EXHIBITS
Edamame, a toy and artwork exhibit by Nathan Jurevicius, opens on Jan. 29, 6 p.m., at Secret Fresh Gallery, Ronac Art Center, Ortigas Ave., Greenhills, San Juan.
THE CHAIR PROJECT: A Study Collection of Seating Furniture by Tesa Celdran opens on Jan. 28, 6 p.m., at Pineapple Lab in Barangay Poblacion, Makati City. Exhibit runs until Feb. 27.
Marija Vicente, Tanya Villanueva, and Gail Vicente’s Dark White Chakra, an exhibition of paintings, photos, and objects, is on view at MO_Space in BGC, Taguig City until Feb. 5.
Waste a While by Jordan Isip and Zero Point of Nothing by Louie Cordero are on view at the Blanc Gallery, 145 Katipunan Ave., St. Ignatius Village, Quezon City.
Agnes Arellano’s Born of the Moon — a mini retrospective and a “combine-inscape” featuring all her works that celebrate the Moon, from the 1983 Temple to the Moon Goddess to the more recent erotic sketches — is on view at the Altro Mondo in Greenbelt 5, Makati City.
Feelings by Con Cabrera is on view at the Drawing Room Contemporary Art at Karrivin Plaza, Makati City, until Jan. 31.
Aliens vs. Robots, an exhibit featuring works by Clarence Chun, Patrick Cruz, Jon Cuyson, John Fortes, Pow Martinez, Marcius Noceda, Carlo Ricafort, and Cos Zicarelli, runs until Feb. 4 at the ARTERY Art Space in Cubao, Quezon City.
Chalk Zaldivar’s Stress in Numbers is on view at the Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery on Chino Roces Ave., Makati City.
Silverlens is running two exhibits — Translacion, curated by Gary Ross-Pastrana and featuring Silverlens’ artists, and Echo by Gregory Halili — both of which are on view until Feb. 4 at the gallery’s new location, the Lapanday Center on Chino Roces Ave. Ext., Makati City.
The Ateneo Art Gallery presents #LUZ@90, curated by Ambeth R. Ocampo, which runs until April 8. Featuring recent and early works, the exhibition celebrates the 90th birth anniversary of National Artist for Visual Arts Arturo R. Luz. The gallery is located at the Rizal Library at the Ateneo University campus along Katipunan Ave., Quezon City.
The Cultural Center of the Philippines celebrates the birth month of National Artist Carlos “Botong” Francisco via the exhibit Homebound: A Survey of Recent Developments in Angono Contemporary Art which is on view until Feb. 12.
The Homecoming of Tie a String Around the World, a re-staging of the Philippines’ official exhibition at the Venice Art Bienalle in 2015, is on view at the UP Vargas Museum’s 1F and 3F Galleries. The show presents works by Manuel Conde, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Manny Montelibano, and Jose Tence Ruiz. The museum is within the UP Diliman campus in Quezon City.
PERFORMANCES
Sugid Productions Inc. will be staging Chris Millado’s Martial Law-set drama Buwan at Baril sa Eb Major at the Yuchengco Museum Auditorium, Bantayog ng mga Bayani, Quezon Ave., Quezon City on Jan. 26 to Feb. 12, with shows at 3 and 8 p.m. Tickets are available at TicketWorld (ticketworld.com.ph and 891-9999).
Spoken word poetry artist Juan Miguel Severo returns to his hometown in Malabon with his very first show. Remainders: Poems and Songs by Juan Miguel Severo. It features his new set list and other materials, with guest and fellow artist Alfonso Manalastas, on Jan. 28, 8 p.m., at the Hangout Resto and Bar in 384 General Luna St., Baritan, Malabon. To secure tickets, e-mail janmilosevero@gmail.com.
Spotlight Artists Centre’s Dirty Old Musical is on a limited re-run until Jan. 28 at the Music Museum, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan. A comedy about middle age, it stars John Arcilla, Nonie Buencamino, Bo Cerrudo, Carlo Orosa, and Robert Seña, Ima Castro, KitKat, and Fred Lo. Directed and choreographed by Dexter Santos. Tickets are available at Ticketworld (891-9999, www.ticketworld.com.ph).
FILMS
Genghis Khan, a film by Manuel Conde and Carlos “Botong” Francisco, is playing at the UP Vargas Museum until February at the 1F West Wing Gallery. For the complete screening schedule, visit the UP Vargas Museum Facebook page.
The 11th Spring Film Festival runs from Jan. 25 to 29 at the Shang Cineplex, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd, Mandaluyong City. Featured films are: A Complicated Story, Book of Love, Everybody’s Fine, Horseplay, Red Amnesia, and Wolf Totem. Admission is free.
By Angela Dawson
Front Row Features
FILMMAKER Oliver Stone is no stranger to taking on controversial subject matter and turning it into big screen box-office success. The three-time Oscar winner has addressed in his films sensitive topics ranging from the Vietnam War to the Kennedy assassination to US policy in Latin America. He’s been accused of glorifying criminal behavior and oversimplifying or giving a narrow, one-sided view of historical events.
Stone tackles the tricky subject matter of Edward Snowden, the one-time CIA computer expert and subsequent government contractor who revealed sensitive government secrets to the media in 2013, ostensibly to shed light on inappropriate information gathering. Snowden is now out on Blu-ray combo pack and DVD from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. It also is available on Digital HD.
Hollywood leading man Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, (500) Days of Summer) plays the title character. The 35-year-old actor bears more than a passing resemblance to the famous political exile. Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson and Nicolas Cage also star in the real life political drama.
The Blu-ray and DVD includes deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and an interview with the elusive Edward Snowden, who is living in exile in Russia.
*****
The taut and engrossing wartime drama Close to the Enemy is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. From acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Poliakoff (Dancing on the Edge), this Acorn TV Original Series and BBC One production features an all-star ensemble cast, including Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe), Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Angela Bassett (American Horror Story), August Diehl (Inglourious Basterds), Lindsay Duncan (The Honourable Woman), Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel), Robert Glenister (Prime Suspect), Charity Wakefield (The Player) and Charlotte Riley (Peaky Blinders).
In the immediate aftermath of WWII, intelligence officer Callum Ferguson (Sturgess) must complete his last task for the British army: convince captured German scientist Dieter Koehler (Diehl) to develop a jet engine for the British government. As Callum tries to woo Dieter to his cause, he also contends with his younger brother’s (Highmore) psychological trauma from the war — and fights his attraction to his best friend’s wife (Riley). But while Callum and Dieter develop and unlikely friendship, disturbing secrets emerge that challenge each man’s loyalties at the dawn of the Cold War.
Over the course of the series, Callum encounters a number of other characters whose stories all intertwine. These characters include Harold (Molina), a Foreign Office official who reveals some startling truths about the outbreak of the war; and Kathy (Phoebe Fox, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death), a tough young woman working for the War Crimes Unit, fighting to bring war criminals who escaped prosecution to justice. Each character is trying to rebuild and move forward in the aftermath of a war that scarred them all so deeply. The DVD and Blu-ray editions feature all seven episodes on three discs plus a 30-minutes behind-the-scenes featurette, cast interviews and more.
*****
The ITV British crime drama series Jericho of Scotland Yard returns to DVD, also from Acorn. The series is set in a fascinating period of Britain’s social history, when London saw an explosion of color, glamour, and shifting attitudes after the Second World War. Amid the turmoil of changing times, Chief Inspector Michael Jericho (Robert Lindsay, My Family) is a famous Scotland Yard detective investigating high-profile murders in 1950s London. This stylish noir series contains notable guest stars, including Francesca Annis (Agatha Christie’s Partners in Crime), Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey), Laurence Fox (Inspector Lewis), Peter Bowles (The Irish R.M.), Claire Bloom (Brideshead Revisited), Jane Horrocks (Absolutely Fabulous), James Wilby (Gosford Park), Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones), and Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia!).
Aided by his trusted sergeant, Clive Harvey (David Troughton, Sharpe’s Rifles) and the young and eager-to-please DC John Caldicott (Ciarán McMenamin, The Sinking of the Laconia), Jericho solves London’s most heinous crimes, whether they occur in posh homes or illegal gambling dens. Though brilliant at his job and adored by the public, Jericho hides a dark and painful past and will stop at nothing to find justice. This set features four feature-length mysteries on two discs.
*****
RLJ Entertainment has released Dog Eat Dog on Blu-ray and DVD. Directed by legendary filmmaker Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver) and written by Matthew Wilder (Your Name Here), the action-thriller stars Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage (Snowden), Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe (Platoon) and Christopher Matthew Cook (2 Guns). Ex-cons Troy (Cage), Mad Dog (Dafoe) and Diesel (Christopher Matthew Cook) are hired by an eccentric mob boss to kidnap a baby for a large ransom. When the abduction goes awry, the trio find themselves on the run from the mob and the cops. Vowing to stay out of prison at all costs, getting away with the crime is literally a matter of life and death.
Bonus features on the Blu-ray and DVD include Cage’s video introduction at the Toronto International Film Festival, the BeyondFest Q&A with Cage and director Schrader, audio commentary with Schrader and a photo gallery.
*****
A young man sets off to find author J.D. Salinger and confronts love, sex and loss in the touching coming-of-age drama Coming Through The Rye, now on DVD.
Sixteen-year-old Jamie Schwartz is not the most popular kid at his all-boys’ boarding school. Disconnected from students and teachers, he believes he is destined to play Holden Caulfield, the main character from Salinger’s classic The Catcher in the Rye and has adapted the book as a play. After a series of increasingly hostile altercations with the boys at school, Jamie runs away to search for the elusive author. On his way he picks up Deedee Gorlin, a quirky townie. Their odyssey to find Salinger becomes a journey of sexual awakening, the discovery of love and of the meaning of one’s life. Coming Through the Rye stars Academy Award winner Chris Cooper (Adaptation) as Salinger, Alex Wolff (The Naked Brothers Band) and Stefania Owen (Chance).
*****
Based on the best-selling book series by acclaimed author James Patterson, Maximum Ride is now available on DVD. The sci-fi thriller brings to life the extraordinary journey of six DNA-enhanced young orphans with the ability to fly that are on a mission to rescue the youngest of their flock while discovering the diabolical, scientific secrets of how they came to exist. Their leader is Max, wise beyond her years, who must summon all of her courage and acumen to outmaneuver the brutal half-human/half-wolf creations known as “Erasers,” confront her own inner demons and ultimately face a stunning betrayal.
Allie Marie Evans (Vanity), Patrick Johnson (Mean Girls 2), Lyliana Wray (Girl Missing), Luke Gregory Crosby, Gavin Lewis (Just Jacques) and Tetona Jackson (Stolen from Suburbia) star in this film adaptation written by Angelique Hanus and Jesse Spears and directed by Jay Martin.
BUSINESSMEN’s perception of corruption in the Philippines neither improved nor worsened on the whole last year, according to an annual global survey that showed the country maintaining its score from 2015 but slipping by six rungs as the number of countries and territories covered increased. Read the full story.
THE PROPORTION of those who went hungry at least once in the last three months steadied from the preceding quarter and the past year, according to results of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that one analyst said bared “the gravity of the problem.” Read the full story.
TOKYO — Japan could pass a one-off bill allowing its retirement-ready emperor to step down, a government panel said Monday, in what would be the first abdication in over two centuries.
The option was one of several presented by the group of experts charged with sorting out the thorny issue. They are expected to make a final recommendation in March.
Last summer, Emperor Akihito, 83, expressed a desire to abdicate after nearly three decades on the Chrysanthemum Throne, one of the world’s oldest monarchies, citing his advancing age and weakening health.
The news sent shockwaves across Japan and unleashed a flood of questions. Japan has had abdications in its long imperial history, but the last one was over 200 years ago and there is no mechanism for one under current laws.
On Monday, the six-member panel, which was tapped to find the best way forward, said other options include revising the law to allow future emperors to resign if they choose, reducing Akihito’s official duties, or letting him become a regent instead of abdicating.
“This is a very serious issue and we need to discuss it carefully,” said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who attended the panel’s meeting.
Abdication is a sensitive issue in light of Japan’s modern history of war waged in the name of Akihito’s father Emperor Hirohito, who died in 1989.
Some scholars and politicians worry the issue could open a can of worms and risk Japan’s monarchs becoming subject to political manipulation. Under the constitution they play only a symbolic role.
The leading opposition Democratic Party opposes a one-off change, arguing this would not ensure stable future successions. It has advocated a revision to the permanent law that governs the imperial family.
Japanese media have previously reported that the government is planning for Akihito to retire and be replaced by his eldest son, Naruhito, on Jan. 1, 2019. — AFP
Japanese Emperor Akihito attends the opening ceremony of a 150-day ordinary Diet session in Tokyo on Jan. 20. — AFP
ASTANA — A joint effort to end the war in Syria by Russia, Turkey and Iran enters a new phase on Monday with peace talks in Kazakhstan that leave the US on the sidelines.
Syrian officials and representatives of armed opposition groups will meet in the Kazakh capital, Astana, for negotiations hosted by the three powers. The talks follow a cease-fire in Syria brokered by Russia and Turkey late last month that has continued to hold in most areas, in contrast to earlier US-Russian attempts.
The US is now “marginal to the war” in Syria and, as observers to the Astana initiative, this will “not prevent the Turks and the Russians coming to and implementing an agreement,” said Faysal Itani, an analyst with the Atlantic Council in Washington.
Amid deteriorating relations with the Obama administration over a failed peace effort in September, Russia seized the diplomatic initiative in Syria after its forces helped President Bashar al-Assad to expel rebel fighters from Aleppo, the country’s largest city, last month. The taking of the city was a turning point in the six-year civil war, which has killed more than 300,000.
JOINT APPROACH
In a potentially promising development for the Russian-backed effort, opposition delegation member Abdulhakim Bachar said in an interview Monday that rebel groups are willing to hold direct talks for the first time with the Syrian government.
The Astana talks are part of a joint approach announced in Moscow last month by Russia, Turkey and Iran, the three countries with forces on the ground in Syria. While Russia and Iran support Mr. Assad’s regime, Turkey — a key backer of the armed groups opposing the Syrian leader — helped to negotiate the truce accord signed by seven Islamist groups representing 62,000 fighters and the Damascus government.
The agreement excluded Islamic State and the al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria because the UN Security Council has declared them terrorist organizations.
While the US had been left out, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last week that aides to new President Donald Trump have been invited to Astana. The US ambassador to Kazakhstan will attend the talks as an observer.
“The center of gravity in the Syrian conflict is moving away from great powers to regional players” including Iran, Turkey and the other rebel backers Saudi Arabia and Qatar, said Andrey Kortunov, director-general of the Russian International Affairs Council, a research group set up by the Kremlin.
“A lot will depend on whether there is a chance to bring all these players together and whether a country like Russia might play an instrumental role in that,” he said.
ARMED GROUPS
Underlining the role of the Astana meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked his special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, who is due to resume peace talks next month in Geneva, to participate. Mr. Guterres views the Astana initiative as a “positive step,” his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
The involvement of Syrian armed groups at the meeting contrasts with past abortive rounds of UN-led talks, though their chief negotiator — a senior figure in the Army of Islam — also led the main opposition delegation in Geneva last year. Another influential militant organization, Ahrar as-Sham, declined to attend the Astana summit citing cease-fire violations by the government and its allies.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari, speaking after a preparatory meeting with Turkish and Russian officials on Sunday in Astana, said Iran was “optimistic” about the negotiations even though there are “some difficulties.” Russia’s special envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, said “everyone understands the need for a peace settlement.”
POLITICAL DIALOGUE
The talks, which are expected to last several days and lead to a joint statement signed by the Syrian government and opposition, aim to cement the truce and pave the way for political dialogue, Russian officials say.
“That would be a big achievement if it happened,” said Bassma Kodmani, a leader of the High Negotiations Council, the main Syrian opposition bloc. “Turkey and Russia are two decisive players on the ground, but there is one player — Iran — with which it’s much more difficult to know if there is any interest in a cessation of hostilities and a political process.”
Further rounds of talks will seek to achieve a final settlement by the end of 2017 that includes a power-sharing government, a new constitution and elections, said Rafael Enikeev, head of the Middle East department at the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies, a Kremlin advisory group.
“Now the ones at the table are the players who are actually present on the ground,” he said. — Bloomberg
Reporters work in the media center set for Syria peace talks, in Astana, Kazakhstan, Jan. 23. — Reuters
