As Switzerland’s international documentary film festival Visions du Réel is about to wrap up, its artistic director Emilie Bujès, who’s been running the show since 2017 and was part of the selection committee for several years before that, told Variety that packed theaters throughout the 10-day event are proof that…
Arty
If I were to count on one hand the most preeminent humanist filmmakers of our time, the first two fingers would have to be dedicated to Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Bringing empathy and insight to stories of immigrants, outcasts and the working poor, the Belgian siblings have dedicated their career…
Seymour Stein, whose Sire Records launched Madonna’s career and signed such early punk rock and new wave icons as the Ramones and Talking Heads, has died, a spokesperson for his family has confirmed to Variety. The cause of death was not immediately clear, although he had been in unsteady health…

The Berlinale Special section of the Berlin Film Festival is a showcase for movies that are intelligent, but less arty than those in the main competition or festival sidebars. And in showcasing mainstream non-English-language films the section is also a springboard for performers who may be big news at home,…

A grandmother makes a depressing observation early on in Tom Stoppard’s latest play “Leopoldstadt,” which opened Sunday night on Broadway. Staring mournfully at an old photograph, she says, “Here’s a couple waving goodbye, but who are they? It’s like a second death, to lose your name in a family photo album.” That hard truth really…

“What’s beautiful about life is not always winning,” Perry Farrell says. “It’s getting knocked down and getting back up and then winning. Sometimes, that can be even sweeter.” Farrell, it should be noted, has not lacked for winning moments in 2022. The 63-year-old musician recently saw Lollapalooza through another massively…