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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 13 augusT 2019
Casey Affleck explores parenting in the apocalypse

By LINDSEY BAHR works. They can't even
Associated Press agree on whether or not
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Casey Affleck gave her anything
Affleck had been working to prepare beforehand.
on a script about a par- Affleck: "She says I did, but I
ent and child for years. don't remember and I don't
He'd written scenes about think she read it anyway."
a bedtime story and an Pniowsky: "He made me
argument about taking a read three books. I only
trip into town and things remember one of them.
seemed to be going well. It was 'Little House on the
As the father of two boys, Prairie'... They were all kind
Affleck had defaulted to of older books."
writing the child as a son. Affleck: "Obviously they re-
But then, deep into the pro- ally sunk in." "Light of My Life"
cess, his boys came back is Affleck's first time behind
with a request: They didn't the camera since the 2010
want it to be about them. film "I'm Still Here" that led to
"They were pretty adamant civil lawsuits for breach of
that they did not want it to contract from two women,
be a father-son story," Af- a cinematographer and
fleck said. "I had already a producer, who worked
put in a lot of work and I on the film. One also sued
was like, don't do it ... " In this Feb. 8, 2019 file photo, Actor Casey Affleck and actress Anna Pniowsky pose for the pho- for sexual harassment, and
But, despite the heartburn tographers during a photo call for the film 'Light of My Life' at the 2019 Berlinale Film Festival in both described an uncom-
of having to rework the Berlin, Germany. fortable atmosphere on the
story again, he caved and Associated Press set of the unconventional
made the child a girl, and it mockumentary. Both were
ultimately helped the story. an entire world who wants little-known Canadian ac- reality. Critics have hailed settled out of court, and Af-
He'd been looking for stakes to kidnap them." tress named Anna Pniowsky her performance, much fleck apologized last year
in this parenting saga and The result is the slow-burn who fit the bill perfectly. of which is spent in "dis- in an interview with The As-
now a genre construct was dramatic thriller "Light of "I was still a little girl. I think I guise" as a young boy, as a sociated Press for allowing
possible. What if a disease My Life" now playing in was 11 when I sent my tape breakout. and contributing to "an un-
had wiped out all of the theaters and available on in," Pniowsky, now 13, said. "I "She didn't need a whole professional environment."
women, except this man's demand. Affleck directed, wasn't expecting anything lot," Affleck said. "She was Behind the scenes Affleck
daughter? wrote and stars in the film, to happen. I didn't get a lot just good at doing this nat- has been quietly doing his
"This was about someone which premiered earlier this of roles back then." urally. Sometimes I felt like if part to try to chip away at
who was very nervous year at the Berlin Film Fes- Since then, her profile has I interfered too much in the inequality in his industry. In
about protecting their kid. I tival. It knowingly echoes risen with roles in the Hulu scene or the natural pro- "Light of My Life," he worked
wanted to make the stakes modern classics like "Chil- show "Pen15" as one of the gression of the scene that I with a number of women
of that as big as possible dren of Men." popular girls and "The Hot was just getting in the way." on the crew, including "Me-
so it wasn't just like, I'm pro- He and casting director Zone." And she fell easily Together, Affleck and Pnio- mento" editor Dody Dorn
tecting them from having Avy Kaufman went on an into her role as a pre-teen wsky have a light-hearted and assistant director Liz
a bad fourth grade experi- epic search to find the who still acts out and de- rapport where you can Tan, who has worked on
ence," Affleck said. "It's like right girl to play his daugh- fies her fathers' rules even in see the seeds of why their epics like "The Lord of the
I'm protecting them from ter, Rag, and discovered a this bleak and dangerous father-daughter dynamic Rings." q

Lil Nas X's viral song sets more records on Billboard charts

NEW YORK (AP) — Lil Nas songs chart. Drake's track ey and Boyz II Men's "One
X is galloping his way to spent 18 weeks at No.1. Sweet Day" and Luis Fonsi,
two new records on the On the Hot rap songs chart, Daddy Yankee and Justin
Billboard charts thanks to where Lil Nas X's county- Bieber's "Despacito."
the massive success of "Old rap tune is also spending "Old Town Road" is now
Town Road." its 19th week on top, the spending its 19th week on
The song that beat out 20-year-old beats the re- top of the Hot 100 chart.
Mariah Carey and "Despa- cord set by Drake's "Hotline Lil Nas X's song, which has
cito" to become the lon- Bling," Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" achieved most of its suc-
gest-running No. 1 hit in the and Missy Elliott's "Hot Boyz." cess through audio stream-
history of the Hot 100 chart The latter three songs each ing, was originally a solo
has now set records on Bill- spent 18 weeks at No.1. song but he added Cyrus
board's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Last month Lil Nas X's viral to the track. The song also
songs and Hot rap songs song became the most has remix versions featuring
charts, respectively. successful No. 1 song of Diplo, Young Thug, Mason
"Old Town Road," which all-time when it reached its Ramsey and BTS, and Bill-
features Billy Ray Cyrus and 17th week at No. 1 on the board counts the original
is spending its 19th week at all-genre Hot 100 chart — song and its remixes as one
No. 1, surpasses the record Billboard's main chart for when calculating chart In a Sunday, June 23, 2019 file photo, Lil Nas X poses in the press
set by Drake's "One Dance" singles — surpassing the 16- position, thus helping "Old room at the BET Awards, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop week record held by Car- Town Road" stay on top.q Associated Press