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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 7 october 2019
Spanish cinema great Almodóvar plans his 1st film in America

By SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS life and career. It has been
Associated Press hailed as one of his best
NEW YORK (AP) — Pedro movies in recent years and
Almodóvar is a master of won Banderas the best ac-
cinema who has found in- tor award at the Cannes
ternational acclaim with Film Festival in May . It is
21 films he’s shot in his na- also Spain’s submission to
tive Spain. Now he’s setting the Oscars for best interna-
his sights on making his first tional feature film, the cat-
film in North America. Al- egory formerly known as
modóvar said the film is set best foreign language film.
in Texas and would be most- If it wins, it would be exactly
ly in English, with some bilin- 20 years after Almodóvar’s
gual scenes shot in Mexico. “All About My Mother” re-
The director said he has the ceived the award. (The
story mapped out in a first filmmaker also won the best
draft of the script and while original screenplay Oscar
some work still needs to be in 2003 for “Talk To Her.”)
done, he’s planning that it “This will force me to come
will be his next film. “I can’t a few times in the next
say the title yet, but I can months because (the dis-
say it is based on five sto- tributor) Sony is making a
ries by an American female big campaign — and this
author and that it happens is something good — be-
partly in Texas and partly in cause they have a lot of
Mexico,” he told The Asso- faith in the movie. And also
ciated Press. “It would be the first reactions it is get-
the first time that I get out ting are incredibly positive,” This Sept. 28, 2019 file photo shows actor Antonio Banderas, left, and director/screenwriter Pedro
of Spain,” he said. he said. But “this doesn’t Almodovar at the premiere of “Pain and Glory” during the 57th New York Film Festival in New York.
Almodóvar’s latest feature, mean anything other than Associated Press
“Pain and Glory,” was re- there’s going to be a big “It’s a very long road and “Volver.” Cruz won an Os- hope it continues this way”,
leased Friday in the U.S. campaign to be able to be it’s not in my hands, but... I car two years later for her said Almodóvar. “Right
The highly autobiographi- among the five nominees. I would love to be” back at supporting role in Woody now we can only speak
cal drama stars Antonio will do everything possible, the Oscars, he said. Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Bar- about prospects, and the
Banderas as an aging film which will be to come, to He also hopes to see Ban- celona”. “It makes me prospects are good. Re-
director who flirts with drugs cross the Pond as many deras nominated, like his very happy to see Anto- ality will eventually place
and has to confront his own times as they tell me, and muse Penélope Cruz was in nio among the first five (in each of us wherever we
past while reflecting on his the rest is a mystery. 2007 for her starring role in many media pools,) and I belong.”q

Ginger Baker, Cream’s

volatile drummer, dies at 80

By HILLEL ITALIE whether his violent dislike and others he dismissed as
Associated Press of Cream bandmate Jack “bashers” without style or
LONDON (AP) — Ginger Bruce or his on-camera background. Baker and his
Baker, the volatile and pro- assault of a documentary many admirers saw him as
pulsive drummer for Cream maker, Jay Bulger, whom a rounded, sophisticated
and other bands who he smashed in the nose musician — an arranger,
wielded blues power and with his walking stick. composer and student of
jazz finesse and helped Bulger would call the film, the craft, absorbing sounds
shatter boundaries of time, released in 2012, “Beware from around the world.
tempo and style in popular of Mr. Baker.” He had been playing jazz
music, died Sunday at age Baker’s family said on Twit- since he was a teenager In this Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 file photo, British musician Ginger
80, his family said. ter that he died Sunday: and spent years in Africa in Baker performs at the ‘Zildjian Drummers Achievement Awards’
With blazing eyes, orange- “We are very sad to say the 1970s, forming a close at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London.
red hair and a tempera- that Ginger has passed friendship with the Nigerian Associated Press
ment to match, the Lon- away peacefully in hospital musician-activist Fela Kuti. teamed with Eric Clapton “White Room.”
don native ranked with The this morning.” “He was so unique and had and Bruce in the mid-1960s Cream was among the
Who’s Keith Moon and Led His daughter Nettie con- such a distinctive personal- to become Cream — one most successful acts of its
Zeppelin’s John Bonham as firmed that Baker died in ity,” Stewart Copeland of of the first supergroups and time, selling more than 10
the embodiment of musi- Britain but gave no other the Police told www.musi- first power trios. All three million records. But by 1968
cal and personal fury. Us- details. The family had said cradar.com in 2013. “No- were known individually Baker and Bruce had worn
ing twin bass drums, Baker on Sept. 25 that Baker was body else followed in his in the London blues scene each other out and even
fashioned a pounding, critically ill in the hospital. footsteps. Everybody tried and together they helped Clapton had tired of their
poly-rhythmic style uncom- While Rolling Stone maga- to be John Bonham and make rock history by el- deafening, marathon jams,
monly swift and heavy that zine once ranked him the copy his licks, but it’s rare evating instrumental prow- including the Baker show-
inspired and intimidated third-greatest rock drum- that you hear anybody do- ess above the songs them- case “Toad,” one of rock’s
countless musicians. But mer of all time, behind ing the Ginger Baker thing.” selves, even as they had first extended drum solos.
every beat seemed to mir- Moon and Bonham, Baker But many fans thought of hits with “Sunshine of Your
ror an offstage eruption — had contempt for Moon Baker as a rock star, who Love,” ‘’I Feel Free” and Continued on Page 31