Pakistan literary festivals tell a tale of cultural revival

LAHORE (AFP) - Pakistan's literary scene is seeing a spirited revival, with packed festivals attracting tens of thousands in a rock concert-like atmosphere that defies security threats in a growing cultural renaissance. 　Events such as the raucous Lahore Literary Festival, held over the weekend, are reclaiming the “cultural space” that has shrunk significantly in the conservative Muslim nation in recent years amid a raging Islamist insurgency.　The festivals -- platforms for all forms of cultural

CultureFeb. 24, 2016

Singapore archbishop warns flock against Madonna concert

SINGAPORE (AFP) - Singapore's Roman Catholic archbishop has expressed concern at an upcoming concert by pop diva Madonna in the city-state and warned his flock against supporting those who “denigrate and insult religions.”　Archbishop William Goh said in a statement posted on the diocese website on Saturday that he had met various government officials to express the church’s concerns about the Feb. 28 concert, part of her global Rebel Heart Tour.　The concert, at the 55,000-seat National Stadium,

PerformanceFeb. 24, 2016

Actor Namgoong Min does all the bad things

Actor Namgoong Min, who played the villain Nam Kyu-min in the recently concluded drama "Remember - War of the Son," has an unusual achievement: committing all the bad deeds possibly shown on TV."I should probably stop playing the villain," he said while laughing in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday. "Maybe I could in a different genre. I just think I've done all the horrible things you can on TV without violating the broadcasting guidelines."In the SBS series, the chairman's son wi

TelevisionFeb. 24, 2016

'Comfort women' film tops pre-sale reservation rates in local box office

A local film about the painful life of South Korean sex slaves during World War II, tops pre-sale reservation rates in the local box office, a market tracker said Wednesday."Spirits' Homecoming," released on Wednesday nationwide, enjoys a reservation rate of 27.2 percent, leading Hollywood blockbuster "Deadpool" and Disney animation "Zootopia" with a big margin, according to Korean Film Council (KOFIC). The booking rates for the two American films are 13.8 percent and 12.6 percent, respectively.

FilmFeb. 24, 2016

Film director faces fraud charges

A South Korean film director is facing fraud charges for allegedly not paying back some 10 billion won ($8.1 million) he borrowed from a local bank, prosecutors said Wednesday.A former head of a local savings bank filed charges against Kwak Kyung-taek, best known for "Friend" (2001), with the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office on Tuesday, prosecutors said.In the petition, the 58-year-old former banker said Kwak borrowed some 17.5 billion won from 2008 to 2011 and did not repay about 9.2

FilmFeb. 24, 2016

Actress Jeon Do-yeon returns to soap opera scene with 'The Good Wife'

South Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon will make a TV comeback as the leading woman in "The Good Wife," her agency said Wednesday.The upcoming tvN drama will be her first soap opera role in 11 years, Management Soop said.In the South Korean remake of the popular American series of the same name, Jeon will play Hyekyeong, a housewife who resumes her career as a defense attorney after her husband lands in prison on corruption charges."I'd been wanting to get out of my comfort zone when they asked me to

TelevisionFeb. 24, 2016

London museum celebrates Charlotte Bronte‘s 200th birthday

LONDON (AFP) - Manuscripts, portraits and even a pair of cloth boots belonging to English author Charlotte Bronte went on display in London on Monday to celebrate the 200th anniversary of her birth.　The small exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, which runs until Aug. 14, offers glimpses into the life of the novelist who lived between 1816 and 1855 and is best known for “Jane Eyre.”　It revolves around a famous portrait by her brother Branwell Bronte with Charlotte, her sisters Emily and A

CultureFeb. 23, 2016

Tate Britain to stage major David Hockney retrospective

LONDON (AP) -- Self-portraits, abstract images and sun-dappled swimming pools will feature at London's Tate Britain in a major exhibition devoted to artist David Hockney.The gallery announced Monday that the show will open in February 2017. Hockney, often considered Britain’s greatest living artist, turns 80 next year.Born in northern England, Hockney has spent much of his career in Los Angeles, and his work has ranged from bright California scenes and Yorkshire landscapes to photomontages and i

PerformanceFeb. 23, 2016

Flagship gallery show raises fears for Hong Kong arts

HONG KONG (AFP) - Hong Kong on Tuesday got its first glimpse of the collection at the heart of its new flagship gallery, with an exhibition that has highlighted fears Beijing's influence in the city is infecting the arts.　The M+ Sigg show features 80 works by famous Chinese names including Yue Minjun -- known for his paintings of laughing faces -- and surrealist Zhang Xiaogang.　It is billed as the first ever chronological exhibition on the emergence of Chinese contemporary art and gives a taste

PerformanceFeb. 23, 2016

Documentary on MET to open Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK (AP) -- A documentary on the Metropolitan Museum of Art will open the 15th Tribeca Film Festival. The festival announced Monday that this year's festival will begin on April 13 with the premiere of Andrew Rossi’s “The First Monday in May.” Rossi previously documented another New York institution in “Page One: Inside the New York Times.”“The First Monday in May” focuses on the MET's popular costume exhibition on Chinese-inspired Western fashions, “China: Through the Looking Glass.” Tribe

FilmFeb. 23, 2016

Actor Park Sung-woong puts law degree to work

Actor Park Sung-woong has a lot in common with his character, Park Dong-ho, in the recently concluded SBS series "Remember - War of the Son."And no, it's not just their last name, although that's part of it. It's also their degrees in law and odd senses of style.Like his alter-ego, Park studied law against his will -- it was his dad's idea more than his -- but instead of joining a gang, Park, then 23, went into acting.Almost 20 years later, Park can finally say studying law "has paid off." But i

TelevisionFeb. 23, 2016

Ministry to encourage citizen participation on 'Culture Day'

The Korean government will offer financial and logistics support to citizen-led culture clubs and encourage more people to participate in community culture programs to sustain the government-led “Culture Day” program. 　The Culture Ministry announced Monday that it would channel some 1.8 billion won ($1.46 million) into encouraging the public to form and participate in local orchestras, ensembles and choir and art circles. This amounts to about 13 percent of the total budget for the 2016 “Culture

CultureFeb. 22, 2016