Global

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During the Soviet times vodka and cinema were the main sources of government revenue. Not the oil and gas as today.

Last Friday Pelé, the world’s biggest soccer star, was on stage in Salavdor De Bahia, for the group stage draw of next summer’s World Cup that will take place in Brazil. Yesterday Pelé visited the set of the feature film which chronicles the origins of his sporting stardom.

There are times in which cinema truly does appear in tune with history, with the people and events that galvanize public consciousness worldwide. Such is the case this year with films about Nelson Mandela.

There are several definitions for what constitutes cinema, but when it comes to Arab cinema, the definitions multiply due to overlapping factors, the most prominent of which are political and psychological. For many observers, possibly the majority, Arab cinema (which is of course factual) is available and present till today.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s annual Golden Globe Awards have enabled the non-profit organization to donate more than $15 million in the past nineteen years to entertainment-related charities, as well as funding scholarships and other programs for future film and television professionals. In 2013 the donations reached a record total of $1,567,650 in grants destined to 40 different entertainment-related non-profits, institutions and charities.