Lední hokej na Zimních olympijských hrách 2010

Changes from previous tournaments.

For the first time, Olympic Games were played on a narrower NHL-sized ice rink, measuring, instead of the international size of. By permitting the use of existing venues without rink modifications, this was expected to save $10 million (CAD) in construction costs and allow more spectators to attend games.  This was also the first Olympics in which the four-official system, with two referees and two linesmen, was used during the men's tournament. The NHL began using the two-referee system in the 1998–99 season, while the IIHF first started using it in its major men's championship tournaments in the 2008 IIHF World Championship. However, for the women's tournament in Vancouver, the IIHF used the standard three-official system with one referee and two linesmen, saying that the four-official system is not currently needed in women's international hockey.

Venues.

The games of the 2010 tournament were held at the 6,800 seat UBC Winter Sports Centre and 18,810 seat General Motors Place, which was renamed Canada Hockey Place during the event because corporate sponsorship is not allowed for an Olympic venue. The games were played on a North American ice surface which is four metres narrower than international rinks.  The games of the tournament forced the Vancouver Canucks to play the longest road trip in NHL history, playing 14 games over six weeks, from 27 January to 13 March, so that GM Place could be used for the tournament. Because of the Olympics, the ice surface and boards needed to be devoid of advertising and some seating areas needed to be converted to press rows for the duration of the games.

Men's tournament.

Following negotiations in the National Hockey League's collective bargaining agreement, an agreement was reached allowing NHL participation in both the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. Some NHL team owners opposed having their players participate in the tournament because of concerns that the league's players could get injured or become exhausted. Several players were injured during the 2006 Winter Olympics and were forced to miss NHL games. Gary Bettman addressed the issue saying that several format changes were being discussed, so that the tournament would be "a little easier for everybody."

Qualification.

Qualification for the men's tournament at the 2010 Winter Olympics was structured around the 2008 IIHF World Ranking. The top nine teams in the World Ranking after the 2008 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships received automatic berths into the Olympics, while all remaining member federations could attempt to qualify for the remaining three spots in the Olympics. In October 2008, the four lowest entrants played off for a spot in the first round. Teams then ranked 19th through 30th played in a first qualification round in November 2008, where the top three teams from the round advance to the second qualification round. Teams ranked 10th through 18th joined the three top teams from the first qualifying round to play in a second qualification round. The top three teams from the second qualifying round advanced to the Olympic tournament.

Format.

The twelve teams in the men's event are seeded into three groups of four teams. In the preliminary round, a team plays one game against every other team in its own group (for a total of 18 preliminary round games). Following the completion of the preliminary round, the teams are ranked 1 through 12 based on the results. The top four ranked teams receive byes to the quarterfinals, with the remaining eight teams playing for the remaining four quarterfinal positions. Following that, the final eight teams play elimination rounds to determine the gold and silver medals, and the two losing teams of the semi-finals play for the bronze medal. Each team is allowed to have 20 skaters (forwards and defensemen) and two or three goaltenders, all of whom must be citizens of the country they represent.

Politicians' wagers on the Game.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and US President Barack Obama, through their respective spokesmen, Dimitri Soudas and Robert Gibbs, made friendly wagers on the outcome of the men's gold medal game. As Team Canada won, Harper received a case of Molson Canadian (brewed by Canada's oldest brewery) from Obama on March 19, along with a case of Obama's favourite American beer, Yuengling (brewed by the oldest surviving brewery in the U.S.), both delivered in person to 24 Sussex Drive by US Ambassador David Jacobson and both to be donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. In settlement of a separate bet, Gibbs wore a Team Canada jersey at his press briefing on March 12.

Women's tournament.

Qualification.

The women's tournament used a qualification format similar to the system used for the men's tournament. The top six teams in the IIHF Women's World Ranking after the 2008 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships received automatic berths into the Ice Hockey event. Lower ranked teams had an opportunity to qualify for the event. Teams ranked 13th and below were divided into two groups where they played in a first qualification round in September 2008. The two group winners from the round advanced to the second qualification round, where the teams ranked seventh through twelfth joined them.

Format.

The eight teams were split into two divisions of four teams and each team played three preliminary games. Following the completion of the preliminary round, the top two teams from each division advanced to the medal round and competed in a playoff to determine the gold medalist. The other four played classification games. Each team is allowed to have between 15 and 18 skaters (forwards and defensemen) and either two or three goaltenders.

Participating nations.

A total of eight national teams competed in the women's ice hockey tournament.

Uniforms.

Uniforms were produced by Kent Angus, who collaborated with the participating nations to incorporate "discovery pieces" into the jerseys. The extra details were national motifs noticeable up close.

Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Rogers Arena (then known as GM Place, and renamed "Canada Hockey Place" for the duration of the Games due to IOC sponsorship rules), home of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, and at UBC Winter Sports Centre, home of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's UBC Thunderbirds. Twelve teams competed in the men's event and eight teams competed in the women's event. Canada won both tournaments with victories against the United States, while Finland won both bronze games, however against different opponents.

Hokejové soutěže mužů a žen na Zimních olympijských hrách ve Vancouveru se konaly ve dnech 13. až 28. února 2010. O dvě sady medailí se hrálo v halách Canada Hockey Place a UBC Winter Sports Centre. Turnaje se zúčastnilo 12 mužských a 8 ženských týmů. Počtvrté v historii se turnaje zúčastnili také hráči NHL, jejíž průběh byl v době konání olympiády přerušen.


Description.

"Betula pubescens" is commonly known as downy birch, with other common names including moor birch, white birch, European white birch or hairy birch. It is a deciduous tree growing to tall (rarely to 27 m), with a slender crown and a trunk up to (exceptionally 1 m) in diameter, with smooth but dull grey-white bark finely marked with dark horizontal lenticels. The shoots are grey-brown with fine downy. The leaves are ovate-acute, long and broad, with a finely serrated margin. The flowers are wind-pollinated catkins, produced in early spring before the leaves. The fruit is a pendulous, cylindrical aggregate long and wide which disintegrates at maturity, releasing the individual seeds; these seeds are long with two small wings along the side.

Species identification.

"B. pubescens" is closely related to, and often confused with, the silver birch ("B. pendula"). Many North American texts treat the two species as conspecific (and cause confusion by combining the downy birch's alternative vernacular name, white birch, with the scientific name "B. pendula" of the other species), but they are regarded as distinct species throughout Europe.  Downy birch can be distinguished from silver birch with its smooth, downy shoots, which are hairless and warty in silver birch. The bark of the downy birch is a dull greyish white, whereas the silver birch has striking white, papery bark with black fissures. The leaf margins also differ, finely serrated in downy birch, coarsely double-toothed in silver birch. The two have differences in habitat requirements, with downy birch more common on wet, poorly drained sites, such as clays and peat bogs, and silver birch found mainly on dry, sandy soils.  In more northerly locations, downy birch can also be confused with the dwarf birch ("Betula nana"), both species being morphologically variable. All three species can be distinguished cytologically, silver birch and dwarf birch being diploid (with two sets of chromosomes), whereas downy birch is tetraploid (with four sets of chromosomes). In Iceland, dwarf birch and downy birch sometimes hybridise, the resulting plants being triploid (with three sets of chromosomes).

Distribution and habitat.

"Betula pubescens" has a wide distribution in northern and central Europe and Asia. Its range extends from Newfoundland, Iceland, the British Isles and Spain eastwards across northern and central Europe and Asia as far as the Lake Baikal region in Siberia. The range extends southwards to about 40°N, its southernmost limit being Turkey, the Caucasus and the Altai Mountains. It is a pioneer species which establishes itself readily in new areas away from the parent tree. This allows other woodland trees to become established and the birch, a short-lived tree, eventually gets crowded out as its seedlings are intolerant of shady conditions.  Downy birch extends farther north into the Arctic than any other broadleaf tree. Specimens of the subarctic populations are usually small and very contorted, and are often distinguished as arctic downy birch or mountain birch, "B. p." var. "pumila". (not to be confused with "B. nana"). This variety is notable as being one of very few trees native to Iceland and Greenland, and is the only tree to form woodland in Iceland. At one time the island is thought to have been covered in downy birch woodland, but that cover is reduced to about one percent of the land surface today.

Varieties and cultivars.

Three varieties are recognised, the nominate "Betula pubescens" var. "pubescens", "B. p." var. "litwinowii" (distributed in the Caucasus and Turkey) and "B. p." var. "pumila" (arctic downy birch or mountain birch, formerly called "B. p." subsp. "tortuosa"). The latter has arisen from the hybridization of var. "pubescens" and "B. nana" (dwarf birch) and is characterised by its shrubby habit, smaller leaves, resinous glands and the smaller wings on the fruit. A number of cultivars have been grown but many are no longer in cultivation. They include "Armenian gold", "Arnold Brembo" (scented foliage), "crenata nana" (shrubby and dwarf), "incisa" (lobed foliage), "integrifolia" (unlobed foliage), "murigthii" (shrubby with doubly serrate leaves), "ponitica" (hairless), "undulata" (leaf margins waxy), "urticifolia" (nettle-leaved), "variegata" (variegated) and "Yellow wings". Two others, described by the German botanist Ernst Schelle in 1903, are also lost; "pendula", a cultivar with a leader and weeping branches, and "pendula nana", which grows into an umbrella-shaped tree with weeping branches but no leader.

Ecology.

The larva of the autumnal moth ("Epirrita autumnata") feeds on the foliage of "Betula pubescens" and other tree species. In outbreak years, large areas of birch forest can be defoliated by this insect. Damage to the leaf tissue stimulates the tree to produce chemicals that reduce foliage quality, retarding the growth of the larvae and reducing their pupal weights.  In Greenland, about seventy species of fungi have been found growing in association with "B. pubescens", as parasites or saprobes on living or dead wood. Some of the most common fungi include "Ceriporia reticulata", "Chondrostereum purpureum", "Exidia repanda", "Hyphoderma" spp, "Inonotus obliquus", "Inonotus radiatus", "Mycena galericulata", "Mycena rubromarginata", "Panellus ringens", "Peniophora incarnata", "Phellinus lundellii", "Radulomyces confluens", "Stereum rugosum", "Trechispora" spp., "Tubulicrinis" spp. and "Tyromyces chioneus".  Birch dieback disease, associated with the fungal pathogens "Marssonina betulae" and "Anisogramma virgultorum", can affect planted trees, while naturally regenerated trees seem less susceptible. This disease also affects "Betula pendula" and in 2000 was reported at many of the sites planted with birch in Scotland during the 1990s.

Uses.

The outer layer of bark can be stripped off the tree without killing it and can be used to make canoe skins, drinking vessels and roofing tiles. The inner bark can be used for the production of rope and for making a form of oiled paper. This bark is also rich in tannin and has been used as a brown dye and as a preservative. The bark can also be turned into a high quality charcoal favoured by artists. The twigs and young branches are very flexible and make good whisks and brooms. The timber is pale in colour with a fine, uniform texture and is used in the manufacture of plywood, furniture, shelves, coffins, matches and toys, and in turnery.  The Sami people of Scandinavia used the bark of both "B. pubescens" and "B. pendula" as an ingredient in bread-making; the reddish phloem, just below the outer bark, was dried, ground up and blended with wheat flour to make a traditional loaf. In Finland, mämmi, a traditional Easter food, was packed and baked in boxes of birch bark. Nowadays, cardboard boxes are used, but imprinted with the typical bark pattern. Birch bark was used as an emergency food in times of famine; in Novgorod in 1127–28, desperate people ate it along with such things as the leaves of lime trees, wood pulp, straw, husks and moss. In Iceland, trimmings of birch trees are used with birch sap in the making of a sweet birch liqueur. The removal of bark was at one time so widespread that Carl Linnaeus expressed his concern for the survival of the woodlands. The leaves can be infused with boiling water to make a tea, and extracts of the plant have been used as herbal remedies.  Both "B. pubescens" and "B. pendula" can be tapped in spring to obtain a sugary fluid. This can be consumed fresh, concentrated into a syrup similar to the better-known maple syrup, or can be fermented into an ale or wine. In Scandinavia, this is done on a domestic scale, but in the former USSR, particularly Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, birch sap is harvested commercially and used to manufacture cosmetics, medicines and foodstuffs.

Betula pubescens (syn. "Betula alba"), commonly known as downy birch and also as moor birch, white birch, European white birch or hairy birch, is a species of deciduous tree, native and abundant throughout northern Europe and northern Asia, growing farther north than any other broadleaf tree. It is closely related to, and often confused with, the silver birch ("B. pendula"), but grows in wetter places with heavier soils and poorer drainage; smaller trees can also be confused with the dwarf birch ("B. nana").

Bříza pýřitá ("Betula pubescens") je listnatá dřevina z čeledi břízovitých. Původní a rozšířený druh v celé severní Evropě, na Islandu, v severní Asii a na Islandu. Vyskytuje se také v České republice a na Slovensku.


Overview.

Cuan (爨) means "cooking-stove" in Chinese. In the year 1958, it was simplified as Chuan (in Chinese: 川). The reason why this hamlet has this name is that the host would like to be away from chill. It is famous because it has a history of 400 years during the Ming Dynasty. At that time, Cuandixia's settlers migrated from Shan Xi, a province west of Beijing. It is a stronghold on the way from Beijing to Shan Xi.  The family name of all of the villagers living here is Han (韩/韓), which means that they share the same ancestor. Hundreds of years old, the houses here still maintain the style of Ming and Qing Dynasty. Therefore, it is an attractive historical site, where thousands of people come here from its surrounding cities. There are 500 houses left. Stone carving, brick carving, calligraphy, and painting are everywhere. Common figures used are bats, pied magpies, Peonies, waterlilies, etc. Each of them has its typical meaning.  The site is a National Village Architecture Reserve.

Location.

Cuandixia is located on ancient post road roughly 90 km northwest from central Beijing in the Jingxi mountain region. The village is served by National Road 109 and can be reached via bus number 929 which departs from Pingguoyuan subway station. Travel from central Beijing takes about three hours by car.

History.

Cuandixia was founded during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) by members of the Han clan who moved from Shanxi Province. Towards the end of the Qing Dynasty Cuandixia prospered from trading in coal, fur, and grain.

Attractions.

Cuandixia is home to 500 well preserved courtyard homes dating to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Many of these homes have been converted into inns offering food and lodging to travelers. Stone paved lanes and steep staircases help define Chuandixia's architectural identity. The village is a frequent subject of photographers and painters. The surrounding area is full of mountains and trails for hikers.

Cuandixia (), also spelled Chuandixia (), is a historic village dating from the Ming dynasty located in Zhaitang (), Mentougou District in Beijing, China. It is a popular tourist attraction known for its well preserved courtyard homes.

Cchuan-ti-sia () je vesnička v západní části Pekingu, hlavního města Čínské lidové republiky. Leží v Čaj-tchangu v městském obvodě Men-tchou-kou a pro svoji zachovalou architekturu z období dynastií Ming a Čching je vyhledávanou turistickou atrakcí.


History.

Early stages.

The band was founded in 1988 by the drummer Txus di Fellatio, who slowly recruited the rest of the members for the band, finalising the line-up by 1992. Originally, the band was called "Transilvania" ("Transylvania" in Spanish), named after an instrumental piece by Iron Maiden, a heavy influence on the band. In 1992, the band members were Txus (drums and backing vocals), Mohamed (violin), Charlie (lead guitar), Chema (rhythm guitar), Salva (bass), and Juanma (lead vocals, backup drums). They recorded several demos: "Y qué más da" (in 1989), "Canción de cuna para un bohemio" (1990), and "Con la cabeza bien alta", in 1992. Their music had a wide range of styles and influences, but was primarily based around folk metal and Celtic music.  In 1992 the band was a finalist in the "Concurso Villa de Madrid", and in 1994 the band released their debut album, produced by Txus and Alberto Plaza under the name Mago de Oz. This album found very little success and people were barely aware of the band's existence. During this time, Mago de Oz went through a period of turbulence and substantial line-up changes, before the line-up that has persisted almost until the present time was formed in 1996. At this point, the lineup consisted of Txus (drums and backing vocals), Mohamed (violin and backing vocals), Carlitos (lead Guitar and backing vocals), Frank (rhythm Guitar, acoustic guitar, and backing vocals), Salva (bass and backing vocals), and José Andrëa (lead Vocals, keyboards).

"Jesús de Chamberí" and "La leyenda de La Mancha".

The same year, the band began recording their rock opera album, "Jesús de Chamberí", produced by Alberto Plaza and the band themselves, which told a story of Jesus returning to the Madrid neighbourhood of Chamberí. The album was edited and released on the label Locomotive Music. Mago de Oz saw a huge surge in popularity across Spain following the release of the album, which was promoted with the "Via Crucis Tour". In 1997, the band decided to re-record five songs from their debut album with the new singer. The resulting EP was officially self-titled, but it referred to by many fans as "La Bruja" ("The Witch" in Spanish), as the album cover features a witch playing a violin with a moon backdrop. The name has now become as a de facto name for the EP and even the official website now refers to the EP as "La Bruja". "La Bruja" surpassed the success of "Jesús de Chamberí", further raised Mägo de Oz's profile, and led to more festival appearances.  Clearly fans of concept albums and rock operas, Mägo de Oz released their third album, "La Leyenda de La Mancha", a modern retelling of Miguel de Cervantes' "Don Quixote". Rock opera has been a feature of all of their albums from "Jesús de Chamberí" onwards. Mägo de Oz embarked on "The Riiiichal Tour", which consisted of 115 dates, their longest to that point. To mark the success of "La leyenda de La Mancha", and to mark their tenth anniversary, the band released a documentary about themselves entitled "Resacosix en Hispania", in 1999, later released on DVD in 2004.

Conceptual phase.

Towards the end of 1999 Mägo de Oz started writing and recording a double album named "Finisterra", released in 2000. For this album they added Sergio "Kiskilla" on keyboards and accordion and Fernando on flute. This album was the most folk of their albums, while still rooted in heavy metal. The live tour supporting this album featured more elaborate stage production, with more sophisticated sets, pyrotechnics, and lights. Around this time bassist Salva left the band, to be replaced by Sergio. In 2002 the band released their first live album, "Fölktergeist", a compilation of songs played at various shows on the tour.  In 2003, Mägo de Oz released "Gaia", the first album in a trilogy which would be completed in 2010. The album was a concept album with two main themes: the Spanish conquest of America and the ecological damage wrought by mankind on Earth (Gaia). The CD liner notes detail the plot of the concept album. The album, with a Celtic rock sound, features flutes and violins, and met with a mixed reception. Around this time, Mägo de Oz started performing concerts in Latin America.  In 2004, Mägo de Oz returned to the studio to record "Belfast" named after the city in Northern Ireland and the numerous sectarian conflicts that have taken place there. Many of the songs on the album are simply re-recordings of songs on previous albums. The band recorded a metal version of "La Rosa de los Vientos" as well as adding some orchestral parts to certain earlier songs. They also added a third guitarist, Jorge Salán, and the bassist, Sergio, left the band.

Change of label.

In 2005, Mägo de Oz released two albums. The first one, was a second live album called "Madrid - Las Ventas", recorded in Madrid's bullfighting arena, Las Ventas. There were some contractual complications with this album, since Locomotive Music had released the album, and Mägo de Oz had now signed with a new label, and therefore, Locomotive Music did not have the consent of the band. The second disc, "", on the new label, Warner Dro, was the second album in the Gaia trilogy and contained the single "La Posada de los Muertos". For this album, they recruited another bassist, Pedro "Peri". After "La Posada de los Muertos" came the "Hoy Toca Ser Feliz" and "Diabulus in Musica". "Hoy Toca Ser Feliz" was accompanied by a video with the members of the band dressed as the characters from "The Wizard of Oz", Txus drumming in costume as Glinda the Good Witch, with giant wings. During the tour for "Gaia II", Txus temporarily left the band due to extreme exhaustion and personal problems. His substitute for a month and a half period was Joaquín Arellano. On 8 September 2006, Txus returned to the drums.  On 5 December 2006, Mägo de Oz released their first greatest hits album "Rock n' Oz", including a re-recording of the songs "Molinos de Viento, "Jesús de Chamberí", "Hasta que tu Muerte nos Separe", and "El Cantar de la luna Oscura". The album is a double album; the first disc contains singles and the second non-singles. A special edition of "Rock n' Oz", entitled "The Best Oz" came in a box set with the original two discs and an extra disc of rare recordings, including old recordings of songs never before released with the first singer Juanma still in the lineup. It also contains a DVD documenting their American tour.  On 10 October 2007, the video for their single "Y ahora voy a salir" ("And now I'm going to leave") was uploaded to the band's website. The single was released on 16 October 2007 and was the first from their album "La Ciudad de los Árboles" (The city of trees), which was released on 6 November. On 10 November 2008, Jorge Salán announced on the band's website that he was leaving the band to focus on his own music. Salán would continue recording and touring with the band on special occasions.  On April 6, 2010, the band released "", the final part of the Gaia trilogy. That same year they released "Gaia - Epílogo", an extra album connected to the trilogy featuring songs that were not included on any of the original releases.

Departure of José Andrea.

In late 2011, lead vocalist and keyboardist José Andrëa left Mägo de Oz, citing personal problems and differences with the band. Asked why he had left, he replied: "Because I don't feel the group as I did before. The moment the love itself shatters, it's better to end it before living a farce. But we still are more than brothers. I guess the breaking point was noticing that I wasn't motivated, a band like Mägo de Oz doesn't deserve a front man that only gives a 50%. The moment of conversing with my fellow band members was somewhat tranquil, I explained how I felt we hugged it out and shed a tear or two." Fans and Spanish media speculated that Andrëa had left the band because the length of the band's shows had exhausted his voice, which Andrea denied. After the end of the tour on 30 December, Mägo de Oz decided to take a break to look for a new vocalist, and Andrëa started work on a new project "José Andrëa y Uróboros".  In 2013, Mägo de Oz released "Hechizos, pócimas y brujería" in double vinyl and digibook formats, featuring new vocalist Zeta. A two-disc compilation entitled "Celtic Land" was released on 13 November 2013 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the creation of the group. The first disc consists of the band's hits sung in English by renowned artists from Europe, such as Jonne Järvelä of Korpiklaani, Damnagoras of Elvenking, Eric Martin from Mr. Big, Ralf Scheepers from Primal Fear, and Paul Shortino from King Kobra. The second disc contains several of their hits with Jose Andrëa and Zeta and some remastered tracks performed by artists such as Leo Jimenez, Víctor García, and Cristian Bertonceli. The album was released internationally in countries where the band was previously unknown such as England, Italy, and Japan.  Their next album was "Ilussia", released on 21 October 2014. The concept of the album revolves around a bloody circus, abandoned in a forest, that comes alive. The album features a symphony orchestra with soprano and falsetto choruses and choirs, incorporating Power Metal and Folk.  For the 15th anniversary of their album "Finisterra", Mägo de Oz re-recorded the album in the band’s current style, featuring numerous collaborations. The album, "Finisterra Opera Rock", was released in November 2015.

Mägo de Oz (Spanish for "Wizard of Oz", with a metal umlaut) are a Spanish folk metal band from Begoña, Madrid formed in mid-1988 by drummer Txus di Fellatio. The band became well known for the strong Celtic feel to their music strengthened through their consistent usage of a violinist and flautist. The name for the band was chosen, according to founding member Txus, because "life is a yellow brick road, on which we walk in the company of others searching for our dreams." On the 26th of October, 2018, the band had a special concert to celebrate its 30th anniversary, playing with a symphony orchestra at the WiZink Center Madrid.

Mägo de Oz ( "Čaroděj ze země Oz") je španělská folk a heavy metalová skupina. Kromě zmíněného metalu hraje také hard rock, power metal, arena rock, progressive rock a pagan metal. Skupina pochází ze čtvrti Begoña v Madridu a založena byla v roce 1989 Txusem di Fillatiem.


Overview.

Berezne (historically known also as Bereźno as well as, and ) was established in 1446 within the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Since the Union of Lublin the town was part of the Kingdom of Poland, where it remained until the Partitions of Poland by Austria, Prussia and Russia. The town was overrun by Khmelnytsky in the Khmelnytsky Uprising of 1648 and experienced bloody pogroms which took many innocent lives. Annexed by the Russian Empire in 1793, Berezne was ceded to Poland in 1919–21 during the Peace of Riga. In the Second Polish Republic there was a garrison of the Border Protection Corps Bereźne Battalion in the town. Until the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, Bereźne belonged the Wołyń Voivodeship's County of Kostopol. According to the Polish census of 1931, the whole county had a population of 159,600 inhabitants, including 102,609 Ukrainians (overwhelmingly in villages: at 100,651), 34,450 Poles (32,189 in villages), and 10,786 Jews, along with significant numbers of Germans, Czechs, and Ruthenians.

Interwar period.

In the Second Polish Republic during the interwar period, Bereźne bore the distinction of being one of the two cities in Poland with the most Jewish inhabitants in the country. Some 94.6 percent of Bereźne overall population of 2,494 inhabitants (or 2,360 persons), were Jewish. The second largest Jewish presence in Poland, amounting to 94.4 percent of the town's population, was in Luboml.

World War II.

Bereźne was overrun by the Soviets in 1939. In 1941 the German Wehrmacht entered the town as part of Operation Barbarossa. Immediately almost all Jewish homes were set on fire and the Jews were left with virtually no possessions. The Jews of Berezne, who then numbered approximately 3,000, were forced to live in three buildings surrounded by walls. This small area became known as the local ghetto. In the following year the Ukrainian "Hilfsverwaltung" together with the Germans, used Jews for slave labor, and hardly any food was supplied for them. The Jews forced to work in the forest were frequently tortured. Those who escaped related accounts of the slave labor and beatings. In August 1942 a detachment of SD entered the town. Immediately the Jews received even more severe beatings. Three days later all Jews that could be found were taken from the ghetto into the woods, where they were forced to dig a large pit. They were shot and buried at the same location. Many of the Jews that escaped into the woods were caught and delivered to the Germans by the local Ukrainians, who aided the SS in the process of "ethnic cleansing" known as the Holocaust by bullets.  In 1943, during the Volhynian Genocide, 96 ethnic Poles of Berezne were murdered by Ukrainian nationalists of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. The first attack on the town took place in June 1943. Other attacks occurred in the second half of that year, and as a result Polish survivors fled to larger towns, such as Rowne. In June 1945 the remaining Poles were forced to leave Berezne in accordance with the Allied treaties.  After the breakup of the Soviet Union, culminating with Ukrainian independence, Berézne became the administrative centre of the Berezne Raion of western Ukraine.

The Holocaust survivors.

Only a few hundred of the Jews of Berezne survived the Holocaust. Most of them escaped from the forest camp to the village of Mazorisz (Mazorish) where the Polish villagers that gave them food and shelter in return for firewood used for heating. Some left the area together with the Communists, before the Nazis entered. For many years there stood a monument memorializing the over 3,000 men, women, and children who were slaughtered by the Nazis and local Ukrainian collaborators, at the site of their mass grave. Corresponding to common Soviet practice, the Soviet authorities refused to mention on the monument that the 3,680 murdered victims were Jews, instead describing them as "citizens of the Soviet Union".

Berézne (,, ) is a city in Rivne Oblast, Ukraine, located on the Sluch River north of Rivne. It is the administrative centre of the Berezne Raion. Population:

Berezne (ukrajinsky '; rusky'– "Berezno"; polsky "") je město v Rovenské oblasti na Ukrajině. Leží na pravém břehu Sluče 66 kilometrů severvýchodně od Rovna, správního střediska oblasti. V roce 2013 žilo v Berezném přes dvanáct tisíc obyvatel.


Early life and education.

Zarif was born in Tehran around 1960, although some sources give the year of birth as 1959 and 1961. According to "The New Republic", Zarif was born to an "affluent, religiously devout and politically conservative merchant family in Tehran". His father was one of the most well-known businessmen of Isfahan, and his mother Efat Kashani (d. 2013) was the daughter of one of the most famous businessmen of Tehran. He was educated at the Alavi School, a private religious institution.  Zarif was shielded from TV, radio, and newspapers by his parents as a youth. Instead, he became exposed to revolutionary ideas by reading the books of Ali Shariati and Samad Behrangi.  At age 17, he left Iran for the United States. Zarif attended Drew College Preparatory School, a private college-preparatory high school located in San Francisco, California. He went on to study at San Francisco State University, from which he gained a B.A. in 1981 and M.A. in 1982, both in international relations. Following this, Zarif continued his studies at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, from which he obtained a second M.A. in international relations in 1984 and a Ph.D. in international law and policy in 1988. His thesis was titled "Self-Defense in International Law and Policy."  Tom Rowe, a professor at the graduate school who led the committee that oversaw Zarif's dissertation, said: "He was among the very best students that I've ever taught." Ved Nanda, who taught and was on Zarif's dissertation committee, recalled: "[He was] good in the classroom. At that time... I thought he'd play an important part in his country's life."

Initial missions in the US.

Zarif was appointed a member of the Iranian delegation to the United Nations in May 1982—largely due to his English-speaking ability and relationships in America, rather than formal diplomatic training. As a junior diplomat Zarif was involved in negotiations to win the release of U.S. hostages held by pro-Iranian gunmen in Lebanon, according to the memoirs of former United Nations envoy Giandomenico Picco. Even though the United States did not make a promised reciprocal goodwill gesture at the time, Zarif remained committed to improving ties.  In 2000, Zarif served as chairman of the Asian preparatory meeting of the World Conference on Racism and as the chairman of the United Nations Disarmament Commission. Zarif was also professor of international law at the University of Tehran. He served as the vice president of Islamic Azad University in charge of foreign affairs from 2010 to 2012 under Abdollah Jasbi. He has served on the board of editors of a number of scholarly journals, including the "Iranian Journal of International Affairs" and "Iranian Foreign Policy", and has written extensively on disarmament, human rights, international law, and regional conflicts.

Representative at the United Nations.

Zarif served as Iran's representative at the United Nations from 2002 to 2007. He was closely linked with developing the so-called "Grand Bargain," a plan to resolve outstanding issues between the U.S. and Iran in 2003. Zarif, during his time at the UN, held private meetings with a number of Washington politicians, including the then-Senators Joseph Biden and Chuck Hagel. He resigned from office on 6 July 2007. He was succeeded by Mohammad Khazaee in the post.  In 2007, Zarif was a headline speaker at an American Iranian Council conference in New Brunswick, New Jersey including Chuck Hagel, Dennis Kucinich, Nicholas Kristof, and Anders Liden to discuss Iranian-American relations, and potential ways to increase dialogue and avoid conflict.  On 18 November 2008, Zarif claimed that Washington is conspiring to foment discord among Iranians in order to topple the Tehran government, saying "The concept of a velvet revolution in Iran should not be considered as groundless fear."

Minister of Foreign Affairs.

On 23 July 2013, it was reported that Zarif was Rouhani's choice for minister of foreign affairs. This was not confirmed by the president-elect's office until 4 August when Rouhani officially nominated Zarif for the position to the Iranian Parliament. He was confirmed by the parliament with 232 votes, replacing Ali Akbar Salehi in the position.  Zarif welcomed the first visit by a foreign leader to Iran since Rouhani assumed the presidency ten days after his approval as Foreign Minister with the arrival of Oman's sultan, Qaboos bin Said Al Said. Stories spread that there was a secret agenda to his meetings with Iranian officials, involving claims that he came to convey messages from the United States and then to relay Iran's response to White House officials. On 5 September 2013, in an exchange prompted by his Rosh Hashanah greeting on Twitter, Zarif said that Iran does not deny the Holocaust, distancing the government from the often belligerent stances by former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Genuineness of Zarif's tweeting in English was confirmed by CNN's Christiane Amanpour. On 27 September 2013, he met with United States Secretary of State John Kerry during P5+1 and Iran summit. It was the highest-level direct contact between the United States and Iran in the last six years. After the meeting, Kerry said that "We had a constructive meeting, and I think all of us were pleased that Foreign Minister Zarif came and made a presentation to us, which was very different in tone and very different in the vision that he held out with respect to possibilities of the future."  After the breakup of talks on 12 November, Zarif rejected Kerry's claim that Iran had been unable to accept the deal "at that particular moment". He said "no amount of spinning" could change what had happened in Geneva, but it could "further erode confidence". Zarif appeared to blame France for "gutting over half" of a US draft deal. Representatives from Iran and the so-called P5+1 - met again on 20 November. Talks between senior American, Iranian and European diplomats in October 2014 produced no breakthrough agreement on curbing Iran's nuclear program, but officials said they still aimed to reach a deal by the 24 November deadline. A senior State Department official characterized each step of progress in the talks as "chipping away" at complex, technical differences, with virtually every sentence requiring an appendix of further explanation. "We continue to make progress, but there is still a substantial amount of work to be done," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the difficult and secretive negotiations. Zarif and Kerry conferred, ahead of a fresh round of negotiations between Iran and six world powers in Geneva, on settling their 12-year standoff over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Lower-level negotiators on both sides met at the same venue on 15 January 2015 to iron out technical details ahead of negotiations 3 days later between Iran and the "P5+1" powers – the US, France, Germany, Russia, China and Britain. Speaking at a Tehran news conference, Zarif said the purpose of the talks with Kerry "is to see if we can speed up and push the negotiations forward".  In February, Zarif said that Iran did not favor another extension of the talks on limiting its nuclear program and expected economic sanctions to be quickly lifted if an accord was reached. At a security conference in Munich, he said "Sanctions are a liability; you need to get rid of them if you want a solution." Of the long effort to forge an agreement, he said "This is the opportunity to do it, and we need to seize this opportunity. It may not be repeated." The nuclear talks have already been extended twice and face a late March deadline for working out the main outlines of an accord. The deadline for a detailed agreement is the end of June.  Based on the "Iran nuclear deal framework", which was declared on 2 April, Iran agreed to accept significant restrictions on its nuclear program for at least a decade and submit to international inspections under a framework deal. In return, international sanctions would be lifted; whether in phases or all at once still needed to be worked out.

Nuclear agreement.

On 21 November it was reported by Iranian negotiators that progress was being made in talks in Geneva with world powers, expressing hope to bridge differences and sign an elusive deal over Tehran's nuclear drive. In statements carried by Iranian media after a one-hour meeting with Baroness Ashton, Zarif said "Differences of opinion remain and we are negotiating over them. God willing we will reach a result." Three days later, the Geneva interim agreement, officially titled the Joint Plan of Action, was signed between Iran and the P5+1 countries in Geneva, Switzerland. It consisted of a short-term freeze of portions of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for decreased economic sanctions on Iran, as the countries worked toward a long-term agreement.

Other issues.

On 29 April 2015, while appearing on the Charlie Rose talk-show, Zarif was asked about the detention of Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post reporter held in Iran for the past nine months. He responded, "We do not jail people for their opinions[.]" Zarif condemned U.S. involvement in the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen, saying the United States should be held "accountable for crimes against humanity".  On 11 February 2019, Zarif met with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. Nasrallah thanked Zarif for Iran's support of Hezbollah's fight against 'Zionist aggression', and Zarif affirmed his country's "firm stance that supports Lebanon and its state, people and resistance".  In an interview conducted by CBS News on 25 April 2019, Zarif said that he was the one who proposed Iran's prisoner swap proposal to the U.S. government in October 2018, the proposal having been unanswered by the U.S. side up till that time. He added that the U.S. government must prove its seriousness before any negotiations.  Zarif condemned the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria viewing it as a violation of Syria's sovereignty. However regarding the US withdrawal from Syria Zarif commented saying the US was an "irrelevant occupier in Syria", and said that Iran would be willing to mediate tensions between Syria and Turkey.

Resignation.

Zarif stepped down from his post on 25 February 2019, announcing his resignation on Instagram. After greetings in honor of Iranian Women's and Mothers' day, he wrote  Zarif did not elaborate or provide any further explanation. An aide said that one of the reasons for Zarif's resignation was anger over his exclusion that day from meetings with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who was visiting Tehran. Rouhani rejected Zarif's resignation two days later. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's Quds Force, also rejected Zarif's resignation, with Soleimani remarking that Zarif is the "main person in charge of foreign policy."

Sanctions.

In July 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on Zarif and he was identified by the US as an "illegitimate spokesperson for Iran". In response, a spokesman for European Union diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini stated: "We regret this decision."

Personal life.

Zarif is married and has a daughter who is an interior decorator and a son who is a marketing consultant, both of whom were born in the United States. He met his wife in summer 1979 through his sister. They married in Iran but moved to New York within several weeks in the midst of the Iranian revolution. In addition to his native Persian, he is also fluent in English.

Public image.

Zarif has gained a domestic reputation and popularity among the people. According to a poll conducted by "Information and Public Opinion Solutions LLC" (iPOS) in March 2016, Zarif was the most popular political figure in Iran with 76% approval and 7% disapproval ratings.

Mohammad Javad Zarif (; ; born c. 7 January 1960) is an Iranian career diplomat and academic. He has been foreign minister of Iran since 2013. During his tenure as foreign minister, he led the Iranian negotiation with P5+1 countries which produced the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on 14 July 2015, lifting the economic sanctions against Iran on 16 January 2016. On 25 February 2019, Zarif resigned from his post as foreign minister. His resignation was rejected by President Hassan Rouhani and he continues as foreign minister.

Mohammad Džavád Zaríf (persky "محمدجواد ظریف خوانساری", narozen 7. ledna 1960 v Teheránu) je íránský diplomat a současný ministr zahraničních věcí ve vládě Hasana Rúháního. V letech 2002 až 2007 byl stálým zástupcem Íránu v Organizaci spojených národů. Je ženatý a má dceru a syna.


Recreation.

Molokini is a destination for scuba diving, snuba, and snorkeling. Its crescent shape protects divers inside it from waves and the channel's powerful currents, though diving also takes place off the 300-foot (91.5-meter) sheer outer wall. In the morning, when winds are calmer, smaller tour boats also bring guests to snorkel off the outer wall.  The crater houses a reef with visibility as deep as. Molokini is home to about 250 species of fish, many endemic (see "Ecology" below). The best conditions occur in early morning. The water depth is 20–50 feet in the majority of the allowed dive spots.  Because Molokini attracts many boats, the Hawaii State Division of Boating and Recreation established mooring buoys and "Day Use Mooring Rules" for Molokini to protect against damage from dropped anchors.

Mythology.

In Hawaiian legend, Molokini was a beautiful woman. She and Pele, the fire goddess, were in love with the same man. The jealous Pele cut her rival in two and transformed her into stone. The woman's head is supposedly Puu Olai, the cinder cone by Makena Beach.

History.

Potassium-argon dating indicates that Molokini erupted approximately 230,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence, primarily in the form of stone sinkers and lures, show that early Hawaiians visited Molokini to fish. They also likely harvested seabirds, eggs and feathers.  During World War II, the United States Navy used Molokini for target practice, as its shape is somewhat similar to a battleship. In 1975 and 1984, the Navy detonated in-place unexploded munitions found within the crater, resulting in the destruction of large areas of coral. This resulted in a public outcry. A thorough search and manual removal of unexploded munitions to deep water was carried out by volunteer divers as a result. A 2006 survey found no evidence of unexploded munitions on the islet. As a result of the extensive target practice, the southwest rim of the islet is damaged.  From the 1950s through the 1970s, commercial harvesting of black coral occurred in Molokini. In 1977 Molokini islet, the crater, and the surrounding of underwater terrain were declared a Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD).

Ecology.

Molokini crater is home to approximately 250 to 260 marine species. Most commonly observed among these are the black triggerfish, yellow tang, Moorish idol, parrotfish, raccoon butterflyfish and bluefin trevally. Due to constant exposure to park visitors and the long history as a conservation district, the fish of Molokini are comfortable with the presence of nearby divers. Small whitetip reef sharks and moray eels are occasionally seen in the crater. In addition, Red pencil urchins can be seen quite frequently.  The waters of Molokini contain 38 hard coral species and approximately 100 species of algae. Although quite dense on the seafloor, they are not as densely packed as they had historically been due to the constant tourism and activity there. The islet is home to at least two species of nesting seabirds — Bulwer's petrels and wedge-tailed shearwaters. Additionally great frigatebirds have been observed on Molokini islet.

Restrictions on access and activities.

Molokini islet is federally owned and is a state seabird sanctuary. Thus, unauthorized landing is prohibited. Permission to land must be obtained both from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife.  Regulations covering the Molokini Shoal MLCD (see "History" above) prohibit fishing, collection or removal of specimens, and fish feeding within its bounds. Additionally, dropping anchor within the MLCD is not permitted due to the potential of damage to the coral reef. Tour boat operators have been allocated fixed mooring points instead.  Snorkeling and scuba diving are by far the most popular activities at the crater. Since the crater is made entirely of rock, the water remains relatively undisturbed by sand and sediment. Visibility at Molokini regularly exceeds 150 feet (45 meters), and the inside of the crater is generally sheltered from strong winds and waves. The back wall of the island has been named one of the top 100 diving destinations in the world by scubadiving.com. This drift dive offers steep drop-offs 360 feet (110 meters) to the ocean floor′s reef and underwater life.

Molokini Crater moorings.

Molokini Crater requires permits for commercial vessels to moor within the crater. A study showed that over 300,000 visitors visited Molokini crater annually. This number of visitors is thought to have affected marine life inside the crater. A proposed bill in 2019, if put into effect, will decrease the number of moorings in the crater from over 20 to 12 total moorings. This will limit the number of visitors to the crater and help to preserve marine wildlife.

Molokini is a crescent-shaped, partially submerged volcanic crater which forms a small, uninhabited islet located in ʻAlalākeiki Channel between the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe, within Maui County in Hawaii. It is the remains of one of the seven Pleistocene epoch volcanoes that formed the prehistoric Maui Nui island, during the Quaternary Period of the Cenozoic Era.

Molokini je jeden z Havajských ostrovů. Leží v průlivu Alalakeiki mezi ostrovy Maui a Kahoolawe. Molokini má tvar půlměsíce a rozlohu 9,3 hektaru. Nejvyšší bod dosahuje 49 metrů nad mořem. Ostrov je tvořen částí kráteru sopky, která byla aktivní asi před 230 000 lety. Laguna je chráněna před vlnobitím a má mimořádně průzračnou vodu, takže je oblíbeným místem pro potápění. V roce 1977 bylo Molokini vyhlášeno chráněným územím. Hnízdí zde buřňák Bulwerův, v moři žije 250 druhů ryb, např. bodlok žlutý nebo bičonoš zobanovitý. Endemickou rostlinou je šrucha "Portulaca molokinensis". Lodě nesmějí v blízkosti ostrova kotvit, aby nepoškodily vzácné korály. Také na samotný ostrov je vstup možný jen na zvláštní povolení.


History.

Basketball Club Sparta Praha (short: BC Sparta Praha) is a Czech men's basketball club from Prague founded in 1939 as a section of omnisport club Sparta Prague. Since that time it has been a long-term member of the basketball elite. This is confirmed by its results both in the First League and the participation of its players in the national team.  During the course of its history, BC Sparta Praha has been headed by as few as four representatives. The first chairman was Václav Jeřábek (1939–52), the second Josef Ezr (1952–90, a full 38 years!), the third Miloslav Kříž (1990–93) and the fourth Pavel Majerik (1993–2005). Amongst important functionaries and coaches in the history of the club are for example Josef Klima, Lubomir Bednar, Hana Ezrova, Cyril Mandel, Vladimir Heger, Zdenek Miskovsky, Lubos Dobry, Zbynek Kubin and Michal Jezdik.

Competitions and Honours.

The basketball players of Sparta Praha played their first match against the Prague Sokol team on 23 December 1939 and won 42–35, similarly as in the second match on 20 January 1940 when they beat YMCA Prague 44–19. In the season 1939/40 the Sparta Prague basketball players won their First League championship trophy with the team: Bartonicek, Bartu, Ctyroky, Dolezal, A.Dvoracek, L. Dvoracek, Faloun, Hlousek, Hruda, Jencek, Klima, Labohy, Prokop, Trpkos, with coach Jerabek. In the season 1959/60 Sparta won their second league championship trophy with the team: Jiří Baumruk, Kinsky, Krasny, Lodr, Prazak, Rojko, Tomasek, Czesany, Kliner, Pietsch, Rotter and coach Josef Ezr.  Also to be counted amongst Sparta’s successes are 10 seasons in which Sparta was runner-up in the First League and 10 seasons in which Sparta finished third in the First League, as well as second place in the Czech Cup in 1995 and third place in the same tournament in 1996. The Sparta team is in second place in the historical table of the First League, behind Zbrojovka Brno and ahead of Slavia VŠ Praha. In the history of Sparta there are two particularly successful periods: 1959-64 (once champions, twice runners-up, twice third place) and 1989-94 (4 times runners-up and once third place).

European competitions.

FIBA Korać Cup (12).

CSA Sparta Praha

Sparta Praha is among the oldest and most popular sports clubs in the country, with a number of fans not only in Prague but throughout the whole of the Czech Republic. The foundation of the club dates back to 1893 (AC Sparta Praha). Club colours are red, yellow and blue.

BC Sparta Praha byl český basketbalový klub, který sídlil v pražském Bubenči. Oddíl basketbalu vznikl v roce 1939. K úspěchům klubu patří dva mistrovské tituly z let 1940 a 1960. Družstvo mužů Sparty je v historické tabulce 1. československé ligy na druhém místě za Zbrojovkou Brno, před třetím USK Praha. Po roce 1990 TJ Sparta ČKD Praha se rozdělila na samostatné sportovní kluby a bylo vytvořeno jejich sdružení Asociace Sparta Praha. V roce 1991 vznikl samostatný BC Sparta Praha a v roce 1992 došlo k rozdělení na Basket Club Sparta Praha (BC Sparta Praha – mužský basketbal) a Basket Ladies Club Sparta Praha (BLC Sparta Praha – ženský basketbal).


Early life.

Gardoș was born in the city of Satu Mare in Romania.

Club career.

Gardoș started his senior career with Concordia Chiajna in 2006. In his first season at the club, he helped them achieve promotion to the second division.

Steaua București.

On 17 June 2010, Gardoș was transferred to FC Steaua București. He made his competitive debut for the "Roș-albaștrii" on 16 August, in a Liga I match against Victoria Brănești.  In September 2011, Gardoș received a ten-match ban after seriously tackling Pandurii Târgu Jiu midfielder Cosmin Băcilă, which resulted in a broken left tibia and fibula.

Southampton.

On 14 August 2014, Gardoș signed a four-year deal with English club Southampton for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around €7.5 million. On 13 September, he made his first appearance for "the Saints" as an 89th-minute substitute for Jack Cork in a 4–0 Premier League victory over Newcastle United. His first start came on 23 September in a 2–1 away defeat of Arsenal in the League Cup.  On 23 July 2015, Southampton manager Ronald Koeman announced that Gardoș would be sidelined for up to seven months after suffering a knee injury in a pre-season friendly with Feyenoord. He finally made his return to the first team in a 5–0 FA Cup loss to Arsenal on 28 January 2017.

Universitatea Craiova.

On 19 February 2018, the last day of the winter transfer window in Romania, Gardoș joined CS Universitatea Craiova on loan for the remainder of the campaign. He made his debut on 31 March in a league fixture against CFR Cluj, which finished 0–0. Gardoș played a further three matches in all competitions before suffering a strain on 28 April which effectively ended his season.  As his contract with Southampton was not renewed, he chose to stay in Oltenia, and signed a two-year contract with Universitatea Craiova.

International career.

Gardoș made his senior debut for Romania in a friendly game against Ukraine, on 8 February 2011.

Honours.

Club.

Steaua București  Southampton  Universitatea Craiova

Florin Gardoș (; born 29 October 1988) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a central defender for CS Universitatea Craiova.

Florin Gardoș (* 29. října 1988, Satu Mare, Rumunsko) je rumunský fotbalový obránce či záložník maďarského původu, který hraje od roku 2014 v klubu Southampton FC. Je také reprezentantem Rumunska.


Playing career.

Club career.

After playing six seasons for Universitatea Craiova, Popescu was loaned to Romanian giants Steaua Bucharest reaching the semi-finals of the European Cup during their 1987–88 campaign. He moved abroad to the Netherlands in 1990, and signed for PSV Eindhoven at the request of Sir Bobby Robson, helping them to keep among the top Dutch sides, until he was transferred to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on 9 September 1994 for a fee of £2.9million. He played 23 times in the Premier League and scored three goals as Spurs (who changed manager from Ossie Ardiles to Gerry Francis a few weeks after Popescu arrived) finished seventh in the league – their highest finish for five years. He also helped them to reach the FA Cup semi-finals, where they lost 4–1 to eventual cup winners Everton. However, after less than a year in England, he left Tottenham to sign for the Spanish club Barcelona for £3million, succeeding Ronald Koeman in the team. He was made captain of the Catalan club, contributing to their Copa del Rey (domestic cup) glory in his first season and their UEFA Cup Winners' Cup triumph in his second.  After leaving Barcelona during the summer of 1997, he was transferred to Galatasaray of Turkey, where he spent four years and won several major trophies, including the UEFA Cup in May 2000 – where Galatasaray defeated Arsenal, key rivals of his old club Tottenham, on penalties after a goalless draw in open play and he scored the final penalty shot in the penalty shootout. He spent the 2001–2002 season in Italy with Serie A club Lecce, before returning to his native Romania for a brief spell with Dinamo Bucharest, before winding up with a season in Germany with Hannover 96.  Popescu was never outside the top four in the Romanian Footballer of the Year awards for 13 years from 1989 until 2001. He was recently voted into Romanian footballs all-time World Cup team.

International career.

At international level, Popescu is Romania's all-time third most capped players with 115, in which he scored 16 goals. He played for his country in the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups, Euro 96 and Euro 2000. He also entered the symbolic but exclusive circle of players with a century of caps.

Criminal conviction.

On 4 March 2014, Popescu and seven others, among them Mihai Stoica, were convicted by a Romanian appeals court of money laundering and tax evasion in connection with the transfer of football players from Romania to other countries. Popescu was sentenced to a jail term of three years and one month.

Honours.

Club.

Steaua Bucureşti  PSV Eindhoven  Barcelona  Galatasaray

Gheorghe "Gică" Popescu (; born 9 October 1967) is a retired Romanian former professional football defender, former captain of FC Barcelona and key part of the Romania national team in the 1990s. He played for a string of European clubs in that period, including a four-year stint at PSV Eindhoven and winning the Uefa cup with Galatasaray SK. His tactical knowledge as a defender made him a valuable team member in top European competitions until he reached his late-thirties. Beside from his defending skills, he was also capable starting attacks. He is the brother-in-law of fellow Romanian international Gheorghe Hagi.

Gheorghe Popescu (* 9. říjen 1967, Calafat) je bývalý rumunský fotbalista. Hrával na pozici obránce. Účastník Mistrovství světa 1990 v Itálii, 1994 v USA, 1998 ve Francii a Mistrovství Evropy 1996 v Anglii a 2000 v Belgii a Nizozemsku.


Plot.

François Pignon, an unassuming divorced man with a teenage son who ignores him, lives a quiet and unremarkable life. When he learns he will be fired from his job as an accountant in a rubber factory, he contemplates suicide, but his new neighbor Jean-Pierre Belone, a former industrial psychologist, dissuades him from jumping from his balcony and suggests a way to keep his position. Belone proposes that Pignon start a rumor he is homosexual by inserting his image in sexually provocative snapshots of a gay couple in a bar and anonymously mailing them to his boss, Mr. Kopel. The factory's primary product is condoms, so the gay community's support is essential, and Kopel will have to keep Pignon on the payroll to avoid charges of anti-homosexual bigotry.  Pignon does not change his usual mild and self-effacing behavior and mannerisms in any way as part of his masquerade. But his supervisors and co-workers begin to regard him in a new light, seeing him as exotic rather than dull, and his life becomes unexpectedly and dramatically better. Félix Santini, a homophobic co-worker who used to harass him, is warned he could be fired for discrimination if he continues to belittle Pignon, so he begins to make friendly overtures.  The company enters a float in a local gay pride parade, and Pignon is coerced into riding on it; his estranged son sees him in the televised broadcast of the parade and tells his mother. The son is thrilled to learn his father, whom he has always considered bland and boring, has a wilder side, and expresses an interest in spending more time with him. His suspicious ex-wife invites Pignon to dinner and demands an explanation. He has by this point gained enough self-confidence to tell her exactly what he thinks of her.  Meanwhile, Santini's charade of friendship has developed into an obsessive attraction; his wife suspects him of having an affair when she finds a receipt for an expensive pink cashmere sweater, and leaves him when he buys Pignon chocolates. After this, Santini invites Pignon to move in with him. When Pignon turns him down, Santini snaps, a fight ensues, and Santini is institutionalized to recover from his emotional breakdown.  Eventually, Pignon's ruse is discovered when Kopel catches him making love in the office to his co-worker, Mlle Bertrand. However, he has become so assertive that he keeps his job, relates to his son, patches up his relationship with Santini, cheers up Belone, and lives happily ever after.

Production.

Exteriors were filmed in Chaville, Clamart, Suresnes, and central Paris. Interiors were shot in Studios Éclair in Epinay-sur-Seine.  The film was first released in France, Belgium, and Switzerland. Later the film was shown at the L'Alliance Française French Film Festival in Australia, the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the Newport International Film Festival, and the Seattle International Film Festival, and went into limited release in the US. It grossed $6,678,894 in the US and $43,425,851 in foreign markets for a worldwide box office of $50,104,745.

Critical reception.

Stephen Holden of the "New York Times" called it "giddy social comedy" and "a classic French farce" and added, "What's so liberating about "The Closet" is its refusal to walk on politically correct eggshells. The target of its blunt lusty humor is as much exaggerated political correctness and the panic it can engender as it is bigotry."  Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" said, "The movie passes the time pleasantly and has a few good laughs... But the screenplay relies too much on the first level of its premise and doesn't push into unexpected places. Once we get the setup, we can more or less anticipate the sitcom payoff, and there aren't the kinds of surprises, reversals and explosions of slapstick that made "La Cage Aux Folles" so funny. In the rating system of the Michelin Guide, it's worth a look, but not a detour or a journey."  Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" called the film "a bonbon spiked with mirth and malice" and noted, "Auteuil and Depardieu spar hilariously, and writer-director Francis Veber, following "The Dinner Game", offers another delicious treat."  Lisa Schwarzbaum of "Entertainment Weekly" rated the film A-, calling it a "cagey, high gloss comedy" and a "perfectly built French tickler."

Awards and nominations.

Daniel Auteuil was named Best Actor at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

The Closet () is a 2001 French comedy film written and directed by Francis Veber. It is about a man who pretends to be homosexual to keep his job, with absurd and unexpected consequences.

KOndoMEDIE, zřídkavě "S barvou ven" (originální francouzský název "Le Placard") je francouzská filmová komedie režiséra Francise Vebera z roku 2001 s typickou Veberovou hlavní postavou Françoise Pignona, kterého zde hraje Daniel Auteuil.


Early life.

Yune was born in Washington D.C. to mother Wonhui Park and father Taeho Yune, who were both Koreans. His younger brother is actor Karl Yune.  Yune was educated at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School (Silver Spring, Maryland) and St. John's College High School. In 1994, he received his degree in finance from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Yune was one of the original hedge fund traders for SAC Capital but left to pursue entrepreneurial ventures.  Yune practices many forms of martial arts. He changed the spelling of his last name from "Yun" to "Yune" for Screen Actors Guild (SAG) purposes.

Career.

While studying at Wharton, Rick Yune worked as an intern on Wall Street trading stocks during the mid-1992. During that time, he was "discovered" by a modeling agent and soon became the first Asian-American featured in advertisements for Versace and Ralph Lauren's Polo.  Yune made his film debut in 1999, playing Kazuo Miyamoto, a Japanese-American war hero accused of killing a respected fisherman (played by Daniel von Bargen) in the close-knit community, in director Scott Hicks' film adaptation of David Guterson's post-World War II novel, "Snow Falling on Cedars".  Yune co-starred as Johnny Tran, the ruthless leader of a Vietnamese gang and the rival of Vin Diesel's character, in the 2001 film "The Fast and the Furious".  In 2002 Yune portrayed James Bond villain Zao, opposite Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry, in the James Bond "Die Another Day". That year Yune was voted one of "People" magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive".  Yune appeared in the 2004 video "Call U Sexy" by the band VS, as well as in "Someone" (1997) by SWV, featuring Sean "Puffy" Combs.  Yune appeared in two 2005 episodes of ABC's spy series "Alias", playing a modern-day samurai Kazu Tamazaki who is hunted down by Jennifer Garner as Sydney. He also appeared as a guest in an episode of ABC's legal dramedy series "Boston Legal" and the CBS crime drama "".  In 2006 he provided his voice for the video game "" which was based the 1983 motion picture "Scarface".  He produced, and starred as a Bangkok assassin in, the action/adventure movie "The Fifth Commandment", directed by Jesse V. Johnson and also stars Keith David and Bokeem Woodbine.  Yune starred with Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu in the 2012 martial arts film, "The Man with the Iron Fists".  In 2013 Yune played villain Kang Yeonsak, in the action thriller "Olympus Has Fallen", opposite Gerard Butler.  In 2014, Yune took on the role of Kaidu, a Mongol Khan, in the historical drama series "Marco Polo". Yune reprised his role in the second season, which was released in 2016.

Other work.

Yune is a Board member of the Center for Global Dialogue and Cooperation and an Ambassador for the Princess Charlene Foundation of Monaco.

Rick Yune (born August 22, 1971 as Richard Yun) is a Korean-American actor, screenwriter, producer, martial artist and former model. His most notable roles have been in the movies "Snow Falling on Cedars", the first "Fast and Furious" film "The Fast and the Furious", and in the James Bond movie "Die Another Day". He was part of the main cast of the Netflix original series "Marco Polo".

Rick Yune (* 22. srpna 1971 Washington, D.C.) je americký herec. Studoval na Wharton School ve Filadelfii, kde v roce 1994 získal diplom. Před zahájením herecké kariéry pracoval jako model; první roli ve filmu "Sníh padá na cedry" dostal v roce 1999. V roce 2002 hrál protivníka Jamese Bonda ve filmu "Dnes neumírej". Jeho mladším bratrem je herec Karl Yune.


Early life.

Bibb was born in Bismarck, North Dakota, and raised in Nelson County, Virginia. Her father died three years after she was born. Bibb subsequently moved to Richmond, Virginia, with her widowed mother and three older sisters, where she attended the all-girls Catholic private school Saint Gertrude High School.

Career.

Modeling.

In 1990, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and the Elite Agency held a nationwide modeling search. The celebrity judges, John Casablancas, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Iman chose Bibb, then 16 years old, as the winner. After finishing her junior year, Bibb flew to New York City to sign a contract with Elite Agency and modeled over that summer and went on a trip to Japan. Bibb returned to the United States for her senior year and graduated in 1991. She has appeared on the cover of several magazines, including "CosmoGirl", "944", "Seventeen", "Gear", "Paper", "L'Officiel", "Teen", "FHM", "Stuff", "YM" and "Fit." She was featured on the 2001 "FHM" calendar and on the "Maxim" Uncut 2001 15-Month calendar. In 2008, Bibb appeared in a television commercial for Almay Pure Blends.

Acting.

Bibb first appeared on television in 1996, playing in episodes of "Pacific Blue" and "Home Improvement". Her first film role came in the comedy "Private Parts". This was followed by her first television series, where she replaced the departed Susan Walters as the female lead in the second season of "The Big Easy". Most critics panned the show, and it was canceled months later after low ratings. She appeared in the romantic drama "Touch Me" (1997) and had a supporting role in the film "This Space Between Us" (1999). In 1999, Bibb had her big break appearing as a lead character on the WB Network television series "Popular". Her role was Brooke McQueen, the most popular girl at Kennedy High School who is beautiful, a straight-A student, and a cheerleader. The show was a major success among teenagers and led Bibb to more recognizable film roles. The show garnered her a Teen Choice Award for Television Choice Actress and a Young Hollywood Award nomination for Exciting New Face – Female. During the series, she filmed the psychological thriller "The Skulls" (1999), as the classmate, friend and love interest of Joshua Jackson's character. "The Skulls" received a negative reception from critics but was a box-office success. She received a role in the 2001 comedy "See Spot Run", playing a single mother who spends most of the film on her own "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" adventure.  Bibb was cast in a recurring role on the series "ER" and played the lead character on the television series "Line of Fire". Bibb joined the cast of "Crossing Jordan" as Detective Lu Simmons until Season 6. She appeared as Desiree in the independent film "" (2006). "Wristcutters" revolved around two characters who fall in love in purgatory after committing suicide. The film was nominated for the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize, two Independent Spirit Awards and the Humanitas Prize. That year, she played Will Ferrell's wife Carley in the comedy feature film "". Recalling acting with Ferrell during an interview with "TV Guide", she said he was "just funny. And he has no qualms about making something funnier for you, even at his expense."  Bibb also starred in the sitcom "Atlanta" as Jessica, a potential love interest for Freddie Prinze Jr.'s character, meeting him at a funeral. She was cast as Dr. Miranda Storm in "Sex and Death 101", a black comedy, which was released direct-to-video in 2007. She appeared as a "Vanity Fair" reporter named Christine Everhart in the action film "Iron Man" (2008). In an interview, Bibb said about her character in the film: "she has a very strong sense of right and wrong, of good and evil, and I loved her passion." In 2008, Bibb starred as Maya Jones in the Ryuhei Kitamura-directed horror film "The Midnight Meat Train" (2008), based on Clive Barker's 1984 short story of the same name.  In the comedy "Confessions of a Shopaholic" (2009), she portrayed the rival of the main character, played by Isla Fisher. "Confessions of a Shopaholic" was panned by film critics but was a success at the box office. She had a pivotal recurring role on the NBC series "Kings" as Katrina Ghent and played Sarah Lowell in the thriller film "Law Abiding Citizen" (2009), which was released on October 16, 2009. The film was poorly received by critics.  In 2010, she reprised her role as Everhart in the sequel to "Iron Man", "Iron Man 2". The film is Bibb's biggest box-office success, with a worldwide gross of $621.8 million. Later in 2010, she starred in the independent comedy "Miss Nobody", for which she also served as co-producer. For her performance, she won the Best Actress Award at the 26th Boston Film Festival. She was praised by critic Alissa Simon of "Variety", who wrote "as she proved in Goran Dukic's "Wristcutters: A Love Story", statuesque star Bibb is a smart actress willing to give herself totally to a role. As the sweetly goofy murderess, she takes pratfalls, suffers endless groping and sports unbecoming attire." Bibb also appeared in Kevin James' "The Zookeeper", released in 2011. In 2012, Bibb starred as Amanda Vaughn on the ABC series "GCB", which debuted on March 4, 2012, but the show was cancelled after 10 episodes. Bibb starred in the Neil LaBute play "Reasons to be Happy", which premiered in June 2013 at MCC Theatre in New York.  In 2016, Bibb starred in the first season of YouTube Red original show "Rhett & Link's Buddy System". She also appeared in an episode of the show's second season, which was released in 2017. She began recurring on ABC's "American Housewife" in 2016, playing the divorced next-door neighbor Viv. In 2017, Bibb starred in the Netflix comedy-horror film "The Babysitter". In the same year, she was cast as Susan Rollins in the comedy film "Tag". In February 2019, it was announced that Bibb had been cast as Grace Sampson in the upcoming Netflix superhero series "Jupiter's Legacy".

Other projects.

Bibb is a supporter of Friends of El Faro, a grassroots non-profit organization that helps raise money for Casa Hogar Sion, an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. In 2008, Revlon announced that its Almay brand has signed Bibb as its ambassador. She acts as a spokeswoman for Revlon's new and existing cosmetics collections. She has appeared in global multi-media campaigns. In the fourth quarter of 2010, Bibb partnered with the non-profit LIFE Foundation by serving as the national spokesperson for Life Insurance Awareness Month. She posed nude for the May 2012 issue of "Allure" magazine.

Personal life.

Bibb married investment banker Rob Born on November 22, 2003, in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. The couple divorced on December 7, 2004.  She has been in a relationship with actor Sam Rockwell since 2007, when they reportedly met in Los Angeles as he was filming "Frost/Nixon". They both appeared in "Iron Man 2" and "Don Verdean".

Leslie Louise Bibb (born November 17, 1974) is an American actress and model. Bibb transitioned into film and television during the late 1990s, first appearing on television in 1996 with minor roles in a few television series, while first appearing on film in 1997 with a small role in "Private Parts". She scored her first recurring role in the TV show "The Big Easy" (1997), before her role as Brooke McQueen on the WB Network dramedy series "Popular" brought her to the attention of a wider audience; she received a Teen Choice Award for Television Choice Actress for the role. She has also appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Christine Everhart in the films "Iron Man" and "Iron Man 2", with the character reappearing in several viral marketing campaigns as the host of the fictional "WHIH Newsfront".

Leslie Bibb (* 17. listopadu 1974 Bismarck) je americká herečka a modelka. Svou kariéru modelky zahájila v roce 1990; první role dostala v seriálech "Pacific Blue" a "Kutil Tim"; v obou však hrála pouze malé epizodní role. První filmovou roli dostala v roce 1997 ve filmu "Soukromé neřesti". Později hrála v řadě dalších filmů a seriálů.


History of the trade in England.

In England, little is known of the trade and its structures before the late 13th century, at which paint guilds began to form, amongst them the Painters Company and the Stainers Company. These two guilds eventually merged with the consent of the Lord Mayor of the City of London in 1502, forming the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers. The guild standardised the craft and acted as a protector of the trade secrets. In 1599, the guild asked Parliament for protection, which was eventually granted in a bill of 1606, which granted the trade protection from outside competition such as plasterers.  The Act legislated for a seven-year apprenticeship, and also barred plasterers from painting, unless apprenticed to a painter, with the penalty for such painting being a fine of £5. The Act also enshrined a maximum daily fee of 16 old pence for their labour. Enforcement of this Act by the Painter-Stainers Company was sought up until the early 19th century, with master painters gathering irregularly to decide the fees that a journeyman could charge, and also instigating an early version of a job centre in 1769, advertising in the London newspapers a "house of call" system to advertise for journeymen and also for journeymen to advertise for work. The guild's power in setting the fee a journeyman could charge was eventually overturned by law in 1827, and the period after this saw the guild's power diminish, along with that of the other guilds; the guilds were superseded by trade unions, with the Operative United Painters' Union forming sometime around 1831.  In 1894, a national association formed, recreating itself in 1918 as the National Federation of Master Painters and Decorators of England and Wales, then changing its name once again to the British Decorators Association before merging, in 2002, with the Painting & Decorating Federation to form the Painting & Decorating Association. The Construction Industry Joint Council, a body formed of both unions and business organizations, today has responsibility for the setting of pay levels.

Activities of the trade.

Noun. 1. house painting - the occupation of a house painter; "house painting was the only craft he knew" painting. craft, trade - the skilled practice of a practical occupation; "he learned his trade as an apprentice"  Historically, the painter was responsible for the mixing of the paint; keeping a ready supply of pigments, oils, thinners and driers. The painter would use his experience to determine a suitable mixture depending on the nature of the job. In modern times, the painter is primarily responsible for preparation of the surface to be painted, such as patching holes in drywall, using masking tape and other protection on surfaces not to be painted, applying the paint and then cleaning up.  Larger firms operating within the trade were generally capable of performing many painting or decoration services, from creating an accent wall to sign writing, to the gilding of objects or the finishing or refinishing of furniture.  More recently, professional painters are responsible for all preparation prior to painting. All stucco or popcorn or texture scraping, sanding, wallpaper removal, caulking, drywall or wood repair, patching, stain removal, filling nail holes or any defects with plaster or putty, cleaning, taping, preparation and priming are considered to be done by the professional contracted painter.

A house painter and decorator is a tradesman responsible for the painting and decorating of buildings, and is also known as a decorator or house painter. The purpose of painting is to improve the appearance of a building and to protect it from damage by water, corrosion, insects and mold.

Malíř pokojů je tradiční stavební profese. Kromě samotného malování pokojů pomocí různých technik ovládá také drobné opravy omítky, jako je stěrkování nebo štukování, nebo lepení tapet na zeď. Především v případě specializace na tapetování se profese nazývá "tapetář".


Plot.

Erika Kohut is a middle-aged piano professor at a Vienna music conservatory who resides in an apartment with her domineering elderly mother. Her late father had been a long-standing resident in a psychiatric asylum. Despite Erika's aloof and assured façade, she is a woman whose sexual repression and loneliness is manifested in her paraphilia, including voyeurism, sadomasochistic fetishes and self-mutilation.  At a recital hosted by the Blonskij couple, Erika meets Walter Klemmer, a young aspiring engineer who also plays piano, and who expresses admiration of her talent for classical music. The two share an appreciation for composers Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert, and he attempts to apply to conservatory to be her pupil. His audition impresses the other professors, but Erika, though visibly moved by his playing, votes against him; she cites his divergent interpretation of Schubert's Andantino, and questions his motivations. Despite this, Walter is admitted as Erika's pupil. Meanwhile, another pupil, Anna Schober, struggles with anxiety while pushed by her own ambitious mother. However, when Erika witnesses Anna and Walter socializing, she slips to an empty coat room and breaks glass, hiding the shards inside one of Anna's coat pockets. This cuts Anna's right hand, preventing her playing at the forthcoming jubilee concert.  Walter pursues Erika into a lavatory immediately after she secretly injured Anna. Walter passionately kisses Erika, and she responds by repeatedly humiliating and frustrating him. She proceeds to give him a handjob before performing fellatio on him, but abruptly stops when he does not abide by her orders. She tells him she will write him a letter regarding their next meeting. Later at the conservatory, Erika feigns sympathy for Anna's mother, with Erika saying only she can substitute for Anna in the upcoming school concert at such a late stage.  Walter is increasingly insistent in his desire to initiate a sexual relationship with Erika, but Erika is only willing if he will satisfy her masochistic fantasies. She gives him the letter indicating acts she will consent to, but the list repulses him. She subsequently confronts him at an ice rink after his hockey practice to apologise, after which the two begin to engage in sex in a janitorial closet; however, Erika is unable to, and vomits after Walter ejaculates in her mouth. Later that night, Walter arrives at Erika's apartment and attacks her in the fashion described in her letter. He locks her mother away in her bedroom before proceeding to beat and rape Erika.  The next day, Erika brings a kitchen knife to the concert where she is scheduled to substitute for Anna. When Walter arrives, he enters cheerfully, laughing with his family, and flippantly greets her. Moments before the concert is due to start, a distraught Erika stabs herself in the shoulder with the kitchen knife and exits the concert hall into the street.

Production.

Development.

The film is based on the 1983 novel "The Piano Teacher" by Elfriede Jelinek, who won the 2004 Nobel Prize in Literature. Director Michael Haneke read "The Piano Teacher" when it was published and aspired to adapt it to transition from making television films to cinema. However, Haneke learned Jelinek and Valie Export had already adapted a screenplay, a project aborted due to lack of investment. Jelinek later abandoned hope for a film version before selling the rights to Paulus Manker, who asked Haneke to adapt the screenplay, though Haneke would not be the director. Manker did not secure a budget, so the producer asked Haneke to direct.  Haneke agreed to take over the directorial helm, though the screenplay had been written with Manker's direction in mind, only if Isabelle Huppert was the star. Haneke also reorganized the novel's story, and developed the character of Anna Schober and Mrs. Schober to mirror the Kohuts mother-daughter relationship at a past stage. In pre-production, Haneke followed Jelinek's choices in costumes, including pleated skirts and Burberry trench coats common in Vienna conservatories.

Casting.

Haneke had previously reached out to Huppert to star in his film "Funny Games" (1997), which she passed on for another professional conflict. When Haneke told her he would not direct "The Piano Teacher" without her, Huppert skimmed the screenplay and realized its potential. She said she had studied piano as a child, quitting when she was 15, but began playing again for the film.

Filming.

Filming began in 21 August 2000 and ended in 28 October 2000  For the scene in which Erika cuts herself in the bathtub, tubes and a pump were used for the false blood, which the props artist had to conceal from the camera under Huppert. Huppert also wore a blood bag under her clothing for the self-stabbing scene, taken from the novel. Benoît Magimel studied piano during filming to convincingly simulate his playing scenes at the end of production, while the music is playback. Susanne Lothar performed in German, but her lines were dubbed over with French in co-production.

Reception.

Critical reception.

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 73% approval rating based on 85 reviews, with the site consensus being: "Though it makes for rather unpleasant viewing, "The Piano Teacher" is a riveting and powerful psychosexual drama". Roger Ebert awarded it three and a half stars, citing Huppert's confidence, writing on hints of revenge against The Mother character and defending the ending, saying "with a film like this any conventional ending would be a cop-out". Peter Bradshaw credited Haneke for aptitude in creating "nerve-jangling disquiet" and Huppert for "the performance of her career". David Denby praised the film as "audaciously brilliant".  In 2017, "The Los Angeles Times" critic Justin Chang recalled "The Piano Teacher" as Huppert's best work in a Haneke film, and "a major achievement in a disturbingly minor key". Mick LaSalle credited Huppert for "a rich incarnation of a woman we might see on the street and never guess that she contains fires, earthquakes and infernos", comparing it to her in the 2016 film "Elle".

Accolades.

The film won awards on the European circuit, most notably the Grand Prix at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, with the two leads, Huppert and Magimel, winning Best Actress and Best Actor. The film was Austria's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but it was not nominated.

The Piano Teacher () is a 2001 French-language erotic drama film, written and directed by Michael Haneke, that is based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Elfriede Jelinek. It tells the story of an unmarried piano teacher at a Vienna conservatory, living with her mother in a state of emotional and sexual disequilibrium, who enters into a sadomasochistic relationship with her student. A co-production of Austria and France, Haneke was given the opportunity to direct after previous attempts to adapt the novel by filmmakers Valie Export and Paulus Manker collapsed for financial reasons.

Pianistka (, ) je erotické filmové drama z roku 2001, napsané a režírované Michaelem Hanekem. Předlohou se stal stejnojmenný román z roku 1983 rakouské autorky a držitelky Nobelovy ceny za literaturu Elfriede Jelinekové.


Background.

Park Chung-hee seized power in a 1961 coup d'état and ruled as a military strongman until his election and inauguration as the President of the Third Republic of South Korea in 1963. The attack at the Blue House took place in the context of the Korean DMZ Conflict (1966–69), which in turn was influenced by the Vietnam War.  Following the 1967 South Korean presidential election and the legislative election, the North Korean leadership concluded that Park Chung-hee's domestic opposition no longer constituted a serious challenge to his rule. On June 28 – July 3, the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea held an extended plenum at which North Korean leader Kim Il-sung called on the cadres "to prepare to give assistance to the struggle of our South Korean brethren." In July 1967, a special squad of the recently established Unit 124 of the Korean People's Army (KPA) was entrusted with the task of assassinating Park. This decision was probably facilitated by the fact that in 1967, the Vietnam War entered a new stage of escalation, under which circumstances the U.S. military forces, preoccupied as they were with Vietnam, could not easily take retaliatory measures against North Korea. In 1965–1968, North Korea-North Vietnam relations were very close, and North Korea provided substantial military and economic assistance to North Vietnam. North Korean propaganda sought to depict the post-1966 commando raids as a South Korean guerrilla movement akin to the Viet Cong.

Preparations.

Thirty-one men were handpicked from the elite all-officer KPA Unit 124. This special operation commando unit trained for two years and spent their final 15 days rehearsing action on the objective in a full-scale mockup of the Blue House.  These specially selected men were trained in infiltration and exfiltration techniques, weaponry, navigation, airborne operations, amphibious infiltration, hand-to-hand combat (with emphasis on knife fighting), and concealment.  As Kim Shin-jo, one of only two known survivors, "It made us fearless—no one would think to look for us in a graveyard." Their training was rigorous and often in adverse conditions, such as running at a speed of 13 km/h (8 mph) with 30 kg (66 pound) rucksacks over broken and unforgiving terrain, which sometimes resulted in injuries such as lost toes and feet from frostbite.

Raid.

Infiltration.

On January 16, 1968, Unit 124 left their garrison at Yonsan. On January 17, 1968, at 11 p.m., they infiltrated the DMZ by cutting through the fencing of the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division's sector. By 2 a.m. the next day they had set up camp at Morae-dong and Seokpo-ri. On January 19, at 5 a.m., after having crossed the Imjin River, they set up camp on Simbong Mountain.  At 2 p.m., four brothers named Woo from Beopwon-ri were out cutting firewood and stumbled across the unit's camp. After a fierce debate over whether to kill the brothers, it was decided instead to try to indoctrinate them on the alleged benefits of communism and they were released with a stern warning not to notify the police. However, the brothers immediately reported the presence of the unit to the Changhyeon police station in Beopwon-ri.  The unit broke camp and increased their pace to more than 10 km/h, carrying 30 kg of equipment each, crossing Nogo Mountain and arriving at Bibong Mountain on January 20 at 7 a.m. Three battalions from the South Korean 25th Infantry Division began searching Nogo Mountain for the infiltrators, but they had already left the area. The unit entered Seoul in two- and three-man cells on the night of January 20 and regrouped at the Seungga-sa Temple, where they made their final preparations for the attack.  Meanwhile, the ROK (Republic of Korea) High Command added the 30th Infantry Division and Airborne Corps to the search and police began searching along Hongje-dong, Jeongreung, and Bukak Mountain. Given the increased security measures that had been implemented throughout the city and realizing their original plan had little chance of success, the team leader improvised a new plan.  Changing into Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) uniforms of the local 26th Infantry Division, complete with the correct unit insignia (which they had brought with them), they formed up and prepared to march the last mile to the Blue House, posing as ROKA soldiers returning from a counter-infiltration patrol. The unit marched along Segeomjeong Road near Jahamun toward the Blue House, passing several National Police and ROKA units en route.

Conflict.

At 10 p.m. on January 21, 1968, the unit approached the Segeomjeong–Jahamun checkpoint less than 100 meters from the Blue House, where Jongro police chief Choi Gyushik approached the unit and began to question them. When he grew suspicious of their answers, he drew his pistol and was shot by members of the unit who started firing and throwing grenades at the checkpoint. After several minutes of shooting, the unit dispersed, with some heading off to Inwang Mountain, Bibong Mountain, and Uijeongbu. Police Chief Choi and Assistant Inspector Jung Jong-su were killed in the firefight; one commando was captured but managed to commit suicide. Before the night was over, 92 South Koreans had become casualties of the firefight, among them nearly two dozen civilians who were on a bus that passed through the line of fire.  On January 22, 1968, the ROK Army's 6th Corps began a massive sweep operation to capture or kill any members of the unit. Soldiers from the 92nd Regiment, 30th Infantry Division captured Kim Shin-jo, who had been hiding in a civilian's house near Inwang Mountain. The 30th Battalion, Capital Defense Command, killed four commandos in Buam-dong and on Bukak Mountain.  On January 23, the 26th Infantry Division's Engineer Battalion killed one commando on Dobong Mountain. On January 24, 1968, the 26th Infantry Division and 1st Infantry Division soldiers killed 12 commandos near Seongu-ri. On January 25, three commandos were killed near Songchu. On January 29, six commandos were killed near Papyeong Mountain.

Casualties.

During the course of this assassination attempt, South Korean casualties totaled 26 killed and 66 wounded, including about 24 civilians. Four Americans also were killed in attempts to block the escaping infiltrators from crossing the DMZ. Of the 31 members of Unit 124, 29 were killed; one, Kim Shin-jo, was captured, and the other one, Park Jae-kyung escaped to North Korea. The bodies of the members of Unit 124 killed in the raid were subsequently buried in the Cemetery for North Korean and Chinese Soldiers.

Aftermath.

On January 22, the United Nations Command (UNC) requested that a Military Armistice Commission (MAC) meeting be held to discuss the raid. The UNC requested the meeting for January 23, but the North Koreans asked for a day's delay. On January 23, the USS "Pueblo" (AGER-2), a technical research ship of the United States Navy, was captured by North Korea. Consequently, the MAC meeting held on January 24 had to deal not only with the raid but also with the "Pueblo"s capture. To a considerable extent, the seizure of the "Pueblo" diverted U.S. and international attention from the Blue House raid.  The Blue House raid occurred on the same day when the Battle of Khe Sanh started in Vietnam and on January 31 the Tet Offensive broke out across South Vietnam, making any U.S. support for South Korean retaliation unlikely. In Saigon, Viet Cong guerrillas attempted to assassinate President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu at the Independence Palace but were quickly beaten back. Some writers have suggested that due to the similarities of both attacks by a similar number of commandos (31 in Seoul and 34 in Saigon, respectively) that the North Korean leaders had a certain insight into Vietnamese Communist military operations, and wanted to take advantage of the Vietnam War. President Johnson regarded the seizure of the "Pueblo" and the timing of the Tet Offensive to have been coordinated to divert U.S. resources away from Vietnam and to force the South Koreans to withdraw their two Divisions and Marine Brigade from South Vietnam. Unlike President Johnson, General Bonesteel saw no such connection. He regarded the Blue House Raid as having been planned at the highest levels in North Korea, while the seizure of the "Pueblo" seemed merely opportunistic and the timing of the Tet Offensive as helpful but coincidental.  In response to the assassination attempt, the South Korean government organized the ill-fated Unit 684. This group was intended to assassinate the leader of North Korea, Kim Il-sung. However, following an improvement in intra-Korean relations, the unit's assassination mission was cancelled and in 1971 the unit revolted and most of its members were killed.  In May 1972, Kim Il-sung expressed regret and claimed that the Blue House raid "was entirely plotted by extreme leftists and did not reflect my intent or that of the Party" to the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) Lee Hu-rak during their meeting in Pyongyang.  After surviving several other attempts on his life, Park Chung-hee was shot dead in 1979 by Kim Jae-gyu, the director of the KCIA. It is unclear whether this was a spontaneous act or part of a pre-arranged attempted coup by the intelligence service.

The Blue House raid (also known in South Korea as the January 21 Incident) was a raid launched by North Korean commandos to assassinate the President of South Korea, Park Chung-hee, in his residence at the Blue House, on January 21, 1968. All 31 Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers were killed, captured or forced to flee. President Park was unharmed.

Útok na Modrý dům (korejsky "1·21 사태", anglicky "Blue House Raid") byl útok severokorejských zvláštních jednotek na Modrý dům, sídlo prezidenta Jižní Koreje. Cílem útoku bylo zabít Pak Čong-huie, tehdejšího prezidenta Jižní Koreje. Útok provedlo 17. až 29. ledna 1968 31 vybraných příslušníků severokorejské Jednotky 124, kteří se na tento útok připravovali dva roky. Útok skončil díky prozrazení neúspěšně – 29 Severokorejců zemřelo (z toho jeden úspěšně spáchal sebevraždu po svém zajetí), jeden byl zajat a jeden uprchl. Na jihokorejské straně zemřelo 26 mužů a 66 bylo zraněno. Dále padli čtyři američtí vojáci při pokusu Severokorejců uprchnout zpět do Severní Koreje. Jižní Korea v plánované odvetě (která se však nikdy neuskutečnila) vytvořila zvláštní jednotku 31 mužů s cílem zabít Kim Ir-sena.