True to their name, Slave to Sirens — the first and only all-woman thrash metal band in the Middle East — are utterly magnetic. Amid a backdrop of political unrest and the heartbreaking unraveling of Beirut, five bandmates form a beacon of expression, resistance, and independence. Director Rita Baghdadi follows founders and guitarists Lilas Mayassi and Shery Bechara as their tenderness, and sometimes bitterness, for one another grows in ways both unexpected and deeply moving. Joined by vocalist Maya Khairallah, bassist Alma Doumani, and drummer Tatyana Boughaba, these women negotiate their emotional journeys through young adulthood in tumultuous circumstances with grace, raw passion, and a ferocious commitment to their art. Their grit is tested as they grapple with the complexities of friendship, sexuality, and the destruction around them.
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The story of the fascist conman Fritz Julius Kuhn is as unknown as it is terrifying: Kuhn is a German immigrant who pretends to be Hitler’s deputy in the USA during the 1930s. He is at the top of the German-American Bund, a fascist organization of Americans of German origin. The followers of this association march in goose-step with swastika flags and in Nazi-uniforms thru New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. They gather in thousands in stadiums and sing the Horst-Wessel-song.
The exploding cork. Endless tiny bubbles floating up and up in the glass. An indulgence. A celebration. A seduction. A triumph. This is the essence of Champagne, isn’t it? But it’s not just bubbles in a glass that makes the wine, or the mystique. Only sparkling wine produced within the boundaries of the Champagne region is truly “Champagne.” At first glance, the region is not an obvious source of romance. Champagne’s history is grim and bloody, swept by war and destruction from Attila the Hun to the filthy trenches of WWI and the Nazi depredations of WWII. The environment for winemaking is desperately hard — northerly latitude, chalky soil, copious rain, frost, rot. Yet it’s these difficulties that help make the wine unique.
The story of the influential 19th century British poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti and his troubled and somewhat morbid relationship with his wife and his art.
Di is a 12-year-old girl from the mist-shrouded mountains of northern Vietnam. She belongs to the Hmong, an ethnic minority in which girls get married at a very young age. This is often preceded by a controversial “bride-napping,” where the girl is abducted by her future husband on New Year’s Eve. Negotiations between the families follow. This also happened to Di’s sister and their mother, so it doesn’t seem strange that in preparation the women and girls discuss sex and married life without embarrassment. But Di also goes to school, where she learns very different values. And in her own way, even Di’s mother tries to warn her daughter about child marriage.
In 1998 Marco Pantani, the most flamboyant and popular cyclist of his era, won both the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, a titanic feat of physical and mental endurance that no rider has repeated since. He was a hero to millions, the saviour of cycling following the doping scandals which threatened to destroy the sport. However, less than six years later, aged just 34, he died alone, in a cheap hotel room, from acute cocaine poisoning. He had been an addict for five years. This is the story of the tragic battles fought by the most important Italian cyclist of his generation; man verses mountain, athlete verses addiction, Marco Pantani verses himself.
Vintage tomorrows examines the steampunk movement’s explosive growth, origins, and cultural significance. It explores the fundamental question: what can we learn about tomorrow from steampunk’s playful visions of yesteryear?
A portrait of photographer Tim Hetherington’s work in war zones around the world.
In 2013 Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond embarked on what they hoped would be the perfect road trip. It started well and ended, quite frankly, very badly. Unbowed, the Top Gear pair are back for another crack and this time they’re hoping to avoid inconveniences like apprehension by the French police. Welcome, then, to The Perfect Road Trip… 2. Once again, Clarkson and Hammond are seeking joy and perfection wherever it may be with a range of fast, beautiful and exciting cars unleashed on glorious roads amongst gorgeous scenery and drenched in Mediterranean sunshine. As part of their arduous research into perfection, the duo will also undertake some ridiculous challenges and hilarious stunts culminating in a strangely literal car race on the island of Capri. Top Gear – The Perfect Road Trip 2. This time it really is perfect. Except for the bits that aren’t.
Known for his spectacular pyrotechnic displays, Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang creates his most ambitious project yet: Sky Ladder, a visionary, explosive event that he pulls off in his hometown in China after 20 years of failed attempts.
After a tumultuous decade-long career filled with injuries and missed opportunities, 38-year-old UFC middleweight Michael Bisping finally got his due, and he plans to go out swinging.
Acclaimed composer Michael Giacchino made his directorial debut with Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation “Werewolf by Night.” This behind-the-scenes special explores Giacchino’s vision, style and approach to bringing the chilling story to life, as well as offering an insider’s look at the between-the-scenes making of “Werewolf by Night.”
