movies
Greta Thunberg Hits Zurich Film Fest With ‘My Home of Wind and Sand’
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has thrown her weight behind the Zurich-premiering My Home of Wind and Sand, an important and affecting documentary following a young woman’s fight for her community’s independence.
From Austrian filmmaker Patrick Wally, who shot the feature over a 10-year period, My Home of Wind and Sand is a portrait of Sahrawi activist Najla Mohamed Lamin. She was born and raised in the refugee camps near Tindouf, Algeria, and has devoted her adult life to campaigning for Western Sahara’s liberation from Moroccan sovereignty. We follow Lamin from her studies in the U.S. to representing the Sahrawi people at the United Nations, where she argues for peaceful resistance as a generation born in exile (Spain withdrew its occupation of the region in 1975) grows older and angrier without resolution.
When armed conflict resumes after decades of ceasefire, the convictions that have shaped Najla’s public life are tested. And then, toward the end of the doc, comes a kick to the gut: The UN Security Council adopts a US-sponsored resolution describing genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the “most feasible solution” to the conflict.
Lamin and Wally, whose sweet and unlikely friendship anchors this depiction of the Sahrawi people’s fight for justice, were celebrated at the Zurich Film Festival premiere on Tuesday evening, where they urged attendees to spread the word about the issue.
And Thunberg, who in January 2025 visited the Sahrawi camps with Lamin accompanying and translating for her, spoke plainly about what must change and called out the media for its silence. “This movie is so much about betrayal,” said the young activist. “First, it is the occupation and the violence in itself that somehow becomes viewed as normal. […] It’s not attractive enough to gain any media attention or clicks, which is yet another betrayal. And then it’s the whole international community, all the international organizations that people are putting their entire trust to, but are being met with nothing but betrayal.”
She continued, asking the audience to take Lamin’s story with them: “We do not talk about Western Sahara — people don’t even know about Western Sahara, and there’s just this extreme hypocrisy that makes me so, so angry and upset. While this story is, of course, incredibly inspirational, it is about perseverance, steadfastness, and continuing the fight as a matter of duty. I am convinced that Najla [and her community] do not want thank-yous or applause, but action. It falls on every single one of us in this room, especially us privileged people who have a platform or access to resources, to actually take that moral obligation to amplify the Western Saharan struggles. […] We will spread the word, and do everything in our power to ensure global solidarity and justice. Because otherwise, we are nothing more than hypocrites ourselves.”
Lamin reflected on seeing a decade of her life up on screen and paid tribute to the thousands of people — including her late sister — who will never have their voices heard. She said at Zurich’s Kinokoni: “Standing in Europe, in Switzerland, I think it’s very easy for us to think that we are completely separate from each other as nations, as cultures, as activists, as women, as men. ‘Oh, she lives in Africa. She has nothing to do with me. I live in Switzerland. I have nothing to do with the person in Gaza or in Sudan or in Congo.’”
The campaigner added: “But when you really sit with yourself, you do a little bit of research, or just take the courage to be honest with yourself… We’re only one small planet, and we’re not separated. We’re not different. Morocco cannot do what it’s doing without the support of Europe and the U.S., and Israel cannot do what it’s doing to the Palestinian people without the support of Europe and the U.S. […] Free European citizens, you have a very, very big responsibility to look back at your privileges, to look back at your government, at your interests, and see where [you] can make a difference.”
The room erupted into raucous applause as Lamin spoke. All she is asking for, she added, is a referendum where her people can decide their own future. Wally added: “I was so astonished of her story and how she tells it, and even [at] the first meeting, everything she told me… It was eye-opening for me. She had so much knowledge, and I learned so much from her that I wouldn’t have expected. So that’s why I tried to make a film about her.”
Lightdox is handling worldwide sales on My Home of Wind and Sand, a WyFilm production. The 22nd Zurich Film Festival runs Sept. 24-Oct. 4.
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Chinese director Niu Niu’s Final Payment scooped the Best Film Award in the Fei Mu Awards of this year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (PYIFF), while Rafiki Fariala’s Congo Boy won Best Film in the festival’s Roberto Rossellini Awards.
Final Payment, which also won Best Actor for Niu Jianrong’s performance, revolves around a homeowner clashing with a contractor over the final payment following a set of renovations on his home. PYIFF’s competition jury stated: “Tearing through a very small rip, the film leads us into a reality and emotional landscape so expansive, where we sigh, lament, and reflect. The director’s approach is concise, unpretentious, and masterful, earning the wholehearted recognition of the entire jury.”
The Best Film award came with a cash prize of $150,000 (RMB1m) with half given to the director for the development of their next film, and half given to the distributor in China. Niu Niu previously directed Mr Junjun, which was awarded with the Jury Award and Youth Jury Award at PYIFF in 2023.
Also in the Fei Mu Awards, Xu Zao won Best Director for Light Pillar, while Best Actress went to Sun Yi for Wang Xiaozhen’s A Joke. The Jury Award was presented to Dong Jie’s Zoom In, Zoom Out, which had its world premiere in Venice Critics Week, while a special mention went to Cai Chengjie’s Suzhou Quartet.
The Fei Mu awards are focused on the festival’s Hidden Dragons section, which selects first, second and third films from emerging directors making Chinese-language films, while the Roberto Rossellini Awards focus on the Crouching Tigers section for emerging international directors.
Congo Boy, which took Best Film in the Roberto Rossellini Awards, also won Best Actor when it premiered in Un Certain Regard at this year’s Cannes film festival. The PYIFF award came with a cash prize of $20,000, with half given to the director for the development of their next film, and half given to the distributor in China.
The PYIFF jury stated: “The Jury unanimously has been moved by this autobiographical story, told in a simple style that echoes the great tradition of neorealism. For a film focusing on a character that confronts his world with optimism despite dark times and takes on his shoulders the destiny of his entire family.”
Also in this section, the Philippines’ Rafael Manuel won Best Director for Filipiñana, while the Jury Award went to Ben’imana, directed by Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo, which won the Camera d’Or at this year’s Cannes. The jury also awarded Rakan Mayasi’s Yesterday The Eye Didn’t Sleep a Special Mention.
Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui received the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon East-West Award, shortly before she receives the Camellia Award at Busan International Film Festival next week.
Pingyao’s International Contribution To Chinese Cinema Award went to Marco Müller, who founded the festival with Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke and currently serves as Artistic Director of the Film Art Research Centre at Shanghai University, and veteran producer, director and former chairman of China Film Group Han Sanping. Hello Group chairman Tang Yan was presented with a 10th Anniversary Award.
This year’s PYIFF opened on September 24 with a screening of the 4K restoration of Fei Mu’s Spring In A Small Town; closed with Good Trip, co-directed by Hong Kong filmmakers Norris Wong and Hoi Wong, and also screened Jia’s short film Torino Shadow, which premiered at this year’s Cannes.
PINGYAO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2026 AWARDS:
FEI MU AWARDS:
Best Film: Final Payment, dir: Niu Niu
Best Director: Xu Zao, Light Pillar
Best Actress: Sun Yi, A Joke, dir: Wang Xiaozhen
Best Actor: Niu Jianrong, Final Payment, dir: Niu Niu
Jury Award: Zoom In, Zoom Out, dir: Dong Jie
Special Mention: Suzhou Quartet, dir: Cai Chengjie
ROBERTO ROSSELLINI AWARDS:
Best Film: Congo Boy, dir: Rafiki Fariala
Best Director: Filipiñana, dir: Rafael Manuel
Jury Award: Ben’imana, dir: Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo
Special Mention: Yesterday The Eye Didn’t Sleep, dir: Rakan Mayasi
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SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from Tuesday night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars.
It’s another exciting night in the ballroom as 13 contestants are still eyeing the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy during Week 3 of Dancing with the Stars.
Last week, the judges reinforced just how tough they are going to be this season, once again declining to score anyone above a 7. Still, three couples — Jenna and Val, Ezra and Daniella, and Amber and Pasha — walked away tied for the top of the leaderboard with 21 points. We also said goodbye to Alan Bersten and chef Giada De Laurentiis.
Week 3 is Yacht Rock night, so the remaining couples are performing to hits from artists including Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers, and Luther Vandross.
Here is how the night went.
Olympian Amber Glenn with Pasha Pashkov danced a Foxtrot to “Hold the Line” by Toto. SCORE: 24
Actress Julia Stiles with Ezra Sosa danced a salsa to “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” by Daryl Hall & John Oates. SCORE: 19
Late-night sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez with Whitney Carson danced a Foxtrot to “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes. SCORE: 15
Actress Tatyana Ali with Jan Ravnik performed a Quickstep to “Maneater” by Daryl Hall & John Oates. SCORE: 21
Actor Harry Shum Jr. with Jenna Johnson performed a jive to “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Daryl Hall & John Oates. SCORE: 24
Musician Taylor Hanson with Britt Stewart danced a Foxtrot to “What a Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers. SCORE: 18
Reality star Maura Higgins with Mark Ballas danced a Quickstep to “Turn Your Love Around” by George Benson. SCORE: 22
Reality star Ciara Miller with Brandon Armstrong performed a Cha Cha to “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross. SCORE: 18
Savannah Bananas midfielder Jackson Olson with Emma Slater performed a paso doble to “Easy Lover” by Philip Bailey and Phil Collins. SCORE: 18
Comedian and podcaster Connor Wood with Rylee Arnold danced a Foxtrot to “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac. SCORE: 20
Actress Jenna Dewan with Val Chmerkovskiy danced a samba to “Africa” by Toto. SCORE: 21
Reality star Tyler Cameron with Sharna Burgess danced a jive to “Still the One” by Orleans. SCORE: 17
Paralympian Ezra Frech with Daniella Karagach danced a Foxtrot to “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. featuring Bill Withers. SCORE: 21
Who goes home?
The competition is now down to 12 as Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart were sent home. Next week is all about Mariah Carey, so the couples will perform a variety of the pop superstar’s biggest hits.
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Another hockey book adaptation has entered the chat.
Netflix is currently building out its cast for the series adaptation of Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker book that kicks off the Maple Hill series. This in addition to their show The Sticks that is also currently in the works.
For everything we know about Netflix’s Icebreaker book adaptation so far, read on.
When will Netflix’s Icebreaker series adaptation come out?
A release date has not yet been set. The show has begun to assemble its cast.
Who will lead the Icebreaker show at Netflix?
Daisy Jelley (Poser, How To Have Sex) will portray Anastasia “Stassie” Allen, and Connor Simos (Subversion) will portray Nate Hawkins in the college hockey drama series.
Who else is in the cast of Netflix’s Icebreaker adaptation?
Gabriel Tierney (Rivals, Enola Holmes 2), Auliʻi Cravalho (Moana), newcomer and professional athlete Peter Berry, Chaneil Kular (Best of the Best, Sex Education), Devin Craig (Sex Lives of College Girls, Maize) and Aidan Shaw (We Were Liars, Heated Rivalry, Finding Her Edge) have joined the ensemble cast.
Tierney will play Aaron; Cravalho will portray Lola; Berry is Robbie; Kular will play JJ; Craig will portray Henry and Shaw is Russ.
What is Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker book about?
Stassie is a transfer athlete gunning for Olympic gold. Nate is the campus star chasing the NHL. When an accident forces their teams to share one rink, Anastasia Allen and Nate Hawkins collide—and discipline gives way to obsession, because the only thing more dangerous than wanting to win is wanting each other.
Who else is behind Netflix’s Icebreaker series?
Jade Halley Bartlett (Road House, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Miller’s Girl) created and executive produced the series. Amanda Lasher (Gossip Girl, The Bold Type, Togetherness) serves as showrunner, writer and excutive producer. Grace also executive produces along with Alex Cooper, Matt Kaplan and Mina Lefevre for Cooper’s Unwell Productions.
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