Hollywood
Uncut version of ‘Nymphomaniac: Volume I’ to premiere at the Berlin Film Fest
MUMBAI: Lars von Trier’s hard-core director’s cut for his erotic epic Nymphomaniac won’t be going to Cannes but will instead premiere at the Berlinale in February. The 64th Berlin International Film Festival will present the world premiere of Volume I of the long uncut version of Nymphomaniac, out of competition.
Alongside starring actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, numerous other international stars are part of the Nymphomaniac ensemble: Stellan Skarsg?rd, Shia LaBeouf, Christian Slater, Jamie Bell, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe, Jean-Marc Barr, Udo Kier and many others. British actress Stcy Martin celebrates her big screen debut with Nymphomaniac.
“Berlinale audiences will be the first to see the long uncut version of Nymphomaniac Volume I. Lars von Trier, a guest of the Berlinale for the first time in 1984, returns to the festival with this film. The aesthetic he has created in Nymphomaniac is impressive and radical,” said Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick in a release.
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Nymphomaniac is the wild and poetic story of one woman’s journey from birth to age 50, as told by the main character, self-diagnosed nymphomaniac Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg). One cold winter evening, the old and charming bachelor Seligman (Stellan Skarsg?rd) finds Joe beaten up in an alley. He takes her to his flat, where he tends to her wounds while asking about her life. He listens intently as Joe tells the lush, branched-out and multifaceted story of her life, in eight chapters.
Von Trier, 57, won the Cannes Palme d’Or in 2000 for the death-row melodrama Dancer in the Dark starring Bjork and Catherine Deneuve and picked up its Jury Grand Prize for Breaking the Waves in 1996. The shorter version approved by Lars von Trier will open worldwide in cinemas starting 25 December, 2013.
The Berlinale will open on 6 February with an all-star romp by US director Wes Anderson at the Grand Budapest Hotel and wrap up on 16 February.
Hollywood
Disney chair confident CEO Josh D’Amaro will ‘rise to the occasion’ in Trump–Kimmel row
Board backs new chief as ABC controversy tests leadership early on
NEW YORK: The Walt Disney Company has placed the responsibility of handling the escalating dispute between Donald Trump and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel squarely on its new chief executive, Josh D’Amaro.
Speaking at a business conference in Oslo, Disney chair James Gorman said it would be up to the CEO and his team to determine the company’s response to the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He noted that such challenges are not uncommon for large corporations and require careful handling at the leadership level.
The row intensified after both Donald Trump and Melania Trump publicly called for Kimmel’s dismissal following remarks made on his show. The comments, which referenced the First Lady, sparked backlash in the days leading up to a security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Kimmel addressed the issue on-air, clarifying that his joke was intended as a reference to the couple’s age difference and not an incitement to violence. He also expressed sympathy for those affected by the incident and reiterated his stance against violent rhetoric.
Despite mounting pressure, Gorman refrained from offering specific guidance on the future of the show or the host. Instead, he voiced confidence in D’Amaro’s leadership, describing him as “world class” and capable of navigating the situation effectively.
The episode presents an early and high-profile test for D’Amaro, who stepped into the top role just last month. How Disney balances editorial independence, public sentiment and political pressure will likely shape not just the outcome of this controversy, but also the tone of its leadership in the months ahead.
