social

Viral 'Chinese Trump' wins laughs on both sides of Pacific

BY LUDOVIC EHRET

  • Another imperative is to "stay tuned" to news on Trump, who is "a goldmine of funny material", according to Chen, who said he also draws inspiration from American impressionists of the president.
  • Outstretching his hands in a signature Donald Trump pose, impersonator Ryan Chen mimics the US president's voice and gestures with such accuracy that he has become a social media phenomenon with his funny videos.
  • Another imperative is to "stay tuned" to news on Trump, who is "a goldmine of funny material", according to Chen, who said he also draws inspiration from American impressionists of the president.
Outstretching his hands in a signature Donald Trump pose, impersonator Ryan Chen mimics the US president's voice and gestures with such accuracy that he has become a social media phenomenon with his funny videos.
The 42-year-old from southwest China does not engage in political satire -- a minefield in the country that can lead to account suspension -- but has amassed millions of followers across Instagram, TikTok and Chinese platforms.
"Trump is an endless well that never runs dry, because he draws more online traffic than anyone else on the planet," Chen told AFP in his hometown of Chongqing that itself has gone viral over its labyrinthine cityscape and spicy food.
During his videos, which are in English with Chinese subtitles, Chen lightheartedly presents Chinese cuisine, customs, cultural differences, jokes with foreigners and dances to Village People's "YMCA", one of Trump's trademark stage songs.
And all his clips are peppered with Trump's unmistakable mannerisms and buzzwords like "tremendous" and "amazing".
"I'm not into politics, but I think he is a very good entertainer," said Chen of the American president, whom he followed when Trump hosted the reality TV show "The Apprentice".
"If I imitate him, it's not to make fun of him. It's to get attention," he told AFP in a white cowboy hat.
"With that attention, I can boost my career, as well as promote China and my hometown."

'Like a neighbour'

Chen stumbled across his online fame by chance, only taking off in 2025 with Trump's return to the White House.
The fan of "Friends" and "The Big Bang Theory" -- who had never visited the United States before this year -- started making online videos to teach English as a "back-up plan" from his job in architecture, a sector hit hard by the property crisis in China.
He had moderate success, but his videos only went viral after a friend challenged him to imitate Trump.
His appearance in April on a livestream by IShowSpeed, an American YouTuber with over 47 million subscribers who was visiting China at the time, further boosted his visibility.
Chen said Trump has become such a big part of his life he now feels a certain familiarity with him, "like a next-door neighbour". 
He sees himself as a "bridge" between international internet users eager to discover urban China, its "lively" atmosphere, and Chinese people keen to understand foreign humour and cultures.
The impersonator now has more than a million followers on Instagram, almost as many on TikTok, and more than 2.5 million on Chinese platforms, and is recognised on the streets.
Chen, who learned English by watching his favourite American series, said his secret is to sound like a "native speaker".
Another imperative is to "stay tuned" to news on Trump, who is "a goldmine of funny material", according to Chen, who said he also draws inspiration from American impressionists of the president.

'Try our hotpot'

The impersonator, whose real name is Chen Rui, said he is now able to make a living from his work through promotion, events and corporate parties.
"My main source of income is advertising," he said, with brands for cars, digital products, games or milk hiring him for their campaigns. 
In a sign his work has not upset the Trump administration, Chen announced in a video he had obtained a visa for the United States, which he is currently visiting for the first time.
And with Trump set to visit China this year, Chen called on the president to travel to Chongqing and "try our hotpot", which is famously spicy.
While a meeting between the real Trump and his Chinese impersonator would "probably be cool", Chen said he has no "burning desire" to do so because it would quickly become a diplomatic affair.
"I'm just a comedian," he said. "I have no political aspirations."
ehl/je/dhw/abs

art

'Girl with a Pearl Earring' to be shown in Japan, in rare trip abroad

  • "Girl with a Pearl Earring is one of the most famous paintings in the world...
  • Johannes Vermeer's painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" will be displayed in Japan later this year, the Dutch Mauritshuis museum said Thursday, a rare outing abroad for one of the world's most famous artworks.
  • "Girl with a Pearl Earring is one of the most famous paintings in the world...
Johannes Vermeer's painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" will be displayed in Japan later this year, the Dutch Mauritshuis museum said Thursday, a rare outing abroad for one of the world's most famous artworks.
The 17th century masterpiece will be loaned to the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka in August and September while its home museum in The Hague is closed for renovations.
"Girl with a Pearl Earring is one of the most famous paintings in the world... It is therefore loaned to other institutions only in highly exceptional circumstances," said the Mauritshuis.
The last time the portrait was out on loan was in 2023 for a less exotic trip to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The painting went on a world tour in 2012-2014 while major building work was ongoing at the Mauritshuis. Some 2.2 million people visited that exhibition, according to the museum.
"For the Mauritshuis, the Girl's trip to Japan is an unique opportunity for us to share her with the Japanese public, perhaps for the very last time," said Martine Gosselink, general director of the Mauritshuis, in a statement.
Dubbed the "Mona Lisa of the North" for the inscrutable expression of its subject, which recalls Leonardo Da Vinci's famous portrait, the painting attained global fame after inspiring a best-selling novel that was turned into a Hollywood film.
The small canvas shows a young woman set on a dark background, her head turned towards the viewer and a pearl earring glinting from beneath her blue and cream turban.
ric/giv

film

'One Battle After Another' leads SAG's Actor Awards noms with seven

BY ROMAIN FONSEGRIVES

  • "In case anyone was uncertain, 'One Battle After Another' is the frontrunner for the Oscars, setting the all-time nomination record, but 'Sinners' is also now tied for the second-most noms in history," Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis told AFP. "This is beginning to feel a little bit like 'La La Land' versus 'Moonlight' again," he said, referring to the 2017 Oscars showdown.
  • Paul Thomas Anderson's politically charged "One Battle After Another" on Wednesday set a record for nominations for the Screen Actors Guild's influential Actor Awards with seven, staking its claim to Oscars frontrunner status.
  • "In case anyone was uncertain, 'One Battle After Another' is the frontrunner for the Oscars, setting the all-time nomination record, but 'Sinners' is also now tied for the second-most noms in history," Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis told AFP. "This is beginning to feel a little bit like 'La La Land' versus 'Moonlight' again," he said, referring to the 2017 Oscars showdown.
Paul Thomas Anderson's politically charged "One Battle After Another" on Wednesday set a record for nominations for the Screen Actors Guild's influential Actor Awards with seven, staking its claim to Oscars frontrunner status.
Ryan Coogler's runaway hit period horror film "Sinners" came in second with five nominations, setting the stage for a two-horse race to the Academy Awards in March.
"One Battle After Another," which centers on an aging revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his teenage daughter (Chase Infiniti), is a rollicking ride featuring violent leftist radicals, immigration raids and white supremacists.
The film earned a nomination for the coveted best ensemble prize, SAG's equivalent of best picture. It will compete against "Sinners," "Frankenstein," "Hamnet" and "Marty Supreme."
"One Battle" also earned nods for best male actor (DiCaprio), best female actor (Infiniti), best supporting actor (Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro), best supporting actress (Teyana Taylor) and best stunt ensemble.
"Sinners" stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as twins in the criminal underworld who encounter a sinister force as they return home to racially segregated Mississippi in the 1930s.
Beyond best ensemble, it earned nominations for best actor (Jordan), best supporting actor (Miles Caton), best supporting actress (Wunmi Mosaku) and best stunt ensemble.
"One Battle" already won a duel with "Sinners" at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, taking home the prizes for best picture and best director. The two films split best screenplay honors.
"In case anyone was uncertain, 'One Battle After Another' is the frontrunner for the Oscars, setting the all-time nomination record, but 'Sinners' is also now tied for the second-most noms in history," Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis told AFP.
"This is beginning to feel a little bit like 'La La Land' versus 'Moonlight' again," he said, referring to the 2017 Oscars showdown.
The SAG Awards are voted on by Hollywood actors, who represent the biggest branch of the membership of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which votes for the Oscars.
The prizes are therefore closely watched as indicators of who might be in the running for an Academy Award.
The organization rebranded the awards as the Actor Awards in November.
For best actor, Timothee Chalamet solidified his Oscars campaign with a nod for his work in "Marty Supreme," while Jessie Buckley did the same, earning a nomination for her work as William Shakespeare's grief-stricken wife in "Hamnet."
Both won Critics Choice Awards on Sunday. 
Davis called the best actor contest a "tight race" between Chalamet, DiCaprio and Ethan Hawke ("Blue Moon"), while best actress honors are "firmly Jessie Buckley's to lose."
Davis said he was surprised that the Actors Awards nominations did not feature any non-English language films such as Norway's "Sentimental Value" or Brazil's "The Secret Agent."
The SAG Awards also honor television, with Hollywood satire "The Studio" -- already a big winner at the Emmys -- leading with five nominations.
The SAG Awards will take place on March 1 in Los Angeles, and will stream live on Netflix.
bur-sst/mlm

celebrity

Arraignment postponed for Rob Reiner's son over parents' murder

BY HUW GRIFFITH

  • Jackson, a high-profile attorney who has previously represented Hollywood clients including Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, told reporters he was "legally and ethically" barred from explaining why he had stepped back.
  • An arraignment for the son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner over the stabbing deaths of his parents was postponed Wednesday, after his lawyer stepped back from the case, while insisting his former client was not guilty of murder.
  • Jackson, a high-profile attorney who has previously represented Hollywood clients including Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, told reporters he was "legally and ethically" barred from explaining why he had stepped back.
An arraignment for the son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner over the stabbing deaths of his parents was postponed Wednesday, after his lawyer stepped back from the case, while insisting his former client was not guilty of murder.
Nick Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder over the double killing that sent shockwaves through Hollywood just days before Christmas.
The 32-year-old was arrested on December 14 after the bodies of his filmmaker father, and his mother, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, were discovered at their home in the upmarket Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Prosecutors said 79-year-old Rob Reiner -- who directed huge hits including "When Harry Met Sally" and "A Few Good Men" -- and his wife, 70, were stabbed to death.
Nick Reiner, who has a history of addiction, was expected to be arraigned on Wednesday -- a process where a defendant is formally told what charges he or she faces and has their rights explained. A suspect often enters a not guilty plea at this stage.
But proceedings were halted after the court heard that lawyer Alan Jackson was no longer representing Reiner. 
The judge appointed an attorney from the public defender's office in his sted, and set February 23 as the new date for the arraignment.
Jackson, a high-profile attorney who has previously represented Hollywood clients including Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, told reporters he was "legally and ethically" barred from explaining why he had stepped back.
"Circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick's control have dictated that, sadly, it's made it impossible for us to continue our representation of Nick," he said.
Jackson said he and his team remained committed to Reiner's best interests and had faith that the legal process would "reveal the true facts of the circumstances surrounding this case."
"We've investigated this matter top to bottom, back to front. What we've learned -- and you can take this to the bank -- is that pursuant to the laws of this state, pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder."
If convicted as charged, Reiner could face life in prison without parole, or the death penalty, although California does not routinely carry out capital punishment. 

Party

Reiner, who lived in a guest house on his parents' property, had attended a party at the home of comedian Conan O'Brien on December 13 with his parents, where some attendees reportedly spoke of his behaving erratically.
The New York Times, citing a source close to the family, said the couple had been due to dine with former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle on Sunday evening, and had seemingly booked an in-home massage for that day.
The paper said that when no one answered the door for the appointment, the therapist contacted the couple's daughter, Romy Reiner.
When she arrived with a friend, she discovered her father's body, and emergency services were called. Paramedics told her that her mother's body was also at the property.
Police arrested Nick Reiner several miles (kilometers) away from the scene of the crime later that night.
Rob Reiner, the son of legendary comedian Carl Reiner, started his showbiz career in acting.
He won fame as the oafish son-in-law Michael "Meathead" Stivic on groundbreaking 1970s sitcom "All in the Family," before transitioning to directing. 
As a director, he struck Hollywood gold.
His output included classic films like 1984's rock music mockumentary "This is Spinal Tap," fantasy gem "The Princess Bride" from 1987, and seminal coming-of-age movie "Stand By Me."
"A Few Good Men," starring Hollywood heavyweights Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.
hg/dw

film

Mourners pay tribute to Brigitte Bardot at Saint-Tropez funeral

BY FANNY CARRIER AND JEAN-FRANCOIS GUYOT WITH ADAM PLOWRIGHT IN PARIS

  • Hundreds of people, many with their pets, gathered to watch the ceremony on a giant screen in front of the yacht-filled Saint-Tropez marina, which the blonde star of "And God Created Woman" made famous. 
  • Well-wishers lined the streets in Brigitte Bardot's hometown of Saint-Tropez on Wednesday for the funeral of the French screen icon, who was buried in a seaside cemetery after dying last month of cancer.
  • Hundreds of people, many with their pets, gathered to watch the ceremony on a giant screen in front of the yacht-filled Saint-Tropez marina, which the blonde star of "And God Created Woman" made famous. 
Well-wishers lined the streets in Brigitte Bardot's hometown of Saint-Tropez on Wednesday for the funeral of the French screen icon, who was buried in a seaside cemetery after dying last month of cancer.
A day of commemorations for the renowned animal rights activist began with a Catholic service at the Notre-Dame de l'Assomption church, where her unusual wicker coffin was welcomed by her long-estranged son.
Hundreds of people, many with their pets, gathered to watch the ceremony on a giant screen in front of the yacht-filled Saint-Tropez marina, which the blonde star of "And God Created Woman" made famous. 
A white hearse then carried the reclusive legend of the late 1950s and 60s to her family's Mediterranean seaside grave, where the casket was buried in pale winter sunshine at a private ceremony.
"What I remember most is what she did for animals, she had a real sensitivity," Sandrine, a school assistant who had travelled several hours to pay her respects, told AFP.
She admitted that Bardot, who died in late December aged 91, had "a small streak of racism too, but it wasn't malicious -- she wasn't just that".
The 60-year-old from the Pyrenees mountains said she had expected a larger public turnout, suggesting some had stayed away because of criticism of Bardot's political views and convictions for inciting racial hatred.

'No frills' event

Bardot's best-known associations -- to the heyday of the New Wave French film industry, animal rights campaigning, and far-right politics -- were all represented at Friday's church service.
A host of fellow campaigners against animal cruelty and the son of late film star Jean-Paul Belmondo attended, as did French far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen.
Paul Watson, the Canadian founder of the Sea Shepherd anti-whaling charity, was among the 400 invitees for what organisers promised would be a "no frills" event.  
"Brigitte was my friend for 50 years," he told AFP, adding that he had attended "to recognise her incredible contribution to protecting animals around the world, especially her work on stopping the Canadian seal hunt".
He and others filed into the church past a photo of a smiling Bardot with one of her dogs, while a well-known image of her cuddling a baby seal was placed near the pulpit and on the front of the service booklet. 
Bardot gave up her film career at the height of her fame in 1973, settling in Saint-Tropez where she campaigned vigorously against bull-fighting, hunting, seal slaughter and horsemeat consumption -- all of which were referenced on Wednesday.  
A public commemoration in a park rounded out a day of tributes and remembrance for a woman considered both a symbol of Saint-Tropez -- whose jetset image she grew to detest -- as well as the sexual revolution of the 1960s.

Cancer battle

On the eve of the commemorations, Bardot's fourth and final husband, far-fight former political adviser Bernard d'Ormale, revealed the cause of her death.
Bardot had undergone two operations for an unspecified cancer before the disease "took her", d'Ormale told the Paris Match magazine in an interview about their life together. 
D'Ormale was seated in the front row on Wednesday alongside Bardot's only child, Nicolas-Jacques Charrier, who attended with his children and grandchildren. 
Charrier, 65, was brought up by his father, film director Jacques Charrier, and lives in Oslo.
Bardot had compared pregnancy to carrying a "tumour that fed on me" and called parenthood a "misery", living most of her life with no contact with her son. 
They drew closer in the final years of her life and he laid a wreath with a simple message -- "To Mother" -- and sobbed during Wednesday's service.

Divisive

The lack of a state commemoration for Bardot, one of France's best-known celebrities, as well as the mixed public reaction to her death, reflect her divisive character and much-debated legacy.
Most observers agree that she was a cinema legend who came to embody the swinging '60s in France and a form of women's emancipation through her acting and daring, unconventional persona.
But after she was convicted five times for racist hate speech, particularly against Muslims, left-wing figures have offered only muted tributes -- and sometimes none at all.
President Emmanuel Macron's office offered to organise a national homage similar to one staged for fellow New Wave hero Belmondo in 2021, but the idea was snubbed by Bardot's family.
Macron did not attend on Wednesday but sent a wreath.
fcc-jfg-adp/sbk

history

Frenchwoman accused of libel over Nazi 'collaborator' family novel

BY ALEXANDRE MARCHAND

  • The narrator's mother -- who is described as a "fervent collaborator" and propagandist during the Nazi occupation of part of France from 1940 to 1944 -- was inspired by the writer's own mother, they argue.
  • A historian of the Nazi occupation of France was being sued Wednesday by her own relatives for alleged libel after she promoted her first novel as inspired by her family's history.  
  • The narrator's mother -- who is described as a "fervent collaborator" and propagandist during the Nazi occupation of part of France from 1940 to 1944 -- was inspired by the writer's own mother, they argue.
A historian of the Nazi occupation of France was being sued Wednesday by her own relatives for alleged libel after she promoted her first novel as inspired by her family's history.  
Cecile Desprairies, 68, says her debut novel "The Propagandist" -- published in English last year -- is inspired by her own childhood, but family members have accused her of lying and want the title removed from bookstores.
"It's a fact: I grew up in a collaborationist family. They all were -- to varying degrees," Desprairies said after the book came out in French in 2023.
She was not present in court on Wednesday, but a lawyer represented her.
In the novel, the narrator's family all have different names to those of the author's real-life relatives, but the plaintiffs -- the author's brother and another relative -- say they are clearly identifiable.
In a legal complaint against Desprairies and her publisher seen by AFP, they accuse her of libel against her mother, great-uncle and half-brother of her grandmother. 
Both deny the charges.
The narrator's mother -- who is described as a "fervent collaborator" and propagandist during the Nazi occupation of part of France from 1940 to 1944 -- was inspired by the writer's own mother, they argue.
The same goes for the great-uncle and half-brother of her grandmother, add the plaintiffs. They filed their complaint as direct descendants of the alleged victims, less than three months after the book's publication in French.
"The author's resentment toward the targeted individuals permeates the entire work, which is conceived as a genuine act of family vengeance," they said.
The plaintiffs argue the writer acted in "utter bad faith" and there is an "absence of evidence" for the alleged collaboration of their relatives with the Nazis.

'Rot-riddled family romance'

The book received rave revues when it came out in English last year.
The Financial Times called the novel "a harrowing but elegantly constructed rot-riddled family romance", while the New Yorker described it as "a deeply personal act of expiation".
Desprairies has argued that since she wrote a novel and not a historical essay, some fiction is allowed.
"Most of the protagonists I was able to draw inspiration from were dead, so there's a liberation of speech," she told French television in 2023.
She added that "fiction was the only way to account for an era, for its relationship to the past and to history".
She says she found a Nazi propaganda poster in the attic of the family home, and sent a scanned copy to the judiciary, according to the complaint.
But the plaintiffs said the poster bears the same tear marks as one conserved at a Paris library, a copy of which can be downloaded.
She has also sent the judiciary a photograph of three people she said included her mother on a mountain in winter, arguing it showed "clear attachment to the sports values advocated by the Reich".
Desprairies has a new novel published by another publisher, titled "La Fille du Doute" ("The Daughter of Doubt") coming out in French next week.
amd/ah/as/jj

merger

Warner Bros rejects updated Paramount takeover bid, backs Netflix deal

  • Three days later, Paramount launched an all-cash tender offer valuing the entertainment giant at $108.4 billion.
  • The board of entertainment and news giant Warner Bros.
  • Three days later, Paramount launched an all-cash tender offer valuing the entertainment giant at $108.4 billion.
The board of entertainment and news giant Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) urged shareholders Wednesday to reject an updated takeover bid by rival Paramount, saying it is inferior to Netflix's offer.
Paramount amended its hostile takeover bid in mid-December to include an over-$40 billion personal financing guarantee from tech titan Larry Ellison, an ally of US President Donald Trump.
Ellison's son David is the CEO of Paramount Skydance, which controls the historic Hollywood studio as well as a host of TV groups, including CBS.
The board "has unanimously determined that Paramount Skydance's tender offer... is not in the best interests of WBD and its shareholders and does not meet the criteria of a 'Superior Proposal' under the terms of WBD's merger agreement with Netflix," Warner Bros said in a statement.
Netflix shocked the industry on December 5 by announcing it had sealed an agreement to buy the film and television studio and HBO Max streaming business for nearly $83 billion, the entertainment industry's biggest consolidation deal this decade.
Three days later, Paramount launched an all-cash tender offer valuing the entertainment giant at $108.4 billion.
It amended its proposal weeks later, seeking to address concerns about the sizable debt financing required for the offer.
"Paramount's offer continues to provide insufficient value, including terms such as an extraordinary amount of debt financing that create risks to close and lack of protections for our shareholders if a transaction is not completed," Warner Bros board chairman Samuel Piazza said Wednesday.
Unlike Netflix's offer, Paramount's bid includes the buyout of cable channels such as CNN, TNT, TBS and Discovery -- which would be added to its group of TV assets like CBS, MTV and Comedy Central.
The bidding war that will reshape Hollywood and US media has drawn White House attention, and is likely to face major regulatory scrutiny.
Trump has said he will be "involved" in any decision on the merger.
bur-des/

film

Nollywood meets Bollywood: filmmaker fuses Indian, Nigerian culture

BY SUSAN NJANJI

  • A potpourri of languages, actors switch between English, Pidgin and Hindi.
  • The greeting "namaste" associated with yoga and the Pidgin word for trouble, "wahala", widely used across the world thanks to Afrobeats, speak to Indian and Nigerian influences on the English language.
  • A potpourri of languages, actors switch between English, Pidgin and Hindi.
The greeting "namaste" associated with yoga and the Pidgin word for trouble, "wahala", widely used across the world thanks to Afrobeats, speak to Indian and Nigerian influences on the English language.
But the film industries of the two countries, each regional behemoths, have rarely crossed cultures.
Indian-Nigerian filmmaker Hamisha Daryani Ahuja, however, did just that, naming her first movie -- aimed at bringing together the world's two largest film industries, Bollywood and Nollywood -- "Namaste Wahala".
"Nollywood has grown up on Bollywood," the Mumbai-born, Lagos-raised Ahuja told AFP in an interview, referring to the popularity of Bollywood films in Nigeria.
"How come they never come together?" she said.
Her film became a global hit when it was released by Netflix during the Covid-19 pandemic -- signalling the start of a collaboration between the two massive movie sectors.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi even mentioned the film during his visit to Nigeria in late 2024.
And another "Namaste Wahala" film is now in the works, Ahuja revealed.
Since the 2020 release of her debut film, Ahuja has also had a Netflix series called "Postcards" and is preparing to premiere "Simi and Friends" this year.
With no formal movie-making training, "Namaste Wahala" -- a cross-cultural rom-com whose title means "Hello trouble" -- was "her schooling" in film, she said.
Shot in Lagos, it is about an Indian investment banker who falls in love with a Nigerian lawyer -- and their parents' struggle to accept their union.
A potpourri of languages, actors switch between English, Pidgin and Hindi.
"I decided to jump in without a thought," she recalled during a recent interview in the bustling mega-metropolis of Lagos, where she lives.

'Our cultures are so similar'

India and Nigeria combined are probably the world's biggest diaspora, "we have mass populations but more than that, but maybe less tangible, our culture is so loud", the 41-year-old said.
Nollywood is the second-most prolific film industry in the world after Bollywood in the sheer number of films it pumps out each year. 
Ahuja, a mother of two young boys, is putting the final touches to the animated "Simi and Friends", which is also packed with Indo-Nigerian cultural content.
The protagonist is a toddler, the daughter of a Nigerian father and an Indian mother. Her tiffin has plantain and samosas, the two countries' staple snacks. 
"It's fun, it's light," Ahuja said. "I'm bringing India and Nigeria together because it just works. People love it. People see themselves." 
"Our cultures are so similar. And I think that is also why Nigerians grew up on Bollywood because they recognise it, it's more conservative, more family tradition, more values" than Hollywood in the United States, she said.

Afrobeats

While not a direct sequel, her new "Namaste Wahala" movie includes heavy doses of Afrobeats -- a major Nigerian cultural export and one of the world's most influential and fast-growing musical genres.
"I am now marrying modern day with the 90s for 'Namaste Wahala 2.0'," Ahuja said.
She added she was confident the Afrobeats music featured in her new production would also strike a chord with Indian audiences, recalling having heard Nigerian singer Rema's hit "Calm Down" played in a Mumbai hotel lobby.
Asked whether she had encountered challenges in producing cross-culturally, she acknowledged that it could throw up surprises.
An Indian actor in one of the casts expected a "vanity van" akin to a five-star hotel to hang out, change and do make-up between shoots, she said.
Such a thing didn't exist in Lagos at the time.
Looking for Nigerian food while on a shoot in India is not always easy either.
"When I took my Nigerian actors to India, we had to go and source Nigerian food because the palette, even though we all like spice, it's not the same," Ahuja said. 
Aside from being the director, producer and at times actor, "I'm also the translator, and not necessarily only the language, but culture" too, she added.
sn/nro/kjm

Tarr

Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr dies aged 70

BY ANDRAS ROSTOVANYI

  • He started filmmaking as an amateur at the age of 16 with a camera his father gifted to him.
  • Legendary Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr, known for his long takes, monochromatic movies and depictions of desolate landscapes on the silver screen, died on Tuesday at the age of 70.
  • He started filmmaking as an amateur at the age of 16 with a camera his father gifted to him.
Legendary Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr, known for his long takes, monochromatic movies and depictions of desolate landscapes on the silver screen, died on Tuesday at the age of 70.
Hungary's national news agency MTI reported his death citing a statement director Bence Fliegauf made on behalf of the family.
"It is with deep sorrow that we announce that film director Bela Tarr passed away early this morning after a long and serious illness" local news site Telex quoted the statement as saying.
Tarr was best known for the movie "Satantango” (1994), a seven-hour epic about the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and its material and spiritual decline.
It was adopted from one of Nobel laureate writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai's best known novels, with whom he frequently collaborated.
Tarr "created colours by making them disappear, because in his great films he tried to speak as the sinner who nevertheless, with all his sins, must still be loved" Krasznahorkai said last year in a speech after receiving his Nobel prize. 
- 'Done everything' - 
Bela Tarr was born in the southern Hungarian university town of Pecs in 1955.
He started filmmaking as an amateur at the age of 16 with a camera his father gifted to him.
Tarr then joined Hungary's leading experimental film studio Bela Balazs Studio, which enabled him to make his first feature film, "Family Nest", in 1977. 
He made the first Hungarian independent feature film, "Damnation", which was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1988.
The film was co-written Krasznahorkai, marking the start of their long collaboration and friendship.
Tarr, who was often called "the Hungarian Tarkovsky", also directed a version of "Macbeth" in 1982, "Werckmeister Harmonies" in 2000, and "The Man from London" in 2007.
After completing his last feature film, "The Turin Horse" in 2011, Tarr announced his retirement, although he still did two short movies, in 2017 and 2019.
In recent years, Tarr devoted himself to educating a new generation of directors, teaching at multiple film academies in Hungary, Germany and France.
"I had done everything I wanted to" he told Hungarian weekly HVG in a 2019 interview. 
A passionate smoker, Tarr jokingly speculated in the interview whether the Hungarian state or a cigarette making company would pay for his funeral.
His last public appearance was smoking in a music video released last November.

The 'freest man'

Tarr was a well-known critic of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, calling the nationalist leader the "shame of Hungary" in a 2016 interview. He also criticised US President Donald Trump and French far-right leader Marine Le Pen in the same piece.
Last year, he read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the opening of LGBTQ Pride month in Budapest, following Orban's efforts to ban the Pride march in the name of "child protection".
Budapest mayor Gergely Karacsony paid tribute to Tarr in a Facebook post.
"The freest man I know died" he said, hailing the late director for his love of human dignity and focusing on what was essential.
"Thank you for everything, and all the best in the hereafter," he added.
ros/rmb

Society

Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr dies aged 70

  • He started filmmaking as an amateur at the age of 16 with a camera his father gifted to him.
  • Legendary Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr, known for his long takes, monochromatic films and depictions of desolate landscapes on the silver screen, died on Tuesday at the age of 70.
  • He started filmmaking as an amateur at the age of 16 with a camera his father gifted to him.
Legendary Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr, known for his long takes, monochromatic films and depictions of desolate landscapes on the silver screen, died on Tuesday at the age of 70.
Hungary's national news agency MTI reported his death citing a statement director Bence Fliegauf made on behalf of the family.
"It is with deep sorrow that we announce that film director Bela Tarr passed away early this morning after a long and serious illness" local news site Telex quoted the statement as saying.
Bela Tarr was born in the southern Hungarian university town of Pecs in 1955.
He started filmmaking as an amateur at the age of 16 with a camera his father gifted to him.
Tarr then joined Hungary's leading experimental film studio Bela Balazs Studio, which enabled him to make his first feature film, "Family Nest", in 1977. 
He made the first Hungarian independent feature film, "Damnation", which was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1988.
The film was co-written by Laszlo Krasznahorkai, whom he frequently collaborated with and who, in 2025, won the Nobel prize for literature.
Tarr was best known for the best known for the movie "Satantango" (1994), a seven-hour epic about the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and its material and spiritual decline.
It was adapted from one of Krasznahorkai's best-known novels. 
After completing his last feature film, "The Turin Horse" in 2011, Tarr announced his retirement, although he still did two short movies, in 2017 and 2019.
In recent years, Tarr devoted himself to educating a new generation of directors, teaching at multiple film academies in Hungary, Germany and France.
"I had done everything I wanted to" he told Hungarian weekly HVG in a 2019 interview. 
ros/rmb

music

Taylor's endorsement prompts Swift sell-out for Sancerre wine

BY ADAM PLOWRIGHT

  • "Despite the tariffs, and perhaps not everyone would say the same way, but I don't think there's been a major impact on our appellation," he said, adding that Sancerre was positioned as a pricey but still accessible product. 
  • A French wine maker has hailed the impact of his Sancerre appearing in Taylor Swift's latest documentary which looks set to deepen America's love affair with the famed Loire appellation.
  • "Despite the tariffs, and perhaps not everyone would say the same way, but I don't think there's been a major impact on our appellation," he said, adding that Sancerre was positioned as a pricey but still accessible product. 
A French wine maker has hailed the impact of his Sancerre appearing in Taylor Swift's latest documentary which looks set to deepen America's love affair with the famed Loire appellation.
A bottle of Sancerre by the Terres Blanches domaine, which sells for around $40 in the United States, is glimpsed briefly by a mixing desk during episode five of the "End of an Era" documentary about Swift on Disney.
That was enough for the army of online "Swifties", who scrutinise the singer's every move, to identify "Taylor's wine".
Stocks quickly sold out on the website of its US distributor, providing the latest example of what has become known as Swiftonomics -- the ability of the 36-year-old billionaire to make or break brands with an endorsement. 
"It's pretty mad. You can't put a price on it," Laurent Saget, who runs Terres Blanches, told AFP. 
"Even if we had wanted to place one of our bottles in such a widely watched series, we couldn't have afforded it. It's nice to have a spotlight land on the appellation and on our domaine," he added.
Saget, 40, said he didn't know Swift's music, but he'd be happy to welcome the soon-to-be-married megastar to the small family-owned property in the village of Bue, which produces 80,000 to 120,000 bottles a year.
Swift is known to be a wine fan, referencing the drink frequently in her lyrics as well as photos posted to social media.
When asked in 2018 by TV host Ellen DeGeneres what she would bring to a dinner party, she showed no hesitation in replying "white wine", before adding her preferences: "Sancerre, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc."

Popularity

Sancerre is one of France's most famous wine-making regions, located in the central Loire Valley, where its famously crisp whites are produced from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc and its reds with Pinot Noir.  
It has steadily built a following in the United States, earning a reputation as a quintessential quality French white alongside others from Burgundy.
Its popularity abroad means that around two out of three bottles of white Sancerre produced each year are exported, with about half crossing the Atlantic to the United States, according to industry figures.
New tariffs of 15 percent imposed on French wine by US President Donald Trump are not expected to hit demand, said Saget.
"Despite the tariffs, and perhaps not everyone would say the same way, but I don't think there's been a major impact on our appellation," he said, adding that Sancerre was positioned as a pricey but still accessible product. 
Other famous Sancerre fans include American basketball star LeBron James and Spanish singer Rosalia. 
Its fortunes differ sharply with France's wine industry as a whole, which is struggling with over-production, fierce competition internationally, and declining domestic consumption.
Even in some of the best-known regions such as Bordeaux, low-end producers are ripping up vines to plant other crops, including olives.
adp/phz

cinema

Nigeria's 'Kannywood' tiptoes between censor boards and modernity

BY KADIATOU SAKHO

  • Young creatives -- influenced not just by their peers in the wealthier Christian south of the country, but even as far as India -- are hoping to expand the audience beyond Nigeria's borders for the north's frenetic "Kannywood" cinema industry, known for churning out some 200 films a month.
  • Long overshadowed by south Nigeria's Nollywood, filmmakers in the north of Africa's cinema powerhouse are pushing boundaries in search of international eyeballs -- all while navigating the Muslim-majority region's social conservatism. 
  • Young creatives -- influenced not just by their peers in the wealthier Christian south of the country, but even as far as India -- are hoping to expand the audience beyond Nigeria's borders for the north's frenetic "Kannywood" cinema industry, known for churning out some 200 films a month.
Long overshadowed by south Nigeria's Nollywood, filmmakers in the north of Africa's cinema powerhouse are pushing boundaries in search of international eyeballs -- all while navigating the Muslim-majority region's social conservatism. 
Young creatives -- influenced not just by their peers in the wealthier Christian south of the country, but even as far as India -- are hoping to expand the audience beyond Nigeria's borders for the north's frenetic "Kannywood" cinema industry, known for churning out some 200 films a month.
With some 80 million speakers of the north's Hausa language spread across west and central Africa -- not to mention the vast Nigerian diaspora around the world -- Kannywood's potential market is huge.
Yet reconciling international expectations with local constraints is no easy task: Islam's sharia law code runs alongside common law in Kano state, the bustling cultural hub of northern Nigeria, and a government censor board reviews music and film production.
Kamilu Ibrahim is among the directors hoping to break the mould -- in addition to pushing to include "aspects that are not commonly seen in Hausa films", Ibrahim has also put English and Arabic subtitles in his work in a bid to reach a wider audience.
Filmmakers still find a way to focus on the same themes that dominate Nollywood: love, vengeance and treason all make good fodder for the at times over-the-top melodrama Nigerian movies are known for.
But nudity, "sexual scenes" as well as "content that is contrary to customs, traditions, and religion" are all out of bounds, Abba El-Mustapha, an actor and director who also serves as the executive secretary of the Kano State film censorship board, told AFP.

Hausa-focused streamers

When AFP visited Ibrahim's set last year, he was filming season two of "Wata Shida", a series about a woman confronted with the prospect of a forced marriage.
In order to get out of it, she marries another man, with both of them seeking the convenience of a partnership on paper, rather than real romance -- an on-the-nose plotline in a region where women and girls are frequently wedded to their parents' choice of husband. 
"We are not used to seeing someone going out in pursuit of a dream without family consent," Ibrahim said, noting the importance of films to "question certain important social issues".
"Wata Shida" actor Adam Garba said he hopes to see the series broadcast on a major streaming platform one day -- though for now, it's available on YouTube.
Most Nigerian films on major streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime are from the country's richer south, where Hausa is a minority language.
"They have more budget, more equipment, they have more sponsors, more investors," Garba told AFP.
That might be changing.
Freshly launched Arewaflix is a new streaming initiative from Abdurrahman Muhammad Amart, a Nigerian production company CEO.
Arewaflix will be a service "not only for Hausa films, but also for films in other languages from northern Nigeria", including Nupe and Kanuri, Amart said.
Subtitles are planned in English, French and Arabic.
It's not the first such attempt: Northflix, another Hausa-focused effort, shuttered in 2023 amid slow growth.
Getting people to pay for media is tough in any country. Nigeria -- where millions live in poverty, compounded by an economic crisis since 2023 -- is no exception.
"When a film is accessible to a hundred people on a platform with poor security, it can quickly be pirated and circulated everywhere," said Mustapha, the censor board secretary.

Bollywood inspiration

The industry is known for its scrappiness, but the key to international growth is better production equipment, said director Umar Abdulmalik.
With top-notch stories and production, the language barrier won't be an issue, he predicted, noting how India's Bollywood has become a media staple in Nigeria, despite many viewers not speaking English or Hindi, "because they are carried away by the characters' emotions".
For now, though, there's one tradition that Kannywood seems set to stick with: doing more with less.
On the set of "Wata Shida", the heat was rising as the call to prayer rang out from nearby mosques.
After calling cut, director Ibrahim called for another take.
"That's good, but we can do better," he said. "Let's do it again."
ks/nro/sn/sbk/ach

lifestyle

Thousands attend annual minstrel parade in S.Africa's Cape Town

  • "It is globally unique to Cape Town, deeply entrenched as part of our city's beloved and beautiful heritage," he said.
  • Thousands lined the streets of Cape Town Monday for the colourful annual minstrels' parade, a cornerstone of South African culture rooted in the city's history of slavery.
  • "It is globally unique to Cape Town, deeply entrenched as part of our city's beloved and beautiful heritage," he said.
Thousands lined the streets of Cape Town Monday for the colourful annual minstrels' parade, a cornerstone of South African culture rooted in the city's history of slavery.
Troupes of thousands of minstrels marched and danced in bright, satin costumes, many twirling umbrellas and tossing walking sticks as they were accompanied by brass bands, traditional goema beats and strumming banjos.
Spectators pitched tents and umbrellas to shield themselves against the scorching heat during the hours-long New Year's parade, marred this year by disputes over the route, date and claims of commercialisation.
"It is not New Year unless you see the troupes, that is my heritage," said Vanessa Hendricks, 65, who has been attending the Tweede Nuwe Jaar (Second New Year) carnival since she was 16 years old.
The tradition began more than 100 years ago, when enslaved people from Africa and Southeast Asia were given a day off to celebrate the new year.
With some people of European descent, they formed a population still largely known as Cape Coloureds, many of whom cherish the carnival as a celebration of their culture, identity and heritage. 
"This is a cultural practice that you will not see anywhere else," said city mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, at the start of the parade. 
"It is globally unique to Cape Town, deeply entrenched as part of our city's beloved and beautiful heritage," he said.
Organisers said around 17 troupes made up of about 20,000 performers were expected at this year's event, which culminated in a city stadium for an on-stage competition watched by more than 15,000 people.
str-br/ho/cc

film

Chalamet boosts Oscar bid with Critics Choice Awards win

BY ANDREW MARSZAL

  • - Oscars momentum - The awards bestowed by North America's largest critics' group could give movie campaigns much-needed extra momentum as Oscars voting nears.
  • Timothee Chalamet's Oscars campaign earned a major boost Sunday as he scooped the best actor prize for "Marty Supreme" at the Critics Choice Awards, the first major gala of this year's Hollywood awards season.
  • - Oscars momentum - The awards bestowed by North America's largest critics' group could give movie campaigns much-needed extra momentum as Oscars voting nears.
Timothee Chalamet's Oscars campaign earned a major boost Sunday as he scooped the best actor prize for "Marty Supreme" at the Critics Choice Awards, the first major gala of this year's Hollywood awards season.
He defeated rival Leonardo DiCaprio, whose raucous political thriller "One Battle After Another" took the night's top prize for best picture, as well as best director and best adapted screenplay for Paul Thomas Anderson.
In "Marty Supreme," Chalamet plays a 1950s table tennis champion consumed by grand ambitions.
Loosely based on a true story, and benefiting from the Franco-American actor's unique viral campaign, the film directed by Josh Safdie ("Uncut Gems") has become an unlikely global hit.
"Josh, you made a story about a flawed man with a relatable dream," said Chalamet.
"And you didn't preach to the audience about what's right and wrong, and I think we should all be telling stories like that, so thank you for this dream."
The movie is loosely based on the life of table tennis star Marty Reisman, a man driven by the belief that he can achieve fame and fortune through a sport little known in the United States.
Chalamet -- the "Dune" superstar and two-time Oscar nominee who recently portrayed Bob Dylan in "A Complete Unknown" -- rigorously trained in table tennis for the role.
The 30-year-old has in the past made no secret of his ambitions to win multiple Academy Awards, and will now be the frontrunner for the ceremony on March 15.

Oscars momentum

The awards bestowed by North America's largest critics' group could give movie campaigns much-needed extra momentum as Oscars voting nears.
This year, it took the coveted first weekend of awards season usually occupied by the Golden Globes, which will take place in Beverly Hills next weekend.
Jessie Buckley won best actress for her tragic role as the wife of William Shakespeare in period drama "Hamnet."
Jacob Elordi won best supporting actor for his portrayal of the Monster in "Frankenstein," which also won three technical awards, while Amy Madigan won supporting actress for a villainous turn in horror flick "Weapons."
Netflix's global mega-hit musical "KPop Demon Hunters" won best animated feature and best song.
"Sinners," a period horror film also seen as a major contender for many of this season's top prizes, had to settle for best original screenplay, young actor, score, and casting and ensemble.
Among the television prizes, hospital saga "The Pitt" won best drama, Hollywood satire "The Studio" won best comedy, and teen murder drama "Adolescence" won best limited series.
Best talk show winner Jimmy Kimmel joked about his spat with US President Donald Trump last year, which saw the late-night host briefly taken off the air. 
"Thank you, Mr President, for all the many ridiculous things you do each and every day," said Kimmel.
"A FIFA Peace Prize would have been better but this is nice too," Kimmel joked.
In the show's opening monologue, host Chelsea Handler paid tribute to the late Rob Reiner, "the nicest guy in Hollywood."
The beloved "When Harry Met Sally" director and his wife Michele were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home last month. 
"Anyone who ever spent time with Rob Reiner knows that the minute that you met him, he felt like an old friend," she said, to emotional applause from the gathered A-listers and critics. 
amz/sst

Canada

Third 'Avatar' film passes the $1 billion mark worldwide

  • It is the fourth Cameron film to pass the $1 billion mark, with the first two "Avatar" films and "Titanic."
  • "Avatar: Fire and Ash" has surpassed the $1 billion mark at the global box office, as it kept the top spot in North American theaters with another $40 million in ticket sales, industry estimates showed Sunday.  
  • It is the fourth Cameron film to pass the $1 billion mark, with the first two "Avatar" films and "Titanic."
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" has surpassed the $1 billion mark at the global box office, as it kept the top spot in North American theaters with another $40 million in ticket sales, industry estimates showed Sunday.  
The third installment in director James Cameron's blockbuster series has now earned $306 million in the United States and Canada, and another $777 million abroad, putting the total at $1.08 billion, Exhibitor Relations reported. 
"Fire and Ash" stars Zoe Saldana as Na'vi warrior Neytiri and Sam Worthington as ex-Marine Jake Sully, who must battle a new foe threatening their family's life on the planet Pandora.
It is the fourth Cameron film to pass the $1 billion mark, with the first two "Avatar" films and "Titanic."
In second place in North America was "Zootopia 2," Disney's feel-good animated film and an Oscar contender, at $19 million. Its global total now stands at nearly $1.6 billion.
Coming in third at $14.9 million was Lionsgate's "The Housemaid," a film version of Freida McFadden's best-selling novel about a young woman (Sydney Sweeney) who is hired by a wealthy couple (Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar) with dark secrets.
"Marty Supreme," A24's period sports drama starring Timothee Chalamet, finished in fourth place with $12.6 million.
"Anaconda," the new meta comedy action flick starring Paul Rudd and Jack Black as friends trying to reboot the original 1997 horror film, finished in fifth place with $10 million.
Rounding out the top 10 are:
"The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" ($8.2 million)
"David" ($8 million)
"Song Sung Blue" ($5.8 million)
"Wicked: For Good" ($3.3 million)
"Five Nights at Freddy's 2" ($2.7 million)
bur-sst/des