title: Kulintang

text: As ancient as this music is, there has never been substantial data recorded regarding the kulintang's origins. The earliest historical accounts of instruments resembling those of the present day kulintang are in the writings of various European explorers from the 16th century who would have seen such instruments used in passing.


title: Kulintang

text: Because of limited data concerning gong music prior to European exploration, theories abound as to when the prototypes of what is now the kulintang came to be. One theory suggest that the bronze gong had an ancient history in Southeast Asia, arriving in the Indonesian archipelago two or even three thousand years ago, making its way to the Philippines from China in the third century AD. Another theory lays doubt to the former claim, suggesting the kulintang could not have existed prior to the 15th century due to the belief that Javanese (Indonesian) gong tradition, which is what the kulintang was believed to be derived from, developed only by the 15th century.


title: Kulintang

text: In Borneo, the kulintang was originally played during the harvest festival and the Bruneian court. With the expansion of Bruneian empire which at some point encompassed the island of Borneo and souther Philippine, the tradition of kulintang was adopted by the inland Dayak tribes. With that, the tradition of kulintang was expanded to include various tribe ceremonies such as before and after head-hunting expeditions and silat.


title: Kulintang

text: Though different theories abound as to the exact centuries the kulintang was finally realized, there is a consensus that kulintang music developed from a foreign musical tradition which was borrowed and adapted to the indigenous music tradition already present in the area. It's likely the earliest gongs used among the indigenous populace had no recreational value but were simply used for making signals and sending messages.


title: Kulintang

text: Kulintang music likely evolved from this simple signaling tradition, transitioning into a period consisting of one player, one-gong type ensembles (like those found among the Ifugao of Luzon or Tiruray of Mindanao), developing into a multi-gong, multiplayer ensemble with the incorporation of concepts originating from Sunda (Indonesian) and finally transforming into the present day kulintang ensemble, with the addition of the dabakan, babandil and musical concepts of Islam via Islam traders.


title: Kulintang

text: The instrument called the “kulintang” (or its other derivative terms) consist of a row/set of 5 to 9 graduated pot gongs, horizontally laid upon a frame arranged in order of pitch with the lowest gong found on the players’ left. The gongs are laid in the instrument face side up atop two cords/strings running parallel to the entire length of the frame, with bamboo/wooden sticks/bars resting perpendicular across the frame, creating an entire kulintang set called a "pasangan".


title: Kulintang

text: The gongs weigh roughly from two pounds to three pounds each, and have dimensions of 6 to 10 inches for their diameters and 3 to 5 inches for their height. Traditionally they were made from bronze but due to the disruption and loss of trade routes between the islands of Borneo and Mindanao during World War II, resulting in loss of access to necessary metal ores, and the subsequent post-war use of scrap metal, brass gongs with shorter decaying tones are now commonplace.


title: Kulintang

text: The kulintang frame is known as an "antangan" by the Maguindanao (which means to “arrange”) and "langkonga" by the Maranao. The frame can be crude, made from simple bamboo/wooden poles, or it can be highly decorated and rich with traditional okil/okir motifs or arabesque designs. The frame is a necessary part of the instrument, and functions as a resonator.


title: Kulintang

text: It is considered taboo to step or cross over the antangan while the kulintang gongs are placed on it.


title: Kulintang

text: The kulintang is played by striking the bosses of the gongs with two wooden beaters. When playing the kulintang, the Maguindanao and Maranao would always sit on chairs while for the Tausug/Suluk and other groups that who play the kulintangan, they would commonly sit on the floor. Modern techniques include twirling the beaters, juggling them in midair, changing the arrangement of the gongs either before or while playing, crossings hands during play or adding very rapid fire strokes all in an effort to show off a player's grace and virtuosity.


title: Kulintang

text: Kulintang gongs are made using the "cire perdue" method, a lost-wax process used for casting the individual gongs. The first phase is the creation of wax molds of the gongs. In the past, before the availability of standardized wax sheets made specifically for foundry use, the molds were made out of either beeswax ("talo") or candle wax ("kandilà"). The wax mold is covered with a special mixture of finely powdered coal/mud, which is applied on the wax surface using a brush.


title: Kulintang

text: The layers are then left to dry under the sun, after which the entire mold is heated in a furnace to melt away the wax and hardening the coal/mud mixture, leaving behind a hollowed shell. With this hardened mold, molten bronze is poured down the mold's mouth cavity, cooled to a certain degree, then the coal/mud is broken apart, revealing a new gong. The gong is then refined, cleaned, and properly identified by the blacksmith ("pandáy"). Finally, the gongs are refined using the "tongkol" process, tuning these either by hammering the boss from the inside to slightly raise its pitch, or by hammering the boss from the outside to lower the pitch. The correct tuning is found by ear, with players striking a sequence of gongs, looking for a melodic contour they are familiar with.


title: Kulintang

text: Unlike westernized instrumentation, there is no set tuning for kulintang sets throughout the Philippines. Great variation exist between each set due to differences in make, size and shape, alloy used giving each kulintang set a unique pitch level, intervals and timbre. Though the tuning varies greatly, there does exist some uniformity to contour when same melody heard on different kulintang sets. This common counter results in similar interval relationships of more or less equidistant steps between each of the gongs. This tuning system, not based upon equal temperament or upon a system of standard pitches but on a similar/certain pattern of large and small intervals, could also be found among the gamelan orchestras of western Indonesia. In fact, though the Maguindanao, Maranao and Tausug artists technically have no concept of scale (because emphasis placed on the concept of “rhythmic modes”), the Pelog and Slendro scales of Java were found to be most satisfactory to their own varying pentatonic/heptatonic scales.


title: Kulintang

text: Kulintang repertory lacked an indigenous notation system. Compositions were passed down orally from generation to generation negating the need for notation for the pieces. Recent attempts have been made to transcribe the music using cipher notation, with gongs indicated by a numbering system for example, starting from 1 to 8 with the lowest gong starting at number 1 for an eight gong kulintang set.


title: Kulintang

text: The kulintang is traditionally considered a women's instrument by many groups: the Maguindanao, Maranao, Tausūg/Suluk, Samal, Badjao/Sama, Iranun, Kadazan, Murut, Bidayuh and Iban. Traditionally, the playing of the kulintang was associated with graceful, slow, frail and relaxed movements that showed elegance and decorum common among females. Nowadays, the traditional view of kulintang as strictly for women has waned as both women and men play all five instruments, with some of the more renowned kulintang players being men.


title: Kulintang

text: The main purpose for kulintang music in the community is to function as social entertainment at a professional, folk level. This music is unique in that it is considered a public music in the sense everyone is allowed to participate. Not only do the players play, but audience members are also expected to participate. These performances are important in that they bring people in the community and adjacent regions together, helping unify communities that otherwise may not have interacted with one another. Traditionally, when performers play kulintang music, their participation is voluntary. Musicians see performances as an opportunity to receive recognition, prestige and respect from the community and nothing more.


title: Kulintang

text: Generally, performances can be classified as either formal ones or informal. During formal performances adherents follow a traditional set of rules that would govern playing and it usually involved people from outside the home. Informal performances are quite the opposite. The strict rules that normally govern play are often ignored and the performers are usually between people well acquainted with one another, usually close family members. These performances usually were times when amateurs practiced on the instruments, young boys and girls gathered the instruments, substituting the kulintang with the saronay and inubab. Ensembles didn't necessary have to have five instruments like formal performances: they could be composed of only four instruments (three gandingan gongs, a kulintang, an agung, and a dabakan), three instruments (a kulintang, a dabakan, and either an agung or three gandingan gongs) or simply just one instrument (kulintang solo).


title: Kulintang

text: Kulintang music generally could be found as the social entertainment at a host of different occasions. It is used during large feasts, festive/harvest gatherings, for entertainment of visiting friends and relatives, and at parades. Kulintang music also accompanies ceremonies marking significant life events, such as weddings and returnees from the Hajj. Kulintang music also plays a significant role during state functions, used during official celebrations, entertaining of foreign dignitaries and important visitors of distant lands, court ceremonies of either the sultanate or village chieftains, enthroning/coronations of a new leader and the transferral of a sultanate from one family to another.


title: Kulintang

text: Kulintang music is prohibited from being played inside mosques and during Islamic rites/observances/holidays, such as the fasting month of Ramadan, where playing is only allowed at night when people are allowed to eat after Iftar. It is also prohibited during the mourning period of the death of an important person, during funerals, and during the peak times of the planting and harvest season.


title: Kulintang

text: Kulintang instrument has uses other than public performances. It also is used to accompany healing ceremonies/rituals (pagipat)/animistic religious ceremonies. Though this practice has died out among the Maranao due to its non-Islamic nature, some areas in Mindanao, Sabah and Maluku still practice this ancient tradition.


title: Kulintang

text: Kulintang music can be used for communicating long distance messages from one village or longhouse to another. Called "apad", these renditions mimic the normal speaking tones of the Maguindanao language, creating a specific message or, through the use of double entendre, a social commentary understood by nearly any adult native Maguindanao speaker. However, "apad" is falling into disuse because times have changed, and the necessity of its use for long-distance communication purposes has faded away. "Anun" as a music without a message, is used instead to express sentiments and feelings, and has come more and more into use due to its compatibility with the musical elaborations and idiosyncratic styles of the times.


title: Kulintang

text: Kulintang music was also crucial in relation to courtships due to the very nature of Islamic custom, which did not allow for unmarried men and women to intermingle. Traditionally, unmarried daughters were kept in a special chamber in the attic called a lamin, off-limits to visitors and suitors. It was only when she was allowed to play during kulintang performances that suitors were allowed to view her. Because of this, kulintang music was one of the rare socially approved vehicles for interaction among the sexes.


title: Kulintang

text: Musical contest, particularly among the Maguindanao, have become a unique feature of these kulintang performances. They occur at almost all the formal occasions mentioned above, particularly weddings. What has made the Maguindanao stand out from the other groups is that they practice solo gong contest – with individual players showcasing their skill on the various ensemble instruments – the agung, gandingan and the kulintang – as opposed to only group contest, where performers from one town and another town are pitted against each other.


title: Kulintang

text: Kulintang music has no set compositions due to its concept of rhythmic modes. A rhythmic mode (or designation or genre or pattern) is defined as a musical unit that binds together the entire five instrument ensemble. By adding together the various rhythms of each instrument, one could create music and by changing one of the rhythms, one could create different music. This is the basis of the rhythmic mode.


title: Kulintang

text: The kulintang player's ability to improvise within the parameters of a rhythmic mode is a must. As with gamelan orchestras, each kulintang mode has a kind of theme the kulintang player “dresses up” by variations of ornamentation, manipulating segments by inserting repetitions, extensions, insertions, suspensions, variations and transpositions. This occurs at the discretion of the kulintang player. Therefore, the kulintang player functions not only as the one carrying the melody, but also as the conductor of the entire ensemble. She determines the length of each rendition and could change the rhythm at any time, speeding up or slowing down, accord to her personal taste and the composition she plays.


title: Kulintang

text: This emphasis on improvisation was essential due traditional role of the music as entertainment for the entire community. Listeners in the audience expected players to surprise and astound them by playing in their own unique style, and by incorporating improvisation to make newer versions of the piece. If a player simply imitated a preceding player, playing patterns without any improvisation, the audience members would believe she/he to be repetitious and mundane. This also explains why set performance pieces for musical productions are different in some respect—young men/women would be practicing before an event, therefore rarely relying on improvisations.


title: Kulintang

text: Though allowing such a variety of rhythms would lead to innumerable patterns, generally one could categorize these rhythmic modes on the basis on various criteria such as the number of beats in a recurring musical phrase, differences in the melodic and rhythmic groups with the musical phrase, differences in the rhythmic emphasis, and differences in the opening formulas and cadential patterns. For the Maguindanao, three to five typical genres can be distinguished: Duyug, Sinulog, Tidtu, Binalig and Tagonggo. The Maranao on the other hand have only three typical genres—Kapromayas/Romayas, Kapagonor/Onor, and Katitik Pandai/Kapaginandang.


title: Kulintang

text: These general genres could be further grouped among each other into styles/subcategories/stylistic modifiers, which are differentiated from one another based on instrumentation, playing techniques, function and the average age and gender of the musicians as well. Generally, these styles are differentiated by what is considered traditional or “old,” and more contemporary or “new.”


title: Kulintang

text: Old styles are considered slow, well-pronounced and dignified like the Maguindanao's kamamatuan and the Maranao's andung. Genres classified under this style have moderate tempos, are rhythmically oriented, balanced, lack many improvisations and are usually played by the older folks and are therefore always played first, to give due respect to the older generation.


title: Kulintang

text: New styles such as the Maguindanao's kagungudan and the Maranao's bago, are considered fast, rhythmic and showy. Generally genres under this classification have faster tempos with an emphasis on power and speed, are highly rhythmic and pulsating, and are highly improvised with musicians employing different rhythmic/melodic formulae not used with old patterns. “Young” musicians, specifically young men, gravitate toward this style because of its emphasis on virtuosity and one's individualism. Generally played after all kamamatuan pieces have been played to give younger musicians the opportunity to participate.


title: Kulintang

text: Tagunggo cannot be easily classified under one of these styles, being more ritualistic than recreational in nature. Tagunggo is a rhythmic mode often used to accompany trance and dance rituals such as sagayan. During the playing of these pieces, a ritual specialist would dance in rhythm with the music calling on the help of ancestral spirits (tunong).


title: Kulintang

text: Sulu-type compositions on the kulintangan are found among the Tausug, Samal, Yakan, Sama/Badjao, Iranun and Kadazan-Dusun. Though there exist no identifiable rhythmic or melodic differences between patterns with names such as the Maguindanao, each group has their own music compositions. For instance, the Tausug have three identifiable compositions—Kuriri, Sinug, and Lubak-Lubak—the Yakan have two—Tini-id and Kuriri—and the Dusun have three—Ayas, Kudidi and Tidung. Though these melodies vary even within groups like the Maguindanao and Maranao, one theme which characterizes the Sulu-type is the exchange of short melodic phrases between the kulintangan and the Agungs, where both instruments imitate and duplicate each other's rhythms very quickly. This is clearly seen in the Tausug Sinug and Yakan Tini-id and Kuriri compositions where this sort of jousting becomes a game of skill and virtuoso playing.


title: Kulintang

text: The kulintang repertoire has no fixed labels because the music itself is not considered a fixed entity. Due to the fact it is orally transmitted, the repertoire itself is considered something always in a state of flux due to two primary reasons. First, standardized titles weren't considered a priority. Though to the musicians themselves the melodies would sound similar, the labels they would place on a particular rhythmic mode or style could vary even from household to household within that same village. For the musicians, the emphasis is on the excitement and pleasure of playing the music without much regard to what the piece was referred to as. Secondly, because musicians improvised their pieces regularly, modes and styles were continually revised and changed as they were passed on to a newer generation of musicians, making the pieces and therefore the labels attached to them relevant only during a certain frame of time.


title: Kulintang

text: Such issues made attempts to codify the compositions in a uniform manner impossible. An example of this could be found among the Maguindanao where the word binalig is used by contemporary musicians as a name for one of the rhythmic modes associated with kangungudan but it has also been used as a term designating a “new” style. Another example concerns the discrepancy among “old” and “new” genres. With “new pieces” continuously proliferating even up till now, pieces only created decades ago are now considered “old” even though this is considered a tradition spanning many centuries. These differences could sometimes make discussing this repertoire and the modes and styles within it a bit confounding.


title: Kulintang

text: The kulintang gong itself is believed to have been one of those foreign musical elements incorporated into kulintang music, derived from the Sundanese kolenang due to its striking similarities. Along with the fact that they play important roles in their respectively ensembles, both the kulintang and kolenang show striking homogeneity in tapered rims (as opposed to pronouncedly tapered Javanese bonang and non-tapered Laotian khong vong gongs). Even the word kulintang is believed to be just an altered form of the Sundanese word kolenang.


title: Kulintang

text: It was these similarities that lead theorists to conclude that the kulintang was originally imported to the Philippines during the migration of the kolenang through the Malay Archipelago. Based on the etymology, two routes have been proposed as the route for the kulintang to Mindanao: One from Sunda, through Banjermasin, Brunei and the Sulu Archipelago, a route where the word “kulintangan” is commonly used for the horizontal row of gongs; The other from Sunda, thru, Timor, Sulawesi, Moluccas and Mindanao where the word kolintang/kulintang is commonly seen.


title: Kulintang

text: The tradition of kulintang music has been waning throughout the Eastern Malay Archipelago, and has become extinct in some places. Sets of five bronze gong-chimes and a gong making up the totobuang ensembles of Buru island in Central Maluku have also come to disuse. Kolintang sets of bossed kettle gongs were once played in Gorontalo, North Sulawesi long ago but that has all but disappeared, replaced by what locals are presently familiar with—a slab-key instrument known as a kolintang.


title: Kulintang

text: The extent of past kulintang tradition in the Philippines, particularly in the Northern and Central islands of Luzon and the Visayas, will never be fully known due to the harsh realities of three hundred years of Spanish colonization. The fact that there are areas which were able to keep kulintang tradition alive during European colonization has caused some observers to aptly term this music “the music of resistance.”


title: Kulintang

text: In 1968, at the University of the Philippines, eminent ethnomusicologist Professor José Maceda ushered in a new interest in kulintang music with the kulintang Master, Aga Mayo Butocan. The latter devised a notation system and wrote Palabunibunyan, a collection of kulintang music pieces from Maguindanao—which made its study more accessible. Further, she emphasized the improvisational aspect of performing on the kulintang. This enhanced its popularity among students from all over the country.


title: Kulintang

text: Today, the existence of kulintang music is threatened by the influence of globalization, and the introduction of Western and foreign ideals into the region. Younger generations would rather listen to American music, or bike in the streets with other children than spend time practicing and imitating on the traditional instruments of their parents.


title: Kulintang

text: Philippine kulintang music has had a revival of sorts due to the work of Philippine-born, U.S.-educated musicians/ethnomusicologists Master Danongan "Danny" Kalanduyan and Usopay Cadar, as well as their predecessor Professor José Maceda. Through the work of Professor Robert Garfias, both Cadar and Kalanduyan began teaching and performing traditional kulintang music in the United States during the late 20th century; quite unexpectedly, the music became a bridge between contemporary Filipino American culture and ancient Philippine tribal traditions.


title: Kulintang

text: Both Kalanduyan and Cadar have been impressed that so many people lacking Maguindanaon or Maranao background, and some who are not even Filipino, have become dedicated students and supporters of their cultural heritage. An additional surprise came after a decade-long series of American-based kulintang students traveled to Mindanao to perform, sparking a kulintang renaissance in the Philippines. The groundwork for this Renaissance originated as early as 1978 through the work of one of the early cultural pioneers and activists amongst Filipino Americans, Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo. It was his dedication in the early 80's that created the cultural awareness in the Fil-Am community of San Franccisco that sparked a cultural movement. The knowledge of outsiders playing traditional kulintang has encouraged the younger generation of musicians in the Philippines, both in Mindanao and in Taguig, Metro Manila. Enthusiastic appreciation by foreigners has given life to a dying tradition, and the music has become a unifying force in the Philippine diaspora. For the first time in history, kulintang music is now formally taught to music students at several universities located throughout Metro Manila.


title: Kulintang

text: The makeup of kulintang ensembles throughout the region varies between the various cultural groups. Generally, they consist of five to six instruments dominated of course by a melody-playing gong row that functions as a lead/central melodic instrument for the entire ensemble.


title: Christina O

text: Christina O is a private motor yacht that once belonged to billionaire Greek shipowner Aristotle Onassis. At 99.13 metres long, she is the 59th largest yacht in the world as of 2022.


title: Christina O

text: The boat originally served as a Canadian anti-submarine River-class frigate called HMCS "Stormont", launched in 1943. HMCS "Stormont" served as a convoy escort during the Battle of the Atlantic and was present at the Normandy landings. Onassis purchased the "Stormont" after the end of World War II, as it was one of the many surplus naval vessels. Purchasing the ship at scrap value of US$34,000, Onassis then spent an additional US$4 million to convert the vessel into a luxurious superyacht, named after his daughter Christina.


title: Christina O

text: The conversion made full use of the navy ship's size and powerful naval engineering systems to create large, ornate interiors and elaborate luxuries: such as a mosaic swimming pool that once drained can be raised up to deck level to become a dance floor. "Christina O" set a new standard for lavish personal yachts, especially as she was rebuilt amidst the austerity of post-war Europe. The yacht was remodelled by architect Cäsar Pinnau, and the children's dining room was designed and painted by the illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans.


title: Christina O

text: A competitive rivalry with Stavro Niarchos likely drove some decisions around the purchase and outfitting of the ship by Onassis.


title: Christina O

text: After her marriage to Onassis two decades later, Jacqueline Onassis selected the pastel color scheme and decor in all of the cabins.


title: Christina O

text: Apart from Onassis's mistress Maria Callas and his wife Jackie Kennedy Onassis, he entertained celebrities such as Umberto Agnelli, Giovanni Battista Meneghini, Richard Burton, Clementine Churchill, Diana Churchill, Winston Churchill, Jacqueline de Ribes, John F. Kennedy, Greta Garbo, Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, Grace Kelly, Anthony Montague Browne, Rudolf Nureyev, Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan, J. Paul Getty, Eva Perón, Françoise Sagan, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, John Wayne.


title: Christina O

text: In 1956 the wedding of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and Grace Kelly held its reception on "Christina O".


title: Christina O

text: Aristotle Onassis willed ownership of the yacht to his only heir, daughter Christina. In the event that Christina did not want to take ownership, the vessel would have gone to his second wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. If in turn, Kennedy Onassis refused to take ownership, the vessel would be turned over to the Greek government, on condition that maintenance work was carried out and the vessel then offered for use to each incumbent head of Greek state as presidential yacht. Upon Aristotle Onassis's death in 1975, Christina Onassis donated the yacht to the Greek government as a presidential yacht.


title: Christina O

text: After the Greek government changed the name of the "Christina O" to "Argo", she was allowed to decay and was eventually put up for sale at US$16 million in the early 1990s. She went unsold. In 1996, an attempted sale to American Alexander Blastos fell through when his deposit check bounced; he was later convicted of wire fraud as a result.


title: Christina O

text: The vessel was purchased in 1998 by fellow Greek ship owner magnate John Paul Papanicolaou, an Onassis family friend who secured it in a government-sponsored auction. He reverted her name back to "Christina O", in tribute to the late Christina Onassis, who had died in 1988, and undertook a major refurbishment between January 1999 and April 2001 that cost over $50 million, transformed ship into a modern high-quality luxury charter yacht. Papanicolaou hired Naval architect Costas Carabelas to spearhead the vessel's 1998 refit, who engaged interior architect Apostolos Molindris, the firm Decon to manage construction and the Croatian Viktor Lenac Shipyard to carry it out. The Christina O Limited Partnership bought the yacht for €65 million in 2000.


title: Christina O

text: "Christina O" has a master suite, eighteen passenger staterooms, and numerous indoor and outdoor living areas, all connected by a spiral staircase. Compared to a typical 21st-century superyacht, her staterooms are small and "Christina O" lacks the indoor boat storage that is now standard; however, the number of living areas is large, and the amount of outdoor deck space is generous. The aft main deck has an outdoor pool with a minotaur-themed mosaic floor that rises at the push of a button to become a dance floor. Bar appointments included whales' teeth carved into pornographic scenes from Homer's "Odyssey". The bar stools in "Ari's Bar" retain the original upholstery crafted from soft, fine leather made from the foreskins of whales.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: Adalaj Stepwell or Rudabai Stepwell is a stepwell located in the village of Adalaj, close to Gandhinagar city in Gandhinagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat, and considered a fine example of Indian architecture work. It was built in 1498 in the memory of Rana Veer Singh (the Vaghela dynasty of Dandai Des) by his wife, Queen Rudadevi.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: While in Gujarati and Marwari language, the stepwell is called a "vav" (leading down to the level of water), in other Hindi-speaking regions of North India, it is known as a "baoli" (also spelt, 'bawdi', 'bawri' and 'bavadi').


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: Step wells like the one in Adalaj were once integral to the semi-arid regions of Gujarat, as they provided water for drinking, washing, and bathing. These wells were also venues for colorful festivals and sacred rituals.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: Stepwells, also called stepped ponds, built between the 5th and 19th centuries, are common in Western India; over 120 such wells are reported in the semi-arid region of Gujarat alone, of which the well at Adalaj is one of the most popular. Stepwells are also found in more arid regions of the Indian subcontinent, extending into Pakistan to collect rainwater during seasonal monsoons. While many such structures are utilitarian in construction, they sometimes include significant architectural embellishments, as in the Adalaj stepwell, which attracts many tourists. In the past, these stepwells were frequented by travelers and caravans as stopovers along trade routes.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: India's first rock-cut stepwells are dated from 200-400 AD. Subsequently, the wells at Dhank (550-625) and construction of stepped ponds at Bhinmal (850-950) took place.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: The city of Mohenjo-daro has wells, which may be the predecessor of the step well; as many as 700 wells have been discovered in just one section of the city, leading scholars to believe that cylindrical brick lined wells were invented by the people of the Indus Valley civilization. Between third and second millennium BC, at the "Great Bath", at the site of Mohenjodaro of the Harappan civilization, filling of water was achieved from a large well located in one of the rooms in front of the open courtyard of the building–complex.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: While early stepwells were made of stone, later step wells were made of mortar, stucco, rubble, and laminar stones. The well cylinder was the basic form used to deepen the wells. It is also inferred that the Stepwells in Gujarat have survived so long because of the builder's knowledge of the soil conditions and the earthquake proneness of the region.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: The well size recommended, based on considerations of stability, was of four to thirteen "hasta" ('hasta' a Sanskrit word, which means "forearm" of size varying from ), A size of eight "hasta" was considered ideal, and a 13 "hasta" well was considered dangerous. However, the well thickness from top to bottom remained generally uniform. By the 11th century, the stepwell planning and design acquired architectural excellence and the Hindu Stepwells were standardized.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: The Adalaj stepwell or 'Vav', as it is called in Gujarati, is intricately carved and is five stories deep. It was built in 1498. An inscription in Sanskrit establishes the history of the Adalaj stepwell found on a marble slab positioned in a recess on the first floor, from the eastern entry to the well. Its construction was started by Rana Veer Singh of the Vaghela dynasty of Dandai Desh. But he was killed in a war, whereafter the Muslim king Mahmud Begada of a neighboring state built it in Indo-Islamic architectural style, in 1499.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: Then follows a glowing description of the well, after which the queen, or rather lady of the chief, is praised in a few verses; the expense is stated at 5,00,111 tankas or over five lakhs, and the whole ends with a repetition of the date as given above.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: The cultural and architectural depiction in the deep wells at various levels are a tribute to the history of step wells, built initially by Hindus and subsequently ornamented and blended with Islamic architecture during the Muslim rule.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: As per legend the 15th century, Rana Veer Singh of the Vaghela dynasty, a Hindu ruler, reigned over this territory known as Dandai Desh. His kingdom was a small one. It was subject to water shortage and was highly dependent on the rains. To alleviate the misery of his people, the Rana began the construction of a large and deep stepwell.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: Before this project could be completed, his kingdom was attacked by Mohammed Begda, the Muslim ruler of a neighboring kingdom. The Rana king was killed in battle, and Mohammed Begda occupied his territory. Rana Veer Singh's widow, a beautiful lady, known as Rani Roopba (or Roodabai), wanted to perform Sati and join her husband in the afterlife. However, Begada prevented her from giving up her own life and proposed marriage with the dowager.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: She agreed to a marriage proposal on the condition that he would first complete the building of the stepwell. The Muslim king, who was deeply enamored of the queen's beauty, agreed to the proposal and built the well in record time. Once the well was completed, Begda reminded the queen of her promise to marry him. Instead, the queen who had achieved her objective of completing the stepwell started by her husband decided to end her life. She circumambulated the stepwell with prayers and jumped into the well, ending the saga of building the well in tragedy.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: One version, which is narrated in the 200 years old scriptures of the Swaminarayan sect, suggests that before she died, Rani Roopba requested religious saints to take a bath in this stepwell so that the water in the stepwell gets purified by these saints, thereby delivering her from her sins.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: Another is linked to the tombs found near the well. The graves of six masons who built the well are seen near the "Vav". Begda asked the Masons if they could make another similar well, and when they agreed, Begda sentenced them to death instead. Begda was so impressed by the architectural excellence of the stepwell that he did not want a replica to be built.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: Built-in sandstone in the Solanki architectural style, the Adalaj stepwell is five stories deep. It is octagonal in a plan at the top, built on an intricately carved large number of pillars. Each floor is spacious enough to provide for people to congregate. It was dug deep to access groundwater at that level, accounting for seasonal fluctuations in water level due to rainfall over the years. The air and light vents in the roofs at various floors and the landing level are in the form of large openings. From the first story level, three staircases lead to the bottom water level of the well, which is considered a unique feature. Built along a north-south axis, the entrance is from the south, and the three staircases are from the south, west, and east directions leading to the landing, which is on the northern side of the well. Four small rooms with oriel windows decorated with minutely carved brackets are provided at the landing level, at the four corners. The structural system is typically Indian with traditional trabeate with horizontal beams and lintels. At the bottom of the well is a square stepped floor in the shape of a funnel extending to the lowest plane. This is chiseled into a circular well. Above the square floor, columns, beams, walls, and arched openings spiral around, a feature that continues to the top. However, the top part of the well is a vertical space open to the sky. The four corners of the square are strengthened with stone beams, set at 45 degrees angle.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: The motifs of flowers and graphics of architecture blend very well with the symbols of Hindu and Jain gods carved at various levels of the well. The dominant carvings on the upper floors are of elephants ( in size, each of a different design). The Islamic architectural style could be attributed to the Muslim king Begda who built it. The walls are carved with women performing daily chores such as churning of buttermilk, adorning themselves, scenes of the performance of dancers and musicians, and the King overlooking all these activities.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: An interesting depiction carved from a single block of stone is of the "Ami Khumbor" (symbolic pot of the water of life) and the "Kalp Vriksha" (a tree of life). Also seen is a fresco of navagraha or nine planets. These depictions are said to attract villagers for worship during marriage and other ritualistic ceremonies.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: The temperature inside the well is about five degrees lower than the outside hot summer temperatures. This encouraged the women who came to fetch water to spend more time in the cool climes here. They stayed to worship the gods and goddesses and gossip.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: A tribute paid to the rich underground structures, which are intricately decorated with sculptures, is that they are said to resemble palaces.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: The Adalaj stepwell is a popular tourist attraction of the Gandhinagar city and is situated north of Ahmedabad city. It is from Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat.


title: Adalaj Stepwell

text: Ahmedabad is well connected by road, rail, and air links with the rest of the country. The international airport at Ahmedabad, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport, has flights operating to several countries. Gandhinagar is the railway station closest to the stepwell.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: Star Trek: Renegades is a 2015 American science fiction fan film based on the "Star Trek" media franchise. It concerns a group of criminals and misfits who undertake a covert mission when suspicion arises that Starfleet's official military chain of command has been compromised by enemy agents. It was funded largely through crowdsourcing, and the film's producers said they would submit it to CBS as a spec TV pilot. The completed pilot film was released for public viewing via YouTube beginning August 24, 2015.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: Plans were announced for a "Renegades" web-based series, but in 2016 the overt "Star Trek" elements and characters were removed to avoid legal complications as a result of the Star Trek: Axanar lawsuit.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: Ten years after the starship "Voyager"s return from the Delta Quadrant, the Federation is in a crisis. The Federation's main suppliers of dilithium crystals (the primary catalyst for the fuel used in faster-than-light travel) are disappearing. Space and time have folded around several planets, isolating them from outside contact. The phenomenon is unnatural – someone or something is causing it to happen. The need to stop this necessitates drastic measures, some of which are outside the Federation’s normal jurisdiction.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: Admiral Pavel Chekov, head of Starfleet Intelligence, turns to Commander Tuvok, "Voyager"s former security officer and current head of the newly reorganized Section 31, Starfleet's autonomous intelligence and defense organization. Tuvok must put together a new covert, renegade crew – mostly outcasts and rogues, and even criminals. This new crew is tasked with finding out what is causing the folding of time and space, and stopping it at all costs. But will they be able to put aside their differences and stop trying to kill one another in time to accomplish their mission?


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: The team behind "Renegades" had previously produced the fan film "". "Renegades" was shot at Laurel Canyon Studios in Los Angeles, using green screen techniques. Principal photography commenced on October 2, 2013, and was completed on October 16, 2013, in Los Angeles.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: The premise for "Renegades" originated on the final day of the "Of Gods and Men" shoot. Jack Treviño made the suggestion of a series in which the cast had to work outside of the boundaries of Starfleet. Writer Ethan Calk later credited this as being the origin of the idea.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: The production team announced plans for three possible outcomes from the film: CBS picks it up for a series; it is made into a stand-alone film; or it would be the first episode of an Internet-based series. Ultimately it was made into a stand-alone film. Its running time is 90 minutes.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: Primary financing was via three successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Total raised for the film was $375,038. For reference, the film "Star Trek Into Darkness" had an estimated budget of $190 million. On November 28, 2015, "Renegades" reached $300,000 in fund raising according to Kickstarter.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: The cast of "Renegades" includes several "Star Trek" alumni, who in some cases reprised their former roles. Garrett Wang was to return as Harry Kim, but had scheduling conflicts with his involvement in "Unbelievable!!!!!", a comedy film with other Star Trek alumni actors. Wang expressed interest in returning at a later date. J. G. Hertzler was originally set to play Borrada, the film's main antagonist, but had since taken political office in New York.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: Rico E. Anderson was cast as Boras, Richard Herd was cast as Admiral Owen Paris on October 9, 2012. Courtney Peldon was cast as Shree on November 14, 2012. Tim Russ was cast as Tuvok on December 7, 2012. Walter Koenig was cast as Admiral Pavel Chekov on March 4, 2013. Adrienne Wilkinson was cast as Captain Lexxa Singh, leader of the Renegades and a direct descendant of Khan Noonien Singh. Sean Young was cast as Dr. Lucien. Robert Picardo was cast as Dr. Lewis Zimmerman, the developer of the Emergency Medical Hologram program which bears his likeness. Manu Intiraymi reprised his role from as the Brunali former Borg, Icheb.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: Chasty Ballesteros was cast as Ronara, a troubled young Betazoid. Kevin Fry was cast as Jaro Ruk, an unbalanced former Bajoran freedom fighter. Grant Imahara was cast as Lt. Masaru, an aide to Admiral Pavel Chekov. Vic Mignogna was cast as Garis, a vicious Cardassian prisoner.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: Backers of the film were given a limited-time, online-streaming preview of the unfinished film in June 2015. The official premiere took place at Crest Theater, Los Angeles on Saturday, August 1, 2015. Public release of the completed "Star Trek: Renegades" film began on its own YouTube channel on August 24, 2015, and surpassed one million views by December 18, 2015.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: After the official premiere, "Star Trek: Renegades" was shown on Sunday, September 6, 2015 at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto. In mid-September 2015 it was released at the Alamo City Comic Con in San Antonio, Texas and The Geek Gathering in Sheffield, Alabama. In mid-October 2015, it premiered at the TRIFI (TCIF3) Film Festival in Richland, Washington. In late October 2015, it premiered at Rocket City NerdCon in Huntsville, Alabama.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: The original plans were for "Star Trek: Renegades" to be a web series. However, on June 25, 2016, in response to new fan film guidelines, the production team announced that they had removed all "Star Trek" references from the script for the sequel.


title: Star Trek: Renegades

text: "Star Trek: Renegades" won seven of thirteen categories in the 2016 Independent Star Trek Fan Film Awards (Best Production Design; Best Special & Visual Effects; Best Sound Design, Editing & Mixing; Best Makeup & Hairstyling; Best Costuming; Best Director and Best Original Story or Screenplay), presented at and by Treklanta.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: Spinning is a twisting technique to form yarn from fibers. The fiber intended is drawn out, twisted, and wound onto a bobbin. A few popular fibers that are spun into yarn other than cotton, which is the most popular, are viscose (the most common form of rayon), and synthetic polyester. Originally done by hand using a spindle whorl, starting in the 500s AD the spinning wheel became the predominant spinning tool across Asia and Europe. The spinning jenny and spinning mule, invented in the late 1700s, made mechanical spinning far more efficient than spinning by hand, and especially made cotton manufacturing one of the most important industries of the Industrial Revolution.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: The yarn issuing from the drafting rollers passes through a thread-guide, round a traveller that is free to rotate around a ring, and then onto a tube or bobbin, which is carried on to a spindle, the axis of which passes through a center of the ring.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: The spindle is driven (usually at an angular velocity that is either constant or changes only slowly), and the traveller is dragged around a ring by the loop of yarn passing round it.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: If the drafting rollers were stationary, the angular velocity of the traveller would be the same as that of the spindle, and each revolution of the spindle would cause one turn of a twist to be inserted in the loop of yarn between the roller nip and the traveller.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: In spinning, however, the yarn is continually issuing from the rollers of the drafting system and, under these circumstances, the angular velocity of the traveller is less than that of the spindle by an amount that is just sufficient to allow the yarn to be wound onto the bobbin at the same rate as that at which it issues from the drafting rollers.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: Each revolution of the traveller now inserts one turn of twist into the loop of yarn between the roller nip and the traveller but, in equilibrium, the number of turns of twist in the loop of yarn remains constant as the twisted yarn is passing through the traveller at a corresponding rate.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: Artificial fibres are made by extruding a polymer through a spinneret into a medium where it hardens. Wet spinning (rayon) uses a coagulating medium. In dry spinning (acetate and triacetate), the polymer is contained in a solvent that evaporates in the heated exit chamber. In melt spinning (nylons and polyesters) the extruded polymer is cooled in gas or air and sets. All these fibres will be of great length, often kilometers long.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: Natural fibres derive from animals (sheep, goat, rabbit, silkworm), minerals (asbestos), or plants (cotton, flax, sisal). These vegetable fibres can come from the seed (cotton), the stem (known as bast fibres: they include flax, hemp, and jute) or the leaf (sisal). Many processes are needed before a clean even staple is obtained. With the exception of silk, each of these fibres is short, only centimetres in length, and each has a rough surface that enables it to bond with similar staples.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: Artificial fibres can be processed as long fibres or batched and cut so they can be processed like a natural fibre.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: Ring spinning is one of the most common spinning methods in the world. Other systems include air-jet and open-end spinning, a technique where the staple fiber is blown by air into a rotor and attaches to the tail of formed yarn that is continually being drawn out of the chamber. Other methods of break spinning use needles and electrostatic forces.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: The processes to make short-staple yarn (typically spun from fibers from ) are blending, opening, carding, pin-drafting, roving, spinning, and—if desired—plying and dyeing. In long staple spinning, the process may start with stretch-break of tow, a continuous "rope" of synthetic fiber. In open-end and air-jet spinning, the roving operation is eliminated. The spinning frame winds yarn around a bobbin. Generally, after this step the yarn is wound to a cone for knitting or weaving.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: In a spinning mule, the roving is pulled off bobbins and sequentially fed through rollers operating at several different speeds, thinning the roving at a consistent rate. The yarn is twisted through the spinning of the bobbin as the carriage moves out, and is rolled onto a cop as the carriage returns. Mule spinning produces a finer thread than ring spinning. Spinning by the mule machine is an intermittent process as the frame advances and returns. It is the descendant of a device invented in 1779 by Samuel Crompton, and produces a softer, less twisted thread that is favored for fines and for weft.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: The ring was a descendant of the Arkwright water frame of 1769 and creates yarn in a continuous process. The yarn is coarser, has a greater twist, and is stronger, making it more suitable for warp. Ring spinning is slow due to the distance the thread must pass around the ring. Similar methods have improved on this including flyer and bobbin and cap spinning.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: The pre-industrial techniques of hand spinning with a spindle or spinning wheel continue to be practiced as handicraft or hobby and enable wool or unusual vegetable and animal staples to be used.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: The cultivation of cotton as well as the knowledge of its spinning and weaving in Meroë reached a high level around the 4th century BC. The export of textiles was one of the sources of wealth for Meroë.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: Hand spinning was an important cottage industry in medieval Europe, where the wool spinners (most often women and children) would provide enough yarn to service the needs of the men who operated the looms or to sell on in the putting-out system. After the invention of the spinning jenny water frame the demand was greatly reduced by mechanization. Its technology was specialized and costly and employed water as motive power. Spinning and weaving as cottage industries were displaced by dedicated manufactories, developed by industrialists and their investors; the spinning and weaving industries, once widespread, were concentrated where the sources of water, raw materials, and manpower were most readily available, particularly West Yorkshire. The British government was very protective of the technology and restricted its export. After World War I the colonies where the cotton was grown started to purchase and manufacture significant quantities of cotton spinning machinery. The next breakthrough was with the move over to break or open-end spinning, and then the adoption of artificial fibres. By then most production had moved to Asia.


title: Spinning (textiles)

text: During the Industrial Revolution, spinners, doffers, and sweepers were employed in spinning mills from the 18th to 20th centuries. Many mill owners preferred to employ children due to their small size and agility.


title: 35th Academy Awards

text: The 35th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1962, were held on April 8, 1963, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California, hosted by Frank Sinatra.


title: 35th Academy Awards

text: The Best Actress Oscar occasioned the last act of the long-running feud between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. They had starred together for the first time in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?", a surprise hit the previous summer. Davis was nominated for her role as the title character, a faded child star who humiliates the wheelchair-using sister who eclipsed her fame in adulthood, while Crawford was not.


title: 35th Academy Awards

text: Crawford told the other nominated actresses that, as a courtesy, she would accept their awards for them should they be unavailable on the night of the ceremony. Davis did not object as her rival had often done this, but, on the night of the ceremony, she was livid when Crawford took the stage to cheerfully accept the award on behalf of Anne Bancroft, who had a Broadway commitment. Davis believed that Crawford had told other Oscar voters to vote for "The Miracle Worker" star in order to upstage her. The rekindled animosity between the two resulted in Crawford leaving the cast of "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte", a planned follow-up to "Baby Jane" that began filming the next summer, early in production.


title: 35th Academy Awards

text: Nominations announced on February 25, 1963. Winners in each category are listed first and highlighted with boldface text.


title: Dean O'Gorman

text: Dean Lance O'Gorman (born 1 December 1976) is a New Zealand actor, artist, and photographer. He played the dwarf Fíli in the "Hobbit" trilogy and the Norse God Bragi/Anders Johnson in the fantasy series "The Almighty Johnsons". He also portrayed Kirk Douglas in "Trumbo" (2015).


title: Dean O'Gorman

text: O'Gorman was born in Auckland, New Zealand, to parents Lance, a landscape painter, and Christine O'Gorman. He has a younger brother, Brett, who is also an actor as well as a comedian. He has Irish and English ancestry; his maternal grandfather was an English paratrooper in the Second World War.


title: Dean O'Gorman

text: O'Gorman earned a black belt in karate by the age of ten, and attended Rangitoto College in Auckland. He initially planned to study graphic design.


title: Dean O'Gorman

text: At 12 years old, O'Gorman was discovered by a casting agent during a school speech competition. After acting in a number of television roles and the Australian film "The Rogue Stallion", he got a starring role in 1995 teen romance "Bonjour Timothy", a performance which earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the Giffoni Film Festival in Italy.


title: Dean O'Gorman

text: Subsequent roles included co-starring as Mark in ensemble drama "When Love Comes" and playing opposite Melanie Lynskey in road movie "Snakeskin", the latter of which received five awards at the 2001 New Zealand Film and Television Awards.


title: Dean O'Gorman

text: In April 2011, O'Gorman was cast as the Dwarf Fili in Peter Jackson's three-part film adaptation of "The Hobbit". He later made a cameo appearance in an advertisement for Air New Zealand.


title: Dean O'Gorman

text: In Jay Roach's 2015 film "Trumbo", O'Gorman plays the part of Kirk Douglas, including a re-creation of filming the movie "Spartacus". He plays a demoralized writer in the 2017 film "Pork Pie", winning praise at Cannes.


title: Dean O'Gorman

text: O'Gorman began acting in television in the early 1990s. His career took off in the middle of the decade, when he won the role of Harry Martin in popular New Zealand soap opera "Shortland Street" and appeared in locally-shot shows "" and "" multiple times. O'Gorman also held a regular role as Iolaus in the short-lived "Young Hercules" opposite Ryan Gosling, and in Australian hit "McLeod's Daughters", as Luke Morgan, a love interest of Jodi Fountain McLeod.


title: Dean O'Gorman

text: He has made multiple guest appearances on several television shows including "The Cult", "Go Girls" and "Legend of the Seeker". From 2011 to 2013, O'Gorman played the role of Anders Johnson in New Zealand fantasy series "The Almighty Johnsons". He played mountaineer George Lowe in 2016 mini-series "Hillary".


title: Dean O'Gorman

text: In addition to acting, O'Gorman is also a photographer and artist. In an interview with Tom Cardy, he confessed to difficult times finding work during his first year in Los Angeles. He was almost broke, but was soon discovered by his friend's agent and thus began to receive more work, dividing his time among painting, photography and acting.


title: Dean O'Gorman

text: In June 2012, he held his first exhibition at the Page Blackie Gallery in Wellington, New Zealand. The theme of the exhibition focused on the Vietnam War. In order to obtain accuracy in his work, O'Gorman sought the advice of a New Zealand Vietnam veteran. Preferring to dress and set up shoots himself, the models for this gallery included other cast members from "" and "The Almighty Johnsons". O'Gorman's photographs were also displayed at the 2015 Berlin B3 Biennial.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: Introduced as a captive human test subject of the villainous Holy Britannia Empire, C. C. is revealed to be an immortal young woman with special powers called the Geass. Sardonic, stubborn, and mysterious, she can give Geass powers to others, which she does to main protagonist Lelouch Lamperouge. She becomes an ally and protector of Lelouch, at times piloting a mech and leading the paramilitary group the Black Knights to do so. She later assists Lelouch at destroying other Geass users misusing their powers, including her former students, and supports the regime changes that follow.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: In the 2006 Anime Grand Prix, C.C. was awarded third place for most popular female character, then first place in the following two years.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: was created as a fictional character for the "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion" anime series by Sunrise, who first appeared in 2006 with the premier of the franchise. Her Japanese voice actress is Yukana Nogami, and she is voiced by Kate Higgins in the English dub. C.C. is an immortal witch who appears as a young adult. C.C. is a pseudonym, and her real name is never shared with the audience.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: C.C. has long light green hair and gold eyes. She wears a variety of outfits, which change depending on the time and situation. In the first season she mainly wears a white straitjacket bondage suit, which the Britannian Empire had used to restrain her for tests prior to the series. According to the 2007 "Code Geass" audio drama, C.C. wears the bondage suit because she feels she isn't free, and is a slave to the world. Her main outfit in the second season is a modified Black Knights uniform, which is long, black, and has a red sash. It has gloves and white undergarments. She has worn Lelouch's own clothes, including his Zero outfit, to serve as a decoy and save him from situations.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: She has spiritual powers, and academic Dani Cavallaro refers to C.C. as the "Witch of Fate" of the "Code Geass" series. C.C. has the power of the "Code", given to her by a nun hundreds of years prior to "Code Geass". The Geass power originally allowed her to make anyone around her love her, before leading to her being immortal and immune to both age and conventional injury. She has survived being burned at the stake, beheaded by a guillotine, and placed in an iron maiden. When she uses her power, a sigil glows on her body. When left alone, she sometimes appears to talk to herself and have discussions with those who aren't there. This is later revealed to be telepathic communication, Lelouch's deceased mother Marianne being among the recipients. C.C. can also give people the power of Geass or can cancel their Geass, and sense when other people have it. In close proximity, C.C. can give people hallucinations of dark or chaotic images, to lead people into a panic.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: She is a competent leader and operations planner, and can fight with mech, with guns, or hand to hand. In the Picture Dramas, during a discussion with Kallen, she states that she has the ability to do almost anything but chooses to let others do it. Calm and collected, she is strongwilled and pays little mind to inconveniencing others, and at times is with-holding of information. With a dry sense of humor, she has a nihilistic outlook on the world. Scornful of her immortality, she is lonely and isolated, although she shows fondness for the main protagonist Lelouch Lamperouge.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: Before C.C. gained the power of Geass, she was a ten-year-old orphaned slave. A nun gave C.C. the power of Geass, allowing C.C. to make anyone love her. When C.C. grew tired of forced love, she looked instead for love from the nun, who was above her power. However, when C.C.'s power had grown, the nun revealed she had tricked C.C. as a ploy to lose her immortality, and tortured the young woman until C.C. accepted the nun's Code. After C.C. gains immortality, a shock sequence in the first-season finale shows memories of her past, including repeated "deaths" of different types spanning centuries. Alive for hundreds of years, she speaks to Lelouch of Washington's Rebellion, referring to George Washington and Benjamin Franklin as if she had been close with both. She claims to have entered into magical Geass contracts with hundreds of people over her lifetime, in futile attempts to lose her immortality.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: One of her previous contracts was with the late Imperial Consort Marianne, the mother of the lead protagonist of "Code Geass," Lelouch Lamperouge. After C.C. aided Marianne and Marianne's husband Charles zi Britannia achieve their goals, C.C. was named head of the Geass Order, a secret organization that studies and produces Geass users. However, she left the order upon news of Marianne's death, and let V.V. take over. Years later she is captured by a Britannian envoy in Japan, which takes an interest in her immortality and intends to bring her to the Imperial city of Pendragon in North America.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: Early in the series, Osaka is bombed and a "top-security asset of the Britannian government," or C.C., is stolen by terrorists hiding in the Shinjuku Ghetto. As a result, the Viceroy orders Shinjuku wiped out, and during the violence, C.C. and Lelouch encounter one-another. At their meeting, C.C. gives Lelouch the power of Geass, and he attempts to help her escape the soldiers. Since she is shot in the incident and appears dead, he leaves her body behind.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: In episode five, she unexpectedly appears again in Lelouch's home. Lelouch encounters her casually folding origami with his sister Nunnally. Afterwards she keeps an eye on Lelouch's missions as his rebel alter-ego Zero, even wearing his clothes and impersonating him when a situation becomes life-threatening. She then joins his military mech organization the Black Knights, where she is seen as one of Zero's close advisors. Her unofficial position leads to some friction with other members.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: When the Black Knights gain possession of the Knightmare Frame "Gawain", she becomes its pilot while Lelouch operates the weapons. In the season finale, she uses the Gawain to battle Jeremiah Gottwald's "Siegfried", to allow Lelouch to save his sister. After kissing Lelouch, she drags herself and the enemy to the ocean floor.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: C.C. is in charge of the Black Knights at the start of the , where she and the others plan an operation to free Lelouch's memories from the Emperor of Britannia. After he is rescued, she again becomes his advisor. After the location of the Geass Directorate is located, Lelouch orders C.C. to attack the facility, and she reluctantly kills her former colleagues at the Geass Order.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: After Lelouch and C.C. enter the mystical "Sword of Akasha" spirit realm, she reveals to him that her greatest wish is to die by giving up her Code. Since Lelouch is not ready to accept it, she intends to offer it to his father, Emperor Charles. Lelouch attempts to stop her and save her, and in doing so, her memories of everything after the day she acquired her Geass are lost, reverting her to a frightened slave girl. Believing himself to be responsible, Lelouch confines C.C. to his quarters and attempts to make her comfortable. Later, the spirit of Lelouch's mother, Marianne, possesses the body of Anya Alstreim and locates C.C. to restore her memories. The two then leave for Kamine Island to re-enter the Sword of Akasha, rescuing Suzaku Kururugi along the way. They enter the "Sword of Akasha", where C.C.'s presence allows the Emperor to begin the Ragnarök Connection and merge everyone into the collective unconscious. When Lelouch kills Charles and Marianne before the connection can be completed, C.C. is spared because she had turned against their plan. A month later, she helps Lelouch seize the throne as the new Emperor of Britannia.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: Near the end of the series, C.C. and Lelouch bond and comfort one another, before being interrupted when Lelouch is attacked by his former Black Knights allies. C.C. intervenes in her Lancelot so he can escape, and battles her former Black Knight co-pilot Kallen Stadtfeld. C.C. ejects to safety when she is easily defeated. Later, as Lelouch plans to execute the captured Black Knights, C.C. prays for Lelouch in a church during his planned assassination. During the epilogue, C.C. is seen traveling the countryside in the back of a cart. She reminisces about how Lelouch proved the Geass does not bring loneliness and expresses her feelings for him.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: In the events of the alternate universe of the 2019 film "Code Geass Lelouch of the Re;surrection", which is built around the "what if" of C.C. not being able to accept Lelouch's death, and which takes place a year after the events of the alternate universe trilogy movies, C.C is revealed to have literally resurrected Lelouch from the dead after Shirley smuggled his corpse to her, and that she has been looking after Lelouch since his soul did not return after his physical resurrection. C.C. manages to fully restore Lelouch once they find a portal to C's World while helping save Nunnally and Suzaku from the Zilkhistans. In the aftermath, C.C. continues to travel the world with Lelouch after he assumes the alias of L.L., which was his idea of a marriage proposal.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: In a special 2012 OVA parody episode "Nunnally in Wonderland", based on the "Alice in Wonderland" story, C.C. appears in the role as a Cheshire Cat. In the 2012 to 2016 "" spinoff of the television series, C.C. again appears. In March 2017, the media wrote that Kate Higgins would be reprising her role as the voice of C.C. in the dub of "Code Geass: Akito the Exiled", to be released by Sunrise on June 27, 2017.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: In the 2006-2010 Code Geass manga, C.C. appears in the plot a number of times. In the manga spin-off series "Nightmare of Nunnally" in 2007 and 2008, C.C. assists Lelouch and Nunnally Lamperouge in a political maneuver. This spin-off series sees the reveal that C.C. was known as the "Witch of Britannia" and was the rival and foe of Joan of Arc, known as the "Witch of Orleans", during the Hundred Years' War. In Chapter 13, it is revealed that in this timeline, C.C. was the killer of former Japanese Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi, not Suzaku Kururugi.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: In the graphic novel "" released in 2009 with a different plot, C.C.'s role is nearly identical to that of the anime. C.C. appears again in the 2011 graphic novel "". She interacts with the protagonist Renya, a young ninja training in Edo Japan. She offers Renya a contract so he can use the Geass to protect his friends.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: In "Code Geass: Lost Colors", a video game for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable released in 2008, C.C. periodically interacts with the main character Rai. C.C. eats pizza in Rai's room, and later offers for Rai to join the Black Knights, with player response leading to different outcomes.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: C.C. appears in the 2010 video game "" in her Knightmare Frame, "Akatsuki" Command Model "C.C. Custom".


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: C.C. and the rest of the Code Geass R1 cast will make their debut to the Super Robot Wars franchise in "Super Robot Wars Z 2 Hakai-Hen", using their R1 Knightmares.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: After she placed in third as the most popular female character in "Animage" magazine's 29th Anime Grand Prix, she won first place the following two years, in 2007 and 2008 (see list of Anime Grand Prix winners). In 2016, Takahiro Kimura created an erotic sketch of the character which would be sold through an auction.


title: C.C. (Code Geass)

text: In regards to her role in "Lelouch of the Re;surrection", Anime News Network noted the narrative focused more on C.C.. The Fandom Post commented the ending with C.C and Lelouch too abrupt despite feeling appropriate at the same time.


title: Guaynaa

text: Jean Carlos Santiago Pérez (born September 16, 1992), known professionally as Guaynaa, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer. He is known for the song "ReBoTa", which became his first song to reach the "Billboard" Hot Latin Songs chart in April 2019.


title: Guaynaa

text: Guaynaa was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, to a Cuban mother and a Puerto Rican father. Before pursuing a musical career, he was working as a phone salesman in a mall. He was going to become a petrochemical engineer before working in music. As of July 2022 he is engaged to Venezuelan-American actress, singer, YouTuber, and author Lele Pons who he has been in a relationship with since December 2020.


title: Guaynaa

text: He gained fame due to the success of his song "ReBoTa", which reached number 35 on the "Billboard" Hot Latin Songs chart in April 2019 and has received over 300 million views on YouTube. The song's remix featured Becky G, Farruko, Nicky Jam and Sech in July 2019 and was later certified 4× platinum by the RIAA's Latin division. After the success of "ReBoTa", he signed a joint record deal with Universal Music Latino and Republic Records.


title: Guaynaa

text: In August 2019, Guaynaa appeared on a remix of PJ Sin Suela's single "La Pelua" with Jon Z and Rafa Pabón. In October 2019, he collaborated with Spanish rapper Mala Rodríguez on the single "Dame Bien". In November 2019, he made a song with Yandel, saying that "it was a dream come true". He also has collaborated with Mon Laferte and Mariah Angeliq, among others.


title: Guaynaa

text: In February 2020, he received a Premios Heat nomination, along with Paloma Mami and Cami. In 2021, he was featured on Korean singer Chungha's debut studio album, "Querencia", on the track "Demente".


title: Marian Seldes

text: Marian Hall Seldes (August 23, 1928 – October 6, 2014) was an American actress. A five-time Tony Award nominee, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for "A Delicate Balance" in 1967, and received subsequent nominations for "Father's Day" (1971), "Deathtrap" (1978–82), "Ring Round the Moon" (1999), and "Dinner at Eight" (2002). She also won a Drama Desk Award for "Father's Day".


title: Marian Seldes

text: Her other Broadway credits include "Equus" (1974–77), "Ivanov" (1997), and "Deuce" (2007). She was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2010.


title: Marian Seldes

text: Seldes was born in Manhattan, the daughter of Alice Wadhams Hall, a socialite, and Gilbert Seldes, a journalist, author, and editor. Her uncle was journalist George Seldes. She had one brother, Timothy. Seldes's paternal grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants, and her mother was from a "prominent WASP family," the "Episcopalian blue-blooded Halls." She grew up in a creative environment, studying acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse. Her maternal aunt, Marian Wells Hall, was a prominent interior decorator.


title: Marian Seldes

text: Trained for the stage, Seldes made her Broadway debut in 1948 in a production of "Medea". She went on to an illustrious career in which she earned five Tony Award nominations, winning her first time out in 1967 for "A Delicate Balance". In addition to performing in live theatre, Seldes began acting in television in 1952 in a Hallmark Hall of Fame production that marked the first of many guest star roles. She also performed in a number of movies and in radio plays. In the mid-1960s, Seldes recorded five albums for Folkways Records of famous works of literature, including two recordings of poetry by Robinson Jeffers. Between 1974 and 1982, she appeared in 179 episodes of the "CBS Radio Mystery Theater". In 1992, she appeared in an episode of "Murphy Brown" as the title character’s eccentric Aunt Brooke.


title: Marian Seldes

text: Seldes studied with Sanford Meisner, Katharine Cornell, and Martha Graham. Actor Laura Linney said "Marian is our touchstone to those theatrical ancestors. She provides an inspiration that makes you want to reach outside of yourself to something more potent and powerful." Seldes was a member of the drama faculty of The Juilliard School from 1967 to 1991. Her students included Christopher Reeve, Robin Williams, Kelsey Grammer, Kevin Kline, William Hurt, Patti LuPone, Val Kilmer, and Kevin Spacey. In 2002, Seldes began teaching at Fordham University, Lincoln Center.


title: Marian Seldes

text: Seldes appeared in every one of the 1,809 Broadway performances of Ira Levin's play "Deathtrap", a feat that earned her a mention in the "Guinness Book of World Records" as "most durable actress". Seldes was also well known for her readings of short stories in the "Selected Shorts" series hosted by Isaiah Sheffer at New York City's Symphony Space.


title: Marian Seldes

text: In December 2008, for their annual birthday celebration to "The Master", Noël Coward, the Noël Coward Society invited Seldes as the guest celebrity to lay flowers in front of Coward's statue at New York's Gershwin Theatre, thereby commemorating the playwright’s 109th birthday. Seldes was the recipient of a 2010 Tony Lifetime Achievement Award. "All I've done is live my life in the theater and loved it ... If you can get an award for being happy, that's what I've got."


title: Marian Seldes

text: In 2012, Seldes played the knife-wielding socialite Mabel Billingsly in the film adaptation of Wendy Mass' popular children's book "Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life", written and directed by Tamar Halpern.


title: Marian Seldes

text: Seldes had one child, Katharine, by her first marriage to Julian Claman. They were divorced in 1961. Seldes stated that the marriage to Claman was violent. "If I sound a little vague about that marriage, it's because I don't understand the person in it. Me. I literally didn't know that people could be abusive." Seldes left the marriage after her father noticed marks on her face. Seldes was married to screenwriter/playwright Garson Kanin from 1990 until his death in 1999.


title: Marian Seldes

text: The cause of her death was not released. However, in 2017, it was reported that a documentary about her life, "Marian", by director R.E. "Rick" Rodgers, chronicling Seldes' last years, had created "consternation in the theater world" as a "horrific, intrusive depiction of her slide into dementia".


title: Farakka Barrage

text: Farakka Barrage is a barrage across the Ganga river located in Murshidabad district in the Indian state of West Bengal, roughly from the border with Bangladesh near Shibganj. Farakka Barrage Township is located in Farakka (community development block) in Murshidabad district. Construction of the Farakka barrage started in 1962, was completed in 1970 at a cost of $208 million. Operations began on 21 April 1975. The barrage is about long. The Feeder Canal (Farakka) from the barrage to the Bhagirathi-Hooghly River is about long.


title: Farakka Barrage

text: The barrage was constructed by Hindustan Construction Company. Out of 109 gates, 108 are over the river and the 109th one over the low-lying land in Malda, as a precaution. The Barrage serves water to the Farakka Super Thermal Power Station. There are also sixty small canals which can divert some water to other destinations for drinking purposes etc.


title: Farakka Barrage

text: The purpose of the barrage is to divert of water from the Ganges to the Hooghly River for flushing out sediment deposition from Kolkata harbour without the need of regular mechanical dredging. After commissioning the project, it was found that the diverted water flow from the Farakka barrage was not adequate to flush the sediment from the river satisfactorily. In addition, there are regular land/bank collapses in to the Ganga river due to the high level back waters of the Farakka barrage. Substantial high land is already converted into low level river bed causing displacement of huge populations. The water diverted from the Farakka barrage is less than 10% of Ganga river water available at Farakka.


title: Farakka Barrage

text: As per the treaty between India and Bangladesh, signed in 1996, for sharing of the Ganges water at Farakka, the division is as follows:


title: Farakka Barrage

text: The Ganges is one of the major rivers of the world. It rises at an elevation of about in Gangotri on the southern slope of the Himalayan range. About 70% of the total population of Bangladesh and about 50% of the Indian population live in the Ganges basin; 43% of the total irrigated area in India is also in the Ganges basin and there are about 100 urban settlements with a total population of about 120 million on its banks. As a result, Bangladesh and India have had many debates about how the Farakka Barrage cuts off Bangladesh's water supply and how to share the water. Right from the beginning, this created a concern for Bangladesh as it constitutes the low-lying part of the Gangetic valley. After the completion of the barrage at the end of 1975, it was agreed to run it with specified discharges for a period of 41 days from 21 April to 31 May during the remaining period of the dry season of 1975 under an accord announced as a joint press release on 18 April 1975. But after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 August 1975, relations between the two countries became greatly strained and India continued to withdraw water even after the agreed period. The diversions led to a crisis situation in Bangladesh in the dry season of 1976. In 1977, Bangladesh went to the United Nations and lodged a formal protest against India with the General Assembly of The United Nations, which adopted a consensus statement on 26 November 1976. Talks between the two countries were resumed in December 1976. No consensus was reached.


title: Farakka Barrage

text: Twenty years later, in 1996, a 30-year agreement was signed. It did not contain any guarantee clause for unconditional minimum amounts of water to be supplied to Bangladesh or India, nor could the future hydrological parameters taken into account as is always the case when water resources are planned on historic data series. As a result, the agreement is sometimes perceived to be failed by some sections in Bangladesh to provide the expected result. Constant monitoring of the implementation of negotiations in lean season continue to the present today. In Bangladesh, it is perceived that the diversion has raised salinity levels, contaminated fisheries, hindered navigation, and posed a threat to water quality and public health. Lower levels of soil moisture along with increased salinity have also led to desertification. However, this barrage still has significant effect on the mutual relation of these two neighboring countries.


title: Farakka Barrage

text: Farakka barrage has been criticized for the floods in Bihar as it is causing excessive siltation in the Ganga.


title: Nobody Does It Better

text: "Nobody Does It Better" is a power ballad and the theme song for the James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977). Composed by Marvin Hamlisch with lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, the song was produced by Richard Perry and performed by Carly Simon. It was the first Bond theme song to be titled differently from the name of the film since "Dr. No" (1962), although the phrase "the spy who loved me" is included in the lyrics. The song was released as a single from the film's soundtrack album, and became a major worldwide hit.


title: Nobody Does It Better

text: Among the most successful Bond themes, the song spent three weeks at No. 2 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, kept out of the top spot by Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life". It hit No. 1 on the "Billboard" Easy Listening chart, where it stayed for seven weeks, becoming the No. 1 Adult Contemporary hit of 1977. The song was certified Gold by the RIAA, signifying sales of one million copies in the US. It also reached No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart, and was certified Silver by the BPI. The song received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Original Song in 1978, losing both to "You Light Up My Life" from the 1977 film of the same title. At the 20th Annual Grammy Awards held in 1978, "Nobody Does It Better" received a nomination for Song of the Year, and Simon was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.


title: Nobody Does It Better

text: In 2004, "Nobody Does it Better" was honored by the American Film Institute as the 67th greatest film song as part of their 100 Years Series. In 2012, "Rolling Stone" ranked it the third-greatest "James Bond" theme song, while "Billboard" ranked it the second-greatest. In 2021, USA Today crowned "Nobody Does it Better" the greatest James Bond Theme Song. The song has been performed live by Celine Dion and Radiohead; indeed, Radiohead's lead singer, Thom Yorke, called it the "sexiest song ever written".


title: Nobody Does It Better

text: "Nobody Does It Better" is Simon's longest-charting hit, as well as the most successful hit of hers that she did not write herself. Her earlier hit "You're So Vain" spent three weeks at No. 1; however, its chart run was two months shorter than that of "Nobody Does It Better". The title of the theme was later used for Simon's 1999 greatest hits compilation, "".


title: Nobody Does It Better

text: Lyrically, "Nobody Does It Better" is a "lust-drunk anthem" about James Bond's sexual prowess. In a 1977 documentary on the making of "The Spy Who Loved Me", Marvin Hamlisch said that the decision to ask Simon to perform the song was made after lyricist Carole Bayer Sager remarked that the lyrics sounded "incredibly vain", in reference to Simon's 1972 song "You're So Vain".


title: Nobody Does It Better

text: "Billboard Magazine" described "Nobody Does It Better" as a "typically inventive and bombastic" James Bond theme song, stating that Simon sings it "as if she believed sincerely in the superhuman love powers of 007." "Cash Box" said that it is "strictly star material in every detail" and that it has "a good enough melody to stand on its own," even if it wasn't a James Bond theme song.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: 7 Days is an 2021 American romantic comedy film, directed by Roshan Sethi, in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Sethi and Karan Soni. It stars Soni, Geraldine Viswanathan, Mark Duplass, Zenobia Shroff, Aparna Nancherla, Gita Reddy and Jeffrey Self.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: The film opens with several Indian couples discussing their traditional arranged marriages. An Indian website is a modern method for unmarried singles to seek a spouse. Both Ravi's and Rita's mothers have created profiles for them on Arranged, a website for America-based Indians.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: Ravi and Rita have an awkward pre-arranged date at a dry reservoir. As her mother had posted she was a vegetarian, he had brought a special meat-free meal. When she points out that the lemonade he brought was hard and the site stated he is a teetotaler, embarrassed, he pours it on the ground.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: Suddenly they both get alerts to their phones about the COVID-19 pandemic, going back to her place they simultaneously call their moms. It is a mess, trash everywhere, dirty dishes and evidence that she drinks. Ravi waits for the car rental agency to call him back, as his train has been cancelled. As there won't be a car until morning, Rita offers him the couch. After he updates his mom, he overhears her talking dirty to someone on the phone. In a panic, he goes to her bathroom and finds her vibrator.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: First thing in the morning Ravi leaves as soon as he can on foot to the agency. Rita gives him a friendly goodbye, but he leaves coldly. Relieved he's gone, she grabs a beer and a cold chicken drumstick from the fridge. Ravi suddenly pops back in, as he is told it will be three more days. He is forced to shelter in place due to the pandemic.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: When Ravi asks about the alcohol and meat Rita begs him to not tell her mother. He concedes then blurts out that they aren't a good match, pointing out her dishonesty as a reason. She explains that her mother pays for her rent in exchange for her participation in the website.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: Ravi tries to make small talk, and then asks Rita if he can clean, saying it relaxes him. Finished cleaning, he gets a teasing call from his brothers about being holed in with her. He is antsy whereas she is totally relaxed, used to inactivity as she's unemployed.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: Chatting again, Rita admits she's not remotely interested in marriage, whereas Ravi insists he needs to get married before he can have any intimacy. He insists he's not boring, describing odd idiosyncrasies of his lab mates.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: Rita gets a call from her lover, who turns out to be married. Unable to go for a walk, Ravi shows he's emotional as he describes to her a Bollywood movie. Bored, she spikes his Coke with whiskey and, as he's never touched alcohol, it quickly effects him. He both tries to do standup and then dance for the first time, but gets sick.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: Sore at Rita the next morning, Ravi blames her for his hangover. A short while later, she joins him for an online workout. Her mother calls, asking about the date, hoping she didn't divulge her true self, as he couldn't love 'that you'.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: Ravi offers to teach Rita to cook. In the process, he is appalled at her process and the end result, but she is pleased. His mother sets him up on a virtual blind date, which Rita coaches him through. Ravi finishes the date really happy, but dreams of Rita.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: The next morning, after Rita hears Ravi's conversation via speakerphone with his mother she goes stir crazy and insists on going out, and doesn't take a mask. She arrives baxk late. In the morning, upon saying goodbye she coughs, so he cancels his departure to help Rita quarantine.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: During the day or so of quarantining they get to know one another. she talks about her affair, he tells her very infantile knock knock jokes...during the night her bad coughing concerns him, so he spoons her. By morning he calls an ambulance.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: Once Rita is hospitalised, Ravi goes through her things, with notable and increasing affection. He has a lot of difficulty having contact via phone. Ravi discovers her paintings are all sweet and about love, not raunchy as she implied.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: Her mom calls, and he tells her about Rita's COVID hospitalization. She asks to zoom with him. The few times Ravi does get through, the woman in Rita's room dies. A newbie there kindly keeps him updated. When she's released, they meet in a park and their mutual affection is visible.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: The film won Best Narrative Feature awards at the San Diego Asian Film Festival and the Coronado Island Film Festival. The film also won Best First Feature at the 37th Independent Spirit Awards.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: In November 2021, Cinedigm bought US distribution rights to the film, planning to release it on March 25, 2022.


title: 7 Days (2021 film)

text: "7 Days" received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 86% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 50 reviews, with a weighted average of 6.7/10.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: Jonathan Edward Borrell (born 4 April 1980) is an English guitarist and singer, currently the frontman of the rock band Razorlight.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: Borrell was born in Sutton, London. His father, New Zealand-born John Borrell, was a war correspondent; his mother was a primary school teacher in Tottenham. His parents divorced when he was young. Borrell lived at Highgate, where he attended Highgate School. He moved to Camden School for Girls for sixth form.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: Borrell was involved in music and the Camden scene while still at school. At 17 he played bass guitar in a band called Violet alongside Paul Rose, aka dubstep pioneer Scuba, who regularly played gigs on the Camden circuit. The band recorded an EP and started to gain some recognition before splitting acrimoniously live on stage at Dublin Castle in late '97 . The title track of the EP was subsequently used in the soundtrack of the 1998 Michael Winterbottom film 'I Want You'. After the split, he briefly switched to being a solo artist covering The Clash and Lead Belly songs. Many of these shows were played with close friends The Libertines.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: Through his friendship with schoolmate John Hassall, at Highgate School, Borrell was involved in the early formation of The Libertines. He was present at the sessions for their debut album "Up The Bracket" and appears as a character in songs, notably "Boy Looked at Johnny" and "Death on the Stairs", and also "What a Waster" which appeared as a bonus track on the album in Japan.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: In 2002 he went on to form his own band which played house parties, rehearsing at a Hackney warehouse called Unit 13, comprising Carl Dalemo, Shïan Smith-Pancorvo (later replaced by Andy Burrows) and Björn Ågren. The band were watching a video recording of themselves playing a gig and misheard the ending refrain 'Its alright, it's alright' from the song "In The City" as 'razor-light, razor-light' which was then chosen as the band name. In early 2003 XFM DJ John Kennedy began to play the band's demos, recorded at Toerag Studios in east London with producers Liam Watson and John Fortis. Razorlight signed to Mercury Records on 23 May 2003 after the Universal label fought off bids from Sony.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: After the number 8 single "Golden Touch", their debut album, "Up All Night", was released on 28 June 2004, and charted at number 3 in the UK. The critical reception was generally good, receiving good reviews from "NME" ("Razorlight's debut packs more tunes than Franz [Ferdinand], more spirit than The Strokes and more balls than nearly every band out there right now."), "Q" magazine, "Billboard" and "Rolling Stone" who said "Razorlight's debut is a masterpiece. [Borrell]'s got the golden rock-star mop, the London sneer and a band full of crazy Swedes. But fortunately, he's also got the tunes."


title: Johnny Borrell

text: Michael Parkinson saw coverage of the band performing at Glastonbury Festival and invited them onto his TV show. Razorlight performed "Golden Touch" with a gospel choir in front of the Parkinson studio audience and guest Tom Cruise. After 2004's constant touring Borrell was placed at No. 4 in NME's Cool List and Razorlight won Best New Act at 2004's Q Awards and the Best New Band category at the NME Awards in February 2005. French fashion brand Dior's creative director Hedi Slimane based his 2005 Autumn/Winter collection on Borrell and Pete Doherty and chose Razorlight to write music for the Paris show.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: In the Spring of 2005 Razorlight played two sold-out shows at London's Alexandra Palace with Noel Fielding from The Mighty Boosh as their support act. Meanwhile, in between-album's single "Somewhere Else" reached number 2 in the UK charts. Q Magazine called it: "A punk rock symphony, a thrilling change in direction", and high-profile support slots with U2, Queen, The Who and Oasis and the band's appearance at Live 8 kept Razorlight occupied through the rest of the year prior to entering the studio for their second album in early 2006.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: The self-titled follow up was produced by Pretenders, Sex Pistols and Roxy Music producer Chris Thomas. Their first single "In The Morning" went to number 3, and when the album was released on 17 July 2006 it gave the band their first number 1 in the UK album chart. The NME gave the album 8/10 and said: "A soulful romantic album that sees Razorlight comfortably leap the 'difficult second album' trap" whilst The Observer Music Monthly gave it 4/5 saying "[Borrell's] band's second album justifies the self-belief." Q Magazine called it "The best guitar album since Oasis's "Definitely Maybe"".


title: Johnny Borrell

text: 2006 saw Borrell and the band grow into an arena act and extend their international reach. Second single 'America' went straight to number 1 in the UK on 14 October dominating UK radio charts to the end of the year, and climbing airplay and singles charts in Ireland, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and America. The Rolling Stones asked the band to support them in Europe. An autumn UK arena tour culminated in a sold out Wembley Arena show and tours of Japan, Europe and the US led into a second UK arena tour and a sold-out show at London's 17,000 capacity Earl's Court in April 2007. Razorlight were the only UK band to headline the main stage at Reading Festival in August 2007. The Razorlight singer next emerged in October, duetting with The Kinks' Ray Davies on "Sunny Afternoon" for the BBC Electric Proms at London's The Roundhouse.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: In late 2007 Borrell secluded himself on a remote Scottish island in the Outer Hebrides to begin writing for the band's third album. 2008's London sessions at Air studios lead to a more contemplative third album titled "Slipway Fires". The album went to number 4 in the UK album charts in November 2008 and first single "Wire To Wire" got to number 5.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: Press reaction to the record was mixed although Q's Paul Rees gave the record 4/5 and said: "Borrell and his band come up triumphant. It does what third albums traditionally used to do, which is to say, have the confidence the leap into the previously unknown, and for that, all credit to Borrell".


title: Johnny Borrell

text: In Germany, "Wire To Wire" was the sixth biggest chart hit of 2009 and the album went gold. Two round the world tours, including first visits to Australia, a move to a new label, Mercury Records/Island Def Jam and major festival appearances in the UK and across Europe took Razorlight to the end of the decade, finishing with a December headline at XFM's Brixton Academy Christmas show where they donated their fee to Borrell's charity of choice, Anno's Africa.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: December 2009 also saw the digital release of a documentary on Razorlight made by UK film director Charles Henri-Belleville. Titled 'Rock'n'Roll Lies' the 70-minute film follows the band on a week of UK shows intercut with band member interviews about Razorlight's history. The film also features bonus material including Borrell's charity hovercraft crossing of the English Channel and drummer Andy Burrows' trials and tribulations whilst giving up smoking while on tour.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: Borrell's debut solo album, "Borrell 1", was released in July 2013 in the UK. It was produced by Trevor Horn and received mixed reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100, the album received an average score of 46, based on 9 reviews by mainstream critics.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: The album was a commercial failure, selling 594 copies in its first week on sale and failed to secure a position in the UK Albums Chart.


title: Johnny Borrell

text: Borrell has sometimes been regarded as having a very arrogant attitude towards the press and is famous for his proclamations of his own abilities such as claiming he thinks he's the greatest songwriter in the world on MTV's Gonzo hosted by Zane Lowe. However, like many other artists who come across negatively in NME interviews, Borrell and supporters have accused the magazine of misrepresentation and emphasising quotes out of context.