Bosnia Film Wins Berlin Festival

The Khaleej Times reports:

“SARAJEVO - A simple and haunting film about Bosnia’s war rapes brought joy back home after winning top prize at the 56th Berlin Film Festival, but for thousands of victims whose life story it resembles it was much more than just an artistic success. ‘Grbavica’, written and directed by Jasmila Zbanic, explores the loving but fragile relationship between 12-year-old Sara and her mother Esma who conceived the child in one of numerous rapes she had to endure as a prisoner of a Bosnian Serb war camp.

ACTORS HARASSED IN BRITAIN

The Guardian reports:

”Four actors who play al-Qaida suspects in a British movie that won a prestigious prize were detained by the police at Luton airport, UK, as they returned from the Berlin Film Festival and questioned under anti-terror laws, alongside two of the former terrorism suspects they play on screen. They were returning last Thursday after the premiere of the film, The Road to Guantánamo.

“In a statement, actor Rizwan Ahmed said police swore at him and asked if he had become an actor to further the Islamic cause. He said he was at first denied access to a lawyer and was questioned about his views on the Iraq war by a policewoman.”

http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1714282,00.html

FROM THE BU GLOBAL BEAT

WHERE THE BAD GUYS ARE AMERICAN

It’s not likely to be nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, but the runaway success of the Turkish movie “Valley of the Wolves: Iraq” is a sign that local filmmakers have figured out a way to make pots of money out of the simultaneous loathing of American foreign policy and love of its action movies: Cast Americans as the bad guys in Rambo-style shoot-em-ups.

On its website, which offers explanations, images and a trailer, the
film is explained as a Rambo-style revenge fantasy in which a group of Turkish Special Forces soldiers head into Iraq to avenge some of their comrades who’ve fallen foul of U.S. forces and end up championing the stolen honor of the Iraqi people. The movie’s popularity resonates with attitudes in the Turkish mainstream: The Prime Minister and his wife have seen the movie and recommended it to others, the first lady calling it “a beautiful film.”

http://www.bu.edu/globalbeat/index.html#movie

BBC REPORTS BBC RAPPED FOR OBSCENITY

’The BBC has been rapped by media watchdog Ofcom over swearing on the televised Live 8 concerts.

“Viewers complained about language used by Madonna, Razorlight, Green Day and US rapper Snoop Dogg during July 2005’s concert in London’s Hyde Park.

“The show was broadcast live without a time delay, and the language which sparked the complaints was heard before the watershed.

“The BBC said it regretted the offence caused to viewers.”

BLOGGER AT RISK IN CHINA

Phillip Pan of the Washington Post profiles the Chinese blogger who writes under the name “Anti:”

” When Zhao Jing moved his blog to Microsoft’s popular MSN Spaces site last summer, some users worried the Chinese government would block the entire service. The censors had blacklisted the last site where the young journalist had posted his spirited political essays, and he seemed unwilling to tone down his writing at the new address…”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/20/AR2006022001304.html?referrer=email&referrer=email