Latest news with #LostandFound
Irish Independent
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Wicklow film director to screen award-winning movie for first time in his home county
Director Robert Manson, from Redcross, is the founder of Ballyrogan Films, which was formed in 2015 to house his first feature film, Lost in the Living, the first of his Lost and Found trilogy. Holy Island follows 40-year-old David (Conor Madden), who is stuck in a run-down harbour town waiting for a boat to take him home. When all boats are cancelled indefinitely, he is left in a state of limbo. David doesn't know what to do until he meets fellow traveller 31-year-old Rosa (Jeanne Nicole Ní Áinle), who seems to know the inner workings of the city. The two are described as 'an unlikely pair' – Rosa is exuberant and David is burnt out, but both want to leave the island and get back to their lives. Rosa doesn't have a ticket for the boat, and she's determined to find one before it leaves. Rosa leads David further into town and together they traverse 'this strange form of purgatory'. They meet the islanders and piece together their past lives through shared conversations and memories as David is haunted by visions of his past, seeing people and places he thought he had lost. When David is confronted with a different version of himself, he is forced to make a decision. With time running out to find a ticket, Rosa must face her own past before she can attempt to escape the island. Both David and Rosa must try to regain their souls piece by piece before the boat finally sets sail. In the end, only one of them can be saved. Holy Island explores themes of death, loss, home, love, emigration, family, survival, redemption and loneliness. Contemporary archetypes and stereotypes of Irishness and national identity are explored through intergenerational encounters within this story. Commenting on the film, Robert said the main role of David is played by two actors, an idea which was taken from Luis Bunuel's The Obscure Object of Desire. "The first half is played by one actor, a sombre and melancholy performance. Then there is a change and a younger actor takes over the role for the middle and later part of the film; this character is softer, more vulnerable and compassionate. "The psychological change and development of the character of David is visually emphasised by this change of actor. The actors playing the role of David do not look identical, but they come from the same part of the world and have grown up similarly. This concept highlights an exploration of the concept of the duality of the self." The work is filmed in black and white, to depict 'the lifeless harbour city of 'Limbo'' and in key sections of the film, 'flickering patches of colour are inserted to represent moments when the screen, the locations and the actors come alive and rich again'. "Super 8mm represents past memories in those healing moments when the characters close their eyes and their lives flash before them. These are not their lives or their direct memories, but the transplanted images of a collective consciousness. Super 8mm archive footage from my father's archive was collected for these segments of the film. This bridges the visual gaps between the past, the present and the future. We shot sections on standard 16mm to connect all formats, 4K, 16mm and 8mm.' Film Ireland praised Holy Island as being 'reminiscent of so many Irish films made before it, but is undoubtedly and decidedly unlike anything that has come before'. On its release in the UK, the British Film Institute said it is a 'sometimes playful, sometimes twisted evocation of a culture with the gift of speech, and its verbal landscape is a potent purgatory for the uncommunicative David'. "Manson makes a contribution to the tradition of language as a site of modern adventurism and satire, which in Ireland stretches back to Joyce and O'Brien,' the institute's Ruairí McCann said. He adds that the film 'draws much of its strength from its side characters', including Les (Mark Doherty), 'a ferryman of souls in the body of a bullish taxi driver'. "Doherty gives a great rendition of pure, inexplicable passive-aggression, his every line laced with latent threat. Madden and Ní Áinle also make for an engaging central pair: their performances are complementary, with Madden delivering a minimalist, mumbling performance of a man who at first seems to be suffering from an almighty hangover, only to steadily reveal a deep spiritual sickness.' Robert will be joined by producer Claire McCabe at The Mermaid for a questions and answer session after the screening. Tickets for the 8pm show, Saturday, July 12, are available online for €10, at
UPI
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Watch: Will Smith praises 'Pretty Girls' in new single, video
1 of 5 | Will Smith, seen at the 2025 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, released the single "Pretty Girls" on June 13. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo June 13 (UPI) -- Will Smith released a new single and accompanying music video on Friday. "Pretty Girls" is the latest new single. The video begins with Smith talking to his therapist. When he explains this problem he's had since childhood, he begins singing. Smith sings and dances with an ensemble of female dancers. Women of all ethnicities join Smith's ode to "pretty girls. "I like you, you, you, you," Smith sings. "It don't matter your complexion." He repeats the chorus, "There's not a lotta women not pretty to me." Smith released a new album, Based on a True Story, in March. It was his first since 2005's Lost and Found. Its opening track, "Int. Barbershop - Day" addressed the 2022 Academy Awards during which Smith slapped Chris Rock for telling a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's, shaved head. "Pretty Girls" is a new song that was not included on the album. His career began in the '80s as The Fresh Prince with DJ Jazzy Jeff. Smith's acting career took off with the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and movies Bad Boys, Independence Day and Men in Black but he continued producing music through the '90s.
L'Orient-Le Jour
05-05-2025
- Business
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Lost and Found: A haven of well-being in the heart of Beirut
With Lost and Found, Nayla Saab launched a personal project at the crossroads of dining, well-being, and lifestyle. "A happy space," she summarized. Nestled in a fully renovated old Beirut house, just steps from the École Supérieure des Affaires (ESA), this new 220-square-meter space just opened its doors. Spread over two levels with independent entrances, the establishment houses a wellness center called The Vibe on the ground floor, while the upper floor is entirely devoted to dining. "When there are workshops downstairs, people come up to eat. And sometimes, it's the opposite: they discover the center after a meal," explained Saab, the creator of the project. The layout of the place reflects its philosophy: six distinct spaces chain together harmoniously – shared library to the left of the entrance, communal table around a tree, bar to the right, main room, two balconies and a semi-private corner. Outside, two terraces allow people to take advantage of beautiful days. In total, the venue can accommodate up to 128 people, including 28 on the terrace and eight at the bar. The kitchens, preparatory and main, extend over 50 square meters. An international and accessible menu The cuisine at Lost and Found is eclectic, mixing Mediterranean, Asian and American influences. "You can come for breakfast with toast, eggs, or labneh with zaatar, or for lunch or dinner with gyozas, rigatoni, or a steak sandwich," said Saab. The menu also includes healthier options, like kale, quinoa, or salmon salads. Classic desserts like pavlova or apple crumble complement the offer, in addition to fresh smoothies, cocktails, and a selection of alcohols. The restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to midnight, with a retro musical ambiance. "We play 80s music, feel-good sounds. The idea is that everyone feels good, no matter their age or style," stated Saab. The average bill is around $40. Former human resources manager at Pain d'Or, Saab also worked in the family business, Tinol Paints, before launching her own jewelry brand, Or la Loi, which had two boutiques in Beirut before closing in 2016. The same year, she discovered India for medical treatment; an experience that would lead her to become a hypnotherapist and open a wellness center in Gemmayzeh, destroyed during the port explosion. "That center was literally lost. Hence the name Lost and Found. We lose things, but we find others, sometimes even more precious," she said. Lost and Found is an extension of this quest for meaning, a space designed to reconnect body, mind, and community. To realize this project, Saab invested around $600,000. "We redid the entire interior: the moldings, ceilings, arches, openings between rooms, all the decoration," she stated. The place was entirely redesigned to combine the elegance of a traditional house with modern functionality. Today, she employs 24 people, including 8 in the kitchen. The venue also offers some items for sale: jewelry, plants, gifts designed "around care and kindness." Two words that echo as a leitmotif for this place and its patrons. This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.
New York Times
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘A Few Steps Into Our Walk, I Heard a Tremendous Thud Behind Me'
Close Calls Dear Diary: New York City dog owners have their regular routes. For years, mine began with a right turn out of my Yorkville building. One evening, I decided to turn left. My terrier tugged to go right, but my tug won out. A few steps into our walk, I heard a tremendous thud behind me. I turned to see an air-conditioner that had tumbled from a window several stories up on the sidewalk just on the other side of my building's front door. A young man stood nearby facing me. He had stopped short in time to watch the heavy metal crash down at his feet. I walked toward him and stopped, with the air-conditioner between us. His face was ghostly pale, as I imagined mine was. A woman rushed out of the building. 'Oh my god!' she cried. 'My air-conditioner! I opened my window and didn't realize it was keeping the unit in place!' 'Or, perhaps,' the young man said, 'that's yours.' He pointed toward a second air-conditioner on the ground a few feet away. 'Oh no!' the woman said. 'Mine hit another one on the way down.' — Sylvie Farrell Così Fan Tattoo Dear Diary: I have been attending operas for more than 25 years and getting tattoos for almost twice as long. On a trip to New York in 2018, I attended a Metropolitan Opera production of Mozart's 'Così Fan Tutte' that was staged in Coney Island and featured actual sideshow performers, including a fire-eater, a sword swallower, a snake dancer and contortionist. Later that summer, I returned to the city for an annual tattoo show in Manhattan. Some of the same sideshow performers provided entertainment. As one woman came off the stage, I told her I had seen her earlier that year in the opera. She looked at the heavily tattooed and pierced crowd. 'I'm guessing you'll be the only person this weekend who tells me that,' she said. — Jil McIntosh Lost and Found Dear Diary: I recently went to the Lost and Found at Grand Central, a musty office tucked in a subterranean corner of the terminal. I explained to the man there that I was looking for my bright orange AirPods case, which I had left on a train about a month before. He disappeared and then returned with a bin of at least 100 AirPods cases, each one carefully bagged and tagged. We looked through them together, one by one. A young woman appeared at the counter. She said she was looking for her purse. Another employee disappeared into the back. 'I've been here four times since Tuesday to see if it's shown up,' the woman told me, an air of desperation in her voice. She ticked off some of the important things in the purse: her wallet, a favorite lipstick, a deodorant she loved. I told her about my missing AirPods case. We stood there looking forlorn together. The employee helping her emerged from the back. He was holding a purse. Her face lit up. 'Oh my god!' she said. 'I can't believe it!' She threw her arms around me, and we hugged. By then, the man helping me had gotten to the bottom of the bin of AirPods cases. Mine wasn't there. 'I'm sorry you didn't get your case back,' the young woman said. 'Well, I'm really glad they found your purse,' I replied. 'Thanks!' she said, running off to a train. 'If it's any consolation, they didn't find my gloves.' — Jennifer Bleyer Home Alone Dear Diary: I was home in Brooklyn when he texted me: 'I just walked by your apartment.' Smiling, I responded: 'Did you hear the dulcet sounds of 'The White Lotus' theme song?' 'Ah, you're watching!' I paused, flirting with a rare moment of spontaneity. 'Do you want to watch it with me? I just started.' The text came back: 'I just missed my train! But I would.' He was already at the subway. 'Oh, then never mind,' I told him, feeling sheepish. 'But I would,' he insisted. I told him to holler when he was outside my window. Ten minutes later, I heard my name. — Louisa Savage Loose Change Dear Diary: It was the 1980s, and we were going to visit relatives in Manhattan. I had read that the fare boxes on the buses did not take dollar bills. You had to have quarters to pay the fare. So before we left for the visit, I went to the bank and got a $10 roll of quarters. While we were in the city, we got on a Fifth Avenue bus near Central Park to go to Greenwich Village. I paid my fare and my husband's. People kept coming on the bus and asking other passengers for change for a dollar. I made change for four people. The man sitting in front of me turned around to face me. 'What are you?' he asked. 'Some sort of good Samaritan or something?' — Marlene Hellman Read all recent entries and our submissions guidelines. Reach us via email diary@ or follow @NYTMetro on Twitter. Do you have a tale of a memorable experience that involved a close call of some kind in New York City? Please submit it below or share it in the comments. While you're there, join the conversation.
Express Tribune
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Will Smith's comeback album flops with low sales, misses Billboard 200
Will Smith's comeback album Based On A True Story flops, missing the Billboard 200 and selling just 268 UK copies in week one. The 14-track project marks Smith's first solo release since 2005's Lost and Found and includes high-profile collaborations with Big Sean, Teyana Taylor, and his son Jaden Smith. Despite the star power and deeply personal lyrics — including direct references to the 2022 Oscars slap incident — the album has not resonated commercially. Tracks like 'Int. Barbershop — Day' and 'You Lookin' for Me?' openly address the Oscars controversy, with Smith acknowledging public backlash and cancel culture. In one lyric, he raps: 'Took a lot, I'm back on top / Y'all gon' have to get acclimated.' Undeterred by the poor sales, the 56-year-old entertainer is pushing forward. Smith has announced plans for two more albums and his first headline tour, which will span cities across the UK and Europe, with festival stops in Morocco, France, Spain, and Italy. The tour will feature both new music and fan favorites like 'Miami' and 'Gettin' Jiggy Wit It.' Smith's return follows significant fallout from the Oscars incident, which led to a 10-year ban from Academy events and halted production on several film projects. Despite the rocky road, Smith remains committed to rebuilding his music career and reconnecting with fans on stage.
