Ash (Aska): Film Review

The Bottom Line

Straightforward account of life after global news teams lost interest

Venue

Reykjavik International Film Festival, Icelandic Panorama

Director

Herbert Sveinbjornsson

REYKJAVIK — Following three agricultural families through the aftermath of 2010's devastating volcanic eruptions in Iceland, Herbert Sveinbjornsson's Ash offers long-term coverage of what for Americans was a news-cycle blip most significant for its effect on global air traffic. The in-depth doc lacks a broad appeal that could justify Stateside theatrical bookings, but festivals, particularly those with an environmental slant, should take notice.

After a vivid account of what it's like to live near a volcano as it erupts, the film moves on to cleanup. We get to know three farming families whose situations are quite different: One who has worked their land for generations, one for whom farming is a new calling, and one working unrelated jobs in the city as they try to get a sheep-raising enterprise on its feet.

All have staggering clean-up jobs on their hands. One counts up 400 tons of ash they've trucked off just from around their property's houses, before moving on to the fields. More devastating is mud, which can destroy the soil beneath it. Then there's the "tourist eruption": the cigarettes and beer cans left by around 25,000 city folk and journalists who come out to watch the show.

The families cope with these and other difficulties (like a foreign-currency farm loan that turned onerous after the economic crisis) in different ways. One makes lemonade from lemons, capitalizing on tourists' curiosity by building a volcano study center that happens to be a marketing boon for local produce. When 2011 offers yet another eruption, one must marvel at anyone willing to keep living off such volatile land.

Director-Editor: Herbert Sveinbjornsson

Screenwriters: Hildur Margretadottir, Herbert Sveinbjornsson

Producers: Heather Millard, Herbert Sveinbjornsson

Directors of photography: Hildur Margretadottir, Herbert Sveinbjornsson

Music: Ulfur Eldjarn

No rating, 111 minutes

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thr/reviews/film/~3/2GPITtHYVd8/ash-aska-film-review-648468
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Italy rescues 370 migrants, steps up naval patrols

By Steve Scherer

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's navy rescued about 370 migrants in the waters between Sicily and Libya on Tuesday as the government deployed ships, helicopters and unmanned drones to help avert further shipwrecks that have already drowned hundreds this month.

A naval frigate and a patrol boat brought some 290 people, mostly Syrians, Somalis and Eritreans, to the tiny southern Italian island of Lampedusa after two migrant vessels used satellite phones to dial for help late on Monday, the navy said.

A Panamanian merchant vessel later picked up about 80 people adrift on a large raft in Libyan waters and took them to Sicily, the coastguard said.

The migrant boats risked the dangerous sea passage despite a shipwreck on October 3 that killed more than 360, mostly Eritreans, less than a kilometer from Lampedusa. Last Friday, at least 34 more migrants drowned when their boat capsized, though Italian officials say the true figure may be above 200.

Lampedusa, which lies southwest of Sicily and just 70 miles from the coast of Tunisia, has been a stepping stone for migrants seeking a better life in Europe for two decades.

Now the Syrian civil war and unrest in Egypt and other Arab and African countries are fuelling the flow of refugees, many of whom have to pass through an increasingly unstable Libya.

Sicily's regional parliament declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, a move that allows it to tap additional funds to help its struggling immigration services.

The reception center on Lampedusa, which is under Sicily's administration, is now hosting four or five times its capacity.

To try to stem the flow of rickety boats and prevent further tragedies, Italy began on Tuesday deploying more ships, long-range helicopters, an airplane equipped with night-vision, plus unmanned drone aircraft.

MILITARISATION

However, humanitarian organizations say the measures may leave more migrants stranded in the Sahara desert or delivered into the hands of Libyan militias and crime groups, which are known to have beaten, raped and imprisoned migrants in the past.

Libya is the departure point for two thirds of the boats.

Riccardo Compagnucci, head of the Interior Ministry's immigration office, ruled out Libya as a safe port because of its poor security and human rights situation.

Compagnucci told Reuters some migrants could be taken to "Malta and Greece" in order to facilitate rescue operations, but added: "Libya isn't safe even for its prime minister."

Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan was kidnapped for several hours last week. This week, he asked for Europe's help to stem the flow of migrants.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso was heckled on Lampedusa last week by islanders who said the European Union was partly responsible for the October 3 shipwreck.

Italy and Malta have asked for more EU funds and have called for the migrant emergency to be put on the agenda of the next European Council meeting on October 24-25.

(Additional reporting by Antonella Cinelli, Gabriele Pileri and Cristiano Corvino; Editing by Gareth Jones)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/italy-rescues-300-migrants-sends-navy-ships-drones-094747294.html
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Box Office: 'Gravity' a Monster With $44.3 Mil; 'Captain Phillips' No. 2 With $26 Mil

Adults fueled another strong weekend at the North American box office as Warner Bros.' Gravity stayed at No. 1 with a record $44.3 million and Sony's Captain Phillips opened to a solid $26 million.

From director Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity raced past the $100 million domestically to end the weekend with total earnings of $123.4 million. Worldwide, the space epic -- starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney -- has earned well north of $150 million.

GUEST REVIEW: Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on 'Gravity' 

Gravity slipped only 21 percent in its second weekend domestically -- the lowest decline in history for a film that opened over $55 million (The Incredibles was the previous record-holder at 29 percent). This doesn't count holiday weekends. It's also the lowest decline of the year to date for a movie playing in more than 2,000 theaters.

"This indicates the ability to open a tentpole in October," said Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman, who also noted that the film is now playing to younger moviegoers, as well as to consumers who rarely take a trip to the multiplex.

Gravity continues to be a big draw in 3D (82 percent), with Imax theaters alone taking in a record $9 million over the weekend for total sales of $26.5 million. It's the largest second weekend gross in Imax history.

The other big headline of the weekend was Paul Greengrass' Somali pirate pic Captain Phillips, which reverses a dry spell for Tom Hanks at the box office. The critically acclaimed film did better than expected after earning an A CinemaScore, eclipsing the $19.5 million earned a year ago by fellow adult drama Argo.

THR COVER: Inside the Intense 'Captain Phillips' Shoot 

Captain Phillips, based on real events and costing $55 million to produce, skewed slightly male (52 percent), while more than 60 percent of the audience was over the age of 35. The film's awards prospects should be boosted by its promising box office performance.

Hanks' last several films have underperformed, particularly Cloud Atlas (2012) and Larry Crowne (2011).

"We couldn't be happier to be a part of this film. To open to $26 million with Gravity being in the marketplace is an extraordinary feat," said Sony president of worldwide distribution Rory Bruer. "It says volumes for the film and its life. It's one of those performances by Tom Hanks that everyone will want to see."

After Captain Phillips, the weekend's only other new wide player was exploitation action film Machete Kills, from writer-director Robert Rodriguez. Machete Kills quickly fizzled, debuting to roughly $3.8 million -- the worst wide opening of the filmmaker's career.

With a cast led by Danny Trejo, Mel Gibson and Michelle Rodriguez, Machete Kills, receiving a B- CinemaScore, is the third film based on the fake trailers accompanying Grindhouse.

Machete Kills placed No. 4 after Gravity, Captain Phillips and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2.

Cloudy 2, from Sony, grossed $14.2 million in its third weekend to place No. 3 and pushing the family film's total to $78 million.

New Regency's ill-fated gambling thriller Runner Runner and Warner Bros.' Prisoners tied for No. 5 with $3.7 million each.

Runner Runner, starring Justin Timberlake opposite Ben Affleck, continued to struggle in its second weekend, falling 52 percent to $3.7 million for a tepid domestic total of $14.1 million.

Prisoners has now grossed $53.6 million for Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros.

 

 

 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thr/film/~3/MOhfu6t092k/story01.htm
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Wood fires and diesel cars pose pollution threat: EU watchdog

By Charlie Dunmore

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Air pollution is dangerously high across many parts of Europe, resulting in premature deaths, ill health and huge economic losses linked to reduced crop yields, Europe's environmental watchdog said on Tuesday.

While emissions of some pollutants have declined sharply in Europe in recent decades, more diesel cars and a rise in wood burning by households as a cheap alternative to gas mean other types of harmful pollution are receding more slowly.

European regulators are expected to propose a tightening of EU limits on microscopic particles known as particulate matter (PM) and other pollutants, with legislative proposals due before the end of the year.

A total of 22 European countries including France, Italy and Poland exceeded the daily EU limit value for PM in 2011, while stricter, non-binding guideline limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO) were exceeded at most monitoring stations across continental Europe, according to a report by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

In the last decade, tighter European regulations on power stations and other sources of pollution have seen a 50 percent cut in emissions of sulphur dioxide, which causes acid rain, while carbon monoxide emissions have fallen by a third.

By contrast, the amount of harmful particles and ozone in the air has fallen only slightly. Combined with recent WHO findings that lower concentrations of air pollution can be more harmful than previously thought, pressure is building on the European Union to do more.

"Air pollution is causing damage to human health and ecosystems. Large parts of the population do not live in a healthy environment, according to current standards," said Hans Bruyninckx, Executive Director of the Copenhagen-based EEA.

The tighter proposed limits on PM could pose problems for EU governments, many of which have struggled to meet the existing limits in force since 2010, resulting in up to a third of Europeans being exposed to dangerous levels of PM pollution.

In its report, the EEA said PM pollution - particularly in urban areas - posed the greatest risk to human health thanks to its ability to pass directly from the lungs into the bloodstream.

Despite struggling to meet the limits, cities in Europe - along with the Americas - enjoy relatively low average PM pollution levels compared with those in southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa, WHO data showed.

Ground-level ozone pollution - formed indirectly by a combination of sunlight and mixtures of other pollutants in the atmosphere - inflicts huge damage on EU crop production, particularly in Mediterranean countries such as Italy, France and Spain.

It has been estimated that ozone pollution resulted in production losses of 27 million tonnes (1 tonne =1.102 metric tons) of grain in Europe in 2000.

The increasing number of diesel vehicles on Europe's roads, particularly newer models, are a major source of nitrogen dioxide, one of the main precursor pollutants that form ozone, the report says.

That is because while modern diesel exhaust after-treatment systems reduce fine particle and other emissions, they increase direct nitrogen dioxide emissions.

Researchers said earlier this month that nitrogen dioxide emissions from diesel exhausts can disrupt honeybees' ability to recognize the smell of flowers, which could affect pollination and further undermine food production.

(Additional reporting by Barbara Lewis; editing by Tom Pfeiffer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wood-fires-diesel-cars-pose-pollution-threat-eu-070450457.html
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North Carolina official to accept gay marriage applications

By Barbara Goldberg

(Reuters) - North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper personally supports gay marriage but is committed to defending the state's ban on same-sex weddings, a spokeswoman said on Monday, a day before a local official said he would start accepting marriage applications from gay couples.

Drew Reisinger, Buncombe County register of deeds, said that until he gets Cooper's permission, he would withhold his signature from applications that gay couples were welcome to begin filing at 8 a.m. EDT on Tuesday.

He said he made the decision in light of the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a key part of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that denied benefits to same-sex married couples.

North Carolina is among 29 U.S. states with constitutional amendments defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Six other states, including Pennsylvania, have laws that do so.

Local officials in Pennsylvania and New Mexico, which has no law banning or approving same-sex nuptials, have begun issuing marriage licenses to gay couples since the June 26 high court ruling.

Reisinger wants to join their ranks, but his decision to first get Cooper's permission could put his effort on hold for a long time.

"The State Constitution says that these marriage licenses cannot be issued and this is the law unless the Constitution is changed or the court says otherwise," Noelle Talley, spokeswoman for Cooper, said in an email.

The Democratic attorney general personally supports gay marriage but he is committed to defending the state ban in a pending lawsuit, Talley said.

Reisinger told Reuters: "Lord knows I've had a handful of close friends who are in same-sex relationships come in and ask for a marriage license. It's hard to get the words out to tell them, 'No.'"

He said licenses were sought by six same-sex couples, including a lesbian couple together for 20 years whose request had been repeatedly denied.

"I have concerns about whether we are violating people's civil rights based on this summer's Supreme Court decision," said Reisinger, 30, who is married and was elected to his post in Asheville, North Carolina, three years ago.

In Pennsylvania, Attorney General Kathleen Kane, who also is a Democrat, said in July she would not defend her state's ban on gay marriage in a case before federal court in Pennsylvania, calling it "wholly unconstitutional."

Gay marriage opponents see local officials who issue marriage licenses to gay couples - even though they live outside the 13 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized gay marriage - as trying to make an end-run around the law.

While public backing for gay marriage in the United States has been growing, with a July Gallup poll showing 52 percent of Americans would like to see it legalized throughout the country, support is weakest in the South.

(Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-carolina-official-accept-gay-marriage-applications-020824285.html
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Boat Capsizes Near Miami; 30 People Rescued

MIAMI (AP) — A 45-foot boat capsized Sunday in waters near Miami, tossing 30 people into the sea during one of the city's busiest boating days, authorities said. All of those on board were rescued and no one was hurt.

The catamaran began taking on water near the Miami Sea Aquarium and Good Samaritans, the Coast Guard, state wildlife officials and commercial boats helped pluck people out of the water within minutes. A dog that was on the boat was also saved.

"It was an incredible effort," Coast Guard spokesman Ryan Doss said.

Thousands of boaters were on the water for Columbus Day celebrations.

It wasn't immediately why the boat started taking on water. Doss said he didn't know how many people the boat could hold.

A preliminary investigation indicated the boat was privately owned by someone who may have been charging people to taxi them to a party on Nixon Beach, Florida Fish and Wildlife spokesman Jorge Pino said. The agency is investigating what caused the boat to capsize.

The catamaran is still partially submerged in 6 to 8 feet of water.

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=233573377&ft=1&f=
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Did or didn't she? Beyonce questioned on lip sync

Beyonce sings the national anthem at the ceremonial swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Beyonce sings the national anthem at the ceremonial swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Beyonce sings the National Anthem at the ceremonial swearing-in for President Barack Obama at the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? There's no question Beyonce's rendition of the national anthem was a roaring success. The mystery: was it live or lip synced?

On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Marine Band told news outlets that Beyonce had lip synced at President Barack Obama's inauguration. Master Sgt. Kristin duBois said the band was notified at the last minute that Beyonce would use a pre-recorded voice track.

But by late afternoon, the Marine Corps backed off that statement.

Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Gregory Wolf said that because there was no opportunity for Beyonce to rehearse with the Marine Band, it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill advised. Instead they used a pre-recorded track for the band's portion of the song.

"Regarding Ms. Knowles-Carter's vocal performance," Wolf's statement continued, "no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded."

A representative for Beyonce did not respond to requests for comment.

DuBois declined to answer further questions. Earlier in the day, she told The New York Times that the rest of the inaugural performance was live and they did not know why a recorded track was used for the national anthem.

"It's not because Beyonce can't sing. We all know Beyonce can sing. We all know the Marine Band can play," she said.

Kelly Clarkson's representative said she sang live to perform "My Country, 'Tis of Thee."

Inaugural organizers did not respond to requests for comment.

All inaugural music is pre-recorded in case weather conditions or other circumstances could interrupt the program.

The use of a recording is typical in big events. In 2009, cellist Yo-Yo Ma was questioned about "hand-syncing" for Obama's first inauguration. Ma said instruments weren't functioning properly in 19-degree weather.

Even in good conditions, producing good sound can be a challenge in a large open space.

Some artists choose to lip-sync. Whitney Houston's memorable performance of the national anthem in 1991 at the Super Bowl was sung to a track.

___

Follow Brett Zongker at https://twitter.com/DCArtBeat

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-01-22-Inauguration-Beyonce%20Lip%20Sync/id-1a0e1983296248e0a462ddf28c63d96b

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