What might Alexander the Great have to do with the …internet; Apparently none.  Unless the latter becomes the engine for spreading the story,  of ideas,  of the knowledge brought by the world of Alexander the Great.  A gathering, which can become a reality thanks to the “Virtual Museum of Alexander the Great: from the Goats to the Universe",  a program of the Digital Convergence of the General Secretariat of Culture,  which was presented during the four-day 15os 18 November in Naoussa, in the framework of the International Scientific Conference "Discovering the World of Alexander the Great".

“The ecumenical world of the Internet has many features in common with the one created by Alexander, and is therefore somehow conceptually and ideologically related”,  the general secretary Mrs. Lina Mendoni said during her introduction to the conference. And that,  because it is about “a world, where the circulation of ideas, the transmission of knowledge and the fruitful contact and acquaintance with human cultural achievements can be carried out in a way that is massive and efficient but at the same time intimate, personalized and affordable",  as he added.

The 19th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities headed by archaeologist Mrs. Angeliki Kottaridis organized this conference, in order to present this Virtual Museum to the international scientific community as well as to the wider public, a large and original digital project, carried out with financing 1, 4 million. euros from the NSRF.  After all, this program also performs a "duty",  as Mrs. Mendoni characterized it towards History. Because there may be tens of thousands of websites referring to the great Macedonian,  however to what extent and to what extent this material is reliable,  objective and scientific; And how can one distinguish it from those driven by expediency and propaganda;

"Using all means of modern technology and the Internet in a concerted effort to gather historical and archaeological data, of the sources, of academic interpretations and approaches aimed at synthesis, scientifically valid and at the same time slick and attractive presentation of the form, of the action and legacy of Alexander the Great in world history and human culture, is an important step in the direction of fulfilling this debt" said Mrs. Mendoni.

Ideas and intentions,  distortions and inaccuracies are of course excluded from the preamble,  how else could this Museum for Alexander the Great win the international recognition,  recognition of validity sought. In this Museum, moreover, visitors will not be simple readers of pre-selected entries and texts, but will be participants in a lively and interactive narrative interspersed with photographs., videos and sounds.  So,  virtual reality technologies will allow visitors from every part of the world and at any time of the day to browse through their computer freely in its digital rooms, to be guided through its collections and curious about its exhibits. Periodical exhibitions and special tributes that will be renewed, they will keep their interest and encourage them to return for new visits in the future. Thanks to the virtual character of the museum, its collections and exhibitions will be able to include evidence from any part of the world, even from other museums, in a way that would never be possible for a conventional museum.

Beyond the Virtual Museum though, the conference was an international event for scholars of the history of Macedonian kings, of Alexander the Great and his campaign,  of the empire he created and the change he brought about in the Eastern world. Because it was presented for the first time, through the suggestions of great scientists the overall picture of the research on Alexander the Great and the consequences of his course in the world. A particularly important event was the presentation of the excavations, carried out in the countries, which co-constituted the Hellenistic world. Thus internationally renowned scientists and excavation managers from Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan but also from England, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Russia and of course Greece submitted the conclusions of their research and announced the new historical and archaeological data for cities in Asia Minor, of Syro-Palestine, of Mesopotamia Egypt, of Persia, of Bactriani et al.  Because,  as can easily be perceived,  only through global and comprehensive knowledge of the subject can safe conclusions be drawn.

At the same time, it was presented at the conference by the most expert scholars, historians and museum directors the personality of Alexander the Great and his timeless influence in history, myth and art.  And even more,  the new archaeological data, which resulted from the research in the Palace of the Goats, the emblematic building founded by Philip II in the middle of the 4th century. B.C. an architectural, technician, artistic, political and philosophical model of the public building, which would then dominate all Hellenistic, Roman and medieval world. Moreover, the work of the 17th Ephorate in the restoration, preservation and promotion of the Royal Necropolis and the Palace of the Goats, Mrs. Angeliki Kottaridis and the civil engineer of the 16th EPKA were presented, Mrs. Olympia Felekidou.

Source : tovima.gr

 ..in the cinemas

Feelgood presents David Frankel's film titled "It's never too late" and starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones which will premiere in theaters on Thursday 22 November 2012.

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE – A sofa wedding

I can't tell you how heartwarming and uplifting it is to see a gentle, tender and intelligent film with top stars playing real people with real problems in the everyday world. The New York Observer, Rex Reed

Spectacularly well matched and coordinated with each other, Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones deliver two of the most polished performances of the year. Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

"It's Never Too Late" keeps in mind that the good ending is temporary. What the exuberant film gives the two protagonists is a renewed zest for life. And that is something that never gets old.Peter Travers , Rolling Stone

"It's Never Too Late" is a minor miracle. While the Hollywood tradition tends to treat sex as something titillating or idealized, as taboo or completely pornographic, finally someone made a movie that handles it in the most risque way possible: as the physical expression of intimacy between two imperfect adults. Ann Hornaday,Washington Post.

After the great box office and artistic success of "The Devil Wears Prada", the perfect duo, director David Frankel and star Meryl Streep reunite for a delightful comedy about a woman's unexpected decision to rekindle her sex life after 30 years of marriage. Written by the talented Vanessa Taylor (Game of Thrones) and co-starring the one and only Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell, "It's Never Too Late" in addition to amazing performances has all the ingredients of a bold film that can disarm even the most cynical.

Summary:
Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) they can be a loving couple,  but they suffer from all the symptoms of familiarity. After decades of married life, Kay feels the need to rekindle the passion between them. So, when he learns about a famous marriage counselor (Steve Carell) based in Great Hope Springs, a country town, she tries to convince her wary husband to leave with her for a week of intensive care. But this is only the beginning. However difficult it may be to get the stubborn and workaholic Arnold to accompany her on this journey of pleasure and discovery, the real challenge awaits them when they reach their destination. There, they will need to shed all their inhibitions and try, with their hearts, to rekindle the spark that once brought them together.
Duration: 100’

Trivia/Fun facts:
• Screenwriter Vanessa Taylor has gone through a lot for this script, after, as known, a good idea is not enough to make a movie. When she showed the first manuscript to her mentor, he told her to throw away the last ones 60 pages. Of course she didn't like that idea at all, but decided to take his advice and rewrote the final scene. After its completion, the script was circulated, as they say in Hollywood, but no one was choosing it. And then the script entered the so-called Black List. The Black List includes the most promising scripts circulating in Hollywood that have not yet been made into films.
• It was producer Guymon Casady who took the initiative to bring the script to light. He himself remembers: “My wife Robyn, who is also a screenwriter herself, had met Vanessa Taylor at a barbeque, resulting in Vanessa giving the script of Never Too Late to Robyn. A week later, we were lying in bed reading and my wife was engrossed in the script. When he finished it, he came back and said i know it's late, but you must read this script. It's amazing. I read it that night and fell in love with it and decided to take it on as a producer.".
• For the scenes, where the couple meets with the psychologist, the director thought that the best way to achieve a live, fresh and funny scene, was to avoid many rehearsals or in some cases no rehearsals at all. For Steve Carell this was a big challenge for obvious reasons. “Imagine! You sit across from Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones for a scene that has 9 pages and say “Action!” and you start. There was definitely an element of fear, and I think David wanted to capture that. But it was fun. I understand why David didn't want a lot of rehearsals. He wanted it to feel fresh and organic, and not that of the written script".
• The film has been shot exclusively in Connecticut. In the first three weeks, the scenes were shot in the office of Dr. Feld, for which an old factory was transformed into a conference space. Next came the scenes of the lead duo at their home in Omaha, in the hotel in Maine and in the room of a romantic inn.
• The script's fictional town of Great Hope Springs is set in an idyllic fishing village called Stonington. There, the crew had to intervene in some buildings for the needs of the scenario, while the locals not only watched the filming, but they also participated as extras.

Source : culturenow.gr