InfoAnda - Spain's Amenabar brings Cannes toga-clad philosophy flick

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Russian troops move back into disputed village: Georgia | 13 December 2008
Japan finds another gap in its disaster readiness - Mount Fuji | | 16 September 2012
It's not over 'til the tenor sings -- now in 3D | 23 February 2011

Philippines says wanted leftist rebel leader arrested | 4 December 2008

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Spain's Amenabar brings Cannes toga-clad philosophy flick

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Asia Pacific World Search Search: Spain's Amenabar brings Cannes toga-clad philosophy flick AFP - Monday, May 18 CANNES, France (AFP) - - Spanish film-maker Alejandro Amenabar took Cannes back to Egypt 400 AD on Sunday with a toga-clad parable on religious extremism starring Rachel Weisz as a martyred philosopher. ADVERTISEMENT Set in Alexandria during the dying days of the Roman Empire, the big-budget movie "Agora" charts the bloody struggles that pitted pagans and Jews against the early Christians seizing power across the Mediterranean region. The 37-year-old director focuses on the little-known story of Hypatia, a philosopher and astronomer from Alexandria whose work on the solar system pitted her against the Church, a thousand years before Galileo. Played by Oscar-winning British actress Weisz, Hypatia is persecuted in the film for her science that challenges the Christians' faith, as much as for her status as an influential woman. From bloody clashes to public stonings and massacres, the city descends into inter-religious strife, and the victorious Christians turn their back on the rich scientific legacy of antiquity, defended by Hypatia. Amenabar said in an interview that he wanted the 50-million-euro Spanish production, shot in a recreated Alexandria on the island of Malta, to carry a message against intolerance and extremism. "Every time someone defends his ideas by using violence, that is what the movie is denouncing," he told AFP. "I would hate it for the whole world to think exactly like me. There have to be people who are progressive, other more conservative, people with religious ideas, atheists, agnostics. "We all need to live to gather in this 'Agora'," as the city's public gathering place was known in antiquity. Amenabar's Alexandria is stalked by thuggish gangs of hooded religious militia called the "Parabalani", who veer into fanaticism as the film progresses, stoning unbelievers and terrorising the population. "At first the Parabalani represented something appealing in the Church: compassion or help to really needing people in their city. And then they became an army for the Church. They shifted to the dark side of the force." "Agora" opens with the destruction of the second library of Alexandria by the Christians and Jews -- after the first, famous library which was destroyed by Julius Caesar. The director also said he saw the film worked as a parable on the crisis of Western civilisation. "Let's say the Roman Empire is the United States nowadays, and Alexandria is what Europe means now -- the old civilisation, the old cultural background. "And the empire is in crisis, which affects all the provinces. We are talking about social crisis, economic of course, this year, and cultural. "Something is not quite fitting in our society. We know that something is going to change -- we don't know exactly what or how, but we know that something is coming to an end." Screening out of competition in the Riviera festival's official selection, the film marks a radical break from Amenabar's last work, the Oscar-winning right-to-die movie "Mar Adentro" released in 2004. Amenabar said he usually preferred to be in competition, but told AFP the film didn't fit the "box" for the Palme d'Or race. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Sign in to recommend this article » 0 users recommend Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle Mussolini's mistress, love-child seen in CannesAFP - Monday, May 18 Spain's Amenabar brings Cannes toga-clad philosophy flickAFP - Monday, May 18 Frenzied welcome home for Norwegian Eurovision winnerAFP - Monday, May 18 Box-office heaven for 'Angels and Demons'AFP - Monday, May 18 "The Producers" wins rave reviews on German debutAFP - Monday, May 18 Enlarge Photo British actress Rachel Weisz arrives for the screening of the movie "Agora" by director Alejandro Amenabar, presented out of competition at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. Spanish film-maker Alejandro Amenabar took Cannes back to Egypt 400 AD on Sunday with a toga-clad parable on religious extremism starring Weisz as a martyred philosopher. Most Popular – Entertainment Viewed Popular cereal is a drug, US food watchdog says Tough 4th spacewalk underway to repair Hubble Coral Triangle could die by century's end: WWF British store admits it boobed in bra row Australian zoo evacuated after orangutan escape View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Monday, 18 May 2009
Canadian pianist in record-breaking concert
Iraqi Special Forces on the hunt for al Qaeda | International |
Zimbabwe's MDC asks AU, SADC to sort out deadlock | International |
Darfur rebels say Sudan army base seized | International |
Pain, progress, pride on day against homophobia
India's Congress prepares for government
Japan confirms '80 domestic swine flu cases'
Obama Credits "Honest, Thoughtful Dialogue" At Notre Dame Graduation
White House Budget Chief Says Economic "Freefall" Seems To Be Over
Treasury Aide To Help With Upcoming Supreme Court Confirmation Process
Congressional Republicans Weigh In On CIA, Pelosi Feud
Kidnapped California 3-Year-Old Reunited With Family
New York Officials Stage Mock Explosion; Largest Emergency Drill Since 9/11
Biden Reportedly Reveals Location Of "Secret" Vice Presidential Bunker
19 Arrested On Eve Of Obama's Planned Notre Dame Commencement Address
Wheel Falls Off Plane As It Lands In Buffalo
Boy's Body Found Buried In Albuquerque Playground Sandbox
"The Producers" wins rave reviews on German debut
Clouds on horizon for American Idol juggernaut? | Entertainment |
New Tom Hanks thriller fails to crack Code | Entertainment |
Congressional Republicans Weigh In On CIA, Pelosi Feud
Hamas, Fatah talks on unity gov't
Volkswagen, Porsche talks suspended amid spat
Sri Lanka fights Tiger remnants | International |
Myanmar's Suu Kyi faces trial, critics outraged | International |
Israel's Netanyahu to press Obama on nuclear Iran | International |
Afghan President's brother says survives ambush | International |
Japan opposition head revives election chances | International |
India's Congress cements power as markets surge | International |
China sex theme park comes to abrupt end | International |
After 60 years, Germans learn to love themselves | International |
Israel PM in US for talks on Mideast peace
Asia's dark pics make a splash at Cannes
AT&T to offer cloud-based storage as a service | Technology |
Swine flu spreads in Japan ahead of WHO meet
Japan confirms 93 swine flu cases
China retain badminton's Sudirman Cup
S.Korea bonds rise on weak shares; auctions eyed
Korea Hot Stocks
Seoul shares open down;N.Korea-related issues fall
NZ services sector weakens further in April-survey
Spain's Amenabar brings Cannes toga-clad philosophy flick
Billy Elliot adds more theater prizes ahead of Tonys | Entertainment |
Frenzied welcome home for Norwegian Eurovision winner
Fox contest seeks animated ideas | Entertainment |
Gays, lesbians in worldwide call for end to homophobia
New Terminator no fun without Schwarzenegger | Entertainment |
Box-office heaven for 'Angels and Demons'
Lars von Trier film Antichrist shocks Cannes | Entertainment |
Uruguay writer Mario Benedetti dies | Entertainment |
Astronauts to embark on last Hubble spacewalk
UK's Brown urges cleanup of scandal-hit politics | International |
Pakistan army battles Taliban; PM wins support | International |
Health ministers tackle pandemic flu, Japan in focus | International |
Turk president should stand trial: court | International |
Islamist rebels seize another Somali town | International |
Seoul vows support for NKorea estate
Tiger supremo's son killed: Sri Lanka military
EU cancels substantial aid to Fiji
Protests as nuclear fuel ship docks in Japan
Tight security for trial of Myanmar's Suu Kyi
Obama hosts Netanyahu as Mideast strains ties
Samsung bets on LCD TVs despite downturn | Technology |
Nokia unveils its cheapest 3G phone | Technology |
South Korea tries recharging road to power vehicles | Technology |
Antarctic team boosts medical care with 3D ultrasound | Technology |
South Korea says factory park in North in turmoil
Taiwan dollar slips on outflows, importers
Mussolini's mistress, love-child seen in Cannes
Handshakes, high fives return as US flu fears wane
Star-light Cannes feels pinch, early films shine | Entertainment |
Director defiant after Antichrist jeered | Entertainment |
Idol without Simon could prove turnoff: poll | Entertainment |
Woody Allen wins $5 million in lawsuit over his image | Entertainment |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01