Features

RUFISQUE, Senegal — Members of a 200-strong audience struggle to hold back tears as the credits roll on the film “Io Capitano” in a small auditorium in the outskirts of Senegal’s capital Dakar.

The crowd has spent two hours following a pair of Senegalese teenagers as they risk their lives to reach Europe, facing a gruelling journey across the Sahara, torture in Libyan jails and Europe’s indifference to their plight.

After winning awards at the Venice Film Festival and receiving nominations at the Oscars and the Golden Globes, the film has now returned to where the story began.

The director, actors and wider team are embarking on a twelve-date tour of screenings across the West African nation with the Cinemovel foundation, scheduled to run until the end of April.

“This film teaches us that there are enormous risks involved in illegal immigration. The question I want to ask the audience is whether it’s worth risking your life to try to reach another continent,” asked an audience member after the film had finished, garnering a round of applause.

Mamadou Kouassi, whose own story inspired the script, responded from the stage.

“Everyone will have a different point of view. But my opinion is that there should be no hiding. Everyone should be free to move from one continent to another,” he said.

‘Bodies thrown into the sea’ 

Illegal immigration is a daily reality for thousands in Senegal, where barely a day goes by without a report of an arrival in Spain’s Canary Islands, an interception or a shipwreck.

While some take the treacherous Atlantic route, others travel through the Sahel and then cross the Mediterranean — the route taken by the film’s protagonists.

“This film is very powerful and has left a deep impression on me because I lived the story myself,” said El Hadji Issa Diouf, a 42-year-old fisherman.

“I’ve been on a pirogue three times trying to get to Europe. I saw with my own eyes a woman give birth in a pirogue, I saw people vomit to the point of losing their lives, I saw bodies thrown into the sea during my illegal journeys. This film makes me relive a reality of the African continent,” he added.

“I’m asking the director to show this film in all the coastal towns of Senegal... Maybe this tour will raise awareness, because all these towns have lost a lot of young people trying to reach Europe by sea,” the fisherman said.

Marieme Fall, an audience member in her twenties, said the film “shows us that it’s better to try to succeed in Africa than to go through this journey”.

“I went through all kinds of emotions watching it, I even cried because I told myself that I know people who went through the same journey and died during it. It’s very hard,” she added.

‘An experience’ 

“This is not a film that gives an answer, but one that gives the audience an experience,” the film’s Italian director, Matteo Garrone, told AFP.

“I’m no one to tell someone not to leave,” he added.

Seydou Sarr, the 19-year-old lead who won an award at the Venice Film Festival, expressed pride at showing the film in his own country.

He said he now knew the “reality” of the dangers awaiting would-be immigrants, having known nothing before taking part in the project.

Mamadou Kouassi, who now works as an intercultural mediator, recounted how he set off for Europe in 2005 at the age of 19, experiencing an “atrocious journey” and spending three years in Libya fearing death daily.

“Once a person has decided to leave, no one can stop them,” he said, adding that young people should be able to believe in their dreams but that legislation must be changed “so that they don’t suffer as we have”.

“The public are asking us to make a sequel following the pair’s arrival in Europe,” Kouassi said.

“I was abused [in Italy]. I worked 14 hours earning barely 20 euros ($21) in tomato fields near Naples”, he said, urging Italy’s far-right government to introduce a fairer migrant reception policy.

INDIO, United States — Coachella day two was heavy on alt rock throwbacks including a much-anticipated No Doubt reunion, but it was Taylor Swift — who wasn’t on the lineup and didn’t perform — creating buzz.

Her mere presence at the mammoth music festival set the internet alight, after she made a much-speculated on appearance... as a fan, canoodling and dancing with beau Travis Kelce as Bleachers performed a rollicking set.

Bleachers is fronted by Jack Antonoff, Swift’s friend and longtime producer.

Kelce’s blocking skills came in handy as the 1.96 metres NFL tight end did well to obscure his wildly famous girlfriend from view, as the couple enjoyed the show from just offstage.

Still, an AFP journalist saw the much-discussed lovebirds twirling and singing along during the performance of Antonoff, who’s co-written and produced several of Swift’s albums.

Fan videos quickly started circulating online. Swift’s appearance comes less than a week before her forthcoming album, “The Tortured Poets Department”, drops April 19.

The 34-year-old billionaire is currently on break from her blockbuster Eras tour, and was spotted on a date night in Los Angeles on Friday.

Antonoff founded and has fronted rock band Bleachers since 2014, meanwhile becoming one of the most sought-after producers in pop who has worked with superstars including Swift, Lana Del Rey and Lorde.

Alt-rock roots and Paris Hilton 

Coachella started as a rock festival but in recent years it’s leaned increasingly into pop, rap and the Latino megastars who rule the streaming charts. But Saturday’s lineup offered a portrait of nostalgia: along with No Doubt — the group fronted by Gwen Stefani, which is set to play together for the first time in some 15 years — legendary rockers Blur are set to perform.

Stoner reggae rock group Sublime — the 1990s act beloved for hits including “Santeria” — drew throngs of fans to the main stage for a sunset performance featuring the late frontman Brad Nowell’s son Jakob leading the way.

And Vampire Weekend also made a last-minute return to the desert, having last performed there more than a decade ago.

The veteran indie rockers whose hits including “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” were brought in just last week, and frontman Ezra Koenig, who sported a striped Pogues sweatshirt, told cheering fans he’d been leaning back sipping ranch water — a cocktail of seltzer, tequila and lime — in Texas when he got a text asking if they’d come on board.

The group just released their fifth album, “Only God Was Above Us”, and played a mix of fan favorites and new work, including a 15-minute honky tonk mash-up.

They also randomly brought Paris Hilton onstage to play a quick round of cornhole — a popular North American bean bag-based lawn game — as part of a giveaway of chocolate for front-row fans.

“I haven’t played this game since ‘The Simple Life’”, the cowboy-hat wearing socialite and reality TV icon quipped, a referencing to the cult mid-2000s series she starred in with Nicole Richie.

“Make some noise for ‘The Simple Life!’” yelled Koenig to laughs and applause.

By Tara Ensour
Nutritionist

Nutrition and menstrual health Proper nutrition is very important for menstrual health and regularity. It is therefore important for a woman to understand the nutritional needs of her body to reach optimal health and help control unwanted symptoms.

Menstrual Phases (Days 1 - 5) This phase is typically from day one of menstruation.

Here, the uterine lining sheds, resulting in bleeding.

Oestrogen and progesterone are usually low during this initial stage. During the first few days, foods should be high in protein, fibre, healthy fats and minerals.

Follicular phase (Days 1 - 13) This phase begins on the first day of menstruation and lasts until ovulation. During this time, the follicle-stimulating hormone stimulates the development of follicles in the ovaries, one of which will release an egg during ovulation.

Here, oestrogen levels rise, therefore, during these days, magnesium-rich foods are encouraged as magnesium levels are typically at their lowest. Magnesium-rich

foods include spinach and nuts. Energy levels are often high at this stage and some women find that they enjoy exercising during their follicular phase.

Ovulation (Day 14) Ovulation usually occurs around the middle of the menstrual cycle (around day 14 in a 28-day cycle). This is when the matured egg is released from the ovary and is available for fertilisation by sperm.

Oestrogen, here, is at its peak during ovulation. Highfibre foods can help reduce oestrogen levels and get back hormonal balance. If you are trying to have a baby, proper nutrition can help increase your chances of pregnancy during this phase. Increase your intake of folic acid and Omega-3 fatty acids. Good foods to eat during this stage are berries, eggplant, spinach, red lentils, salmon, tuna, corn and tomatoes.

Luteal Phase (Days 15 - 28) After ovulation, the egg transforms into the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone to prepare the uterus for possible pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, the corpus luteum breaks down, leading to a decrease in progesterone and the start of a new menstrual cycle.

During this phase, focus on foods high in magnesium and healthy fats. This includes white fish, chickpeas and brown rice.

PMS

To help alleviate premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms, increase your intake of the following vitamins and minerals:

1. Calcium, through foods like nuts, dairy and green leafy vegetables

2. Vitamin B6, through foods like chicken, sea bass and avocado

3. Magnesium, through foods like spinach, nuts and whole meal bread

4. Omega-3 fatty acids, through foods like salmon, sardines and anchovies

5. Vitamin E, through foods like nuts and seeds

6. Fibre, through foods like fruit, unsalted nuts and pulses

Protein and Iron

When you are in your cycle, it is important to maintain your protein intake. Chicken and meat are not only good protein sources, but also high in iron.

Iron is a mineral of many functions within the body. It is found in red blood cells in your blood, making it an essential mineral to replenish during your cycle, as you lose iron-rich blood.

If blood loss is high and the iron loss is not replenished through sufficient iron intake, this causes a decrease in iron stores which then leads to overall tiredness and a reduced ability to focus.

If dietary intake of iron is not sufficient, supplementation may be required. Liaise closely with your healthcare professional before starting any iron supplements.

Calcium Another important mineral to focus on while in your menstrual cycle is calcium. Calcium is important for

healthy bones and muscles. During your menstrual cycle, if calcium intake is not sufficient, bone loss can occur because of the decrease in oestrogen levels. Insufficient calcium intake can cause cramps and PMS symptoms.

What foods to avoid

Try to avoid these three items during your cycle:

Salt: Salt can increase water retention and uncomfortable premenstrual syndrome symptoms like fatigue and bloating Caffeine: Caffeine increases cortisol, the stress hormone.

When you’re in your menstrual cycle, it is best to keep cortisol levels reduced due to the effect it has on misbalancing hormones and reducing the absorption of some nutrients

Alcohol: Alcohol can increase inflammation and worsen premenstrual syndrome symptoms. It also can affect the absorption of some nutrients, like magnesium

Tara’s top tip

During menstruation, it is normal to crave highly processed snacks, comfort foods, simple sugars and carbohydrate-rich food. It is completely fine to enjoy these foods and it is even encouraged that you listen to your body and what it needs during this physically and emotionally stressful time.

However, try to include highfibre and complex carbohydrates. These will help keep your energy levels and mood stable. Examples of high-fibre carbohydrates are fruits, vegetables and legumes.

Complex carbohydrates include wholegrains and oats.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

CANNES, France — Video games are likely to become the top source of story inspiration for Hollywood, producer and director Jonathan Nolan said on Monday, days before his adaption of the post-apocalyptic role-playing game “Fallout” is set to stream.

Streaming from Thursday, “Fallout” takes place 200 years after a nuclear war when the descendants of people who hid in bomb shelters are forced to return to the irradiated surface beset by violence, anarchy and mutants.

The series was developed by Nolan and his wife Lisa Joy who together produced the acclaimed series “Westworld” which won the Critics’ Choice award for most exciting new series in 2016.

Nolan, the brother of Christopher Nolan whose biopic “Oppenheimer” was the hit of this year’s Oscars, also directs the first three episodes of “Fallout”.

The series is airing a little more than one year after “The Last of Us”, another series inspired by a post-apocalyptic video game.

Acclaimed by the public and critics, “The Last of Us”, by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, has proven that a succesful transition from console to live action is possible.

“That was incredibly helpful that that show came out, that it was so brilliant, that it was so well received because it takes a lot of the pressure off,” Nolan told journalists at the Canneseries festival where “Fallout” was screened out of competition.

Video game adaptions to the big and small screen are not new, although they have often disappointed, from the “Super Mario Bros” film that came out in 1993 to the “Resident Evil” series on Netflix in 2022.

Gamer my whole life 

But that seems to be changing thanks to directors and producers who grew up playing video games.

“I have been a gamer my whole life,” said Nolan who remembers being mesmerised by “Fallout 3” when it was released 16 years ago.

“Those were the years in which I noticed that the storytelling of video games had become in many ways more ambitious, more avant garde, more punk rock” than films or television, he said.

Nolan pointed to video games like Half-Life, BioShock, and Portal as great examples of video games “filled with breathtaking moments”, some of which directors can hopefully transfer to film and television.

“You’re gonna have a lot of conversations in the next few years when they talk about games [on television and film] as genre, games aren’t a genre,” said Nolan.

Post-apocalyptic tone 

“Video games are a medium for telling stories and in many ways right now and for some time the biggest medium for storytelling if you look at the numbers, the amount of people who are playing and the size of the industry,” he added.

The global video game market was valued at $254 billion in 2022 and is expected to exceed $925 billion by 2032, according to market data firm Spherical Insights.

Nolan believes video games are likely to become the top source of inspiration for Hollywood in the years to come.

“You know we’re very timid in Hollywood, we’re conservative,” he said.

“You wait to see if... something works.”

Hollywood has long mined comics, including Nolan who co-wrote with his brother the Batman films “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises”.

While “The Last of Us” is closely based on the game, “Fallout”, which will be shown on Amazon Prime, creates new characters and a new story.

“The challenge was to try to find a story that struck at the essence of the games and that for me is obviously the post-apocalyptic setting but really more than anything else the tone,” said Nolan.

I have “never encountered anything quite like it — equal parts drama, emotion, but also dark comedy, satire, it’s political,” he added.

Nolan said “Fallout” creator Todd Howard was involved in every stage of the production, but insisted the show is not about fan service.

“I don’t think you can make a movie or a show for fans,” he said. “I think you can make it as a fan.”

By Sonia Salfity,
Desperate Dieter

When an object has the capacity to be elastic enough to spring back into shape it’s described as being resilient as well.

This is exactly what we can train ourselves to do. When the going gets tough, we can spring back sooner rather than later. No matter how difficult our journey is, being resilient will help us get to the other side.

Calling it quits?

The question I have for you is: What does it look like in real life for us desperate dieters to be resilient? How do we “spring back” after difficulties in managing our food issues?

Do we call it quits at the first sign of failure or do we dust ourselves off and press onward and forward?

I remember the first lesson I learned about horseback riding when I was a child; if you fall off the horse, right back on, otherwise the fear will keep you from ever having the courage to move on.

Fear has a way of paralysing us. It prevents us from reaching our fullest potential in every area of our lives. I have found in my own personal experience that the more I live in fear, the more I go to food to soothe my soul.

Facing our fears head on Therefore, part of becoming resilient is learning to face our fears head on instead of avoiding them. It’s fascinating how fears tend to shrink when we regularly face them. The opposite is also true. When we avoid our fears, they tend to grow. When that happens, it becomes difficult to contain them in one area and we find them seeping into every part of our lives.

Eventually, fear takes over our thoughts, which affect our actions. This happens unconsciously without us ever realising that our own thoughts have been taken captive by fear.

Divide and conquer

In line with our goal to be more resilient, we must “divide and conquer” as we tackle our fears one by one. Naming them is the first step. If soldiers don’t know who their enemies are, how can they possibly know what battles to fight? This is why we must make it our business to be well informed because the fears we have say more about us than about the things we fear.

Recognising the signs We must also recognise the signs, as fear can disguise itself in the form of anxiety, apprehension, timidity, agitation, alarm, doubt, nervousness and feelings of suspicion, just to name a few. When you can name it, you can tame it!

When we name our fears, their stranglehold loosens and eventually we can control them instead of them controlling us.

Tethered to our anchors We may never be able to fully have a complete grasp on the things we dread, but we can surely anchor ourselves enough to be more resilient, for our own good. One of the best ways to do this is to not procrastinate.

Saying things like ‘I’ll deal with this tomorrow’ is not the way to build resilience. The same is true when we tell ourselves we’ll start our diet tomorrow or next week.

We are smart and capable enough to seek long term solutions that begin in the present, and without delay.

Let’s focus on one goal at a time so we can be tethered to our anchors and not be blown by the wind that can unhinge us in every direction. Remember, we are more resilient than we think, so let’s start acting that way and believing we can do this one day at a time.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

NEW YORK — A diamond-covered edition of Truman Capote’s seminal novel “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is on sale for $1.5 million to mark the centenary of the author’s birth.

The one-of-a-kind volume, on display at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, is signed by the author and decorated with almost 30 carats of diamonds and a sapphire.

“The streets of London are paved with gold... the streets in New York are paved with platinum and diamonds,” said British artist Kate Holland who is behind the special edition of the 1958 novella.

Three years in the making, British jewelers Bentley and Skinner collaborated with US luxury bookseller, Lux Mentis, and the work is on display until Sunday at the book fair in the heart of Manhattan. The alignment of the more than 1,000 diamonds takes the form of the outline of Manhattan’s distinctive grid system.

The sapphire is positioned at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, location of the legendary flagship of jeweler Tiffany, which reopened in April 2023 under the ownership of French global luxury giant LVMH.

Tiffany, a beacon of New York luxury since 1940, was immortalised by the film adapted from the book of the same name directed by Blake Edwards and starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. The romantic comedy with a psychological edge, and the darker book about the character’s childhood traumas, tell the story of Holly Golightly, a whimsical young socialite who lives off her charms in New York and dreams of marrying a billionaire to shower her with jewels.

Holland described the novel as a “love story to New York”, a global hub for the arts, luxury and finance.

And while the artist admits the $1.5 million price tag “sits uncomfortably” — she believes the book can be displayed rather than sit “in a box on a shelf”. The work and life of Capote, as famous for his controversies as for his writing, have since his death in Los Angeles a month before his 60th birthday, been adapted for the screen.

Most recently his exploits were dramatized in Gus Van Sant’s “Feud: The Betrayals of Truman Capote” starring Tom Hollander, Naomi Watts, Diane Lane and Demi Moore.