theAACL.co.uk

Spacey and Troughton at the Old Vic – On and Off Stage

Jennifer Siebens — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:22:16 +0000

Kevin Spacey and David Troughton in "Inherit the Wind"

Who knew that a 19th Century British scientist could create such a buzz? 2009 was one long celebration for Charles Darwin, the naturalist famous for his theories of evolution and natural selection. Harvard Professor Steve Shapin recently took stock, “On or around 12 February 2009 alone – the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth – there were more than 750 commemorative events in at least 45 countries, and, on or around 24 November, there was another spate of celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection…” He even noted the lapel badges, “Darwin Is My Homeboy.”

The Old Vic joined the party, staging ‘Inherit the Wind’ by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. The drama pulls from the 1925 trial of a young instructor for teaching Darwin in violation of Tennessee law. AACL members were treated to a performance on November 11th, followed by a conversation with lead actors David Troughton and Kevin Spacey. (Mr. Spacey also serves as the theater’s Artistic Director, appointed in 2003.) The men were generous with their time, given the rigors of their performances and the late hour. Generous, too, in leaving the bar open!

The conversation ranged from the play’s relevance today (I thought about Sarah Palin. Darwin is not her Homeboy), the brilliance of director Trevor Nunn whose re-reading of “Origin” got the ball rolling, and the depth of the stage – unequalled on Broadway – which allowed for “49 actors and 1 monkey.”

Mr. Spacey also addressed the business of theater – the need to enlist sponsors with economically sound arguments, “There is no need to be sheepish.” He argued “that people want a shared experience” and reminded us that the West End has had its most successful year yet. Slyly, he pointed out that we were sitting in The American Airlines Lounge – nodding at the large sign nearby. He also cited support from The Bank of America. “We got to them before the crash,” he quipped.

In a slightly tortured analogy, thinking about Darwin’s survival of the fittest and this evening of theater, The Old Vic deserves a special mention. It survives, even thrives, without government subsidies. The company works from ticket sales and support from corporations, foundations, patrons and fans. We thank them for hosting us, with special mentions to Mr. Spacey, Mr. Troughton and Jo Allan for their insights and kindness.

- Jennifer Siebens/CBS News.

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Crime and No Punishment in Bosnia

Ginanne Brownell — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:03:11 +0000

When Aida, my Bosnian translator, and I climb into the back of the patrol car officers Emir Lakota and Radaslic Sabahudin say that because it’s Ramadan and also a Monday, things will hopefully be quiet. As we speed off in their Volkswagen swinging passed parks, dimly lit alleys and through the hopping bar district they tell disheartening tale after tale of how the security and judicial systems in Bosnia have broken down 14 years after the war ended here.Though crime statistics in the Bosnian capital appear down this year these two Sarajevan cops—who have both been on the force for over 15 years—say they are frustrated more than ever. With many prisons at over 100 percent capacity there is not enough room for criminals to be housed as they await trial while across the country over 1200 convicted criminals—from petty thieves to murderers—are waiting for openings to serve their sentences and are either housed in low security facilities or not being held at all. For juveniles the situation is even more distressing—there is a severely lacking social services structure, few laws on the books are directed at juvenile crime and even fewer institutions exist to hold them once they have been sentenced. More often than not under-18s who commit crimes are arrested, held overnight and are then let back onto the streets; Lakota gives an example of a young boy who recently stabbed another youth at the bus station, was arrested, released the next day and faced no disciplinary action. “I have no will to work the streets anymore,” he says, shaking his head as he drives. Lakota agrees with his partner. “Of course we are frustrated because the whole system has stopped functioning—it’s catastrophic.”

The failing security and judicial system is a microcosm of the catastrophe that this country has become. Since the war ended here in 1995 the international community has effectively been running the Balkan country. The Dayton Agreement, which ended the war and still serves as the country’s makeshift constitution, set up a fragmented Frankenstein structure that split the country into two autonomous—and increasingly entrenched—entities of the Republika Srpska (RS) and the Federation of Bosnians and Croats. Corruption is endemic, organized crime is on the increase (a source from the European Union Police Mission—EUPM– who wished to remain anonymous says, “The black and grey economy is enormous—you see people getting poorer and poorer yet they keep building all these huge shopping malls so you have to ask yourself where is this money coming from?”) and an ineffective national government handicapped by both the too-powerful entity governments and the fact that the Office of Representative (OHR) still serves as the United Nations’ overlord. Because there has been an unresolved debate over a unified national police force, both entities have separate security and judicial systems. (So if someone steals a car in the Federation, all they have to do is drive into the RS and they can no longer be chased.) There were hopes three years ago that this huge issue—along with several others—would be resolved when constitutional reform was put up for debate in the national parliament. But in a rare move of consensus parties from all three ethnic groups worked together to vote down the proposed changes that would have strengthened the national government.

Since then, the country’s progress has remained stagnant. One of the biggest failings of the state is politicians’ steadfast refusal to sort out the security and judicial mess. Though there is a national Ministry of Justice its remit is very limited—and it too has a problem with incarcerating state prisoners. At the moment there is no national prison—about 20 million euros is needed for the construction of the prison which the ministry is trying to raise from international donors— so the 78 convicted war criminals, murderers and other serious offenders are held in entity prisons where conditions and security are often poor. (Radovan Stankovic, who was serving a 20 year sentence for his role in helping run rape camps in Eastern Bosnia during the war, escaped from one of these facilities in 2007 and is still at large). “In Bosnia we have this problem of how to invest in the prison system, how to improve living conditions and to build new capacities,” the Bosnian deputy minister of justice Srdan Arnaut tells me.

But it’s not merely just about money; on the entity level there is little communication between the two governments about crime and so though prisons in the RS do have room to take Federation prisoners there are no laws to allow for inter-entity transfers so prisons in the Federation remain at overcapacity. “I am not sure the solution is to build new prisons,” says Florian Razesberger, a legal advisor on judicial reform at the OSCE’s Sarajevo office. “The point is to solve this fragmented system and get a unified one like in other countries.” In a poll taken last year 70 percent of Bosnians said they had no confidence in the security and judicial situation while in Sarajevo 90 percent of respondents said they were unhappy with policing. Everyone I spoke with told me that while crime statistics appear lower this year it’s probably more that people see no point in reporting crime because in the end justice will not be served. In Sarajevo juvenile crime has jumped by an amazing 63 percent going from 448 total crimes committed in 2008 to 344 crimes committed in the first six months of 2009. Of those juvenile crimes, 12 children have committed 50 percent of the crimes. “Citizens are at the end of their patience and no one can promise them that in two years time the security situation is going to get any better,” says Zlatko Miletic, the director of police for the Federation’s Ministry of Interior. “There is not going to be a new war but unless something is done here it’s not going to be good.” All Aida and I end up seeing is a drunk man arrested for trying to break into a car–when I ask Lakota what will happen to this man he shakes his head. “He will be released tomorrow and be back on the streets,” he says as he checks the breathalyzer results. ““Criminals have all possible motivation to continue to commit crime because they see there is no punishment.

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Special Relationship Bolstered by Great Weather and Wine

Christopher Werth — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:29:31 +0000

Ambassador Susman with AACL members

In London, the weather is everything, which is why the new U.S. Ambassador, Louis Susman, and his wife Marjorie–who just arrived in the typically rainy British capital the month before–couldn’t have picked a better day to welcome AACL members to their new abode. The unusually bright sunshine kept wine sipping foreign correspondents and embassy press officers lingering long on the veranda at Winfield House until they were finally ushered inside for the ambassador’s off-the-record address.

With an imposing portrait of George Washington peering sternly over reporters’ shoulders in the main hall, the embassy assured all the muckrakers in the room that America’s “special relationship” with Britain remained as strong as ever (amid recent rumblings that Number 10 had been slighted by the Obama administration in the lead up to the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh). The embassy also sent out the word that it’s eager to work with ACCL journalists reporting from this side of the pond.

Given all the big, important issues on the horizon–from questions over Britain’s role in the war in Afghanistan, to the upcoming UK elections–both Mr. Susman and correspondents working in London will have a lot on their plate in the coming months and years. But the conversation soon turned lighter, and business cards were exchanged as the rest of the canapés and champagne made their way around the room. Even Washington himself looked pleased.

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Save The Journalist! Hollywood’s Newest Endangered Species

Ellin Stein — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:46:18 +0000

Now it’s really time to worry. Hollywood has started treating newspaper journalists with the same kind of anxious concern once reserved for polar bears, presenting them (us) as unpredictable but appealing creatures in serious danger of vanishing from the earth.

You need look no further than the current release The Soloist (a sort of Shine with a homeless African-American Unstable Brilliant Musician instead of a middle-class Australian-Jewish UBM) to see this sentiment in action. Robert Downey Jr. plays Steve Lopez, star columnist for the LA Times. The filmic Lopez is a disheveled workaholic with a messy car and house (mirroring his internal disorder), drinking problem, and commitment issues (the real Steve Lopez, I am told, is entirely sober, well-adjusted, and happily married). Unusually for this kind of film, Lopez is working a human interest story as opposed to uncovering skullduggery in high places.

Prize-winning Lopez is in no danger of losing his job but throughout the film there’s a constant background hum of editors talking about cuts, grim-faced journalists being called in to offices for chats, other journalists walking down the hall carrying cardboard boxes escorted by security guards, plus scenes of a melancholy leaving do.

Similarly, in last year’s State of Play, Russell Crowe plays a disheveled workaholic journalist with a drinking problem, commitment issues, and a messy car and house who is investigating skullduggery in high places. Editor Helen Mirren is constantly issuing warnings about imminent staff cutbacks and everyone labors under an ever-present threat of a takeover at best, closure at worst.

The granddaddy of the Endangered Journalist genre is, of course, Season 5 of The Wire, produced and often written by clearly-disgruntled former Baltimore Sun staffer David Simon. Simon depicts the upper editorial echelons of his erstwhile employer as prize-chasing, ax-wielding empty suits who wouldn’t know a decent story if it bit them in the deadline. Good reporters and editors attempting to expose skullduggery in high places are marginalized or banished to the boonies, Jayson Blair-like fantasists prosper, and the ubiquitous cardboard boxes make an appearance. No one, however, has a drinking problem, commitment issues or a messy apartment because those bases are already fully covered by Det. McNulty.

By chance I happened to see 1993’sThe Pelican Brief on TV the other night. Denzel Washington portrays a star reporter for the “Washington Herald” who helps law student/damsel-in-distress Julia Roberts investigate skullduggery in high places. He dresses well, has a relatively neat domestic environment and car and no drinking problem. There are no scenes involving cardboard boxes, no dialogue involving cutbacks, and editor John Lithgoe is crusty but ultimately supportive. The unspoken hand-wringing that accompanies contemporary depictions of a newsroom is completely absent, but then 16 years ago no one was that worried about the polar bear either. It will be interesting to see which has a better chance of survival.

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The view from Boris Johnson’s office

Elizabeth Renzetti — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:38:01 +0000

Boris Johnson flanked by AACL members

What’s the first thing you’d expect to see upon entering Boris Johnson’s office? A soapbox, of course. This one fortunately remained on the shelf as the mayor entertained nearly a dozen AACL members in his office on the eighth floor of City Hall (it might just boast the best view in London – Tower Bridge is visible right outside the window).

Mr. Johnson gripped a baseball he’d recently been given by the new U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James, Louis Susman, and talked about London’s rekindled bromance with New York. “After all,” he said, quoting someone, but not entirely sure who, “America is London’s proudest achievement.”

Having beat the drum for transatlantic co-operation, Mr. Johnson left a few days later for New York, where he met with his counterpart, Mayor Bloomberg, announced tourism initiatives between the two cities and rang the bell to close the New York Stock Exchange.

AACL members had some pressing questions: Would he run again for mayor? Probably. For Conservative leader? He demurred, coyly. Most important, would he host Have I Got News For You again? Alas, not at the moment. The headlines are safe for now. — by Elizabeth Renzetti, UK correspondent, Globe and Mail

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Stalking U2

Ginanne Brownell — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 20:27:09 +0000

Invariably the first question people ask when they find out I’m a journalist is who is the most famous person I’ve ever interviewed. When I give them an answer—George Clooney, Tony Blair and Beyonce usually elicit the biggest “oohs”—the follow up is, “Were you nervous?” And the answer is pretty much always, not really. Why? Well I tell people it’s because I am a professional and interviewing people is an integral part of the job description. But honestly it’s because over the years I have developed a strategy to control my nerves when interviewing war criminals, politicians, celebrities and everyone in between; just as the butterflies start flying I remind myself, “Yeah, but s/he isn’t Bono.”

I’ve always said that I can retire once I have interviewed Bono—or Edge, Larry or Adam—as that would be the culmination of my career. There would be no where else to go, no other sights to set because –and I admit this unabashedly—U2 have had a seminal and profound influence on my life. Growing up in Flint, Michigan in the 1980s was a culturally stifling place but thanks in part to MTV I realized there was a whole exciting world that lay outside the borders of my mitten-shaped state. I’ll never forget in 1984 the first time I saw the sepia video (U2 fans will remember there were two) for “Pride (In the Name of Love)” –the guitar riffs were tight and the persuasive passion with which Bono sang tapped something deep inside me that had never been reached before. Somehow these four Irishmen seemed to understand my perceived alienation and insecurities and for a hormonal teenager that was like word from God that I was not in this all alone.

From that first beat on, it was all about U2. I saved up my allowance to get a subscription to their fanclub magazine (it was called “Propaganda”, which is how I first learned what that word meant) and I conversed with other fans across the globe through fanzines and letters; I was an early believer in the power of globalization. Alternative music was not cool in the mid-1980s (at least not in the Midwestern high schools of America) and I remember having a huge argument with a girl in my French class when, in early 1987 before “The Joshua Tree” came out, she told me U2 were, “weird and boring.” Three months later she was on the bandwagon, strutting around school in one of their Joshua concert t-shirts. All of a sudden my band, my boys from Dublin who had connected with me on this primal level, were everyone’s favorite band. They were on the cover of Time, Rolling Stone—my secret was out and everyone wanted to be a fan. If U2 were a stock I could have made a fortune as an early investor on the American market.

My heart broke when my parents forbade me from going to see them in Detroit during the Joshua Tree tour. But since then I have seen them from Philadelphia to Paris and places in between. I dressed up as Bono to compete for my sorority in “Mock Rock”, in 1992 I made the must-do pilgrimage to Dublin during my junior year abroad to visit their recording studio and later that year stood in the front row at their concert in Detroit screaming “I love you Adam” for pretty much the whole show. (I still fancy him!) My senior year in college I wrote a paper for my philosophy of art class comparing Anton Corbijn’s video for “One” and Pablo Picasso’s “Three Dancers”—it must have been persuasive because I got an A.

U2’s line has continually been about people becoming informed and involved through their music—something that I took to heart and probably is a reason why I tend to be drawn to stories focused around humanitarian issues. I founded a chapter of Amnesty International in my high school because U2 supported the charity. I became interested in “The Troubles” (and later even started a Masters’ in Irish history that I never completed) in part because of the lyrics to “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” My deep interest in the Balkans started after reading that each night during their Zooropa tour they had a satellite link to Sarajevo where citizens living under siege would tell the audience about daily life in a war zone.

So after all this, why have I yet to not interview U2 ? Good question. When I worked on staff at Newsweek I periodically put in requests for interviews with Bono—to talk about his music, his work on debt relief—but the line was either that he felt overexposed in the media or that the band were taking a break from interviews. Weirdly I have had several six degrees of U2 moments: I spoke with Paul McGuinness (their manager) for a cover story about Bono in 1999, I interviewed Bono’s wife, Ali Hewson, for a feature about the couple’s eco-clothing line Edun (she invited me to travel with her to Lesotho to visit their factory but Newsweek said I couldn’t go—I was crushed.) My best friend’s ex-boyfriend used to handle Bono’s press for the One campaign, another friend’s dad has advised him on debt issues and my former flatmate interviewed him in Dublin for People and got me his autograph, which hangs in my utility closet.

But I am not giving up just yet. I have already put in for an interview with them this summer during the European leg of their concert tour—I have tickets to see them in Dublin, London and Poland—so I’m holding out hope that this time it will happen. And if it does the 37 year-old me will be professional, articulate and composed—but the 16 year-old who still lives inside me will be screaming and punching the air in unadulturated glee.

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On the trail of Brad and Angelina in Cannes, I get a taste for truffles..

Monique Jessen — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:20:17 +0000

Restaurateur Mamo Mammoliti and his son, Mikael Mammoliti

When I tell my friends I’m off to the Cannes Film Festival to cover a week of celebrity parties and film premieres, the response is normally “Oh wow, your job is so glamorous” followed swiftly by a plea to pack them in my suitcase.

But after four years, I’ve learned that covering the festival is more a test of stamina and battling sleep deprivation than VIP treatment.. after all that’s for the film stars right?

Or maybe not.

I woke up on my first day to discover that not only had Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arrived in Cannes but the hottest couple on the planet had enjoyed an intimate dinner (for 60!) with the whole of the Tarantino cast at a small Italian restaurant called Michelangelo in Antibes run by Mamo Mammoliti (see picture above). I hot-footed from my interview with Penelope Cruz (who was ridden with flu but still looking exquisite in polka dot Dior) to the quaint little restaurant.

Not only did Mamo’s son Mikael come up trumps with tales of the couple known as ‘Brangelina’ feasting on truffle ravioli and focaccia with truffle shavings (Brad Pitt is a huge fan of truffles) giving me a tour of who sat where and what happened, he also insisted that the chefs prepare a mini feast of some of the dishes enjoyed the night before including, of course, their truffle specialities.

The verdict was unanimous — it was quite possibly the best pasta I have ever eaten… thanks Brad!

With further tales of Robert Pattinson gatecrashing the dinner and Harvey Weinstein insisting the chefs rustle something up for the Twilight actor and his friend, I had to leave my half-eaten focaccia to race back to the hottest party of the week, the Inglourious Basterds premiere after party at Baoli on the beach.

With the romantic backdrop of the ocean behind them, Brad and Angelina partied the night away with new BFF, Eli Roth (a co-Basterd) looking cozy and whispering sweet nothings into each others ears. They left at 1am in typical showbiz style, vanishing with a sweep of Jolie’s Versace dress, through a side exit and into the night air, back to their villa at the luxurious Hotel du Cap.

So simple yet so sophisticated, I muse, much like Brad’s favorite truffles…

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Stalking U2
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The AACL has Paxman for lunch

Karla Adam — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:37:23 +0000

Jeremy Paxman, BBC presenter and one of Britain’s best known journalists, joined The Association of American Correspondents in London for a special lunch at the Foreign Press Association.

We talked a little about his best-selling book and BBC documentary series, The Victorians, and a lot about politics and our trade.

Paxman began by raising an eyebrow and asking: “Does anyone really want to hear about The Victorians?” We did — but we also covered a wide range of interesting topics, from Tony Blair’s good memory to covering the Troubles.

I’m delighted to report that someone asked him the same question, over and over and over again.

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Previous Events and Guest Speakers

Karla Adam — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:07:29 +0000

The AACL has hosted the great and the good over recent years, including Prince Charles, Tony Blair, Dalai Lama, Gerry Adams, Jamie Oliver and John le Carre.

Below is the list of previous esteemed AACL guests from the previous decade, and beyond …

2008

July 28 David Miliband

January 22 Ken Wharfe

2007

June 11 HRH Duke of York

July 11 General Sir Mike Jackson

October 9 Alistair Campbell

2006

January 25 Benjamin Franklin House

February 9 Good Night and Good Luck

February 27 Sir Ian Blair

September 19 Dress For The Occasion at BP

2005

March 4 Alexander McCall Smith

June 1 Sebastian Coe

June 8 Kevin Spacey

June 20 Jamie Oliver

October 26 HRH Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall

November 9 Col. Tim Collins

2004

March 10 James Rubin

June 2 Chris Meyer

July 28 Jana Bennett

September 15 Paddy Harveson

October 19 Michael Howard

December 7 David T Johnson

December 15 Sir Jeremy Greenstock

2003

January 14 Geoff Hoon

January 20 Chris Patten

September 2 John Simpson

November 18 Bill Bryson

December 9 The Hon. David T Johnson, Minister

2002

February 26 Peter Mandelson

March 19 Ambassador William Farish

March 20 Alastair Campbell

June 25 David Blunkett

July 8 Sir John Major

2001

February 6 Ambassador Philip Lader

July 4 Gen John De Chastelaine

July 26 Bob Worcester & David Butler

2000

January 11 Susan Greenfield

March 3 Alastair Campbell

March 27 Tony Hall

May 4 George Soros

June 21 Helen Fielding

November 20 Sir Peter Hall

December 5 Prince Philip

1999

January 21 F.W. De Klerk

February 4 Sir Paul Condon

May 6 Cardinal Basil Hume

May 12 His Holiness The Dalai Lama

June 23 Rt. Hon Earl Spencer

August 12 Marjorie Mowlam

October 25 Major Gen. Geoffrey Fields

December 8 Ambassador Philip Lader

1998

January 27 Gerry Adams

March 10 Jeffrey Archer

April 21 David Frost

May 26 Peter Sutherland

June 3 David Trimble

December 16 Ambassador Philip Lader

1997

January 29 John Humphrys

March 4 Max Clifford

April 8 Robert Worcester

June 19 Mo Mowlam

October 17 Chris Smith

December 8 Ambassador Philip Lader

1996

January 16 Diana, Princess Of Wales

February 13 Kenneth Clarke

March 19 Michael Heseltine

April 23 Peter Mandelson

June 3 Germaine Greer

September 9 Anita Roddick

October 15 Salman Rushdie

November 13John Prescott

December 10 Ambassador William Crowe

1995

January 30 Admiral Leighton Smith

February 8 Richard Branson

March 1 Gerry Adams

April 18 Conrad Black

May 23 Gordon Brown

June 12 Lord Gowrie

September 18 Alan Clark

October 18 David Trimble

November 6 Dick Spring

December 12 Ambassador William Crowe

1994

January 12 John Smith

February 10 Sir Patrick Mayhew

March 9 Virginia Bottomley

April 6 Ambassador Ray Seitz

April 27 Michael Portillo

June 8 Commissioner Paul Condon

September Tony Blair

October 26 John Birt

November 23 Admiral Crowe

December 8 HRH The Prince Of Wales

1993

March 2 John Le Carré

March 30 Baron Von Richthofen

April 15 Michael Palin

June 30 PM John Major

October 12 Rupert Pennant-Rea

November 24 Gus O’Donnell

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David Miliband on the Foreign Office

Ginanne Brownell — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 10:39:06 +0000

Well weren’t we lucky? Just 48 hours before David Miliband’s controversial piece came out in The Guardian, which was seen as a thinly veiled attack on Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s leadership, the British Foreign Secretary was dining with us!

Though the lunch was off the record (so sadly can’t share snippets about where he is going on vacation nor the hotspots he’ll be watching over the summer break), he did give intriguing insights into where the Foreign Office is heading, his impressions of how things are going in places like the Balkans and Afghanistan and even some thoughts about the US presidential election campaign.

And of course, he did dish a bit about Labour party politics — what foreshadowing!