‘A director never finishes a film, he abandons it’

He likes to drive his characters mad and make his audience uncomfortable. But in persona, film-maker Darren Aronofsky, the mind behind intense and tough films like Black Swan is funny and easy. At a roundtable chat organised at the just concluded 12th International Marrakech Film Festival, he was full of quips and quotes. He also spoke at length about his forthcoming Russell Crowe film Noah. Excerpts: On hurricane Sandy’s impact on the filming of Noah: We actually were quite okay. We built a sea worthy vessel —the actual Ark was built in Long Island — which got wrecked since the impact of the Hurricane on Long Island was a lot. We couldn’t reach the sets for weeks. There was no electricity in that area for four days. But the emotional and human toll was much more than physical toll. On tweeting details about Noah: I’m a pretty private person. Agreed that Twitter is a pretty strange thing for me to get involved with, but I feel that we are in the New World so if one hasn’t got on to social media then one can feel left out. I’ve observed the great comedian Louis...

Read More........ → August 23, 2014

Ofcom maintains pressure on ‘Adult’ channels

UK regulator Ofcom’s latest Broadcast Bulletin names and shames another batch of so called ‘Adult’ channels for assorted breaches of its broadcast rules. Northern Birds (Sky channel 935), Essex Babes (Sky channel 936), Sportxxx Girls (Sky channel 940) and Livexxx Babes (Sky channel 942) all transmit interactive daytime chat and ‘adult chat’ advertising content, and – in Ofcom’s words – show “female presenters [who] dress and behave in a sexually provocative way while encouraging viewers to contact the premium rates telephone numbers. The licences for Northern Birds, Sportxxx Girls, Essex Babes and Livexxx Babes are all held by Satellite Entertainment Ltd.” All the channels broadcast free-to-air and are unencrypted. Ofcom has notified the channel’s operator to expect a statutory sanction for “serious breaches” of its codes. Ofcom, in particular, noted that the channels made frequent on-screen references to a website (bluebird.tv), as well as highlighting premium rate telephone/text numbers. Since Sept 1 2010 these channels have operated under licences, and rules, that cover long-form...

Read More........ → March 05, 2013

BRICS to strengthen cooperation in health sector

BRICS is an international political organisation of leading emerging economies, arising out of the inclusion of South Africa into the BRIC: Image Link Wikimedia New Delhi, Jan 10: Health officials of the BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - Thursday discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in areas of manufacturing affordable health products and developing advanced health technologies. The two-day deliberations begin Thursday with meeting of health secretaries and senior advisers, while the health ministers would participate on Friday. The meeting will result in adoption of a Delhi Communique, which will see concrete plans on issues like integrated management of non-communicable prevention, coordination and financing of research and development for medical products, strengthening health surveillance and drug discovery and development. Addressing the meeting, India's Health Secretary P.K. Pradhan said BRICS countries represent 43 percent of the world's population and this is both a strength and challenge for them. "Although...

Read More........ → February 07, 2013