Branagh to star in Newsnight Iraq films
Mark Sweney and Tara Conlan
Thursday January 24 2008
The BBC has signed up Kenneth Branagh, Harriet Walter and Art Malik to appear in a series of special Newsnight mini-dramas, called 10 Days to War, marking the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion.
Due for broadcast in March, the 10- to 12-minute films will run in Newsnight's regular slot on BBC2 at 10.30pm.
Kenneth Branagh: will star as Colonel Tim Collins. Photograph: AP They will be followed immediately by special editions of Newsnight, which will allow the current affairs show to question "the real players about the events of 2003", according to the Newsnight editor, Peter Barron.
A total of eight short films, which will air on BBC2 between March 10 and 19, will chart the countdown to the eventual military action in Iraq.
The mini-dramas are a collaboration between Newsnight, BBC Vision and the BBC factual department.
10 Days to War was today described by BBC2 controller Roly Keating at a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch as "the most schedule-testing thing" his channel is doing.
Each drama will be 10 to 12 minutes long and the series will tell the story of key events including the hunt for weapons of mass destruction, the political manoeuvring in the lead-up to the decision to invade and the tense build-up to the invasion itself.
Branagh has been confirmed to star as Colonel Tim Collins, the British Army officer who uttered the famous lines "We go to liberate not to conquer... if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory" in a speech to his troops as they prepared to invade Iraq in March 2003.
He will appear in the final mini-drama of the series, while Malik and Toby Jones will star in the second film, which will be about Iraqi exiles.
Another of the short films will feature Harriet Walter and focus on two Labour MPs battling with issues of loyalty and personal conscience during the crucial House of Commons vote on the war.
The BBC describes the series of dramas, the first collaboration of its kind between BBC Vision and BBC News, as "part thriller, part political drama".
No details have yet been revealed on the other films in the series.
The dramas have been penned by writer Ronan Bennett, the writer behind Hamburg Cell and Face, and executive produced by Colin Barr, who has previously worked on The Secretary Who Stole £4million.
BBC drama productions has also announced details of the BBC1 adaptation of Charles Dickens' Little Dorritt.
The production, from Sense and Sensibility and Bleak House writer Andrew Davies, stars Spooks actor Matthew Macfadyen as Arthur Clennam. The rest of the cast are yet to be revealed.
The 15-part series, commissioned by the BBC Fiction controller, Jane Tranter, will begin filming in April and is directed by Adam Smith.
Saturday 26 January 2008
Tuesday 22 January 2008
Guardian Media Story!
Musharraf finally lifts ban on TV news channel
Julian Borger, diplomatic editorTuesday January 22, 2008
The Guardian
Pervez Musharraf lifted a ban on Pakistan's most popular television station yesterday, less than a month before parliamentary elections which could be pivotal in the country's return to democracy.
Geo News and its sister sports channel began broadcasting at 6pm yesterday, just hours after the Pakistani president began his eight-day EU tour in which he is seeking to reassure Pakistan's partners that the democratic transition is still on course, despite the assassination of Benazir Bhutto last month.
Speaking in Brussels, Musharraf referred to what he called the west's "obsession" with democracy and appealed for Pakistan to be given more time to improve its record on human rights and civil liberties.
"While we believe in democracy and human rights and civil liberties please allow us time to reach what you have reached. And you have taken centuries to reach it," he said. "We are determined to hold free, fair and transparent elections ... There is no possibility of it being rigged."
Musharraf had been under pressure from Europe to lift the ban on Geo News, one of the restrictions left after a six-week state of emergency ended last month.
But the news channel, which had intensively covered his stand-off with the Pakistani judiciary last year, had to agree to a code of conduct, limiting criticism of the head of state, before going back on air.
Geo had also been forced to drop shows by journalists unpopular with the regime, claimed Reporters Without Borders. "This constitutes yet further evidence that censorship is unfortunately still the rule just a few weeks before the elections scheduled for February 18," the Paris-based organisation said in a statement.
Julian Borger, diplomatic editorTuesday January 22, 2008
The Guardian
Pervez Musharraf lifted a ban on Pakistan's most popular television station yesterday, less than a month before parliamentary elections which could be pivotal in the country's return to democracy.
Geo News and its sister sports channel began broadcasting at 6pm yesterday, just hours after the Pakistani president began his eight-day EU tour in which he is seeking to reassure Pakistan's partners that the democratic transition is still on course, despite the assassination of Benazir Bhutto last month.
Speaking in Brussels, Musharraf referred to what he called the west's "obsession" with democracy and appealed for Pakistan to be given more time to improve its record on human rights and civil liberties.
"While we believe in democracy and human rights and civil liberties please allow us time to reach what you have reached. And you have taken centuries to reach it," he said. "We are determined to hold free, fair and transparent elections ... There is no possibility of it being rigged."
Musharraf had been under pressure from Europe to lift the ban on Geo News, one of the restrictions left after a six-week state of emergency ended last month.
But the news channel, which had intensively covered his stand-off with the Pakistani judiciary last year, had to agree to a code of conduct, limiting criticism of the head of state, before going back on air.
Geo had also been forced to drop shows by journalists unpopular with the regime, claimed Reporters Without Borders. "This constitutes yet further evidence that censorship is unfortunately still the rule just a few weeks before the elections scheduled for February 18," the Paris-based organisation said in a statement.
Thursday 3 January 2008
An advertisement for "the deeply superficial series" Nip/Tuck.
The image is set in an operating theatre which provides the audience with generic conventions for a hospital/surgical drama.
The two lead male characters are seen suited, which could be a reflection of their wealth and their social class, being professionals they are in social bracket A. This could imply that the audience is similar to the chracters with B's and aspirational C's. From their facial expressions they seem sinister and serious which could reflect their characters as well as the nature of the show. Such beauty based series are usually targetted at females however the main characters here are men, this shows that males are being targetted for this show, as well as reflecting the changing society, which accepts that the modern man,"metrosexual", can also be concerned about his appearance.
The men also seem very casual despite having two women wearing little just walking around and laying on the operating table, this could imply that they are used to such behaviour, which could suggest there are sexual elements within the show, therefore being targetted at a more mature audience.
In the shot we see two women who are "scantily clad" in their skin tone bra and underwear. The costume implies nudity and being completely bare and ready for change. Their poses are quite dramatic which could mean that the show is full of drama and seeing as it is not an everyday thing to see women in a theatre like this could imply people in the show do not live an everyday type of life.
The woman on the operating table has some sort of operating equipment through her chest which shows the programmes strong surgical theme and that the characters are willing to die for the sake of vanity.
The surgical instrument in the womans chest could be considered to be a phallic symbol. As women perfect themselves they will become more attractive as well as incharge, so with this instrument the men are reasserting their dominance. Also the women in order to gain perfection have to go to male surgeons, so it is the man who perfects the women, again enforcing a patriarchal society.
The lighting is very dark to show the serious tone of the program. The lighting creates a very dark side to the show and creates drama. The lighting focuses on the men and only their faces can be seen clearly showing their importance and telling us who we should focus on in the show.
The two womens faces are shaded so obviously they are not characters but are just there to show the role of women within the show, women are the ones that seek surgery. This could imply it is women who who are vain and want surgery to gain "perfection".
The image is set in an operating theatre which provides the audience with generic conventions for a hospital/surgical drama.
The two lead male characters are seen suited, which could be a reflection of their wealth and their social class, being professionals they are in social bracket A. This could imply that the audience is similar to the chracters with B's and aspirational C's. From their facial expressions they seem sinister and serious which could reflect their characters as well as the nature of the show. Such beauty based series are usually targetted at females however the main characters here are men, this shows that males are being targetted for this show, as well as reflecting the changing society, which accepts that the modern man,"metrosexual", can also be concerned about his appearance.
The men also seem very casual despite having two women wearing little just walking around and laying on the operating table, this could imply that they are used to such behaviour, which could suggest there are sexual elements within the show, therefore being targetted at a more mature audience.
In the shot we see two women who are "scantily clad" in their skin tone bra and underwear. The costume implies nudity and being completely bare and ready for change. Their poses are quite dramatic which could mean that the show is full of drama and seeing as it is not an everyday thing to see women in a theatre like this could imply people in the show do not live an everyday type of life.
The woman on the operating table has some sort of operating equipment through her chest which shows the programmes strong surgical theme and that the characters are willing to die for the sake of vanity.
The surgical instrument in the womans chest could be considered to be a phallic symbol. As women perfect themselves they will become more attractive as well as incharge, so with this instrument the men are reasserting their dominance. Also the women in order to gain perfection have to go to male surgeons, so it is the man who perfects the women, again enforcing a patriarchal society.
The lighting is very dark to show the serious tone of the program. The lighting creates a very dark side to the show and creates drama. The lighting focuses on the men and only their faces can be seen clearly showing their importance and telling us who we should focus on in the show.
The two womens faces are shaded so obviously they are not characters but are just there to show the role of women within the show, women are the ones that seek surgery. This could imply it is women who who are vain and want surgery to gain "perfection".
The title "Mean Girls" is placed vertically just under half way across the page. This can be seen as unconventional as the majority of film posters have the title horizontally and placed at the top. This could insinuate this movie is an unconventional teen movie and different from the rest. The title is written in a purple font which connotes feminism as it is not a harsh purple, also if the title was to be written in a stereotypically feminine colour such as pink it might not work as powerfully and the audience may just assume the film is another "girly" teen movie, a style of film which was dominate during the 90's.
The word mean is also written in bold lettering which makes it the more significant word in the title. The word emphasises the nature of the girls within the film as well as dennoting their characteristics. However the word mean also connotes child like qualities as it is a word often associated and used with childish fights and children. This could imply the rivalry and competition between the girls is childish and petty and almost superficial like the characters themselves.
One of the main images is of the lead, Lindsay Lohan, who is standing to a side looking over her shoulder. Her facial expressions shows her to be in almost fear of the girls behind her, although she is standing straight which could connote confidence her position is seen as insecure compared to the other girls on the page. This could be reflective of her character and the relationship between her and these girls within the movie, they are more secure and dominant than her in the film. Also standing with her back to them could symbolise a sense of "back stabbing" which is associated with teenage girls and could be a theme within the movie. Her costume is simple and is a red top with a pair of jeans. The red of the top could be a reflection of the trouble to come concerning the character. The jeans connote a more comfortable and casual nature which is missing from the other girls in the shot. Her being the main image and significantly bigger than the other three girls on the page could show the movie is using her to further sell it. Lindsay Lohan who is often associated with teen movies, rebelliousness and being a teen icon in Hollywood is having her public image used to attract girls who may admire or aspire to be like her to watch the film. Lndsay Lohan is also often type cast in these teenage movies which further sets up generic conventions for the film. Her name is also positioned on the poster above her head showing her to be a key selling point of the film.
In the background there are the other three girls, who although smaller in size to Lindsay Lohan, are assumed to be key in the film as they are the only other characters presented to the audience. The main girl is standing in a confident and domineering position all the while appearing to be passing judgement on you. Unlike Lindsay's character she is looking directly at the audience which makes it seem she is passing judgement on the audience. This is relatable for teenage girls, who are clearly the target audience of the film, being a relatable situation further draws the audience and attracts them to the film. The two girls shown behind her are also in a similar position which makes it seem like they are almost ready to attack, which could explain the facial expression of the lead. The fact that the other two girls are stood behind her rather than alongside her shows that she is more signifcant than them and is probably the leader of their group within the movie. Unlike Lindsay Lohan's character they are dressed more feminine, attractively and somewhat superficially with their short skirts and high heels. The way they are dressed could reflect their characters within the film and sets up character expectations of them being "stuck up" and superficial and image based. But also attract this type of image concerned teenagers to watch the movie.
The catch line at the bottom in bold says "Watch Your Back" which confirms any movie and character expectations the audience may have had about the idea of "back stabbing" and female rivalry, the leads fear of the girls and the three girls dominant position.
At the bottom we see the name of another actress within the film, Tina Fey, unlike Lindsay's name this name is written in white which could show her distance from these girls as well as her neautral character. She is not shown on the poster which could show that she is not a key character, but also could show her name is so well known the audience do not need to see who she is to be aware of her previous works. Tina Fey is known as a comedian as well as actress so her starring in the film provides the audience with the assumption that the movie is a comedy.
The word mean is also written in bold lettering which makes it the more significant word in the title. The word emphasises the nature of the girls within the film as well as dennoting their characteristics. However the word mean also connotes child like qualities as it is a word often associated and used with childish fights and children. This could imply the rivalry and competition between the girls is childish and petty and almost superficial like the characters themselves.
One of the main images is of the lead, Lindsay Lohan, who is standing to a side looking over her shoulder. Her facial expressions shows her to be in almost fear of the girls behind her, although she is standing straight which could connote confidence her position is seen as insecure compared to the other girls on the page. This could be reflective of her character and the relationship between her and these girls within the movie, they are more secure and dominant than her in the film. Also standing with her back to them could symbolise a sense of "back stabbing" which is associated with teenage girls and could be a theme within the movie. Her costume is simple and is a red top with a pair of jeans. The red of the top could be a reflection of the trouble to come concerning the character. The jeans connote a more comfortable and casual nature which is missing from the other girls in the shot. Her being the main image and significantly bigger than the other three girls on the page could show the movie is using her to further sell it. Lindsay Lohan who is often associated with teen movies, rebelliousness and being a teen icon in Hollywood is having her public image used to attract girls who may admire or aspire to be like her to watch the film. Lndsay Lohan is also often type cast in these teenage movies which further sets up generic conventions for the film. Her name is also positioned on the poster above her head showing her to be a key selling point of the film.
In the background there are the other three girls, who although smaller in size to Lindsay Lohan, are assumed to be key in the film as they are the only other characters presented to the audience. The main girl is standing in a confident and domineering position all the while appearing to be passing judgement on you. Unlike Lindsay's character she is looking directly at the audience which makes it seem she is passing judgement on the audience. This is relatable for teenage girls, who are clearly the target audience of the film, being a relatable situation further draws the audience and attracts them to the film. The two girls shown behind her are also in a similar position which makes it seem like they are almost ready to attack, which could explain the facial expression of the lead. The fact that the other two girls are stood behind her rather than alongside her shows that she is more signifcant than them and is probably the leader of their group within the movie. Unlike Lindsay Lohan's character they are dressed more feminine, attractively and somewhat superficially with their short skirts and high heels. The way they are dressed could reflect their characters within the film and sets up character expectations of them being "stuck up" and superficial and image based. But also attract this type of image concerned teenagers to watch the movie.
The catch line at the bottom in bold says "Watch Your Back" which confirms any movie and character expectations the audience may have had about the idea of "back stabbing" and female rivalry, the leads fear of the girls and the three girls dominant position.
At the bottom we see the name of another actress within the film, Tina Fey, unlike Lindsay's name this name is written in white which could show her distance from these girls as well as her neautral character. She is not shown on the poster which could show that she is not a key character, but also could show her name is so well known the audience do not need to see who she is to be aware of her previous works. Tina Fey is known as a comedian as well as actress so her starring in the film provides the audience with the assumption that the movie is a comedy.
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