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Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture

Critics say the portrayal of the Na'avi alien species in Avatar appropriates and homoginizes Indigenous cultures.

Indigenous Activists Criticize ‘Avatar’ Sequel

They say the film romanticizes colonization and reduces Indigenous cultures to vague stereotypes

For 25 years, skeptics have been insisting that Jack and Rose could have both survived on their makeshift raft.

Did Jack Really Need to Sacrifice Himself for Rose?

James Cameron commissioned a study to prove that his characters’ tragic ending was inevitable

Steven Spielberg on the set of Jaws

Steven Spielberg Regrets How ‘Jaws’ Impacted Real-World Sharks

The movie contributed to a rise in shark trophy hunting

Taraneh Alidoosti, one of Iran's most famous actresses, voiced support for anti-government protests on Instagram.

Iran Arrests One of Its Most Famous Actresses

Taraneh Alidoosti was detained after criticizing the government’s execution of a protester

The Barbican Library in London, England, is becoming a warm bank this winter.

‘Warm Banks’ at U.K. Libraries Invite Locals to Get Cozy

To help with rising energy bills, they’re providing everything from warm drinks to winter coats

Cézanne's Still Life With Bread and Eggs, housed at the Cincinnati Art Museum

Cool Finds

For 158 Years, a Cézanne Portrait Hid Behind a Still Life of Bread and Eggs

While examining the painting, a museum employee had a hunch—and called for an X-ray

When Harry Met Sally, written by Nora Ephron, is one of 25 films to be added to the National Film Registry this year.

From ‘Iron Man’ to ‘When Harry Met Sally,’ These Are the 25 New Additions to the National Film Registry

Every year, the Library of Congress selects 25 films of “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance”

A press night performance of Grease at London's Dominion Theatre on May 17, 2022

London Initiative Will Give Away 1,000 Free Theater Tickets Every Week

The program aims to make culture accessible amidst the rising cost of living

South African ballet dancers in the Russian Ballet Ensemble perform The Nutcracker in Johannesburg, South Africa, on December 10.

Ukraine Calls for Boycott of ‘The Nutcracker’ and Other Russian Works

Critics argue that connecting Russia’s culture with its current leadership is counterproductive

After scraping artists' work across the internet, the app can generate artistic renditions of users' selfies.

Art Meets Science

Is Popular A.I. Photo App Lensa Stealing From Artists?

The tool went viral first for generating flattering portraits—and then for igniting ethical concerns

Filmmaker David Lynch, composer Angelo Badalamenti and singer Julee Cruise in 1989

Angelo Badalamenti, Who Composed Ethereal Scores for ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘Blue Velvet,’ Dies at 85

He was one of David Lynch’s closest collaborators—and wrote one of TV’s most memorable themes

People attending a service at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in New York on December 6, 2022

A Greek Orthodox Church, Destroyed During 9/11, Reopens at Ground Zero

The stunning new structure will also serve as place for visitors to reflect on the attacks

Banksy painted the mural on a wall in the Ukranian town of Hostomel.

Thieves Tried to Cut Banksy Mural From a Wall in War-Torn Ukrainian Town

The mural, located outside Kyiv, depicts a woman in a bathrobe and a gas mask

Stephen Sondheim sitting in a recording control room in 1987

Cool Finds

Stephen Sondheim’s Lost College Musical Was Found Hidden in Plain Sight

Live recordings from “Phinney’s Rainbow” had been sitting on a journalist’s bookshelf for years

Banning's viral tweet sparked an outpouring of stories from famous authors about under-attended book signings.

Two People Showed Up to Her Book Signing. Then, Margaret Atwood and Stephen King Commiserated

Famous writers around the world offered support to debut author Chelsea Banning

Beethoven’s handwritten manuscript for the fourth movement of his String Quartet in B-flat Major

Nazi-Looted Beethoven Manuscript Returned to Original Owners

The Czech Republic’s Moravian Museum gave the document to the heirs of the Petschek family

To select a winner, Oxford editors track trending words and phrases throughout the calendar year.

‘Goblin Mode’ Is Oxford’s 2022 Word of the Year

The term describes behavior that’s “unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly or greedy”

The dilapidated jet has been sitting at the Roswell Air Center in Roswell, New Mexico, for decades.

Elvis Presley’s Private Jet Is Going Up for Auction

The famous singer bought the JetStar in 1976, a year before his death

“It was traumatizing to watch such an important icon of civilization go up in flames,” composer Julian Anderson says.

‘Litanies,’ Inspired by Notre-Dame Fire, Receives Prestigious Music Award

Julian Anderson’s 25-minute concerto won the 2023 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition

Jeanne Dielman is the first film directed by a woman to rank in the number one spot in the Sight and Sound poll.

These Are the 100 Greatest Films of All Time, According to 1,600 Critics

Chantal Akerman’s bleak drama “Jeanne Dielman” tops the prestigious Sight and Sound poll

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