Hollywood
Wim Wenders to get Golden Bear at Berlinale
NEW DELHI: Renowned German filmmaker Wim Wenders will be presented the Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement award and the Homage Section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival will be dedicated to him.
The award ceremony on 12 February 2015 will include a screening of Der amerikanische Freund (The American Friend, 1977). It was Wenders’ international breakthrough film. “We were so impressed by the brilliance of the recently completed digital restoration that we decided to premiere it as part of the award ceremony for the Honorary Golden Bear,” Festival director Dieter Kosslick said.
In addition, the Deutsche Kinemathek has teamed up with Berlinale Talents for a special event entitled ‘Wings of Time: A Conversation with Wim Wenders’ the evening before the honourary award gala. The director will hold a discussion in English with Rainer Rother, artistic director of the Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen.
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, is honouring Wenders in March 2015 with a comprehensive retrospective that will include many of the films shown in the Homage programme.
In another nod to the Homage and the honorary award, the ZDF broadcasting group has scheduled a 2015 Wim Wenders retrospective, with the first series of films airing in February on ZDF, as well as on 3sat and ARTE.
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.
