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The Guardian
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Mark Peploe obituary
Mark Peploe, who has died aged 82, enjoyed his greatest success as a screenwriter with an Oscar for The Last Emperor (1987). It was shared with the director, Bernardo Bertolucci, who was also Peploe's brother-in-law, having married Mark's elder sister, Clare, in 1978. The project drew on the memoir of the final emperor of China, Puyi, from the Qing dynasty, who was crowned in 1908 aged just three. He was exiled after the Beijing coup of 1924 and appointed by Japan as puppet emperor of Manchukuo until the end of the second world war; in later years he worked as a gardener in the botanical gardens in Beijing. The challenges for the biopic were twofold: to combine epic sweep with telling interpersonal and psychological detail, and to get the script past the Chinese censors so as to access filming locations within the Forbidden City. The producer, Jeremy Thomas, recalled how Bertolucci and Peploe's judicious handiwork made negotiating with the Chinese authorities surprisingly easy: 'It was less difficult than working with the western studio system. [The censors] made only minor script notes and references to change some of the names, then the official stamps went on and the door opened, and we came in and set to work.' The results achieved a rare mix of scale and substance: David Thomson called The Last Emperor 'a true epic but with an alertness to feelings as small and humble as a grasshopper'. It won four Golden Globes (including best drama motion picture) and three Bafta awards (including best film) before scooping nine Oscars, including best picture and best director. Collecting his best adapted screenplay award, Peploe joked: 'It's a great honour and hugely encouraging to anybody else who wants to write impossible movies.' Two similarly ambitious though flawed projects with Bertolucci, the Paul Bowles adaptation The Sheltering Sky (1990) and the Tibetan lama drama Little Buddha (1993), fared less well. Peploe came highly recommended from an Italian film-maker of an earlier generation, Michelangelo Antonioni – who had a seven-year personal and professional relationship with Clare from the mid-1960s. He had enlisted Mark to write The Passenger (1975), his tale of a jaded journalist (Jack Nicholson) who co-opts a dead arms dealer's identity. That project had its roots in two earlier Peploe assignments: his short story Fatal Exit, and his screenplay for Technically Sweet, an Amazon-set adaptation of Italo Calvino's L'Avventura di un Fotografo that Antonioni intended to direct before mounting costs made the producer Carlo Ponti anxious. With the film theorist Peter Wollen, Antonioni and Peploe radically reworked the thematic core of these projects for The Passenger, planting one foot firmly in the bloody realities of the Chadian civil war of 1965-79 even as they pushed onwards towards rigorous philosophical investigation. 'Who we are is the central issue – and it turns out nobody knows who anyone is,' Peploe told Time Out on the film's release. '[Nicholson's protagonist] David Locke wants to change, wants to care, but he doesn't even know who he is trying to become.' Although Antonioni was frustrated by studio cuts, the finished film hooked viewers searching for meaning amid the moral miasma of the Watergate years; the critic Andrew Sarris suggested that 'it may turn out to be the definitive spiritual testament of our times'. Yet after inheriting the rights from MGM on winning an unrelated legal dispute, Nicholson withheld The Passenger from distribution until the mid-2000s. On its 2006 reissue, Peter Bradshaw called it 'a classic of a difficult and alienating kind, but one that really does shimmer in the mind like a remembered dream.' Born in Nairobi, in Kenya, Mark was one of three children of Clotilde (nee Brewster), a painter, and Willy Peploe, a gallerist and son of the Scottish colourist Samuel Peploe. Clare and Mark's younger sister was Cloe. Relocated first to Florence, later to Belgravia in central London, the siblings had an upbringing that was decidedly classical: Clotilde, the daughter of the painter Elisabeth von Hildebrand, insisted on having no art in the house that postdated Proust. Clare maintained she and her brother gravitated to film because 'it was one medium that [her parents] knew nothing about'. From Downside school in Somerset, Mark went to Magdalen College, Oxford, to study philosophy politics and economics. On graduation, he joined the Canadian producer and director Allan King as a researcher, working on films about arts figures for the BBC series Creative Persons (1968), although he grew frustrated with the documentary form: 'I thought that if you wrote the script, you would be able to control the movie more than I did.' He gained his first writing credit alongside Andrew Birkin on Jacques Demy's atypically realist adaptation of The Pied Piper (1972), featuring the singer Donovan in the title role; he was also a co-writer on the French veteran René Clément's final film La Babysitter (1975). Neither was a great success, but Peploe soon began directing his own work, earning a Bafta nomination for his 26-minute Samson and Delilah (1985), adapted, with the poet Frederick Siedel, from a DH Lawrence short story. Other writing included Clare's artworld romp High Season (1987), set on the Greek island of Rhodes. Yet nothing quite matched the impact of The Last Emperor. Of The Sheltering Sky, Roger Ebert sighed: 'I was left with the impression of my fingers closing on air.' Despite cameoing in the film, Bowles dismissed it, saying: 'The ending is idiotic and the rest is pretty bad.' The critics were tougher still on Little Buddha, circling around the casting of a kohl-eyed Keanu Reeves, though it fared better commercially. Peploe's feature directorial debut came with Afraid of the Dark (1991), an offbeam horror item about an 11-year-old voyeur (Ben Keyworth) peeping out at an adult world beset by a razor-wielding killer; drawing on Alfred Hitchcock and Michael Powell, it featured a memorably nasty scene involving a dog and a knitting needle. Yet his textured Joseph Conrad adaptation Victory (1996), starring Willem Dafoe and Irène Jacob, ran into distribution issues, prompting Trevor Johnston of Time Out to ask: 'What's so terrible about it that it was consigned to three years on the shelf?' In the new millennium, Peploe served as a script consultant on Clare's lively Marivaux adaptation The Triumph of Love (2001) and as a mentor for the Guided Light scheme, run for aspiring film-makers by the Brighton-based Lighthouse organisation. Certain scripts remained unfilmed, notably Heaven and Hell, a Bertolucci passion project on the murderous composer Carlo Gesualdo, active around 1600, and action-thriller The Crew, from an Antonioni story. Peploe continued to tour the globe, though now as a guest of international film festivals. Asked at the 2008 event in Estoril, Portugal, where he sourced his best ideas, Peploe ventured: 'In cafes, watching the world go by.' He was married to the costume designer Louise Stjernsward, and their daughter, Lola, made a documentary film, Grandmother's Footsteps (2023), about Peploe family life, starting from Clotilde. After the marriage ended in separation in 1997, he had a 20-year relationship with Gina Marcou. Cloe died in 2009 and Clare in 2021. He is survived by his partner of the last seven years, the historian Alina Payne, and Lola. Mark Alexis More Peploe, screenwriter and director, born 24 February 1943; died 18 June 2025
Business Wire
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Pearl Announces Global Collaboration with vVARDIS to Transform Early Detection and Proactive Treatment of Early Dental Decay
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pearl, the global leader in dental AI solutions, today announced a collaboration with vVARDIS, a leader in innovative dental care products, to educate dental professionals about detecting and treating early stages of dental decay. The global collaboration brings together vVARDIS, which has biomimetic, drill-free early caries treatment products, Curodont™, and Pearl, which has an AI-powered real-time radiologic detection aid, Second Opinion, to deliver the message of advanced, non-invasive solutions for treating early dental decay. Pearl's AI solutions enable dental providers to accurately detect conditions such as decay or cavities at their earliest stages, ensuring a proactive approach to oral health. Beyond early condition detection, Pearl also builds patient trust by enhancing their understanding of dental imagery, leading to higher patient acceptance and more informed treatment decisions. vVARDIS' Curodont™ offers a drill-free brush-on solution to aid hydroxyapatite formation throughout the early decay, helping patients to preserve the natural tooth structure and helping to avoid invasive and costly fillings. Up to 80% of all patients have tooth decay in early stages 1. Curodont™ gives dental professionals the opportunity to treat these patients with a simple and fast topical application during the same visit it's detected, without the need for a new appointment. 'At Pearl, we are dedicated to enhancing and standardizing dental diagnostics by leveraging AI to simplify radiograph interpretation and improve patient communication,' said Ophir Tanz, CEO and founder of Pearl. 'Our collaboration with vVARDIS enables a comprehensive, internationally scalable approach to early intervention against dental decay, giving patients more options for an effective and proactive path to improved oral health.' 'Partnering with Pearl is a natural progression in our mission to provide innovative solutions for early stage dental decay,' said Jeremy Thomas, President, vVARDIS North America. 'This collaboration equips global dental professionals with modern tools to detect conditions sooner and provides a proven, non-invasive solution to help restore enamel health.' 'As both dentists and entrepreneurs, we are thrilled to finally have and offer a groundbreaking approach to treating early decay,' said Drs. Haley and Goly Abivardi, DMDs, Founders and Co-CEOs of vVARDIS. '34 million school hours are lost each year due to emergency dental care 2 and $45 billion in lost productivity annually from untreated oral disease in the United States 3,4. Dental professionals have been waiting for decades for a drill-free treatment that addresses the sub-clinical signs of caries in the same visit. With its seamless integration into existing workflows, we believe that Curodont™ has the potential to rapidly become the new standard of care for the treatment of early caries, broadening the scope of services offered and empowering dentists and hygienists to lead the way in the management of early caries, ultimately enhancing patient care.' About Pearl Pearl is an AI-driven company committed to enhancing patient care in dentistry. Founded in 2019 by a team with decades of experience developing successful, enterprise-grade computer vision solutions, Pearl introduced the first-ever FDA-cleared AI capable of reading and instantly identifying diseases in dental x-rays. With regulatory clearance in 120 countries, Pearl's AI assists dentists in making precise clinical decisions and effectively communicating with patients, thereby transforming the dental care experience worldwide. As dentistry's global AI leader, Pearl is committed to the ongoing innovation of robust, accessible AI tools that improve patient health outcomes and build greater trust in dental medicine. To request a demo, please visit About vVARDIS vVARDIS is an innovative Swiss healthcare company located in Zug, Switzerland that offers groundbreaking biomimetic, non-invasive solutions for dental professionals under the Curodont™ brand. Founded by Swiss dentists, innovators and awarded entrepreneurs, Dr. Haley Abivardi, DMD and Dr. Goly Abivardi, DMD, vVARDIS is the result of more than 25 years of research, paired with the commitment of its founders to make an impact on people's lives, including the underserved. vVARDIS' mission is to expand access to novel approaches to the standard of care in dentistry with the purpose of improving oral health – the foundation for overall health. vVARDIS science is backed by 25 years of research and more than 200 scientific publications, including meta-analysis, peer-reviewed clinical studies and a long-term peer-reviewed real-world evidence study, with hundreds of thousands of patients being treated successfully. For more information, visit vVARDIS at and
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Over $75M in real estate to be auctioned in largest foreclosure in town's history
Americans could be in for the chance to snap up a property in a charming New York college town under a huge foreclosure auction. Over a dozen properties worth over $75 million will be up for auction of April 29 in Ithaca and nearby Lansing. Ithaca, which is known for its beautiful surrounding scenery and vibrant arts scene, is home to the Ivy League Cornell University. The properties are located on Cornell University land that was leased to private developers. 'I believe this is the largest real estate foreclosure in Ithaca's history,' Costa Lambrou of Lambrou Real Estate told The Cornell Daily Sun. The properties were originally part of a 2024 foreclosure lawsuit initiated by the Tompkins Community Bank against a group of real estate companies connected to prolific developer Phil Proujansky. The companies linked to Proujansky defaulted on a $68 million mortgage, which resulted in zero payments since September 2023. The real estate up for auction includes 17 pieces of land. The properties are located near Ithaca Tompkins International Airport on Thornwood Drive, Brown Road, Brentwood Drive and Arrowwood Drive. The upcoming auction comes after Cornell bought a foreclosed property last month for $15 million. The building, which is over 50,000 square feet, includes 26 residential units and houses Jason's Deli convenience store. 'We are excited to work with local leaders, business owners, and community neighbors on advancing shared goals in this area and, by extension, our city,' a Cornell spokesperson said. The building was owned by Proujansky and the late John Novarr before its February 2024 foreclosure. Cornell employee Jeremy Thomas explained the financial importance of leasing the land. '[The foreclosed properties] are around loans that were made specifically to the improvements on the properties,' Thomas said. 'So Cornell does own the land, but those are under a long term ground lease with the entity that actually owns the buildings themselves. … They're responsible for paying the loans that they take out on those buildings.' Thomas added that leasing around Cornell Business & Technology Park (CBTP) was crucial so they could see how potential developments could impact students, teachers, and other university priorities. Cornell employee Jeremy Thomas hopes the university will forge a strong partnership with the new foreclosed property owners Novarr and Proujansky had hinted at a project in Ithaca's Collegetown neighborhood before it went public in 2020. By then, the pair already owned several Collegetown properties worth more than $15.5 million and bought the former Nines building for over $3 million. The project was comprised of five Collegetown sites, including 17 properties. Dubbed the 'Innovation District,' the $145 million project was scheduled to begin construction in 2021 and end this winter. Unfortunately, the only portion of the project completed before the foreclosures was Catherine Commons, which completed construction last December. Their plans slowly fell apart, leading to one foreclosure after another. Other businessmen swooped in to purchase the buildings, including Charlie O'Connor and Nick Robertson. Following project failure, Novarr kept a low profile until his death in September 2024, and Proujansky has stayed out of the public eye. Thomas revealed that it was 'very unlikely' Cornell would purchase any of the other foreclosed properties. However, if the bank were to take ownership of the properties, the school would consider buying them. Thomas hopes to forge a partnership with the next property owners to ensure that CBTP continues to thrive. 'It is important for us that a [new] owner of these properties comes forward [who] can be a good strategic partner to the universities and the objectives that we have here,' Thomas said. 'So we will be a partner with whoever that owner is, and we want to work to find somebody that would be a good partner to the University in the region.'
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
100-plus QC junior-high girls participate in Women in Manufacturing Summit, Moline
More than 100 junior high girls from across the Quad Cities on Friday visited Black Hawk College in Moline for the third annual Women in Manufacturing Summit. 'It's giving them an opportunity to see that manufacturing is for not just men but also for women,' said Jeremy Thomas, Black Hawk College's president. 'They can thrive in it.' The program involved virtual welding and taking part in a supply chain management exercise, and allowed some of the girls learned about the manufacturing industry for the first time. 'I'm really enjoying how we are learning a lot of different things that I never knew before, and how they are showing us a lot of machines that are really cool,' said Ruby Killian, a Women in Manufacturing Summit participant. For Jill Castree, a senior manager of supply chain management, the Women in Manufacturing Summit hits close to home. 'I hope [the girls] see that people like them can be in the manufacturing environment,' Castree said. 'I think women offer a unique perspective in manufacturing, and we would love to see more of them in manufacturing. I certainly didn't have an opportunity like this growing up.' The goal of the program was to inspire young girls to consider pursuing a career in a male-dominated industry. 'That means a lot because we need a bunch of women to do manufacturing so we can have more creative stuff in the world,' said Leah Barrigah, a Women in Manufacturing Summit participant. 'Women can do a whole bunch of stuff, do engineering, and all that kind of stuff.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois proposal would let community colleges like Black Hawk offer 4-year degrees
Black Hawk College President Jeremy Thomas said Tuesday he's excited for the school's future. 'Students come with different needs, different wants,' Thomas told Our Quad Cities News. '[A community college is] much more diverse than you would see a more restrictive four-year college level. We now have another option that I can offer to a student to say, 'I believe in you, and I want you to be successful.' That new option could be four-year degrees at community colleges after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposed the idea during his State of the State address. He even called community colleges one of the 'jewels' of the Illinois education system. 'We continue our partnerships with our universities over our four-year liberal arts transfer degree programs,' Thomas said. 'We're not here to replace that, but we are adding in the areas that they currently don't teach that we do well.' Currently, more than 20 other states allow community colleges to offer four-year degrees. 'This allows students to earn an advanced degree and stay right here with a campus they are accustomed to, and faculty which they love,' Thomas said. If the bill is passed, Thomas said he thinks Black Hawk College will look to first add four-year degree programs in the health profession, advanced manufacturing, and cyber security. 'These are programs we already have faculty (for,) so we don't have to start from scratch, but there will be approval processes,' Thomas said. 'That's all yet to be decided on what it will look like, so that will be the next step.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
