A Bafta-longlisted, Dubai-produced documentary about the life of the notable but troubled jazz singer and civil rights activist Billie Holiday finally lands in the UAE this weekend, with screenings at Cinema Akil in Dubai.
The film’s journey from festival favourite to public screens has been almost as tumultuous as the life of the star it focuses on.
Billie, from Emmy-nominated British documentarian James Erskine, took its festival bow to a warm reception at the Telluride Film Festival at the end of 2019, and was scheduled for release in global cinemas in June last year.
Covid-19, of course, had other plans, and the release was put back to November. This, too, fell by the wayside, thanks to the coronavirus, as its UK release was curtailed at the preview stage by the announcement of a second lockdown, while a planned glitzy red-carpet premiere in Dubai, home to its producer Barry Clark-Ewers, was also halted in the same month. An anticipated December release similarly failed to materialise.
Director Erskine admits the journey has been a frustrating one. "It was sort of miserable," he tells The National. "We managed one night of previews in the UK before the second lockdown was introduced, and around the same time James Bond [No Time to Die] pulled from releasing, so a lot of cinemas in the US just closed as people weren't going."
Nonetheless, the upbeat director prefers to focus on the positives. “We’ve had some successes, too. We’ve managed some openings where cinemas have been open – France, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Thailand – and it’s done really well. It’s also performed well digitally and critically, and this has happened to everybody, so it’s hard to feel too hard done by.”
Billie tells the story of Holiday's fascinating yet tragic life through an impressive feat of archiving and repurposing more than 200 hours of taped interviews with key figures from Holiday's life and career, including jazz contemporaries such as Tony Bennett and Count Basie.
The interviews were originally recorded in the 1970s by journalist Linda Kuehl for a biography that was never completed. In an uncanny mirror image of Holiday herself, Kuehl died young in mysterious circumstances, with her life’s work incomplete, and the tapes had long been thought lost.
Erskine credits his producer Clark-Ewers for the sterling detective work that unearthed the historical goldmine gathering dust in the house of a collector, and says that as soon as they listened to the first tape, he knew they had found something remarkable.
“We went to a studio in Chelsea with this shoe box full of tapes, and said ‘OK, let’s listen to Charlie Mingus first.’ Straight away we were transported to the 1950s and he was describing being on stage with Billie. It felt pretty special.”
The sense that he had found something special also inspired Erskine in terms of how he would approach the film. Holiday had died long before the tapes were made, in 1959, an apparent victim of her triple addiction to alcohol, narcotics and an abusive relationship.
“There was a different kind of eyewitness perspective that we hadn’t heard before, from people who actually knew her rather than secondhand from some jazz historian,” he explains.
“When we actually laid out the film, that was our guiding principle through the 150 interviews. People were only allowed to talk about an event or relay a conversation that they’d actually had with Billie Holiday. So through the very medium of their voice you’re able to populate that world, almost by imagination.”
Looking back at Holiday’s life in 2021, it seems strange that she remains a relatively unknown figure outside of music aficionado circles. She carved out a successful career spanning three decades from the 1930s to her untimely death in 1959. She played a huge role in bringing jazz to mainstream audiences, playing record-breaking sell-out shows at huge venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall, which would normally be the home of successful white artists.
She was also a dedicated civil rights activist – her father died after being refused medical treatment because of the colour of his skin, and her lyrics frequently referenced the treatment of African-Americans both historically and in her own era.
Her tortured life and tragic death, when she was penniless – having been swindled out of her career earnings – and handcuffed in a hospital room by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, is in itself enough for a movie to make you weep. So far, however, she has by and large escaped the attention of Hollywood, despite its current love affair with biopics of troubled musicians.
Diana Ross played Holiday in 1972's Lady Sings the Blues, but more recently the star's name does not seem to carry the same traction as peers such as Bennett or Louis Armstrong, or the same Hollywood biopic bankability as Elton John or Freddie Mercury.
Erskine seems unsurprised that Holiday’s name is not more familiar globally. After all, he notes, she was a black woman in an era of racial segregation, and in a country where women were not even allowed a credit card in their own name until 1971.
Perhaps Billie can help go some way in redressing this ignorance of one of the first half of the 20th century's most significant, if not instantly recognisable, cultural figures?
Ewers is convinced Dubai audiences will find plenty to enjoy, and learn, in the film, regardless of whether they’re familiar with the artist or avid fans of jazz. “Even if you don’t know who Billie Holiday is, it’s a very contemporary story,” he says.
"Sometimes when you're watching black and white footage it can automatically give you the impression that it's not relevant anymore, but when you watch Billie, and you see how beautifully restored and colourised a lot of these sections are, that does make it feel more contemporary.
“That’s important, because this might have been 75 years ago, but it’s talking about a lot of very relevant issues, which a lot of people around the world are still facing.”
Billie is showing at Cinema Akil, Dubai, from Friday, February 19
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Poacher
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
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Gulf Under 19s
Pools
A – Dubai College, Deira International School, Al Ain Amblers, Warriors
B – Dubai English Speaking College, Repton Royals, Jumeirah College, Gems World Academy
C – British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Yasmina Academy
D – Dubai Exiles, Jumeirah English Speaking School, English College, Bahrain Colts
Recent winners
2018 – Dubai College
2017 – British School Al Khubairat
2016 – Dubai English Speaking School
2015 – Al Ain Amblers
2014 – Dubai College
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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Results
- Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns
- Braun Strowman and Nicolas won the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro
- AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
- Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
- Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
- The Undertaker beat John Cena
- The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
- Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
- Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
- Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
- Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
- Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
- Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
- Matt Hardy won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
