Michelle Yeoh has become the first Asian winner of the Best Actress Academy Award, marking a high moment in her 40-year-career.
The Malaysian actress took the award for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, the absurdist comedy-drama, directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. She plays Evelyn Wang, an ageing Chinese immigrant, who is swept up in a bizarre and magical adventure that has her exploring and connecting with parallel universe versions of herself.
Here are seven more of her career-defining films.
Yes, Madam (1985)
Yes, Madam was one of the first movies Yeoh worked on after she was crowned Miss World Malaysia in 1983. Appearing alongside Cynthia Rothrock, she stars as an inspector who becomes entangled in a case involving the triads. The film ushered in Hong Kong's In the Line of Duty film series.
Tai Chi Master (1993)
By the time Tai Chi Master was released, Yeoh had already made a name for herself in the Hong Kong film industry. In the highly entertaining 1993 film Tai Chi Master with Jet Li, she stars as Siu-lin, a young woman who discovers her missing husband has remarried and soon becomes tangled in a conflict between the military and a local rebellion.
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Yeoh’s performance as the Chinese super-spy Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies loomed from the archetypal Bond girl. Though the film’s writers tried to pigeonhole the character in a typical damsel in distress trope, Yeoh presented Lin as enduring and powerful. The role also garnered Yeoh international attention.
The Soong Sisters (1997)
In The Soong Sisters, Yeoh takes on the role of one of three Soong daughters who, after being educated in the US, return to China to marry. The sisters were some of the country’s most influential political figures in the early 20th century. Yeoh stars alongside Maggie Cheung and Vivian Wu.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
While her role in Tomorrow Never Dies brought Yeoh international attention, her performance in Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon brought her international acclaim. The film, which also stars Chow Yun-fat, tells the story of two 19th-century warriors looking for a mythical sword. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2001 Academy Awards.
The Lady (2011)
A love story with historical elements mixed in, The Lady tells the story of Aung San Suu Kyi as she becomes the core of Myanmar's democracy movement and her relationship with her husband, writer Michael Aris. The film is directed by Luc Besson and stars Yeoh and David Thewlis in the lead roles.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Yeoh’s performance as the formidable matriarch of the Young family is one of the most lauded elements of Crazy Rich Asians. The romantic comedy is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan. It tells the story of a Chinese-American teacher who discovers she is in a relationship with the son of one of Singapore’s wealthiest families.
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh431,800
Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 455bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: from Dh431,800
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
2019 ASIAN CUP FINAL
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
