Director Lucy Walker, who is on the roster of the global commercial production company Merman, will be celebrated as her documentary work is showcased in a weeklong series of screenings at the Paris Theater in Manhattan from July 24 through August 7, in conjunction with the July 31st release of her latest film “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa” on Netflix. The historic Paris Theater was acquired by Netflix in 2019 and will host 11 of Walker’s films during the week, including “Devil’s Playground,” her 2002 documentary about Amish teenagers engaging in the tradition of rumspringa; her 2006 mountain climbing documentary “Blindsight;” her Oscar-nominated 2010 documentary about Brazilian landfill workers, “Waste Land;” the 2013 snowboarding documentary “The Crash Reel”; and her 2021 wildfire documentary “Bring Your Own Brigade.”
In a statement announcing the retrospective, Netflix said: “Not content to have her films blend into the traditional documentary landscape, Walker has consistently sought to unearth stories unlike anything filmed before, full of dramatic tension, memorable characters and visual splendor. She has traversed the globe with an adventurer’s spirit to transport us into challenging, inaccessible environments, imbuing her films–both feature length and short subject–with a unique cinematic spirit.”
“The moment when one thing turns into another is the most beautiful moment,” Walker said. “I hunt for opportunities to glimpse these precious moments, and I long for the sensitivity and wherewithal to observe them, capture them, and allow them to expand me.”
Upon wrapping “Mountain Queen,” Walker is returning to work with her production company Merman to develop several commercial projects. Walker’s career in advertising is as acclaimed as her documentary vocation; she’s won three Cannes Lions, two Clios and two AICP awards.
“Lucy is an incredibly talented, adventurous and brave director, well deserving of this unique tribute to her 20 years of remarkable storytelling,” said Merman global managing director Kira Carstensen. “The scope of her creativity is both epic and human. She tackles big ideas with wisdom and visual brilliance while also exploring the heart and soul of people who are ordinary and extraordinary, capturing humanity at its most dramatic and revealing moments. We are so proud of Lucy’s amazing achievements, and happy to not only call her our director, but our friend.”
Harvey Weinstein hit with new sex crime charge in New York
Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new sex crime charge in New York, as he awaits retrial in his landmark #MeToo case.
Details of the new allegations were not immediately available. He was charged with committing a criminal sex act.
The jailed ex-movie mogul has long maintained that any sexual activity was consensual.
Prosecutors revealed last week that Weinstein had been indicted on additional sex crime charges that weren't part of the case that led to his now-overturned 2020 conviction. But the new indictment was sealed until his arraignment.
Prosecutors have said that the grand jury heard evidence of up to three alleged assaults — two in hotels in the Tribeca neighborhood and one at a lower Manhattan residential building. The purported incidents took place from the mid-2000s to 2016, prosecutors said.
But it's not clear whether any of those allegations underlie the new indictment.
While bracing for the new charges, Weinstein also is awaiting retrial after New York state's highest court this spring overturned his 2020 conviction on rape and sexual assault charges involving two women. The high court, called the Court of Appeals, ordered a new trial, which is tentatively scheduled to begin Nov. 12.
The Court of Appeals ruled that the then-trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against him based on allegations that were not part of the case. That judge's term expired in 2022, and he is no longer on the bench.
Prosecutors have said they'll seek to fold the new charges into the retrial, but Weinstein's lawyers say it should be a separate case.
Weinstein, who also was convicted in 2022 in a Los Angeles rape case, remains behind bars while awaiting his New York retrial.
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