HAPPY BIRTHDAY COUNTESS MARINA CICOGNA

I know I am in the right place when my favourite shoe designer,  Christian Louboutin casually grabs my camera to take a photograph of me, I had the luck to be invited to Rome for a birthday.

Below the Spanish steps I feel I am in fairy land, the carriages, the horses, the house of Shelley Keats and Byron, you can find the real Rome. The souls of the wandering giants of the romantic period. I love staying  at the Hotel Russie. I have been here so many times. This time I am here for a friend, The Countess Marina Cicogna,  an enigmatic beautiful woman who lives her life according to her own rule book.  Born into the lap of luxury she paved a path for herself that most women would like to have. A photographer, model for Bruce Weber and a Producer, her life is a life worthy of recognition and support. I met her last year when I won Best most imaginative Art Documentary Drama for my film The gun the cake and the butterfly at Ischia Film and Music Festival. Her life long partner, Bernadetta Cicogna was there for her on the three days of parties. Attached is the WMagazine Article which does her justice.


 I  felt  encouraged to linger in this most stunning place steeped in history. There is so much to do here, that three days makes me feel like I am in a spin dryer. Several parties were given for her, a lunch at the Hotel Russie by Film Festival host Pascal Vicedomini, a dinner in a beautiful

PASCAL VICEDOMINI AND NANCY DELL'OLIO

 house slightly outside Rome, where Valentino sung Happy birthday and I sat next door to the best flautist in the world Andrea Griminelli played some musical hits from Carmen and The mission on a gold flute with total panache.

HANDSOME EMANUELE FILEBETO, PRINCE OF VENICE, MARINA CICOGNA AND CALVIN KLEIN

Cornelia Guest wore a stunning lilac dress from Oscar de la Renta as did Wendy Stark. I have had so much fun with Cornelia in the past and it was terrific luck that she was there. We laughed all night. She reminded me of all my past craziness.
 Marina Cicogna wore a  ravishing midnight Valentino dress to the floor surrounded by her friends, among them Calvin Klein and the Prince of Venice.
I wore Moschino. A little underdressed at night. I do not like the bones of a floor length dress to stab me..

AMANDA ELIASCH  WEARING SAINT LAURENT WITH THE ARCHITECT FROM THE HOTEL DE RUSSIE,  TOMMASSO  ZIFFER AND WENDY STARK  

This morning I visited the Freda Kahlo exhibition which was interesting. I was told that she had done thirty paintings that were good, but I only  really knew two. So the last couple of days were educational and amusing.

AMANDA ELIASCH AND CORNELIA GUEST
MOSCHINO and OSCAR

VALENTINO ABOUT TO PERFORM

Part 2: Charles Eliasch on life lessons, his mother, favorite hang-outs,...

An Artist Reveals Her Many Inner Lives in The Gun, The Cake And The Butterfly (VIDEO)|Thompson on Hollywood

An Artist Reveals Her Many Inner Lives in The Gun, The Cake And The Butterfly (VIDEO)|Thompson on Hollywood

The gun the cake and the butterfly, Trailer with Lisa Zane and Charles Eliasch

WOMEN FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT.

Woman are beginning to make a dent in the all too male populated film industry, or are they?.  Can we do it? Do we have the right energy? We definitely have the imagination.  In the past females were given incredible opportunities and made films beautifully. My favourite female director, Liliana Calvani  with The Night Porter made in 1974, dark, erotic, and sick, then there was  Lena Wertmuller with Swept Away.  Funny though that these women were Italian and it is now forty years ago? We seem in many ways to go backwards.

 Sofia Coppola, and the only Palme d'or winner, and head of this years Cannes  Film Festival, Jane Campion, are busy forging their way through the very male dominated profession.  With the prettiness of model Cara Delevingne and the strong willed Sharon Stone and huge star Nicole Kidman, women are  seen as sex symbols, shining stars, of course, as long as they are attractive, brilliant or young?.

This year  though let's be honest only two films out of eighteen were  chosen at The 67th Cannes  FF, were actually directed by women, despite the predominately female jury starring Jane Campion, actress Carole Bouquet, Female American director Sofia Coppola , Actor Jeon Do-yeon and actor Leila Hatami. The two films by female directors that made it through were  Le Meraviglie by Alice Rohrwacher and Futatsume No Mado by Japanese director Naomi Kawase. So who chooses the films? Men?   Does it matter.? Well, yes it does, because without a fairer distribution to the female population we will rebel. Why are there no American Female Directors chosen, where is Lynn Ramsey? I loved "It's all about Kevin"  Why is Jane Campion not directing a film at this second, instead of running the jury, or may be she is? Where are the female film directors? Where is Sally Potter, another of my favourites?  There is so much more to do. With problems for women all over the world we need to battle on with our message. (Good luck lovely Sam Taylor Wood with those  Fifty  Shades of Grey. If Liliana Calvani can  make her film and it should be brilliant).

Two years ago when I decided to make my film, my ex husband was teasing me, as you may remember, that I could not do it, which made me more determined to make one.  Never having made a film before. I did my best to encourage the brave people who watched my film,to  sit up and listen to another woman's story.  Not that mine is the best story, but The gun the cake and the butterfly  it should be counted. It is now being sold at Cannes and I feel very proud, that I actually achieved so much with so little experience. Despite it winning 7 awards in smaller more exclusive festivals, it did not get into Cannes. This was a lesson in itself, it can be sold there, but it did not get in. Brave festivals, that gave me a chance, are run throughout America.  Roberto Rizzo's NYCIFF,  loves women; The new media film festival run by  Susan Johnstone, loves them too.  Melody Storm  from the Bel Air FF full supports the female population and the Ischian Film and Music Festival run by Pascal Vicedomini, only thinks of supporting women, so why is Cannes still prejudiced?
Of course they see my film as a Vanity project. Indeed it is,  Anything that anybody does well is essentially based on one of the  seven deadly  sins" Vanity". I believe you cannot do anything well unless it is based on this sin. People get paid lots of money to be vain otherwise you would have another job than show business. The luckiest people I have found are the hardest working. So with this in mind I happily ventured out of my box and did my story.

When women are fighting to have an education let alone anything else, surely the film industry should help them reflect this?. Has it all got to be kitchen sink drama, people getting executed to win?. A film should after all, be  the conscience opener to the viewer?

JANE CAMPION WITH MICHAEL NYMAN

Women were always powerful, It is why the men of the Middle East cover them up, it is why the film world use them to advertise the film rather than make them, however they use their looks and not necessarily their intelligence. This is my point.
So with semi support I suggest you female film makers pick up a camera and tell your story follow your instinct and just "DO" You only do not succeed if you don't do it.
Girls next year, fight for what you believe in. Make your films on whatever budget you can and prove you have it. One day it won't matter to the men in power, they will be forced to accept you.
Congratulations Emy Sebagh on making your first film, Think Normal.


Checked out the Rich List
P.S If you feel accomplished just being rich, well done you have your cash register, but next to Bill Gates you are probably poor. The men look as if they are cab drivers, in fact the cab driver looks better.
Definitely the chirpy chappy at the flower market is going to be much more attractive.
You need no money at all to be sexy, horny, at loveable.
The wicked queen never becomes the happy one. I am just being a girl.

NICOLE YOU ARE A REAL PRINCESS

What is the matter with people that they have to be so horrid? I find the comments that people make at the bottom of newspaper articles repellent.

There was a saying when I was young: "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all"  The English are in danger of becoming a nation of haters.

The newspapers allow comments, they allow freedom of speech. However, online readers and commentators should be ashamed. The human race seems to have no kindness, understanding or interest.

I often wonder what vile faces they have, that causes them to write with such malicious intent. Today they pulled apart Nicole Kidman, a fine actress playing the part of Princess Grace of Monaco. Whether the film is good or not, they pulled her apart for no good reason.

My only comment to the family is this: you could have no finer portrayal than Miss Kidman.  Why we have to have her plastic surgery habits discussed is really of very little interest – except that within reason, why should she not have upkeep?

Miss Kidman looking every bit the Princess.

Most beauty and fashion journalists sneak off for freebies at several doctors I know. For my part, I am boycotting all comments as they have no relevance to my life or anybody else's, and are obviously written by people who are totally illiterate.  Why they want to lay into people I have no idea?

On another note, yesterday I went to the ravishing wedding of Poppy Delevingne at St Paul's, Knightsbridge. I love English weddings, the smell of summer flowers and candles. We listened to my favourite pieces of music, The Pachalbel Canon and the Vivaldi Gloria, which I have sung regularly throughout my life.  Poppy looked stunning in a dress by Chanel. Karl Largerfeld you are a genius.
I went  with Trinny Woodall who wore a  vintage Prada dress, while I wore a Victoria Beckham skirt with a white pleated skirt underneath and my favourite Stephen Jones hat. I love Poppy and her mother. Her mother stopped me being bullied when I was five years old, and beaten with a club. I will never forget her kindness. She actually cannot remember this, but I do. She has a natural purity.We then went to Kensington Palace for a delicious tea, where I saw all my old friends.

Charles Delevingne, Poppy Delevingne with  Cara in the background.

I have to say that, in defence of Botox and Nicole Kidman, those mothers who have not had any over the age of 55 are beginning to look worse for wear.

Why not play with time?, It is fun to be able to squeeze a few more years out of the ticking clock. Considering everything is available, from hormones, Botox, filler and  to face masks online, I do not understand the English woman not taking full advantage of a very reasonable and accessible way of staying looking attractive.

Nicole obviously had just visited the doctor; and in a few weeks' time, her face will calm down and she will look as fresh as  daisy. Why not? The French the Italians and The Americans all do.

The English with their freckled faces are full of trenches that were once lines. All because dogma makes women feel insecure about keeping up their appearances.

People can do what they want, but why not have fun? No point in wearing Valentino if your face looks the crocodile and not your bag.

Perhaps the writers are not illiterate and they agree with the funny Dorothy Parker: "If you can't say anything nice about someone…come and sit next to me."

Amanda Eliasch with Stephen Jones hat and Andy Wang glasses, white Prada jacket with Trinny Woodall in Vintage Prada.

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#MoviesMusicPlaysFilmFestivalsConcerts: Two indie movies to watch this May 2014

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LIFE's a SIZZLER, LET's GET WITHIT

I arrived back in London two days ago. Trying to adjust my body time clock is increasingly tricky. I came over on the new British jumbo jumbo jet which was definitely more comfortable than anything I had travelled on before. I swiftly fell asleep.
 I feel I never relax, I have just moved yet again from a house that I liked in Hollywood. This time I bought one next to a neighbour who suffers from a necessity to scream obscenities morning noon and night.  He said to me two weeks ago "Who is the pretty woman in the car this time, is it the gardeners whore?" There are limits to all things. Another time he told my housekeeper he was going to chop off her head.
Personally I had to leave. He would scream as he picked up leaves from a Magnolia tree outside his house. I have warned the new owners of the house, but they seem to find him charming. I wish I did, as he screamed or chuckled the night away.  He suffers from Tourettes. He was a hoarder who kept jars of tomato sauce out in the garden, he told me once that he went shopping only when the prices were low.
Nobody seemed to look after him, except for me, despite the annoyance.

BIRTHDAY GIRL

My great friend Fizzy Barclay

I have arrived back to sunshine, I was given a second birthday party by my good friend Fizzy Barclay at Zuma. My first was in the garden of Kay Saatchi's. A beautiful day with delicious food.

AMANDA ELIASCH AND LUCY TAMMAN

Socialite or sociable?  I decided to venture out to see the couturier  Lucy Tamman put on her first art show last night. Showing sustainable art, reminding us of what is valuable in this wild concrete world of ours. The winner will be printed, and used in her next collection.
A wonderful black wool coat with lace was on show, I immediately wanted to put in my order. Unusual and flattering.

TAMMAN

I then went to Dylan Jones lecture on Vanity with Nicky Haslam on behalf of Intelligence Squared, at Selfridges. The most amusing discussion on the quest for male beauty, questioning the importance of male glamour and make up. I personally think it is essential. I love men taking care of themselves. I love a dandy. The boys discussed at break neck speed the necessity of eye make up and sartorial elegance. The vainest men in England were according to them, Tony Blair, David Cameron, William Hague and David Beckham. Although Nicky of course questioned David Beckham.  I think the audience were confused between conceit and vanity. I think vanity is a considerable asset to your fellow human beings, a necessity. Who wants to see scruffy  unwashed men around? Not me!.

NICKY HASLAM AND  DYLAN JONES in Selfridges for  Intelligence Squared.

I have come home for a rest, I have been filming for a month my every move for a television show in Los Angeles. Suggested by Dan Snow at Anarchy Post. I realised how much fun the camera is. Edited again by Hector Abaunza. Moving yet again and being a part of Britweek, has been incredible. Now for the new
With Justine Glenton, Dani Behr, my housekeeper, Francesca and Publicist,  Sean Bourg, the 5 minute sizzler is at least amusing.

Dani Behr rocking hippy Coachella chic whilst I am dressed in black leather in Rick Owens and Andy Wang

The Amazing Rabbis Singing Simon and Garfunkel!

MOVABLE MOJO

I think I have to move and adapt my Mojo, I like men so step forward you beautiful creatures. Let's face it, long marriages lasted before because there was no internet to make a mess.  Long marriages break up because of Facebook and the mobile telephone. So be careful and be tactful, or just don't do it. You used to get dumped face to face, now you get dumped with a one line text and no response.

Sometimes you are even lucky to get a text. 

My mother,  fought for independence, she was a 1960's girl, burning her bra and wearing mini skirts that just about covered her pants. Fighting for equal pay. I am however a lover of the male species, I like spending time with them, learning from them. I have at any one time about 5 in my house. However, the more useful men, who can arrange flowers, talk about clothes and make up are of course of the other persuasion. I always thought that five minutes with a gay man was five minutes of my time wasted. How wrong I was. They  look appetising and smartly dressed before and after the age of 50.  In this very gay friendly town of Los Angeles they are easy to hang out with and seriously fun.  I went to the bank yesterday with my friend Justine Glenton and the bank manager said "Were we married?" I am clearly very old fashioned and I did not realise that he was being politically correct. I just don't look at women in his way. 

On another note I never realised before that being a cover girl was a full-time job.  After this week of being photographed non stop I feel that it keeps people away rather than draws them closer. I promise you I am still very touchable, however it is like a thin line is drawn between you and normality. They look at the magazine and then people look at you. People are very serious and talk to me in hushed tones  like I was a queen rather than Amanda. Well I am still Amanda so don't be fooled.  I have never chased fame, or I would have done it earlier, rather I chase having fun, living life to the full and enjoying as much of it as I can. I like to stretch its limits.
That reminds me I went to see the Vortex today at the Malibu Playhouse and it was brilliant with Craig Young stretching Coward's early text to the limits. It left chills down my spine.   Written in the late 1920's it was his first play and boy it touched me. It is on for two more weeks and all of you who love this English writer should see it. Especially moving as it describes a woman's deep fear of ageing, and her need to be admired, and her sons need to be heard.  Some great lines.

Last night I went to Lydia Hearst's cover party at Genlux Magazine. I shared the cover with her as I was representing Britweek on the previous cover  and my film The gun the cake and the butterfly. Nikki Lund walked in and looked incredible, off the set of some new startling sci fi film.  

A busy  and very exciting week, where Pyxit.com gave birth. I was dealing with internet conversations which I have to learn about. The site as I explained before, is a place to keep special memories. I wanted to hear my Mother sing once more, as it was the only time I didn't want to kill her.  I wanted to hear my Grandfather laugh.  I wanted to remember my personal stories, to remember great friends that I love for instance David Collins, wonderful architect and designer. My friend who so helped me in my divorce. Who made me laugh with his wit and clever ideas. I want to remember present memories. I want a Wikipedia of all my friends lives not just the famous or infamous. 

The only boring thing this week was my telephone which got drowned in Mulberry Love, the new diet drink, full of nutrition. Well clearly I was meant to lose a few numbers.

"SOCIALITE" IS A WORD I HATE: SOCIABLE IS CORRECT

I am always being nagged that I am some sort of socialite which makes me think of some dilettante lying out in the sun, getting my nails done and relying on an endless supply of invitations from top jewellers and charities around the world.  This drives me crazy. The truth is I only like to work and collect art.
 I am no Peggy Guggenheim, but I do have a collection of artwork that I would like to one day house in a museum.  I do also own one pair of sunglasses by Andy Wang, which I love.   I am very much Amanda Eliasch, drama queen,writer and lover of anything romantic and pure.  I like to be naughty not bad.
 I love being sociable but although I am appreciative of being invited to wonderful events, I am equally happy working myself to death. That is how I would like to be seen.

The reality is I get up at 4am and work pretty much until I drop in the evening. My latest endeavour Pyxit.com has given birth at  the opening of my film The gun the cake and the butterfly at the Arclight on Monday. That is the way I like it. Hard work keeps me happy. I love creating and making my ideas into a reality.
The story of Pyxit.com went like this. My friend Tim Willis said "I wish Facebook would remove all dead people, it is disconcerting seeing their pages when they are dead" I said "I like it, but why don't we open our own memory box to store them".  I then went to artist Vincenzo Demaar and asked him to create a precious place in the clouds to keep meaningful memories for the public and family whatever you, the user desire. Four months later I have given birth to Pyxit.co in BETA.  Please see if you like it and use it freely.  I just wanted to hear my mother's singing voice one more time, to see my children growing up. Things like that. Not everything I want to publicised on FACEBOOK, I  love FACEBOOK so much, it is as good as any newspaper. I have learnt so much on it too. My friends are intelligent and interesting.

PYXIT.COM

On another note I love fashion. I am thrilled that the Met Ball has gone to the extreme, after last years punk look,  and backed the mighty couturier Charles James, who was born in 1906. He was educated at Harrow School, English born to an army officer in the British Army. His mother a huge snob from Chicago. With this combination of the English Upperclass crossed with American design he rose to become perhaps America's greatest fashion designer?.  I think they are as modern today as yesterday. Despite Marc Jacobs apparently being appalled, I think that he should take note and see the clothes have a very elegant, and I personally am sick to death of the sloppy dressing that is fashionable at the moment. His clothes would make us stand up straight, his ideas were personified by the very rich and certainly in many circles they are as wonderful now as they were then.

CHARLES JAMES

BABE PALEY.

Oh for a dress like this, so Gone with the Wind…
so romantic.