1.
Mad Max: Fury Road
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Mad Max, Fury Road is a 2015 action film directed and produced by George Miller, and written by Miller, Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris. The fourth installment in the Mad Max franchise, it is an Australian and American venture produced by Kennedy Miller Mitchell, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, the film is set in a future desert wasteland where gasoline and water are scarce commodities. It follows Max Rockatansky, who joins forces with Imperator Furiosa to flee from cult leader Immortan Joe and his army in a tanker truck. The film also features Nicholas Hoult, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, Zoë Kravitz, Abbey Lee, Fury Road was in development hell for many years, with pre-production starting as early as 1997. Attempts were made to shoot the film in 2001 and 2003, but were delayed due to the September 11 attacks, in 2007, after focusing on Happy Feet, Miller decided to pursue producing the film again. He briefly considered producing it as a film but abandoned it in favor of live-action. In 2009, Miller announced that filming would begin in early 2011, Hardy was cast as Max in June 2010, with production planned to begin that November. Principal photography was delayed several times before beginning in July 2012. The film wrapped in December 2012, although additional footage was shot in November 2013, the film had its world premiere on 7 May 2015 at the TCL Chinese Theatre. It began a theatrical release on 14 May 2015, including an out-of-competition screening at the 68th Cannes Film Festival, in 2D, 3D, IMAX 3D. It has grossed over $378 million worldwide, making it the film in the Mad Max franchise. The film was ranked by critics as the best film of 2015, and is considered one of the greatest action films ever made, acclaim went to its screenplay, action sequences. Fury Road won multiple critical and guild awards, and received ten Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and it won six, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. Following a nuclear holocaust, the world has become a desert wasteland, Max Rockatansky, a survivor, is captured by the War Boys, the army of the tyrannical Immortan Joe, and taken to Joes Citadel. Designated a universal donor, Max is imprisoned and used as a blood bag for a sick War Boy called Nux. Meanwhile, Imperator Furiosa, one of Joes lieutenants, is sent in her armoured semi-truck, when she drives off-route, Joe realizes that his five wives—women selected for breeding—are missing. Joe leads his army in pursuit of Furiosa, calling on the aid of nearby Gas Town. Nux joins the pursuit with Max strapped to his car to continue supplying blood, a battle ensues between the War Rig and Joes forces
2.
2015 Cannes Film Festival
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The 68th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from 13 to 24 May 2015. Joel and Ethan Coen were the Presidents of the Jury for the main competition and it was the first time that two people chaired the jury. Since the Coen brothers each received a vote, they were joined by seven other jurors to form the customary nine-juror panel. French actor Lambert Wilson was the host for the opening and closing ceremonies, the Palme dOr was awarded to the French film Dheepan directed by Jacques Audiard. On winning the award Audiard said To receive a prize from the Coen brothers is something pretty exceptional, the festival poster featured Hollywood star and Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman, photographed by David Seymour. The poster was chosen to pay tribute to Bergman for her contributions to films, as part of the tribute to Bergman, the Swedish documentary Ingrid Bergman, In Her Own Words was screened in the Cannes Classics section. Standing Tall, directed by Emmanuelle Bercot, was the opening film. This was the opening film in the festivals history to have been directed by a woman. Ice and the Sky, directed by Luc Jacquet, was the closing film. French film director Agnès Varda was presented with the honorary Palme dOr at the closing ceremony. She is also the first female filmmaker to receive the award. The Official Selection of films for the 2015 festival, including the line-up for the Main Competition, was announced on 16 April 2015, the films competing for the Palme dOr were announced at a press conference on 16 April 2015. Two films were added to the main competition line-up on 23 April 2015, Valley of Love, directed by Guillaume Nicloux, the following films competed in the Un Certain Regard section. Lamb, the first feature directed by Yared Zeleke, is also the first Ethiopian film to be included in the Official Selection. Sweet Red Bean Paste, directed by Naomi Kawase, was announced as the film for the Un Certain Regard section. The following films were selected to screen out of competition, Midnight screenings Special screenings Out of 4,550 entries, the Cinéfondation section focuses on films made by students at film schools. The following 18 entries were selected out of 1,600 submissions, more than one-third of the films selected represent schools participating in Cinéfondation for the first time. It is also the first time that a film representing a Spanish film school had been selected, the full selection for the International Critics Week section was announced on 20 April 2015, at the sections website
3.
Benoni, Gauteng
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Benoni is a city on the East Rand in the South African province of Gauteng. Since 2000, it has been part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, ashton International College was founded here in 1998. Over time gold mining has decreased in importance, today the city is focused more on industry and services, rather than mining, and is used as a service hub for other East Rand towns such as Brakpan, Nigel and Springs. Benoni is also the site of the Benoni Heliport, for the use of helicopters, visitors to the town may visit the local museum, the many lakes, the Lakeside Shopping Mall or Northmead Square located in the Northmead suburb. Near Northmead Square is the Bunny Park, which hundreds of rabbits. Willowmoore Park is a provincial and One Day International Cricket venue, oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron was born in Benoni, while Charlene, Princess of Monaco attended school there. Benoni was also the setting for the MTV-inspired movie Crazy Monkey, Straight Outta Benoni, the City Hall, built in 1937, is a good example of art deco architecture. He named a piece of land in the area Government Farm Benoni after the Hebrew name and this is according to the biblical Book of Genesis. Rissik and which, had in the meantime, been leased to a Mr. E. W. Noyce by the Republican Government in 1885 and this was the first registered gold mine in the Benoni area. In September 1887, gold was discovered also discovered on the Modderfontein Farm, the mining village became known as Little Cornwall for a time. The famous Van Ryn and Modderfontein series mines later established here went on some very successful discoveries. The huge Kleinfontein Mine dump remains as testament to the success of the New Kleinfontein mine’s subsequent endeavours. It was also thought to be too distant from the Rand Tram that trundled along far away, in those days, Brakpan did not exist as a town, only as The Brakpan Colliery. Then came the 2nd Anglo-Boer-War in 1899 which ended the Transvaal Government and it was said to have reminded him of the pretty River Ouse in his home-town of Bedford in the UK. The board were swayed by Sir George Farrar’s inspirational ideas and duly appointed him the town planner of the new Benoni Township, howard Avenue was named after his grandfather who lived at Kempston Grange and who had taken the young Farrar on horserides around the historical Bunyan countryside. They rode to Ampthill, a hill with views and then on to Elstow. Russel Street almost certainly came from the name of the Dukes of Bedford who happily resided at Woburn Abbey. Cranbourne Avenue was named after Lord Cranbourne, the Colonial Secretary of this country at the time, wooton, Turvey, Rothsay and Wilstead are all place names from around Bedford
4.
Los Angeles
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Los Angeles, officially the City of Los Angeles and often known by its initials L. A. is the cultural, financial, and commercial center of Southern California. With a census-estimated 2015 population of 3,971,883, it is the second-most populous city in the United States, Los Angeles is also the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated county in the United States. The citys inhabitants are referred to as Angelenos, historically home to the Chumash and Tongva, Los Angeles was claimed by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo for Spain in 1542 along with the rest of what would become Alta California. The city was founded on September 4,1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve. It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence, in 1848, at the end of the Mexican–American War, Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby becoming part of the United States. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4,1850, the discovery of oil in the 1890s brought rapid growth to the city. The completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, delivering water from Eastern California, nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is known for its Mediterranean climate, ethnic diversity, and sprawling metropolis. Los Angeles also has an economy in culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine. A global city, it has been ranked 6th in the Global Cities Index, the city is home to renowned institutions covering a broad range of professional and cultural fields, and is one of the most substantial economic engines within the United States. The Los Angeles combined statistical area has a gross metropolitan product of $831 billion, making it the third-largest in the world, after the Greater Tokyo and New York metropolitan areas. The city has hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984 and is bidding to host the 2024 Summer Olympics and thus become the second city after London to have hosted the Games three times. The Los Angeles area also hosted the 1994 FIFA mens World Cup final match as well as the 1999 FIFA womens World Cup final match, the mens event was watched on television by over 700 million people worldwide. The Los Angeles coastal area was first settled by the Tongva, a Gabrielino settlement in the area was called iyáangẚ, meaning poison oak place. Gaspar de Portolà and Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí, reached the present site of Los Angeles on August 2,1769, in 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra directed the building of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the first mission in the area. The Queen of the Angels is an honorific of the Virgin Mary, two-thirds of the settlers were mestizo or mulatto with a mixture of African, indigenous and European ancestry. The settlement remained a small town for decades, but by 1820. Today, the pueblo is commemorated in the district of Los Angeles Pueblo Plaza and Olvera Street. New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, during Mexican rule, Governor Pío Pico made Los Angeles Alta Californias regional capital
5.
Stuart Townsend
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Stuart Peter Townsend is an Irish actor. Townsend was born in Howth, County Dublin, the son of Lorna Hogan, an Irish model, and Peter Townsend, an English professional golfer. He attended the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin where he made his stage debut in the schools 1993 production of Colin Teevans Tear Up The Black Sail. His professional stage debut was in 1994s True Lines, directed by John Crowley, True Lines was first performed in Kilkenny, it later moved to the Dublin Theatre Festival and on to the Bush Theatre in London. Townsends early film roles were in Irish short films such as Godsuit and his first part in a feature length film was Trojan Eddie, a 1996 Anglo-Irish co-production. In 1997 he landed a role in the British film Shooting Fish. After his appearance as the seducer in the role of About Adam, he started to be noticed in the United States by critics. In mid-2000, he returned to the London stage in the Tennessee Williams play Orpheus Descending, starring as Val Xavier. He appeared in big films, including Queen of the Damned, as the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt. Townsend was hired to play the part of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, according to Townsend, In 2005, he starred alongside Gabrielle Union in Night Stalker, the remake of the 1974 ABC TV series Kolchak, The Night Stalker. He played the part of Carl Kolchak, an investigative reporter looking into his wifes murder, Night Stalker was abruptly cancelled by ABC after six episodes due to bad viewing figures. He was cited as too young by many reviewers and fans of the original series comparing him to Darren McGavin in the original series. The same year, he played a guest starring role on NBCs Will & Grace as the pastry chef of Karen Walker who seduces her, Will Truman. He also made an cameo in 2005s live-action Æon Flux film. Townsend starred alongside Ryan Reynolds in the 2007 comedy Chaos Theory, the films cast included Charlize Theron, Ray Liotta and Woody Harrelson, but enjoyed only limited release and no blockbuster support. He was set to play Fandral in Kenneth Branaghs Thor, but was replaced in January 2010, Townsend also starred in the ABC thriller, Betrayal and starred in the second season of Salem. Townsends father, Peter, was a golfer, who played in the 1969 and 1971 Ryder Cups, Townsend has a brother, Dylan Townsend, and sister, Chloe Townsend, from his fathers first marriage to Lorna Townsend, who died in 1994 of a brain haemorrhage. Townsends father has two children, Hugo and Ella, by his Swedish wife, Sofia, Townsend dated actress Charlize Theron after meeting her on the set of 2002s Trapped
6.
Cinema of the United States
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The cinema of the United States, often metonymously referred to as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. The dominant style of American cinema is Classical Hollywood Cinema, which developed from 1917-1960, while the French Lumière Brothers are generally credited with the birth of modern cinema, it is American cinema that soon became the most dominant force in an emerging industry. Since the 1920s, the American film industry has grossed more money every year than that of any other country, in 1878, Eadweard Muybridge demonstrated the power of photography to capture motion. In 1894, the worlds first commercial motion picture exhibition was given in New York City, the United States was in the forefront of sound film development in the following decades. Since the early 20th century, the U. S. film industry has largely been based in and around Hollywood, Los Angeles, director D. W. Griffith was central to the development of film grammar. Orson Welless Citizen Kane is frequently cited in critics polls as the greatest film of all time. T, the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Titanic, Avatar, The Avengers, Furious 7, Jurassic World, and Star Wars, The Force Awakens. Today, American film studios collectively generate several hundred movies every year, muybridges accomplishment led inventors everywhere to attempt to make similar devices that would capture such motion. In the United States, Thomas Edison was among the first to produce such a device, the history of cinema in the United States can trace its roots to the East Coast where, at one time, Fort Lee, New Jersey was the motion picture capital of America. The industry got its start at the end of the 19th century with the construction of Thomas Edisons Black Maria, in 1909, a forerunner of Universal Studios, the Champion Film Company, built the first studio. They were quickly followed by others who either built new studios or who leased facilities in Fort Lee, such notables as Mary Pickford got their start at Biograph Studios. In New York, the Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, was built during the silent film era, was used by the Marx Brothers, the Edison Studios were located in the Bronx. Chelsea, Manhattan was also frequently used, other major centers of film production also included Chicago, Florida, Texas, California, and Cuba. The film patents wars of the early 20th century led to the spread of film companies across the U. S and they started filming on a vacant lot near Georgia Street in downtown Los Angeles. While there, the decided to explore new territories, traveling several miles north to Hollywood. Griffith then filmed the first movie shot in Hollywood, In Old California, a Biograph melodrama about California in the 19th century. Griffith stayed there for months and made several films before returning to New York, after hearing about Griffiths success in Hollywood, in 1913, many movie-makers headed west to avoid the fees imposed by Thomas Edison, who owned patents on the movie-making process. Nestor Studios of Bayonne, New Jersey, built the first studio in Hollywood in 1911, Californias more hospitable and cost-effective climate led to the eventual shift of virtually all filmmaking to the West Coast by the 1930s. In Los Angeles, the studios and Hollywood grew, before World War I, movies were made in several U. S. cities, but filmmakers gravitated to southern California as the industry developed
7.
The Devil's Advocate (1997 film)
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The Devils Advocate is a 1997 American drama thriller film based on Andrew Neidermans novel of the same name. It is directed by Taylor Hackford, and stars Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, the films title is a reference to the commonly used phrase devils advocate, and Pacinos character is named after the author of Paradise Lost, John Milton. The movie has some minor allusions to Miltons epic, such as the famous quotation Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven, Kevin Lomax, a defense attorney from Gainesville, Florida, has never lost a case. He defends a schoolteacher, Lloyd Gettys, against a charge of child molestation, Kevin believes his client is guilty, and a reporter tells him a guilty verdict is inevitable. However, through a harsh cross-examination, Kevin destroys the victims credibility, a representative of a New York City law firm offers Kevin a large sum of money to help with a jury selection. After the jury delivers a not guilty verdict, the head of the firm, John Milton, offers Kevin a large salary, Kevin accepts the job, along with his wife Mary Ann to stay in Manhattan. He is soon spending all his time at work, leaving Mary Ann feeling isolated, Kevins mother, Alice, visits New York and suggests they both return home. Kevin defends Alex Cullen, an accused of murdering his wife, her stepson. This case demands more of Kevins time, further separating him from Mary Ann and he begins to fantasize about co-worker Christabella. Mary Ann begins seeing visions of the partners wives becoming demonic, after a doctor declares her infertile, she begs Kevin to return to Gainesville. Milton suggests Kevin step down from the trial to tend to his wife, Eddie Barzoon, the firms managing partner, is convinced that Kevin is competing for his job when he discovers Kevins name is on the firms charter. Although a surprised Kevin denies any knowledge, Eddie threatens to inform the United States Attorneys office of the law firms activities, Kevin tells Milton about Eddies threats, but Milton dismisses them. Meanwhile, Eddie is beaten to death by vagrants, who take on demonic appearances, Mary Ann witnesses this, disturbing her further. While preparing Melissa to testify about Cullens alibi, Kevin realizes she is lying, Milton offers to back Kevin no matter what he decides to do. Kevin proceeds with her testimony and wins an acquittal, afterwards, Kevin finds Mary Ann in a nearby church covered with a blanket. She claims Milton raped and mutilated her, but Kevin knows this cannot be true as he was with Milton in court, Mary Ann drops her blanket, revealing her naked body covered with cuts. Kevin believes Mary Ann injured herself and has her committed to a mental institution, Alice, along with Kevin and Pam Garrety, Kevins case manager from the firm, visit Mary Ann at the mental institution. After seeing Pam as a demon, Mary Ann hits her with a hand mirror, as Kevin breaks down the door, Mary Ann commits suicide by cutting her throat with a shard of broken glass
8.
Mighty Joe Young (1998 film)
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Mighty Joe Young is a 1998 American adventure film based on the 1949 film of the same name and directed by Ron Underwood. It stars Bill Paxton and Charlize Theron, and in the films version, the movie grossed $50,632,037 in the United States with a production budget of $90 million. Twelve years later, Jill has raised Joe, now grown to a height of 15 feet, the trio goes to Los Angeles, and win the hearts of the refuge staff at the conservancy, who put Jill in charge of Joe. Jill is approached by Strasser, who is now running a fraudulent animal preserve in Botswana, after seeing a news report about Joe, he is eager for revenge. At first Jill does not recognize Strasser, since Strassers right hand is concealed in his coat pocket and he attempts to convince Jill that Joe would be better off in his wildlife refuge back in Africa. During a gala, Strassers henchman, Garth, uses a poachers noisemaker to scare Joe into a frenzy, Joe trashes the gala, with the intention of attacking Strasser, but is captured, and imprisoned in a concrete bunker. Before their departure, Gregg has fallen in love with Jill, when Jill discovers that Joe may be euthanized, she accepts Strassers offer. She and the refuge staff smuggle Joe out in a truck, on the way to the airport, Jill notices the half-glove covering Strassers missing fingers and recognizes him. She fights Strasser and Garth, then jumps from the truck onto Hollywood Boulevard, Joe sees her and tilts the truck over onto its side and flees. Gregg discovers that Strasser is a poacher and goes after Jill and he finds Jill, who reveals to Gregg that Strasser killed her mother and now plans to kill Joe. They track Joe to a carnival where he is playfully wreaking havoc, after knocking Garth unconscious, Strasser attempts to kill Jill in person, but Joe sneaks up behind them and throws Strasser onto a power line over a transformer. Short two fingers on the holding the wire, Strasser loses his grip and falls onto the transformer. Joe survives the fall and awakens and Jill mentions that they need to raise money to open a preserve for him, the young boy named Jason donates some change to Jill after hearing this, prompting the rest of the crowd to contribute. Joe is returned to Uganda where Jill and Gregg open the Joe Young Preserve, finally free, Joe runs off into the jungle. Cinematographer Donald Peterman suffered head injuries, a leg and broken ribs due to a crane accident on the film set in 1997. A cameraman was injured in the accident, which plummeted Petermans camera platform 18 feet to the ground when the crane snapped. While in the beginning of the film when Joe was an infant he was performed by Verne Troyer, for certain scenes, the filmmakers used three full-sized animatronics also created by Bakers crew. For the scenes where the digital Joe was used, visual effects houses DreamQuest Images and Industrial, Light, many of these performances were achieved by key-frame animation, but when the digital Joe was running and jumping was motion capture data that they captured from an infant chimpanzee
9.
The Cider House Rules (film)
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The Cider House Rules is a 1999 American drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, based on John Irvings novel of the same name. The film won two Academy Awards, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, along with four nominations at the 72nd Academy Awards. Irving documented his involvement in bringing the novel to the screen in his book, irving won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, while Michael Caine won his second Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Homer Wells, an orphan, grows up in a Maine orphanage directed by kindly, Homer is returned twice by foster parents, his first foster parents thought he was too quiet and the second parents beat him. Dr. Larch is addicted to ether and also secretly terminates pregnancies for women, conditions at the orphanage are very sparse, but the children are treated with love and respect, and they are like an extended family. Each night before they go to sleep, Dr. Larch says, Goodnight you Princes of Maine, as both encouragement and a kind of blessing. Homer, the oldest among the orphans, is bright, helpful and even-tempered, so Larch trains him in obstetrics and abortions as an apprentice. Homer disapproves of abortions, and although he has been trained by Larch in the field, after several years, Homer is very skillful and confident in performing obstetrical duties and Larch wants Homer to take over his position after he retires. But Homer finds this impossible, both because he lacks formal medical education and because he wants to see more of the world than just the orphanage. Homer leaves the orphanage with Candy Kendall and her boyfriend, Wally Worthington, Wally is a pilot on leave from his service. Wallys mother owns the Worthington family apple orchard where Homer settles in as a worker, Homer lives on the Worthington estate in a bunkhouse called the Cider House. Wally leaves to fight in World War II, Homer is exempt from military service because Dr. Larch has diagnosed that he has a heart condition. While Wally is away, Homer and Candy have an affair and he goes to work picking apples with Arthur Roses team. Arthur and his team are migrant workers who are employed seasonally at the orchard by the Worthingtons but are illiterate, consequently, they feel that they can ignore these rules. Homer and Candy become much closer during this period of harvest and spend time together. Homer decides that he must help Rose, and agrees to perform an abortion, a few days later, when Rose Rose tries to run away, her father notices and goes to say goodbye, Rose stabs him and flees. Arthur then makes his own injury worse, and as a last request asks Homer and another worker to tell the police that his death was a suicide, Wally returns from Burma a paraplegic, and although she loves Homer, Candy decides to go where she is most needed. Immediately following this decision, Homer learns that Dr. Larch has succumbed to an accidental ether overdose, eventually, Homer decides he too should go where he is most needed and returns to the orphanage, where he is greeted joyously by both the children and staff
10.
Monster (2003 film)
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Monster is a 2003 crime drama film about serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a former prostitute who was executed in Florida in 2002 for killing six men in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Wuornos was played by Charlize Theron, and her fictionalized lover, Patty Jenkins wrote and directed the film. After moving from Michigan to Florida, Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute, after initial hostility and declaring that she is not gay, Aileen talks to Selby over beers. Selby takes to Aileen almost immediately, as she likes that she is protective of her. Selby invites her to spend the night with her and they return to the house where Selby is staying. They later agree to meet at a skating rink. Aileen and Selby fall in love, but they have nowhere to go, after being raped and brutalized by a client, Vincent Corey, Aileen kills him in self-defense and decides to quit prostitution. She confesses her action to Selby, while Selby has been angry with her for not supporting the two of them, Aileen tries to find legitimate work, but because of her lack of qualifications and criminal history, prospective employers reject her and are occasionally openly hostile. Desperate for money, she returns to prostitution and she robs and kills her johns, each killed in a more brutal way than the last, as she is convinced that they are all trying to rape her. She spares one man out of pity when he admits he has never had sex with a prostitute but eventually kills another man who, instead of exploiting her, Aileen uses the money she steals from her victims to indulge herself and Selby. However, as Selby reads in the papers about the string of murders and she confronts Aileen, who justifies her actions by claiming she was only protecting herself. Horrified, Selby returns to Ohio on a charter bus, Aileen is eventually arrested at a biker bar and speaks to Selby one last time while in jail. Selby reveals some incriminating information over the telephone and Aileen realizes that the police are listening in, to protect her lover, Aileen admits she committed the murders alone. During Aileens trial, Selby testifies against her, Aileen is convicted and sentenced to death. On October 9,2002, Aileen is executed by lethal injection, Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos Christina Ricci as Selby Wall Bruce Dern as Thomas Lee Tergesen as Vincent Corey Annie Corley as Donna Pruitt Taylor Vince as Gene / Stuttering John Marco St. For the role, Theron gained 30 pounds, shaved her eyebrows, critics called her performance, and her makeup, a transformation. Film critic Roger Ebert named it best film of the year, is one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema. Riccis performance also drew praise, but was not without criticism
11.
The Italian Job (2003 film)
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The Italian Job is a 2003 American heist film directed by F. Gary Gray, written by Wayne and Donna Powers and produced by Donald DeLine. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Mos Def and Donald Sutherland. It is an American remake of the 1969 British film of the same name, despite the shared title, the plot and characters of this film differ from those of its source material, Gray described the film as an homage to the original. Most of the film was shot on location in Venice and Los Angeles, distributed by Paramount Pictures, The Italian Job was theatrically released in the United States on May 30,2003, and grossed over $176 million worldwide. Critical response was positive, with publications highlighting the action sequences. A sequel, The Brazilian Job, has reportedly been in development since 2004, John Bridger, a professional safecracker, has assembled a team to steal 35 million dollars worth of gold bullion from a safe in Venice, held by Italian gangsters who had stolen it weeks earlier. The team includes Charlie Croker, a thief, Lyle, or Napster, a computer expert, Handsome Rob, their wheelman, Steve, their inside man. They successfully complete the theft by stealing the actual safe and stealing the gold from it after the safe lands underwater while the gangsters are occupied with a led by Rob. After leaving the city, the team agrees to split up the gold, however, Steve turns on them, in the Alps near Austrian border, he and his own men intercept their van on a bridge and take the gold. When John confronts him, Steve kills him, Rob drives the van into the lake off a bridge, where they keep themselves alive using oxygen tanks from the heist. Steve assumes they are dead and leaves with the gold, the group monitor Steves expensive mansion in Los Angeles, identifying the various security details. Charlie guides Stella, disguised as a cable repair representative, through Steves mansion to scope out its interior using a hidden camera. Steve flirts with Stella while she is there, unaware of her connection to John, however, the group finds that Steves neighbors are having a party, and their use of explosives will certainly draw attention, so they bail on the plan. During their date, Stella accidentally reveals her connection to John to Steve by citing a proverb that John always used to say, Steve becomes suspicious and demands to know who she is working for. Following this, Steve becomes paranoid, knowing that Charlie and the others are looking to steal the gold back. When Yevhen unintentionally reveals his knowledge of the Venice heist, Steve kills him to keep him quiet, news of Yevhens death reaches his cousin, Mashkov, a leading member of a Ukrainian crime family. Mashkov traces a link to Skinny Pete, since he traced the gold over Yevhen, and confronts him, and Skinny Pete is forced to reveal Charlies involvement. Meanwhile, Steve makes plans to move his safe with the gold to Mexico, on the day of transport, they are surprised when three trucks leave Steves mansion with Steve monitoring them overhead by helicopter, but soon determine that two are decoys
12.
Hancock (film)
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Hancock is a 2008 American superhero comedy-drama film directed by Peter Berg and starring Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman and Eddie Marsan. It tells the story of a superhero, John Hancock from Los Angeles whose reckless actions routinely cost the city millions of dollars. Eventually one person he saves, Ray Embrey, makes it his mission to change Hancocks public image for the better, the story was originally written by Vincent Ngo in 1996. It languished in development hell for years and had various directors attached, including Tony Scott, Michael Mann, Jonathan Mostow, Hancock was filmed in Los Angeles with a production budget of $150 million. In the United States, the film was rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America after changes were made at their request in order to avoid an R rating, which it had received twice before. The film was presented and widely released on July 2,2008 in the United States, Hancock received mixed reviews from film critics and grossed $624 million worldwide. John Hancock is a man with superhero powers, including flight, invulnerability. Though he uses his powers to stop criminals in his current residence of Los Angeles, as a result, he is routinely jeered at the crime scenes. Hancock also ignores court subpoenas from the city of Los Angeles to address the property damage he has caused, Hancock saves Rays life but he causes the train to derail and nearly injures another driver. Hancock is jeered by other drivers for causing damage but Ray steps in. Ray invites him home for dinner with his wife, Mary, Hancock goes back home to ponder the offer and returns to his house the next day and grudgingly accepts. Ray convinces the alcoholic superhero to agree to be jailed for outstanding warrants so they can show Los Angeles how much the city really needs Hancock. Hancock tries to resist the urge to break out of using his powers and refuses to talk during a prison group therapy but frequent visits by Ray. When crime rates rise after Hancocks incarceration, the superhero is contacted by the Chief of Police, after the rescue, onlookers applaud Hancock for his handling of the bank robbery. The superhero becomes popular again, as Ray had predicted, after Hancock tucks a drunken Ray in bed, Hancock approaches and kisses Mary. At first, she responds passionately, but then turns angry, throwing Hancock through a wall, Hancock departs, confused at having apparently found another like himself. The next morning, Hancock arrives back at the house to demand answers from Mary and she warns him to stay away from her and her family but agrees to meet Hancock at his home to answer his questions. When she arrives, Hancock discovers that Mary also has superpowers and is apparently immortal and he threatens to expose her unless she explains their origins so she tells him that they are the last two members of a race that have lived for 3,000 years with their powers
13.
Snow White and the Huntsman
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Snow White and the Huntsman is a 2012 American dark fantasy film based on the German fairy tale Snow White compiled by the Brothers Grimm. In the films retelling of the tale, Snow White grows up imprisoned by her stepmother, Queen Ravenna. After Snow White escapes into the forest, Ravenna tells Eric, after the Huntsman shifts his loyalty to Snow White, Ravenna disguises herself as William and tempts Snow White into eating a poisoned apple. The film is the debut of Rupert Sanders, and was written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock. The film received two Academy Award nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Costume Design at the 85th Academy Awards and it was a success at the box office, earning $396.6 million worldwide against a $170 million budget. While admiring a rose blooming in the winter, Queen Eleanor of the kingdom of Tabor pricks her finger on one of its thorns, Queen Eleanor gives birth to her daughter Snow White, but soon after falls ill and dies. After her death, Snow Whites father, King Magnus, upon rescuing their prisoner Ravenna, he becomes enchanted with her beauty and marries her. Ravenna, is in fact a powerful sorceress and the Dark Armys master, on their wedding night, Magnus, enchanted, throws Ravenna into the bed and proceeds to make love. Ravenna confesses there was a king much like Magnus that spoiled her, during foreplay, she declares she cannot be a weak queen and kills Magnus. Queen Ravenna orders Finn to bring her Snow Whites heart, but she escapes into the Dark Forest, Queen Ravenna makes a bargain with Eric the Huntsman, a widower and drunkard, to capture Snow White, promising to bring his wife back to life in exchange. The Huntsman tracks down Snow White, but when Finn reveals that Queen Ravenna does not actually have the power to do what she promised, when the Huntsman catches up with her, she promises him gold if he will escort her to Duke Hammonds castle. Meanwhile, Finn gathers another band of men to find her, William leaves the castle on his own to find her, joining Finns band as a bowman. The Huntsman and Snow White leave the Dark Forest, where she saves his life by charming a huge troll that attacks them, while there, the Huntsman learns Snow Whites true identity, and initially leaves her in the care of the women. He soon returns when he sees the village being burned down by Finns men, Snow White and the Huntsman evade them and eventually meet a band of eight dwarves named Beith, Muir, Quert, Coll, Duir, Gort, Nion, and Gus. The blind Muir perceives that Snow White is the daughter of the king. The Huntsman battles Finn and eventually kills him, and William reveals himself, however, Gus is killed when he sacrifices himself to take an arrow meant for Snow White. William joins the group which continues the journey to Hammonds castle, halfway to Duke Hammonds castle, Queen Ravenna disguises herself as William and tempts Snow White into eating a poisoned apple, but is forced to flee when the Huntsman and William discover her. William kisses Snow White, whom he believes to be dead and she is taken to Hammonds castle
14.
Prometheus (2012 film)
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It is set in the late 21st century and centers on the crew of the spaceship Prometheus as it follows a star map discovered among the artifacts of several ancient Earth cultures. Seeking the origins of humanity, the crew arrives on a distant world, development of the film began in the early 2000s as a fifth installment in the Alien franchise. Scott and director James Cameron developed ideas for a film that would serve as a prequel to Scotts 1979 science-fiction horror film Alien, by 2003, the development of Alien vs. Predator took precedence, and the project remained dormant until 2009 when Scott again showed interest. Spaihts wrote a script for a prequel to the events of the Alien films, in late 2010, Lindelof joined the project to rewrite Spaihtss script, and he and Scott developed a story that precedes the story of Alien but is not directly connected to that franchise. According to Scott, although the film shares strands of Aliens DNA, so to speak, Prometheus entered production in April 2010, with extensive design phases during which the technology and creatures that the film required were developed. Principal photography began in March 2011, with an estimated US$120–130 million budget, the project was shot using 3D cameras throughout, almost entirely on practical sets, and on location in England, Iceland, Spain, and Scotland. It was promoted with a campaign that included viral activities on the web. Three videos featuring the leading actors in character, which expanded on elements of the fictional universe, were released and met with a generally positive reception. Prometheus was released on June 1,2012, in the United Kingdom and on June 8,2012, the film grossed over $403 million worldwide. A sequel, Alien, Covenant, is scheduled to be released on May 19,2017, as a spacecraft departs a planet, a humanoid alien drinks an iridescent liquid and then dissolves. The remains of the cascade into a waterfall. The aliens DNA strands mix with the water, in 2089, archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway discover a star map in Scotland that matches others from several unconnected ancient cultures. They interpret this as an invitation from humanitys forerunners, the Engineers, Peter Weyland, the elderly CEO of Weyland Corporation, funds an expedition to follow the map to the distant moon LV-223 aboard the scientific vessel Prometheus. The ships crew travels in stasis while the android David monitors their voyage, arriving in December 2093, mission director Meredith Vickers informs them of their mission to find the Engineers, and not to make contact without her permission. The Prometheus lands on the barren, mountainous surface near an artificial structure. Inside they find stone cylinders, a statue of a humanoid head. The crew finds other bodies, leading them to surmise the species is extinct, crew members Millburn and Fifield grow uncomfortable with the discoveries and attempt to return to Prometheus, but become stranded in the structure when they get lost. The expedition is cut short when a storm forces the crew to return to the ship, David secretly takes a cylinder from the structure, while the remaining cylinders begin leaking a dark liquid
15.
A Million Ways to Die in the West
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A Million Ways to Die in the West is a 2014 American western comedy film directed, produced by and starring Seth MacFarlane, who wrote the screenplay along with Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. The film features an ensemble cast, including Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman and it was produced by Media Rights Capital and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film was released on May 30,2014, in 1882, in the town of Old Stump, Arizona, a cowardly sheep farmer named Albert Stark is dumped by his girlfriend Louise as a result of his withdrawal from a gunfight. He prepares to leave for San Francisco, believing that the frontier offers nothing for him, meanwhile, infamous outlaw Clinch Leatherwood robs and kills an old prospector for a gold nugget. He orders his right-hand man Lewis to escort his wife Anna to Old Stump to lie low while he continues his banditry. Lewis and Anna arrive in Old Stump under the guise of two siblings intending to build a farm, but Lewis is arrested after shooting the Pastors son in a saloon. During the ensuing fight, Albert saves Anna from being crushed to death by two of the brawlers, and the two close friends. They attend a county fair where Louises new boyfriend, the haughty Foy, Albert is defeated, but Anna steps in and defeats Foy. Foy mocks Albert, who angrily challenges Foy to a duel in a weeks time. Anna then spends the week teaching Albert how to shoot, during a barn dance the night before the duel, Anna slips Foy a Mickey. After leaving the dance, Albert and Anna kiss before heading home, upon breaking out of jail and murdering the sheriff, Lewis witnesses the kiss and reports it to Clinch. On the day of the duel, Foy arrives late and goes into convulsions from the laxative he had unknowingly drunk, Albert, who has decided that Louise is not worth fighting for, once again forfeits the duel. He retires to the saloon, but Clinch arrives and demands to know who kissed his wife, when no one comes forward, Clinch shoots a nearby cowboy. He reveals that Anna is his wife and threatens to continue killing unless his wifes lover duels him at noon the next day, Clinch later forces Anna to reveal Alberts name and then prepares to have sex with her, but she knocks him unconscious and escapes. Anna returns to Alberts farm, where he shouts at her for lying to him. Clinch pursues Anna to the farm, Albert helps her escape, while fleeing, he is captured by a tribe of Apache Indians, who threaten to burn him alive. The Indians spare him when he reveals that he can speak their language and they give him a bowl of peyote, which sends him flashing back to his birth and through painful events of his childhood before making him realize that he loves Anna. Meanwhile, Clinch recaptures Anna in town, in front of Edwards house, Albert returns to Old Stump and confronts Clinch. He wounds Clinch with a bullet poisoned with rattlesnake venom before his own gun is out of his hand
16.
Aileen Wuornos
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Aileen Carol Wuornos was an American serial killer who killed seven men in Florida between 1989 and 1990 by shooting them at point-blank range. Wuornos claimed that her victims had either raped or attempted to rape her while she was working as a prostitute, and she was convicted and sentenced to death for six of the murders and was executed by lethal injection on October 9,2002. Wuornos was born Aileen Carol Pittman in Rochester, Michigan, on February 29,1956 and her Finnish-American mother, Diane Wuornos, was 14 years old when she married Aileens father, Leo Dale Pittman, on June 3,1954. Less than two years later, and two months before Aileen was born, Diane filed for divorce, Aileens older brother Keith was born on March 14,1955. Wuornos never met her father, he was incarcerated at the time of her birth, Leo Dale Pittman was diagnosed with schizophrenia, later convicted of sex crimes against children, and eventually hanged himself in prison on January 30,1969. By the age of 11, Wuornos began engaging in activities in school in exchange for cigarettes, drugs. She had also engaged in activities with her brother. Wuornos claimed that her grandfather had sexually assaulted and beaten her when she was a child, before beating her. In 1970, at age 14, she became pregnant, having been raped by an accomplice of her grandfather, Wuornos gave birth to a boy at a home for unwed mothers on March 23,1971, and the child was placed for adoption. A few months after her baby was born, she dropped out of school at about the time that her grandmother died of liver failure. When Wuornos was 15, her grandfather threw her out of the house, and she began supporting herself as a prostitute and living in the woods near her old home. On May 27,1974, at age 18, Wuornos was arrested in Jefferson County, Colorado, for driving under the influence, disorderly conduct and she was later charged with failure to appear. In 1976, Wuornos hitchhiked to Florida, where she met 69-year-old yacht club president Lewis Gratz Fell and they married that same year, and the announcement of their nuptials was printed in the local newspapers society pages. However, Wuornos continually involved herself in confrontations at their local bar and she also hit Fell with his own cane, leading him to get a restraining order against her. She returned to Michigan where, on July 14,1976, she was arrested in Antrim County, Michigan, on July 17, her brother Keith died of esophageal cancer and Wuornos received $10,000 from his life insurance. Wuornos and Fell annulled their marriage on July 21 after only nine weeks, in August 1976, Wuornos was given a $105 fine for drunk driving. On May 20,1981, Wuornos was arrested in Edgewater, Florida, for the robbery of a convenience store. She was sentenced to prison on May 4,1982, on May 1,1984, Wuornos was arrested for attempting to pass forged checks at a bank in Key West
17.
Academy Award
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The various category winners are awarded a copy of a golden statuette, officially called the Academy Award of Merit, which has become commonly known by its nickname Oscar. The awards, first presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, are overseen by AMPAS, the awards ceremony was first broadcast on radio in 1930 and televised for the first time in 1953. It is now live in more than 200 countries and can be streamed live online. The Academy Awards ceremony is the oldest worldwide entertainment awards ceremony and its equivalents – the Emmy Awards for television, the Tony Awards for theater, and the Grammy Awards for music and recording – are modeled after the Academy Awards. The 89th Academy Awards ceremony, honoring the best films of 2016, were held on February 26,2017, at the Dolby Theatre, in Los Angeles, the ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and was broadcast on ABC. A total of 3,048 Oscars have been awarded from the inception of the award through the 88th, the first Academy Awards presentation was held on May 16,1929, at a private dinner function at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with an audience of about 270 people. The post-awards party was held at the Mayfair Hotel, the cost of guest tickets for that nights ceremony was $5. Fifteen statuettes were awarded, honoring artists, directors and other participants in the industry of the time. The ceremony ran for 15 minutes, winners were announced to media three months earlier, however, that was changed for the second ceremony in 1930. Since then, for the rest of the first decade, the results were given to newspapers for publication at 11,00 pm on the night of the awards. The first Best Actor awarded was Emil Jannings, for his performances in The Last Command and he had to return to Europe before the ceremony, so the Academy agreed to give him the prize earlier, this made him the first Academy Award winner in history. With the fourth ceremony, however, the system changed, for the first six ceremonies, the eligibility period spanned two calendar years. At the 29th ceremony, held on March 27,1957, until then, foreign-language films had been honored with the Special Achievement Award. The 74th Academy Awards, held in 2002, presented the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, since 1973, all Academy Awards ceremonies always end with the Academy Award for Best Picture. The Academy also awards Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, see also § Awards of Merit categories The best known award is the Academy Award of Merit, more popularly known as the Oscar statuette. The five spokes represent the branches of the Academy, Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers. The model for the statuette is said to be Mexican actor Emilio El Indio Fernández, sculptor George Stanley sculpted Cedric Gibbons design. The statuettes presented at the ceremonies were gold-plated solid bronze
18.
Silver Bear
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The Berlin International Film Festival, also called the Berlinale, is one of the worlds leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held annually in Berlin, Germany, founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978. With around 300,000 tickets sold and 500,000 admissions it is considered the largest publicly attended film festival based on actual attendance rates. Up to 400 films are shown in sections, representing a comprehensive array of the cinematic world. Around twenty films compete for the called the Golden and Silver Bears. Since 2001 the director of the festival has been Dieter Kosslick, the European Film Market, a film trade fair held simultaneously to the Berlinale, is a major industry meeting for the international film circuit. The trade fair serves distributors, film buyers, producers, financiers, the Berlinale Talent Campus, a week-long series of lectures and workshops, gathers young filmmakers from around the globe. It partners with the festival itself and is considered to be a forum for upcoming artists, the festival, the EFM and other satellite events are attended by around 20,000 professionals from over 130 countries. More than 4200 journalists are responsible for the exposure in over 110 countries. At high-profile feature film premieres, movie stars and celebrities are present at the red carpet, the Berlinale has established a cosmopolitan character integrating art, glamour, commerce and a global media attention. The Berlin International Film Festival was founded in West Berlin in 1951, alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca opened the first Berlinale. Although the film had premiered in 1940, many Germans had been unable to watch it until after the war ended, since 1978 the festival has been celebrated annually in February. The next-to-most recent festival, the 66th Berlinale, was held from 11 February to 21 February 2016, meryl Streep presided over the international jury. Joel and Ethan Coens film Hail, Caesar. was selected to open the festival, the Golden Bear was awarded to the Italian documentary Fire at Sea, directed by Gianfranco Rosi. The 67th Berlin International Film Festival was held February 9 to February 19,2017, the festival is composed of seven different film sections. Films are chosen in each category by a director with the advice of a committee of film experts. Categories include, Competition, comprises feature-length films yet to be released outside their country of origin, films in the Competition section compete for several prizes, including the top Golden Bear for the best film and a series of Silver Bears for acting, writing and production. Panorama, comprises new independent and arthouse films that deal with controversial subjects or unconventional aesthetic styles, films in the category are intended to provoke discussion, and have historically involved themes such as LGBT issues
19.
Golden Globe Award
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Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign. The annual ceremony at which the awards are presented is a part of the film industrys awards season. The 74th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film, the 1st Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best achievements in 1943 filmmaking, was held in January 1944, at the 20th Century-Fox studios. Subsequent ceremonies were held at venues throughout the next decade, including the Beverly Hills Hotel. In 1950, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association made the decision to establish an honorary award to recognize outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry. Recognizing its subject as a figure within the entertainment industry. The official name of the award became the Cecil B. In 1963, the Miss Golden Globe concept was introduced, in its inaugural year, two Miss Golden Globes were named, one for film and one for television. The two Miss Golden Globes named that year were Eva Six and Donna Douglas, respectively, in 2009, the Golden Globe statuette was redesigned. It was unveiled at a conference at the Beverly Hilton prior to the show. The broadcast of the Golden Globe Awards, telecast to 167 countries worldwide, generally ranks as the third most-watched awards show each year, behind only the Oscars, gervais returned to host the 68th and 69th Golden Globe Awards the next two years. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted the 70th, 71st and 72nd Golden Globe Awards in 2015, the Golden Globe Awards theme song, which debuted in 2012, was written by Japanese musician and songwriter Yoshiki Hayashi. On January 7,2008, it was announced due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. The ceremony was faced with a threat by striking writers to picket the event, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was forced to adopt another approach for the broadcast. In acting categories, Meryl Streep holds the record for the most competitive Golden Globe wins with eight, however, including honorary awards, such as the Henrietta Award, World Film Favorite Actor/Actress Award, or Cecil B. DeMille Award, Barbra Streisand leads with nine, additionally, Streisand won for composing the song Evergreen, producing the Best Picture, and directing Yentl in 1984. Jack Nicholson, Angela Lansbury, Alan Alda and Shirley MacLaine have six awards each, behind them are Rosalind Russell and Jessica Lange with five wins. Meryl Streep also holds the record for most nominations with thirty, at the 46th Golden Globe Awards an anomaly occurred, a three way-tie for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
20.
Screen Actors Guild Award
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The statuette given, a nude male figure holding both a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy, is called The Actor. It is 16 inches tall, weighs over 12 pounds, is cast in solid bronze, SAG Awards have been one of the major awards events in Hollywood since 1995. It is considered an indicator of success at the Academy Awards, the awards have been telecast since 1998 on TNT, and since 2007 have been simulcast on TBS. The inaugural SAG Awards aired live on February 25,1995 from Universal Studios Stage 12, the second SAG awards aired live from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, while subsequent awards have been held at the Shrine Exposition Center
21.
North Country (film)
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In 1989, Josey Aimes flees from her abusive husband back to her hometown in northern Minnesota with her children, Sammy and Karen, and moves in with her parents, Alice and Hank. Hank is ashamed of Josey, who had Sammy as a teenager by an unknown father, while working as a hairdresser, Josey reconnects with an old acquaintance, Glory Dodge, who works at the local iron mine and suggests Josey do the same. Joseys pursuit of the job further strains her relationship with Hank, Josey in particular is targeted by Bobby Sharp, her ex-boyfriend from high school. Josey tries to talk to her supervisor Arlen Pavich about the problem, the women experience additional harassment in retaliation, and Bobby spreads rumors that Josey attempted to seduce him, leading his wife to publicly berate and embarrass Josey at Sammys hockey game. Sammy begins to resent the way the townspeople treat them, later, after being assaulted by Bobby at work, she quits and asks Bill White, a lawyer friend of Kyle and Glory, to help her file a lawsuit against the company. Bill advises her to other women to form a class action lawsuit. The female miners, however, fear losing their jobs and facing additional harassment and she also discovers that Glory has Lou Gehrigs Disease, and her health is declining rapidly. Alice and Hank argue over Joseys lawsuit, and when Hank still refuses to forgive his daughter, Hank attacks the teacher in question, who is in attendance, and Bill asks for a recess after Josey storms out of the courtroom. Sammy still refuses to believe his mother, and runs away, until Kyle urges him to reconsider, the next day, Bill cross-examines Bobby and gets him to admit he lied about the encounter, which he witnessed but was too scared to do anything about. Glory, who has come to the court in her wheelchair and is unable to speak, has Kyle read a letter saying she stands with Josey, other women then stand up to support Joseys complaint. They are followed by women, family members, and miners. The mining company is forced to pay the women for their suffering and establish a sexual harassment policy at the workplace. Its time line was condensed, but in reality it took fourteen years for the case to be settled, Jenson declined to sell the rights to her story or act as the films consultant. The film was shot in the towns of Eveleth, Virginia, Chisholm, and Hibbing in northern Minnesota, Minneapolis, and Silver City and Santa Fe in New Mexico. Budgeted at $30 million, it eventually grossed $18,337,722 in the US, on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 69% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 162 reviews, with Theron and McDormand receiving critical acclaim for their performances. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 68 out of 100. We remember that Frances McDormand played a police officer in this same area in Fargo. McDormands role in this movie is different and much sadder, but brings the same pluck, put these two women together and they can accomplish just about anything
22.
Jason Reitman
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Jason Reitman is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter, and producer, best known for directing the films Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air, and Young Adult. As of February 2,2010, he has received one Grammy Award and four Academy Award nominations, Reitman is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States. He is the son of director Ivan Reitman, Reitman was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the son of Geneviève Robert, an actress sometimes billed as Geneviève Deloir, and comedy director Ivan Reitman. Reitman has two sisters, Catherine, an actress, who is three years younger than him, and Caroline, a nurse, who is 12 years younger. Reitmans father was born in Czechoslovakia, to Jewish parents who were Holocaust survivors, Reitmans paternal grandfather ran a dry cleaner and then a car wash. His mother is from a Christian background, and of French-Canadian descent, when he was still a child, his family moved to Los Angeles. His father, Ivan, directed the films Ghostbusters, Stripes, and Kindergarten Cop. Reitman grew up on set and this showed him that making movies is a job that people do, that its not just this piece of magic that happens. Jason described his childhood self as a loser, in the late 1980s, Reitman began appearing in small acting parts and serving as a production assistant on his fathers films. He spent time in the rooms of his fathers movies. Reitman graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in 1995, Reitman was a jumper in high school. Reitman attended Skidmore College and was going to major in pre-med studies before transferring to the University of Southern California to major in English/Creative Writing, at USC he performed with improv group Commedus Interruptus. Reitman started out making short films during his time at USC, throughout his 20s, instead of accepting offers to make commercial feature films, Reitman began making his own short films and directing commercials. Although he was offered the opportunity to direct Dude, Wheres My Car. on two occasions, he declined. Reitmans first feature film, Thank You for Smoking, opened in 2006, Reitman developed the Christopher Buckley novel into a screenplay and, eventually, a film. The film was a commercial and critical success and it grossed over $39 million worldwide by the end of its run, and was nominated for two Golden Globes. After the success of Thank You for Smoking, Reitman mentioned in an interview that his film would be adapting another book into a film. He also mentioned that he had plans to work with Buckley again on an original project, although the first of these projects would eventually become Up in the Air, this second project has not come to fruition. His second film, Juno, generated great buzz after it premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in December 2007
23.
Young Adult (film)
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Young Adult is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman, from a screenplay written by Diablo Cody, and starring Charlize Theron. Reitman and Cody worked together previously on Juno, Young Adult began a limited release on December 9,2011, before expanding to a wide release on December 16. Mavis Gary is a divorced, alcoholic 37-year-old ghost writer of a series of adult novels. Mavis receives an e-mail with a picture of the daughter of her high school boyfriend Buddy Slade. In the interim, she goes alone to a different bar, there she reconnects with a former classmate she barely remembers, Matt Freehauf, who became disabled after being beaten by jocks who erroneously assumed he was gay. Matt tells Mavis that her plan to destroy Buddys marriage is irrational and selfish, the following day, Mavis meets Buddy at the sports bar, where they run into Matt, the bars bookkeeper. On their way out, Buddy invites Mavis to a performance of Beths mom rock band, in the interim, Mavis spends another night getting drunk with Matt, who distills homemade bourbon in the garage of the house he shares with his sister Sandra. When Mavis attends the concert of Beths band, the other moms are resentful of Mavis, when Beths band performs, the lead singer dedicates their opening song to Buddy from Beth, much to Maviss dismay, it is The Concept. Beth wants to stay out longer, so Mavis offers to drive the drunk Buddy home, on the lawn they share a kiss that is quickly broken up when the babysitter opens the front door to greet them. The next day, after an encounter with her parents. She later goes out drinking with Matt again, during which Matt tells Mavis to grow up, the following day, Mavis attends the party, where she declares her love for Buddy, but he rebuffs her. Everyone at the party is called out to the lawn to await a surprise Buddy has prepared for Beth, Mavis, who has been drinking at the party, collides with Beth, who accidentally spills punch on Maviss dress. Mavis insults her, and in a profanity-laced tirade tearfully reveals she became pregnant with Buddys baby years ago, Buddy, who has been preparing a drum-set gift for Beth in the garage, opens the garage door and belatedly learns what has transpired. Mavis asks him why he invited her and he reveals it was Beths idea, as she feels sorry for Mavis. Humiliated, Mavis leaves the party and visits Matt, where she breaks down in tears and, later, the following morning, while Matt sleeps, Mavis has coffee in the kitchen with Sandra, who still idolizes her. Mavis talks about needing to change herself, but Sandra says Mavis is better than the rest of Mercury, Mavis says she agrees, and prepares to return to Minneapolis. Sandra asks to go with her but Mavis declines and leaves alone, in a diner on her way home, Mavis writes the last chapter of the book, in which the main character graduates high school, quickly leaves her past behind and looks forward to the future. Afterward, in the lot, Mavis contemplates her crumpled car
24.
The Burning Plain
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The Burning Plain is a 2008 drama film directed and written by Guillermo Arriaga, the screenwriter of Amores perros,21 Grams, and Babel. The film stars Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lawrence, Kim Basinger, in Arriagas directorial debut, he films a story that has multipart story strands woven together as in his previous screenplays. Filming of The Burning Plain began in New Mexico in November 2007, typical of Arriagas works, this film is told in a nonlinear narrative, where events are revealed out of sequence. The following plot summary is in order, thus does not reflect the exact sequence of the events as seen on screen. The story starts some time during the mid-1990s in a town near Las Cruces, New Mexico, where Gina. Gina is having an affair with a man named Nick Martinez, who also has a family of his own. Mariana follows her mother to Nicks trailer, knowing the two are inside, and in an effort to make them end their affair, she disconnects the gas pipe leading into the trailer and sets it on fire. The flames eventually reach a gas tank, which explodes, consuming the entire trailer and claiming Nick and Ginas lives, after their funeral, Mariana and Nicks teenaged son, Santiago, slowly begin to develop a relationship of their own. Mariana soon becomes aware that she is pregnant with Santiagos daughter, the two flee to Mexico amid disapproval from their families and decide to have the baby there, after she gives birth to their daughter, Mariana abandons her family and changes her name to Sylvia. More than a later, Sylvia is working at a high-end restaurant in Oregon. Despite her success, she resorts to promiscuity and has persistent thoughts of suicide, here, a mysterious man follows her around. It is Carlos, a friend and business-partner of Santiago. Because Carlos does not speak English and Sylvia does not speak Spanish, instead, he surprises Sylvia with her now 12-year-old daughter, Maria. Maria, who was reluctant to meet her estranged mother, is heartbroken when Sylvia hastily departs without speaking to either when she sees Maria. After realizing her mistake, Sylvia enlists the help of her friend Laura to find Carlos, after reuniting, Sylvia, Maria, and Carlos go to Mexico, where Sylvia apologizes to Maria for the years she has been absent from her life. They visit Santiago, who is sedated due to the extent of his injuries, Sylvia confesses her past sins by his bedside, unsure if he will ever wake up again. The doctor reassures them that he will be fine, and the story concludes on a hopeful note. D, Arriaga wrote the story of The Burning Plain to weave together multipart story strands. The film was financed by 2929 Productions, and Constantini Films, the film will have a budget of under $20 million
25.
Dark Places (2015 film)
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Dark Places is a 2015 mystery thriller film directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner. The screenplay, by Paquet-Brenner, is based on Gillian Flynns 2009 novel of the same name and it stars Charlize Theron, Christina Hendricks, Nicholas Hoult, and Chloë Grace Moretz. The film was released in France on April 8,2015 and it is the second film Theron and Hoult have collaborated on, after Mad Max, Fury Road. The film opens in 1985 in Kinnakee, Kansas, where Libby Day is the survivor of the massacre of her mother. She tells the police that her brother Ben committed the crime, in the present day, Libby has made a living off of donations sent by strangers to the little girl they saw on the news. With donations drying up, she is hard up for cash when she is approached by Lyle Wirth to make an appearance at his true crime club. She agrees to go and answer questions about her past for $700, back in 1985, Ben comes to the breakfast table with his hair dyed black. He has a relationship with his mother Patty and his eldest sister Michelle. Ben hangs out with a Satanist bookie named Trey Teepano, meanwhile, Patty is informed that her farm is being foreclosed on, despite her best efforts to stay afloat. At Wirths club, Libby finds out that most of the members believe her brother Ben is innocent and he was only convicted because of Libbys testimony. Convinced that Ben is guilty, Libby nevertheless agrees to work with the club in return for much needed money, urged by Wirth to visit Ben, Libbys curiosity about what motivated him to kill her family prods her to keep researching the case. Prior to the murders, Ben was planning to run away with his pregnant girlfriend Diondra, meanwhile, several young girls have accused Ben of molesting them. When Patty is informed of the charges, she visits the home of the chief accuser Krissi Cates, whose father is irate, Patty is distraught by the accusations and feels that she has failed her kids. Back home, their father Runner is waiting for Patty and he needs money to skip town because he owes Trey more than he can repay. He is violent and abusive towards Patty and he attempts to rip her ruby necklace off in order to pawn it and steals some money from her wallet. In the present, Libby tracks down Runner to a factory where he lives with other homeless addicts. He tells her about Diondras pregnancy, Libby also locates Krissi Cates, who eventually confesses that she made up the accusations against Ben. Meanwhile in 1985, Patty is informed by a friend with the Farmers Home Administration that he might have a solution to her problems and she meets with a stranger in the middle of the night who explains that he can help her
26.
Time (magazine)
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Time is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It was founded in 1923 and for decades was dominated by Henry Luce, a European edition is published in London and also covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong, the South Pacific edition, which covers Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, is based in Sydney, Australia. In December 2008, Time discontinued publishing a Canadian advertiser edition, Time has the worlds largest circulation for a weekly news magazine, and has a readership of 26 million,20 million of which are based in the United States. As of 2012, it had a circulation of 3.3 million making it the eleventh most circulated magazine in the United States reception room circuit, as of 2015, its circulation was 3,036,602. Richard Stengel was the editor from May 2006 to October 2013. Nancy Gibbs has been the editor since October 2013. Time magazine was created in 1923 by Briton Hadden and Henry Luce, the two had previously worked together as chairman and managing editor respectively of the Yale Daily News. They first called the proposed magazine Facts and they wanted to emphasize brevity, so that a busy man could read it in an hour. They changed the name to Time and used the slogan Take Time–Its Brief and it set out to tell the news through people, and for many decades the magazines cover depicted a single person. More recently, Time has incorporated People of the Year issues which grew in popularity over the years, notable mentions of them were Barack Obama, Steve Jobs, Matej Turk, etc. The first issue of Time was published on March 3,1923, featuring Joseph G. Cannon, the retired Speaker of the House of Representatives, on its cover, a facsimile reprint of Issue No. 1, including all of the articles and advertisements contained in the original, was included with copies of the February 28,1938 issue as a commemoration of the magazines 15th anniversary. The cover price was 15¢ On Haddens death in 1929, Luce became the dominant man at Time, the Intimate History of a Publishing Enterprise 1923–1941. In 1929, Roy Larsen was also named a Time Inc. director, J. P. Morgan retained a certain control through two directorates and a share of stocks, both over Time and Fortune. Other shareholders were Brown Brothers W. A. Harriman & Co. the Intimate History of a Changing Enterprise 1957–1983. According to the September 10,1979 issue of The New York Times, after Time magazine began publishing its weekly issues in March 1923, Roy Larsen was able to increase its circulation by utilizing U. S. radio and movie theaters around the world. It often promoted both Time magazine and U. S. political and corporate interests, Larsen next arranged for a 30-minute radio program, The March of Time, to be broadcast over CBS, beginning on March 6,1931
27.
Time 100
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Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world assembled by the American news magazine Time. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, politicians, and journalists, although appearing on the list is often seen as an honor, Time makes it clear that entrants are recognized for changing the world, regardless of the consequences of their actions. The final list of individuals is exclusively chosen by Time editors with nominations coming from the TIME100 alumni. Only the winner of the Readers Poll, conducted days before the official list is revealed, is chosen by the general public, included in the list eleven times, Barack Obama is the person who has been listed most often. The list was started with a debate at a symposium in Washington, the list was first published in 1999, when Time magazine named the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Based on the popularity of the installment, in 2004, Time magazine decided to make it an annual issue and those recognized fall in one of five categories, Leaders & Revolutionaries, Builders & Titans, Artists & Entertainers, Scientists & Thinkers, Heroes & Icons. A record of 41 women are included in the edition, the highest number of personalities in the lists history. The annual gala was held on April 29,2014 in New York City and they are artists and activists, reformers and researchers, heads of state and captains of industry. Their ideas spark dialogue and dissent and sometimes even revolution, welcome to this years TIME100. The announcement was celebrated with an event in New York City on April 26,2011. The honorees were joined by A-list celebrities at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Time readers contributed to the selection by an online vote of over 200 finalists. The list included familiar global newsmakers such as U. S. President Barack Obama, the list included numerous figures representing the year of upheaval in the Middle East ranging from rebels, to political leaders to news correspondents. Although the events of what has been dubbed the Arab Spring were prominent, additionally, Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton were part of the list during the week before their wedding. The list also included Katsunobu Sakurai, mayor of Minamisōma, Fukushima, list of individuals included in the TIME100 in 2010 In its online presentation, Time introduced the list as follows, In our annual TIME100 issue, we name the people who most affect our world. Oprah Winfrey continued her streak of having been included on every Time 100 list and was one of women on the list. The list included many expected names and some such as Scott Brown. Others who were considered surprise selections included Elton John, Ashton Kutcher, the announcement of the list was celebrated by a black tie gala at the Time Warner Center in New York City on May 4,2010. The list was published the following day, Time readers contributed to the selection by an online vote of over 200 finalists
28.
Transvaal Province
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The Province of the Transvaal, commonly referred to as the Transvaal Province was a province of South Africa from 1910 until the end of apartheid in 1994, when a new constitution subdivided it. The name Transvaal refers to the geographical location to the north of the Vaal River. Its capital was Pretoria, which was also the countrys, in 1910, four British colonies united to form the Union of South Africa. The Transvaal Colony, which had formed out of the bulk of the old South African Republic after the Second Boer War. Half a century later, in 1961, the union ceased to be part of the Commonwealth of Nations, the PWV conurbation in the Transvaal, centered on Pretoria and Johannesburg, became South Africas economic powerhouse, a position it still holds today as Gauteng province. In 1994, after the fall of apartheid, the provinces were restructured. The south-central portion became Gauteng, the northern portion became Limpopo, most of the North West came from the southwestern portion of the old Transvaal, and tiny segment of the Transvaal joined KwaZulu-Natal. Except on the south-west, these borders were mostly defined by natural features. Several Bantustans were entirely inside the Transvaal, Venda, KwaNdebele, Gazankulu, KaNgwane, parts of Bophuthatswana were also in the Transvaal, with other parts in Cape Province and Orange Free State. Within the Transvaal lies the Waterberg Massif, a prominent ancient geological feature of the South African landscape, districts of the province and population at the 1991 census
29.
Gauteng Province
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Gauteng, which means place of gold, is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africas first all-race elections on 27 April 1994. It was initially named Pretoria–Witwatersrand–Vereeniging and was renamed Gauteng in December 1994, situated in the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province in South Africa, accounting for only 1. 5% of the land area. Nevertheless, it is highly urbanised, containing the countrys largest city, Johannesburg, its capital, Pretoria. As of 2015, it has a population of nearly 13.2 million, the name Gauteng is derived from the Sotho name, gauta meaning gold with the locative suffix -eng. There was a thriving industry in the province following the 1886 discovery of gold in Johannesburg. In Sesotho, the name Gauteng was used for Johannesburg and surrounding areas long before it was adopted in 1994 as the name of a province. Gauteng, formerly known as Pretoria–Witwatersrand–Vereeniging, was carved out of the old Transvaal province in 1994, although the terminology PWV, after the discovery of gold in 1886, the region proceeded to become the single largest gold producer in the world and the city of Johannesburg was founded. The older city Pretoria was not subject to the same attention, Pretoria grew at a slower rate and was highly regarded due to its role in the Second Boer War. The Cullinan Diamond which is the largest diamond ever mined was mined near Pretoria in a town called Cullinan in the year 1905. Gauteng has only been documented since the 1800s and as a result. At the Sterkfontein caves, some of the oldest fossils of hominids have been discovered, such as Mrs. Ples, today, the Apartheid Museum stands testament to these struggles in Johannesburg. Gauteng is governed by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, a 73-person unicameral legislature elected by party-list proportional representation. The most recent election of the legislature was held on 7 May 2014, and the African National Congress won 53. 59% of the vote. The official opposition is the Democratic Alliance, which won 30. 78% of the vote and 23 seats, other parties represented are the Economic Freedom Fighters with eight seats and the Freedom Front Plus and the Inkatha Freedom Party with one seat each. Premier David Makhura of the ANC was elected on 21 May 2014, the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa, which has seats in Pretoria and Johannesburg, is a superior court with general jurisdiction over the province. Johannesburg is also home to the Constitutional Court, South Africas highest court, Gautengs southern border is the Vaal River, which separates it from the Free State. It also borders on North West to the west, Limpopo to the north, Gauteng is the only landlocked province of South Africa without a foreign border
30.
Second Boer War
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The Second Boer War, usually known as the Boer War and also at the time as the South African War, started on 11 October 1899 and ended on 31 May 1902. Great Britain defeated two Boer states in South Africa, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, Britain was aided by its Cape Colony, Colony of Natal and some native African allies. The British war effort was supported by volunteers from the British Empire, including Southern Africa, the Australian colonies, Canada, India. All other nations were neutral, but public opinion in them was largely hostile to Britain, inside Britain and its Empire there also was significant opposition to the Second Boer War. The British were overconfident and under-prepared, the Boers were very well armed and struck first, besieging Ladysmith, Kimberley, and Mafeking in early 1900, and winning important battles at Colenso, Magersfontein and Stormberg. Staggered, the British brought in numbers of soldiers and fought back. General Redvers Buller was replaced by Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener and they relieved the three besieged cities, and invaded the two Boer republics in late 1900. The onward marches of the British Army were so overwhelming that the Boers did not fight staged battles in defense of their homeland, the British quickly seized control of all of the Orange Free State and Transvaal, as the civilian leadership went into hiding or exile. In conventional terms, the war was over, Britain officially annexed the two countries in 1900, and called a khaki election to give the government another six years of power in London. However, the Boers refused to surrender and they reverted to guerrilla warfare under new generals Louis Botha, Jan Smuts, Christiaan de Wet and Koos de la Rey. Two more years of attacks and quick escapes followed. As guerrillas without uniforms, the Boer fighters easily blended into the farmlands, which provided hiding places, supplies, the British solution was to set up complex nets of block houses, strong points, and barbed wire fences, partitioning off the entire conquered territory. The civilian farmers were relocated into concentration camps, where very large proportions died of disease, especially the children, then the British mounted infantry units systematically tracked down the highly mobile Boer guerrilla units. The battles at this stage were small operations with few combat casualties The war ended in surrender, the British successfully won over the Boer leaders, who now gave full support to the new political system. Both former republics were incorporated into the Union of South Africa in 1910, the conflict is commonly referred to as simply the Boer War, since the First Boer War is much less well known. Boer was the term for Afrikaans-speaking white South Africans descended from the Dutch East India Companys original settlers at the Cape of Good Hope. It is officially called the South African War and it is known as the Anglo-Boer War among some South Africans. In Afrikaans it may be called the Anglo-Boereoorlog, Tweede Boereoorlog, in South Africa it is officially called the South African War
31.
Daniel Theron
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Daniël Johannes Stephanus Danie Theron, was a Boer Army military leader. Born in Tulbagh, Cape Colony, he was raised in Bethlehem and he is best known as the driving force behind the formation of a military bicycle corps used by the Boer Army for scouting and relaying messages. Originally trained as a teacher, he became a lawyer and notary with his own law firm in Krugersdorp, Transvaal Republic. During the war, he was put in charge of a significant scouting unit and he fought at the Battle of Paardeberg and one of his most famous feats occurred at the Battle of Spion Kop. Theron was the ninth of fifteen children of Anna Helena Margaretha and he began his career as a school teacher but later earned a law degree and started his own practice. Before the Second Boer war, Theron was a commando in the 1894 Malaboch War, by his contemporaries, Theron was said to be slight, wiry, with a dark complexion, and short-tempered. Theron became a Boer Army Captain and was put in charge of organizing and leading the Boer Intelligence scouts, to save horses for combat, he developed the use of bicycles for despatch and reconnaissance. His 105 recruits were equipped with items including revolvers, binoculars. The TVK would watch British movements and study their tactics during battles and he was able to move through the land without being detected. As the war progressed, Theron and his men were moved closer to the Western front, the Boers, under the rule of Piet Cronje, were constantly skimishing with British forces, and the TVK gained a reputation for destroying railway bridges. Lord Roberts labelled Theron the chief thorn in the side of the British, a bounty was put on his head for £1,000 offered for his capture. Therons most notable action was in the Battle of Paardeberg, where on 25 February 1900. The TVK brought many Boer civilians and soldiers across the river safely into Boer territory, after the British occupied parts of the Orange Free State in March 1900, Theron and the TVK became well known for the guerrilla campaign they conducted against the British Army. The TVK attacked trails and rail yards, ambushed and captured British soldiers and officers, blew up bridges, on two separate occasions while scouting in the veldt in no-mans land, Theron came upon the British Army Chief of Scouts, the American Frederick Russell Burnham. Both times the two men exchanged fire, but only at a distance, in July 1900, the British dispatched a unit of 4,000 soldiers to find and eliminate the TVK. After one skirmish with this force on 19 July, Theron managed to evade his pursuers and continue raiding, while scouting alone on a koppie at Gatsrand, about 6 kilometres north of present-day Fochville, he encountered seven members of Marshalls Horse and was killed in action. According to the source, Daniel almost ran into the cavalry platoon, unfortunately, his gunfire drew attention to the escorting artilleries, and the field guns opened a barrage on the koppie that killed him. General de Wet remarked Men as lovable or as valiant there might be, on 15 September 1900, the men of the TVK exhumed the body of their Commandant and reburied him in the family cemetery of the Pienaar family near Fochville
32.
Afrikaner
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Afrikaners are a Southern African ethnic group descended from predominantly Dutch settlers first arriving in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They traditionally dominated South Africas agriculture and politics prior to 1994, Afrikaans, South Africas third most widely spoken home language, is the mother tongue of Afrikaners and most Cape Coloureds. It evolved from the Dutch vernacular of South Holland, incorporating words brought from the Dutch East Indies, very rapidly one European power followed another, all eager to trade along this route. The Portuguese landed in Mossel Bay in 1500, explored Table Bay two years later, and by 1510 had started raiding inland, shortly afterwards the Dutch Republic sent merchant vessels to India, and in 1602 founded the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie. Furthermore, the exigencies of supplying local garrisons and passing fleets compelled the administration to confer free status upon employees, encouraged by the success of this experiment, the Company extended free passage from 1685 to 1707 for Hollanders wishing to settle at the Cape. In 1688 it sponsored the immigration of 200 French Huguenot refugees forced into exile by the Edict of Fontainebleau, the terms under which the Huguenots agreed to immigrate were the same offered to other VOC subjects, including free passage and requisite farm equipment on credit. They were augmented by VOC soldiers returning from Asia, predominantly Germans channeled into Amsterdam by the Companys extensive recruitment network, despite their diverse nationalities, the colonists used a common language and adopted similar attitudes towards politics. The attributes they shared came to serve as a basis for the evolution of Afrikaner identity, Afrikaner nationalism has taken the form of political parties and secret societies such as the Broederbond in the twentieth century. In 1914 the National Party was formed to promote Afrikaner economic interests, the term was in common usage in both the Boer republics and the Cape Colony by the late nineteenth century. At one time, burghers merely denoted Cape Dutch, settlers who were influential in the administration, able to participate in urban affairs, Boers often referred to the settled European farmers or nomadic cattle herders. During the Batavian Republic, burgher was popularised among Dutch communities both at home and abroad as a revolutionary form of address, or citizen. In South Africa, it remained in use as late as the Second Boer War, the first recorded instance of a colonist identifying as an Afrikaner occurred in March 1707, during a disturbance in Stellenbosch. Biebouw was flogged for his insolence and later banished to Jakarta and it is believed that Afrikaner in question initially indicated Cape Coloureds or other groups claiming mixed ancestry. Biebouw himself had numerous half-caste siblings and may have identified with Coloureds socially, in 1902, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle became the earliest English author to use Africander in reference to the Boers eastward expansion from the Cape. From the VOCs perspective, there was little incentive to regard the region as anything more than the site of a strategic victualing centre. Furthermore, the Cape was unpopular among VOC employees, who regarded it as a barren, in time they came to form a class of vrijlieden, also known as vrijburgers, former VOC employees who stayed in Dutch territories overseas after serving their contracts. The vrijburgers were to be of Dutch birth, married, of good character, in March 1657, when the first vrijburgers started receiving their farms, the white population of the Cape was only about 134. Although the soil and climate in Cape Town were suitable for farming, willing immigrants remained in short supply and included a number of orphans, refugees, and foreigners accordingly
33.
Dutch people
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The Dutch, occasionally referred to as Netherlanders—a term that is cognate to the Dutch word for Dutch people, Nederlanders—are a Germanic ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a culture and speak the Dutch language. The high degree of urbanization characteristic of Dutch society was attained at an early date. During the Republic the first series of large scale Dutch migrations outside of Europe took place, despite the small size of the Netherlands, the Dutch left behind a legacy in excess of their mere numbers. The traditional art and culture of the Dutch encompasses various forms of music, dances, architectural styles and clothing. Internationally, Dutch painters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh are held in high regard, the dominant religion of the Dutch is Christianity, although in modern times the majority is no longer religious. Significant percentages of the Dutch are adherents of humanism, agnosticism, atheism or individual spirituality, as with all ethnic groups the ethnogenesis of the Dutch has been a lengthy and complex process. The text below hence focuses on the history of the Dutch ethnic group, for Dutch national history, for Dutch colonial history, see the article on the Dutch Empire. Following the end of the period in the West around 500, with large federations settling the decaying Roman Empire. In the Low Countries, this began when the Franks, themselves a union of multiple smaller tribes. Eventually, in 358, the Salian Franks, one of the three main subdivisions among the Frankish alliance settled the areas Southern lands as foederati, Roman allies in charge of border defense. On a political level, the Frankish warlords abandoned tribalism and founded a number of kingdoms, however, the population make-up of the Frankish Empire, or even early Frankish kingdoms such as Neustria and Austrasia, was not dominated by Franks. Though the Frankish leaders controlled most of Western Europe, the Franks themselves were confined to the Northwestern part of the Empire, the current Dutch-French language border has remained virtually identical ever since, and could be seen as marking the furthest pale of gallicization among the Franks. The medieval cities of the Low Countries, which experienced major growth during the 11th and 12th century, were instrumental in breaking down the already relatively loose local form of feudalism, as they became increasingly powerful, they used their economical strength to influence the politics of their nobility. While the cities were of political importance, they also formed catalysts for medieval Dutch culture. The various city guilds as well as the necessity of water boards in the Dutch delta and it is also around this time, that ethnonyms such as Diets and Nederlands emerge. This process marked a new episode in the development of the Dutch ethnic group, as now political unity started to emerge, consolidating the strengthened cultural, despite their linguistic and cultural unity, and economic similarities, there was still little sense of political unity among the Dutch people. However, the centralist policies of Burgundy in the 14th and 15th centuries, at first violently opposed by the cities of the Low Countries, had a profound impact and changed this
34.
French Americans
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French Americans, also called Franco-Americans, comprise Americans who identify themselves to have full or partial French or French Canadian heritage. About 10.4 million U. S. residents are of French or French Canadian descent, an additional 750,000 U. S. residents speak a French-based creole language, according to the 2011 census. While Americans of French descent make up a percentage of the American population. This has inhibited the development of an unified French American identity as is the case with other European American ethnic groups, unlike other immigrants who came to the United States of America from other countries, some French Americans arrived prior to the founding of the United States. In many parts of the country, like the Midwest and Louisiana, they were the founders of some of these villages, cities, while found throughout the country, French Americans are most numerous in New England, northern New York, the Midwest, and Louisiana. French is the fourth language in the country, behind English, Spanish. Often, French Americans are identified more specifically as being of French Canadian, Cajun, historically, the French Canadians in Canada had among the highest birth rates in world history, which is why their population was large even though immigration from France was relatively low. They also moved to different regions within Canada, namely Québec, Ontario, many of the early male migrants worked in the lumber industry in both regions, and, to a lesser degree, in the burgeoning mining industry in the upper Great Lakes. Louisiana Creole people refers to those who are descended from the settlers in Louisiana, especially those of French. The term is now applied to individuals of mixed-race heritage. Those of mixed race also sometimes have African and Native American ancestry, as a group, the mixed-race Creoles rapidly began to acquire education, skills, businesses and property. They were overwhelmingly Catholic, spoke Colonial French, and kept up many French social customs, modified by other parts of their ancestry, the free people of color married among themselves to maintain their class and social culture. The French-speaking mixed-race population came to be called Creoles of color, the Cajuns of Louisiana have a unique heritage. Their ancestors settled Acadia, in what is now the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and part of Maine in the 17th and early 18th centuries. In 1755, after capturing Fort Beauséjour in the region, the British Army forced the Acadians to either swear an oath of loyalty to the British Crown or face expulsion. Thousands refused to take the oath, causing them to be sent, penniless, over the next generation, some four thousand managed to make the long trek to Louisiana, where they began a new life. The name Cajun is a corruption of the word Acadian, many still live in what is known as the Cajun Country, where much of their colonial culture survives. During the War of 1812, Louisiana residents of French origin took part on the American side in the Battle of New Orleans, jean Lafitte and his Baratarians later were honored by US General Andrew Jackson for their contribution to the defense of New Orleans
35.
German Americans
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The German American ethnic group consists of Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 46 million in 2014, German Americans are the largest of the groups reported by the US Census Bureau in its American Community Survey. The group accounts for about 1⁄3 of the total ethnic German population in the world, none of the German states had American colonies. In the 1670s the first significant groups of German immigrants arrived in the British colonies, settling primarily in New York, immigration continued in very large numbers during the 19th century, with eight million arrivals from Germany. Between 1820 and 1870 over seven and a half million German immigrants came to the United States — more than doubling the population of the country. By 2010, their population grew to 49.8 million immigrants, there is a German belt that extends all the way across the United States, from eastern Pennsylvania to the Oregon coast. The state of Pennsylvania has 3.5 million people of German ancestry and they were pulled by the attractions of land and religious freedom, and pushed out of Europe by shortages of land and religious or political oppression. Many arrived seeking religious or political freedom, others for economic opportunities greater than those in Europe, the arrivals before 1850 were mostly farmers who sought out the most productive land, where their intensive farming techniques would pay off. After 1840, many came to cities, where Germania—German-speaking districts—soon emerged, German Americans established the first kindergartens in the United States, introduced the Christmas tree tradition, and introduced popular foods such as hot dogs and hamburgers to America. The great majority of people with some German ancestry have become Americanized and hardly can be distinguished, traditional Oktoberfest celebrations and the German-American Day are popular festivities. There are major events in cities with German heritage including Chicago, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, San Antonio. The Germans included many quite distinct subgroups with differing religious and cultural values and they generally opposed womens suffrage but this was used as argument in favor of suffrage when German Americans became pariahs during World War I. The first English settlers arrived at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 and he was followed in 1608 by five glassmakers and three carpenters or house builders. The first permanent German settlement in what became the United States was Germantown, Pennsylvania, large numbers of Germans migrated from the 1680s to 1760s, with Pennsylvania the favored destination. They migrated to America for a variety of reasons, often immigrants paid for their passage by selling their labor for a period of years as indentured servants. Large sections of Pennsylvania and upstate New York attracted Germans, most were Lutheran or German Reformed, many belonged to small religious sects such as the Moravians and Mennonites. German Catholics did not arrive in number until after the War of 1812, in 1709, Protestant Germans from the Pfalz or Palatine region of Germany escaped conditions of hardship, traveling first to Rotterdam and then to London. Anne, Queen of Great Britain, helped them get to her colonies in America, the trip was long and difficult to survive because of the poor quality of food and water aboard ships and the infectious disease typhus
36.
Huguenot
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Huguenots are the ethnoreligious group of French Protestants who follow the Reformed tradition. It was used frequently to members of the French Reformed Church until the beginning of the 19th century. The term has its origin in 16th-century France, Huguenot numbers peaked near an estimated two million by 1562, concentrated mainly in the southern and western parts of France. As Huguenots gained influence and more openly displayed their faith, Catholic hostility grew, in spite of political concessions, a series of religious conflicts followed, known as the French Wars of Religion, fought intermittently from 1562 to 1598. The Huguenots were led by Jeanne dAlbret, her son, the future Henry IV, the wars ended with the Edict of Nantes, which granted the Huguenots substantial religious, political, and military autonomy. Huguenot rebellions in the 1620s prompted the abolishment of their political and they retained religious provisions of the Edict of Nantes until the rule of Louis XIV. Nevertheless, a minority of Huguenots remained and faced continued persecution under Louis XV. By the death of Louis XV in 1774, French Calvinism was almost completely wiped out, persecution of Protestants officially ended with the Edict of Versailles, signed by Louis XVI in 1787. Two years later, with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1789 and they also spread to the Dutch Cape Colony in South Africa, the Dutch East Indies, the Caribbean, New Netherland, and several of the English colonies in North America. Small contingents of families went to Orthodox Russia and Catholic Quebec, a term used originally in derision, Huguenot has unclear origins. Geneva was John Calvins adopted home and the centre of the Calvinist movement, the label Huguenot was purportedly first applied in France to those conspirators involved in the Amboise plot of 1560, a foiled attempt to wrest power in France from the influential House of Guise. The move would have had the effect of fostering relations with the Swiss. Thus, Hugues plus Eidgenosse by way of Huisgenoten supposedly became Huguenot, a version of this complex hypothesis is promoted by O. I. A. Roche, who writes in his book, The Days of the Upright, A History of the Huguenots, that Huguenot is, a combination of a Dutch and a German word. Gallicised into Huguenot, often used deprecatingly, the word became, Some disagree with such double or triple non-French linguistic origins, arguing that for the word to have spread into common use in France, it must have originated in the French language. The Hugues hypothesis argues that the name was derived by association with Hugues Capet, king of France and he was regarded by the Gallicans and Protestants as a noble man who respected peoples dignity and lives. Janet Gray and other supporters of the hypothesis suggest that the name huguenote would be equivalent to little Hugos. It was in place in Tours that the prétendus réformés habitually gathered at night
37.
Occitan language
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Occitan, also known as lenga dòc by its native speakers, is a Romance language. It is spoken in southern France, Italys Occitan Valleys, Monaco, and Spains Val dAran, collectively, Occitan is also spoken in the linguistic enclave of Guardia Piemontese. However, there is controversy about the unity of the language, others include Catalan in this family, as the distance between this language and some Occitan dialects is similar to the distance among different Occitan dialects. In fact, Catalan was considered an Occitan dialect until the end of the 19th century, today, Occitan is an official language in Catalonia, where a subdialect of Gascon known as Aranese is spoken in the Val dAran. Since September 2010, the Parliament of Catalonia has considered Aranese Occitan to be the preferred language for use in the Val dAran. Unlike other Romance languages such as French or Spanish, there is no written standard language called Occitan. Instead, there are competing norms for writing Occitan, some of which attempt to be pan-dialectal, There are also significant lexical differences, where some dialects have words cognate with French, and others have Catalan and Spanish cognates. Nonetheless, there is a significant amount of mutual intelligibility, the long-term survival of Occitan is in grave doubt. According to the UNESCO Red Book of Endangered Languages, four of the six dialects of Occitan are considered severely endangered. The name Occitan comes from lenga dòc, òc being the Occitan word for yes and this was not, of course, the only defining characteristic of each group. The word òc came from Vulgar Latin hoc, while oïl originated from Latin hoc illud, Old Catalan, and now the Catalan of Northern Catalonia also have hoc. Other Romance languages derive their word for yes from the Latin sic, thus, etc. such as Spanish sí, Eastern Lombard sé, Sicilian and Italian sì, or Portuguese sim. French uses si to answer yes in response to questions that are asked in the negative sense, the name Occitan is sometimes considered a neologism, however, it was attested around 1300 as occitanus, a crossing of oc and aquitanus. For many centuries, the Occitan dialects were referred to as Limousin or Provençal, after Frédéric Mistrals Félibrige movement in the 19th century, Provençal achieved the greatest literary recognition and so became the most popular term for Occitan. The term first came into fashion in Italy, currently, linguists use the terms Provençal and Limousin strictly to refer to specific varieties within Occitania, keeping the name Occitan for the language as a whole. Many non-specialists, however, continue to refer to the language as Provençal, NO·L LI TOLRÀ NO·L LI DEVEDARÀ NI NO LEN DECEBRÀ. Nec societatem non AURÀ, si per castellum recuperare NON O FA, et si recuperare potuerit in potestate Froterio et Raimundo LO TORNARÀ, carolingian litanies, both written and sung in Latin, were answered to in Old Occitan by the audience. Occitan was the vehicle for the poetry of the medieval troubadours and trobairises, At that time
38.
Afrikaans
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Afrikaans is a West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and, to a lesser extent, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Hence, it is a language of Dutch, and was previously referred to as Cape Dutch or kitchen Dutch. Although, it is described as a creole, a partially creolised language the least. The term is derived from Dutch Afrikaans-Hollands meaning African Dutch. It is the first language of most of the Afrikaner and Coloured people of Southern Africa, therefore, differences with Dutch often lie in the more analytic morphology and grammar of Afrikaans, and a spelling that expresses Afrikaans pronunciation rather than standard Dutch. There is a degree of mutual intelligibility between the two languages—especially in written form. With about 7 million native speakers in South Africa, or 13. 5% of the population and it has the widest geographical and racial distribution of all the eleven official languages of South Africa, and is widely spoken and understood as a second or third language. About 1. 5% of black South Africans speak it as their first language, large numbers of speakers of Bantu languages and English-speaking South Africans also speak it as their second language. It is taught in schools, with about 10.3 million second-language students and it, along with German, was among the official languages of Namibia until the country became independent in 1990, 25% of the population of Windhoek spoke Afrikaans at home. Both Afrikaans and German survive as recognised regional languages in the country, estimates of the total number of Afrikaans speakers range between 15 and 23 million. The Afrikaans language arose in the Dutch Cape Colony, through a gradual divergence from European Dutch dialects, there is a degree of mutual intelligibility between the two languages, particularly in written form. Nevertheless, Dutch speakers are confronted with fewer non-cognates when listening to Afrikaans than the way round. Mutual intelligibility thus tends to be asymmetrical, as it is easier for Dutch speakers to understand Afrikaans than for Afrikaans speakers to understand Dutch, in general, mutual intelligibility between Dutch and Afrikaans is better than between Dutch and Frisian or between Danish and Swedish. The workers and slaves who contributed to the development of Afrikaans were Asians and Malagasys, as well as the Khoi, San, and Bantu peoples who also lived in the area. African creole people in the early 18th century — documented on the cases of Hendrik Bibault, Only much later in the second half of the 19th century did the Boers adopt this attribution, too. The Khoi and mixed-race groups became collectively referred to as Coloureds, beginning in about 1815, Afrikaans started to replace Malay as the language of instruction in Muslim schools in South Africa, written with the Arabic alphabet, see Arabic Afrikaans. Later, Afrikaans, now written with the Latin alphabet, started to appear in newspapers and political, in 1925, Afrikaans was recognised by the South African government as a real language, rather than simply a slang version of Dutch proper. Before the Boer Wars, and indeed for some time afterwards, rather, Afrikaans was described derogatorily as ‘a kitchen language’ or as ‘a bastard jargon, suitable for communication mainly between the Boers and their servants
39.
Johannesburg
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Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa and is one of the 50 largest urban areas in the world. It is the capital of Gauteng, which is the wealthiest province in South Africa. While Johannesburg is not one of South Africas three capital cities, it is the seat of the Constitutional Court, the city is located in the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills and is the centre of large-scale gold and diamond trade. In 2011, the population of the city of Johannesburg was 4,434,827, in the same year, the population of Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area was 7,860,781. Some view the surrounding the city of Johannesburg yet more broadly than the metropolitan area, adding Ekurhuleni, West Rand and Lenasia. The land area of the city is large in comparison with those of other major cities, resulting in a moderate population density of 2. The city was established in 1886 following the discovery of gold on what had been a farm, the city is commonly interpreted as the modern day El Dorado due to the extremely large gold deposit found along the Witwatersrand. The name is attributed to one or all of three men involved in the establishment of the city, in ten years, the population was 100,000 inhabitants. A separate city from the late 1970s until the 1990s, Soweto is now part of Johannesburg, Soweto, although eventually incorporated into Johannesburg, had been separated as a residential area for blacks, who were not permitted to live in Johannesburg proper. Lenasia is predominantly populated by English-speaking South Africans of Indian descent, controversy surrounds the origin of the name. There were quite a number of people with the name Johannes who were involved in the history of the city. Among them are the principal clerk attached to the office of the surveyor-general Johannes Rissik, Christiaan Johannes Joubert, another was Stephanus Johannes Paulus Paul Kruger, president of the South African Republic 1883-1900. Johannes Meyer, the first government official in the area is another possibility, precise records for the choice of name were lost. Rissik and Joubert were members of a delegation sent to England to attain mining rights for the area. Joubert had a park in the city named after him and Rissik Street is today a street where the historically important and dilapidated Post Office, since burnt out. The region surrounding Johannesburg was originally inhabited by San people, the Sotho–Tswana practised farming and extensively mined and smelted metals that were available in the area. The most prominent site within Johannesburg is Melville Koppies, which contains an iron smelting furnace, the main Witwatersrand gold reef was discovered in June 1884 on the farm Vogelstruisfontein by Jan Gerritse Bantjes that triggered the Witwatersrand Gold Rush and the start of Johannesburg in 1886. The discovery of gold rapidly attracted people to the area, making necessary a name, Johannes Meyer, the first government official in the area is another possibility
40.
First language
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A first language is a language that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. If there are multiple L1, the designation first language is used for the L1 spoken the best or the one that is the basis for sociolinguistic identity. In some countries, the native language or mother tongue refers to the language of ones ethnic group rather than ones first language. Children brought up speaking more than one language can have more than one native language, by contrast, a second language is any language that one speaks other than ones first language. Native speakers are considered to be an authority on their language because of their natural acquisition process regarding the language. That is achieved by interaction with the language and speakers of the language. Native speakers will not necessarily be knowledgeable about every rule of the language. Sometimes, the mother tongue or mother language is used for the language that a person learned as a child at home. Children growing up in homes can, according to this definition, have more than one mother tongue or native language. It is quite possible that the first language learned is no longer a dominant language. According to Ivan Illich, the mother tongue was first used by Catholic monks to designate a particular language they used, instead of Latin. That is, the mother the Church introduced this term. J. R. R. Tolkien, in his 1955 lecture English and Welsh, on 17 November 1999, UNESCO designated 21 February as International Mother Language Day. The first language of a child is part of the personal, social and cultural identity, another impact of the first language is that it brings about the reflection and learning of successful social patterns of acting and speaking. It is basically responsible for differentiating the linguistic competence of acting and that has implications on the education of non-native speakers. The topic of native speaker also gives way to discussion about what exactly bilingualism is, one definition is that a person is bilingual by being equally proficient in both languages. A person who grows up speaking English and begins learning Spanish for four years is not necessarily bilingual unless he speaks the two languages with equal fluency, one can have two or more native languages, thus being a native bilingual or indeed multilingual. The order in which languages are learned is not necessarily the order of proficiency
41.
Salerno
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Salerno listen is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea, Salerno was an independent Lombard principality in the early Middle Ages. During this time, it became the site of the first medical school in the world, later, in 1694, the city was struck by several catastrophic earthquakes and plagues. After a period of Spanish rule which would last until the 18th century, in recent history the city hosted the King of Italy, who moved from Rome in 1943 after Italy negotiated a peace with the Allies in World War II. A brief so-called government of the South was then established in the town, some of the Allied landings during Operation Avalanche occurred near Salerno. Today Salerno is an important cultural centre in Campania and Italy and has had a long, a patron saint of Salerno is Saint Matthew, the Apostle, whose relics are kept here at the crypt of Salerno Cathedral. The area of what is now Salerno has been settled since pre-historical times. We know the Oscan-Etruscan city of Irna, situated across the Irno river and this settlement represented an important base for Etruscan trade with the Greek colonies of Posidonia and Elea. It was occupied by the Samnites around the 5th century BC as consequence of the Battle of Cumae as part of the Syracusan sphere of influence. With the Roman advance in Campania, Irna began to lose its importance, being supplanted by the new Roman colony of Salernum, developing around an initial castrum. The new city, which gradually lost its function in favour of its role as a trade center, was connected to Rome by the Via Popilia. Archaeological remains, although fragmentary, suggest the idea of a flourishing, under the Emperor Diocletian, in the late 3rd century AD, Salernum became the administrative centre of the Lucania and Bruttii province. Like many coastal cities of southern Italy, Salerno initially remained untouched by the newcomers and it subsequently became part of the Duchy of Benevento. Under the Lombard dukes Salerno enjoyed the most splendid period of its history, with Arechis II, Salerno became a centre of studies with its famous Medical School. The Lombard prince ordered the city to be fortified, the Castle on the Bonadies mountain had already been built with walls, in 839 Salerno declared independence from Benevento, becoming the capital of a flourishing principality stretching out to Capua, northern Calabria and Apulia up to Taranto. The coins minted in the city circulated in all the Mediterranean, however, the stability of the Principate was continually shaken by the Saracen attacks and, most of all, by internal struggles. In 1056, one of the numerous plots led to the fall of Guaimar and his weaker son Gisulf II succeeded him, but the decline of the principality had begun. In 1077 Salerno reached its zenith but soon lost all its territory to the Normans, on 13 December 1076, the Norman conqueror Robert Guiscard, who had married Guaimar IVs daughter Sikelgaita, besieged Salerno and defeated his brother-in-law Gisulf
42.
Milan
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Milan is a city in Italy, capital of the Lombardy region, and the most populous metropolitan area and the second most populous comune in Italy. The population of the city proper is 1,351,000, Milan has a population of about 8,500,000 people. It is the industrial and financial centre of Italy and one of global significance. In terms of GDP, it has the largest economy among European non-capital cities, Milan is considered part of the Blue Banana and lies at the heart of one of the Four Motors for Europe. Milan is an Alpha leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, design, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, services, research, and tourism. Its business district hosts Italys Stock Exchange and the headquarters of the largest national and international banks, the city is a major world fashion and design capital, well known for several international events and fairs, including Milan Fashion Week and the Milan Furniture Fair. The city hosts numerous cultural institutions, academies and universities, with 11% of the national total enrolled students, Milans museums, theatres and landmarks attract over 9 million visitors annually. Milan – after Naples – is the second Italian city with the highest number of accredited stars from the Michelin Guide, the city hosted the Universal Exposition in 1906 and 2015. Milan is home to two of Europes major football teams, A. C. Milan and F. C. Internazionale, the etymology of Milan is uncertain. One theory holds that the Latin name Mediolanum comes from the Latin words medio, however, some scholars believe lanum comes from the Celtic root lan, meaning an enclosure or demarcated territory in which Celtic communities used to build shrines. Hence, Mediolanum could signify the central town or sanctuary of a Celtic tribe, indeed, the name Mediolanum is borne by about sixty Gallo-Roman sites in France, e. g. Saintes and Évreux. Alciato credits Ambrose for his account, around 400 BC, the Celtic Insubres settled Milan and the surrounding region. In 222 BC, the Romans conquered the settlement, renaming it Mediolanum, Milan was eventually declared the capital of the Western Roman Empire by Emperor Diocletian in 286 AD. Diocletian chose to stay in the Eastern Roman Empire and his colleague Maximianus ruled the Western one, immediately Maximian built several monuments, such as a large circus 470 m ×85 m, the Thermae Herculeae, a large complex of imperial palaces and several other buildings. With the Edict of Milan of 313, Emperor Constantine I guaranteed freedom of religion for Christians, after the city was besieged by the Visigoths in 402, the imperial residence was moved to Ravenna. In 452, the Huns overran the city, in 539, the Ostrogoths conquered and destroyed Milan during the Gothic War against Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. In the summer of 569, a Teutonic tribe, the Lombards, conquered Milan, some Roman structures remained in use in Milan under Lombard rule. Milan surrendered to the Franks in 774 when Charlemagne took the title of King of the Lombards, the Iron Crown of Lombardy dates from this period
43.
Miami
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Miami is a seaport city at the southeastern corner of the U. S. state of Florida and its Atlantic coast. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, Miamis metro area is the eighth-most populous, Miami is a major center, and a leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade. In 2012, Miami was classified as an Alpha−World City in the World Cities Study Groups inventory, in 2010, Miami ranked seventh in the United States in terms of finance, commerce, culture, entertainment, fashion, education, and other sectors. It ranked 33rd among global cities, in 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Miami Americas Cleanest City, for its year-round good air quality, vast green spaces, clean drinking water, clean streets, and citywide recycling programs. According to a 2009 UBS study of 73 world cities, Miami was ranked as the richest city in the United States, Miami is nicknamed the Capital of Latin America and is the largest city with a Cuban-American plurality. Miami has the third tallest skyline in the U. S. with over 300 high-rises, Downtown Miami is home to the largest concentration of international banks in the United States, and many large national and international companies. The Civic Center is a center for hospitals, research institutes, medical centers. For more than two decades, the Port of Miami, known as the Cruise Capital of the World, has been the number one cruise port in the world. It accommodates some of the worlds largest cruise ships and operations, Metropolitan Miami is the major tourism hub in the American South, number two in the U. S. after New York City and number 13 in the world, including the popular destination of Miami Beach. The Miami area was inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous Native American tribes, the Tequestas occupied the area for a thousand years before encountering Europeans. An Indian village of hundreds of people dating to 500–600 B. C. was located at the mouth of the Miami River, in 1566 the explorer, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, claimed it for Spain. A Spanish mission was constructed one year later in 1567, Spain and Great Britain successively controlled Florida, and Spain ceded it to the United States in 1821. In 1836, the US built Fort Dallas as part of its development of the Florida Territory and attempt to suppress, the Miami area subsequently became a site of fighting during the Second Seminole War. Miami is noted as the major city in the United States conceived by a woman, Julia Tuttle, a local citrus grower. The Miami area was known as Biscayne Bay Country in the early years of its growth. In the late 19th century, reports described the area as a promising wilderness, the area was also characterized as one of the finest building sites in Florida. The Great Freeze of 1894–95 hastened Miamis growth, as the crops of the Miami area were the ones in Florida that survived. Julia Tuttle subsequently convinced Henry Flagler, a tycoon, to expand his Florida East Coast Railway to the region
44.
Joffrey Ballet School
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The Joffrey Ballet is a professional dance company resident in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The company regularly performs classical ballets, including Romeo & Juliet and The Nutcracker, and modern dance pieces. Many choreographers have worked with the Joffrey including Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, George Balanchine, founded as a touring company in 1956, it was based in New York City until 1995 when it moved to Chicago. The companys headquarters and dance academy are in Joffrey Tower, while Joffrey stayed in New York City to teach ballet classes and earn money to pay the dancers salaries, Arpino led the troupe. The ensemble first performed in a city in Chicago in 1957. The Joffrey Ballet originally settled down in New York City, under the name the Robert Joffrey Theatre Ballet, in 1962 modern choreographer Alvin Ailey was invited to make a work for the company. Rebekah Harkness was an important early benefactor and she made international touring possible, but in 1964 she and Joffrey parted ways. Joffrey started again, building up a new company made its debut in 1965 as the Joffrey Ballet. Following a successful season at the New York City Center in 1966, it was invited to become City Centers resident ballet company with Joffrey as artistic director, in 1973 Joffrey asked Twyla Tharp to create her first commissioned ballet, Deuce Coupe. The company continued as City Center Joffrey Ballet until 1977, from 1977, it performed as the Joffrey Ballet, with a second home established in Los Angeles from. In 1995, the company left New York City for Chicago to establish a permanent residence there, the first few years in Chicago were financially arduous for the company, nearly causing it to close several times, but audiences later became larger and younger. The Joffrey Ballet appeared in the motion picture Save the Last Dance and it was also the subject of Robert Altmans penultimate film, The Company. Malcolm McDowell played the companys artistic director, a character based on Gerald Arpino. The film is composed of stories gathered from the dancers, choreographers. Most of the roles are played by company members. In the Glee, character Mike Chang is given a scholarship to attend the Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago, in fall 1987 the Joffrey Ballet premiered a reconstructed version of Igor Stravinskys seminal ballet The Rite of Spring in the city of Los Angeles. The original ballet debuted in 1913 in Paris, France and was choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, Dance experts Millicent Hodson and Kenneth Archer spent eighteen years gathering research on the original ballet in order to properly reconstruct it. Its repertoire consists of classical and contemporary pieces, as well as annual December performances of The Nutcracker, presented in conjunction with the Chicago Philharmonic
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