Celebrity Life
The Most Spine-Tingling Horror Movies to Watch on Netflix This Halloween
Nothing beats a weekend cosying up on the couch, armed with popcorn, Netflix, and the best horror movies ever created.
With Halloween just around the corner, now is the perfect time to binge-watch our favourite spooky flicks — and to take our minds off the actual horrors of our real world.
From sinister rituals to séances gone wrong and zombie attacks, our list of the best horror movies to stream on Netflix promises a spine-chilling evening.
Best horror movies on Netflix to watch this Halloween –
1. Verónica
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Verónica, a schoolgirl who is responsible for her younger siblings, conducts a séance at school with her friends in an attempt to connect with her deceased father. (Image: Verónica / IMDB)[/caption]
2017 Spanish horror film Verónica created a stir on social media when viewers claimed that it was so scary that they had to stop watching midway due to its extreme gore. The Paco Plaza-directorial is inspired by a 1992 incident in Madrid when a teenage girl was attacked by a malevolent force after she used an Ouija board at school with her two friends.
Verónica, a schoolgirl who cares for her younger siblings, conducts a séance at school with her friends in an attempt to connect with her deceased father. During the process, the girls conjure an evil spirit that latches itself on Verónica. She then starts witnessing paranormal events at home and tries to protect her family from the demonic presence.
While Verónica did not make big on the award scales, it offered enough blood-curdling moments to deter us from ever messing with Ouija boards.
Watch it here.
2. The Ritual
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Among the best horror movies on Netflix is this British horror-mystery film by David Bruckner, which is inspired by a 2011 Adam Nevill novel of the same name. (Image: The Ritual / IMDB)[/caption]
Picture this: You lose a friend after a tragic incident and decide to honour his or her memory with a hiking trip, only for it to land you in danger — because of one wrong turn. This British horror-mystery film by David Bruckner, inspired by a 2011 Adam Nevill novel of the same name, is based on this premise.
Six months after their friend’s brutal killing, four university buddies decide to reunite for a trek through Sweden’s King’s Trail. Things begin to go awry after one of them injures himself, prompting them to take a shortcut that leads to a series of creepy, unexplained occurrences.
Without giving too much away, what happens next involves a terrifying beast lurking in the woods.
Watch it here.
3. Under The Shadow
Imagine living in a war-torn country where your home, which is supposed to be your safest place, is haunted by a supernatural being. As if you didn’t already have enough problems.
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Babak Anvari’s Persian-language Iranian horror film Under The Shadow takes viewers back to the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq war. (Image: Under The Shadow / IMDB)[/caption]
Babak Anvari’s Persian-language Iranian horror film Under The Shadow takes viewers back to the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq war. When a building is hit by a missile, one of its occupants becomes suspicious that it’s cursed by djinns, evil spirits steeped in Middle Eastern folklore, which may attempt to harm her daughter. She then struggles to keep the demons away from her child at home while fighting the fear of losing her husband at war, all at the same time.
While the film begins on a slow pace, it picks up eventually with its masterful combination of the horrors of war and the supernatural, and becomes a gripping, thrilling watch.
Watch it here.
4. Shutter
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The 2004 film was critically acclaimed for its storyline and execution and became a commercial success worldwide. (Image credit: Shutter / IMDB)[/caption]
A young photographer and his girlfriend start to witness horrifying entities in their pictures after being involved in a hit-and-run accident. They initially think that it is the deceased victim’s soul haunting them, but eventually come to learn that it’s an unpleasant mistake of the past that is refusing to leave them alone.
The 2004 film was critically acclaimed for its storyline and execution and became a commercial success worldwide. It was so popular that it sparked several remakes in English, Hindi and Tamil.
Watch it here.
5. Overlord
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Overlord is set in an alternate World War 2 period. (Image credit: Overlord / IMDB)[/caption]
An action-horror flick, Overlord takes place in an alternate World War 2 setting and follows American soldiers on D-Day when they cross enemy lines — only to discover the dark secrets of Nazi experiments. They then find themselves embroiled in a battle against an army of the undead.
The JJ Abrams-produced film opened to positive reviews for its innovative spin on the war film genre. Do note it doesn’t hold back on the gore and violence — one of its most unnerving scenes depicts a talking severed head.
Watch it here.
This story first appeared on Prestige Singapore
(Main image: Overlord/ IMDB; Featured image: Verónica / IMDB)
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Rise of the Machines? An AI Bot Has Learnt to Make Banksy-Inspired Art
Has the machine surpassed its master?
While prices for Banksy originals climb ever higher, a new AI has been programmed to create artworks that resemble those by the famous British street artist himself. So much so that some art collectors are already snapping up the GANksy creations.
While the works leave no doubt as to the identity of the artist they take inspiration from, the creator of the software, Matt Round, refrains from explicitly mentioning Banksy's name, to avoid any legal complications. The AI software was trained using a bank of hundreds of images of street art, some of which were probably Banksy's works, and was launched in September 2020. You can view a full gallery here.
"All of GANksy's works are original creations derived from its understanding of shape, form and texture. GANksy wants to be put into a robot body so it can spray paint the entire planet," said Round in a statement on his website.
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A new AI called GANksy is offering over 250 works of art for sale online. (Image: GANKsy and VoleWTF)[/caption]
Over 250 works by GANksy are for sale in the form of the exclusive ownership of a GANksy-signed digital file, with prices starting at £1 (HK$10.10) and rising by £1 with every purchase. As of now, according to Round's website, 91 pieces have already found a buyer.
These prices are a far cry from those that Banksy's works routinely fetch; many sell for several million euros. Last week, "Show me the Monet," Banksy's reimagining of a Claude Monet painting, saw the hammer fall at £7.6 million (HK$76.7 million) at Sotheby's London. The piece did not, however, beat the record set by the artist's "Devolved Parliament," which sailed past its initial estimation of £2 million (HK$20.2 million) to sell for £9.9 million (HK$99.9 million) at a previous Sotheby's auction in 2019.
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Priest by GANKsy. (Image: GANKsy and VoleWTF)[/caption]
Works generated by AI have been well received at auction in the last few years. Among them is Paris-based arts collective Obvious's "Portrait of Edmond Belamy," which took the art market by surprise when it sold for $432,500 (approximately €365,970) in October 2018 at Christie's -- sixty times its low base estimation of $7000.
Earlier this year, the Bucharest International Biennial for Contemporary Art announced that the chief curator for its 10th edition, set to take place in 2022, will be an AI programme named Jarvis. Jarvis will be trained over two years to use deep learning to gather information on curatorial practices, as well as explore the databases of museums, universities and galleries to select artists and creators who will participate in the Bucharest Biennale. The chosen artists will exhibit their work in a virtual-reality gallery, according to the AI system's creators, Vienna-based studio Spinnwerk.
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Pink Dolphins Have Been Spotted in Hong Kong After Reduced Marine Traffic From the Pandemic
Rare pink dolphins are returning to the waters between Hong Kong and Macau after the coronavirus pandemic halted ferries, but scientists remain deeply concerned about their long-term survival in one of the world's busiest sea lanes.
The tell-tale flash of pink leaping from the waters alerts Naomi Brennan to the presence of a local Chinese white dolphin and she jots the animal's location into a GPS device. Conservationists like Brennan regularly board boats in the Pearl River Delta to document how the mammals, known for their eye-catching pink colouring, are faring.
"Today we encountered three different groups of dolphins — six adults and two sub-adults," she explained. "They were engaging in a range of behaviour, from feeding to travelling and socialising."
For years, keeping tabs on the dolphins has been a disheartening task. The population has fallen by 70 to 80 percent in the past 15 years in what is one of the world's most industrialised estuaries.
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A Chinese white dolphin, also known locally as 'pink dolphin', swimming in the waters off the coast of Hong Kong. (Image: May James/ AFP)[/caption]
But this year these mammals' numbers have bounced back — and they have the pandemic to thank. Ferries between Hong Kong and Macau have been suspended since February, providing local marine scientists an opportunity to study how the pink dolphins have adapted to the "unprecedented quiet".
"We're seeing much larger group sizes as well as much more socialising, mating behaviour, which we hadn't really been seeing for the last five years or so," said Dr. Lindsay Porter, a Hong Kong-based marine scientist.
According to Porter's research team, the number of pink dolphins has increased by roughly a third in those waters since March. "These areas seem to be important for feeding and socialising. So it's great that there's this refuge for them," added Brennan, a member of Porter's team.
Megacities and shipping
The Pearl River Delta is one of the most industrialised coastal areas on Earth. As well as Hong Kong and Macao, it includes Chinese mainland megacities like Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Dongguan, and is home to some 22 million people.
And aside from heavy shipping traffic, the dolphins' key habitat has been subjected to a host of large-scale developments, including the construction of Hong Kong's airport on reclaimed land and the world's longest sea bridge connecting the financial hub to Macau and Zhuhai. A huge new reclamation project is also underway to build a third runway for the city's airport.
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Pink dolphins playing off the waters of Lantau in Hong Kong. (Image: AFP PHOTO / PIO/ HK Dolphin Conservation Society)[/caption]
According to the WWF, there are only an estimated 2,000 pink dolphins left in the Pearl River Delta — the minimum number that conservationists believe are needed to sustain the species. There is a palpable fear the delta's dolphins could go extinct under the population's current trajectory.
"Dolphins, and especially these estuarine dolphins, have a slow birth rate, a slow growth rate, a slow reproductive rate," said Laurence McCook, head of oceans conservation at WWF-Hong Kong. "So they need very careful management."
Cantonese heritage
The lack of ferries is a welcome, but potentially brief, respite for the dolphins. Noise from vessels disturbs mammals that rely on underwater sound for navigation and communication. The ships also pose the physical threat of striking the creatures, injuring and even killing them.
The rugged southern coastline of Hong Kong's outlying Lantau island provides shelter from typhoons and predators for the dolphins. But it is also where the ferries between Macau and the financial hub travel.
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Pink dolphins. (Image: Daniel Sorabji/ AFP)[/caption]
Conservationists are campaigning to expand an existing marine park to better protect the vulnerable species. "We've now identified a habitat that could then be reclaimed by them and could really be used to support their population," said Brennan, who believes recent findings could provide an opportunity for conservationists to "turn the tide" for the vulnerable dolphin population.
"The fact that we've seen such a dramatic change, though still early days, from just one of those impacts going away is a really positive shift."
But WWF's McCook warns time is running out for the dolphins. "They're an icon of the area," he said. "They're a part of Cantonese heritage. They've been around here for millennia."
"It would be a global tragedy to lose this iconic creature from the future of the Greater Bay Area."
(Main and featured image: AFP Photo / PIO/ HK Dolphin Conservation Society)
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The Best Feel-Good Netflix Shows to Watch This Weekend
In need of some light-hearted entertainment?
When the going gets tough, even the toughest could all use a little cheering up. With the pandemic still raging on in other parts of the world, and our travel options remaining heavily limited (though we're looking forward to visiting Singapore soon), 2020 has really been a massive downer.
If you're looking for ways to keep your spirits high, we've got some suggestions. These feel-good Netflix shows will make you laugh and cry — in a good way — and are almost guaranteed to keep you in a positive mood all through the week.
Social distance
Our favourite new show is ‘Social Distance’, an eight-part series based entirely on the COVID-19 pandemic. Each episode features a different cast and storyline touching on topics that hit close to home during these uncertain times: relationship drama, loved ones battling the virus, death, frontlines, and the Black Lives Matter movement. These stories are told through the lens of technology as our current means of communication and as this year would have it, connection.
Emily in Paris
Predictable love interests, Paris, and a red beret — the cliches are many and it’s what makes this show work (among other reasons), the break from reality into a fairytale word. The other reasons being mainly the show’s fashion moments, Emily’s upbeat can-do attitude, and a stellar case including Lily Collins who plays Emily, and Kate Walsh who plays her boss, Madeline.
Blackpink: Light Up The Sky
Blackpink is hailed as the most popular K-pop girl group of all time, and that’s not a status reached without the years of dedication and hard work the K-pop training industry is notoriously known for. This documentary takes a look at the group as individuals and the different backgrounds Lisa, Jisoo, Rosé and Jennie come from. You don’t have to be a Blink to appreciate the authenticity the girls showcase in this documentary, nor their music.
Song Exploder
While we’re appreciating great music in this list, Song Exploder shines a spotlight on some of the greatest musicians of today’s Hollywood. The show is based on the podcast in which various artists talk about the making of their hit singles. This season includes the likes of Alicia Keys, Lin-Manuel Miranda, R.E.M. and Ty Dolla $ign.
The Cabin With Bert Kreischerem
Haven’t you ever wanted to ditch it all and go live in a cabin somewhere? Comedian Bert Kreischer has, and did. In his new abode he sets out to cleanse his “mind, body and soul”, trying out different therapy techniques and challenges with guest appearances by other celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner, Joel McHale, and Kaley Cuoco.
This story first appeared on Prestige Malaysia
(Main image: Song Exploder/ Netflix; Featured image: Emily in Paris/ Facebook)
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Take Home Works by Takashi Murakami and More Artists at This Parisian Gallery’s Scavenger Hunt
Uncertain times call for unorthodox ideas.
Perrotin Gallery is collaborating with Paris' Grand Palais for a giant scavenger hunt, which will take place October 24 and 25. The rules are simple: Participants have to locate 20 artworks by contemporary artists that have been hidden around the empty nave of the Palais. Even more surprisingly, they can take home any artwork that they have found.
Participants will go on the hunt for works that 20 international artists on Perrotin's rooster have donated for the event. Among them are Takashi Murakami, JR, Daniel Arsham, Emily Mae Smith, Laurent Grasso, Iván Argote,Aya Takanoand Bharti Kher.
"Since we don't know where we are going, it is almost as if anything is possible: immense, adventurous, and unapologetic projects make us feel connected to the world in this moment...Works of art are more precious than ever, which is why it is important to offer them to as many people as possible," art dealer Emmanuel Perrotin said in a statement.
The idea for "Wanted!" stems from a project by Elmgreen & Dragset organized in September 2016 by Perrotin Gallery. The Berlin-based artist duo staged an art fair booth in the empty nave of the Grand Palais a month before the opening of the FIAC contemporary art fair.
The 2020 edition of the Parisian event was recently canceled in reaction to a surge in coronavirus cases in France.
In order to comply with social-distancing guidelines, the 13,500 square-metre nave of the glass-roofed Grand Palais, which is also known as a venue for Chanel runway shows, will be filled to 20 percent capacity, and face masks will be compulsory during the entire scavenger hunt.
"Like many... works of art are usually not within my grasp, and I cannot have everything that I see," Chris Dercon, president of the Grand Palais, said in a statement.
"With 'Wanted!', the value of the work depends on the effort made by the visitors. Indeed, the true love of art is often a matter of chance: you often find what you were not really looking for. And it's also true that in many public and private collections, works of art are hidden."
(Main and featured image: Takashi Murakami /Kaikai Kiki/ Perrotin Gallery)
The post Take Home Works by Takashi Murakami and More Artists at This Parisian Gallery’s Scavenger Hunt appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
Michael Jackson’s Art Collection Goes Under the Hammer
A series of items once owned by the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, are set to go under the hammer on October 23 in an online sale held by the Guernsey's auction house.
The "Treasures Once Owned by Michael Jackson" sale offers fans and art enthusiasts a collection of 80 lots, including artworks that once adorned Neverland, the late singer's vast Californian ranch and private theme park.
Highlights include bronze sculptures, malachite candelabras and the Jackson 5's first contract with Steeltown Records, signed by Joseph Jackson.
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A Peter Pan bronze sculpture, which used to be displayed in Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch. (Image: Guernsey's Auctions)[/caption]
Items in the sale include a bronze statue of Peter Pan and a wooden model of Captain Hook's ship, both estimated to fetch US$30,000 to US$40,000. The latter was gifted to Michael Jackson by the actress Elizabeth Taylor.
Art enthusiasts will also be able to bid for a rare bronze cast of "Gloria Victis" by the French sculptor and painter, Antonin Mercié, estimated to fetch US$75,000 to US$85,000. Other casts of the 1874 statue are currently in collections held by New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.
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The Jackson 5's first label contract. (Image: Guernsey's Auctions)[/caption]
The "Treasures Once Owned by Michael Jackson" auction also includes collector's items and memorabilia from the King of Pop's vast musical career, such as the first contract between the Jackson 5 band and the Steeltown Records label. This historic document, signed by Joe Jackson, is expected to fetch US$50,000 to US$100,000. Similarly, an acetate disc of the Jackson 5's first singles could sell for US$10,000 to US$20,000.
According to Artnet News, certain lots in the auction were consigned by Richard LaPointe, who acquired them following a lengthy legal battle with Julien's Auctions and the Jackson estate. The collector, based in Quebec, Canada, had bid on various objects belonging to Michael Jackson that Julien's Auctions planned to sell between April 22 and 25, 2009.
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The Jackson 5's first acetate pressing of singles. (Image: Guernsey's Auctions)[/caption]
This major sale — which could have fetched between US$15 and US$20 million at Julien's Auctions — was ultimately cancelled at the last minute on the request of Michael Jackson's production company, MJJ Productions.
"Now, more than a decade later, the collector has decided to share Michael's cherished items with the world
and give fans the chance to own a piece of the King of Pop's legacy," said Guernsey's Auctions in a press release.
(All images: Guernsey's Auctions)
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The Show Must Not Go On At New York’s Broadway Theatres Until May 2021
Broadway theatres will remain closed until at least the end of May 2021, the industry's trade association said.
This announcement is a fresh sign that the 2020-21 season will be a low point for live entertainment in the United States. Shows had first been expected to reopen in early September, a deadline which was put off to the beginning of January.
But the Broadway League decided to delay again until May 30, 2021 as the coronavirus continues to rage across the country, as well in New York, which was the first epicentre of the disease in the United States.
"With nearly 97,000 workers who rely on Broadway for their livelihood and an annual economic impact of US$14.8 billion to the city, our membership is committed to re-opening as soon as conditions permit us to do so," Broadway League President Charlotte St Martin said in a statement.
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Broadway theatres will remain closed until at least the end of May 2021. (Image: Angela Weiss/ AFP)[/caption]
That will mean theatres will have been closed for 14 months, an unprecedented length of time for the lights to be out in Manhattan's showbiz heart, which shuttered its venues on March 12. At the moment of shutdown, there were 31 shows running on Broadway and eight others preparing for opening in the spring.
"We are working tirelessly with multiple partners on sustaining the industry once we raise our curtains again," St Martin added.
Some productions have already thrown in the towel, including the musical The Snow Queen, as well as Hangmen and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Local media outlet NY1 said two of Broadway's biggest draws, The Lion King and The Phantom of the Opera, would not open again until autumn 2021.
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The theatre district of Broadway. (Image: Denys Nevozhai/ Unsplash)[/caption]
Broadway, which pulls in US$33 million (HK$256 million) a week in ticket sales, is hoping to receive federal support but has so far not been granted any backing by Congress. The latest announcement came two weeks after New York's Metropolitan Open said it was cancelling its season.
Concert venues and theatres are currently closed across the country, with tens of thousands of new cases of coronavirus diagnosed nationwide every day.
(Main image: Sudan Ouyang/ Unsplash; Featured image: Denys Nevozhai/ Unsplash)
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Amanda Cheung of FIF on its Upcoming Art Exhibition Featuring Botticelli and Other Masters
Despite the Renaissance artist’s fame, not everyone in Hong Kong has heard of Sandro Botticelli.
That, however, is set to change this month, with the opening of an exhibition of 42 works by Botticelli and other masters at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and the launch of a four-month long programme of activities by First Initiative Foundation (FIF) in partnership with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Consulate General of Italy and a host of others.
As the community partner for the exhibition, whose official title is The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Botticelli and His Times – Masterworks from the Uffizi, FIF has planned a series of workshops and activities designed to encourage the public to learn more about early Renaissance art – and to visit museums and galleries in general.
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Amanda Cheung is the managing director of First Initiative Foundation.[/caption]
FIF managing director Amanda Cheung, whose mother Michelle Ong set up the foundation almost 10 years ago as a way of supporting Hong Kong’s creative community, says that the aim is “to make this exhibition very inclusive and family friendly. FIF is known for bringing unique and accessible educational and community outreach programmes to Hong Kong and we’re beyond excited to devise this special hands-on programme to complement this exhibition.”
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Sandro Botticelli - Adoration of the Magi.[/caption]
Through a lengthy programme of activities that it’s put together, FIF hopes to empower the public to approach art by giving them the tools that provide a new lens through which they can learn to appreciate the beauty of everyday life. “The three key messages that I hope to foster and encourage,” says Cheung, “are that museums are for everyone, that art can be fun and easy to understand, and that it’s everywhere. I did a lot of research on the gap between art and the community and, after narrowing down my vision and identifying the key messages of the outreach, I enlisted help and expertise from the fields of art, education and public relations, who are all friends of FIF. I also put together a young committee consisting of a handful of my peers, so I can run ideas by them as well as make sure that we have diversity and different perspectives.”
Francesco Botticini - Madonna in adoration of the Child with Saint John and five angels[/caption]In total, Cheung and the FIF team have devised various community outreach initiatives, the first being fun and accessible guided tours for visitors to the exhibition. Second, FIF is offering a programme of weekend workshops for the duration of the exhibition, which provide fun, interactive and engaging activities for visitors of all ages that range from coding and science-meets-art workshops for children and parents, to cocktail-mixing for adults – and all with themes or topics linking back to the exhibition. As well as the works of art themselves, the exhibition also features a wall of cards that provide a unique, role-playing unaccompanied guide. Visitors can pick the most appropriate character that matches their mood, with each providing a specially designed itinerary.
Beyond the museum, FIF has also created an illustrated storybook, an activity book and an audio book, as well as soft toys depicting two fictional characters – Sandro, a lucky boar from Italy and Trio, a three-legged toad from Hong Kong. Together, the pair work to solve a mystery that takes in a disgruntled portrait, museum magic and even delicious local cuisine. Based on the exhibition, the charming and educational story touches upon the importance of teamwork, exploration, curiosity and friendship, and will be read aloud to the public during community reading sessions.
Sandro Botticelli - Madonna and Child.[/caption]Moreover, film industry all-rounder Andrew Lau has produced a documentary that follows the journey of the Renaissance paintings from the walls of the Uffizi to Hong Kong for this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition. Directed by Jessey Tsang, the film offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse of the knowledge and expertise necessary, as well as the immense amount of work involved, in putting together a large-scale international exhibition such as this. The film, which is to be screened as inflight entertainment by Cathay Pacific, stresses the importance of cooperation, as well as highlighting Hong Kong’s own talent.
From curation to design concept to production, each phase of putting together this exhibition has created a building block for the next stage, leading to the opening at the Hong Kong Museum of Art in late October.
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Canada Will Ban Single-Use Plastics Such as Bags and Straws by End 2021
Checkout bags, straws and several single-use plastics will be banned in Canada by the end of next year.
This was announced by the country's environment minister Jonathan Wilkinson on Wednesday, where he acknowledged the nation is trailing behind Europe in recycling efforts.
The ban — which also targets stir sticks, six-pack rings, cutlery, and foodware made from hard-to-recycle plastics — is part of a broader plan to eliminate plastics waste by 2030, which is at the heart of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's climate and environmental agenda.
"We are not leading the world in this," said Wilkinson at a news conference. "Many countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom, have gone down this path and we've certainly learned from the work that they have done."
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The ban on single-use plastics includes straws. (Image: Thoa Ngo/ Unsplash)[/caption]
According to Ottawa, Canadians throw away three million tonnes of plastic waste each year — including 15 billion bags annually, and 57 million straws daily. Only nine percent of it is recycled.
Ottawa, said Wilkinson, aims to hike that to 90 percent, in line with European targets for 2029. He said of the six plastic items that will be prohibited, there are already "readily available and affordable alternatives."
"There are lots of (plastics) that are going to have to continue to be single use," he added. "But they need to be the kinds of things that we are able to recycle, that we are able to keep in the economy and not end up in the environment where they cause problems."
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Plastic coffee cup lids have also been named as problematic single-use plastic items. (Image: Artem Beliaikin/ Unsplash)[/caption]
Plastic lids on coffee cups was highlighted as the most visible plastic garbage in city dumps. Wilkinson said he's still working on a fix.
Ottawa proposed as well to establish recycled content requirements in products and packaging, hoping to boost recycling and invite better product design to extend the life of plastic materials.
"This could include a minimum requirement of recycled content in new products and greater responsibility for producers and sellers to collect and recycle plastics," he said.
(Main and featured image: NoDerog/ iStock.com)
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Rolex Introduces Perpetual Music, a Series of Concerts to Support Musicians
The Rolex Perpetual Music concerts are held in support of musicians weathering the pandemic.
Since August, Rolex has launched Perpetual Music, an initiative that supports musicians and singers amidst the COVID-19 period. The project keeps in tune with the company’s enduring commitment to champion those setting the highest standards in the world of music while helping this art form remain as an integral part of daily life.
Three Rolex “Perpetual Music” concerts were held at prestigious venues in Italy, Germany, and France. Three Rolex Testimonees – Juan Diego Flórez, Sonya Yoncheva and Rolando Villazón – have supported the initiative since its infancy. They perform the repertoire prepared accompanied by singers and musicians. These talents entertain in solo performances or various ensembles. Renowned French violinist Renaud Capuçon also lends his adroit ability, joining his peers in support of organising this special initiative.
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Juan Diego Flórez (Image: Rolex)[/caption]
The concerts embrace the participation of approximately 100 musicians whose work and lives have suffered adverse impacts of the pandemic. The initiative projects its reach to hundreds of thousands of people in over 180 countries through the free streaming platform, medici.tv.
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French violinist Renaud Capuçon (Image: Rolex)[/caption]
“During these difficult times, when musicians have suffered both the loss of audience and income, we aim to provide them the opportunity to perform with renowned artists at prestigious venues with the finest acoustics,” says Arnaud Boetsch, Rolex Director of Communication & Image.
“By broadcasting the concerts via medici.tv, a Rolex partner for over a decade, we can give worldwide visibility to the artists supported by the project. Significantly, this gift of time and exposure is in keeping with the company’s pursuit of excellence and its long-term commitment to foster the work of those who aim to reach the pinnacle of their profession.”
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Sonya Yoncheva (Image: Rolex)[/caption]
For nearly 50 years, Rolex has encouraged artistic development and exceptional performance globally. A part of the company’s legacy, the support of these concerts is a testament to Rolex’s all-encompassing support for music. Presently, Rolex is also assisting in funding artists at the Metropolitan Opera in New York whose work has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus crisis.
Visit medici.tv to enjoy the Rolex Perpetual Music Concerts 2020 until the end of October.
This story first appeared on Prestige Malaysia
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Greta Thunberg and Press Freedom Groups Named as Nobel Peace Prize Contenders
Climate activist Greta Thunberg and press freedom groups are generating Nobel Peace Prize buzz ahead of this week's award announcements, in a pandemic year that has highlighted the importance of science and research.
The Nobel prizes for literature and peace, to be announced on October 8 and 9 respectively, tend to garner the most public interest, given occasionally to well-known people or organisations.
But the prizes for medicine, physics, chemistry and economics are usually awarded to research teams toiling for decades far from the limelight, perhaps stars in their fields but rarely known to the public.
This year, the new coronavirus has brought science centre-stage. "The pandemic is a big crisis for mankind, but it illustrates how important science is," Nobel Foundation head Lars Heikensten said.
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Greta Thunberg's name has come up in connection with the Nobel Peace Prize 2020, most likely with other activists. (Image: Kenzo Tribouillard/ AFP)[/caption]
No prizes are expected to be awarded this year for work directly linked to the virus, as Nobel prizewinning research usually takes many years to be verified. The virus could however influence the various committees that select the laureates.
"The pandemic has changed us as thinking beings for the foreseeable future," Bjorn Wiman, culture editor at Sweden's biggest daily Dagens Nyheter, told AFP.
For the Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Literature Prize, "it's clear the pandemic will have some kind of effect on the reflections of the (Academy's) Nobel committee members. They're just people too".
"Other things perhaps seem more important now than six months ago," Wiman said.
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Thunberg takes part in a "Youth Strike 4 Climate" protest march on March 6, 2020 in Brussels. (Image: John Thys/ AFP)[/caption]
'No real peace strides'
Nobel Peace Prize experts meanwhile noted the lack of a clear frontrunner for 2020. "There aren't any real major strides forward for peace or peace agreements," Dan Smith, head of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), told AFP.
Nobel historian Asle Sveen said Reporters Without Borders (RSF) was his favourite for the prize, a choice echoed by the head of the Peace Research Institute of Oslo (PRIO), Henrik Urdal, who also mentioned the Committee to Protect Journalists.
"During conflicts, it's extremely important that journalists contribute to provide information about what's happening, both in order to hold the conflict parties accountable for their actions as well as providing information to the outside world," Urdal told AFP.
Smith and Sveen also both mentioned Greta Thunberg — who has repeatedly urged world leaders to "listen to the science" on climate change — as a possible winner, most likely together with other activists. "I think the committee may go outside of a narrow peace definition," Smith said.
Other experts have meanwhile suggested the World Health Organisation could take home the prize. Last year, it went to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for ending a 20-year postwar stalemate with Eritrea.
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The winners of the coveted Nobel Peace Prize 2020 medals will be announced this month (Image: Jonathan Nackstrand/ AFP)[/caption]
Literary brouhahas
A flurry of names have meanwhile been mentioned for the literature prize, awarded by the Swedish Academy that has been mired in controversy for several years. Its 2016 Nobel pick of US rock legend Bob Dylan was a contentious choice, followed the next year by the emergence of a rape scandal close to its members that tore the Academy apart, forcing it to postpone the prize for 2018 — a first in 70 years.
The Academy was revamped, and just when everyone thought it would steer clear of controversy, it gave the 2019 prize to Austrian novelist Peter Handke, known for his pro-Serb support in the Balkan wars.
"If the Academy knows what's good for them, they'll choose Jamaica Kincaid," Bjorn Wiman, cultural editor at Sweden's biggest daily Dagens Nyheter, told AFP. The Caribbean-American author is known for exploring colonialism, racism and gender. "Kincaid and her stance on various moral and political issues are absolutely worth listening to today," he said.
However, the Academy could also "dust off some old candidate" such as Peter Nadas of Hungary, Albania's Ismael Kadare or Romania's Mircea Cartarescu, he said. Madelaine Levy, literature critic at daily Svenska Dagbladet, meanwhile said she was hoping for American author Joan Didion.
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English author Hilary Mantel is a new name in circulation for the Literature prize. (Image: Isabel Infantes/ AFP)[/caption]
Canadian poet Anne Carson was also seen as a possible winner, alongside "usual suspects" Ngugi wa Thiong'o of Kenya, French novelist Michel Houellebecq, American authors Joyce Carol Oates and Marilynn Robinson, Israel's David Grossman and Canada's Margaret Atwood. British novelist Hilary Mantel — not usually mentioned in Nobel speculation — has also popped up.
This year, the traditional prize ceremony in December in Stockholm has been cancelled due to the pandemic, replaced with a televised broadcast showing laureates receiving their awards in their home countries.
The Peace Prize ceremony, held separately in Oslo, will however go ahead albeit in a scaled-back version. The medicine prize kicks off the announcements on Monday, followed by physics on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday, literature on Thursday and peace on Friday. The economics prize wraps things up on Monday, October 12.
(Main and featured image: John Thys/ AFP)
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London has Started Hosting Socially Distanced Concerts
London's battered live entertainment sector is hoping to prove it can resurrect itself from the coronavirus shutdown — and a series of gigs from a maze of tunnels could be the way to do it.
Lockdown Town, which opened on 2 October, sees socially distanced performances of American music from the 1920s to 1950s in a network of vaulted venues near Waterloo station.
Audiences have their temperatures checked during staggered arrival times, move from one venue to the next wearing masks, and are not allowed to stay in one area for more than 15 minutes. The number of spectators has been capped at a maximum of 360 each evening — well below the 500 to 700 capacity in normal times.
"We have created a really flexible model," Lockdown Town director Kerri McLean told AFP, adding ingenuity was key to getting the event on track. "We are just a tiny little piece in a huge puzzle but it does feel that we are giving an opportunity and a boost to these many talented people who haven't had a gig for seven months."
The event ends 30 December and is described as London's first Covid-safe "immersive experience". Its organisers expect to employ more than 300 musicians playing ragtime to rock 'n' roll. Carpenters, sound engineers and musicians were busy over the past weeks preparing the 30,000 square feet (2,800 metres) of space that once served as parking lots before the opening night.
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Musicians perform a staged funeral for the "death" of live music, during a socially-distanced photocall performance for One Night Records' Lockdown Town production, on the banks of the River Thames in London. (Image: Daniel Leal-Olivas/ AFP)[/caption]
The activity is a stark contrast with the scene at most theatres and nightspots in central London, which were shut in late March as part of the nationwide coronavirus lockdown. The government has allowed venues to partially reopen but many nightspots, particularly older theatres, remain closed because of strict social distancing rules.
One study published in June estimated that theatres and concert venues face a £3 billion shortfall in revenues this year.
'Ghost town'
"It's been horrendous for the creative industry," said McLean of the shutdown. "It has affected every single industry but for the live industry, the bounce back is really, really tough."
Past weeks have seen the government tighten restrictions on socialising because of a surge in coronavirus cases, and impose local lockdowns across swathes of the country. Under current rules, groups of more than six people from different households are not allowed to mix to curb the close-contact spread of the virus.
Fears of another wider shutdown persist but organisers One Night Records remain optimistic and say they have shifted "lots of tickets", which are priced at £52. Some dates are already sold out.
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Production manager Joanna Penso said London, which is normally packed with tourists and revellers, had been transformed into a "ghost town" by the pandemic.
But the gigs could be just the tonic the city needs. "The public really want to see something at the moment... I've been craving to go dancing and listen to live music," she said. "It's something that we have all been missing."
During the shows, a costumed character with a cane ensures health and safety regulations are strictly enforced. Penso predicted that would be the biggest challenge "but also that audiences are feeling safe enough to actually enjoy themselves".
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