【推荐1】2023 British Arrows

Directed by Various Directors; UK, 2023, 74 minutes; On October 22

With excellent creativity, humorous wisdom, and changing feelings, the British Arrows Awards celebrate the latest creative trends (趋势) in moving-image advertisements. This year’s program finds Daniel Craig walking through a luxury Paris hotel, Miley Cyrus attending a Gucci party, and Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) and John Boyega (Star Wars) giving amazing performances.

Conversations in Vermont

Directed by Robert Frank; USA, 1969, 26 minutes, in English; On August 8

Robert Frank’s relationship with his children Pablo and Andrea is explored in his first openly autobiographical (自传的) film. He visits them at a free school in rural Vermont, where he interviews them about their feelings, their upbringing, and what it was like to grow up in a carefree world with parents who are artists.

The Right Stuff

Directed by Philip Kaufman; USA, 1983, 193 minutes, in English; On December 29

The American Air Force test pilots (Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, and Sam Shepard) are the bravest and the most daring men. Suddenly, these men become the first to ride a spaceship as the United States races to put the first man on the moon in this true story of the spacemen.

Life Dances On

Directed by Robert Frank; USA, 1980, 30 minutes, in English; On September 12

Life Dances On brings together Frank’s memories of two very close people and others who shared his life, including his family and people on the streets of New York City. This moving and personal film honors his daughter Andrea and his friend and collaborator Danny Seymour.

【推荐3】Long Island’s local theaters have long pulled from Broadway’s talent pool, providing unique opportunities to see incredible performances. The Long Island theatre culture sets the stage for new works and classic theaters. We’ve rounded up the best spots for you.

The Suffolk Theater

The Suffolk Theater brings a broad range of artists to its stage from Country to Comedy and Classical. Their shows for the holiday season include Top of the World: A Carpenters Christmas on December 2, WLNG’s Rockabilly Christmas! on December 9, Rockapella Christmas on December 11 and The Suffolk 54 New Years Eve! on December 31.

John W. Engeman Theater

The John W. Engeman Theater is a year-round professional theater that casts its actors directly from the Broadway talent pool. This holiday season, their main stage show is the beloved tale, A Christmas Story. Their winter children’s shows include Frosty from November 26 to December 31 and Frozen Jr. from February 4 to March 5.

Studio Theatre Long Island

Studio Theatre Long Island is one of Long Island’s oldest theaters. It is putting on a production of Scrooge the Musical running through December 18 for their main stage performance and Frosty and His Puppet Pals, from November 26 to December 31 for their children’s theatre performance.

ThinkBIG! Theater Arts

ThinkBIG! is a non-profit theater arts company offering community and school programs and performances for young audiences. This holiday season, their fall acting classes are taking place at Gigi’s Playhouse in Patchogue. And their traveling’ trunk show is Long Island’s only interactive children’s show where kids from the audience star in the show!

【推荐3】The term “culture” now is more used to describe everything from the fine arts to the outlook of a business group or a sports team. In its original sense, however, culture includes all identifying aspects of a racial group, nation, or empire; its physical environment, history and traditions, its social rules and economic structure, and its religious beliefs and arts.

The central beliefs and customs of a group are handed down from one generation to another. It is for this reason that most people regard culture as learned rather than innate. People acquire a culture because they are not born with one. The process by which a person develops a taste for regional foods, accented speech, or an outlook on the world over time, therefore, is known as enculturation.

Cultures are often identified by their symbols-images that are familiar and coated with meaning. Totem poles carved with animals and creative figures suggest aspects of the Native American peoples of the Pacific Northwest but more literally represent specific tribes. In Asia and India, the colour of yellow is connected with temples, while in ancient China it was a colour only the emperor’s family was allowed to wear. Thus, different cultures may respond to a symbol quite differently. For example, to some a flag may represent pride, historical accomplishments, or ideals; to others, however, it can mean danger or oppression.

To individuals unfamiliar with cultures outside their own, the beliefs, behaviours, and artistic expression of other groups can seem strange and even threatening. A society that ranks all other cultures against its own standards is considered to be ethnocentric(from the Greek ethnos, meaning “people”, and kentros, meaning “centre”). A strongly ethnocentric society assumes also that what is different from its own culture is likely to be inferior and, possibly, wrong or evil.

All people are ethnocentric to some degree, and some aspects of ethnocentrism, such as national pride, contribute to a well-functioning society. An appreciation for one’s own culture, however, does not prevent acceptance and respect for another culture. History documents the long-term vigour and success of multicultural groups in which people from numerous and various cultural backgrounds live and work together. Extreme ethnocentrism, in contrast, can lead to racism-the belief that it is race and racial origin that account for variations in human character or ability and that one’s own race is superior to all others.