AIR Al Bateen Mar'15

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CONTENTS / FEATURES

Managing Director Victoria Thatcher Editorial Director John Thatcher Group Commercial Director David Wade GDYLG#KRWPHGLDSXEOLVKLQJ FRP Commercial Director Rawan Chehab UDZDQ#KRWPHGLDSXEOLVKLQJ FRP Deputy Editor Richard Jenkins ULFKDUG#KRWPHGLDSXEOLVKLQJ FRP Features Editor Lara Brunt ODUD#KRWPHGLDSXEOLVKLQJ FRP Senior Designer Andy Knappett

Forty Six

Fifty Six

The Queen Of Spin

Comedy Gold

Screen siren Elizabeth Taylor was no stranger to scandal, and changed Hollywood and its PR machine forever.

Saturday Night Live has EHHQ D VWDU PDNLQJ VWDSOH of US television schedules for 40 years, and shows no sign of slowing down.

Fifty Two

Sixty Two

The Long Walk To Freedom

Pheonix Rising

$V QHZ ¿OP 6HOPD H[SORUHV Martin Luther King’s march to Montgomery, AIR meets a man who walked with the good Doctor.

Designer Emi Dixon Business Development Manager Rabih El Turk UDELK#KRWPHGLDSXEOLVKLQJ FRP Illustrator Vanessa Arnaud Production Manager Chalitha Fernando -8-

6XSHUVWDU -RDTXLQ 3KRHQL[ has made a career out RI LQWURVSHFWLRQ ± EXW GRHV WKDW UHÀHFW KLV WUXH SHUVRQDOLW\"

CONTENTS / FEATURES Eighteen

Forty Four

Radar

Timepieces

A new exhibition of works by three legendary photographers opens in Dubai.

Dubois et Fils is a futureSURRI PDNHU RI 多QH watches, according to CEO Thomas Steinemann.

Twenty Eight

Sixty Six

Art & Design

Motoring

The Middle East welcomes Design Days Dubai, Art Dubai and the Sharjah Biennial in March.

Bentley rejoins the world of racing, as it unveils the aggressive GT3-R in Abu Dhabi.

Forty

Seventy

Jewellery

Gastronomy

Van Cleef & Arpels shows off the spectacular in Dubai, and a new Chanel boutique opens in Doha.

What made Mitsuhiro Araki leave his Michelinstarred restaurant in Japan for London?

Seventy Four

Travel Five of the most stunning yachts currently available for charter.

Tel: 00971 4 364 2876 Fax: 00971 4 369 7494 Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from HOT Media Publishing is strictly prohibited. All prices mentioned are correct at time of press but may change. HOT Media Publishing does not accept liability for omissions or errors in AIR.

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AL BATEEN Welcome to the March edition of AIR magazine, your own personal guide to Al Bateen Executive Airport, its developments, its people and the latest news. This issue will take you on a journey through Al Bateen’s facilities and offerings which aim to deliver the best quality services for its customers from aircraft operators, aircraft owners and pilots. We look forward to welcoming more and more visitors throughout 2015, and we remain committed to providing the highest level of private aviation services to our customers from all over the world. On behalf of AIR and the entire Al Bateen team, we wish you a safe journey wherever you may be heading to. We look forward to welcoming you again to the region’s only dedicated business aviation airport. Ali Majed Al Mansoori, CFA Chairman of ADAC

March 2015

WELCOME ONBOARD

Contact details: albateeninfo@adac.ae albateenairport.com - 13 -

AL BATEEN NEWS

a STORY of SUCCESS

How Al Bateen has made great strides in over half a century of service

A

l Bateen Executive Airport, the dedicated business aviation airport of Abu Dhabi Airports, began operations in the 1960s as WKH ÂżUVW PDLQ LQWHUQDWLRQDO DLUSRUW in the UAE capital, until Abu Dhabi International Airport was opened in 1982. Al Bateen was then initially converted into a military air base that operated until the end of 2008, when Abu Dhabi Airports took over the management of the airport and transformed it into a world class executive facility. It currently has stand capacity for up to 90 private MHWV DQG RSHUDWHV IDVW DQG HIÂżFLHQW turnarounds. There are no holding

patterns and, with short taxiing times and a strategic location in the heart of Abu Dhabi, it is within easy reach of the city’s major businesses and leisure facilities. Al Bateen has since witnessed a steady rise in the number of visiting executive jets. Most recently, in 2013, the airport reported an 18% increase in visiting aircraft WUDI¿F DQG D LQFUHDVH LQ WRWDO FRPPHUFLDO DLUFUDIW WUDI¿F FRPSDUHG to 2012. This growth demonstrates the success of the airport in attracting corporate and VIP clients. The emirate of Abu Dhabi plays host WR D QXPEHU RI KLJK SUR¿OH VSRUWLQJ and cultural events throughout the year and many of the visiting VIPs land at Al Bateen Executive Airport. 7R VXSSRUW WKH LQFUHDVLQJ LQÀRZ

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AL BATEEN NEWS

of visitors, a range of new services have been introduced at Al Bateen Airport, such as a new aircraft cleaning service provided by Falcon Aviation Services (FAS), a partnership with Emirates Transport Services and new fuel uplift services. These services are coordinated and offered by DhabiJet, the airport’s Fixed Base Operations (FBO) service provider. DhabiJet brings together all of the requirements for business aviation customers visiting the executive airport, under the management of a single highly trained DhabiJet customer service team. The team acts as a single point of contact for all requirements and works consistently hard to provide the fastest possible services time ‘door to door’ for passengers and crew. Its range of services also includes the meeting and greeting of passengers, refueling, aircraft cleaning services, ground handling, transportations and hotel arrangements. Catering is provided by gategroup of Switzerland, through its ‘Executive Gourmet’ catering facility, offering world class hospitality and catering services to meet the tailored requirements of elite passengers and private jets. For the last three years Al Bateen

Airport has hosted Abu Dhabi Air Expo, the only general aviation exhibition in the Middle East. Air Expo showcases key developments that relate to private aircraft, helicopters, general aviation manufacturers, airport equipment and services, pilot training schools, DYLRQLFV LQVXUDQFH DQG ¿QDQFLQJ It has rapidly become one of the key events in the global business aviation calendar, a testament to Al Bateen’s unique status as the only airport of its type in the region. In February 2014, the third Air Expo attracted a record number of visitors (almost 17,000, a 30% increase on the previous year) and enabled sales worth more than AED5 billion to be generated. Al Bateen Airport is also the home of Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies (GCAS). Since its establishment in 2009, GCAS has provided training for many thousands of aviation professionals, not only Abu Dhabi Airports’ own staff, but also other delegates from all around the world. This has not only been crucial in developing skills and raising operating standards, but GCAS has also in the process established itself as a leading expert in the provision of skills and the raising of standards - 16 -

more generally in the global aviation industry – a huge endorsement of its expertise. Development of professional skills, and especially the employment and training of UAE nationals, is vital to the future both of Abu Dhabi Airports and that of Abu Dhabi as a whole. In this regard, an especially important initiative was the launch of Al Eqla’a train-tohire programme last year, a graduate training programme dedicated to Emiratis and overseen by GCAS. It is the only such training of its type in the region and will play a key role in the harnessing and development of local talent. GCAS also hosted 250 students at this year’s Air Expo, giving them a tour of the show and RI LWV IDFLOLWLHV LQ WKH KRSH RI ¿ULQJ their enthusiasm and interest in a career in aviation. The transformation of Al Bateen Airport in the last six years has thus been nothing short of phenomenal. From having operated for many years as a military base, it has had to change its capabilities to cater for an entirely different sector, demanding the highest standards of customer service. It has rapidly become one of the world’s leading executive airports, a fact for which Abu Dhabi can be proud.

RADAR

> From James Dean to Jimi Hendrix, some of the biggest names of the 20th century star in a new exhibition at The Empty Quarter in Dubai. That’s Entertainment! showcases the works of celebrated snappers Helmut Newton, Frank Worth and Peter Sanders. Alongside Newton’s provocative, blackand-white fashion images are portraits by Worth, the darling of Hollywood celebrities from the early 1940s to the mid ‘60s. Then came Sanders, whose photographs of musicians like Jim Morrison, Keith Richards and Marsha Hunt (pictured), the inspiration for The Stones’ classic Brown Sugar, captured the spirit of the Swinging Sixties. As Sanders recalls, “The fog was finally lifting after World War II. It was a unique meeting of cultures and time. These musicians were very accessible. Everybody was being cool. There was a kind of unwritten code of cool and you didn’t intrude into a person’s space. Because of this, it was very inclusive. We were friends and neighbours and part of the alternative society. “ On show until March 16, theemptyquarter.com - 18 -

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Marsha Hunt, London 1969. Š Peter Sanders.

Film Serena

Cinderella

Dir: Susanne Bier Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence star in this drama set in the tough world of Appalachian loggers. AT BEST: “The cinematic equivalent of a trashy airport novel.” National Post AT WORST: “On paper, Serena looks like it should be great - what could possibly go wrong? The answer is ‘the script’.” The Standard

Dir: Kenneth Branagh A live-action retelling of the classic fairytale. AT BEST: “An uplifting movie that invests warm sentiment in universal themes of loss and resilience, experience and maturity.” Hollywood Reporter AT WORST: “Though this lavish, live-action ‘Cinderella’ could never replace Disney’s animated classic, it’s no ugly stepsister, either.” Variety

While We’re Young

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Dir: Noah Baumbach A childless New York couple in their mid-forties befriend a young hipster couple who aren’t as straightforward as they seem. AT BEST: “Intellectually supercharged entertainment, with a laugh-line-per-minute count it would be grouchy to undersell.” Daily Telegraph AT WORST: “A decaffeinated and sitcomish approach to a boulevard comedy of early middle-age behaviour.” Film-Forward

Dir: John Madden The sequel to 2012’s hit comedy about a group of retirees living in a rambling hotel in India. AT BEST: “This is undemanding, misty-eyed stuff; carried through by its seasoned, thoroughbred performers” Guardian AT WORST: “Honestly titled if nothing else, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a sluggish also-ran compared to its predecessor.” Hollywood Reporter - 21 -

CRITIQUE

Theatre Meanwhile, Scottish director Sir David McVicar’s celebrated production of Charles Gounod’s Faust, ÂżUVW SHUIRUPHG DW /RQGRQÂśV 5R\DO 2SHUD +RXVH KDV debuted Down Under at the Sydney Opera House. It tells the story of an ageing academic who accepts a deal from the underworld in exchange for the return of his good looks. While his dreams of youth and love DW ÂżUVW ORRN VHW WR FRPH WUXH WKH OLYHV RI WKRVH DURXQG him start to unravel. Crikey’s Ben Neutze believes McVicar’s production has been “perfectly castâ€? for its ÂżUVW $XVWUDOLDQ RXWLQJ DQG ÂłUHFUHDWHG ZLWK ÂżQH DWWHQWLRQ to detailâ€? by revival director Bruno Ravella. French conductor Guillaume Tourniaire leads the Australian Ballet and Orchestra through a “passionate, dynamic reading of the scoreâ€?, while American tenor Michael Fabiano provides a thrilling vocal performance in the title role, “with oodles of power and a smooth, consistent vocal lineâ€?. The stand out performer for Neutze though is Australian soprano Nicole Car, whose vocal performance as Marguerite is “faultless — musically sensitive and effortlessly clear.â€? Harriet Cunningham of the Sydney Morning Herald agrees that Car “continues to impress with her even yet passionate toneâ€?, however, Fabiano is “clearly headed for great thingsâ€?. She writes: “His voice is huge and, if anything, it feels like he holds back, hitting the top notes with relative ease but not giving every note full weight. Vocally, his performance grows in intensity and richness towards the end of the opera, but even at the climax I suspect he has plenty in reserve.â€? No expense has been spared by Opera Australia in staging the production and theatricality is everywhere. “What saves it from parody is the underlying setting, evoked by Charles Edwards’ painterly set design,â€? writes Cunningham. “It’s all a grand and deftly handled performance, which invites not just ridicule but also UHĂ€HFWLRQ ´ Until March 13. Photo by Lisa Tomasetti.

:KLOH WKH ZRUOG KDV ZDWFKHG LQ KRUURU DW WKH FRQĂ€LFW in Gaza, a new play by Palestinian poet and playwright Dalia Taha looks at how war fractures childhood. Staged at the Royal Court in London and directed by Richard Twyman, Fireworks (Al’ab Nariya) focuses on the experiences of 11-year-old Lubna and 12-year-old Khalil growing up in a besieged Palestinian town and the lengths their parents go to protect them. The Guardian’s Michael Billington believes the play is at its best as “a UHSRUW IURP WKH IURQW OLQH RI DQ XQHQGLQJ FRQĂ€LFW´ DQG relaxes its grip only in the set-piece solo speeches where characters recount their dreams and nightmares. But the most remarkable feature of the production is the assurance of the two child actors (there are alternate casts on different nights). “Shakira Riddell-Morales as Lubna suggests a shrewd awareness behind her seeming vulnerability, while Yusuf Hofri as Khalil shows how one product of a foreshortened childhood is a desire for retaliatory vengeance,â€? Billington writes. Even if Taha’s play doesn’t deal directly with the political context, it offers “a frighteningly convincing picture of the tragedy of lost innocenceâ€?. The beauty of Fireworks, according to Andrzej Lukowski of Time Out, is that it is not overtly SROLWLFLVHG RU KHDY\ RQ VSHFLÂżFV Âł,W LV D QDWXUDOLVWLF window into the unnatural lives of normal people trying to get on with things during war.â€? It’s a sad play but not a gratuitously harrowing one. “It’s more an eloquent case for the value of innocence and the need to try and preserve it,â€? he writes. Until March 14.

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CRITIQUE

Books Dennis Lehane writes the kind of KDUGERLOHG JDQJVWHU ÂżFWLRQ WKDW HYRNHV WLPHV DQG SODFHV OLNH QR RWKHU +LV GHFDGHV VSDQQLQJ novel Live By Night summed up SURKLELWLRQ HUD %RVWRQ DQG V &XED WR SHUIHFWLRQ DQG KLV ODWHVW :RUOG *RQH %\ SLFNV XS ZKHUH /LYH %\ 1LJKW ÂżQLVKHG ,WV SURWDJRQLVW -RH &RXJKOLQ LV QRZ WHQ \HDUV ROGHU DQG OLYLQJ LQ 7DPSD )ORULGD DJDLQVW WKH EDFNGURS RI :RUOG :DU ,, 7HQVLRQ ÂżOOV WKH QRYHO DV &RXJKOLQ slowly understands the truth behind a rumour that he is soon to be the VXEMHFW RI DQ DVVDVVLQDWLRQ DWWHPSW GHVSLWH OHDYLQJ WKH FULPLQDO ZRUOG EHKLQG WR FDUH IRU KLV \RXQJ VRQ Kirkus Reviews says: “On the VXUIDFH WKLV LV D FULPH QRYHO WKDW DGKHUHV WR FRQYHQWLRQ EXW &RXJKOLQ KDV D GHSWK EH\RQG JHQUH ÂżFWLRQ ZLWK D VHQVH RI PRUDOLW\ DQG D FRGH RI HWKLFV WKDW WKH OLIH KH KDV FKRVHQ IUHTXHQWO\ SXWV WR WKH WHVW ´ +RZHYHU they also suggest that while the QRYHO ÂłVHHPV WR ODFN VRPH RI WKH literary ambition of Lehane’s best ZRUN LWV FXPXODWLYH WKHPDWLF SRZHU DQG ZKLS FUDFN QDUUDWLYH SURSXOVLRQ ZLOO HQULFK WKH UHDGHUÂśV DSSUHFLDWLRQ past the last page.â€?

Little is known about Ernst +DIIQHU WKH *HUPDQ DXWKRU ZKR SXEOLVKHG D QRYHO %ORRG %URWKHUV LQ RQO\ WR KDYH LW EDQQHG WKH very next year by Nazis. After the ERRNÂśV EDQQLQJ DOPRVW DOO WUDFHV RI WKH ZULWHU D MRXUQDOLVW DQG VRFLDO ZRUNHU YDQLVK HQWLUHO\ 7KH ERRN is now being republished after WUDQVODWLRQ IURP 0LFKDHO +RIPDQQ DQG WHOOV WKH VWRU\ DJDLQVW WKH EDFNGURS RI ZRUNLQJ FODVV GLVWULFWV RI %HUOLQ RI WKH HSRQ\PRXV VWUHHW JDQJ PDGH XS RI WHHQDJH UXQDZD\V and juvenile delinquents. Philip Olterman says in the Guardian: “Haffner’s book stands out for its GRFXPHQWDU\ GHWDLO ,W RSHQV ZLWK D GHVFULSWLRQ RI WKH KRXUV ORQJ TXHXHV DW WKH ODERXU H[FKDQJH DQG SDLQWV D YLYLG SLFWXUH RI WKH JDQJÂśV LQLWLDWLRQ FHUHPRQLHV GULQNLQJ ULWXDOV DQG WKH JORULRXV VDWLVIDFWLRQ of hot pea soup on an empty VWRPDFK ´ 7KH 1D]LVÂś LQĂ€XHQFH RQ WKH ERRNÂśV IDWH LV FXULRXV DV Olterman notes: “Surprisingly SHUKDSV IRU D QRYHO WKHUH LV QR UHIHUHQFH WR SDUW\ SROLWLFV WKRXJK +DIIQHU LV GDPQLQJ LQ KLV FULWLFLVP of the bourgeois ‘amusement PREÂś ZKR ZDWFK JODPRURXV JDQJVWHU PRYLHV LQ WKH FLQHPDV RI KurfĂźrstendamm but ignore the poverty on their own doorstep.â€? Those interested in German history - 24 -

VKRXOG VHDUFK D FRS\ RXW ,W KDV EHHQ D IXOO GHFDGH VLQFH -DSDQHVH DXWKRU .D]XR ,VKLJXUR UHOHDVHG D QRYHO 7KH %RRNHU 3UL]H ZLQQLQJ 1HYHU /HW 0H *R LQ and he returns to the arena with 7KH %XULHG *LDQW )HDWXULQJ WKHPHV RI ORVW PHPRULHV ORYH UHYHQJH DQG ZDU WKH ERRN LV DQ HSLF H[SORUDWLRQ RI LQ WKH DXWKRUÂśV ZRUGV ÂłKRZ VRFLHWLHV UHPHPEHU DQG IRUJHW ´ 7KH QRYHO EHJLQV ZLWK DQ ROG PDQ FLUFD WKH VL[WK FHQWXU\ UHPHPEHULQJ GD\V JRQH E\ DQG FRQMXULQJ XS VWXQQLQJ LPDJHV IURP KLV OLIH ZKR GHFLGHV WR HPEDUN RQ D TXHVW WR VHDUFK RXW WKH past and the people he’s forgotten. .LUNXV 5HYLHZV VD\V Âł,VKLJXUR LV a master of subtlety; as with Never /HW 0H *R KH DOORZV D GHWDLO WR VOLS RXW KHUH DQRWKHU WKHUH XQWLO ZH DUH ÂżQDOO\ DZDUH RI WKH IDFWV RI WKH PDWWHU KRUULEOH WKRXJK WKH\ PD\ EH /\GLD 0LOOHW RI 3XEOLVKHUV :HHNO\ ZULWHV Âł,WÂśV D VDG HOHJLDF VWRU\ RQH WKDW KDV D WRQH DQG WH[WXUH VXLWHG WR LWV VXEMHFW PDWWHU D GUHDP\ MRXUQH\ UHSHWLWLYH DQG VHDUFKLQJ as lost memory. Conversations DUH IRUPDO DQG VWLOWHG EXW WKHLU FDUHIXOO\ FUDIWHG IRUPDOLW\ OHQGV DQ DXVWHUH ULJRU WR WKH SURFHHGLQJV²$[O DQG %HDWULFH DUH IROORZLQJ D JHQWOH ROG SHRSOHÂśV TXHVW QRW D GDVKLQJ young knight’s.â€?

CRITIQUE

Art

London’s Saatchi Gallery continues its exploration of art from around the world with Pangaea II: New Art From Africa and Latin America, the second instalment of the gallery’s museum-scale survey which reunites the former sister continents. Featuring work from artists like Eduardo Berliner, Jorge Mayet and Federico Herrero, Pangaea II explores the diverse FXOWXUDO LQĂ€XHQFHV DQG WKULYLQJ creative practises in the two great continents that were once conjoined as the prehistoric landmass known as Pangaea. The exhibition is the follow-up to last year’s inaugural display, where Brian Sewell in London’s Evening Standard described Charles Saatchi’s manipulation of the continents: “With them he plays the sorcerer, brings them into the present day and argues that there are parallels in their respective modern cultures — parallels neither drawn from them nor emerging from a distant past but imposed by the “’increasingly globalised art world’ of the present. Wall Street International writes: “Witnesses to the transformation of their societies, the artists working

in these two distinctive regions are increasingly based within cities that are changing at an unprecedented rate.â€? From March 11 to September 6. David Bowie Is appears in Paris this month, as the Philharmonie de 3DULV GHGLFDWHV LWV ÂżUVW H[KLELWLRQ WR the music icon. Originally presented in 2013 at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the exhibition has met with resounding success around the globe. Paris’ version LV VOLJKWO\ PRGLÂżHG IURP SUHYLRXV iterations, although it is still taken mainly from Bowie’s archives and contains previously unreleased documents and recordings, photographs and video, costumes, set components, handwritten pages, drawings and instruments that bear witness to the extraordinary career and impact on popular culture of a WUXO\ VLQJXODU DUWLVW ZKR GHÂżHV DOO labels. Rolling Stone said: “It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer mass quantity of information being thrust at you.â€? However, if you take the exhibition piece by piece, Bowie fans will rejoice, especially when it comes to Bowie’s style. They say: - 26 -

“Bowie’s sartorial savvy is nothing short of remarkable. His entire style trajectory is on display here: From the green corduroy jacket he wore with an early band, the Kon-rads, to embroidered kimonos designed by Konsai Tamamoto for the Aladdin Sane tour and more modern fare like the Alexander McQueen gold brocade coat for 1997’s Earthling tour.â€? Running from March 3 to May 31. Across the Atlantic at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, an important new exhibition examines the Native $PHULFDQVÂś LQĂ€XHQFH RQ IXWXUH generations of artists. The Plains Indians: Artists of Earth and Sky runs from March 9 to May 10, and unites Plains Indian masterworks found in European and North American collections, from precontact to contemporary, ranging from a 2000-year-old humanHIÂżJ\ VWRQH SLSH WR FRQWHPSRUDU\ paintings, photographs, and a video-installation piece. Works of art collected centuries ago by French traders and travellers will be seen together with those acquired by Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition of 1804–06, along with objects from the early reservation period and recent works created in dialogue with traditional forms and ideas.

Artdaily.org describes the exciting new exhibition as “groundbreaking,â€? and quoting JuliĂĄn Zugazagoitia, director of the Nelson-Atkins Museum where the important GLVSOD\ ZDV ÂżUVW VKRZQ VD\V Âł7KLV H[KLELWLRQ LV D GHÂżQLQJ PRPHQW in the understanding of Native American art.â€?

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ART & DESIGN

1.

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The Modern Age Nada Shabout, advisor to 2015’s Art Dubai Modern, discusses the forthcoming art fair with AIR

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ART & DESIGN

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‘Diversity and multiculturalism is always beneficial to the art world’ WKRXJKWV DQG LGHDV DQG LW¶V EHFRPLQJ D OHYHO QRW WKDW GLIIHUHQW IURP D %LHQQDOH 6R PDQ\ RWKHU HYHQWV KDSSHQ RQ WKH PDUJLQV RI WKH HYHQW LWVHOI WKH *OREDO $UWV IRUXP DQG VR RQ DQG VR LW¶V DOUHDG\ DOORZLQJ IRU WKH GLYHUVLW\ RI JDOOHULHV FRPLQJ IURP DOO RYHU WKH ZRUOG 2QH RI WKH UHJXODU SUREOHPV DW OHDVW LQ P\ RSLQLRQ DV DQ DUW KLVWRULDQ VSHFLDOLVHG LQ WKH 0RGHUQ ZDV WKDW &RQWHPSRUDU\ DQG 0RGHUQ ZDV VHHQ WR EH D VRUW RI EDVWDUG DSSHDUDQFH WKDW KDG QR URRWV LW ZDV DOZD\V SHUFHLYHG DV VXFK 1RZ LW¶V YHU\ KHOSIXO WR KDYH D QHZ DQG DSSUHFLDWLYH DXGLHQFH RI FROOHFWRUV &ROOHFWLQJ DUW LQ WKH $UDE ZRUOG KDV QRW KDG D SDUWLFXODUO\ ORQJ KLVWRU\ VSHFL¿FDOO\ WKH PDMRU FROOHFWRUV %XW LQ WKH ROG $UDE ZRUOG LQ %DJKGDG DQG &DLUR WKHUH ZHUH D IHZ PLGGOH FODVV FROOHFWRUV RI

2.

3.

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ART & DESIGN

1. Nabil Nahas, Eclypse 2. Anwar Shemza, Square Composition 2 3. Dr Nada Shabout 4. Rashid Alkhalifa, Metamorphosis IV 5. Baya, Joueuse de Mandore - 32 -

4.

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‘Modernism is still a very unresolved problem, because it is still seen as a Western development’ WKH KLVWRULFDO FRQWH[W RI LWV GHYHORSPHQW LQ (XURSH 7KLV LV D YHU\ GLI¿FXOW TXHVWLRQ ± LW¶V QRW D VLPSOH DQVZHU ´ 9LVLWRUV ZKR DUH ORRNLQJ WR GHFLSKHU WKH DQVZHUV IRU WKHPVHOYHV DUH HQFRXUDJHG WR H[SORUH 6KDERXW VD\V ³$UW 'XEDL 0RGHUQ LV QRW WKDW ELJ VR WKH\ VKRXOG WU\ DQG VHH DOO RI LW /DVW \HDU ZDV OLPLWHG WR 0LGGOH (DVW DQG 6RXWK $VLD DQG WKLV \HDU WKHUH¶V $IULFD DV ZHOO VR WKH\¶UH LQWURGXFLQJ GHYHORSPHQWV IURP GLIIHUHQW SDUWV RI WKH JOREH , WKLQN LW ZRXOG EH JUHDW IRU DQ\RQH WR JR DQG FRPSDUH DQG VHH ZKDW¶V JRLQJ RQ ´ $QG VHHLQJ DV 'XEDL LV QRZ FDWFKLQJ XS ZLWK

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Art Dubai 2015 takes place from March 18-21 at Madinat Souk Jumeirah, Dubai. The fair is part of Art Week, an umbrella initiative that showcases the broad programme of cultural events that coincide with the fair each March.

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ART & DESIGN

1.

THE ART OF

Words: LARA BRUNT

POSSIBILITY

F

or audiences, one of the most exciting aspects of art biennials is that they allow artists and curators to experiment and take risks. Sharjah Biennial 12 is a case in point. The four-month exhibition, which opens on March 5, features works by over 50 artists from more than 25 countries, with “most of the artists showing new works and commissions of great ambition,â€? says curator Eungie Joo. The idea for SB12, titled ‘The past, the present, the possible’, stemmed from a conversation with artist Danh Vo about why contemporary art is relevant. “This wording, about new possibilities for social organisation and transcending social and political FRQÂżQHPHQW LV EDVHG LQ WKDW conversation,â€? she explains. “I think it is important that we, as cultural SUDFWLWLRQHUV UHĂ€HFW XSRQ ZKDW we do and why, and try to convey to the public the larger stakes of contemporary art.â€? “‘The past, the present, the possible’ is very much about

admitting a utopic position that values abstraction, formalism, and content with a strong presence of experiential and meditative works,� she continues. “We are living in an extremely perverse and decadent moment of human history and I hope this slightly utopic approach to the present helps us imagine possibilities together.� The curator selected artists already known to her, as well as those she had admired from afar. “Many of the artists are those who I have worked with over the past 20 years, or artists whose work I have

literal sense, as we did with March Meeting 2014, and in a more abstract way through the exhibition and this past year of site visits, research trips and installation periods. Seeing the works and artists resonate with each other is an interesting process that teaches me a lot about art and ideas.� The Biennial takes place at various sites in and around Sharjah, as well as in the city of Kalba on the Gulf of Oman. Included are works by UAE artists Hassan Sharif and Abdullah Al Saadi, as well as works by several senior or deceased artists. “Included works by Fahrelnissa Zeid, Chung Chang-Sup, Etel Adnan, Abdul Hay Mosallam Zahara and Saloua Raouda Choucair were primarily made from the 1940s to 1990s, but are incredibly relevant today, even though the artists were all born before 1930. Together these artists form the backbone of this Biennial,� says Joo. In terms of inspiration when curating the show, Joo says she was most inspired “by what I interpret as conviction in artists�, as demonstrated by the ambition and consistency of their work. “But my experiences visiting Sharjah, its Biennial and March Meetings over the past four years are the main source of inspiration,� she continues. “My fascination with the commitment of Sharjah Art Foundation led me to select artists and works that I wanted to share with the local public and to invite artists whom I thought would grow

‘Artists find great opportunity here to embark on new work that has meaningful repercussions’ been following but never had the chance to work with,� she says. “So those artists engender a feeling of familiarity and trust that interests me.� The project is also a great opportunity to bring works and artists together in a kind of conversation, she says. “Both in a - 34 -

from the experience of working here.� Founded in 1993, the Sharjah Biennial has grown from a traditional and regionally focused exhibition into an internationally UHFRJQLVHG HYHQW :KLOH DW ¿UVW WKH Biennial followed a classic format ZLWK DUWLVWV FKRVHQ WR RI¿FLDOO\

1. Local youth assist artist Eduardo Navarro with research for his SB12 project. Courtesy Sharjah Art Foundation and the artist. 2. March Meeting 2014, Day 1. 3. Artists from SB12 visit archaeology site with Eisa Youssef, Sharjah Directorate of Archaeology.

Photos: 1 & 3. Courtesy Sharjah Art Foundation. 2. By Elisabeth Ida.

2.

3.

represent each participating country, there was a marked shift in direction when Hoor Al Qasimi took on the role of curator in 2003. Now, as witnessed in SB12, the focus has turned more directly towards the presentation of art and engagement with the individual artists themselves. Originally produced by the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information, in 2009 the Biennial

became a core initiative of the newly established Sharjah Art Foundation, alongside the annual March Meeting, residencies, production grants, commissions, exhibitions, collections, research, and publications. According to Joo, the foundation is not only a key part of the contemporary art infrastructure in the Gulf, but also worldwide. “The Sharjah Art Foundation is one of the most important - 35 -

contemporary art organisations in the world today, in that it supports the production of new work and recognises the need for such support in the face of a highly commercialised art world,” she VD\V ³$UWLVWV ¿QG JUHDW RSSRUWXQLW\ here to embark on new work that has meaningful repercussions on their broader artistic practice.” On show from March 5 – June 5, sharjahart.org

ART & DESIGN

GLORY DAYS

Design Days Dubai will be showcasing the work of four talented UAEbased designers, picked to take part in Tashkeel’s 2014-2015 Design Programme. Here, the designers offer their thoughts on Design Days’ influence on the region, and explain the inspiration behind their work.

TALIN HAZBAR PRESENTING: LITHIC I decided this year to explore a QHZ ODQGVFDSH VSHFLÂżFDOO\ WKH mountains of Khor Fakkan. My piece is inspired by a folk tale that originates from villages around the mountain chains between Khor Fakkan and Fujairah. The folk tale is called “kahf al daba,â€? about a mythical creature that occupies a cave in one of the mountains and keeps the villagers away. The tale says that the creature takes different forms or is a hybrid of a few animals. It sits on the top of the mountain to throw stones at whoever tries to come close to the cave. However like most folk tales, the villagers managed to overcome the creature and its story became a tale generations heard over and over. I visited the site and tried to hunt down the origins of the folk tale. One of the citizens I met told me

that the locals make sure the story is passed on to the new generations to share the land’s history. I decided to translate the folktale into a modular system light installation. The choice of light as a function and the marble as the installation material came to highlight some aspects from the tale such as the creature’s effect on the location and the beauty of the caves as organic spaces hidden within rigid landscapes. The great aspect - 36 -

about Tashkeel’s Design Programme is that as designers we got to meet new manufacturers in the region and had the chance to create and involve a team to execute our design projects. It is always great chance to work with other experts and understand the way they work. I am curious to know how everyone will interact with the piece and understand how they can relate to this Emirati folk tale.

set of drawings for me, which I then took in and used as a framework for my own design. So the same kind of curved lines that they use, were drawn into my design. Even the name of the project, Forma, comes from their plans. You see the dhows, you kind of have a sense of how they’re built, but to see the process from beginning to end was really eye opening. Design Days is a really great opportunity that we’ve been afforded to participate at an

RAND ABDUL JABBAR PRESENTING: FORMA I was educated in architecture, so most of our projects remain in the realm of fantasy or drawing; they’re not often realised in real OLIH 7KLV KDV EHHQ UHDOO\ IXO¿OOLQJ for me, as a time I could realise a project into the physical world and see it progress, so that’s been a really interesting experience. For the design programme we were asked to collaborate with a local maker, in my case it’s a traditional dhow builder here in Dubai. It’s been an incredible opportunity to learn about a trade that is maybe slowly diminishing or disappearing. Working very closely with them I got to learn their process, the way they use these templates called Forma to JXLGH WKHLU GHVLJQ 7KH ¿UVW VWHS ZDV to ask the dhow builder to produce a - 37 -

international scale, and represent the UAE’s local scene and be part of a conversation that will hopefully extend beyond the region. It’s a lot of exposure for us as young designers. The UAE is represented internationally in a certain light – glitz and glamour - and for us who are raised here in the UAE, it’s a desire to shed light on part of the history or the traditions that don’t always get this attention. To show that there’s more to the place below the surface.

ART & DESIGN

LATIFA SAEED PRESENTING: KINETIC KHOOS I have been with Tashkeel ever VLQFH WKH\ RSHQHG , DP WKHLU ¿UVW member, and I have known them for a long time. Tashkeel’s Design Programme started in 2013 and I designed a seating collection called Braided. I had a sofa, a chair and an ottoman. The feedback was good, and it also exhibited in the UK as part of an exhibition called Unveiling the Middle East in association with Wallpaper magazine. I was invited to join the programme again this year, and I decided to go for something more experimental, more on the edge of art. I’m working with a raw material from the Middle East, the palm leaf. When I was young, and my mother was young, and my grandmother was young, that is the material that they used to play with. They built toys out of this material, and that is what inspired me to create kinetic installations out of this material

for 2015. It’s a memory that I have from when I was young that I want to pass down, and also to attempt to change people’s perception of this material. It’s in the heritage village, in heritage places, and associated with the past. I thought, what if we change its surroundings, change its functions? One of the pieces LV D À\ WKDW DFWXDOO\ OHYLWDWHV ,W teaches about history, memory and - 38 -

culture – but you can play with it. Design Days is a great international platform in Dubai for artists and designers to showcase our work to world-renowned designers, and the kind of people that it attracts are amazing. It’s a huge, international, professional platform that allows us to be looked at seriously and professionally, rather than just as emerging artists.

very intimate, and it’s personal, and it’s got a different feel than some of the bigger, commercial trade shows either here or in London. The people and products on display are really top quality: we are all putting a contemporary twist on Emirati inspirations. It’s not about replicating Emirati design, it’s about being inspired and aware of it, and using local materials in a contemporary way. I’m hoping lots of interesting work comes out of having done this show through Tashkeel. The really good thing about Design Days is that it’s an excellent meeting point for people with similar minds, whether that’s artists or designers, and what this does is give me a chance to meet with people who have similar ideas to mine. I want to start up on my own as a business, and making things happen in wider terms of furniture pieces. There are lots of possibilities here.

SAHER OLIVER SAMMAN PRESENTING: WOVEN I’m making a leather hammock, using locally tanned leathers. There’s a tannery called Al Khaznah, that sells camel and cow leather, so I’m using both of those. It’s quite funky actually; you’d probably describe it as artisanal, woven leather hammock. It has a stand that is kind of inspired by dhow boats, which actually rocks back and forth rather than swinging side to side. I had that made with wood, and it’s basically a mobile hammock. I applied for the Tashkeel Design Programme last year, having attended Design Days Dubai. And a project I had worked on had been exhibited in London and again at Design Days, and I’ve worked on projects for other companies or studios, but the fabulous thing is that this time it’s under my own name. The nice thing about Design Days Dubai is that it’s

Design Days Dubai 2015 will be held at its dedicated premises, The Venue, Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Downtown Dubai, from March 16-20, to coincide with Art Week

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JEWELLERY > Since its birth little more than thirty years ago in Milan, Vhernier has carved a niche for itself within the world of fine jewellery by creating pieces influenced by trends in contemporary art. Handmade by Italian craftsmen whose indepth knowledge of materials, stones and cuts is brought to bear on each piece, Vhernier’s jewels, like these Bracciali Moon rings, stand out in anyone’s collection. Available exclusively at Emirates Towers, Dubai.

> Graff has a long history of creating jeweled and ‘secret’ timepieces for ladies, but its latest creation eclipses all that has gone before. It incorporates 330 carats of sapphires, each meticulously sourced to ensure continuity of colour and vibrancy, which have been threaded into a tassel to conceal a pavé diamond watch face. Transformable, the otherwise diamond-beaded piece can be worn three ways: in full, as individual brooches, or as a single brooch with bejeweled tassel. graffdiamonds.com - 40 -

GRAND DESIGNS Van Cleef & Arpels will display extraordinary pieces from its Pierres de Caractere collection at Design Days Dubai. Here’s what you’ll want to slip on your finger…

Capri ring Round and baguette-cut diamonds, with one ovalcut Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond of 3.24 carats.

Ancolie Précieuse ring Round and pear-shaped diamonds, calibrated rubies and a cushion-cut diamond of 9.03 carats.

Pongal ring Yellow gold, diamonds, cabochon-cut rubies, 1 cushion-cut emerald of 27.81 carats.

“If you weren’t born with wings, it doesn’t stop you from flying” GABRIELLE CHANEL

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his month sees the eagerly-awaited opening of Chanel’s watches and jewellery boutique inside Doha’s Lagoona Mall. As is the tradition of Chanel boutiques throughout the globe, it has been designed by Peter Marino and inspired by Mademoiselle Chanel’s apartment at 31, rue Cambon. Of the treasures housed within, this beautiful brooch stands apart. It forms part of the 35-piece Plume de Chanel collection, which took over a year to develop. It’s been crafted from 18-carat white gold and set with 714 brilliant-cut diamonds for a total weight of 11.6 carets. chanel.com - 41 -

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TIMEPIECES

TARIQ MALIK How the Portugieser became IWC’s most popular and recognisable model

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his year, IWC celebrates the 75th anniversary of its iconic Portugieser. To commemorate the milestone, it launched three models: the Annual Calendar, the Perpetual Calendar Digital Date and our favourite SIHH launch, the Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition, which is reminiscent of the original Portugieser from the 1930s. Portugal’s renowned history is most closely linked to its greatest navigators and explorers, Vasco da Gama and Magellan being the most recognised. In the late 1930s, two Portuguese businessmen visited IWC in Schaffhausen to propose the development of a large stainless steel wristwatch that could match the precision of a marine chronometer. Their primary requirements were easy legibility and high precision. At the time, the only possible solution meant the use of a pocket watch movement. With a diameter of 43mm, WKH ¿UVW 3RUWXJXHVH UHIHUHQFH 325) was huge compared to its contemporaries. IWC experimented with different dial variations but remained consistent with the key design elements: a streamlined dial with Arabic numbers, a thin

bezel to enhance visibility, feuille hands and a seconds sub-dial at six. Unfortunately, the watch was too ahead of its time and never successful enough to be produced in large numbers. In the early 1990s, a collector visited IWC’s atelier wearing an original 325. Kurt Klaus, the IWC watchmaker famed for his revolutionary perpetual calendar movement, realised its beauty and decided to relaunch the Portuguese line. 1993 marked IWC’s 125th anniversary and a Portuguese -XELOHH OLPLWHG HGLWLRQ UHI was released to commemorate the occasion. With 1,000 pieces in steel, 500 in pink gold and 250 in platinum, the Jubilee version was fully faithful to the original design and, among modern IWC watches, remains one of the most sought after

by collectors. In 1995, IWC incorporated a 0LQXWH 5HSHDWHU UHI LQ only 550 examples, of which only 50 were made in platinum and the remaining in rose and yellow gold. In 1998, IWC launched the reference 3714, a chronograph sized at 41mm. The 3714’s elegance and sportiness helped it become IWC’s most successful watch. Further complications included the development of a 7-day power UHVHUYH UHI D 7RXUELOORQ 0\VWHUH UHI DV ZHOO DV D 3HUSHWXDO &DOHQGDU UHI ,Q 2010, IWC took the Portuguese to another level, launching the *UDQGH &RPSOLFDWLRQ UHI LQ a limited run of 100 pieces per year. The 3774 incorporated a Perpetual &DOHQGDU DFFXUDWH WLOO QR OHVV moon phase, minute repeater and chronograph. The 3774 became, and remains, the holy grail for IWC collectors. This brings us to the Portuguese QRZ UHQDPHG 3RUWXJLHVHU ZDWFKHV launched at SIHH 2015. The Hand:RXQG (LJKW 'D\V (GLWLRQ UHI 5102) has so many design details that pay tribute to the earliest models. Sized at the original 43mm, the dial features painted Arabic numerals, feuille hands, a beautifully executed chapter ring and subtle date window in the seconds sub-dial. It even incorporates the IWC logo, written in full as International Watch Co. In our opinion this is one of IWC’s most well-designed launches in many years. We especially applaud the rose gold version with its off-white dial and metallic brown accents. And with just 175 pieces in rose gold and 750 in steel, we fully expect IWC enthusiasts to quickly acquire it.

Tariq Malik is co-founder of the UAE’s only vintage watch boutique, Momentum. momentum-dubai.com - 43 -

TIMEPIECES

Crowd

Words: LARA BRUNT

FAVOURITE

How do you revive Switzerland’s oldest watch factory in the digital age? By crowdfunding and selling online, says DuBois et fils CEO Thomas Steinemann

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rowdfunding is a concept normally associated with tech startXSV Ă€HGJOLQJ businesses or LQGLH ÂżOPV Âą DQ\WKLQJ RWKHU than a luxury Swiss watch ÂżUP %XW WKLV YHU\ VW FHQWXU\ ZD\ RI UDLVLQJ FDSLWDO Âą ZKLFK sees businesses sell ownership VWDNHV RQOLQH WR LQGLYLGXDOV ZKR EHFRPH VKDUHKROGHUV Âą was precisely how Thomas 6WHLQHPDQQ UHODXQFKHG WK FHQWXU\ PDUTXH 3KLOLSSH 'X%RLV )LOV While Switzerland’s oldest ZDWFK IDFWRU\ GDWHV EDFN WR its new owner has been at the helm VLQFH :KHQ 6WHLQHPDQQ VHW DERXW UHSRVLWLRQLQJ WKH EUDQG LQ KH decided to pursue the tradition of highTXDOLW\ 6ZLVV ZDWFKPDNLQJ LQ D QHZ ZD\ “We really thought about the future of the luxury business, especially the luxury Swiss watch business, because we are sure that a change is coming in how people think about OX[XU\ ´ KH VD\V 7KH IXWXUH VD\V 6WHLQHPDQQ LV OLPLWHG DFFHVV Âł7R EH RQH RI WKH IHZ LV YHU\ LPSRUWDQW ´ KH FRQWLQXHV Âł6R ZH GHFLGHG WR GHYHORS RQO\ OLPLWHG edition products, [each] with 99 pieces, [costing] XS WR RQ DYHUDJH ´ 7R IXQG WKH LQDXJXUDO collection, Steinemann also knew he needed to do things differently to his competitors, which led to FURZGIXQGLQJ Âł1RUPDOO\ \RX XVH D FURZGIXQGLQJ SODWIRUP >VXFK DV FURZGIXQGHU FRP@ EXW ZH VDLG ÂľWKDWÂśV QRW OX[XU\ HQRXJK Âą ZH ZDQW WR JR ZLWK RXU RZQ ZHESDJHÂś ´ - 44 -

7KH ¿UP VWDUWHG UDLVLQJ HTXLW\ LQ $XJXVW DQG ZDV SOHDVDQWO\ VXUSULVHG E\ WKH UHVXOWV ³)LYH PRQWKV ODWHU ZH KDG VKDUHKROGHUV IURP GLIIHUHQW FRXQWULHV DQG WKH\ LQYHVWHG PLOOLRQ 6ZLVV )UDQFV > PLOOLRQ@ 7KLV ZDV WKH PRVW VXFFHVVIXO HTXLW\ IXQGLQJ ZRUOGZLGH LQ WKH OX[XU\ EXVLQHVV 7KH LPSUHVVLYH WKLQJ IRU HYHU\ERG\ ZDV WKDW ZH FRXOG GR LW WKURXJK RXU RZQ ZHE SDJH ´ KH VD\V Steinemann also wanted to bypass the traditional VDOHV DQG GLVWULEXWLRQ PRGHO ³1RUPDOO\ \RX QHHG WR ¿QG D GLVWULEXWRU LQ WKH FRXQWU\ DQG WKH GLVWULEXWRU QHHGV WR ¿QG D UHWDLOHU DQG WKH UHWDLOHU QHHGV WR ¿QG WKH FRQVXPHU 6R \RX KDYH PRQWKV XQWLO \RX JHW ZDWFKHV RQWR WKH ZULVWV RI FRQVXPHUV ´ KH VD\V ,QVWHDG 'XERLV HW ¿OV ODXQFKHG DQ RQOLQH VWRUH WKDW DOVR DOORZV UHWDLOHUV WR SXUFKDVH SLHFHV ³2QOLQH DQG UHWDLO DUH LQ RXU V\VWHP SDUWQHUV DQG QRW FRPSHWLWRUV ´ KH VD\V While the brand is looking for a retail partner in the Middle East to complement its internet store, 6WHLQHPDQQ IHHOV KLV PRGHO LV ULJKW ³<RX VHH HYHU\GD\ WKDW WKH DYHUDJH SULFHV RI SURGXFWV ERXJKW RQ WKH internet are increasing, so we are sure that, in the future, more sales of luxury products will be coming combination, while the modular construction of the IURP WKH LQWHUQHW ´ KH VD\V %XW LVQ¶W OX[XU\ VKRSSLQJ DOO DERXW WKH H[FOXVLYH H[SHULHQFH DQG SHUVRQDOLVHG PRYHPHQW &DOLEUH '' LQFOXGHV DQ (7$ EDVH VHUYLFH" ³, GRQ¶W DJUHH , NQRZ DOO WKHVH ELJ EUDQGV DUH SDUWQHUHG ZLWK D 'XERLV 'pSUD] PRGXOH ³7RGD\ ZH KDYH DURXQG ZDWFKHV DOUHDG\ LQ the market, which for us is really great,” Steinemann VD\V ³7KH PRVW LPSUHVVLYH >WKLQJ@ LV KRZ DFWLYH WKH VKDUHKROGHUV DUH :KHQ ZH VWDUWHG HTXLW\ IXQGLQJ ZH ZHUH QRW DZDUH RI ZKDW ZH ZHUH GRLQJ , KDYH WR VD\ 1RERG\ >LQ WKH OX[XU\ ZDWFK EXVLQHVV@ KDG GRQH LW DOUHDG\ SUHSDULQJ WR VHOO RQOLQH ± PD\EH QRW HYHU\WKLQJ EHIRUH VR ZH ZHUH UHDOO\ SLRQHHUV ´ ³1RZ ´ KH FRQWLQXHV ³ZH KDYH RYHU VKDUHKROGHUV EXW DFFHVVRULHV ´ KH VD\V DQG WKH\¶UH GRLQJ DQ DPD]LQJ MRE DW SXEOLFLW\ , VD\ 7KH EUDQG ODXQFKHG WKH '%) FROOHFWLRQ LQ 1HVSUHVVR KDV *HRUJH &ORRQH\ DQG ZH KDYH *HRUJH D ELJ GDWH FKURQRJUDSK ZLWK VHYHQ GLIIHUHQW PRGHOV &ORRQH\V EHFDXVH WKH\ DUH QRW RQO\ ZHDULQJ D QLFH IROORZHG E\ WKH '%) FKURQRJUDSK ZLWK D PP ZDWFK EXW WKH\ DUH LQYHVWRUV WDONLQJ DERXW WKH ZDWFK VTXDUH FDVH LQ WKUHH YDULDWLRQV ³'%) LV D PRUH DQG DOO WKH VWRULHV DURXQG WKH EUDQG ´ PRGHUQ ZDWFK ´ KH H[SODLQV ³,W IHHOV YHU\ FRPIRUWDEOH $V 'X%RLV HW ¿OV FHOHEUDWHV LWV WK DQQLYHUVDU\ RQ \RXU ZULVW DQG ZH¶YH KDG D ORW RI ZRPHQ EX\ LW DV WKH WKLV \HDU LW LV DOVR VHHNLQJ QHZ LQYHVWRUV LQ QHZ VL]H DQG SURSRUWLRQV DUH MXVW SHUIHFW ´ UHJLRQV LQFOXGLQJ WKH 0LGGOH (DVW ³ SHU FHQW RI RXU )RU WKH WKLUG FROOHFWLRQ '%) UHOHDVHG ODVW \HDU D WZR KDQG DQG VPDOO VHFRQG VHOI ZLQGLQJ ZDWFK LQ ¿YH shareholders come from Europe and now we are offering share packages on our web page to the US, Middle East YDULDWLRQV 'X%RLV HW ¿OV SUHVHQWHG WKH ¿UVW LQ KRXVH DQG $VLD :H¶UH ORRNLQJ IRU VKDUHKROGHUV LQ HDFK PHFKDQLVP LQ LWV \HDU KLVWRU\ 7KH '%) &$/ UHJLRQ ´ KH H[SODLQV ³, GRQ¶W ZDQW WR HQODUJH LW WRR DXWRPDWLF PRYHPHQW ZDV FUHDWHG EDVHG RQ D 5HYXH PXFK LQ RQH VWHS 2XU ZDWFKHV DUH OLPLWHG HGLWLRQV DQG 7KRPPHQ &DOLEHU 7KH RULJLQDO SDUWV ZHUH SDUWLDOO\ UHSODFHG DQG UHYLVHG DQG PLQRU WHFKQLFDO LPSURYHPHQWV we want it also to be a special thing to be part of the VKDUHKROGHU JURXS ´ FDUULHG RXW RQ WKH PHFKDQLVP 6R ZLOO ZH VHH PRUH 6ZLVV ZDWFK ¿UPV DGRSWLQJ D 7KH ¿UVW PRGHO IURP WKH GHEXW FROOHFWLRQ '%) KDV VROG RXW DQG WKH QXPEHU µ ¶ WLPHSLHFH KDV FKDQJHG VLPLODUO\ XQRUWKRGR[ EXVLQHVV PRGHO" ³7KH 6ZLVV ZDWFK LQGXVWU\ LV YHU\ FORVHG ´ 6WHLQHPDQQ FRPPHQWV ³:H RZQHUV DW DOPRVW SHU FHQW KLJKHU WKDQ WKH RULJLQDO NQRZ WKH\ DUH ORRNLQJ DW ZKDW ZH DUH GRLQJ 1RERG\ SULFH 7KLV PRQWK VHHV WKH ODXQFK RI WKUHH QHZ PRGHOV LQFOXGLQJ WKH À\EDFN FKURQRJUDSK '%) SLFWXUHG UHDOO\ EHOLHYHG ZH FRXOG GR LW ± WKH\ EHOLHYH WKHLU ZD\ LV WKH EHVW ZD\ 7KDW¶V DOVR ¿QH ± WKH\ GR YHU\ ZHOO %XW IRU OHIW OLPLWHG WR MXVW QXPEHUHG SLHFHV ,QVSLUHG E\ XV ZH WKLQN WKH ZD\ LV PD\EH GLIIHUHQW LQ WKH IXWXUH ´ WKH OHJHQGDU\ *XOI 5DFLQJ OLYHU\ RI WKH V DQG µ V GXERLV¿OV FK it features a striking orange, blue and black colour

‘To be one of the few is very important, so we develop only limited editions’

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Oscar history. That she had managed to attend the ceremony just six weeks after undergoing an emergency tracheotomy was remarkable; that both the public and her peers had forgiven her scandalous affair with Fisher even more so. A little over three years earlier, Taylor had been happily married to her third husband, Ă€DPER\DQW ÂżOP SURGXFHU 0LNH 7RGG EHVW known for his 1956 production of Around the World in 80 Days. Fisher, meanwhile, was not-so-happily married to actress Debbie Reynolds, and one-half of ‘America’s Sweethearts’. He was also Todd’s best friend, and the two couples were often pictured together. With Todd’s encouragement, Taylor was eager to break free from the old Hollywood studio system that had dictated her professional and personal life since the age of 10. First signed to Universal Studios, VKH VRRQ PRYHG WR 0*0 DQG KLW WKH big time in 1944’s National Velvet, In the late 1950s, Elizabeth Taylor was at the aged just 12. The studio went on to centre of a scandal that rocked the movie world. choose her roles, control her public AIR looks at how this tumultuous time changed appearances and even stage-manage the Hollywood publicity machine forever KHU ÂżUVW ZHGGLQJ WR KRWHO KHLU 1LFN\ Hilton, when she was 17. Words: LARA BRUNT ,Q 7D\ORU EHJDQ ÂżOPLQJ &DW RQ D Hot Tin Roof, based on the Pulitzer Prizewinning play of the same name by Tennessee Williams. It was a pivotal role in more ways WKDQ RQH VD\V :LOOLDP - 0DQQ DXWKRU RI +RZ WR %H D 0RYLH 6WDU (OL]DEHWK 7D\ORU LQ Hollywood. “She was a major star and had n April 17, 1961, 2,500 fans transitioned into adult roles very successfully, camped out on benches EXW &DW RQ D +RW 7LQ 5RRI ZDV VHHQ DV DQ lining the red carpet at the opportunity for her really to establish her 33rd Academy Awards, stardom in a serious project,â€? he says. KRQRXULQJ WKH EHVW LQ ÂżOP Todd had also made a verbal agreement with for 1960. While the stars ÂżOHG SDVW RQ WKHLU ZD\ LQWR WKH DXGLWRULXP WKH 0*0 WKDW WKLV ZRXOG EH KLV ZLIHÂśV ODVW ÂżOP crowd waited impatiently for one screen queen for the studio. “Todd told her that she could pick the projects she wanted to and wouldn’t in particular. ‘We want Liz!’ they hollered. have to work all the time, which appealed to )LQDOO\ (OL]DEHWK 7D\ORU DSSHDUHG her because she didn’t really enjoy making accompanied by her fourth husband, the PRYLHV 6R VKH GLG &DW RQ D +RW 7LQ 5RRI ZLWK VLQJHU DQG DFWRU (GGLH )LVKHU WKH ODVW RI RYHU the expectation that this was the end of her JXHVWV WR DUULYH 'UHVVHG LQ &KULVWLDQ ‘indentured servitude’, as she called it, to the Dior haute couture, offset by her trademark studios.â€? mahogany tan, charcoal-rimmed violet eyes “Todd was actually a real visionary,â€? and dazzling jewels, Taylor looked radiant. FRQWLQXHV 0DQQ Âł+H HQYLVDJHG ZKDW ZDV Two hours later, as Yul Brynner named her to come, which was a Hollywood free of %HVW $FWUHVV IRU %XWWHUÂżHOG 7D\ORU EURXJKW control of the studios, where independent her white-gloved hands to her red lips and ÂżOPPDNHUV PDGH DQG GLVWULEXWHG WKHLU RZQ remained speechless amid what was later ÂżOPV EUHDNLQJ DZD\ IURP WKH VWUXFWXUH WKDW calculated as the longest standing ovation in

THE QUEEN OF

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1.

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KDG FRQWUROOHG $PHULFDQ ÂżOPPDNLQJ VLQFH WKH 1920s. And that was a system of moviemaking that Taylor would have found much more attractive; she wouldn’t have to report to the studio at certain times because her husband was the boss. She was very much looking forward to that.â€? +RZHYHU RQ 0DUFK LQ WKH PLGVW RI ÂżOPLQJ 7RGG ZDV NLOOHG ZKHQ KLV SULYDWH plane, with ‘The Liz’ emblazoned on its side,

‘It was the moment when Hollywood realised there’s no such thing as bad publicity’ FUDVKHG LQ 1HZ 0H[LFR OHDYLQJ 7D\ORU D widow at 26. “She was obviously personally devastated but she was also professionally DGULIW ´ VD\V 0DQQ Âł+HUH VKH KDG EHHQ WKLQNLQJ Âľ,ÂśP GRQH ZLWK 0*0 ,ÂśP GRQH with the Hollywood studio structure’, and WKHQ 0LNH ZDV JRQH DORQJ ZLWK DOO RI WKRVH dreams.â€? In her grief, Taylor turned to Fisher for support. “Fisher was, in many ways, Todd’s

protĂŠgĂŠ. He was very involved in the Todd organisation, which was advising him on his career. So Taylor was doubly dependent on Fisher because, not only was he a connection to Todd personally, but he also had ties within the Todd organisation and she still hoped the RUJDQLVDWLRQ FRXOG JHW KHU RXW RI 0*0 ´ The pair began an affair, igniting one of the greatest Hollywood love scandals of the era. “The fan magazines called her everything, including Black Widow, and [actress-turnedgossip columnist] Hedda Hopper, the selfappointed moral guardian of Hollywood, led WKH FKDUJH DJDLQVW KHU ´ VD\V 0DQQ Âł,W ZDV D GLIÂżFXOW WLPH EHFDXVH XS XQWLO WKDW SRLQW Taylor had always enjoyed the affection of the public, ever since making National Velvet.â€? The scandal also had more far-reaching FRQVHTXHQFHV VD\V 0DQQ Âł,W FKDQJHG WKH ZD\ Hollywood did business. It was the moment when Hollywood realised there’s no such thing as bad publicity,â€? he comments. “Up until then, the studios had tried to control publicity and everything was micro-managed, whereas when this kind of got out of control, Taylor and KHU KDQGOHUV VDLG Âľ+H\ PD\EH WKLV LVQÂśW JRLQJ to be so bad for us’.â€? Professionally, the actress - 48 -

4.

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ZHDWKHUHG WKH VWRUP &DW RQ D +RW 7LQ 5RRI received rave reviews and Taylor her second Best Actress nomination. When it came to her personal life though, Taylor refused the tow the studio line. In 1959, Fisher divorced Reynolds and he and Taylor married. She appeared in another hit ÂżOP 6XGGHQO\ /DVW 6XPPHU IRU ZKLFK VKH received yet another Oscar nomination. The IROORZLQJ \HDU LQ RUGHU WR IXOÂżOO WKH WHUPV RI KHU FRQWUDFW 0*0 IRUFHG KHU WR PDNH %XWWHUÂżHOG WKH VWRU\ RI D ZRPDQ LQYROYHG LQ an affair with a married man. “She didn’t like the script, which was kind of trite, and she was QRW KDSS\ EHFDXVH VKH ZDV EDFN DW 0*0 ´ VD\V 0DQQ It was life imitating art, yet Taylor made no apologies. “It was shrewd on the part of 7D\ORUÂśV DJHQWV WR VD\ Âľ<RXÂśOO JHW WKH SXEOLFÂśV affection back but you’ll do it by staying true to yourself,’ which was a woman who did what she wanted and took what she wanted. And it worked. She never apologised, she just went on with her life and people [eventually] seemed to realise that she wasn’t a malicious person. It was a daring strategy but it worked,â€? says 0DQQ It was not just Taylor who triumphed after WKH VFDQGDO Âł6RRQ DIWHU 7D\ORU ZDV WKH ÂżUVW woman in Hollywood to be paid $1 million to PDNH D PRYLH ZLWK &OHRSDWUD DQG YHU\ VRRQ after that, Reynolds was the second woman to be paid $1 million to make a movie. They made RXW ÂżQH EHFDXVH ERWK RI WKHP UHDOLVHG KRZ WR

1. Elizabeth Taylor in 1973 looking through a string of Bulgari pearls and wearing a ruby ring from Van Cleef & Arpels, both gifts from Richard Burton. 2. Taylor and Mike Todd board his private plane, named The Liz, in February 1958. 3. Burton and Taylor in between takes during the filming of Cleopatra in 1962. 4. Taylor and Eddie Fisher leaving the Tropicana Night Club in Las Vegas in 1959. 5. Taylor in Rome in 1953, wearing a full length gown by the Fontana Sisters.

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JUDE SXEOLFLW\ DQG XVH LW ´ VD\V 0DQQ Fisher, on the other hand, didn’t fair so well. “He was caught in the middle, because there was no way he could position himself; he was always going to be the bad guy,â€? comments 0DQQ Âł+LV WHOHYLVLRQ VKRZ ZDV FDQFHOOHG DQG fewer and fewer people came to his nightclub shows. One night, he was on stage and the Rat Pack was heckling him from the audience DQG WKDW VRUW RI VHDOHG WKH GHDO (GGLH )LVKHU had become a laughing stock. And that would QHYHU GR IRU WKH KXVEDQG RI (OL]DEHWK 7D\ORU So it was the prefect storm in some ways for her to meet Richard Burton.â€? 7D\ORU ZDV ÂżQDOO\ IUHH RI KHU 0*0 FRQWUDFW \HW PDNLQJ &OHRSDWUD IRU 7ZHQWLHWK &HQWXU\ Fox proved to be the most turbulent period of her life. Production started in September 1960; it famously took two-and-a-half years RI ÂżOPLQJ WR EULQJ WKH ODYLVK VSHFWDFOH WR WKH VFUHHQ Âł'XULQJ ÂżOPLQJ LQ /RQGRQ 7D\ORU got very sick with pneumonia and had a tracheotomy. [Her relationship] with Fisher ZDV GLIÂżFXOW E\ WKLV SRLQW EXW KH ZDV ZLWK KHU

‘Taylor was the first woman in Hollywood to be paid $1 million to make a movie, with Cleopatra’ WKURXJKRXW ´ VD\V 0DQQ Once again, Taylor realised she could use the situation to her advantage. “Not that she wasn’t seriously ill – she was – but, at the same time as the headlines were coming out about her in hospital, the voters back in Los Angeles were deciding on the Best Actress for the Academy Awards.â€? Her near-death experience garnered sympathy from all; she WRRN KRPH WKH 2VFDU IRU %XWWHUÂżHOG DQG HYHQ received a get-well telegram from Reynolds. $IWHU VKH UHWXUQHG WR WKH &OHRSDWUD VHW which had now moved to Rome under a new director, her marriage to Fisher soured. “In the beginning I think [the relationship] was happy and fun, sneaking around to avoid the SDSDUD]]L ´ VD\V 0DQQ Âł%XW )LVKHU ZDVQÂśW OLNH Todd; he didn’t have Todd’s money, he didn’t KDYH KLV SRZHU RU LQĂ€XHQFH $QG DV )LVKHU ODWHU VDLG Âľ(OL]DEHWK H[SHFWHG D GLDPRQG ULQJ with breakfast every morning’. Obviously that’s a bit of hyperbole, but in spirit, it’s true.â€? $W WKH VDPH LW WLPH VSDUNV ZHUH Ă€\LQJ between Taylor and her leading man. “Fisher became very threatened by it and so did [Richard Burton’s wife] Sybil – the drama that went on with all parties involved was pretty

5.

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intense.â€? The Burtons eventually divorced in December 1963, followed by the Fishers in 0DUFK 7KH ÂżHU\ DQG SDVVLRQDWH 7D\ORU Burton union, meanwhile, went on to become the stuff of Hollywood legend. In an unusual twist of fate, Taylor and Reynolds later rekindled their friendship when they coincidentally ended up on the same cruise ship. “I think they realised neither one of them intended any harm to the other. Taylor knew that Fisher and Reynold’s marriage was never one of love and passion – it had been a studio-arranged romance – so she never felt she was breaking up a happy marriage,â€? UHĂ€HFWV 0DQQ The author is currently developing a musical based on the love triangle, called Liz and Debbie. “The Hollywood machine was ready to eat both of them alive and they didn’t let it happen, so it’s a story of survival, of friendship, and that fascinating moment in popular culture when it was realised that everything can be managed.â€? She’s remembered for her spectacular jewellery and colourful lovelife, yet perhaps Liz Taylor should go down in history as the original Queen of Spin.

TITLE

T H E L ONG ROA D T O

FR E E DOM Interview: IAIN DEY - 52 -

On the back of the dramatised events of Selma playing out on our cinema screens, AIR speaks to congressman John Lewis who walked alongside Martin Luther King during those momentous days - 53 -

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T

he city of Selma in Alabama had become the focus of the campaign for equal voting rights by 1965. Elaborate registration procedures, including literacy tests, had disenfranchised much of the AfricanAmerican population. Three protest marches took place in March. 7KH ÂżUVW DQ DWWHPSW WR ZDON WKH PLOHV WR WKH VWDWH FDSLWDO 0RQWJRPHU\ ZDV FXW VKRUW ZKHQ SURWHVWHUV ZHUH DWWDFNHG E\ VWDWH police at the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the edge of Selma. 7ZR GD\V ODWHU 0DUWLQ /XWKHU .LQJ -U OHG D symbolic march to the bridge. On March 21, KDYLQJ ZRQ FRXUW SURWHFWLRQ IRU D IXOO VFDOH SURWHVW .LQJ VHW RXW DJDLQ ZLWK SHRSOH LQ WRZ 7KLV WLPH WKH\ UHDFKHG 0RQWJRPHU\ ² by the time of their arrival on March 25, their QXPEHUV KDG VZROOHQ WR 7KH PDUFK OHG WR 3UHVLGHQW /\QGRQ -RKQVRQ VLJQLQJ WKH 9RWLQJ 5LJKWV $FW &RQJUHVVPDQ -RKQ /HZLV takes up the story‌ Âł, ÂżUVW ZHQW WR 6HOPD LQ ZKHQ RQO\ WZR per cent of the black voting age population ZHUH UHJLVWHUHG WR YRWH 3HRSOH KDG WR VWDQG LQ ZKDW , FDOOHG LPPRYDEOH OLQHV WR DWWHPSW WR UHJLVWHU 7KHUH ZHUH EODFN ODZ\HUV EODFN physicians, high-school principals and college SURIHVVRUV ZKR KDG IDLOHG WKH VR FDOOHG literacy test. We had many rallies. Every day VRPHERG\ ZRXOG JR GRZQ WR WKH FRXUWKRXVH WR WU\ WR UHJLVWHU WR YRWH DQG WKH\ ZRXOG EH denied. 7KH ÂżUVW PDUFK ZDV SURYRNHG E\ DQ LQFLGHQW LQ D OLWWOH WRZQ FDOOHG 0DULRQ PLOHV IURP Selma. There had been a demonstration near the courthouse and a confrontation occurred. $ \RXQJ PDQ QDPHG -LPPLH /HH -DFNVRQ WULHG WR SURWHFW KLV PRWKHU ² KH ZDV VKRW LQ WKH stomach and died. %HFDXVH RI ZKDW KDSSHQHG WR KLP ZH PDGH D GHFLVLRQ WKH PRYHPHQW GLG WKDW ZH VKRXOG march to Montgomery, the state capital. :KHQ ZH JRW WR WKH KLJKHVW SRLQW RQ WKH EULGJH DW 6HOPD ZH ORRNHG GRZQ DQG VDZ D VHD RI EOXH ² $ODEDPD VWDWH WURRSHUV 0DMRU -RKQ &ORXG RI WKH VWDWH WURRSHUV VDLG Âľ7KLV LV DQ XQODZIXO PDUFK ,W ZLOO QRW EH DOORZHG WR continue. I give you three minutes to disperse and go to your homes or your church.’ +RVHD :LOOLDPV IURP 'U .LQJÂśV RUJDQLVDWLRQ VDLG Âľ0DMRU JLYH XV D PRPHQW WR SUD\ Âś 7KHQ WKH PDMRU VDLG Âľ7URRSHUV DGYDQFH Âś :H VDZ WKHVH JX\V SXW RQ WKHLU JDV PDVNV

‘By the time they reached Montgomery, their numbers had swollen to 25,000’ WKHQ WKH\ FDPH WRZDUGV XV EHDWLQJ XV ZLWK QLJKWVWLFNV WUDPSOLQJ XV ZLWK KRUVHV DQG UHOHDVLQJ WKHLU WHDU JDV , ZDV KLW RQ WKH KHDG E\ D VWDWH WURRSHU ZLWK D QLJKWVWLFN 3HRSOH EHVLGH PH ZHUH WUDPSOHG E\ KRUVHV , WKRXJKW , VDZ GHDWK , WKRXJKW , ZDV JRLQJ to die that day. )LIW\ \HDUV ODWHU , VWLOO GRQÂśW NQRZ KRZ , made it back across the bridge. I guess I lost consciousness and they carried me back. I do WKHQ UHFDOO EHLQJ EDFN DW FKXUFK ,W ZDV IXOO WR FDSDFLW\ ² WKHUH ZHUH KXQGUHGV RI SHRSOH WU\LQJ WR JHW LQ WR SURWHVW ZKDW KDG KDSSHQHG Somebody asked me to say something. I stood XS DQG VDLG Âľ, GRQÂśW XQGHUVWDQG LW , GRQÂśW XQGHUVWDQG KRZ 3UHVLGHQW -RKQVRQ FDQ VHQG troops to Vietnam, but cannot send troops to Selma, Alabama [to protect us from the state police].’ ,W ZDV JRRG WR EH EHVLGH 'U .LQJ RQ WKH ÂżQDO PDUFK , ÂżUVW PHW KLP LQ ZKHQ , ZDV , PHW 5RVD 3DUNV LQ 'U .LQJ EHFDPH my hero, my inspiration, my leader. To be in KLV PLGVW DQG WR JHW WR ZRUN ZLWK KLP DQG JHW WR NQRZ KLP , IHOW PRUH WKDQ OXFN\ , IHOW really blessed. If it had not been for Martin /XWKHU .LQJ -U , GRQÂśW NQRZ ZKDW ZRXOG KDYH KDSSHQHG WR PH SHUVRQDOO\ , GRQÂśW NQRZ ZKDW ZRXOG KDYH KDSSHQHG WR $PHULFD +H ZDV VR inspiring and dedicated to ending segregation and racial discrimination in America.â€?

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COMEDY GOLD As Saturday Night Live celebrates 40 years, AIR looks at how the cult comedy show became a mainstream hit

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1.

J

ohn Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kristin Wiig, Seth Meyers – to name just a few. You may not have seen the American sketch comedy show where these stars all got their big break, but the list of Saturday Night Live alumni reads like a who’s who of the past four decades in comedy. “Executive producer Lorne Michaels handpicked all these people,â€? says Alison Castle, author and editor of Saturday Night Live: The Book. “When they came on SNL, nobody had heard of them and now they’re huge.â€? As the show celebrates its 40th anniversary, the new tome by Taschen pays homage to the hundreds of talented people who have contributed to the show that changed the face of comedy in America. On October 11, 1975 at 11:30 pm, viewers who tuned in to NBC’s new late night show saw a sketch featuring John Belushi repeating, in a thick foreign accent, nonsensical phrases about wolverines being read to him by head writer Michael O’Donohue. Abruptly, O’Donohue clutched his heart and collapsed RQWR WKH Ă€RRU %HOXVKL SDXVHG UDLVHG KLV eyebrow, and then did the same. Posing as the stage manager, Chevy Chase entered the set and feigned confusion before breaking character and announcing to the camera: “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!â€? In that instant, television experienced the ÂżUVW VHLVPLF WUHPRUV RI D PDMRU SDUDGLJP shift. “At the time, sketch comedy was very much tailored towards to the middle-aged, middle class, fairly conservative American market. It was totally out of touch with anybody who was young and hip,â€? says Castle. In comparison, SNL dared to take risks, not least because the weekly show, put together in just six days with a cast of regular comedians and a different host each week, was broadcast live. “SNL was doing something that was so different, people didn’t know what to think at ÂżUVW ´ VD\V WKH DXWKRU Âł%XW WKHUH ZHUH VR PDQ\ SHRSOH ZKR LGHQWLÂżHG ZLWK LW DQG WKRXJKW LW was exciting and different.â€? The show was well received, but not an immediate hit. “People had seen things like Monty Python coming over from the UK, so there was some receptiveness towards a new kind of humour, but as far as American shows, there hadn’t been anything like it,â€? says Castle. “It started a little slowly – the ratings weren’t huge right away – but the audience was out

2.

‘Saturday Night Live was doing something that was so different, people didn’t know what to think at first’ there. Nobody was really sure that it was LQĂ€XHQWLDO XQWLO LW ZRQ VHYHUDO (PP\ $ZDUGV DW WKH HQG RI WKH ÂżUVW VHDVRQ 7KHQ WKH\ realised they had a hit on their hands.â€? Saturday Night Live was created by 0LFKDHOV ZKR OHIW DIWHU ÂżYH \HDUV EHIRUH returning again in 1985. He has remained at the helm ever since, although the cast changes each season. “They keep it fresh by bringing in new people, refreshing the cast and writers on a regular basis. They write every show the week that they perform it so it’s very topical and they’re often reacting to current political or cultural events,â€? says Castle. “There’s also been a conscious effort on Lorne Michaels part to let the types of humour and the style of writing evolve,â€? she remarks. “That’s really important because, especially in the age of the internet and YouTube, the types of humour people want to see evolves. SNL is very good at changing in the same way. It happens naturally; Lorne Michaels just has a brilliant way of putting people together and creating chemistry.â€? The book is arranged by days of the week WR UHĂ€HFW KRZ WKH VKRZ LV FUHDWHG HDFK ZHHN - 58 -

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3.

4.

“On Mondays, they have a meeting with the host, cast and writers to discuss possible ideas and jokes and get a feel for the host,â€? explains Castle. From Monday night until Wednesday, the cast and writers create around 40 sketches, before gathering on Wednesday afternoon for a read-through. Afterwards, Michaels and his team of producers choose 8-12 sketches for that week’s show. Then things really kick into gear, with sets and costumes designed and produced. “By Saturday, the sets have come together, the FRVWXPHV DQG KDLU DQG PDNH XS DUH ÂżQDOLVHG and they do a rehearsal during the day and a dress rehearsal from 8-10pm,â€? Castle says. 7KH ÂżQDO PLQXWHV EHIRUH WKH VKRZ JRHV WR DLU LV VSHQW PDNLQJ VLJQLÂżFDQW FKDQJHV including cutting 30 minutes of sketches. “They tighten it up and sometimes rewrite things quite extensively, which means the cue card writers are frantically updating the cards and the cast members are frantically

reviewing their lines. And then at 11.30pm, they go live on air,� says Castle. While the process sounds incredibly stressful, Castle, who spent the better part of season 39 watching the cast and crew at work, describes it as more like “controlled chaos�. “It blows my mind what they do, but what blows my mind even more is how they do it so professionally. I’ve seen people looking stressed, but I’ve never seen anyone freak out. It takes a certain kind of person, one who doesn’t let the impossibility of the task discourage them. What’s incredible is that, although everything happens quickly, it happens in a very calm and rational way. Most of the time,� she adds, with a laugh. Castle was given access to the show’s archives, resulting in the book packed with over 2,300 images, many previously unpublished. “It was a goldmine of photography,� she comments. “Unseen gems from backstage that are just incredible to see - 60 -

1. Bumper photo of Steve Martin (1976) 2. Dan Aykroyd, Michael O’Donoghue, and John Belushi (1975) 3. Lorne Michaels on stage with Steve Martin for the promo shoot (1989) 4. Will Ferrell, being made up as George W. Bush (2012) 5. Gilda Radner, unfazed, as the Land Shark gobbles John Belushi’s arm backstage (1976) 6. Steven Spielberg, Bill Hader, and Andy Samberg shooting “Laser Cats 7� in Lorne Michaels’s office (2012)

for anyone who has watched the show over the years. That was incredibly rewarding from my point of view, both as a fan of the show and as a photo editor. It was a dream come true to work with that material.â€? While the show’s popularity has ebbed and Ă€RZHG RYHU IRXU GHFDGHV LW UHPDLQV D VWDOZDUW of American TV. “By going on live TV knowing they don’t have enough time to shape the perfect show every week, they let themselves be vulnerable and take the kind of risks that keep the show fresh,â€? says Castle. “The entire crew is so good at what they do,â€? she adds, “that it’s a well-oiled machine. You can throw anything at it – an incredible costume of prosthetics or unbelievable wigs – and they’ll just do it on time. It can’t be overstated what they do because nobody else is doing that, especially these days. Live TV is really an anachronism now.â€? Saturday Night Live: The Book is available now from taschen.com

6.

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Š Photos by: 1&3. Edie Baskin. 2. Suzy M. Drasnin. 4&5. Dana Edelson. 6. F.T. Eyre.

5.

Phoenix

RISING

He’s made a career out of playing oddballs, misfits and outsiders. So what’s next for Joaquin Phoenix? The actor discusses his new movie, Inherent Vice, and the perils of realising your own vision

I

t’s hard to put a picture of Joaquin Phoenix in your mind. When you imagine the 40-year-old actor, do you visualise him clean-cut and imperious, as in Gladiator? Foppish in horned-rim spectacles in 2013’s Her? Or perhaps wild haired, unshaven and shambling as per his infamous appearance on David Letterman in 2009, when he announced he was giving up acting to forge a new career as a rapper? (This turned out to be his greatest subterfuge of all – the entire interview was D VWXQW WKDW IRUPHG SDUW RI &DVH\ $IÀHFNœV PRFNXPHQWDU\ ,œP 6WLOO +HUH His latest role is yet another for the Phoenix PHPRU\ EDQN /DUU\ ¾'RFœ 6SRUWHOOR LV WKH DQWLKHUR RI ,QKHUHQW 9LFH LQ ZKLFK WKH

mutton chopped and afro-sporting Phoenix plays a 1970s detective, investigating the mysterious disappearance of an ex-girlfriend, at the behest of her new lover. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (with whom Phoenix ZRUNHG RQ ÂśV 2VFDU QRPLQDWHG 7KH 0DVWHU ,QKHUHQW 9LFH LV DQRWKHU VKRZFDVH for Phoenix’s ability to totally inhabit a role, leaving nothing of himself behind. The actor says: “As outlandish and crazy as it seems, the characters in this movie are really authentic to PH , WKLQN WKHUHÂśV VRPHWKLQJ UHDOO\ EHDXWLIXO and idealistic about Doc and there’s something really good about his nature. But then he FDQ TXLFNO\ WXUQ LQWR WKDW WKLQJ RI Âľ:KHUH FDQ , VFRUH"Âś >ODXJKV@ $QG , WKRXJKW DOO WKH characters have those qualities, things about

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WKHP WKDW ZH HLWKHU OLNH RU GLVOLNH , MXVW OLNH that it feels really true to me. And typically in movies you have the good guy and the EDG JX\ DQG WKDWœV NLQG RI LW , WKRXJKW WKDW JRRG JX\ KDG D ORW RI ÀDZV DQG TXHVWLRQDEOH motivations; sometimes drugs and sex are NLQG RI SURPLQHQW DQG WKH EDG JX\V KDG D ORW of sadness in their life.� Phoenix is modest to a fault – even his successes can be viewed as failures, with the ULJKW YLHZSRLQW :KHQ DVNHG DW ZKDW SRLQW D FKDUDFWHU FOLFNV ZLWK KLP DQG KH UHDOLVHV he can handle the part, he self-deprecatingly VD\V ³, GRQœW WKLQN , HYHU GR >ODXJKV@ , GRQœW WKLQN WKHUHœV HYHU D SRLQW ZKHUH , IHOW WKDW DQG IUDQNO\ , KDYH KDG H[SHULHQFHV VFHQHV DQG PRPHQWV ZKHUH , KDYH JRQH ¾$OO ULJKW ,œYH JRW LW œ 7KRVH DUH DOZD\V WKH ZRUVW VFHQHV , GRQœW WKLQN WKDW , KDYH D VHQVH RI ZKDWœV JRLQJ RQ , KDYH MXVW EHHQ OXFN\ HQRXJK WR ZRUN ZLWK UHDOO\ JRRG SHRSOH , PHDQ SHRSOH WKLQN \RX DUH MXVW EHLQJ PRGHVW EXW KDYH \RX HYHU VHHQ D ¿UVW FXW OLNH D URXJK FXW RI D PRYLH" 3KHZ

‘I have made a lot of dramatic movies and I don’t know why that is. Part of it sometimes is‌ you’re stuck with your face and I don’t know that this is a comedy face’ ,WÂśV FUD]\ , UHPHPEHU RQ +HU , VDZ DQ HDUO\ FXW DQG WKHUHÂśV WKLV RQH VFHQH ZKHUH , ZDV VR HPEDUUDVVHG LW ZDV VR KDUG WR ZDWFK EHFDXVH , ZDV VR EDG %XW WKHQ , VKRW WKH VDPH VFHQH WKH VDPH WDNH DQG , ZDWFKHG LW DQG , ZDV OLNH Âľ2N Pretty good.’â€? <RX JHW WKH LPSUHVVLRQ WKDW ÂľSUHWW\ JRRGÂś is about as glowing as Phoenix will get when WDONLQJ DERXW KLV RZQ ZRUN 6R ZK\ GRHVQÂśW KH escape behind the camera and try directing? Phoenix bursts out laughing at the suggestion. Âł, WULHG ´ KH VD\V Âł, GLG WKHVH YLGHRV OLNH HLJKW \HDUV DJR DQG LW ZDV VR EDG , MXVW OLNH GR QRW KDYH ZKDW LW WDNHV DW DOO $QG WKH WKLQJ LV , HQMR\HG LW , ZDV OLNH Âľ7KLV LV JUHDW Âś $QG WKHQ , VDZ WKHP DQG , ZDV OLNH WKLV LV WKH ZRUVW IHHOLQJ , UHPHPEHU EHLQJ RQ VHW DQG EHLQJ OLNH Âľ, DP DFKLHYLQJ ZKDW , VDZ LQ P\ KHDG , GLG LW Âś $QG WKHQ , UHDOLVHG WKDW ZKDW ZDV LQ P\ KHDG ZDVQÂśW YHU\ JRRG , ZDV MXVW VR KDSS\ EHFDXVH , ZDV OLNH Âľ7KDWÂśV WKH VKRW WKDW , VDZ LQ P\ KHDG Âś EHIRUH WKLQNLQJ ÂľZK\ GLG \RX ZDQW WKDW VKRW" , MXVW WKRXJKW LW ZRXOG EH FRRO No good.â€? Despite having starred in so many ultraVHULRXV UROHV 3KRHQL[ LV ODLG EDFN DQG surprisingly funny. Reports from on-set

regularly include mentions of how much of a JRRIEDOO KH FDQ EH 6R ZK\ LV KH DOZD\V SOD\LQJ FKDUDFWHUV ZKR DUH ZUDFNHG ZLWK H[LVWHQWLDO guilt, or occasionally downright evil? Phoenix FRQWHPSODWHV DQG VD\V ³, UHDOLVH WKDW , KDYH PDGH D ORW RI GUDPDWLF PRYLHV DQG , GRQœW NQRZ ZK\ WKDW LV 3DUW RI LW VRPHWLPHV >LV@ \RXœUH VWXFN ZLWK \RXU IDFH DQG , GRQœW NQRZ WKDW WKLV LV D FRPHG\ IDFH , PHDQ inadvertently sometimes, but sometimes you see actors and comedians that try to do something serious and they can’t because ZKHQ WKH\ FRPH RQ VFUHHQ \RX MXVW JLJJOH DQG WKHUH LV VRPHWKLQJ DERXW WKHP %XW \RX NQRZ LQ WKHLU OLIH WKH\ DUH VXSHU VHULRXV DQG LWœV NLQG of the clichÊ of comedians, where you hang RXW ZLWK WKHP DQG \RX DUH OLNH ¾:RZ \RX DUH GUHDU\ œ , UHDG VRPHWKLQJ UHFHQWO\ DQG LWœV VR IXQQ\ DQG LWœV DQ $GDP 6DQGOHU PRYLH DQG LWœV VR JRRI\ DQG KLODULRXV DQG JUHDW DQG , ZDV VR WHPSWHG WR GR LW EXW , ZDV OLNH ¾7KLV IDFH LV QRW JRLQJ WR EH DEOH WR SXOO WKDW RII œ %XW , DP open to anything.� -RDTXLQ 3KRHQL[ VWDUULQJ LQ D ZDFN\ FRPHG\ ZLWK $GDP 6DQGOHU" ,Q D FDUHHU WKDWœV DV unpredictable as it is thrilling, it might not be a bad bet.

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MOTORING

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Word s :

L ara B

speed

r unt

The need for

As the Bentley Continental GT3-R debuts in the region, AIR looks at how the luxury marque has returned to its racing roots

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MOTORING

W

hen quizzed on car manufacturers with a strong motorsport heritage, names like Ferrari, Audi and Bugatti probably spring to mind. But as the Continental GT3-R – the fastest-accelerating Bentley ever – makes its debut in the UAE, we are reminded, yet again, of the marque’s impressive racing pedigree. “Bentley historically was always a racing brand,â€? says Robin Peel, Bentley’s head of marketing and communications for the Middle East. “In the ‘20s we ZRQ /H 0DQV ÂżYH WLPHV ,W FHPHQWHG WKH EUDQGÂśV VXFFHVV and cemented our reputation for speed and comfort.â€? Back in Bentley’s 1920s heyday, its dashing drivers became known as the “Bentley Boysâ€? and were celebrated for their high-octane antics and glamorous lifestyles. Founder W.O. Bentley, meanwhile, was all too aware of the power of PR, remarking that he would be “perfectly content to see our cars circulating round Le Mans in inglorious solo solitude as long as the Daily Mail gave us their front page on a Monday morning.â€? However, despite Bentley’s success on the track, in the wake of the Wall Street crash and world recession, WKH FRPSDQ\ ZDV LQ GLUH ÂżQDQFLDO GLIÂżFXOWLHV ,W ZRXOG

not return to compete at Le Mans until 70 years later, when, in 2001, Bentley kicked off a three-year campaign to conquer the epic 24-hour race with the EXP Speed 8. Two cars were entered, with one earning third place and WKH RWKHU IRUFHG WR UHWLUH GXH WR D ¿UH DIWHU D VWURQJ UXQ Bentley returned the following year with a new larger engine, using the race as a test run for 2003. The car managed fourth place. In 2003, 73 years since Bentley’s last win at Le Mans, two Speed 8s entered the famous endurance race. This time they were victorious, ¿QLVKLQJ QXPEHU RQH DQG WZR 7KH %HQWOH\ %R\V ZHUH back. That same year, Bentley rebooted its long-standing Continental brand with the GT road car, which featured the most powerful engine it had ever packed into a roadgoing vehicle. The racing programme was temporarily VKHOYHG DV WKH ¿UP IRFXVHG RQ LWV FRUH EXVLQHVV RI selling cars, although Bentley made it clear it would not be another 70 years before it was back on the track. Racing remained stalled throughout the global ¿QDQFLDO FULVLV WKHQ LQ 6HSWHPEHU WKH FRPSDQ\ XQYHLOHG WKH &RQWLQHQWDO *7 UDFH FDU WKH ¿UVW %HQWOH\ racer for a decade. Powered by a race-prepared version of Bentley’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, the GT3 retained the iconic silhouette of the road-going

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Continental GT, although more than 1,000kg was eliminated by removing luxury features, such as veneer and leather trim, and replacing the doors with race versions, weighing just 12 per cent of the original. Under the guidance of Bentley’s director of motorsport Brian Gush, the Continental GT3 had a successful debut season in 2014, winning three races on two continents DQG ÂżQLVKLQJ VHFRQG RYHUDOO LQ WKH %ODQFSDLQ (QGXUDQFH Series. This year, the programme expands to cover six race series over four continents. The Works team, Bentley Team M-Sport, returns to the Blancpain Endurance Series and will also take on three of the world’s premiere endurance events, beginning with last month’s Bathurst +RXU LQ $XVWUDOLD ZKLFK VDZ WKH WHDP ÂżQLVK IRXUWK in a thrilling race that was decided on the penultimate lap. In May, Bentley will also enter arguably the world’s most gruelling endurance race, the ADAC Zurich 24h Race at the NĂźrburgring in Germany, before taking part in the Gulf 12 Hours at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi in December. Partner teams will also race the Continental GT3 as Works-supported entries in Europe, USA and Asia, while customer teams will compete in races across the globe. “These privateers, or gentlemen racers, are

individuals who are clearly wealthy enough, but also professional enough, to run race teams, primarily for their pleasure,â€? says Peel. “We have a number of those around the world, which is fantastic for us because it brings a race programme into a little more reality, and our fans and our customers can get engaged with it.â€? 0HDQZKLOH WKH ÂżUP UHFHQWO\ XQYHLOHG LWV QHZ UDFH inspired road car, the Continental GT3-R, resplendent in glacier-white paint and British racing-green side strips, during an exclusive track event at Yas Marina Circuit. “The DNA of Bentley is a combination of luxury and UHÂżQHPHQW SRZHU DQG SHUIRUPDQFH DQG WKLV FDU WDNHV that to more extreme levels,â€? says Peel. Under the bonnet of the new two-seater GT is a retuned version of Bentley’s race-proven, high performance 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. Developing 580 PS (572 bhp / 426 kW) and 700 Nm of torque, together with a 100kg weight reduction and shorter gearing, it will get to 100 km/h in just 3.8 secs. With only one car available worldwide for such HYHQWV $,5 ZDV FRQÂżQHG WR D KRW ODS EHVLGH %HQWOH\ performance driving instructor, Peter Barnes. Any disappointment at not being able to take the car for a spin quickly disappeared as we roared around the track – this car deserves to be driven by a pro. Prospective buyers were equally stunned, says Peel. “Several of them were speechless. These are individuals who own a stable of cars, many of them supercars They’re experienced track drivers. They have a reference point, in terms of performance, dynamic handling, braking ability, acceleration, so they’ve got a very high level of understanding. And for those sort of individuals to come out gushing with praise is, for us and our engineers, really pleasing.â€? “At the same time,â€? he continues, “it’s luxurious

‘In its 1920s heyday, Bentley won Le Mans five times’ and sporting inside, with a lot of leather, handcrafted and hand-stitched, and a seat which is supremely comfortable – it’s not a hard bucket seat that perhaps a more track-focused car would have.� Limited to just 300 vehicles worldwide, the 46 lucky buyers in this region will be able to slip behind the wheel in two to three months time. Also soon to hit the streets is the Mulsanne Speed. The new variant to the ultra-luxury grand tourer features a revised 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine designed to boost acceleration, power and torque. Capable of reaching 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, and a top speed of 305 km/h, Bentley believes the Speed is the car most owners want to drive themselves, while the regular Mulsanne is one to be chauffeured around in. We don’t disagree. bentleymotors.com

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GASTRONOMY

Man The

Japan from

Words: RICHARD JENKINS

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Mitsuhiro Araki was running a three Michelin-starred restaurant in Tokyo and gaining rave reviews. Then he decided to shut it down and start from scratch in London. In an exclusive interview, he tells AIR about his bold choice

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GASTRONOMY

I

n the restaurant business, customer service is important. In every review of every restaurant you’ll read, the attentiveness of the staff is one of the PRVW VLJQL¿FDQW WKLQJV RQ ZKLFK DQ establishment will be graded. But, by and large, dining out is not usually a very personal experience. A diner takes his seat, a waiter brings a menu, a tip is left at the end of the night. Mitsuhiro Araki does not run an establishment like this. His new London restaurant, The Araki, seats just nine diners per sitting, with two sittings a night. As for the menu, the guest has two options – take it or leave it. “It” being a sumptuous 11-course omakase menu brimming with beluga caviar, ZKLWH WUXIÀH DQG H[TXLVLWHO\ SDLUHG GULQNV

But of course, the most important thing WR ¿QG RXW IURP $UDNL LV ± ZKDW RQ HDUWK DUH you doing here? You were the toast of Tokyo, and now you’re an unknown in London. He calmly replies: “I believe that to nurture the creative spark it is necessary to strive for continual development. I am incredibly proud of what I achieved in Tokyo and humbled by the recognition my restaurant was awarded, but when my daughter moved to the UK for her education I decided that the time was right to challenge myself in London. I believe London now has one of the most exciting culinary scenes in the world and some of the most sophisticated and international clientele.” The Araki opened in November of last year, and has been an instant success. Even weeknight sittings are booked out months in advance; so to get one of the eighteen seats available per evening is a formidable achievement. Is it a struggle having to turn so many prospective diners away? Araki says: “Hospitality is at the heart of what I do, at The Araki every seat is at the chef’s table! Nine is the fewest seats I have ever had at the counter but I believe it gives me the privilege to really engage with my guests. We offer our guests the hospitality that one might expect at a Japanese tea ceremony. Each dish is prepared and served at the counter - some of them handed directly to guests. Others are served on very UDUH DQG H[TXLVLWH -DSDQHVH FHUDPLFV *UHDW attention is paid not only to the preparation

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of beautiful ingredients but also to the experience I want to impart around the ritual of host and guest.â€? Anyone who has been to Tokyo knows that the East versus West culture shock can be TXLWH MDUULQJ 6RSKLVWLFDWHG /RQGRQ GLQHUV PD\ ÂżQG VRPH RI WKH LWHPV RQ 7KH $UDNLÂśV menu a little unusual; but the chef himself has taken pains to make the process as smooth as possible. He says: “The menu is traditional edomae sushi prepared using the highest TXDOLW\ ORFDO LQJUHGLHQWV )RU H[DPSOH , KDYH EHHQ H[WUHPHO\ LPSUHVVHG ZLWK WKH TXDOLW\ RI WXQD , DP DEOH WR SURFXUH IURP 6SDLQ RU Ireland, the oysters again from Ireland and WKH VXUI FODP IURP )UDQFH 7KH ULFH VWLOO FRPHV from my father-in-law’s farm in Japan. Upping sticks entirely from Tokyo to open in London I am of course delighted to be introducing myself to new clientele and I am always very pleased to welcome familiar faces from my

‘At The Araki, every seat is at the chef’s table’ GD\V LQ *LQ]D +RZHYHU WKH PRVW LPSRUWDQW thing for me is the hospitality I can offer my guests - the greatest review has been the number of guests who have re-booked on the spot.â€? When you eat at an international outpost bearing a famous chef’s name, it’s always LPSRUWDQW WR ÂżQG RXW H[DFWO\ KRZ PXFK LQSXW the chef has. Often, he’s there in name only. )RU 0LWVXKLUR $UDNL WKH UHVWDXUDQW WKDW EHDUV KLV QDPH LV WKH RQO\ SODFH \RXÂśOO ÂżQG him – he cannot be in two places at once. How important is that to him? Araki says: “The Araki has a very small team of peoplewith one trainee sushi master assisting me behind the counter and two front of house staff. I believe that my success rides upon the skill and experience I can offer through the food I produce but also the hospitality and personality I am able to show my guests.â€? And after London, where is next on the radar for the master sushi maker? Back to Tokyo? New York? Dubai? Araki plays it coy, saying: “London is my focus- it has taken three years of hard work to get here and my attention is very much on making The Araki in /RQGRQ WKH YHU\ EHVW VXVKL UHVWDXUDQW ÂżUVW RI all in Europe, and then the world!â€? Judging by the reviews so far, he’s well on the way. the-araki.com - 73 -

TRAVEL

YACHT STUFF

The best holidays are ones where you’re in control. Charter one of these exquisite yachts in 2015 and the world is your oyster

REBORN

The 25-strong dedicated crew of the Reborn is 100 per cent committed to serving the needs of up to 75 party guests, even

offering a hair salon and a full spa. A walk around the ship’s spacious decks will reveal a beautiful winter garden, fully seated outdoor cinema and even

a stylish piano lounge. It’s the perfect choice for a stylish couple. CHARTER FROM: edmiston.com

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TRAVEL

BIG FISH

The award-winning Big )LVK LV WKH ÂżUVW RI D QHZ generation of superyacht Âą RQH WKDWÂśV DW WKH FXWWLQJ edge of luxury, but also fully equipped to navigate its way anywhere on the planet. The master cabin offers 270° views through WKH Ă€RRU WR FHLOLQJ windows, and the exterior decking is made from epoxy-infused granite, rather than teak. The EHQHÂżW WR WKLV" /DGLHV QR longer have to remove their high heels once on board. 7KH ÂżQDO Ă€RXULVK LV WKH 7.9m custom-made tender, with an array of sea toys including paddleboards, ND\DNV DQG VFXED JHDU , say. CHARTER FROM: Y.CO

SOLANDGE

Lovingly crafted as a family yacht for pleasure cruises throughout the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, Solandge has a healthy six decks, each with a different purpose. From WKH GDQFHĂ€RRU DQG '- booth on the top deck WR WKH QDXWLFDO WR\ ÂżOOHG playground below decks LQFOXGLQJ D IXOO\ FHUWLÂżHG 3$', GLYH VKRS WKHUHÂśV something for everyone to enjoy on this beautiful vessel. CHARTER FROM: fraseryachts.com - 76 -

4. UTOPIA

This 71-metre behemoth has several quirky areas that set her apart from others in her class. The duplex sun deck provides 360° views of the ocean IURP D -DFX]]L WKDWœV D huge 15 metres above sea level. The ship is built around the imposing master suite, which occupies the entire upper deck and includes its own gym and forward breakfast terrace. CHARTER FROM: edmiston.com

TV

Built for exploring, TV is the ideal yacht for adventurous families. Some of the watery treats on board include a 20-metre

waterslide, pool and swimXS EDU DQG D -DFX]]L RQ WKH sundeck area big enough for 16. The stunning master VXLWH KDV LWV RZQ -DFX]]L plus private balcony and

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his-and-hers bathrooms. 7KH SULFH" $ FRRO Âź per week. CHARTER FROM: edmiston.com

TRAVEL

HORSE PLAY

A highlight of the social season wherever it’s staged, have your mallets at the ready for British Polo Day…

M

arch 21 is WKH ¿UVW date in this season’s British Polo Day calendar, the annual celebration of the history and heritage of polo that’s now in its seventh year. $EX 'KDEL¶V ÀRRGOLW *KDQWRRW Racing & Polo Club sets the scene for the latest chapter in a success story sprung from the idea to stage a single match between old foes Eton and Harrow in the Middle East. Six years on, that historic FRQWHVW UHPDLQV D ¿[WXUH RI DQ - 78 -

THE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Abu Dhabi March 21

Dubai March 27

Morocco April 25

USA May 30

Great Britain June 20

China September 13

Australia November 1

Sumba Island November 4-8

Mexico November 28

India December 12-13

event that now spans the globe, taking in dates in Australia, China, India, Mexico, Morocco, 5XVVLD 86$ *UHDW Britain, as well as two in the UAE. :KLOH VRPH RI %ULWDLQÂśV ÂżQHVW young polo players will be on show in Abu Dhabi, the evening will commence with a nod to the host nation as two teams do battle for the Hackett Camel Polo Cup, before a team comprised of British exiles WDNH RQ WKH KRPH WHDP *KDQWRRW At the heart of British Polo Day is philanthropy, with each event

encompassing a charity auction. To date over US$1.2million has been raised and donated to worthy causes, a fact that brought the attention of Downing Street with the founders of British Polo Day invited there to toast their success. “We are delighted that the British Polo Day series has become a global platform that celebrates the history and heritage of polo whilst also UDLVLQJ VLJQLÂżFDQW DPRXQWV IRU good causes,â€? said Tom Hudson, Co-Founder of British Polo Day. “We began in the UAE in 2009 and always feel that this is the home of British Polo Day and that the success - 79 -

of the event is no small part due to the vision and spirit in the UAE.� British Polo Days are invitation only events. If you would like to apply for an invitation visit britishpoloday.com. The general public can attend British Polo Day Dubai and watch pitchside at the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club by paying AED150 per car on arrival. Those wishing to attend any of the international dates can travel WKURXJK %ULWLVK 3ROR 'D\œV RI¿FLDO travel partner, Abercrombie & Kent, and should email them at britishpoloday@abercrombiekent. co.uk

LIFE LESSONS

WHAT I KNOW NOW

Nigel Lamb

Breitling Racing Team pilot and Red Bull Air Race World Champion 0\ IDWKHU ZDV D ¿JKWHU SLORW GXULQJ WKH 6HFRQG :RUOG :DU DQG ZH OLYHG LQ WKH HDVWHUQ KLJKODQGV RI 5KRGHVLD QRZ =LPEDEZH 2XU IDUP ZDV DW IHHW ZH KDG TXLWH D IHZ PRXQWDLQV 2XU KRXVH ZDV IXOO RI DOO WKHVH ZDUWLPH À\LQJ ERRNV DQG , UHPHPEHU VHHLQJ WKH ELUGV DURXQG WKH SHDNV RI WKHVH PRXQWDLQV DQG , MXVW DOZD\V ZDQWHG WR À\ :KHQ , ZDV , ZURWH WR WKH $LU )RUFH DQG DVNHG ZKDW , KDG WR GR WR EH D SLORW 7KH\ VDLG µ6WD\ LQ VFKRRO ¶ ZKLFK ZDV JRRG DGYLFH 0\ IDWKHU ZRXOG DVN PH ZKDW , ZRXOG GR LI , GLGQ¶W JHW LQWR WKH $LU )RUFH DQG , QHYHU KDG DQ DQVZHU , ZDV YHU\ XQGHUFRQ¿GHQW , ZDVQ¶W D KLJK DFKLHYHU LQ VFKRRO %XW WKHQ , DSSOLHG IRU WKH $LU )RUFH DQG RQFH , VWDUWHG À\LQJ , IRXQG P\ SDWK 0RYLQJ IURP WKH PLOLWDU\ WR DHUREDWLFV DQG DLU UDFLQJ LW¶V D PL[WXUH RI DOO GLVFLSOLQHV ,¶YH HDUQHG P\ OLYLQJ IRU WKH ODVW \HDUV À\LQJ KLJK SHUIRUPDQFH PDFKLQHV FORVH WR WKH JURXQG %H LW DQ DLU VKRZ ¿OP ZRUN RU UDFLQJ \RX QHHG WR EH DEOH WR VHH WKH PDFKLQH DV DQ H[WHQVLRQ RI \RXU ERG\ <RX DUH D ELUG (YHU\WKLQJ LQ OLIH LV D FRPSURPLVH 7KDW GRHVQ¶W PHDQ WR VD\ \RX GRQ¶W VWULYH WR H[FHO EXW LW DOORZV \RX WR XQGHUVWDQG WKDW VRPH WKLQJV QHHG WR EH IRFXVHG RQ DQG RWKHU WKLQJV LW¶V RN WR MXVW DFFHSW 5XQQLQJ D EXVLQHVV \RX¶YH JRW WR PDQDJH SHRSOH PDQDJH ¿QDQFHV DQG PDNH GHFLVLRQV ,W VRXQGV QHJDWLYH EXW UHDOLVLQJ OLIH LV DERXW FRPSURPLVH VDYHV \RX D ORW RI WURXEOH

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