Film - The African Mirror

Mar

2024

Oscars 2024: panned by Trump, host Kimmel quips, ‘Isn’t it past your jail time?’

HOLLYWOOD'S biggest stars gathered to celebrate the year's best accomplishments in film at the annual Academy Awards. Here are some takeaways from the 96th Oscars ceremony. TRUMP REVIEWS KIMMEL Late in the show, Jimmy Kimmel read aloud from a scathing online review of his performance as Oscars host, revealing at the end that it was written by former U.S. President Donald Trump. "Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars," Trump posted on his Truth Social social media platform, also criticizing the show as "Disjointed, boring, and very unfair." Talk show host Kimmel, who's long feuded…

Nov

2022

By The African Mirror

Hotel Rwanda: a film that proved to be a double-edged sword for Kigali

LIFESTYLE

PAUL Rusesabagina is perhaps one of the world’s best known Rwandans. His actions during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi were made famous in the 2004 Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda. The film was inspired by what happened inside Hotel des Mille Collines in the capital, Kigali. Here, 1,268 Rwandans, both Tutsis and Hutus, were saved from genocidal forces waiting beyond its walls. Author JONATHAN BELOFF, Postdoctoral Research Associate, King's College London The film depicts Rusesabagina – who left Rwanda in 1996 – as a hero who saved these lives. Following the film’s release, Rusesabagina received several humanitarian awards, including the…

Oct

2022

By The African Mirror

Woman King is worth watching: but be aware that its take on history is problematic

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE Hollywood movie The Woman King, released in mid-September, became an immediate box-office success. The triumphs of the Agoodjies, the women warriors of the ancient Kingdom of Dahomey in today’s Benin, west Africa, are as magnificent as the public had anticipated. In this epic historical drama, African women take centre stage. Abomey (the kingdom’s capital) and Ouidah (the main port under its control) are shown from the perspective of Nawi, a novice in the all-female regiment. She opposes the enduring injustice of gender expectations, espouses the camaraderie of her sisters in arms and faces the brutality of slave traders. The…

Dec

2021

By The African Mirror

More minority faces in film, TV, music as audiences demand diversity

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

RICHARD CHANG MORE minorities are showing up in mainstream U.S. entertainment, from films and TV to music, as audiences demand stories that reflect the world's diversity, showing that inclusion is good business, industry executives said. "Our industry has caught up with reality. The majority of the world is actually Asian," said Bing Chen, president of Gold House, a nonprofit collective that promotes Asian Pacific Islander voices, on a panel at  the  Reuters Next conference broadcast on Thursday.  "Audiences are craving things they've never seen, never heard of." "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," the first Marvel movie to…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Menzi Ngubane to be buried on Saturday

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER POPULAR South African actor Menzi Ngubane will be buried on Saturday at his birthplace in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal. The Ngubane have announced that the funeral will be live-streamed on social media platforms for the many fans who will not be able to attend because of COVID-19 restrictions. The Ngubane's stuffered a twin tragedy after his father, 91, died on Tuesday, three days after the actor's death. The Ngubanes are still in shock and are now preparing to a funeral for father and son. Baba Ngubane, who celebrated his 90th with Menzi last year, is suspected to have died…