Intern at the white house

EXCLUSIVE : Mammoth Screen, the British producer behind series including The Serpent and Poldark , is developing a television drama based on the 18th Century slave uprising in Haiti. The story will be told through the eyes of Toussaint Louverture — who helped turn the tide against slavery internationally through his actions in Haiti — after Mammoth optioned Sudhir Hazareesingh ’s biography Black Spartacus : The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture . The Baillie Gifford Prize longlisted book is a comprehensive look at the life of Louverture, a former slave, who became the leader of the colony’s black population, the commander of its republican army, and eventually its governor until he was seized by Napoléon Bonaparte’s invading army in 1802. Related Story ITV Studios Takes Control Of Denmark's Apple Tree Productions Hazareesingh describes Louverture as a warrior, philosopher, nation-builder, and founding father of Haiti, characterizing him in the book as … [Read more...] about ‘The Serpent’ Producer Mammoth Screen Develops Slave Uprising TV Series Based On Sudhir Hazareesingh’s ‘Black Spartacus’

Nicolas Sarkozy , who served as French president between 2007 and 2012, has been found guilty of corruption. He was given a three-year jail term, with two suspended. However, he will be allowed to serve the term under house arrest, wearing an electronic tag. His former lawyer Thierry Herzog and magistrate Gilbert Azibert received the same sentences. Sarkozy has been convicted of trying to bribe Azibert by offering him a prestigious job in return for information about a criminal enquiry into his party. The former president is expected to appeal the verdict. He is also facing a separate trial into alleged fraudulent overspending during his 2012 re-election campaign. … [Read more...] about Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy Found Guilty Of Corruption

EXCLUSIVE : MGM/UA Television and Israel’s Tadmor Entertainment are developing a scripted television series based on the lives of judo world champions Saeid Mollaei and Sagi Muki . The two companies have acquired the life rights to the duo and are working with the International Judo Federation to develop the series, which will feature exclusive footage of the athletes. A documentary about the pair is also in production. Here’s the logline: “The incredible true story of Iranian Saeid Mollaei, one of history’s bravest athletes, who despite threats from his handlers, refused to give in and chose to compete against his friend Sagi Muki from Israel. “As a result, Mollaei was forced to flee from his country and live as a refugee in Germany. Soon these two incredible judokas will meet on the mat for the first time during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. This is a story of bravery, friendship against all odds, and the true spirit of sport.” The judo series is the second … [Read more...] about MGM/UA Develops TV Series On Judo World Champions Saeid Mollaei & Sagi Muki

John Oliver explored the overzealous and overused tactic of police raids on Last Week Tonight Sunday, February 28th. In the segment — which began with a very worthwhile, if unrelated, digression into the short-lived TV musical Cop Rock — Oliver traced the rise of police raids back to the War on Drugs and highlighted reports that showed how they are still predominately carried out in black and Latino neighborhoods. Oliver also tied police raids to militarization, with police taking part in over-the-top training exercises that prioritize, say, taking down a cult leader over general conflict deescalation. And even supposedly “non-lethal” tools like flash bangs can be harmful, especially when a cop manages to throw one into a crib, which happened in a 2014 incident. Related Stories Vic Mensa Taps Wyclef Jean, Peter CottonTale for Two-Song Set on 'Colbert' Billie Eilish Teases New Album Made in Quarantine on 'Colbert' Related Stories 4 Ways Venue … [Read more...] about John Oliver Examines Damage Done by Over-the-Top Police Raids on ‘Last Week Tonight’

Whether by accident or design, the ultra-low-budget Language Lessons feels like a definitive film for the Covid-19 era, as the two main actors never appear in the same shot together until the very end. Seemingly created on two computers, this exceedingly modest tale of a Spanish-language instructor and pupil who meet online becomes more genially engaging as it goes along, although it never aims very high other than as a technical experiment that more or less succeeds. It plays just fine on home equipment and it’s hard to imagine that there would be anything to be gained from experiencing this Berlinale Special world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on the big screen. The script by indie stalwart Mark Duplass and director-actress Natalie Morales is entirely restricted to the chats the two characters, Adam and Cariño, have in the course of online language lessons bought for the former by his partner — 100 of them, no less. Adam and his mate Will are … [Read more...] about Int’l Critics Line: Todd McCarthy On ‘Language Lessons’ – Berlin