Latest news with #Guido
West Australian
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Adrian Barich: Life Is Beautiful, Dead Poets Society and Spotlight are just some movies that make you feel
Has a movie ever had an emotional impact on you? I mean, as in, you've found yourself lying or sitting there afterwards, in silence, touched by something you've just seen. That was me last week, rewatching the 1997 movie Life Is Beautiful. I didn't know if I was sad, happy or just simply stunned. This was a movie that came out at the turn of the century, which was so powerful that I thought about it for days after I watched it again. When I first saw the film, I honestly thought it was a romantic comedy. I have always been partial to a good spaghetti western, especially featuring Terence Hill and Bud Spencer, so watching Life Is Beautiful didn't seem a big stretch. And for the first hour or so, it did seem like a rom-com in its own quirky, Italian way. Roberto Benigni's character, Guido, is all charm and chaos, winning over the love of his life with slapstick humour. It was funny. Warm. Light on its feet. Then, without warning, it turns. And by the end, it's something else entirely: something devastatingly human, or maybe inhuman. At the time, it didn't quite connect (mind you, in my 30s I was probably about as deep as puddle). I was younger and without kids, so I hadn't yet felt what it means to want to protect someone so badly that you'd bend reality for them. Watching it now, it felt like a gut punch. Guido, now a father, finds himself and his young son in a nazi concentration camp. To shield the boy from the horror, he creates a fantasy: that it's all a game. If the boy follows the 'rules' and earns enough points, he'll win a real tank. Years later, the boy, who's now grown up, calls that illusion 'his gift to me'. I may not have fully understood that message when I first saw the film, but I do now. That line strikes a chord: it makes you think about what it means to shield someone, not out of deception, but out of love. Lately, the world feels pretty heavy, doesn't it? And there are all sorts of headlines that you may want to shield your kids or grandkids from. And so, it's got some of us thinking about sanctuaries. Not just physical spaces, but emotional ones. A grandparent's house. A mate's shed. A treehouse. A conversation you don't have. The ability to hold back the world for just a bit longer, until they're ready. We live in an age where information, especially of the worst kind, is just about impossible to avoid. Kids see more than we ever did. So the instinct remains: to preserve a little innocence for as long as we can. It's not a new idea; sometimes harsh life lessons delivered through stories have been around since Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm were boys. And the final moments have always been used to cut through everything and hit you 'in the feels'. I remember feeling shaken when I walked out of the film Spotlight, about journalists at The Boston Globe uncovering child abuse in the city's Catholic church. The slow scroll of cities and towns where priests had been accused of abuse went on for page after page, and left me speechless. Or that moment in Dead Poets Society, when Todd climbs on the desk and says, 'O Captain! My Captain!' It was the kind of scene you never forget. Even that mighty TV comedy Blackadder got real in its final episode. Set in the trenches of World War I, in the final three minutes, Blackadder stopped being a comedy and became a tribute to the futility of war: one of the most subtly powerful anti-war statements ever seen. And what about the final scene of The Shawshank Redemption, when Andy Dufresne finally reaches the Pacific? Freedom, hope and friendship all washing ashore. And while I've got you, let's think about The Usual Suspects. That twist when Verbal Kint is revealed to be Keyser Soze left me gobsmacked. Some people reckon they saw that coming; yeah, right. I've lost count of how many people swear they knew all along that Bruce Willis was a ghost in The Sixth Sense. Roughly equivalent to how many blokes are adamant they were sitting right behind Dom Sheed, when he kicked the winning goal in the 2018 AFL Grand Final. It's like that most famous of all endings, when it's revealed in Planet Of The Apes that that the space adventure was actually playing out on Earth. I'll admit that I was as confused as Charlton Heston when he saw the Statue of Liberty buried in the sand. I've spent most of my life reporting on sport — Eagles' premierships, triumphant wins, heartbreaking losses and all the drama in between. And as I've said previously, sport matters. But other stories can remind you what's really important. Heroic acts don't just happen in stadiums. Sometimes they happen in kitchens. In bedtime stories. In the choice to tell your child that the world is still a safe place. In pretending, just for a little while longer, that life is beautiful.
Perth Now
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
The films that have left me stunned
Has a movie ever had an emotional impact on you? I mean, as in, you've found yourself lying or sitting there afterwards, in silence, touched by something you've just seen. That was me last week, rewatching the 1997 movie Life Is Beautiful. I didn't know if I was sad, happy or just simply stunned. This was a movie that came out at the turn of the century, which was so powerful that I thought about it for days after I watched it again. When I first saw the film, I honestly thought it was a romantic comedy. I have always been partial to a good spaghetti western, especially featuring Terence Hill and Bud Spencer, so watching Life Is Beautiful didn't seem a big stretch. And for the first hour or so, it did seem like a rom-com in its own quirky, Italian way. Roberto Benigni's character, Guido, is all charm and chaos, winning over the love of his life with slapstick humour. It was funny. Warm. Light on its feet. Then, without warning, it turns. And by the end, it's something else entirely: something devastatingly human, or maybe inhuman. At the time, it didn't quite connect (mind you, in my 30s I was probably about as deep as puddle). I was younger and without kids, so I hadn't yet felt what it means to want to protect someone so badly that you'd bend reality for them. Watching it now, it felt like a gut punch. Guido, now a father, finds himself and his young son in a nazi concentration camp. To shield the boy from the horror, he creates a fantasy: that it's all a game. If the boy follows the 'rules' and earns enough points, he'll win a real tank. Years later, the boy, who's now grown up, calls that illusion 'his gift to me'. I may not have fully understood that message when I first saw the film, but I do now. That line strikes a chord: it makes you think about what it means to shield someone, not out of deception, but out of love. Lately, the world feels pretty heavy, doesn't it? And there are all sorts of headlines that you may want to shield your kids or grandkids from. And so, it's got some of us thinking about sanctuaries. Not just physical spaces, but emotional ones. A grandparent's house. A mate's shed. A treehouse. A conversation you don't have. The ability to hold back the world for just a bit longer, until they're ready. We live in an age where information, especially of the worst kind, is just about impossible to avoid. Kids see more than we ever did. So the instinct remains: to preserve a little innocence for as long as we can. It's not a new idea; sometimes harsh life lessons delivered through stories have been around since Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm were boys. And the final moments have always been used to cut through everything and hit you 'in the feels'. I remember feeling shaken when I walked out of the film Spotlight, about journalists at The Boston Globe uncovering child abuse in the city's Catholic church. The slow scroll of cities and towns where priests had been accused of abuse went on for page after page, and left me speechless. Or that moment in Dead Poets Society, when Todd climbs on the desk and says, 'O Captain! My Captain!' It was the kind of scene you never forget. Even that mighty TV comedy Blackadder got real in its final episode. Set in the trenches of World War I, in the final three minutes, Blackadder stopped being a comedy and became a tribute to the futility of war: one of the most subtly powerful anti-war statements ever seen. And what about the final scene of The Shawshank Redemption, when Andy Dufresne finally reaches the Pacific? Freedom, hope and friendship all washing ashore. And while I've got you, let's think about The Usual Suspects. That twist when Verbal Kint is revealed to be Keyser Soze left me gobsmacked. Some people reckon they saw that coming; yeah, right. I've lost count of how many people swear they knew all along that Bruce Willis was a ghost in The Sixth Sense. Roughly equivalent to how many blokes are adamant they were sitting right behind Dom Sheed, when he kicked the winning goal in the 2018 AFL Grand Final. It's like that most famous of all endings, when it's revealed in Planet Of The Apes that that the space adventure was actually playing out on Earth. I'll admit that I was as confused as Charlton Heston when he saw the Statue of Liberty buried in the sand. I've spent most of my life reporting on sport — Eagles' premierships, triumphant wins, heartbreaking losses and all the drama in between. And as I've said previously, sport matters. But other stories can remind you what's really important. Heroic acts don't just happen in stadiums. Sometimes they happen in kitchens. In bedtime stories. In the choice to tell your child that the world is still a safe place. In pretending, just for a little while longer, that life is beautiful.
The South African
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
Six heartwarming movies about father-son relationships
These movies about father-son relationships are perfect for spending quality time with the dad in your life. And with Father's Day on Sunday, you may want to press play on one of them this long weekend. Love, letting go, forgiveness, and mutual understanding are common themes in these father-son movies. With settings that span the globe, these films show how universal these storylines truly are. Just add a bag of popcorn, and you've got yourself an affordable and sweet Father's Day gift! There's a reason Finding Nemo caught the attention of so many people when it first came out in 2003. The animated film follows the adventures of clownfish Marlin as he searches for his son Nemo, who is taken from his home in the Great Barrier Reef. This movie about a father-son relationship is a heartwarming tale of both letting go and unconditional love. Another classic in the genre is Life is Beautiful, which came out in 1997 . The film is set in Nazi-occupied Italy. When protagonist Guido and his son Giosué are forcibly taken to a concentration camp, they're separated from the young boy's mother. In the camp, they face terrible living conditions and the looming horror of the gas chambers. Throughout it all, Guido uses all his powers of humour and imagination to shield his young son from the true nightmare of their situation. The story is sometimes funny and filled with love. You'll need to keep the tissue box handy, though, because this movie about a father-son relationship is truly heartbreaking. Dating from 1979, Kramer vs. Kramer has endured the test of time. It's a legal drama starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep as Ted and Joanna Kramer, parents locked in a custody battle for their son Billy. Ted isn't a particularly hands-on father so it's a struggle when his wife leaves Billy in his care. However, he soon develops a closer relationship with his son and finds he's willing to risk everything to keep custody of the child. This is another movie about a father-son relationship playing out against a political backdrop. Palestinian Shadi returns home to the Israeli town of Nazareth, where the majority of residents are Palestinian, in order to attend his sister's wedding. When he arrives, he finds that he and his estranged father must deliver all 300 invitations by hand. As they drive, Shadi and his father must endure the hospitality of their guests and confront their divergent views about the politics of their homeland. Shadi must also acknowledge the important role his father played in his and his sister's lives after their mother left them and the country. This is a quirky comedic drama from 2017, which also features a cute father-daughter wedding scene. Coincidentally, the two protagonists are played by a real-life father and son duo. Based on Alan Paton's acclaimed novel of the same title, this movie was released in 1995. 'Cry, the Beloved Country' is a classic tale from Mzansi, though South Africans may find it a bit strange to hear foreign actors' accents in the film. This father-son relationship also takes place during a dark historical period – this time, Apartheid-era South Africa. In it, elderly preacher Stephen Kumalo journeys from rural KwaZulu-Natal to find his son Absalom in Johannesburg. When Kumalo discovers that Absalom has committed a terrible crime, he and the victim's white father embark on a powerful journey of mutual understanding and forgiveness. Earlier this week, the seventh short film in the Heartlines Father's Matter series premiered. Called Playing Dad , it explores the fun that fathers can have with their young children. It's available on the Heartlines website. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dive-bombing buzzard causes school playground ban
A village primary school in east London has ordered pupils to stay inside due to a dive-bombing buzzard taking up residence in its playground. There are concerns the bird is guarding its nest and may attack children at Dame Tipping Primary School in Havering-atte-Bower after there were reports it had swooped on residents in the village. Havering Council has said its health and safety team had provided "detailed advice to the academy trust responsible for the school, including the use of legal deterrents and other controls". The council has also suggested hiring a falconry expert who may be able to deter the raptor. Buzzards are the most common and widespread bird of prey in the UK and often feed on carrion, according to the RSPB. Havering Council said the RSPCA had advised that the buzzard may be protecting its nest or chicks. The council said that, as buzzards are a protected species under UK law, "intervention options are very limited". The council added: "We completely understand how difficult and worrying this situation is for the school and local residents and we regret that there is not a quick or straightforward solution." Head teacher Stella McCarthy told the BBC the school was trying to allow children to play outside where possible and was regularly taking pupils to a nearby outdoor learning facility. "We had to think about how to risk assess this... it's quite an unusual situation, having to risk assess a buzzard. "We tried our nearer playground areas thinking they would be safe, but soon discovered that Brenda was quite attracted to children playing outside." But she said they all accepted "there was nothing we could do" to remove the buzzard and that teachers were instead educating children about the bird. "We embraced it as a learning experience for the children," Ms McCarthy said. "The children the named the bird Brenda and put out posters for protecting Brenda and looking after her... they've been writing stories, reports; next week they'll be doing and newspaper articles, they've done artwork." As part of their learning experience, a bird of prey expert visited the school - bringing with him a Chilean blue buzzard eagle called Guido. Ross Hicking said: "Guido is here today to help educate the children about what Brenda the buzzard is dong, why she's behaving like this, the natural habits of buzzards, to foster interest in birds of prey and also to teach them about conservation and what we can do to protect birds of prey in the wild." Mr Hicking said that, while "99% of the time" buzzards would avoid people due to fear, Brenda's swooping could be connected with the nesting season. "Brenda could behaving like this because she has a nest in the nearby area, so she might be that bit more defensive of her nest. "Another big factor is, living in a suburban area, she may be in close proximity to people so that will mean she's a lot more comfortable around people and lot less fearful than most buzzards would be." Additional reporting by Tim Muffett Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Hawk that terrorised village given forever home Pensioner treated in hospital after hawk attack Dive-bombing hawk taken for retraining Havering Council
Gulf Today
21-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Germany's infrastructure push needs more than money
Clement Kasser, Agence France-Presse As construction crews using heavy excavators demolished a major highway bridge in Berlin, pensioner Guido, like many Germans, greeted the dusty spectacle with grim satisfaction. "For once, it was very quick, it took about a month," said the 65-year-old, who only gave his first name, adding that "we're not used to our projects going according to plan". A crack first appeared a decade ago in a support structure of the concrete and steel bridge built in 1963 that forms part of the capital city's busy A100 ring road. After the crack recently widened alarmingly, work to take down the bridge finally started in March, leaving piles of rubble below. Thousands watching the demolition on an internet livestream were happy to see the start of a multi-million-euro renovation project but were upset it took so long. The case is symptomatic of a problem facing the world's third-biggest economy: an enormous backlog of crumbling infrastructure that needs replacing at a cost of hundreds of billions. Thousands of roads and bridges, many from the 1960s and 1970s, are reaching the end of their lifespans, and little has been done for years as governments have shied away from major spending. Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to give Europe's top economy a facelift that is also set to include new railway tracks, school buildings and telecom lines. Even before he took office, his coalition managed to have the previous parliament pass a gigantic 500-billion-euro ($563 billion) infrastructure fund dubbed a spending "bazooka". After years of fiscal restraint, Germans are crying out for action: an end to patchy mobile phone signals, late trains, slow internet and potholed roads. A dramatic wake-up call came in September, when a 400-metre-long (1,300-foot-long) bridge collapsed in the eastern city of Dresden, with large sections crashing into the Elbe river. Luckily it happened overnight, averting a potentially deadly disaster, but the incident made Germany's infrastructure malaise a major election campaign theme. Germany's bridges need 100 billion euros' worth of repairs and upgrades, according to the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E). Along German motorways and major roads, one third of bridges need to be reconstructed entirely, said the Brussels-based group. The need is all the more pressing since the last government "embellished" progress, according to a report from the Federal Court of Audit, which found that just 40 percent of bridge renovations planned for 2024 were actually completed. The new government's fund, intended to be spent over 12 years, should help — but many local politicians aren't holding their breath. "Money alone solves nothing," scoffed Steffen Scheller, mayor of the eastern town of Brandenburg an der Havel, an hour's drive from Berlin. Scheller is hoping for 90 million euros from the fund but said there is another, major problem: "We have a shortage of qualified project managers and engineers." Bureaucracy can also slow down the process, he said. A new bridge was built in 2023 over a congested level crossing outside of the city, but has stood unused since. Before it can open, safety barriers must be built. But the project was pushed back to 2026 after some companies complained that proper procedure had not been followed in the tender process. "I've given up all hope of ever using the bridge," said motorist Fransiska, stuck in a traffic jam caused by the closure. The 38-year-old hospital worker said her commute takes about an hour longer than it used to. Most of the town's 70 bridges were built back in East Germany's communist days, using substandard steel. Several of them are now closed to heavy goods vehicles, causing problems as they reroute. Brandenburgers are particularly distraught at the delay in rebuilding a bridge in the town centre that had been promised for 2022. The delay means "local business really struggles with transport" while the town faces higher pollution, Scheller said. Benedikt Heyl, author of the T&E report, said Merz had demonstrated "ambition" to tackle the problem. But Heyl said the new transport minister, Patrick Schnieder, should do better than renovate the 4,000 bridges he has promised by 2030. Merz should put "fanciful projects" for new motorways on pause, Heyl said, and work on the basics, such as making sure construction companies have long-term contracts that allow them to plan for the future. First of all, he said, the central government must take a thorough stocktake of the scale of the problem. "The data is often very poor," Heyl said. "Local authorities often know how bridges are doing. But nobody has an overview at the national level."
