*Olivier Assayas at the Rome Film Festival -- Photo by Ernesto S. Ruscio/Getty Images courtesy of the Rome Film Festival*

The Fascinating Olivier Assayas at this year's Rome Film Festival

E. Nina Rothe November 2, 2019

Olivier Assayas is a filmmaker who also happened to have been a film critic. He's a French auteur who also spoke to journalists in perfect Italian while at the recent Rome Film Festival. He is a man born in the mid-50's who looks and dresses like he could be 40-something, as well as a revered name in world cinema who admits that film students today have created their own relationship with movies thanks to the internet. He makes for a fascinating read.

*John Travolta, photo courtesy of the Rome Film Festival*

Five questions for John Travolta at the Rome Film Festival

E. Nina Rothe October 29, 2019

Earlier last week, onstage, John Travolta appeared at ease, elegant and way younger than his 65 years. I mean, all newly bald headed and such, still how does he do it?? Maybe it was the leather jacket, maybe his calm demeanor and philosophy of life or maybe just his contentment at being a superstar — and obviously loving it! There is none of that tormented famous person attitude, or apologizing for having become a household name so young. No, Travolta is the actor and the actor is the superstar — no apologies needed or required.

Dissecting the movies: Ethan Coen at the Rome Film Festival

E. Nina Rothe October 20, 2019

It was all hush hush. Rome Film Festival artistic director Antonio Monda came to greet us at the press screening of the opening film, Edward Norton’s ‘Motherless Brooklyn’ where he told us Ethan Coen didn’t want to give a press conference prior to his encounter with the public. Why? Because the subject and theme of his conversation was a secret worthy of, it seemed, J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI.

So, I waited. I wondered and imagined that Coen, one half of the wondrous brother duo that makes those incredible films full of humor and human tragedy — I’m talking about Ethan and Joel Coen of course — would make the wait worth while and introduce us, the audience, to something utterly wild. And when it came time for his public talk, he did.

In-depth interviews and casual chats with the personalities and influencers of today, yesterday and tomorrow.

The Fascinating Olivier Assayas at this year's Rome Film Festival

Five questions for John Travolta at the Rome Film Festival

Dissecting the movies: Ethan Coen at the Rome Film Festival

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