, , and to Malawi and then to Cape Town, and to see the power of female philanthropy and their commitment to girls' education. You could feel the electric energy in the crowd as the schoolgirls—all in freshly laundered uniforms—had found out only hours earlier who, exactly, was coming to visit.Clooney, Gates and Obama had chosen the Ludzi school—in Mchinji, a town located in the Central Region of Malawi—because of its longstanding support of the nonprofit organization Advancing Girls’ Education in Africa (AGE Africa), whose goal is to provide education, mentoring opportunities, and scholarships to vulnerable young women across 47 Malawian public secondary schools.In this Glamour exclusive, we delve into the personal and professional relationships of three of the most well-known women in the world, have meaningful conversations with local schoolgirls, and talk to prominent lawyers and activists about what it will take to, once and for all, eradicate child marriage globally.First things first: Yes, they’re on first-name terms with one another.Amal, Melinda, and Michelle huddled together, in displays of easy friendship, is a sight to behold: the communal comforting of women in tears sharing their stories in the library of the Ludzi school.
Marrakech Director Melita Toscan du Plantier on Navigating MENA Region’s Turbulent Festival Season: ‘We Had to Fight Against Adversity’
27.11.2023 - 17:01 / variety.com
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Melita Toscan du Plantier has been the driving force behind the Marrakech Film Festival ever since her late husband, revered French producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier, wrote to Morocco’s king two decades ago expressing “his ambition for a big international festival in Morocco,” as she recounts. The festival’s 20th edition is currently underway in the ancient Moroccan city, despite the Israel-Hamas conflict that has caused cancellations of several other fests in the region as well as the earthquake that hit the country in September.
Significantly, a slew of stars have turned up to support the event such as Tilda Swinton, Jessica Chastain (who is presiding over the main jury) and Isabelle Huppert (pictured with Toscan du Plantier on the right, while fest VP Faïçal Laraïchi is on the left). Variety spoke to Melita Toscan du Plantier about navigating this year’s many challenges, including the increasingly crowded end-of-year Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region festival season.
You are the key figure behind this festival since its inception 20 years ago. How has it evolved and how difficult has it been to forge ahead with this year’s edition? Through the years, it has been a big journey and I also think it took us a few years to find the right positioning.
Since the Atlas Workshops, we’ve found even more of an identity by nurturing all these young filmmakers from Africa and the Middle East. That’s also one of the biggest reasons we didn’t want to cancel the festival this year, because what would they do? What happened when the earthquake struck in September? I spoke to the board and they said: “No, no, Morocco needs a festival.
It’s important. These people have suffered with
.
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Marrakech Film Festival Director Mélita Toscan du Plantier Reflects On Bittersweet 20th Edition
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Willem Dafoe Back on Festival Trail in Marrakech, Talks ‘Poor Things,’ Reveals Role in ‘Beetlejuice 2’
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent After skipping Venice due to the actors’ strike, a busy Willem Dafoe is back on the festival trail, attending the 20th edition of the Marrakech Film Festival with his wife, filmmaker and actor Giada Colagrande. He spoke to Variety about his ties to Morocco, why he’s “happy to be promoting and starting to work again” now that the strike is over, and his role in Tim Burton’s upcoming “Beetlejuice 2.” How does it feel to be back in Marrakech? I’m happy to be back. Morocco for me is “The Last Temptation of Christ,” a film that was a beautiful experience.
Jessica Chastain & Tilda Swinton are a Study in Contrast in Black & White At Marrakech Film Festival
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Jessica Chastain Joins Alexander Skarsgard, Joel Edgerton, & More at Marrakech Film Festival 2023 Opening Ceremony
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Martin Scorsese Skips Marrakech Film Festival’s Celebratory 20th Edition
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Jessica Chastain Launches Marrakech Festival With Ode to Art, While Mads Mikkelsen Collects Career Achievement Award
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Martin Scorsese Skips Marrakech Film Festival
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Jessica Chastain Champions Power Of Art As Marrakech Film Festival Opens Against The Odds
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Marrakech Film Fest Chief Talks This Year’s ‘More Sober’ Edition and ‘Biggest Supporter’ Martin Scorsese Mentoring MENA Filmmakers
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent The Marrakech Film Festival’s 20th edition kicks off on Friday with Richard Linklater’s action comedy “Hit Man” as its gala opening, Mads Mikkelsen being feted, and a rich roster of stars and top talents supporting a panoply of cinema from the African continent and the Arab world. The event will run Nov. 24-Dec.