Pallade Veneta - Culture

Van Gogh 'Sunflowers' brought together in London show

A hundred years after acquiring one of Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers", Britain's National Gallery in London will bring his vision to life by showcasing three works side-by-side for the first time.

Comedy offers new routine for women prisoners in Paraguay

Adriana Torres is due for release soon from the biggest women's prison in the South American nation of Paraguay.

'Ecocide' on Easter Island never took place, studies suggest

Two recent studies have cast doubt on a popular theory that the ancient residents of Easter Island suffered a societal collapse because they overexploited their natural resources, an event often labelled one of history's first "ecocides".

Tory Burch evokes sport - but not sportswear - at New York Fashion Week

American designer Tory Burch unveiled a collection imbued with the spirit of sport -- but without venturing into sportswear -- at New York Fashion Week on Monday.

Michael Kors brings Italian air to New York Fashion Week

Fashion designer Michael Kors brought an Italian air to New York Fashion Week, presenting his Spring/Summer 2025 collection Tuesday as the brand remains embroiled in a legal battle with competition authorities.

Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris for US president

Taylor Swift, a self-declared "childless cat lady," has endorsed Kamala Harris for president of the United States.

'Piano Lesson' premiere in Toronto a family affair for Denzel

Denzel Washington and his family celebrated the screening in Toronto of Oscar hopeful "The Piano Lesson," the latest Hollywood adaptation of an August Wilson play in which the entire clan was involved.

'Emily in Paris' spotlights designer looks with product placement

From Google and Samsung to LVMH, AMI, Jacquemus and even Lidl, brands galore take centre stage in the latest season of Netflix hit series "Emily in Paris", outshining its plot and characters.

Alfonso Cuaron takes on TV with 'Disclaimer'

Director Alfonso Cuaron is taking on prestige television with "Disclaimer," a seven-part psychological thriller starring fellow Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline, but he said Monday the end result is still a film -- a very long one.

Brazil's shutdown of X fans debate over free speech curbs

Is Brazil's shutdown of Elon Musk's X a drastic but necessary move in the global fight against disinformation, or pure censorship?

Beyonce's 'Cowboy Carter' snubbed by Country Music awards

Beyonce did not receive a Country Music Association awards nomination when the nods for the 58th edition were announced Monday, even though her "Cowboy Carter" album proved a cultural phenomenon upon release this year.

"RIP dad": Hollywood mourns James Earl Jones, voice of Darth Vader

Stars of the screen are mourning the death of James Earl Jones, the voice of "Star Wars" villain Darth Vader, on Monday at the age of 93.

James Earl Jones: stage legend, voice of Darth Vader

James Earl Jones, a versatile and award-winning American stage and screen actor who used his booming deep voice to bring the iconic "Star Wars" villain Darth Vader to life, has died, his representatives said Monday. He was 93 years old.

Jailed movie producer Weinstein undergoes heart surgery

Disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein, 72, was rushed from a New York prison to hospital for emergency heart surgery on Monday, US media reported.

Nobel peace laureate Malala brings new documentary to Toronto

Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai, who unveiled her first documentary with Apple TV+ at the Toronto film festival, said Monday that its inspiring story of elderly South Korean women sea divers dovetails perfectly with her own activism.

Awe and trepidation as AI comes for smartphones

Matthew Day was keen to find out if an artificial intelligence-packed Google Pixel 9 smartphone could tell him a great local fishing spot.

Vatican thriller 'Conclave' drums up Oscars buzz in Toronto

How do Catholic cardinals choose a new pope? What happens in their closed-door meetings? That is the premise of Vatican thriller "Conclave," starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci, which screened at the Toronto film festival on Sunday.

Kendrick Lamar to headline 2025 Super Bowl halftime show

Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar will headline next year's Super Bowl half-time show in New Orleans, the artist confirmed in a statement on Sunday.

New 'Beetlejuice' creeps its way to top of N.America box office

It was 36 years in the coming, but Warner Bros.' new comedy horror "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" scored a sensational opening this weekend, earning an estimated $110 million in North American theaters, analysts said.

Indonesian villagers dress corpses in ritual for the dead

A family on an Indonesian island poses with a relative dressed in a school uniform, while an elderly member of the local community stands patiently as loved ones put a sarong and a white shirt around him.

Amy Adams gets real about motherhood in 'Nightbitch'

As far as movie taglines go, this one is epic: "Motherhood is a bitch." In director Marielle Heller's latest feature, it is both literal and figurative.

Pedro Almodovar: chronicler of modern Spain crowned in Venice

Born during the dark days of dictatorship, Pedro Almodovar -- awarded the top prize in Venice Saturday -- chronicled in vivid colour the reopening of Spanish society, and has come to embody his country's cinema.

Almodovar wins top Venice prize for end-of-life film

Spain's Pedro Almodovar won Venice's Golden Lion award Saturday for his pro-euthanasia film "The Room Next Door", with the acting prizes gong to Nicole Kidman and veteran Frenchman Vincent Lindon.

Garfield, Pugh charm Toronto in new romance 'We Live in Time'

Oscar nominees Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are both hard-pressed to explain exactly how on-screen chemistry is created, but they have oodles of it in their new tearjerker romance "We Live in Time," which debuted at the Toronto film festival.

Nicole Kidman: A-lister, cinematic chameleon, wins in Venice

One of Hollywood's biggest stars who is never afraid to push herself, Nicole Kidman ventured even further from her comfort zone with erotic thriller "Babygirl", which saw her named best actress in Venice on Saturday.

Almodovar wins top prize at Venice film festival

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for "The Room Next Door", while France's Vincent Lindon and Australian star Nicole Kidman took the top acting prizes.

Venice set to award Golden Lion after star-filled competition

The Venice Film Festival wraps up Saturday with one winner to be awarded the prestigious Golden Lion prize out of an eclectic roster of exceptional international films.

Ukrainians assail Russian war film at Venice fest

Ukrainian politicians and cultural figures on Friday slammed a screening of a Russian-Canadian filmmaker's war documentary as propaganda, a claim the director denied.

Bossa nova 'Mas Que Nada' star Sergio Mendes dead at 83

Brazilian music legend Sergio Mendes, who helped catapult bossa nova onto the global stage in the 1960s with hits including "Mas Que Nada," died in Los Angeles at the age of 83, his family said Friday.

Vienna cemetery celebrates 150 years with graveyard concerts

Hundreds of revellers flocked to Vienna's Central Cemetery on Friday to attend a graveyard concert commemorating the famous site's 150th birthday, doing justice to the local expression "Death must be a Viennese".

Bossa nova 'Mas Que Nada' star Sergio Mendes dies at 83