Culture
5 minutes with… filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan
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One of the most acclaimed American playwrights of the modern era, Kenneth Lonergan penned the screenplays for Analyse This and Gangs Of New York before making the leap to writer-director with a trio of seminal American movies of the 21s century: intimate sibling drama You Can Count On Me, operatic coming-of-age tale Margaret and the Oscar-winning tale of tragedy and redemption that is Manchester By The Sea.
We grabbed five minutes with the wry, softly-spoken Lonergan – a total gentleman, it should be noted – directly following an illuminating in-conversation event with director Lenny Abrahamson at this year’s Story House event in Dublin.
You said at the end of your conversation that you’re not sure if these events have any value…
Did I say that? Oh, I definitely think they have value. I just meant people are always telling everyone how to do everything. So, David Mamet insists on everyone doing something his way and Ernest Hemingway says, “You have to do it this way.” And so-and-so says, “You have to do it this way.” And I find that to be belligerent and obnoxious, so I like to check myself after giving half an hour of advice to make sure that it’s appropriate for people who find it appropriate. It might not be for everyone. That’s all. And I think the forum itself is immensely valuable.
And how is it then to come to Dublin and be amongst writers and be in a space where the art of screenwriting is being celebrated?
I love it. It’s great. I mean, I think screenwriters are a perpetually endangered species, not because they get killed but because they’re always being hunted, and I think it’s very good for them to get together and I think it’s a wonderful idea to have a screenwriting conference that’s geared towards the writers, especially since they’re particularly vulnerable to both the creative and professional challenges and the mingling of those two things.
How important is that, to not only celebrate the form but to put the screenwriter front and center?
It’s very important, but screenwriters have never been front and center and probably never will be. I mean, it’s bad now but it’s always been bad. And again, depending on the situation, screenwriters have been left relatively alone but they’re never have the last word unless they’re also the director, and I don’t think they ever will because the movies are so heavily weighted towards the making of the movies and not so much towards the writing of them, but many people respect the screenplays a great deal and recognize the good ones when they see them.
That is the minority view but it’s never been a creatively satisfying job unto its own, except under special circumstances, and I don’t think that’s changed at all.
To have a screenplay and to shop it around to get it made is like being a goat on a lead in a game park so people can watch the tiger come out from the woods and rip it to pieces.
You mentioned that you have a couple of new scripts in the pipeline. Do you feel that there’s still a space in terms of what you do, in the current landscape, to do interesting work in film?
Well, if you’re a writer-director, it’s totally different. I mean, you still have to argue and you still have to defend your work but the screenplay is under much better protection than if you’re just a screenwriter.
To have a screenplay and to shop it around to get it made is like being a goat on a lead in a game park so people can watch the tiger come out from the woods and rip it to pieces. I mean, that’s not even that much of a caricature.
I have so many friends who are screenwriters and playwrights and who don’t want to be directors, and they write these scripts that mean a lot to them. They have to find a director; even if it’s their best friend, that person is going to be under tremendous pressure from the financiers or the producers, usually the financiers, to do all sorts of things to it that the director doesn’t even want to do but at some point the director is going to say, “Listen, best friend who wrote the screenplay, we’re not going to get it made if I don’t let them hire this other writer, if I don’t cast this actor you don’t like, if I don’t do X, Y, and Z.” And the writer’s got nothing to say about it. So, it’s a very vulnerable position to be in, and if you’re a writer-director, then they have to deal with you on that level. And it’s all anthropological and it’s got nothing to do with what’s best for anybody. It’s just the way things work. So for some reason, writer-directors are given more respect. They’ll still come at you, but not with the same feeling of absolute impunity.
You’ve had three experiences as writer-director, and you’ve experienced the lows of frustration as well as the highs of acknowledgement. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself starting out?
What I would tell little Kenny (smiles)? I’d tell little Kenny what I told the people today, which is never argue with anybody. Keep your disagreements to yourself. Half of the conflicts will disappear instantly because they won’t remember the conversation, and you have to handle people with more power than you have. You can’t fight them head-to-head, and you shouldn’t expect yourself to. I don’t like arguing and I don’t like giving in, but telling people that you want to be left alone is not the way to get your way.
Find out more about the Storyhouse festival here
Culture
Giorgio Armani creations interplay with Italian masterpieces at new Milan exhibition
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“Giorgio Armani, Milano, for love’’ at the Brera Art Gallery opens today, mere weeks after the celebrated designer’s death at the age of 91.
Featuring 129 Armani looks from the 1980s through the present day, the exhibition places his creations among celebrated Italian masterpieces by such luminaries as Raphael and Caravaggio.
It is one of a series of Milan Fashion Week events that were planned before Armani’s death, to highlight his transformative influence on the world of fashion.
“From the start, Armani showed absolute rigor but also humility not common to great fashion figures,’’ said the gallery’s director Angelo Crespi. “He always said that he did not want to enter into close dialogue with great masterpieces, like Raphael, Mantegna, Caravaggio and Piero della Francesca.’’
Instead, the exhibition aims to create a symbiosis with the artworks, with the chosen looks reflecting the mood of each room without interrupting the flow of the museum experience – much the way Armani always intended his apparel to enhance and never overwhelm the individual.
A long blue asymmetrical skirt and bodysuit ensemble worn by Juliette Binoche at Cannes in 2016 neatly reflects the blue in Giovanni Bellini’s 1510 portrait “Madonna and Child”; a trio of underlit dresses glow on a wall opposite Raphael’s “The Marriage of the Virgin”; the famed soft-shouldered suit worn by Richard Gere in American Gigolo, arguably the garment that launched Armani to global fame, is set among detached frescoes by Donato Bramante. Every choice in the exhibition underscores the timelessness of Armani’s fashion.
Armani himself makes a cameo, on a t-shirt in the final room, opposite the Brera’s emblematic painting “Il Bacio” by Francesco Hayez.
“When I walk around, I think he would be super proud,’’ said Anoushka Borghesi, Armani’s global communications director.
Armani’s fashion house confirmed a series of events this week that Armani himself had planned to celebrate his 50th anniversary. They include the announcement of an initiative to support education for children in six Southeast Asian, African and South American countries. The project, in conjunction with the Catholic charity Caritas, is named “Mariu’,’’ an affectionate nickname for Armani’s mother.
In a final farewell, the last Giorgio Armani collection signed by the designer will be shown in the Brera Gallery on Sunday, among looks he personally chose to represent his 50-year legacy.
“Giorgio Armani – 50 Years” opened to the public today at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, Italy. The exhibition lasts until 11 January 2026.
Culture
The last day of doomsday: What is the viral ‘RaptureTok’ trend?
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If you’re reading this today, Wednesday 24 September 2025 could be the last day before the end of the world as you know it.
If you’re reading this tomorrow, you weren’t blipped out of existence and good luck with all the rebuilding. Please do better.
Confused? We’ve got you covered.
According to the more holy corners of TikTok, it has been prophesized that yesterday – or today, they couldn’t make their minds up on which one, so just go with it – is the day of the Rapture.
For the filthy heathens among you, that’s the long-awaited end-time event when Jesus Christ returns to Earth, resurrects all dead Christian disciples and brings all believers “to meet the Lord in the air.”
It wasn’t yesterday, clearly, so today’s the day… And turn off that R.E.M. song, this is serious.
This all stems from South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela, who claimed that the Rapture will occur on 23 or 24 September 2025. Mhlakela said that this knowledge came directly from a dream he had in 2018, in which Jesus appeared to him. Mhlakela reiterated all of this on 9 September in an interview with CettwinzTV and since then, the prophecy has become a viral sensation on TikTok.
Many individuals on the social media platform have taken this literally and very seriously, with more than 350,000 videos appearing under the hashtag #rapturenow – leading to the trend / popular subsection dubbed ‘RaptureTok’.
Some videos mock the prophecy, but you don’t have to scroll for too long to find those who are completely convinced that it’s happening today.
There’s advice on how to prepare; tips on what to remove from your house should certain objects contain “demonic energy”; and testimonies of people selling their possessions. One man, who goes by the name Tilahun on TikTok, shared a video last month, in which he said he was selling his car in preparation for the big day. “Car is gone just like the Brides of Christ will be in September,” he said.
One woman in North Carolina was live recording yesterday from the Blue Ridge Mountains, fervently keeping an eye on any holy activity in the sky. Another claimed that her 3-year-old started speaking in Hebrew, thereby confirming that it’s all legit.
Some more distressing videos include American evangelicals saying goodbye to their children for the last time… We won’t share those, as they’re actually quite depressing.
It’s hard to completely blame TikTok users for wanting the final curtain to drop, as things aren’t going too great down here on Earth. That being said, it’s worth noting that the Bible never actually mentions the Rapture; it’s a relatively recent doctrine that originates from the early 1800s, one which has gained traction among fundamentalist theologians – specifically in the US, where everything is fine, civil conversation is alive and well, no one’s worried, and they’re all enjoying their “God-given freedoms”.
So, if the Rapture does come to pass, we here at Euronews Culture will be eating a whole concrete mixer full of humble pie. If it doesn’t, see you tomorrow, and do spare a thought for those who are going to be very disappointed on Thursday 25 September.
And if extra-terrestrial beings followed Tara Rule’s advice (see below), thank you alien visitors for joining in on the fun. And if you could provide some much-needed guidance on how to do better, that would be grand.
Only a few more hours left to find out…
Culture
‘Dawson’s Creek’ reunion sees James Van Der Beek make surprise appearance amid cancer battle
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The cast of the hit TV show Dawson’s Creek, which ran from 1998 to 2003, came together earlier this week for a reunion charity event in New York City.
The cast, including Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson, took the stage at the Richard Rodgers Theater on Monday evening to read the 1998 pilot episode.
The evening was to raise money for F Cancer and James Van Der Beek, who played Dawson in the show. Van Der Beek, 48, was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer last year, and was unable to attend.
However, he shared that he had an understudy for the evening…
“I DO have an understudy. A ridiculously overqualified replacement who would have been #1 on my wishlist (had I ever dreamed he’d be available),” he wrote. “Someone my kids would definitely consider an upgrade over me… Plus, he already knows how to get to the theater. So that’s convenient. The role of ‘Dawson,’ usually played by James Van Der Beek, will be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Can’t believe I just got to type that.”
Additionally, a visibly moved Van Der Beek did appear on screen via video message.
“I can’t believe I don’t get to hug my cast mates,” he said. “I want to stand on that stage and thank every single person in the theater for being here tonight. From the cast to the crew to everybody who’s doing anything and has been so generous, and especially every single last one of you – you are the best fans in the world.”
During the event, Van Der Beek’s wife Kimberly and the couple’s children joined the cast onstage to sing Paula Cole’s ‘I Don’t Want To Wait’, which served as the show’s theme song.
Another surprise during the event was when Steven Spielberg – Dawson’s hero throughout the series – appeared on screen. Check out the director’s message below:
Van Der Beek has undergone chemotherapy and has continued to engage publicly, advocating for cancer awareness and the importance of early detection. He has promoted new screening options and teamed up with Guardant Health to raise awareness about colorectal cancer screening for people under 50.
The video message during the reunion show has sparked concern after fans noticed that the actor appeared visibly thinner compared to earlier public appearances.
Messages of support flooded social media, with fans praising Van Der Beek’s resilience.
Elsewhere, Holmes and Jackson, who played Joey and Pacey respectively in Dawson’s Creek, are currently working together on a new project, Happy Hours.
According to Deadline, the forthcoming trilogy is “a story about two people (played by Holmes and Jackson) navigating their relationship within the challenges of careers and family responsibilities and the pursuit of love, despite life’s inevitable obstacles. It’s a character-driven dramedy that explores the emotional journey of young loves who reconnect as adults, with the connective thread of shared joys, loss, and hope.”
Holmes is directing, writing and starring in the movie – and the reunion between the two has sparked rumours about a possible romantic rekindling.
Holmes and Jackson met in the 90s. They were an item and appeared close during the reunion evening. However, multiple sources clarified that Homes and Jackson aren’t back together and enjoy a longlasting and continuing friendship.
Reflecting on the event, Holmes wrote on Instagram: “I will never find the words for what these three beautiful humans mean to me. For our shared journey. For our everlasting bond. James, Josh, Michelle… from April 1997 – I love you.”
He added: “James, you got this. We got you. To everyone who supported us from the beginning and who continue to support James and his beautiful family, we thank you. Thank you for last night.”
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