carta. Essa foi a resposta que recebi:

“O HFPA leva a sério todas as questões de abuso ou discriminação em potencial.  A HFPA também está comprometida com a liberdade de expressão artística e em deixar a consideração de qualquer filme até o julgamento dos eleitores do Globo de Ouro.

 

Ali Sar, Presidente da HFPA

Em nome do Conselho de Administração da HFPA”

Escrevi também para o departamento de publicidade internacional da TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX, distribuidora dos filmes de Borat e pedi a posição oficial do estúdio frente a questão. Assim como o PR pessoal do ator e diretor Sacha Baron Cohen. Até o presente momento essas duas partes não me deram retorno (assim que emitirem uma resposta, prometo postar).

 O passo seguinte foi buscar informação, pois confesso que até ver o primeiro filme de Borat, não tinham a menor ideia de que o Cazaquistão realmente existisse. Desculpe minha ignorância, mas cheguei a pensar que ele havia inventado esse pais, perdido nos cafundós do Judas, algo imaginário entre o Afeganistão, o Paquistão, a Mongólia e a antiga União Soviética. Mergulhado em todo tipo de atraso sócio-político e econômico. Na minha pesquisa vim a descobrir que trata-se de uma país que realmente existe e é muito antigo e complexo. Os Cazaquistaneses que perdoem a minha total falta de informação. Segundo a Wikipedia:

”O Cazaquistão é oficialmente um país transcontinental localizado principalmente na Ásia Central, com uma porção menor a oeste do rio Ural, no leste europeu. Ele cobre uma área terrestre de 2.724.900 quilômetros quadrados e compartilha fronteiras terrestres com a Rússia no norte, China no leste, e Quirguistão, Uzbequistão e Turquemenistão no sul, ao mesmo tempo em que se junta a uma grande parte do Mar Cáspio no sudoeste. O Cazaquistão não faz fronteira com a Mongólia, embora estejam a apenas 37 quilômetros de distância... O Cazaquistão é o oitavo maior país do mundo. Possui uma população de 18,3 milhões de habitantes... O território do Cazaquistão tem sido historicamente habitado por grupos e impérios nômades. Na antiguidade, os citas nômades habitavam a terra e o Império Asquemêmido Persa expandiu-se em direção ao território sul do país moderno. Nômades turcos, que traçam sua ascendência a muitos estados turcos, como os khaganatos turcos, habitaram o país ao longo de sua história. No século XIII, o território foi subjugado pelo Império Mongol sob Genghis Khan... Em 1936, tornou-se a República Socialista Soviética cazaque, parte da União Soviética. O Cazaquistão foi a última das repúblicas soviéticas a declarar independência durante a dissolução da União Soviética em 1991.”

Resolvi pesquisar também algumas das questões que dariam consistência a crítica cômica que o personagem criado por Sacha Baron Cohen, o Borat, evidencia em seus filmes e que o Sr. Ayauly Akylkhan refuta como sendo verdadeiras. Descobri que em 2015 um relatório do Human Rights Watch das Nações Unidas, que “a situação dos direitos humanos no país é inaceitável e mudanças de longo alcance são necessárias”. Os direitos de mulheres, gays e demais elementos LGBT do país também é precária. Mas certamente a imagem que Sacha apresenta de Borat e seus conterrâneos é exagerada, para efeito cômico. Ainda assim, certamente ele pegou pesado. Quem diz isso é o jornalista em mim.

Já o roteirista de comédia, que eu também sou, contra-argumenta que a proposta do humor, principalmente o político, é mostrar que o rei está nu. No caso de o GRANDE DITADOR de Chaplin, a crítica foi suave, se comparada com a realidade histórica. Ele assim o fez, porque na época ninguém tinha certeza de até onde iria a loucura do ditador alemão.

No caso do Cazaquistão, um país que somente há 30 anos saiu do regime comunista, ainda tem muito caminho pela frente para se adaptar as benesses e obrigações de uma vida 100% democrática, em todos os sentidos. Pra arbitrar essa disputa entre Borat e cazaquistaneses ofendidos, só indo lá pra conferir. Torço para que nesse processo de modernização, os 70% da população que é muçulmana (de acordo com o Censo de 2009), não empurre o país para o outro lado, o de uma radicalização islâmica, como vem acontecendo em certas áreas do oriente. Por enquanto a Constituição do Cazaquistão garante que ele é um estado laico...

Dito tudo isso, paro pra pensar no nosso cantinho do planeta – o Brasil varonil. Penso e rezo para que nenhum comediante olhe para nós e as notícias que vem de nossa terra e decida produzir um “Borat” tupiniquim.

Nesses anos todos de vida, morei muitos deles no exterior – EUA, Europa e Oriente Médio – e durante todo esse tempo, quando revelava, que apesar de minha aparência ariana, eu era brasileiro, as respostas sempre foram as mais positivas. Todo mundo amava o Brasil. Muitos de nós nos vemos como o coco-do-cavalo-do-bandido, mas para o mundo o Brasil era a terra de gente alegre, bonita, bacana, inteligente e descolada. Gente como Tom Jobim, Gisele Bündchen, Pelé, Paulo Coelho, Airton Senna, Sonia Braga, Machado de Assis, Xuxa, Rodrigo Santoro, Caetano Veloso, Jorge Amado, Roberto Carlos e tantos outros grandes nomes nacionais. Mas agora, com o presidente atual e seu elenco de idiotas oficiais a sua volta, cometendo barbaridades a cada momento, ganhando manchetes mundiais, espelhando nossa vergonha e absurdos, as possibilidades de vir muita gozação pra cima de gente é enorme.

Muito triste o que esta acontecendo no Brasil. Muito triste a imagem destrutiva de nossa nacionalidade que está sendo projetada para o mundo. É apenas uma questão de tempo para que depois de BORAT, e do DITADOR, Sacha volte seu olhar crítico para nós e crie uma versão cinematográfica do nosso “presidente” para as telas do mundo.

 #hollywood #borat #casaquistao #brasil #bolsonaro #hfpa