Japanese pronouns

# Japanese pronouns

## Abstract

Japanese pronouns are words in the Japanese language used to address or refer to present people or things, where present means people or things that can be pointed at. The position of things (far away, nearby) and their role in the current interaction (goods, addresser, addressee, bystander) are features of the meaning of those words. The use of pronouns, especially when referring to oneself and speaking in the first person, vary between gender, formality, dialect and region where Japanese is spoken. In modern Japanese grammar, pronouns are not a distinct part of speech, but a subclass of nouns, and they behave grammatically just like nouns.

## Use and etymology

In contrast to present people and things, absent people and things can be referred to by naming; for example, by instantiating a class, "the house" (in a context where there is only one house) and presenting things in relation to the present, named and sui generis people or things can be "I'm going home", "I'm going to Hayao's place", "I'm going to the mayor's place", "I'm going to my mother's place" or "I'm going to my mother's friend's place". Functionally, deictic classifiers not only indicate that the referenced person or thing has a spatial position or an interactional role but also classify it to some extent. In addition, Japanese pronouns are restricted by a situation type (register): who is talking to whom about what and through which medium (spoken or written, staged or in private). In that sense, when a male is talking to his male friends, the pronoun set that is available to him is different from those available when a man of the same age talks to his wife and, vice versa, when a woman talks to her husband. These variations in pronoun availability are determined by the register.

In linguistics, generativists and other structuralists suggest that the Japanese language does not have pronouns as such, since, unlike pronouns in most other languages that have them, these words are syntactically and morphologically identical to nouns. As functionalists point out, however, these words function as personal references, demonstratives, and reflexives, just as pronouns do in other languages.

Japanese has a large number of pronouns, differing in use by formality, gender, age, and relative social status of speaker and audience. Further, pronouns are an open class, with existing nouns being used as new pronouns with some frequency. This is ongoing; a recent example is jibun (自分, self), which is now used by some young men as a casual first-person pronoun.

Pronouns are used less frequently in the Japanese language than in many other languages, mainly because there is no grammatical requirement to include the subject in a sentence. That means that pronouns can seldom be translated from English to Japanese on a one-to-one basis.

The common English personal pronouns, such as "I", "you", and "they", have no other meanings or connotations. However, most Japanese personal pronouns do. Consider for example two words corresponding to the English pronoun "I": 私 (watashi) also means "private" or "personal". 僕 (boku) carries a masculine impression; it is typically used by males, especially those in their youth.

Japanese words that refer to other people are part of the encompassing system of honorific speech and should be understood within that context. Pronoun choice depends on the speaker's social status (as compared to the listener's) as well as the sentence's subjects and objects.

The first-person pronouns (e.g., watashi, 私) and second-person pronouns (e.g., anata, 貴方) are used in formal contexts (however the latter can be considered rude). In many sentences, pronouns that mean "I" and "you" are omitted in Japanese when the meaning is still clear.

When it is required to state the topic of the sentence for clarity, the particle wa (は) is used, but it is not required when the topic can be inferred from context. Also, there are frequently used verbs that imply the subject and/or indirect object of the sentence in certain contexts: kureru (くれる) means "give" in the sense that "somebody other than me gives something to me or to somebody very close to me." Ageru (あげる) also means "give", but in the sense that "someone gives something to someone other than me." This often makes pronouns unnecessary, as they can be inferred from context.

In Japanese, a speaker may only directly express their own emotions, as they cannot know the true mental state of anyone else. Thus, in sentences comprising a single adjective (often those ending in -shii), it is often assumed that the speaker is the subject. For example, the adjective sabishii (寂しい) can represent a complete sentence that means "I am lonely." When speaking of another person's feelings or emotions, sabishisō (寂しそう) "seems lonely" would be used instead. Similarly, neko ga hoshii (猫が欲しい) "I want a cat," as opposed to neko wo hoshigatte iru (猫を欲しがっている) "seems to want a cat," when referring to others. Thus, the first-person pronoun is usually not used unless the speaker wants to put a special stress on the fact that they are referring to themselves or if it is necessary to make it clear.

In some contexts, it may be considered uncouth to refer to the listener (second person) by a pronoun. If it is required to state the second person, the listener's surname, suffixed with -san or some other title (like "customer", "teacher", or "boss"), is generally used.

Gender differences in spoken Japanese also create another challenge, as men and women refer to themselves with different pronouns. Social standing also determines how people refer to themselves, as well as how they refer to other people.

Japanese first-person pronouns by speakers and situations according to Yuko Saegusa, Concerning the First Personal Pronoun of Native Japanese Speakers (2009)

## List of Japanese personal pronouns

The list is incomplete, as there are numerous Japanese pronoun forms, which vary by region and dialect. This is a list of the most commonly used forms. "It" has no direct equivalent in Japanese (though in some contexts the demonstrative pronoun それ (sore) is translatable as "it"). Also, Japanese does not generally inflect by case, so, I is equivalent to me.

## Suffixes

Suffixes are added to pronouns to make them plural.

## Demonstrative and interrogative pronouns

Demonstrative words, whether functioning as pronouns, adjectives or adverbs, fall into four groups. Words beginning with ko- indicate something close to the speaker (so-called proximal demonstratives). Those beginning with so- indicate separation from the speaker or closeness to the listener (medial), while those beginning with a- indicate greater distance (distal). Interrogative words, used in questions, begin with do-.

Demonstratives are normally written in hiragana.

When a Japanese speaker uses ko-, so- and a- forms, they are not necessarily considering spatial distance, but also psychological, temporal and topical distance.

For more forms, see Japanese demonstratives on Wiktionary.

Other interrogative pronouns include 何 なに nani "what?" and 誰 だれ dare "who(m)?".

## Reflexive

Japanese has only one word corresponding to reflexive pronouns such as myself, yourself, or themselves in English. The word 自分 (jibun) means "one's self" and may be used for human beings or some animals. It is not used for cold-blooded animals or inanimate objects.

## Old Japanese pronouns

Each Old Japanese pronoun has a "long" form that ends in -re, and a "short" form without -re. When combining with a genitive particle, the short forms of personal pronouns, as well as animate nouns, notably combined only with ga, while demonstratives (ko, so, (k)a) and inanimate nouns combined with no, only with ga in limited circumstances; in contrast, modern Japanese pronouns (many of which were originally nouns) and nouns only combine with no. The short forms are used with ga and in compounds, while the long forms are used independently.

Of these, tare evolved into modern dare, whose genitive form is simply dare-no. Ta-ga is sometimes used for literary effect, for example in the Japanese title of For Whom the Bell Tolls (誰がために鐘は鳴る, Ta-ga Tame-ni Kane-wa Naru). Ware is often used in fiction, and wa-ga in fixed expressions, such as 我が国 ("my/our country").

Genitive forms, when combining with a noun that began in a vowel, may fuse with it. For example, wa-ga "my" + imo "sister" → wa-gimo "my sister"; wa-ga + ipe "house" → wa-gipe "my house" (wa-gie in modern Japanese).

These demonstratives largely survived intact into modern Japanese. Kare came to be used as a gender-neutral third-person personal pronoun, and eventually used to translate masculine third-person pronouns specifically in European languages ("he/him"), while ka-no was used to create kanojo and to translate feminine pronouns ("she/her").

## The modern pronouns kanojo and kareshi

The third-person feminine pronoun, kanojo (彼 （ かの ） 女 （ じょ ）), had not existed until sometime around the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji era. Prior to this, the third-person demonstrative pronoun kare, are (彼, lit. ' that ' (locationally, someone or something far from both the 1st and 2nd persons)) was used as a gender-neutral personal pronoun.

彼女 started out as a mere shortened spelling of the phrase ka-no wonna (かのをんな), which could be spelt in full as 彼 （ か ） の 女 （ をんな ）, literally simply means "that female person," and is composed of the genitive form of kare, ka-no, and the noun wonna (now onna). Although not being a pronoun in a lexicographic sense, this phrase can be used pronominally like modern expressions such as a-no hito (あの人, lit. ' that person ') or a-no mono (あの者, lit. ' that individual ') for the singular " they/them," a-no otoko (あの男, lit. ' that male person ') for "he/him," and of course, a-no onna (あの女, lit. ' that female person ') for "she/her." The pronunciation of this phrase was consistently listed as ka-no wonna (カノヲンナ) across various pronunciation dictionaries for elementary students during the Meiji era. The earliest exception was the 1876 dictionary Kaisei Syougaku Tokuhon Zibiki (改正小學讀本字引) by 田中𦤺知, which listed KA-NO ZYO Mukau-ni wiru musume (彼 （ カノ ） 女 （ ジヨ ） ムカウニヰルムスメ, lit. ' THAT FEMALE-PERSON: The girl who is way over there '). It has been suggested that the editor may have simply used ka-no zyo (now kanojo) for novelty back when jo (女) was still commonly used as a free noun. This unique pronunciation was listed in a few later dictionaries. The same aforementioned dictionaries and more also listed ka-no wotoko (彼 （ カノ ） 男 （ ヲトコ ）, lit. ' that male person '), ka-no mono (彼 （ カノ ） 者 （ モノ ）, lit. ' that individual ') and ka-no hito (彼 （ カノ ） 人 （ ヒト ）, lit. ' that person ').

The phrase ka-no wonna (and its alternative ka-no zyo) rose to prominence due to Meiji writers' need to translate third-person feminine pronouns in European languages, such as she and her in English or elle and elles in French, which they eventually incorporated into their own writings. An 1871 French-Japanese dictionary translated elle as ka-no wonna-ha. ka-no wonna-ni. tuma (彼女ハ。彼女ニ。夫, lit. ' that- GEN female-person- TOP; that- GEN female-person- DAT; spouse '), and elles as kare-ra (彼等, lit. ' those '); an 1885 English-Japanese dictionary translated her as ka-no wonna. ka-no wonna-ni. ka-no wonna-wo (彼 （ カ ） ノ 女 （ ヲンナ ） 。彼ノ女ニ。彼ノ女ヲ, lit. ' that- GEN female-person; that- GEN female-person- DAT; that- GEN female-person- ACC '), herself as ka-no wonna zisin-ni (彼女自身 （ カノヲンナジシン ） ニ, lit. ' that- GEN female-person self- INS '), and she as ka-no wonna. mesu (彼女。雌 （ カノヲンナメス ）, lit. ' that- GEN female-person; female '). In contrast, masculine pronouns such as he / him / his, il / ils, etc. were translated with kare (彼) and kare-ra (彼等).

Kanojo, as a lexicalized pronoun, was first attested in literature in its written furigana -glossed form as kanozyo (彼 （ かの ） 女 （ じよ ）) in the 1885 novel Tousei Syosei Katagi (當世書生気質) by Tsubouchi Shōyō. Meanwhile, Sudō Nansui (Mitsuaki) used sī (彼女 （ シー ）, lit. ' she ') and ka-no wonna (彼 （ かの ） 女 （ をんな ）) in his 1887 novel Sinsou no Kazin (新粧之佳人, "The Ladies of New Style"); and Futabatei Shimei used are (彼女 （ あれ ）, lit. ' that ') in his novel Ukigumo published in the same year. As a phrase, ka-no wonna / ka-no zyo referred to female non-relatives, but as a pronoun, kanojo came to be used for female family members in literature, for example by Natsume Sōseki in his 1912 novel Higan Sugi-made (彼岸過迄), where a character refers to his mother as kanodyo (彼 （ かの ） 女 （ ぢよ ）) (the regular phrase ka-no wonna (彼 （ かの ） 女 （ をんな ）) still occurs in the same text). Kanojo eventually acquired its status as a lexicalized noun meaning "girlfriend" during the late Taishō era.

The third-person masculine pronoun kareshi (彼氏) was coined during the early Shōwa era as an alternative to the once-gender-neutral kare (彼) and as the opposite to the feminine kanojo (彼女). Its first written attestation as a pronoun is attributed to Tokugawa Musei 's 1929 essay collection Mandanshū (漫談集); as a noun meaning "boyfriend," to Nagai Kafū 's 1934 novel Hikage-no Hana (ひかげの花). Morphologically, kareshi (彼氏) is composed of the aforementioned demonstrative-turned-personal pronoun kare (彼) and -shi (氏), the latter of which is an honorific suffix to names, mostly male names, and can be translated as "Mr." Kareshi was often used in a tongue-in-cheek way; compare the masculine and self-aggrandizing ore-sama (俺様), which also consists of a pronoun (ore (俺, "I/me")) and an honorific suffix (-sama (様)).


2024–25 FC Porto season

# 2024–25 FC Porto season

## Abstract

The 2024–25 season is the 132nd season in the history of FC Porto, and the club's 90th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football. In addition to the domestic league, the club is participating in the Taça de Portugal, the Taça da Liga, the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, the UEFA Europa League, and the newly-expanded FIFA Club World Cup.

This is Porto's first full season since 2017–18 without veteran defender Pepe, who departed the club after his contract expired.

## Players

### Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

## Technical staff

## Transfers

## Competitions

### Overall record

Last updated: 15 September 2024 Source: Soccerway

### Primeira Liga

#### League table

#### Results summary

Source: Liga Portugal

#### Results by round

#### Matches

### Taça da Liga

### Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

### UEFA Europa League

#### League phase

##### League table

##### Results by round

## Statistics


Miss America 1996

# Miss America 1996

## Abstract

Miss America 1996, the 69th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, September 16, 1995, and was televised by the NBC Network.

## Results

### Order of announcements

### Awards

## Judges

- Kristian Alfonso

- Kylene Barker

- Barbara De Angelis

- Jerry Orbach

- Bruce Jenner

- Holly Robinson

- Vera Wang


Linn Skåber

# Linn Skåber

## Abstract

Linn Skåber (born 31 March 1970) is a Norwegian actress, singer, comedian, text writer and TV personality. She made her stage début on Oslo Nye Teater (Centralteatret) in 1997, playing the title role in Goldoni 's comic opera Mirandolina.

Skåber received Komiprisen in 2006 (best female artist), for her role in Utlendingen, and a Gullruten award in 2007, for the TV series Hjerte til hjerte.

From 2007 to 2013, she was a panellist in the weekly TV comedy program " Nytt på nytt ".

## Personal life

Skåber was born in Oslo on 31 March 1970.

## Stage performance

After her theatre debut with Mirandolina, she played in the musicals Beatles and Rocky Horror Show on Oslo Nye Teater (Centralteatret).

Outside the theatre stage she played with the cabaret group Lompelandslaget from 1993 to 2001, where she also contributed as script writer. She toured with Kristopher Schau in Reidar Roses orkester in the mid 1990s. "We had no money, played on the street, and slept over with strangers", she said in an interview a decade later.

## Films

Her film debut was a minor role in 1732 Høtten (1998) (English title Bloody Angels). She has further participated in the films Fire høytider (2000), Get Ready to be Boyzvoiced (2000), Tommys inferno (2005), Vinterkyss (2005), Gymnaslærer Perdersen (2006), and Den siste revejakta (2008).

Participating in the film Kong Curling (2011), she was shortlisted for an Amanda award for best supporting role, and she played a central role in the comedy film Staying Alive.

## TV

Skåber has participated in several TV series, among these are Sejer - se deg ikke tilbake (2000), Ca. Lykkelig (2000/2001), Nissene på låven (2001), Sushi (2001), Brødrene Dal og mysteriet om Karl XIIs gamasjer (2005) and Herte til hjerte (2007). The TV-series "Hjerte til hjerte" lead to wide media coverage, and Skåber became a popular guest star in Norwegian entertainment programs (16 guest appearances in eleven different programs during the first half part of 2007, more than anybody else in that period).

## Writing

She has worked as script writer on several productions, both for her own performances and for others.

- 2001: «Erotiske dikt: en diktsamling du bør ha under puten» (Erotic poems) (editor and contributor).

Her book Til ungdommen from 2018 was illustrated by Lisa Aisato. Further books are Til de voksne from 2020, and Til oss – fra de eldste from 2021.

Her play Mens vi venter på no' godt from 2022 was staged at Nationaltheatret, and a book edition was published in 2022.

## Awards

- 2006 – Komiprisen ("best female artist")

- 2007 – Gullruten (for her starring role in the TV series Hjerte til hjerte)

- 2012 – the Leonard Statuette.


Tamara Volskaya

# Tamara Volskaya

## Abstract

Tamara Volskaya is a Ukrainian born Russian performing musician whose principal instrument is the domra. She was born in Kyiv and graduated the Conservatory of Music there, is a Merited Artist of Russia, a Laureate of USSR music competitions, and a professor at the Mussorgsky Ural State Conservatory of Yekaterinburg, Russia.

She also performs on the mandolin. She is a recognized authority in the mandolin world, a regular guest artist and instructor of the Classical Mandolin Society of America and BDAA (Balalaika and Domra Association of America and Canada). She regularly appears as a domra and mandolin soloist with orchestras across the US, the former USSR, and Canada, and has performed in Europe, Australia, Israel, and Japan. Tamara has performed at such prestigious venues as Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Music Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Library of Congress, with Seattle Chamber Orchestra, New American Orchestra of NYC, Metropolitan Opera, etc.

Tamara teaches as well as performs. She organized and headed the Folk Instrument Faculty at the Conservatory’s School for Gifted Students in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Many of her students have won international and national competitions. She has conducted numerous master classes on the domra and mandolin worldwide and is the author of several scholarly works on the domra.

In America, Tamara worked to popularize Russian Folk instruments in the cultural world of New York City. Together with her husband, Anatoliy Trofimov, a bayan player and a brilliant arranger, they form the "Russian Duo." They also organized “Russian Carnival,” a Russian folk instruments ensemble in New York City. The ensemble’s highlight was its performance at Avery Fisher Hall as part of the “Russian Splendor” program.

Tamara’s repertoire, both on domra and mandolin, spans a wide range of musical periods and styles, from classical to modern, as well as folk music based on Russian, Gypsy, Jewish, and Eastern European themes. It includes the great violin classics such as “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso” (Saint-Saëns), “ Zigeunerweisen ” (Sarasate), as well as Vivaldi’s Concertos, “Russian Dance” from Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky), “ Rhapsody in Blue ” (Gershwin) and selections by Scarlatti, Beethoven, Chopin, Kreisler, Shostakovich.


Rise (The Rasmus album)

# Rise (The Rasmus album)

## Abstract

Rise is the tenth album by the Finnish rock band The Rasmus, released on 23 September 2022. It is their first album after five years of inactivity, as a continuation of their previous album Dark Matters (2017).

## Background

Following the Dark Matters tour, the band held a series of concerts to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the release of their breakthrough album Dead Letters. Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, they released the heavily pop-influenced "Holy Grail". Subsequently, two more songs were released during the pandemic, "Bones" in early 2021 and "Venomous Moon" at the end of the year, another collaboration with Apocalyptica. They have previously collaborated on "Life Burns!" and " Bittersweet ".

At the beginning of 2022, the band's founder and lead guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi announced his departure. Emilia "Emppu" Suhonen was announced as his replacement, adding a female member to the line-up. The band later competed in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with " Jezebel ", after winning the Finnish national selection. At Eurovision, the band qualified for the final by finishing in 7th place in their semi-final, and ultimately finished in 21st place. According to the band's fans, "Jezebel" is reminiscent of the band's peak of popularity between 2003 and 2008, which they attributed to the involvement of producer Desmond Child, with whom the Black Roses album was recorded in 2008. The album's title track, "Rise", was released on 10 June 2022.

## Track listing

## Personnel

The Rasmus

- Lauri Ylönen – lead and backing vocals

- Eero Heinonen – bass (except Live and Never Die)

- Pauli Rantasalmi – guitar (Fireflies, Be Somebody, Odyssey, Endless Horizon, Clouds, Written in Blood, Evil)

- Emilia "Emppu" Suhonen – guitar (Live and Never Die)

- Aki Hakala – drums

Apocalyptica (feat. on Venomous Moon)

- Eicca Toppinen – cello

- Paavo Lötjönen – cello

- Perttu Kivilaakso – cello

Session musicians

- Janne Puurtinen – grand piano (Omen)

- Miguel Comas – guitar (Rise, Jezebel)

- David Santos – bass (Live and Never Die)

- Clay Perry – keyboards (Live and Never Die, Rise)

- Randy Cantor – keyboards, organ (Rise, Jezebel)

- Andy Reiner – violin (Rise)

- Joy Adams – cello (Rise)

- Rachel Grimes – cello (Evil)

- Neil Grimes – piano, effects (Evil)

- Justin Benlolo – backing vocals (Live and Never Die, Rise, Jezebel)

- Chris Willis – backing vocals (Live and Never Die)

- Gabe Page – backing vocals (Live and Never Die)

- Leo Dante – backing vocals (Live and Never Die)

- Turner Jalomo – backing vocals (Live and Never Die)


The Fanimatrix

# The Fanimatrix

## Abstract

The Fanimatrix (full title The Fanimatrix: Run Program) is a science fiction / action fan film and short film based on The Matrix, released on the Internet on 27 September 2003, written and directed by Steven A. Davis and Rajneel Singh. It stars Steven A. Davis, Farrah Lipsham, Fasitua Amosa, and Vaughan Beckley. Its name is a deliberate pun using the title The Animatrix and the term fan film.

## Plot

The short film is set within the Matrix universe, shortly before the discovery of "The One" (in The Matrix). It tells a story of two rebels, Dante and Medusa, operating out of a ship the Descartes, and of their fateful mission onto the virtual world of the Matrix.

The film opens with the insertion of Dante and Medusa into the Matrix. They materialize inside a machine shop and quickly move across the city while talking to their Operator, who is guiding them on their mission. The night's objectives are simple: Medusa is to break into a high-security building in order to steal important data. Dante is to provide a distraction so the Matrix will not discover Medusa's presence.

Dante heads for a particularly rough nightclub populated with cyberpunks and goths. After dispatching the two bouncers, he quickly picks a fight with two goths who mock Dante's "normal" appearance. The Operator — who is in constant contact with Dante via his cellphone — helps coordinate the fight so it coincides with Medusa breaking into the high-security building and taking out a team of security officers.

The nightclub brawl culminates with Dante delivering a superhuman kick to one of goths, which alerts the Matrix. The system promptly dispatches an Agent to take care of the situation and it begins chasing Dante. He leads the Agent on a dangerous wild goose chase across the city, keeping Medusa free to accomplish her task.

Their mission goes awry. A security officer, missed by Medusa during her entry, discovers her presence and hits the alarm, so she must flee. Dante's goose chase now becomes a frantic dash to get to an exit point — the nearest being the machine shop they first appeared in, but he is unable to elude the Agent.

Dante is trapped, and Medusa is out of time. He realises he must fight the Agent — even though it means certain death — in order to buy time for Medusa to escape with the information she acquired. He tells the Operator to get Medusa out and then, chanting the mantra "free my mind" to himself, he throws himself at the Agent. During an epic kung fu fight he is able to hold off the Agent until he sees an opportunity to escape. He decides, though, to not race to freedom, but continues the fight until he is eventually thrown against the machinery and his chest is pierced by a steel pipe, killing him.

As Dante dies, Medusa reaches safety, unaware of Dante's immense sacrifice for her own life.

## Production

The Fanimatrix was filmed in New Zealand. With an estimated budget of NZ$800 (US$ 465), most of which spent on wardrobe and props, the fan film was shot on a single CCD Sony camcorder on DV tape. Using guerrilla filmmaking techniques, the film-makers worked over the course of nine nights to finish the project. The fight sequences were choreographed using the same wushu martial arts used in the feature films. The final product was edited on Adobe Premiere, AfterFX and AlamDV Special FX and premiered online on 27 September 2003, distributed via BitTorrent, Kazaa and the eDonkey network. As of 2023, it is the oldest torrent file still being actively distributed.

## Cast

- Steven A. Davis as Dante

- Farrah Lipsham as Medusa

- Fasitua Amosa as The Operator

- Vaughan Beckley as The Agent

- Mike Edward as Bald Goth

- Chris Rigby as Contact Juggling Goth

- Ben Butler-Hogg as Bouncer #1

- Louis MacAllister as Bouncer #2

- Andrew Salisbury as Security Guard #1

- David Fraser as Security Guard #2

- Dominic Skinner as Security Guard #3

- Matt Bennett as Crow

- Eden Phillips as Pedestrian


Waitematā railway station

# Waitematā railway station

## Abstract

Waitematā railway station, formerly known as Britomart Transport Centre, is the public transport hub in the central business district of Auckland and the northern terminus of the North Island Main Trunk railway line. It combines a railway station in a former Edwardian post office, extended with expansive modernist architectural elements, with a bus interchange. It is at the foot of Queen Street, the main commercial thoroughfare of the CBD, with the main ferry terminal just across Quay Street.

The station was the result of many design iterations, some of them being substantially larger and including an underground bus terminal and a large underground car park. Political concerns and cost implications meant that those concepts did not proceed. At the time of its inception in the early 2000s the station was still Auckland's largest transport project ever, built to move rail access closer to the city's CBD and help boost Auckland's low usage of public transport. It is one of the few underground railway stations in the world designed for use by diesel trains, although their use is now prohibited. Diesel trains from Hamilton and Wellington terminate at The Strand station.

A tunnel to the Western Line is under construction as part of the City Rail Link project. In March 2023, following a joint submission to the New Zealand Geographic Board by Auckland Transport and Auckland Council, the station was officially re-named to Waitematā railway station.

## History

### Earlier uses

The station is on reclaimed land in the middle of what was once Commercial Bay. Its original name came from Point Britomart, a former headland at Commercial Bay's eastern end. In the 1870s and 1880s the headland was levelled and used to fill in Commercial Bay in order to extend the railway line to the bottom of Queen Street.

Auckland Railway Station moved west from its original 1873 site to Britomart in 1885 and remained there after the Post Office was built on the Queen Street frontage in 1912. The Chief Post Office was designed by architect John Campbell in an Edwardian baroque style, using Oamaru stone on a base of Coromandel granite. In 1930 the station was relocated 1.2 km east to Beach Road and the former station site became a bus terminal in 1937 and a car park in 1958.

Many proposals were made to locate the station back in the CBD, most notably in 1973 and 1987, with the 1970s proposal of the Mayor of Auckland, Dove-Myer Robinson, envisaging an underground station at Britomart and a tunnel loop, but that was stopped by the Muldoon National Government, which claimed it was unjustified and too costly. In 1995, Auckland City Council purchased the old Post Office building (PostBank offices closed in 1988, though some postal services remained open beyond that year) and proposed to redevelop the area as a transit centre.

Early designs called for both the bus terminal and the railway to be underground, but these plans were scrapped as consultation showed that buses were preferred above ground by both users and operators, and projected costs soared, partly due to the difficulties with potential water ingress. The developer eventually defaulted on contractual deadlines, and the project failed.

In 1998, a cheaper option was decided on, partly after a consultation process with stakeholders and citizens. The architectural design was chosen via a competition. It used part of Queen Elizabeth II Square and surrounding streets as a bus interchange, with the existing dilapidated bus terminal redeveloped to incorporate both bus services and a pedestrianised area, also known as a Transit Oriented Development (TOD). When nearby Quay Street was realigned in the late 1990s, a tunnel was built (completed in 2000) to provide the underground railway link. Bus services using the old bus terminal were diverted to other locations in June 2001.

The project name, with the station intended to facilitate transfers between buses, trains, ferries and potential future light rail, was officially coined the Waitemata Waterfront Interchange. The station itself later opened as Britomart Transport Centre.

### Construction

Designed by California architect Mario Madayag in collaboration with local Auckland architects Jasmax, construction of Britomart commenced in October 2001, with structural design having been provided by OPUS. It involved 14 km of piling, some being 40 m long and driven 16 m into the underlying bedrock, mainly to provide good earthquake protection, and to futureproof the area for potential later construction of buildings on top of the station. 200,000 cubic metres were excavated for the station, and 40,000 cubic metres of concrete poured. Approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of new rail track was built, of which half was in a cut and cover tunnel. The station has a site area of 5.2 ha and includes 236 m² retail area.

The station opened to passengers on 7 July 2003, with the official opening on 25 July 2003 by Sir Edmund Hillary and government ministers. Services to the Beach Road terminus ceased, except for some peak-time commuter services and excursion trains using the former Platform 4 (originally Platform 7), renamed ' The Strand '. The commuter services ceased after a few months.

Cost over-runs and differing tastes made the centre politically controversial, the design often being described as a large hole in the ground, both literally and figuratively. Despite this and a NZ$204 million price tag, it has won numerous design awards and is internationally recognised for its innovative but heritage-sympathetic architecture. The main source of contention was the relatively great expense of this public transport development in the Auckland Region, where for many decades the focus had been on private vehicle ownership and travel.

#### Pedestrian underpasses

Initial plans included underground pedestrian walkways to Queen Elizabeth II Square, the nearby downtown ferry terminal and the main shopping street of Queen St. Due to cost over-runs only the short walkway under Queen Street to the square was built, the other two being dropped in favour of a sizeable rain-proof canopy that ran from the square's above-ground exit northward toward the ferry terminal and southward toward the Queen Street- Customs Street intersection.

The underground walkway was closed to pedestrians from 29 March 2016 in order to facilitate preliminary works for the City Rail Link. In April and May 2016, the canopy was dismantled and removed from the site, and on 28 May 2016 the Downtown Shopping Centre was closed and fenced off for demolition.

### Further works

A major commercial building was built over the eastern approach tunnel in the late 2000s, at the eastern edge of the plaza behind the station.

#### City Rail Link works

On 17 January 2017, the Britomart station building was closed and access between it and platforms was blocked off. A new, temporary Britomart station building was opened at the rear of the building, with new stairways and the retention of elevator and escalator access to the platforms. This building was in use for three years. The former building is refurbished and strengthened in preparation for tunnelling under it for City Rail Link services.

To enable the digging of the trench works required for the CRL, the Downtown Shopping Centre was closed on 28 May 2016 and by 23 November had been demolished. It has been replaced with 'Commercial Bay' named after Commercial Bay which was below the modern day site. Commercial Bay consists of the Commercial Bay (PwC tower) skyscraper and the Commercial Bay Shopping Centre. Auckland Council and proprietors Precinct Properties struck a deal to include tunnels for the City Rail Link directly underneath the premises.

In late 2020, the former Queen Elizabeth II Square adjacent to the Old Post Office building was reopened as Te Komititanga, a new civic square that incorporates whāriki (woven mat) patterns, developed in partnership with Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki weaver Tessa Harris, who developed the patterns in collaboration with weavers from Te Ākitai Waiohua, Ngāi Tai ki Tamaki, Ngāti Te Ata and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

On 6 April 2021 at 1pm the surface building (also known as the Central Post Office) was reopened. The opening was attended by Phil Goff and members of the public. The surface building was ceremonially opened by a ribbon cutting.

In June 2022, the number of serviceable platforms was reduced to enable the two outermost platforms (1 and 5) to be connected to the tunnels for the CRL and become through platforms. As a result of this, Onehunga line services were shortened to terminate at Newmarket instead of Britomart. Auckland Transport claimed that removing Onehunga line services from Britomart would be the least disruptive option. The Public Transport Users Association criticised the move and alleged that 60% of Onehunga line passengers wanted to travel to Britomart. Former Auckland councillor Mike Lee also criticised the change and claimed that rail staff had told him that the change was unnecessary as only one platform would be closed at a time, which still left four platforms for four lines to be operated out of Britomart. Lee explained that one platform was being used to accommodate a spare AM class EMU (the "hot spare") for service disruptions, he believed that this spare unit could be held further up the line at The Strand Station which would free up a platform for Onehunga line services to continue to operate out of Britomart.

In the future, the number of platforms will be permanently reduced from 5 to 4, with Platform 2 permanently closing. Once the CRL is operational, additional works and upgrades to Waitematā station will widen the remaining 4 platforms to accommodate larger passenger volumes in conjunction with improving station access from the eastern entrance.

## Capacity and rail connections

The station is designed to serve up to 10,500 passengers during the peak hour as a terminus.

The station has five platforms and is constrained by the 9.3 m width of the 426 m long double-track access tunnel. Early forecasts predicted that while double-tracking of the surrounding rail network would improve peak time train congestion, the capacity of the corridor would not be reached until about 2020. Growth in train patronage and increased services resulted in the tunnel being at maximum capacity from 2011, almost 10 years earlier than predicted. Because of the capacity restrictions, a proposed Hamilton-Auckland commuter train service would have gone to The Strand Station some 1.5 km to the east.

### Increased services

In its early days, Britomart was criticised because it was built on a scale and level of grandeur that was well in excess of the capacity and patronage of the rail network. Auckland Regional Council transport committee chairwoman Catherine Harland acknowledged that "Britomart opened ahead of its time", raising public expectations that could not be fulfilled at the time due to the state of the rail network.

Patronage on Auckland's rail network increased from 2.5 million journeys in 2003 to just over 14.2 million in July 2015, and by April 2017 had reached 19 million journeys.

### Electrification

It was announced on 17 May 2007 that electrification of Auckland's rail network would proceed. Installation of overhead wires began later, with Auckland Transport (initially ARTA) purchasing new electric units to replace the diesel trains. The project was expected to be completed in 2013.

Britomart was officially electrified on 31 March 2014, with New Zealand's Prime Minister, John Key, flipping the switch in a commemorative ceremony. The first electric passenger services began running four weeks later, between Britomart and Onehunga on the Onehunga Line on 28 April 2014.

From July 2015, all suburban trains serving Britomart were operated by AM Class EMUs, leaving the thrice-weekly Northern Explorer as the only diesel service using the station. By December 2015, the station required a $600,000 upgrade to its diesel extraction fans and Auckland Transport requested that KiwiRail, the operator of the Northern Explorer, fund the upgrade if they wished to continue serving the station. KiwiRail decided that the cost was not justifiable and from 21 December 2015 they ceased serving Britomart and relocated their Auckland terminus to The Strand Station, in the east of the CBD.

### City Rail Link

Plans for a tunnel southward underneath the CBD to Mt Eden and even to Morningside were debated for nearly a century. With Britomart in operation since 2003, the tunnel would allow trains to run through the station rather than having to reverse out over the same set of tracks.

On 5 March 2008, ARTA said that it had begun preliminary planning for a 3.5 km tunnel which would most likely be travelling under Albert Street and serving three underground stations: one near Wellesley Street (linking to Aotea Square), one in the Karangahape Road / Pitt Street area, and one near Upper Symonds Street in Newton. At the southern end, the line would link to a redeveloped station at Mt Eden.

Original estimates for the cost of the CRL were at around $1 billion, taking 5–7 years to plan and build. In August 2014 it was announced that the station at Newton had been dropped in favour of an upgraded station at Mt Eden. In 2015, enabling works for CRL construction began. Main works began in 2018.

Following completion of the CRL, some trains will no longer terminate at Britomart. Platforms 5 and 1 will be the through platforms, while platforms 2–4 will remain terminating platforms.

### Eastern tunnel capacity

A proposed alternative to the City Rail Link (CRL) to increase capacity was the duplication of the existing eastern Britomart approach tunnel. This would have required a new twin track tunnel approximately 500 metres long to be constructed parallel to the existing twin-track tunnel, resulting in four tracks from Quay Park Junction and retaining Britomart as a terminus. Estimated costs were $150 million to $200 million, with 4–5 years to plan and build. Such a project would have allowed the same capacity increase as the CRL at approximately one sixth to one fifth the cost, but without any of the additional benefits that the two new CRL underground stations or the more direct route to the Western Line will provide.

Initially seen as an inferior, but cheaper and more politically acceptable alternative to the CRL tunnel, the duplicate eastern approach also gained favour as a stop gap implementation due to the comparatively short build time. Even if planning had commenced immediately, the CRL might not have become operational until several years after the maximum capacity of the existing corridor was reached. Moreover, while seen as an alternative to the CRL through connection tunnel, the duplicate eastern tunnel would not have precluded it from being built.

A feature that came into operation in 2011 in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup and allowed an increase in capacity of the existing tunnel is 'bi-directional signalling', which allows a train to leave on the same track on which it entered – freeing it from having to cross over other tracks which may not be safely clear of other trains. In 2019, funding was agreed to restore a five-year commuter train trial between Papakura and Hamilton, with a one-seat journey to Britomart being the eventual aim.

## Services

### Trains

Auckland One Rail operates the Auckland suburban rail network on behalf of Auckland Transport. This includes the electrified lines west to Swanson and south to Manukau and Papakura.

In July 2015, it was reported that the number of trains able to enter and leave Britomart was 20 per hour. On a typical weekday inter-peak, nine trains leave Britomart per hour, comprising:

- 3 trains per hour to Manukau via Glen Innes and Ōtāhuhu (Eastern Line)

- 3 trains per hour to Papakura via Newmarket and Ōtāhuhu (Southern Line)

- 3 trains per hour to Swanson via Newmarket, New Lynn and Henderson (Western Line)

### Buses and ferries

Britomart is a major interchange between trains, buses and ferries. It is the terminus for many bus routes, including the Northern Express NX1 route along the Northern Busway to and from Albany and the Hibiscus Coast. The frequent CityLink bus service passes nearby on Queen and Customs Streets and the InnerLink bus services stop at Britomart.

Other buses depart from stops on surrounding streets, some of which are up to a block away from the station. Until early 2016, buses arrived at and departed from Queen Street in front of the station building, but that portion of Queen Street is now permanently closed to vehicular traffic and is now a public plaza after an initial temporary closure for CRL tunneling works.

Across Quay Street from the station is the Auckland Ferry Terminal, which is the main hub for Auckland's ferry system. There are ferry services to suburbs including Devonport, Birkenhead and Half Moon Bay, as well as to islands in the Hauraki Gulf such as Waiheke Island and Rangitoto Island.

## Heritage registration

The Chief Post Office was registered as a Category I heritage building by Heritage New Zealand on 11 July 1986, with registration number 101.

## Awards

Awards that the station has received:

- 2004 Property Council of New Zealand – Merit Award, Special Purposes Category

- 2004 American Institute of Architecture – Architectural Record / Business Week International Winner

- 2004 New Zealand Institute of Architects – Resene Award, Community and Cultural

- 2004 New Zealand Institute of Architects – Resene Award, Heritage and Conservation

- 2004 Illuminating Engineering Society of Australia and New Zealand – Lighting Award

- 2004 New Zealand Concrete Society – Concrete Award

- 2005 New Zealand Institute of Architects – Resene New Zealand Award for Architecture, Community & Cultural

- 2007 Kenneth F. Brown Asia Pacific Culture and Architecture Design Award – Honorable mention


The Farewell (2019 film)

# The Farewell (2019 film)

## Abstract

The Farewell (Chinese: 别告诉她; pinyin: Bié Gàosu Tā; lit. ' Don't Tell Her ') is a 2019 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Lulu Wang. It stars Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, and Zhao Shuzhen. The film follows a Chinese American woman named Billi, who learns her grandmother, Nai Nai, has only a short while left to live. Billi's family has decided to schedule a family wedding before Nai Nai dies to enable her to see all the family one last time, and not tell Nai Nai of her fatal illness.

The film is based in part on director Wang's life experiences, which she first publicly discussed as part of her radio story What You Don't Know, which appeared as part of an episode of This American Life. The film was screened in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was theatrically released in the United States on July 12, 2019, by A24. It received widespread acclaim from critics, with particular praise for Wang's screenplay and the performances of Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen. At the 77th Golden Globe Awards the film was nominated for two awards including Best Foreign Language Film, with Awkwafina winning for Best Actress – Musical or Comedy. The Farewell has dialogue in both English and Mandarin Chinese.

## Plot

Aspiring Chinese-American writer Billi maintains a close relationship with Nai Nai (paternal grandmother) who lives in Changchun, China. After receiving a rejection letter for a Guggenheim Fellowship, she discovers from her parents, Haiyan and Jian, that Nai Nai has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, and is predicted to have only a few months left to live.

Through deception and manipulation of medical test results, the diagnosis is kept a secret from Nai Nai herself. She is, instead, falsely told that her recent doctor visits have only revealed benign findings. A wedding for Billi's cousin from Japan, Hao Hao, has been planned in China as an excuse to unite the family to spend what is expected to be one last time with Nai Nai. Fearing Billi will end up exposing the lie to her grandmother, Haiyan and Jian tell her to remain in New York City.

Billi disobeys her parents' orders and flies to Changchun shortly after the rest of the family arrive. She assures her parents that she will not reveal the cancer diagnosis to Nai Nai. Throughout the trip, however, she clashes with the rest of the family over their deliberate dishonesty towards her grandmother. Guilt-ridden, Billi expresses conflicted thoughts with her parents over the Chinese cultural beliefs that result in a family refusing to disclose a life-threatening disease, including the trauma of her grandfather passing away after they moved to the United States.

One night, her uncle, Haibin, contends that the lie allows the family to bear the emotional burden of the diagnosis, rather than Nai Nai herself—a practice of collectivism that he acknowledges differs from the individualistic values common in Western culture. Billi later learns that Nai Nai also told a similar lie to her husband up until his death when he was terminally ill.

On the day of the wedding, both Haibin and Hao Hao break down in tears on separate occasions but manage to proceed through the banquet without raising Nai Nai's suspicions. Billi intercepts Nai Nai's medical test results from the hospital and has it altered to reflect a clean bill of health, helping to maintain the lie.

That night, Nai Nai gives Billi a hóngbāo, encouraging her to spend the money as she chooses. Billi admits that she wants to stay in Changchun to spend more time with Nai Nai, but Nai Nai declines, telling her that she needs to live her own life. When Billi reveals the Guggenheim Fellowship rejection to her, Nai Nai encourages Billi to keep an open mind and not get hung up on this failure, "don't be the bull endlessly ramming its horns into the corner of the room." She says that "life is not about what things one does, but more so about how one goes about doing them".

Billi keeps her promise to maintain the lie. She shares a tearful goodbye with Nai Nai as the visiting family members return to their homes in Japan and America. A title card reveals that six years after her diagnosis, the woman Nai Nai's character was based on is still alive and still unaware of her sickness.

## Cast

- Awkwafina as Billi Wang (Chinese: 王比莉)

- Tzi Ma as Haiyan Wang (王海燕), Billi's father

- Diana Lin as Lu Jian (陆建), Billi's mother

- Zhao Shu-zhen as Nai Nai (奶奶), Billi's paternal grandmother

- Lu Hong (playing herself) as Little Nai Nai, Billi's grandmother's younger sister

- Jiang Yongbo as Haibin (海滨), Haiyan's older brother

- Chen Han as Hao Hao (浩浩), Haibin's son

- Aoi Mizuhara as Aiko (Japanese: 愛子), Hao Hao's Japanese fiancée

- Zhang Jing as Yuping, Haiyan's cousin

- Li Xiang as Aunty Ling, Haibin's wife

- Yang Xuejian as Mr. Li

- Jim Liu as Dr. Song

## Production

Lulu Wang faced obstacles when pitching her film about a Chinese American family. She says she had many disheartening encounters with American and Chinese financiers who wanted to include a "prominent white character into the narrative, and punch up the nuanced drama to turn it into a broad comedy."

Wang later created an episode titled What You Don't Know for This American Life in April, 2016 based on her family's story. This caught the attention of producer Chris Weitz who helped secure financing for the film.

Wang said that the film was based on her grandmother's illness, stating that "I always felt the divide in my relationship to my family versus my relationship to my classmates and to my colleagues and to the world that I inhabit. That's just the nature of being an immigrant and straddling two cultures."

The film was primarily shot in Changchun, China, over the course of 24 days in June 2018. Filming also took place in New York. In an interview with Filmmaker, cinematographer Anna Franquesa Solano stated that the references for the film included Force Majeure and Still Walking. However, she added that her main source of inspiration came from "spending time with Lulu's family at their home in Changchun, during pre-production."

Director Lulu Wang says that she kept the secret from her grandmother during and after film production. It was awkward to keep the secret when the grandmother visited the filming, a block from her home. Wang claims her grandmother eventually found out when a friend sent her a review of the film.

## Release

The film had its premiere in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2019. In January 2019, A24 acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film for $7 million, over Netflix, Amazon Studios, and Fox Searchlight Pictures. It was released in the United States on July 12, 2019. A fully Chinese-subtitled version of the film played in select theaters on September 8, 2019.

## Reception

### Box office

The Farewell grossed $17.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $5.4 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $23.1 million, against a production budget of $3 million.

In its opening weekend the film made $355,662 from four theaters for an average of $88,916 per venue; at the time, it was the best average of 2019, besting Avengers: Endgame ' s $76,601. It expanded to 35 theaters in its second weekend and earned $1.14 million, then made $1.5 million from 135 theaters in its third. It continued to expand in the following weeks, making $2.4 million from 426 theaters and then $2.2 million from 705 theaters. The film expanded further to over 800 theaters in the next few weeks, $1.4 million from 861 theaters, $882,623 from 816 theaters and $841,414 from 891 theaters.

The Farewell was a box office "flop" in China, grossing only $580,000 by January 2020 in what was then the world's second-largest film market. According to Sixth Tone, the film's delayed theatrical release—to prevent it from being lost in the hype surrounding Disney’s Frozen 2 —was a big factor in the low gross since many in China had already seen it abroad or online.

### Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 97%, with an average rating of 8.5/10, based on 345 reviews. The website's critics' consensus reads: " The Farewell deftly captures complicated family dynamics with a poignant, well-acted drama that marries cultural specificity with universally relatable themes." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 89 out of 100 based on 47 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the film an A− grade and praised Awkwafina's performance, writing, "As a Chinese-American grappling with the traditionalism of her past and its impact on the future, she's an absorbing engine for the movie's introspective look at a most unusual family reunion." Christy Lemire writing for RogerEbert.com gave the film 4 out of 4 stars, saying Zhao Shuzhen is "the most frequent source of laughs", but went on to say that "as delightful as is in this crucial, central role, she will also quietly rip your heart out by the film's end". Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair wrote, "Wang movingly tells not just a story about the negotiations of familial love, but also of the immigrant experience, of revisiting one's homeland to, in some senses, say goodbye to it." David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter commented, "its moments of sweet sentimentality are fully earned and heartfelt." Brian Lowry of CNN.com described it as a "small, melancholy movie that explores cultural differences and dealing with death in an utterly charming, understated manner." Hong Kong playwright Jingan Young commented on the film's depiction of the differences between western and Chinese family values, claiming that "the family’s decision to tell a 'good lie' is a metaphor for the collective delusion of living under the Chinese Communist party."

Former United States President Barack Obama named The Farewell amongst his favorite films and television series of 2019 in an annual list released on December 29, 2019.


The Fearway

# The Fearway

## Abstract

The Fearway is a 2023 American horror film directed by Robert Gajic and starring Shannon Dalonzo, Eileen Dietz, Simon Phillips, and Jessica Gray.

## Plot

A young couple is traveling in their car along the famous Highway 66, which runs through the Death Valley. Suddenly, they notice a strange pursuer behind them. This trip will turn to be a real repeated nightmare in a time loop for them.

## Reception

Paul Mount of Starburst stated, "The resolution is quite clever if a little under-developed, the cinematography is superb for a low budget feature and the film works to create a sense of tension and unease rather than full-blooded horror (there’s nothing gory or unpleasant here)." Roger Crow of On-Magazine.UK commented, "So while it’s a relief that this isn’t just another stalk and slash thriller on an impressive desert highway, the twist, when it comes, is straight out of The Twilight Zone. Which is no bad thing." Leslie Felperin of The Guardian commented, "This lumpy, tedious horror thriller teases a big mystery as to what’s really going on for a couple who keep finding themselves back on the same stretch of highway no matter which direction they drive off in." Sean Cockwell of My Bloody Reviews stated, "Director Robert Gajic and writer Noah Bessey have concocted a fast-paced, well-produced and photographed movie that remains enjoyable throughout regardless of familiarity with the plotting and the initial aggravation of spending too much screentime with the central couple. There’s a very brief cameo from THE EXORCIST’s Eileen Dietz and a solid turn from one of our favourite actors Simon Phillips – as The Manager."

## Cast

- Shannon Dalonzo as Sarah

- Simon Phillips as The Manager

- Eileen Dietz as Old Woman

- John D. Hickman as Bus Boy

- Jessica Gray as Waitress

- Justin Gordon as Michael

- Briahn Auguillard as The Ferryman

- Robin Bookhout as Crazy woman

- James Politano as Old Man

- Heather Rozzo as 911 Operator


The Filthiest Show in Town (film)

# The Filthiest Show in Town (film)

## Abstract

The Filthiest Show in Town is a 1973 satirical exploitation comedy film directed by Richard Endelson and Robert A. Endelson. It stars Sandra Peabody, Tina Russell, and Harry Reems. The story follows the owners of the National Genital Television Network who go on trial over backlash of one of their highest rated shows: the adult dating show entitled The Maiden Game. The story follows several other vignettes in the form of disjointed commercial segments. Initially, the film was promoted by the extensive media coverage of adult film stars Russell and Reems, the latter having just starred in the mainstream adult film Deep Throat (1972). Subsequently, it was promoted by the notability of Peabody who had just starred in Wes Craven 's critically acclaimed horror film The Last House on the Left (1972).

## Cast

- Sandra Peabody as Olga

- Tina Russell as Doris

- Harry Reems as Barney

- Marshall Anker as Bailiff

- Rudy Hornish as Bill Bangkok

## Reception

The film was met with generally negative reviews. In a 1974 review for The Province, film critic Michael Walsh stated, "A first film for a pair of would-be film entrepreneurs, New York's Endelson brothers, its only interesting feature is the fact that a number of American hardcore film veterans - performers like Tina Russel, Harry Reems and Dolly Sharp - appear in some mind-numbing, non-gymnastic roles. The filthiest show is The Maiden Game, afternoon entertainment from the National Genital Television network. A parody of TV's The Dating Game, it features nude "studs" and "maidens." Participants have names like Phyllis Phallus and come from places like Condom, Connecticut. The film actually does achieve the level of a poorly produced TV game show. In other words, it has absolutely nothing to recommend it."


The Final (film)

# The Final (film)

## Abstract

The Final is a 2010 American psychological horror thriller film written by Jason Kabolati, directed by Joey Stewart, and starring Jascha Washington, Julin, Justin S. Arnold, Lindsay Seidel, Marc Donato, Laura Ashley Samuels, Ryan Hayden, and Travis Tedford (in his final film role before retiring from acting).

## Plot

A disfigured teenage girl enters a restaurant and quickly draws the attention of everyone there. She begins crying, and a flashback begins...

In high school, Ravi gets bullied by Bradley and Bernard. Emily is taunted and abused by three girls, Heather, Bridget, and Kelli. Dane, another outcast, has an old, secluded house in the woods, inherited from his late uncle.

Kurtis is a likable student and an aspiring actor. He invites his schoolmates to a video shoot. There, Bradley and Bernard insult Ravi in the restroom and break his camera. Dane stumbles in, and Bradley intimidates him, revealing that he has also been bullying Dane. The next day at school, after learning of the incident, Kurtis confronts Bradley, asking him to leave his friends alone.

The outcasts - Emily, Jack, Ravi, Andy, and Dane - decide to get revenge on the bullies and send a message to the community. Among their inspirations are horror films and lessons in class about deadly chemicals and torture methods of old cultures. They plan to spare Kurtis, as he doesn't mistreat them. They prepare a costume party at Dane's secluded house and invite the bullies over. They lace the punch bowl with a drug, causing everyone who drinks from it to fall unconscious. They see Kurtis among the group but still proceed with the plan.

When the teens wake up, they find themselves chained together. The outcasts then declare their intention to make them suffer a fate worse than death as revenge for the years they have suffered from bullying. In their first act of violence, Jack shoots Miles, a loud-mouthed teenager, with a cattle gun to his face and knee. One boy, Tommy, flees for help, but steps into a bear trap in the woods. The three boys, nicknamed The Triplets, help the outcasts capture and return him to the house.

Ravi immobilizes and silences Bernard with a drug, and then Bernard is tortured with needles by Emily. Ravi secretly gives Kurtis a key, and he escapes. Dane, obsessed with revenge, stabs and kills Ravi. The torture continues with Emily smearing a corrosive compound on Heather's face. As Bridget apologizes to Emily, she tells her to cut off Bradley's fingers to spare herself. She is unable to do it. When Emily gives the offer to Bradley, he agrees and cuts off two of Bridget's fingers. Emily then smears the compound on half of Bridget's face.

Kurtis encounters Deputy Henessey and asks for help, but the Triplets shoot the Deputy. Kurtis grabs his gun, flees to a neighboring house, and informs the owner, Parker, an elderly war veteran, of the events in Dane's house. However, Parker doesn't trust Kurtis because he has a gun. After tying Kurtis to an armchair, Parker goes to Dane's house alone to investigate. He trips over a cord, and a trap severely injures his legs. Despite the injuries, he successfully kills two of the Triplets.

An insane Dane taunts Bradley, who attempts to apologize. Dane severs his spinal cord with a switchblade, paralyzing him from the waist down. After freeing himself, Kurtis calls the police and heads to Dane's house. As Andy is about to cut off Riggs' tongue, Kurtis appears and kills Andy. Dane shoots Kurtis in the arm, but Emily kills him before he can kill Kurtis. Emily says her last words to Kelli, then has Jack shoot her dead. As the police burst in, Jack kills himself after saying: "There are more like us out there."

The next day, a news reporter recounts how the popular kids were abducted and tortured "without reason." Kelli, unharmed but traumatized by the events, plans to die by suicide. At school, Kurtis exchanges eye contact with the remaining Triplet. The final scene reveals that Bridget is the disfigured girl from the film's beginning.

## Cast

- Marc Donato as Dane

- Jascha Washington as Kurtis

- Whitney Hoy as Bridget

- Julin as Heather

- Lindsay Seidel as Emily

- Laura Ashley Samuels as Kelli

- Justin S. Arnold as Bradley

- Travis Tedford as Andy

- Eric Isenhower as Jack

- Vincent Silochan as Ravi

- Farah White as The Reporter

- Preston Flagg as Riggs

- Hunter Garner as Tommy

- Ryan Hayden as Miles

- Daniel Ross Owens as Bernard

- Matthew Posey as Parker

## Release

The film is part of the After Dark Horrorfest 2012 and was presented on November 23. The DVD was released on November 23 by After Dark Films.

## Reviews

The Movie Spot gave the film a 3.5 out of 5 saying " The Final is a decent movie. And a great entry to the Horrorfest series." The film holds a 13% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on eight reviews.


Eric Gillis

# Eric Gillis

## Abstract

Eric Gillis (born March 8, 1980) is a Canadian athlete. He was born and raised in the community of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He resides in Guelph, Ontario as the head coach of the St. Francis Xavier University cross country and track teams.

## Sporting career

Gillis ran collegiately for the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men from 1998 until 2004, during which time he individually won the CIS Cross Country Championship and competed at the World University Games twice. Since becoming a professional, Gillis has experienced much national and international success during his athletics career. He represented Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 10,000m, as well as the marathon at the 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics. Gillis qualified for the London Olympics on October 16, 2011, with a 2:11:28 finish at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. In 2016 he was inducted into the StFX Sports Hall of Fame and in 2017 was named assistant coach of the X-Men Cross Country and Track and Field Teams, and become the head coach in 2018 respectively.

### Career highlights

- 2016: 10th-place finish Olympic marathon (2:12:29)

- 2016: Vancouver Sun Run winner, time 28:52

- 2012: Competed at the Summer Olympics men's marathon event

- 2011: Vancouver Sun Run winner, time 29:05.

- 2008: Canadian 10,000 m Championships, Gold

- 2008: Canadian Cross Country Championships, Silver

- 2008: Competed at the Summer Olympics 10,000 m event, finishing 33rd.

- 2007: Canadian Championships, Bronze

- 2007: Canadian 10,000 m Championships, Gold

- 2005: Canadian Championships, Bronze

- 2003: Canadian Interuniversity Sport Cross Country Gold Medalist

- Multiple Antigonish Casket Newspaper "Athlete of the Week" Awards

## 2008 Summer Olympics

Gillis went to the Beijing Summer Olympics as a member of Team Canada. He competed in the 10000 metres event on August 17, 2008, in the Beijing National Stadium. Though he was aiming to finish among the top 20, he finished 33rd overall with a time of 29:08.10.

## 2012 Summer Olympics

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Gillis competed in the men's marathon. He finished in 22nd place with a time of 2:16:00.

## 2016 Summer Olympics

In July 2016, he was named to Canada's Olympic team. He finished 10th in the marathon in a time of 2:12:29, the first Canadian man to finish in the top 10 in the Olympic marathon since 1976.


Peacock Theater

# Peacock Theater

## Abstract

The Peacock Theater, formerly Nokia Theatre and Microsoft Theater, is a music and theater venue in downtown Los Angeles, California at L.A. Live. The theater auditorium seats 7,100 and holds one of the largest indoor stages in the United States.

## History

The theatre was designed by ELS Architecture and Urban Design of Berkeley, California on a commission by the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) in 2002. It opened on October 18, 2007, with six concerts featuring the Eagles and the Dixie Chicks. On June 7, 2015, the Nokia Theatre was re-branded as Microsoft Theater as part of a new naming rights deal with AEG Live following Microsoft 's acquisition of Nokia 's mobile device business in 2014. As part of the new naming rights deal, the L.A. Live plaza was also renamed Microsoft Square (later known as Xbox Plaza) and Microsoft provided upgrades to the venue's technology.

On June 15, 2023, it was announced that the theater would be rebranded as Peacock Theater on July 11 as part of a new naming rights deal between AEG Live and Peacock's parent company NBCUniversal, with Xbox Plaza also rebranded as Peacock Place.

### Naming history

- Nokia Theatre (October 17, 2007 – June 6, 2015)

- Microsoft Theater (June 7, 2015 – July 10, 2023)

- Peacock Theater (July 11, 2023–present)

## Awards shows

Since its opening in 2007, the venue has become the venue of multiple entertainment industry awards shows, most notably the Primetime Emmy Awards.

### Primetime Emmy Awards

Since 2008, the theater has been the venue of the annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony after that show moved here from the Shrine Auditorium, except in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was held at the Crypto.com Arena and the Event Deck at L.A. Live, respectively. The Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which take place a week before the Primetime Emmy Awards are also held at this venue. Following the Emmy Awards telecast, the Governors Ball is held across the street at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The Emmys will continue to be held here through 2022 and possibly 2026.

### Grammy Awards

In 2008 and 2011, the venue hosted The Grammy Nominations Live, a concert announcing the nominees for the Grammy Awards. The Grammy Awards take place annually across the street at the Crypto.com Arena, but the Premier Ceremony (also referred to as the "pre-telecast" ceremony) is held here. Approximately 70 Grammy categories are awarded.

### American Music Awards

Since 2007, the annual American Music Awards have been held here after moving from the Shrine Auditorium.

### The Game Awards

Since 2015 (excluding 2020), the theater has hosted The Game Awards, presented by Geoff Keighley.

### BET Awards

The venue has hosted the BET Awards since 2013 (excluding 2020).

### ESPY Awards

The venue hosted the ESPY Awards from 2008 to 2019.

### People's Choice Awards

The venue has hosted the People's Choice Awards from 2010 to 2017.

### MTV Video Music Awards

The venue hosted the MTV Video Music Awards in 2010, 2011, and 2015.

### Radio Disney Music Awards

The venue hosted the Radio Disney Music Awards from 2013 to 2017.

### MTV Movie Awards

The venue hosted the MTV Movie Awards in 2014 and 2015.

### iHeartRadio Music Awards

The venue hosted the iHeartRadio Music Awards in 2019.

### Billboard Music Awards

The venue hosted the Billboard Music Awards in 2021.

### Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

The venue hosted the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in 2023.

## Sports

The venue has also served as a sports venue. It has hosted boxing matches and will also serve as a venue during the 2028 Olympics.

### Boxing

The venue has hosted professional boxing matches for circuits such as Golden Boy Promotions and Premier Boxing Champions.

### 2028 Summer Olympics

The venue is set to host weightlifting at the 2028 Summer Olympics.

## Other events

The theater has also been used by Microsoft and Nintendo multiple times for press conferences during the E3 trade event.

John Mayer played a concert at the theater on December 8, 2007, for the first revue of his Annual John Mayer Holiday Charity Revue, consisting of three separate performances: the first an acoustic set opened by Mayer and joined by the guitarists from his band, the second with the John Mayer Trio, and the third with Mayer's regular touring band. This was recorded and released as the live album / concert film Where the Light Is.

It was also the venue for the finale of American Idol from 2008 to 2014.

Vocaloid character Hatsune Miku made her U.S. debut at the theater on July 2, 2011, as part of Anime Expo. She returned to the venue on October 11–12, 2014, as part of Miku Expo LA 2014. Both concerts were sold out. Miku returned for another performance on May 6, 2016, as part of her first North American tour. She once again returned as part of her second tour of North America on June 29, 2018.

The live adaption of the children's television series Yo Gabba Gabba! called Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE! There's a Party in My City! was held at theatre in 2011.

2NE1 held a show at this venue as part of their 1st World Tour on August 24, 2012.

The 28th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions were held at the venue on April 18, 2013. The ceremony was held here again in 2022.

The inauguration ceremony for the 9th Summit of the Americas was held at the theater for world leaders and President Joe Biden in 2022.

On December 11, 2022, the venue hosted the inauguration for Mayor Karen Bass.

Hong Kong boy group Mirror performed their second U.S. concert on April 9, 2024, as part of their first tour, Feel the Passion Concert Tour 2024.

On June 15, 2024, the Peacock Theater hosted a unique fundraiser supporting the Joe Biden for President Campaign. It hosted an interview with President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama being conducted by Jimmy Kimmel. George Clooney and Julia Roberts were also hosts.


The Florida Project

# The Florida Project

## Abstract

The Florida Project is a 2017 American drama film directed by Sean Baker and written by Baker and Chris Bergoch. Starring Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, and Willem Dafoe, with Valeria Cotto, Christopher Rivera, and Caleb Landry Jones in supporting roles, it was many of the cast members' first film appearance. The slice of life plot focuses on the summertime adventures of a six-year-old girl who lives with her unemployed single mother in a budget motel in Kissimmee, Florida. Their struggle to make ends meet and stave off homelessness takes place in a surreal environment dominated by the nearby Walt Disney World, which was code-named "The Florida Project" during its planning stages. It juxtaposes this with the local residents' less glamorous day-to-day lives and the children's joyful adventures as they explore and make the most of their surroundings while remaining blissfully ignorant of the hardships their adult caretakers face.

The film premiered in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, and was released theatrically in the United States by A24 on October 6, 2017. It was acclaimed by critics, who praised the performances and Baker's direction; Vinaite earned particular acclaim for her performance. Prince's work earned her a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer, while Dafoe was judged to have given "his finest performance in recent memory", receiving Best Supporting Actor nods at the Oscars, Golden Globes, SAG Awards, Critics Choice Awards, and BAFTA Awards.

Both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute named The Florida Project one of the top ten films of the year.

## Plot

Moonee, a six-year-old girl, lives with her young, single mother, Halley, at Magic Castle Inn and Suites, a budget motel in Kissimmee, Florida, near Walt Disney World. Moonee spends most of her summer days unsupervised and making mischief with her downstairs neighbor, Scooty (whom Halley is supposed to watch while his mother, Ashley, works as a waitress at a diner), and Dicky, who lives at the nearby Futureland Inn. After Stacy, a new Futureland resident, catches the trio spitting on her car, Dicky is grounded for a week, and Moonee and Scooty meet and befriend Stacy's granddaughter, Jancey, who lives with Stacy.

Halley has recently lost her job as a stripper after refusing to have sex with clients, but this now affects her eligibility for TANF benefits; she begins relying on food that Ashley gets from work. Struggling to pay the rent, Halley begins selling knockoff perfume to tourists in the parking lots of upscale hotels. Meanwhile, Moonee and Scooty show Jancey around the neighborhood and teach her things, like how to get ice cream by begging. They regularly inconvenience Bobby, the Magic Castle's manager, once shutting off the motel's power. Despite this, he remains protective of them. Bobby's duties include preparing expense reports, ejecting drug dealers, and doing repairs; he sometimes enlists the help of his son, Jack, with whom he has a tenuous relationship.

After Dicky's family moves to New Orleans, Scooty finds a lighter in a box that Dicky's family left behind; he, Moonee, and Jancey start a fire at an abandoned condominium complex. Seeing the fire, Ashley figures out that Scooty was involved, and forbids him from hanging out with Moonee or Jancey; she also stops talking to Halley.

Without the free food from Ashley, and with security guards beginning to bother her at the hotels, Halley's financial situation declines even further. She begins soliciting sex work online, keeping Moonee in the bathroom with loud music when she has a client over. When Halley steals a client's Disney World resort passes to scalp them, he returns to demand them back. Bobby scares him off but applies restrictions on unregistered guests in Halley's room; he also warns her that he will evict her if she continues having clients over. In desperation, Halley approaches Ashley to apologize and ask for money. Ashley criticizes Halley for doing sex work; enraged, Halley viciously beats her in front of Scooty.

The next day, DCF investigators show up and question Halley and Moonee separately about their lifestyle. In anticipation of another visit, Halley gives away her weed and has Moonee help clean their room. They go to a fancier hotel and have an extravagant meal, which Halley charges to a guest's room. When they return to Magic Castle, the investigators, having found evidence of Halley's sex work, are waiting with two police officers to take Moonee into foster care while they finish their inquiry. Not fully understanding what is happening, Moonee asks to say goodbye to Scooty, who lets slip that she is going to a new family. Upset, Moonee runs away from the investigators to bid Jancey goodbye. Seeing her friend's distress, Jancey grabs Moonee's hand and the two run away to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom theme park.

## Cast

- Willem Dafoe as Bobby Hicks, the manager of Magic Castle

- Brooklynn Kimberly Prince as Moonee, a six-year-old girl

- Bria Vinaite as Halley, Moonee's mother

- Valeria Cotto as Jancey, Moonee's new friend

- Christopher Rivera as Scooty, Moonee's friend

- Caleb Landry Jones as Bobby's son Jack

- Aiden Malik as Dicky, Moonee's friend who moves away

- Josie Olivo as Grandma Stacey, Jancey's grandmother

- Edward "Punky" Pagan as Dicky's dad

- Patti Wiley as Amber, a receptionist at Magic Castle

- Rosa Medina Perez as Bertha, who does the laundry at Magic Castle

- Mela Murder as Ashley, Scooty's mother

- Sandy Kane as Gloria, who likes to sit by the Magic Castle pool topless

- Jim R. Coleman as a cabbie

- Andrew Romano as a newlywed on a honeymoon

- Carolina Grabova as a newlywed on a honeymoon

- Terry Allen Jones as Patrice, a receptionist at Magic Castle

- Karren Karagulian as Narek, the owner of Magic Castle

- Carl Bradfield as Charlie Coachman, a man Bobby ejects from Magic Castle property

- Shail Kamini Ramcharan as Arabian Nights owner

- Kit Sullivan as Arabian Nights manager Jimmy

- Macon Blair as Tourist John

- Lauren O'Quinn as DCF Investigator

- Cecilia Quinan as DCF Supervisor

## Production

### Development

Writer Chris Bergoch noticed a lot of children playing in motel parking lots while visiting his mother in Orlando, Florida. Sean Baker said he had always been inspired by the Our Gang films, because the characters "were actually living in poverty, but the focus was the joy of childhood, the humor that comes from watching and hearing children."

In December 2017, producer Andrew Duncan stepped down from his role as financier of June Pictures after numerous allegations of sexual harassment. Baker said: "While we did not witness nor have any knowledge of inappropriate behavior, we are of course deeply concerned about these allegations. I have been outspoken before and firmly believe that film sets and work environments absolutely must be safe spaces for everyone regardless of gender, age, race, or creed."

### Filming

The Florida Project was filmed in the summer of 2016 on location in Osceola County, Florida, including at the real Magic Castle Inn & Suites on U.S. Highway 192 in Kissimmee, about six miles from Walt Disney World.

Unlike Baker's previous film, which was shot with an iPhone, The Florida Project was filmed on 35mm film, except for the final scene, which was shot without authorization in Disney World's Magic Kingdom park using an iPhone 6S Plus. To maintain secrecy, the shoot at the resort used a skeleton crew consisting of Baker, Bergoch, cinematographer Alexis Zabe, acting coach Samantha Quan, actors Valeria Cotto and Brooklynn Prince, and the girls' guardians. Baker intended the ending to be open to interpretation: "We've been watching Moonee use her imagination and wonderment throughout the entire film to make the best of the situation she's in—she can't go to Disney's Animal Kingdom, so she goes to the 'safari' behind the motel and looks at cows; she goes to the abandoned condos because she can't go to the Haunted Mansion. And in the end, with this inevitable drama, this is me saying to the audience, if you want a happy ending, you're gonna have to go to that headspace of a kid because, here, that's the only way to achieve it."

Sean Baker's sister, billed as "Stephonik Youth", was the film's production designer. The film's signature pastel colors were already present at the location. When a rainbow or a pair of ibises suddenly appeared, the cast and crew quickly improvised scenes that were highly praised for their cinéma vérité qualities.

## Release

The film had its world premiere on May 22, 2017, in the Directors Fortnight section of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, and shortly thereafter A24 acquired the film's U.S. distribution rights, which had also sparked interest from Amazon Studios, Neon, and Annapurna Pictures, among others. Its limited theatrical release in the U.S. began on October 6, 2017. Lionsgate released the film on Blu-ray, DVD, and download.

## Reception

### Critical response

The Florida Project received critical acclaim upon its release, with particular praise for Baker's direction and the performances of Dafoe, Prince, and Vinaite. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 96% based on 320 reviews, with an average rating of 8.8/10; the site's "critics consensus" reads: " The Florida Project offers a colorfully empathetic look at an underrepresented part of the population that proves absorbing even as it raises sobering questions about modern America." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 92 out of 100 based on reviews from 44 critics.

Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post wrote, "Dafoe delivers his finest performance in recent memory, bringing to life a levelheaded, unsanctimonious character who offers a glimmer of hope and caring within a world markedly short on both." Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "It's film that'll make you wince at times, and you'll most likely not want to see twice, but seeing it once is an experience you'll not soon forget."