Hoffmann Architects

# Hoffmann Architects

## Abstract

Hoffmann Architects, Inc., d/b/a Hoffmann Architects + Engineers, is a private architecture and engineering firm based in New Haven, Connecticut, United States, with offices in New York City and Alexandria, Virginia. Founded in 1977 by Hungarian-born architect John J. Hoffmann, the firm specializes in the rehabilitation of the building envelope, including facades, roofs, plazas, terraces, and parking structures, as well as historic / landmark building restoration.

## History

Hoffmann Architects was established in 1977 by architect John J. Hoffmann and incorporated in Connecticut in 1985. In 1992, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) elevated John Hoffmann to Fellowship, in recognition of "significant contributions to architecture and to society." From 2004-2006, he served on the AIA Board of Directors as Director for the New England Region. At the conclusion of his term, the AIA awarded Hoffmann the Upjohn Fellowship, named for AIA co-founder Richard Upjohn, which "honors recipients' exemplary contributions in service of the Institute."

In July 2011, Hoffmann offered ownership stakes in the company to seven senior managers, in preparation for the continuation of the company after his retirement. In July 2013, an eighth manager became part owner of the firm. Three more team members accepted joint ownership in Hoffmann Architects in August 2016, and four more became owners in 2017. In 2022, 2023, and 2024, the number of shareholders grew, with early career professionals now joining senior staff as part of the firm's leadership. In 2018, Avi Kamrat and Russell Sanders were appointed as members of the firm's board of directors by John Hoffmann, the sole existing director.

As part of the firm's leadership transition plan, Russell Sanders assumed the role of president of Hoffmann Architects in July 2019. John Hoffmann, who was president of the company for 42 years, continues to serve on the board of directors as executive chairman.

In 2022, the firm moved its headquarters from Hamden, Connecticut, to New Haven, Connecticut, and adopted the d/b/a Hoffmann Architects + Engineers to reflect the firm's practice in both architecture and structural engineering.

## Practice

Hoffmann Architects + Engineers is a specialty architecture and engineering practice. Rather than design new buildings, Hoffmann investigates causes of distress and failure in existing structures and develops rehabilitation strategies. The firm's architects and engineers also provide consultation services for new construction, particularly in the areas of waterproofing, design details, structural engineering, and building envelope elements.

With an emphasis on construction technology and building science, the practice encompasses facades, including curtain walls, bearing walls, and fenestration; roofs, both low-slope and pitched; plazas and terraces over occupied space; parking structures, especially concrete and structural elements; and historic and landmark structures. The firm's client base predominantly derives from the institutional, commercial, and government sectors, including educational institutions, real estate management and investment companies, corporations, religious institutions, health care facilities, hotels, museums, libraries, and foundations. The company also specializes in exterior restoration of the works of major architects.

Most projects are in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the US, although the firm has performed work in 34 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and South Korea.

## Notable projects

- Ford Foundation Building, New York, building envelope investigations and rehabilitation, 1981–2011.

- United Nations Headquarters, New York, building envelope investigations and roof rehabilitations, 1986–2000.

- Chrysler Building, New York, spire and facade restoration, 1989–1997.

- United States Capitol dome, Washington DC, Historic preservation, 1990–2015.

- New York Stock Exchange, New York, historic facade and roof repair, 1990–2012.

- Marsh Inc. Headquarters, 1166 Avenue of the Americas, New York, building exterior and plaza rehabilitation, 1990–2011.

- Travelers Plaza and Tower Square, Hartford CT, plaza rehabilitation, 1991–2011.

- New York City Public Schools, New York City School Construction Authority, New York, building envelope maintenance manual and exterior rehabilitations, 1996–2005.

- Goodwin Hotel, Hartford CT, historic facade and roof restoration, 1998–2001.

- MetLife Building, New York, facade restoration, 1998–2004.

- Bank of New York, One Wall Street, New York, exterior condition study and rehabilitation, 1998, 2007–2008.

- Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC, exterior rehabilitation and water infiltration mitigation, 2002–2011.

- Scholastic Inc. Headquarters, New York, exterior restoration, 2003–2012.

- Smithsonian Institution, Arts and Industries Building, Washington DC, roof and facade rehabilitation, 2003–2012.

- Yale University Art + Architecture Building (Paul Rudolph Hall), New Haven CT, exterior restoration and third party review, 2006–2008. With Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects.

- Columbia University College Walk, campus thoroughfare rehabilitation, 2006–2009.

- Broad Exchange Building, 25 Broad Street, New York, facade investigation and repair, 2006–2011.

- MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase NY, facade and entry plaza rehabilitation, 2008–2011.

- Baltimore City Public Parking Facilities, Baltimore MD, garage condition assessments, 2008–2012.

- One M&T Plaza, Buffalo, New York, plaza, parking garage, and entrance pavilion rehabilitation, 2013.

- Park City Plaza, Bridgeport, Connecticut, tower, parking garage rehabilitation and redesign, 2016–2019.

- 69th Regiment Armory, New York, historic facade rehabilitation and window replacement, 2011-2022.

## Awards

- National Trust for Historic Preservation Honor Award (1990) for Restoration of Radio City Music Hall, GE Building, and Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center in New York, NY.

- AIA New England Regional Council Design Award (1991) for Dome Water Penetration Study of U.S. Capitol Building in Washington DC.

- New York Landmarks Conservancy Lucy G. Moses Award (1997) for Restoration of the Chrysler Building in New York.

- Associated Builders and Contractors Excellence in Construction Award (2003) for Stabilization of Jacobson Barn at the University of Connecticut in Storrs CT.

- International Masonry Institute Golden Trowel Award (2002) and AIA Connecticut Preservation Award (2005) for Facade Restoration of the Goodwin Hotel in Hartford CT.

- International Concrete Repair Institute Award of Merit (2007) for Facade Restoration of Ross Hall at the George Washington University in Washington DC.

- New York Landmarks Conservancy Lucy G. Moses Award (2007) and AIA Connecticut Design Award Honorable Mention(2007) for Exterior Restoration and Preservation of Scholastic Inc Headquarters in New York.

- International Masonry Institute Golden Trowel Award, Special Recognition (2009) for Facade Rehabilitation of Schering-Plough Headquarters in Summit NJ.

- AIA Connecticut Design Award (2009), AIA New York State Award of Excellence (2009), Connecticut Building Congress Project Team Award (2009), International Concrete Repair Institute Award of Excellence (2009), New York Construction Magazine Award of Merit (2009), and New Haven Preservation Trust Landmark Plaque (2014) for Renovation of Paul Rudolph Hall (formerly the Art + Architecture Building) at Yale University in New Haven CT.

- Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Award (2012) for Restoration of the Washburn Shops at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester MA.

- Engineering News-Record Award of Merit (2013) for Restoration of the United States Capitol dome skirt in Washington DC.

- American Institute of Architects Buffalo/Western New York Chapter Design Honor Award (2014) for Addition/Renovation of the Entrance Pavilion at One M+T Plaza in Buffalo NY.

- Engineering News-Record Mid-Atlantic Best Renovation/Restoration Project Award (2015) for The Catholic University of America, Father O'Connell Hall in Washington DC.

- Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation Connecticut Preservation Award of Merit (2017) for Restoration of the New Haven County Courthouse in New Haven CT.

- AIA Virginia Honor Award for Excellence in Preservation (2018) and AIA|DC Design Award for Excellence in Historic Resources & Preservation (2018) for Restoration of the Dome of the United States Capitol in Washington DC.

- Connecticut Building Congress Project Team of the Year Award (2018) for Litchfield Judicial District Courthouse in Torrington, Connecticut.

- New York Landmarks Conservancy Lucy G. Moses Award (2022) for Adaptive Reuse of One Wall Street in Manhattan.

- Copper Development Association, North American Copper in Architecture Award (2022) for Lupton Hall at the State University of New York Farmingdale State College.

- New York Landmarks Conservancy Lucy G. Moses Award (2023) for Historic Facade Rehabilitation and Window Replacement at the 69th Regiment Armory in Manhattan.

- New York Landmarks Conservancy Lucy G. Moses Award (2024) for Historic Facade Restoration of Masonic Hall NYC.

## Technical Journal

Hoffmann Architects + Engineers self-publishes articles on a quarterly basis, covering topics related to building enclosure rehabilitation and professional practice. The eight-page, color publication, the JOURNAL, has been produced by the firm since 1983. Beginning with the first issue of 2011, the JOURNAL has been accredited by the AIA to provide Continuing Education System Learning Units. Recent topics include historic window rehabilitation, roof replacement, preservation of Modernist buildings, professional standard of care, precast concrete parking structures, and stone veneer facade systems.

## Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship Fund

Beginning in 2021, Hoffmann Architects + Engineers partnered with the Connecticut Architecture Foundation (CAF) to establish the Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship Fund, which provides tuition scholarships to students from underrepresented minorities studying architecture or engineering. Awardees also have the opportunity for a paid summer internship at one of Hoffmann's three offices. The first scholarship was awarded in 2023, and a second scholarship was awarded in 2024. For this and other initiatives, Hoffmann received several awards for diversity, equity, and inclusion, including the inaugural J.E.D.I. Award from the American Institute of Architects Connecticut chapter in 2021 and the Special Industry Recognition Award from the Construction Institute in 2023.


Dragan Milovanović (footballer)

# Dragan Milovanović (footballer)

## Abstract

Dragan Milovanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Миловановић; born 1 March 1986) is a Serbian footballer who plays for OFK Beograd.

## Career

In 2014 Milovanović moved to Kyrgyzstan League side Dordoi Bishkek, winning his first trophy with Dordoi, the Kyrgyzstan Super Cup, on 24 March 2014. In August 2014, Milovanović returned to Serbia, signing for Serbian SuperLiga side Radnički 1923.

Previously Milovanović played for FK Obilić, FK Mladi Obilić, FK Napredak Kruševac and FK Borac Čačak.

## Career statistics

## Honours

### Club

- Kyrgyzstan Super Cup Winner (1): 2014


Advanced Remote Display Station

# Advanced Remote Display Station

## Abstract

The Advanced Remote Display Station (also referred to as the ARDS or ARDS 100A) was a desktop vector graphics and text terminal produced by Computer Displays, Inc. starting in 1968. It was announced at the 1968 Spring Joint Computer Conference and available by August 1968 for $12,750 (about $114,675 in 2024). By December 1969, the price of the ARDS had dropped to under $8000.

The ARDS was the first commercial product to include a computer mouse as an optional peripheral as early as April 1968 for an additional $1200 (about $10,793 in 2024).

The ARDS was capable of connecting to a computer remotely through a modem, or locally through an RS-232 cable. Computer Displays, Inc. also offered optional graphical input peripherals for the ARDS, including a mouse, joystick, and graphics tablet.

## Development

The ARDS began development as part of Project MAC at MIT 's CSAIL, with prototypes named the ARDS I and ARDS II prior to becoming a commercial product.

## Mouse

The commercial ARDS' mouse did not use a rolling ball to track movement, but rather two perpendicularly mounted wheels on the bottom and three buttons on top, much like Douglas Engelbart's mouse.


Eddie Holman

# Eddie Holman

## Abstract

Eddie Holman (born June 3, 1946) is an American singer, musician, minister, and recording artist, best known for his distinctively high singing voice and his 1970 hit song " Hey There Lonely Girl ", which was originally "Hey There Lonely Boy" by Ruby & the Romantics in 1963. His specialties range from R&B and pop to soul and gospel.

Holman started his career in 1962 when he gained fame with his first record "What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You". He recorded his first hit "This Can't Be True" (1966), followed by "Am I a Loser from the Start" (1966), "I Love You" (1969), "Don't Stop Now" (1970), and "Cathy Called" (1970). Since 1970, Holman has received critical acclaim with "Hey There Lonely Girl" and later performed "This Will Be a Night to Remember" (1977) and "You Make My Life Complete" (1977).

## Early life

Holman was born in Norfolk, Virginia on June 3, 1946. He was raised in New York City, New York. His mother, noticing that he loved to sing even as early as the age of 2, introduced him to public performance, as well as the piano and the guitar, where he quickly revealed a natural aptitude. His abilities, however, were confined mostly to church and family gatherings, such as the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In Norfolk, he performed at church and various talent shows. When he was 3 years old, his father died. Following his death, he had a stepfather. At age 8, he and his mother moved to New York City after his older sister Margaret moved to Brooklyn at age 21. His mother took him to the Apollo Theater in Upper Manhattan, where Little Richard was headlining, with the Flamingos also performing. His mother went to town and got him bright-colored suits. At age 10, Holman stepped onto the stage on Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater, New York and showed his smooth tenor voice, winning first prize. His victory at the Apollo began to create many other opportunities and he was soon performing at theaters on Broadway and even at Carnegie Hall. He was a regular performer on NBC 's The Children's Hour and was named "Little Eddie Holman."

At the age of 16, Holman started to make records. He later moved to Philadelphia with his family. After graduating from high school, he attended Cheyney State University, where he graduated with a degree in music.

## Career

In 1962, Holman made his first record "What You Don't Know Won't Hurt You" on Leopard Records. In the Philadelphia soul scene, he developed his trademark style. In college, he recorded his first hit record "This Can't Be True" (1966), which reached #17 on the Billboard chart. Other hits that began to follow include: "Am I a Loser from the Start" (1966), "I Love You" (1969), "Don't Stop Now" (1970), and "Cathy Called" (1970). In 1970, Holman received critical acclaim with his ballad " Hey There Lonely Girl " (originally "Hey There Lonely Boy", a top 30 hit recorded in 1963 by Ruby & the Romantics), which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In March, it sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc from the R.I.A.A. In November 1974, the track peaked at #4 in the UK Singles Chart.

British journalist Tony Cummings once wrote: "Eddie Holman's voice, an astonishing precision instrument which can leap octaves with the speed of mercury and bend notes into shapes unimagined by lesser singers, has assured its possessor a place in soul history."

In 1977, Holman had a brief resurgence in popularity with his last two hit singles "This Will Be a Night to Remember" and "You Make My Life Complete". He has credited such artists as Jackie Wilson and Nat King Cole as a huge influence.

Holman owns his own record label Agape Records and music publishing company Schoochiebug Music Publishing ASCAP. He continues to tour with the Eddie Holman Band. During the summer of 2007, Holman performed weekly for the passengers aboard the Sun Princess cruise ship while it was en route to the inside passage of Alaska.

## Personal life

On October 29, 1968, Holman married his wife Sheila. They have since had three children and nine grandchildren.

Holman once stated, "Lyrics send powerful messages that impact the listener of songs in ways that the artist will never know. No genre of music is flawless and no music culture is completely bad."

He still resides in Philadelphia and spends time as a local community volunteer helping reach out to those less fortunate. He also works within the Philadelphia School System, encouraging young people to become involved in the performing arts.

## Discography

- I Love You (1969)

- A Night to Remember (1977)

- United (1985)

- Love Story (2007)

Compilations:

- Eddie Holman and The Larks – Sweet Memories (1989)

- Eddie Holman and The Larks – Eddie's My Name (1993)

- This Can't Be True (2000)

- Hey There Lonely Girl (2014)


2024 Georgia Bulldogs football team

# 2024 Georgia Bulldogs football team

## Abstract

The 2024 Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Southeastern Conference. The team is led by Kirby Smart in his ninth year as Georgia's head coach.

## Personnel

### Coaching staff

Defensive assistant coach Travaris Robinson moved to Georgia this year from Alabama. Robinson told The Athletic that "some of the things that we do here are a little different from Alabama", noting that the Bulldogs were trying to make their defense "not as complex" so that "our guys are able to play faster".

#### Support staff

- Eric Black – Director of Football Creative – Football

- Mike Cavan – Director of football administration

- Austin Chambers – Assistant director of player development

- Jay Chapman – Director of Football Management

- David Cooper – Director of Recruiting Relations

- Anna Courson - Football Operations Assistant

- Chandler Eldridge – Co-director of Football Creative – Design

- Hunter Parker - Football Operations Assistant

- Bryant Gantt – Director of Player Support and operations

- Matt Godwin - Player Personnel Coordinator

- Christina Harris – Director of Recruiting Administration

- Hailey Hughes - Football Operations Coordinator

- Ann Hunt – Administrative assistant to Head Coach

- Jonas Jennings – Director of player development

- Angela Kirkpatrick - On Campus Recruiting Coordinator

- Jeremy Klawsky – Director of Football Technology

- Collier Madaleno – Director of football performance Nutrition

- John Meshad – Director of Equipment Operations

- Chad Morehead – Co-director of Football Creative Design

- Neyland Raper – Assistant director of football operations & Recruiting

- Logen Reed – Assistant recruiting coordinator

- Maurice Sims – Associate director of strength and conditioning

- Juwan Taylor - Player Development Assistant

- Meaghan Turcotte – Assistant director of football performance Nutrition

- Tersoo Uhaa – Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach

- Gage Whitten – Director of Football Equipment and Apparel

#### Graduate assistants

- Garrett Murphy – Defensive assistant

- Adam Ray – Special teams Assistant

- Jacob Russell – Offensive assistant

- Rashawn Scott - Offensive assistant

#### Analysts

- Davis Merritt

- Montgomery VanGorder

- Brandon Streeter

- Will Muschamp

## Schedule

## Game summaries

### vs. No. 14 Clemson

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia

- Date: August 31

- Game time: 12:00 p.m.

- Game weather: Indoors

- Game attendance: 78,827

- Referee: Michael Roche

- TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), and Molly McGrath (sideline reporter)

### vs. Tennessee Tech

at Sanford Stadium Athens, Georgia

- Date: September 7

- Game time: 1:00 p.m.

- Game weather: Sunny Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) Wind: W at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)

- Game attendance: 93,033

- Referee: Marc Curles

- TV announcers (SECN+ / ESPN+): Jay Alter (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst), and Ashley Stroehlein (sideline reporter)

### at Kentucky

at Kroger Field Lexington, Kentucky

- Date: September 14

- Game time: 7:30 p.m.

- TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), and Molly McGrath (sideline reporter)

### at Alabama

at Bryant–Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, Alabama

- Date: September 28

- Game time: 7:30 p.m.

- TV announcers (ABC): Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), and Holly Rowe (sideline reporter)

### vs. Auburn

at Sanford Stadium Athens, Georgia

- Date: October 5

### vs. Mississippi State

at Sanford Stadium Athens, Georgia

- Date: October 12

### at Texas

at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium Austin, Texas

- Date: October 19

### vs. Florida

at EverBank Stadium Jacksonville, Florida

- Date: November 2

- TV: ABC

### at Ole Miss

at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, Mississippi

- Date: November 9

### vs. Tennessee

at Sanford Stadium Athens, Georgia

- Date: November 16

### vs. UMass

at Sanford Stadium Athens, Georgia

- Date: November 23

- TV: SECN

### vs. Georgia Tech (rivalry)

at Sanford Stadium, Athens, Georgia

- Date: Friday November 29, 2024

- Game time: 7:30 PM

- TV announcers (ABC): TBD


# List of films based on DC Comics publications

## Abstract

DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book publishers. It produces material featuring numerous well-known superhero characters, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and Green Arrow. Most of this material takes place in a shared fictional universe, which also features teams such as the Justice League, the Suicide Squad, and the Teen Titans.

Film adaptations based on DC Comics properties have included serials, live action and animated feature films, direct-to-video releases, television films, and documentary films.

## Live-action films

### From DC imprints

### Television films

## Animated films

All the feature films are produced by Warner Bros. Animation, except as indicated.

### Theatrically released films

Movies produced for a theatrical release to cinemas.

### Direct-to-video and streaming films

The following movies are produced primarily for release to home video and streaming. Limited theatrical screenings are noted when applicable.

### Episodes as films

Television series episodes released as direct-to-video films.

### Lego versions

All films are direct-to-video, except as indicated.

### Short films

## Reception


Alwin Voigt

# Alwin Voigt

## Abstract

Alwin Voigt (3 June 1852 – 14 May 1922) was a German ornithologist and a popularizer of bird study. He promoted the study of bird vocalization and in 1894 he adapted musical notation for a concise description of bird calls with dots and lines indicating timing and frequency. Line thickness was used to depict volume.

## Life and work

Voigt was born in Commichau (Colditz) and grew up in Bohemia and like his father he trained as a teacher. After studying at the teacher training school in Grimma he became a private tutor to Dresden. In 1877 he moved to Leipzig to work in the Petrischule and later at the 1st Realschule. He then studied natural sciences and wrote a doctoral thesis on mosses in 1892. In 1894 he published "Exkursionsbuch zum Studium der Vogelstimmen" proved popular and eight editions were published. In this work he represented bird calls using printed notations that indicated volume, pitch and timing. He also considered timbre as an importance part of the description. Editions were produced posthumously as late as 1950. This stimulated other works such as the book Die Vogelsprache (1919) by Cornel Schmitt and Hans Stadler. He also published popular books on German bird life in 1908, on songbirds in 1912, and on waterbirds in 1921.


The Lunchbox

# The Lunchbox

## Abstract

The Lunchbox is a 2013 drama film written and directed by Ritesh Batra. Produced by Guneet Monga, Anurag Kashyap and Arun Rangachari, The Lunchbox is an international co-production of studios in India, the US, Germany and France. It stars Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur alongside Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bharti Achrekar and Nakul Vaid in supporting roles.

The Lunchbox was screened at Critics' Week at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and later won the Critics' Week Viewers Choice Award also known as Grand Rail d'Or. It was shown at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. The film was released in theatres in India on 20 September 2013. The Lunchbox was a box-office success and received unanimous critical acclaim. It was Khan's highest-grossing Hindi film, until it was surpassed by Hindi Medium (2017). The Lunchbox was nominated for Best Film Not in the English Language at the 2015 British Academy Film Awards.

## Plot

Ila (Nimrat Kaur) is a young housewife seeking the attention of her husband, Rajeev (Nakul Vaid), and searching for ways to bring the romance back into her marriage; one of her ideas is to cook delicious lunches for him. Through a rare mix-up of the dabbawalas (complicated food delivery system in Mumbai that picks up and delivers lunches from restaurants or homes to people at work), the lunchbox Ila prepares for her husband gets accidentally delivered, instead, to Saajan Fernandes (Irrfan Khan), a middle-aged widower who is about to retire from his job of an accountant. Ila eventually realises the mistake and with the advice of her neighbour aunt, Mrs. Deshpande (Bharti Achrekar - voice only), living in the apartment above her, writes a letter to Saajan about the mix-up and places it in the lunchbox (along with her husband's favourite meal) the next day. An exchange of the messages sent back and forth in the letters with the lunches ignites a friendship between the two, as they share memories and events of their own individual lives.

At work, Saajan is tasked with training his replacement, Aslam Sheikh (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). Socially distant after his wife's death, Saajan is initially reluctant to interact with Sheikh and train him. After Sheikh reveals that he is an orphan who taught himself accounting, Saajan gradually warms up to him, and eventually the duo strike a close friendship. At one point, Saajan saves Sheikh's job by covering for his blatant mistakes and becomes the best man at his marriage with Mehrunissa (Shruti Bapna). Meanwhile, Ila discovers that Rajeev is having an extramarital affair and gives up hope of rekindling her marriage. In one of the lunchbox letters, she suggests moving to Bhutan where the cost of living is much cheaper than in India. Saajan writes back with the suggestion that the two move there together. Ila then offers to meet in person at a popular restaurant but at the appointed time, Saajan does not show up. Upon receiving an empty lunchbox in disappointment the next day, Saajan writes back to the dejected Ila and apologises to her, stating that he did arrive and watched her from a distance, but could not approach her. He explains how young and beautiful she looked, while surmising that he is too old for her and advising her to move on.

Some time later, Ila's father, battling with lung cancer, dies in the care of her mother (Lillete Dubey), who confesses how unhappy her marriage was. Ila receives the address of Saajan's office from the dabbawalas only to learn from Sheikh that he has already retired and headed to Nashik. She writes a farewell message to Saajan announcing that she has decided to leave Rajeev and move to Bhutan with her young daughter, Yashvi. Meanwhile, Saajan changes his mind en route to Nashik and returns to Mumbai. The film ends with Ila waiting for Yashvi to return from school and Saajan heading to her house with the dabbawalas who regularly picked up and delivered the eponymous lunchbox.

## Cast

- Irrfan Khan as Saajan Fernandes

- Nimrat Kaur as Ila Singh

- Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Aslam Shaikh, Saajan's colleague

- Lillete Dubey as Ila's mother

- Nakul Vaid as Rajiv Singh, Ila's husband

- Bharati Achrekar as Mrs. Deshpande a.k.a. "Auntie", Ila's neighbour (voice only)

- Yashvi Puneet Nagar as Yashvi Singh, Ila & Rajiv's daughter

- Denzil Smith as Mr. Shroff, Saajan's office boss

- Shruti Bapna as Mehrunissa, Shaikh's wife

## Production

### Development

Ritesh Batra, who had made short films, The Morning Ritual, Gareeb Nawaz Ki Taxi and Cafe Regular, Cairo, started researching for a documentary on the famous Lunchbox delivery system of Mumbai, dabbawala, known for their efficiency, however after spending a week with them in 2007, he got to know of many interesting personal stories they would overhear while waiting outside an apartment. This idea gave birth to the idea of the film, and instead of making the documentary he began writing a film script. In time the film became a joint production between Sikhya Entertainment, DAR motion pictures, National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), India, ROH Films, Germany, ASAP Films, France and the Cine Mosaic, US of Lydia Dean Pilcher who previously produced films like, The Talented Mr Ripley (1999) and The Namesake (2007), and Germany's Match Factory became its international sales agent.

### Writing

Batra completed the first draft of the screenplay in 2011. He was assisted by Rutvik Oza. It went on to win an Honorable Jury Mention at the 2012 Cinemart at the Rotterdam International Film Festival. Thereafter the project was part of the Talent Project Market of Berlin International Film Festival and was mentored at the screenwriter's lab (Torino Film Lab) at the Torino Film Festival. The character of Ila played by Nimrat Kaur, six months prior to the shooting, and the character played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui was further developed and improvised during shooting.

### Casting

Irrfan Khan liked the script of the film and the concept of his character, not speaking much but talking through notes. After seeing Batra's short film and a couple of meetings he agreed to act in the film. Batra wanted to work with Nawazuddin Siddiqui, another principal character of the film, for a long time. For the female lead, auditions were conducted, wherein Nimrat Kaur was selected. Kaur had extensive experience at the Mumbai theatre and worked in films like Peddlers. Some of the dabbawalas whom the director befriended while researching for the film, also were cast in minor roles.

### Filming

The film was shot in 2012 in Mumbai at a budget of ₹ 220 million. Prior to the filming, the cast rehearsed for six months. It was shot using the Arri Alexa digital film camera. Many of the scenes were logistically broken down to make way for last minute location changes. According to Ritesh Batra, scenes on the train involved the use of only one compartment, and even included actual local commuters when needed.

Principal photography lasted 29 days, with a majority of the film's scenes done in three weeks. Afterwards, footage taken in a documentary manner were shot. Mumbai's famous dabbawalas were provided actual lunchboxes to deliver, and followed by a four-member film crew, which filmed the process in documentary style.

## Release and reception

### Screenings and film festivals

The film was screened on 19 May 2013 as a part of the Critics' Week at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation and positive reviews. It won the Critics' Week Viewers Choice Award also known as Grand Rail d'Or. Variety called it "a notable debut from tyro helmer-scripter Ritesh Batra", for creating a film with "crossover appeal of Monsoon Wedding ", and also praised acting of Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur.

Thereafter, Sony Pictures Classics picked up all North American rights for distribution.

In India, this film was released in more than 400 screens on 20 September 2013. In Japan, a Japanese dubbed version of the film was released on 9 August 2014, screening in a hundred theaters.

### Box office

The Lunchbox grossed ₹71 million in its first weekend of release in India, and ₹110 million in its first week. The film continued to gross significant amounts over the next few weeks, earning over ₹200 million in the first three weeks and another estimated ₹40–50 lakhs on its fourth weekend.

In the United States, The Lunchbox grossed $4.23 million, and was 2014's third highest grossing foreign film behind Cantinflas and P.K.. By 28 May 2014, the film's worldwide collection was ₹ 84.92 crore. The film's total worldwide gross for the original Hindi version was ₹100.85 crore ($17.24 million). Most of its gross was from overseas with $11.71 million (₹72.602 crore) for the Hindi version, becoming 2013's third highest-grossing Indian film overseas after Dhoom 3 and Chennai Express. It was Irrfan Khan's highest-grossing Hindi film, up until it was surpassed by Hindi Medium (2017).

The Japanese dubbed version, released later in 2014, screened in a hundred theaters for ten weeks. The film grossed over ¥150 million ($1.42 million or ₹8.7 crore) in Japan. Combined, the Hindi and Japanese versions grossed an estimated $13.1 million (₹81.3 crore) overseas and ₹110 crore (US$19 million) worldwide.

### Critical reception

The Lunchbox received widespread critical acclaim from both critics and audiences alike. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 123 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "Warm, affectionate, and sweet but not cloying, The Lunchbox is a clever crowd-pleaser from first-time director Ritesh Batra." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Critic Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave a rating of 5/5 to the film stating, "The greatest love stories are the ones that make you root for the protagonists to come together, despite their destinies. This film illustrates how love transforms the unlikeliest of people." Pratim D. Gupta of The Telegraph gave two thumbs up to The Lunchbox calling it "as much a moving and muted love story as it is an evocative portrayal of loneliness." Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the movie a 4/5 stating, "A well-told old-fashioned romance, The Lunchbox gracefully unknots the trials, tribulations, fears and hopes of everyday people sans the glamour that the city of Mumbai has become synonymous with." Karan Anshuman of Mumbai Mirror also went with a perfect score of 5/5 saying the film was, "one of the best films to come out of India in a long time."

Raja Sen of Rediff.com praised the film further, giving another perfect score of 5/5 and offered particular compliments to the director Ritesh Batra, stating "Batra, who has also written The Lunchbox, has allowed his smashing actors tremendous room to improvise, all the while himself sketching in nuanced details about the city, its food-ferriers, and the many disparities Mumbai is crammed with." Filmmaker/critic Khalid Mohammed of the Deccan Chronicle said "What stays in the mind at the end of The Lunchbox is pretty much what stays in mind at the end of a memorable set by jazzmen – not their lapses but the heights they scale." Aditya Grover of YouthTimes gave it 4/5 stars and said, " The Lunchbox is delicious and delightful! If you're in the mood to witness genuinely moving cinema, you're in for a treat. The delectable taste of this lunchbox remains in your mouth much after you've left the theatre. Go for it!" Suparna Sharma of The Asian Age gave it 4 out of 5 stars and said: " The Lunchbox is a gently pulsating sweet-sad story of loneliness and love, of wilting spirits finding water again. There are three women in three marriages in this film, of which two are ailing. The third one is over, almost, only the last rites haven't been performed. There are two men in the film – one who has lived a full life and is getting ready to quietly slip off the face of the earth; the other is eager to begin… What's both shocking and soothing is what the film shows us — that it takes very little for a soul to come back to life. Mostly, just a hint of hope will do."

Trisha Gupta in the Sunday Guardian wrote " The Lunchbox is a lovely little film. But it does tick all the boxes that might appeal to festival audiences: quaint Asian urbanism (Mumbai trains, dabba delivery), Indian home-cooking, romance. It provides local colour, without being demandingly untranslatable." In a less positive review for the Chicago Reader, J. R. Jones criticized the film's premise as a gimmick and its purported use of "irritating comic foil" in reference to Nawazuddin Siddiqui's and Bharati Achrekar's characters as Shaikh and Mrs. Deshpande, respectively.

### Oscar selection controversy

The Lunchbox was considered by many people throughout the year to be a lock as India's selection for the 86th Academy Awards Best Foreign Film Category, with many critics enthusiastically praising it and voting for it to be the representative film. Director Karan Johar also put his support behind the film saying "All kinds of audience can connect with it and yet within the parameters of love story it is completely unusual. You feel all the love in the world for the protagonists and the unusual aspect of it is they haven't met."

However, the selection committee of the Film Federation of India (FFI) deliberated on 17 September 2013 and decided to send the Gujarati film The Good Road instead. This decision sparked outrage from many supporters of The Lunchbox, including its cast and crew. The film's producer Anurag Kashyap quickly took to Twitter and expressed his disgust, saying "I don't know who the Federation is, but it goes to show the complete lack of understanding to make films that can travel across borders." He later deleted both his Twitter and Facebook accounts, saying, "this is a moment of defeat for me, and for independent cinema, because, for once, our chances were great." Karan Johar also said he felt very disappointed that such a wonderful chance at Oscar glory with The Lunchbox was spoiled. Guneet Monga, The Lunchbox ' s other producer, said she was flabbergasted as to how the Federation could select a movie that didn't even have an American distributor, and also listed the number of global festivals and appreciation her film received, concluding that it sadly and supposedly "wasn't enough for the FFI".

In an interview with Siddharth Sivakumar of Tinpahar, Goutam Ghose, the chairman of the committee blamed the decision on the media and a backlash based on the hurt pride of the selection committee, revealing:

Personally I liked The Lunch Box very much. But eventually the eighteen member jury supported The Good Road. Now I can say that some people from Bombay felt that the basic premise of The Lunch Box was wrong. Because the Dabbawala never do such mistakes. Films are after all works of fiction, with the right to cinematic liberty! Although Lunch Box was my personal favourite, but as a chairman one should not impose his or her choice on others. And as you know this became suddenly a big controversy. And I think the media was again to some extent responsible for this decision. Because every day during the deliberation or the screenings, the media projected Lunch Box as the chosen one. It's my assumption, that the members probably thought, "My God! If the media has already taken the decision then why we are here?" It was a Chomskian ' manufacturing consent ' – Lunch Box, Lunch Box, Lunch Box every day!! So the members, who are all very important people from the industry, had an opposite impulse. I don't know, but maybe that's the way it happened.

Once it had been submitted to the Oscar selection committee, that committee did not nominate, nor shortlist, The Good Road; that year's Academy Award winner was Italy's The Great Beauty.


The Man Who Invented the Moon

# The Man Who Invented the Moon

## Abstract

The Man Who Invented the Moon is a 2003 film by Normandie County Films written by Lee Kirk and directed by Laura Hegarty and John Colburn. The film stars Matt Gunn, Nicolette DiMaggio, Julie Dolan, and Brent Sexton and was produced by Larry Fitzgibbon. The Man Who Invented the Moon was John Cabrera 's directorial debut.

## Cast

- Joe Colburn as Sammy Hughes

- Nicolette Dimaggio as Haley/Megan

- Julie Dolan as Haley 2

- Brent Sexton as Tommy

- Charles Brame as Abe Lincoln

- Matt Gunn as Dan McMahon

- Dave Barnes as Santa Claus

- Eddie Ebell as Jesus Christ

- Robert Gantzos as Davy Crocket

- Michael Cornacchia as Babe Ruth

- Michael Garvey as Super Amazing

- Cathi Stinson as Neighbor

## Festival Showings

- The Midwest Independent Film Festival

- Saint Louis International Film Festival

- Los Angeles International Short Film Festival


Protobalistum

# Protobalistum

## Abstract

Protobalistum imperiale is an extinct prehistoric tetraodontid bony fish that lived from the Lutetian epoch of Eocene Monte Bolca.

In life, it would have resembled a compressed boxfish with five massive spines along the anterior-dorsal side, with the longest spine directly above the forehead, and the shortest spine directly in front of the dorsal fin. It is distinguished from its close, sympatric relative, Spinacanthus, in that its scales are large, and form a sort of armor. (In S. cuneiformis, the individual scales are relatively small, and do not touch each other).

Protobalistum imperiale and Spinacanthus were a part of the ecosystem of the lagoon that would become Monte Bolca. It has been suggested that, because of their similarity to boxfish, and due to their close relation to modern-day triggerfish, spinacanthids may have preyed on shellfish and small fish.