Cinema: Last Chance Harvey - Heartfelt romance- Independent

Cinema: Last Chance Harvey - Heartfelt romance

Academy Award winners Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man) and Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility) reunite in Last Chance Harvey, a heartfelt romance that celebrates new beginnings—at any age. The film is written and directed by Joel Hopkins (Jump Tomorrow).

The supporting cast includes Dame Eileen Atkins (Cold Mountain, Gosford Park), Liane Balaban (Definitely Maybe, Happy Here and Now), James Brolin, (Traffic, Catch Me If You Can), Kathy Baker (The Jane Austen Book Club, Edward Scissorhands) and Richard Schiff (The West Wing). John de Borman (Serendipity, The Full Monty) is director of photography, with Jon Henson (The Wind In The Willows, I Could Never Be Your Woman) as production designer, Natalie Ward (Death At A Funeral, Breaking And Entering) as costume designer, and Marilyn Macdonald (The Bourne Ultimatum, The Good Shepherd) as make-up and hair designer. Producers are Tim Perell and Nicola Usborne. Jawal Nga is executive producer.

New Yorker Harvey Shine (Dustin Hoffman) is on the verge of losing his dead-end job as a jingle writer. Warned by his boss (Richard Schiff) that he has just one more chance to deliver, Harvey goes to London for a weekend to attend his daughter’s (Liane Balaban) wedding but promises to be back on Monday morning to make an important meeting – or else.

Harvey arrives in London only to learn his daughter has chosen to have her stepfather (James Brolin) walk her down the aisle. Trying to hide his devastation, Harvey leaves the wedding before the reception in hopes of getting to the airport on time, but misses the plane anyway. When he calls his boss to explain, Harvey is fired on the spot.

Drowning his sorrows at the airport bar, Harvey strikes up a conversation with Kate (Emma Thompson), a sensitive, 40-something employee of the Office of National Statistics. Kate, whose life is limited to work, the occasional humiliating blind date and endless phone calls from her smothering mother (Eileen Atkins), is touched by Harvey, who finds himself energised by her intelligence and compassion.

The growing connection between the pair inspires both as they unexpectedly transform one another’s lives.

Nabucco in Ankara Opera House

Dear Colleagues, Dear Energy Professional, Dear Sir/ Madame;

I am very happy that the Nabucco pipeline agreement is already signed on 13th July 2009 in Ankara. It is for sure that if there is demand for any product, there is always supply to satisfy that demand.

Although we have some doubts to get gas to fill in the pipeline, we witness that the countries are making statements to supply.

Today they are Iraq, Turkmenistan; tomorrow we shall see Azerbaijan, Egypt to join.

If Syria can generate we can see her to join the upstream supplier countries, as long as gas is so expensive in Europe. That is because Russia artificially pushes the gas prices up.



What I wished to see was the State Opera House performance of Nabucco Opera. A simple CD playing in Hotel Lobby was miserable. That was not a good show.

We need meeting rooms with high ceilings as in Palaces. There are similar facilities suitable for such important occasions. An Ankara commercial hotel room with low ceiling was not appropriate for such a great ceremony.

It would be extraordinary opportunity to show world that Ankara Opera House is no different than Wien Opera House and our opera singers, chorus, the orchestra all are no less match. In future, Ankara State Opera House should be ready for such performance by all means, by having all self sacrifice from summer holiday.

All my life I wished to see world famous Opera houses, and after 35+ professional works, I had the opportunity to see most of the reputable ones. I am sure that Ankara Opera House is small, humble but one of the best in quality. Nabucco pipeline agreement ceremony was a great opportunity to prove her extraordinary artistic value.

That was a missed opportunity. However in future we should not miss that opportunity.

For each milestone of the Nabucco pipeline project execution, We should have Opera performance to prove that Turkey is a great country, I am sure Turkey is

Your comments are always welcome

--
Haluk Direskeneli, Ankara based Energy Analyst

Bodrum TurgutReis Welcomes Great Composers and Masters of Rendition

Dear Music Lovers,

This is the fifth year the D-Marin Turgutreis International Classical Music Festival has been sharing with you since it was created by the Doğuş Group as a musical event that has been a mecca to its audience for the last four years with its classy, compelling billings, its impressive stage performances, and its intellectual content; calling out to tens of thousands of people with the melodies it released to the firmament; and boasting the unique title of the planet’s “only classical music festival that takes place in a marina.”

As your growing interest encourages us to do better each successive year and to come up with more and more attractive offerings, our confidence in the quality of the programs we shared with you over our four-year history is refreshed by the admission of our festival to the European Festivals Association (EFA).

Geared to an intellectual theme every year, the festival in 2009 will focus on four composers to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the demise of the German/English composer George Frederic Handel, the 150th anniversary of the passing of the Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn and the birth of the German composer Felix Mendelsohn-Bartholdy, and the 80th anniversary of the birth of the second-generation Turkish composer Ferit Tüzün.

Hence, part of the repertory of the festival that lasts four nights and seven concerts has been devoted this year to the works of these composers each of whom holds a respected position in the history of music. Additionally, we’ll be sharing with you outstanding examples from the baroque period and from our modern times by treating you to a feast of “1001 Nights in the Harem,” the violin concerto completed late 2007 by Fazıl Say, one of the prominent figures in today’s global musical arena, as Handel’s “Music for the Royal Fireworks” is being performed.

On the first night of the festival, the İzmir State Symphony Orchestra conducted by İbrahim Yazıcı will accompany Fazıl Say and Patricia Kopatchinskaja. The second night will open with Hande Dalkılıç’s (piano) recital at sunset, followed by the İzmir State Symphony Orchestra conducted by the Azeri Maestro Yalçın Adıgezalov accompanying Sun Huang, the true virtuoso of the traditional Chinese instrument erhu.

We will witness together the first rendition ever in Turkey of some of the most popular and equally challenging works in the literature of the violin with this instrument. The first concert of the third night, devoted entirely to the music of the baroque period, will come from İzmir Barok at sunset, to be followed later in the evening by the world-famous chamber music ensemble I Musici di Roma.

On the fourth night, following Zeynep Üçbaşaran’s (piano) recital at sunset, we’ll bring our already traditional festival to a close with a concert devoted exclusively to Austrian composers by the Symphonieorchester der Volksoper Wien (the Symphony Orchestra of the Viennese Public Opera), one of the leading orchestras of Central European school of music of the classical period.

I wish you all pictures of happiness framed in music as we redecorate the star-crowned Bodrum nights with melodies in the hope of sharing many more half decades with you in the future.

Artistic Director

XVI. INTERNATIONAL OPERA & BALLET FESTIVAL- 10 June-3 July 2009 Aspendos

10 June 2009 Wednesday Ankara State Opera and Ballet
AIDA Opera G.Verdi

12 June 2009 Friday Ankara State Opera and Ballet
AIDA Opera G.Verdi

16 June 2009 Tuesday Ankara State Opera and Ballet
GISELLE Ballet A.Adam

19 Haziran 2009 Friday İstanbul State Opera and Ballet
CARMEN Opera G.Bizet

23 June 2009 Tuesday Prague State Opera and Ballet
TOSCA Opera by G.Puccini

26 June 2009 Friday Antalya and Mersin State Opera and Ballet
CARMINA BURANA Ballet by C.Orff

30 June 2009 Tuesday İzmir State Opera and Ballet
ROMEO & JULIETTE, Opera by C.Gounod

03 July 2009 Friday Doğuş Kids Symphony Orchestra
A JOURNEY WITH MAGICAL MUSIC OF DISNEY MOVIES AND DANCE MUSIC Concert

Hagia Yorgi in Prinkipo, Istanbul, Turkey

Dear Colleagues,

Hagia Yorgi peak is the highest point in Prinkipo island, 202 meters above sea level. It is on the second hill. The monastery is built in 19th century on top of remains a holy ruin back from 10th century. It is a holy place for all religions.

There is a ritual to climb and you should strictly follow the centuries old rules. It is 970 meters from the starting point in lower end, the merry-go-round square. Once there was a merry-go-round fun place in the 19th century, which was demolished long ago but the name still stays.

You should start with a certain pace, slow but non-stop. You should not speak, nor talk to anyone. You will pray all the time while walking, for whoever/ whatever you believe in. Orthodox believers climb barefoot.

It is 1700 steps for me from the starting point till the main gate of the monastery. It takes 15-17 minutes to climb. When you reach the upper point, take your time, change your t-shirt, bring towel and bottled water with you.

Enjoy the view, Sea of Marmara, sunrise in the morning or sunset in the evening. Light a candle in the monastery and pray to realize all your wishes. In the end you will feel relieved, comfortable, free from all your worries, family matters, global warming, financial crunch etc.

Have some time, ask tea or Turkish coffee in the nearby cafe. You may also have country lunch, green salad and kebab with young red dry local wine, or local beer. While going back, you will feel refreshed and wish to come back.

It is daily routine for me when I stay in Prinkipo close to Hristos Monastery from early May to mid- November.

Almost every morning, at the town center you will see your humble blog writer with undercover local fisherman appearence with some thick beard in High Café (Yuksek Kahve) reading his daily local newspaper Cumhuriyet while sipping Turkish coffee with no sugar... Occasionally he may be seen as trying to type a few lines for this blog on his laptop PC.

There are so many hidden and not-so hidden gems in and around Istanbul, away from the usual path.

And the pureness, innocence, and beauty of the Prince Islands is definitely a gem for all Istanbulians and tourists to enjoy...

Your comments are always welcome