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58-722: Sun City is a luxury resort and casino , developed by hotel magnate Sol Kerzner as part of his Sun International group of properties. It was officially opened on 7 December 1979, then located in the Bantustan of Bophuthatswana . As Bophuthatswana had been declared an independent state by South Africa's apartheid government (although unrecognised as such by any other country), it could provide entertainment such as gambling and topless revue shows, which were banned in South Africa proper. In protest of apartheid, an international boycott by performers continued for years, although some, such as

116-506: A BAFTA Award , a Golden Globe Award , and three Independent Spirit Awards . Beginning his career under B-movie producer Roger Corman , Demme made his directorial debut with the 1974 women-in-prison film Caged Heat , before becoming known for his casually humanist films such as Melvin and Howard (1980), Swing Shift (1984), Something Wild (1986), and Married to the Mob (1988). His 1991 psychological horror film The Silence of

174-616: A boycott of the South African luxury resort Sun City during Apartheid . His documentary Haiti Dreams of Democracy (1988) captured Haiti's era of democratic rebuilding after dictatorship, while his documentary The Agronomist (2008) profiled Haitian journalist and human rights activist Jean Dominique . Demme spent six years on the documentary I'm Carolyn Parker (2011), which highlighted rebuilding efforts in New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina . Demme

232-456: A compilation of Haitian music called Konbit: Burning Rhythms of Haiti that was released in 1989. ( Lou Reed selected Konbit... as one of his 'picks of 1989'). Demme was on the board of directors at Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, New York . In addition to his role on the board, he curated and hosted a monthly series called Rarely Seen Cinema . Throughout 1986–2004, Demme

290-640: A concert for their Where Dreams Come True Tour supporting their album Coast to Coast . In 2014, the film Blended starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler premiered on the premises after being filmed mostly at the resort, as was the 2017 film 10 Days in Sun City . In 2022, the World Classic Powerlifting Championships 2022 was held in Sun City. In 2024, the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships and

348-508: A friend, Hart Perry, to film the sessions. During the course of the film, Schechter asks the artists to explain their involvement in the project in their own words: "Sun City's become a symbol of a society which is very oppressive and denies basic rights to the majority of its citizens," said Jackson Browne. "In a sense, Sun City is also a symbol of that society's 'right' to entertain itself in any way that it wants to, to basically try to buy us off and to buy off world opinion." Recalls Schechter, "I

406-414: A major influence in his work. In an interview, Anderson jokingly stated that the three filmmakers who inspired him the most are "Jonathan Demme, Jonathan Demme and Jonathan Demme." Other directors such as Alexander Payne and Wes Anderson have been known to be inspired by his close-ups in their own work. Demme was involved in various political projects. In 1981, he directed a series of commercials for

464-480: A motorcycle movie very loosely based on Rashomon , and The Hot Box (1972). He then moved on to directing three films for Corman's studio New World Pictures : Caged Heat (1974), Crazy Mama (1975), and Fighting Mad (1976). After Fighting Mad , Demme directed the comedy film Handle with Care (originally titled Citizens Band , 1977) for Paramount Pictures . The film was well received by critics, but received little promotion, and performed poorly at

522-478: A play by Beth Henley . The play was produced by MCC Theater and co-starred Rosemarie DeWitt and Kathleen Chalfant . At one time, Demme was signed on to direct, produce, and write an adaptation of Stephen King 's sci-fi novel 11/22/63 , but later left the project due to disagreements with King on what should be included in the script. He returned to the concert documentary format with Justin Timberlake +

580-680: A producer and director. Demme was born on February 22, 1944, in Baldwin , New York, the son of Dorothy Louise ( née Rogers) and Robert Eugene Demme, a public relations executive. He was raised in Rockville Centre, New York and Miami , where he graduated from Southwest Miami High School before attending the University of Florida . Demme broke into feature film working for exploitation film producer Roger Corman early in his career, co-writing and producing Angels Hard as They Come (1971),

638-445: A school for the deaf and blind to assert their philanthropic values. In 2021, drummer Roger Taylor voiced regret for the Sun City shows, stating that "We went with the best intentions, but I still think it was kind of a mistake." On 25 October 1980, Sun City's "Superbowl" hosted a racially mixed world heavyweight boxing championship fight between champion American Mike Weaver and challenger South African Gerrie Coetzee . Weaver won

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696-473: A venue. Several acts disregarded the boycott and performed at the venue, such as The Beach Boys , Linda Ronstadt , Cher , Ray Charles , Millie Jackson , Liza Minnelli , Frank Sinatra (1981), Shirley Bassey (1981), Olivia Newton-John (1982), Dolly Parton (1982), Neil Sedaka (1982), Paul Anka , Status Quo , Rod Stewart (July 1983), Elton John (October 1983), and Boney M. (1984). British rock band Queen 's series of performances at

754-702: Is a hotel but also sold in a timeshare scheme. Sun City also has two international-standard 18-hole golf courses, the Gary Player Country Club and the Lost City Golf Course, both designed by Gary Player. The Gary Player Country Club is home to the Nedbank Golf Challenge (formerly the Nedbank Million Dollar Golf Challenge) that is held annually. The Sun City resort has hosted various concerts and events, including

812-478: The AIDS crisis and which garnered star Tom Hanks his first Best Actor Oscar . He also co-directed (with his nephew Ted ) the music video for Bruce Springsteen 's Best Song Oscar -winning " Streets of Philadelphia " from the film's soundtrack. Jonathan used several of the same actors for both movies. Subsequently, his films included an adaptation of Toni Morrison 's Beloved (1998), and remakes of two films from

870-490: The Apollo Theater, Oberlin, Ohio , along with Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman . In 2013, he returned to Oberlin as part of an alumni reunion during the class of 2013 graduation ceremony and received the award for Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts. In 2009, Demme signed a petition in support of director Roman Polanski , who had been detained while traveling to a film festival in relation to his 1977 sexual abuse charges , which

928-815: The Miss South Africa and Miss South Africa Teen Pageant. These pageants take place annually in Sun City's Super Bowl Arena and the Valley of Waves. It also hosted Miss World pageant five times, from 1992 to 1995, and 2001. The resort was also the site of the Sun City Agreement . In 2001, Sun City was the site of the 2nd IIFA Awards . Held at the Superbowl Arena, it honoured both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood , for that year. Also on that year on 19 May, Irish vocal pop band Westlife held

986-679: The North West Province of South Africa . It is located between the Elands River and the Pilanesberg , built on the land of Bakubung Village (known as Ledig) about 140 km (90 miles) northwest of Johannesburg , near the city of Rustenburg . The complex borders the Pilanesberg National Park . It is made up of a number of themed sub-resorts with hotels on each, including the original Sun City Resort, The Cabanas, The Cascades and

1044-778: The Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense (also 1984) which won the National Society of Film Critics Award for best documentary; the eclectic screwball action-romantic comedy Something Wild (1986); a film-version of the stage production Swimming to Cambodia (1987), by monologist Spalding Gray ; and the New York Mafia-by-way-of Downtown comedy Married to the Mob (1988). Demme formed his production company, Clinica Estetico, with producers Edward Saxon and Peter Saraf in 1987. They were based out of New York City for fifteen years. Demme won

1102-514: The Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival . His art-house hit Rachel Getting Married (2008) was compared by many critics to Demme's films of the late 1970s and 1980s. It was included in many 2008 "best of" lists, and received numerous awards and nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress by lead Anne Hathaway . In 2010, Demme made his first foray into theater, directing Family Week ,

1160-467: The 1960s: The Truth About Charlie (2002), based on Charade , that starred Mark Wahlberg in the Cary Grant role; and The Manchurian Candidate (2004), with Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep . Demme's documentary film Man from Plains (2007), a documentary about former U.S. President Jimmy Carter 's promotional tour publicizing his book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid , had its premiere at

1218-508: The Academy Award for The Silence of the Lambs (1991)—one of only three films to win all the major categories (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress). Inspired by his friend Juan Suárez Botas 's illness with AIDS and fueled by his own moral convictions, Demme then used his influence to make Philadelphia (1993), one of the first major films to address

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1276-479: The Beach Boys , Linda Ronstadt , Cher , Millie Jackson , Liza Minnelli , Frank Sinatra (1981), Paul Anka , Status Quo , Rod Stewart (July 1983), Elton John (October 1983), and Queen , ignored it. Van Zandt became interested in writing a song about Sun City to make parallels with the plight of Native Americans. Danny Schechter , a journalist who was then working with ABC News ' 20/20 , suggested turning

1334-504: The East Coast, in the 1920's, to capture the action. Lucky and Paul introduced a new camera technology to work alongside the 16mm crews, the one-piece camera - Panasonic's ReCam format for extensive handheld coverage of two days of the artists performing in the streets of Manhattan as well as a rendition of "Sun City" in Manhattan's Washington Square Park. Approximately 150 policemen surrounded

1392-686: The Feelies , Charles Aznavour , Steve Scales, the Flirtations , Manno Charlemagne , Bernie Worrell , David Johansen , Beau Sia , Q Lazzarus , and Rick Springfield . In addition to Corman, Demme cast a number of other fellow directors in cameos, including John Sayles , Agnès Varda , George A. Romero , Sidney Lumet , and John Waters . Many of these performers received opening credits billing in films they appeared in, despite sometimes having only one or two lines. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson has paid homage to Demme in his films and has cited him as

1450-680: The Lambs , based on the novel of the same title , won five Academy Awards , including Best Director and Best Picture . His subsequent films earned similar acclaim, notably the HIV/AIDS -themed drama Philadelphia (1993), the supernatural Gothic horror Beloved (1998), the conspiracy thriller The Manchurian Candidate (2004), and the independent drama Rachel Getting Married (2008). Demme also directed numerous concert films such as Stop Making Sense (1984), Neil Young: Heart of Gold (2006), and Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids (2016), and worked on several television series as both

1508-549: The Lost Ark " , which was made as a promotional exercise by the for-profit Paramount Pictures and Lucasfilm Ltd. ) In 1987, WNYC-TV , the New York City-owned public television station, aired an updated version of the documentary, produced by filmmaker Bill Lichtenstein along with Schechter. The film included updates about the Sun City resort and apartheid as well as the success of the "Sun City" video. In addition to airing

1566-616: The Lost City (The Palace). Sun City was developed by the hotel magnate Sol Kerzner as part of his Sun International group of properties. It was officially opened on 7 December 1979, then located in the Bantustan of Bophuthatswana . As Bophuthatswana had been declared an independent state by South Africa's apartheid government (although unrecognised as such by any other country), it could provide entertainment such as gambling and topless revue shows, which were banned in South Africa. Those factors, as well as its relatively close location to

1624-571: The Skytrain people mover, built with Otis Hovair technology, took its first trip on a 1.71 km (1.06 mi) line that connects a remote parking lot to the Entertainment Centre. Two trains of three cars shuttle on the route. Sun City has continued since Bophuthatswana was re-incorporated in the new South Africa in 1994. The resort has four hotels: Sun City has the Vacation Club which

1682-589: The Tennessee Kids (2016), which he described as a "performance film, but also a portrait of an artist at a certain moment in the arc of his career", and his last project was a history of rock & roll for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame compiled from footage from Hall of Fame induction ceremonies set to debut in summer 2017. Demme directed music videos for artists such as Suburban Lawns , New Order , KRS-One 's H.E.A.L. project and Bruce Springsteen . He also produced

1740-602: The UK. The song was banned in South Africa. Van Zandt and Schechter also struggled to get the documentary seen. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) refused to broadcast the non-profit film The Making of Sun City even though it won the International Documentary Association 's top honors in 1986; PBS claimed the featured artists were also involved in making the film and were therefore "self-promoting." (In contrast, PBS chose to broadcast The Making of " Raiders of

1798-791: The US, reaching #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1985. Only about half of American radio stations played "Sun City," with some objecting to the lyrics' explicit criticism of President Ronald Reagan 's policy of " constructive engagement ." Meanwhile, "Sun City" was a major success in countries where there was little or no radio station resistance to the record or its messages, reaching #4 in Australia, #10 in Canada, #3 in The Netherlands and #21 in

Artists United Against Apartheid - Misplaced Pages Continue

1856-606: The World ," although Oliver Tambo and the ANC's school in Tanzania "was sure happy when we gave them a big check," according to Schechter. In South Africa, "Sun City" would later inspire musician Johnny Clegg to create a local organization similar to Van Zandt's, and "Sun City" also became the catalyst for the South Africa Now TV series. With the end of the apartheid regime in 1994 and

1914-510: The World Masters will also be held in Sun City. Jonathan Demme Robert Jonathan Demme ( / ˈ d ɛ m i / DEM -ee ; February 22, 1944 – April 26, 2017) was an American filmmaker, whose career directing, producing, and screenwriting spanned more than 30 years and 70 feature films, documentaries, and television productions. He was an Academy Award and a Directors Guild of America Award winner, and received nominations for

1972-465: The bargain." In addition to "Sun City," a number of other songs were recorded, making up the album Sun City . For a time Van Zandt and Baker were making the record without a record company or any outside financial support. Van Zandt financed much of it while producer Arthur Baker (notable for his work with Afrika Bambaataa and New Order ) donated studio time. Manhattan/EMI Records, under Bruce Lundvall's direction, came on board, acquiring rights to

2030-446: The box office. He also directed a 1978 episode of Columbo . Demme's next film, Melvin and Howard (1980), did not get a wide release , but received a groundswell of critical acclaim and film award recognition, including Academy Award nominations, winning two of its three nominations ( Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress – Mary Steenburgen , and Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay – Bo Goldman ). This acclaim led to

2088-596: The documentary, WNYC-TV made the film available over the PBS system to public television stations across the country for broadcast. The album and single raised more than a million U.S. dollars for anti-apartheid projects. It premiered at the United Nations , thanks to the Special Committee Against Apartheid and UN officers such as Aracelly Santana. The record never achieved the financial success of " We Are

2146-564: The entire park on horseback and foot to secure the area for the performance, which included Van Zandt, Bono, Springsteen, the Fat Boys , Mötley Crüe , Afrika Bambaataa, Nona Hendryx and many others. Goldberg and Allen went on to shoot Sun City II in Central Park, capturing the politics and music of the spirit of Little Steven's award-winning "Sun City", including interviews with Peter Gabriel and Bono. Schechter invited MTV to get involved and asked

2204-399: The fight by knockout in the 13th round, successfully defending his World Boxing Association world heavyweight title. In 1985, E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt made the venue the focus of his music-industry activist group Artists United Against Apartheid . Forty-nine top recording artists collaborated on a song called " Sun City ", in which they pledged they would not perform at

2262-463: The hand-held cinematography to capture the essence of the world's first innovative live concert in the streets, capturing all the colorful and momentous scenes happening between the artists and the people. Lucky worked with Producer and partner Paul Allen of ThunderVision Media Ltd, based in New York at Kaufman Astoria Studios, which was renovated from the original first Hollywood-style Paramount Studios on

2320-1204: The invitation. Van Zandt was also shy about calling legendary jazz artist Miles Davis . Schechter initiated the contact and Davis also accepted. Eventually, Van Zandt, Baker and Schechter would gather an array of artists, described by rock critic Dave Marsh as "the most diverse line up of popular musicians ever assembled for a single session", including DJ Kool Herc , Grandmaster Melle Mel , Ruben Blades , Bob Dylan , Pat Benatar , Herbie Hancock , Ringo Starr and his son Zak Starkey , Lou Reed , Run-DMC , Peter Gabriel , Bob Geldof , Clarence Clemons , David Ruffin , Eddie Kendricks , Darlene Love , Bobby Womack , Afrika Bambaataa , Kurtis Blow , The Fat Boys , Jackson Browne , Daryl Hannah , Peter Wolf , Bono , George Clinton , Keith Richards , Ronnie Wood , Bonnie Raitt , Hall & Oates , Jimmy Cliff , Big Youth , Michael Monroe , Stiv Bators , Peter Garrett , Ron Carter , Ray Barretto , Gil Scott-Heron , Nona Hendryx , Kashif , Lotti Golden , L. Shankar and Joey Ramone . These artists also vowed never to perform at Sun City, because to do so would in their minds seem to be an acceptance of apartheid. Schechter had also taken on

2378-463: The job of documenting the sessions on video and producing a behind-the-scenes documentary, working with 16mm film crews and independent production companies. Oscar-winner Director Jonathan Demme directed the live-action in NY. Demme directed Lucky Goldberg, Director, Producer and Cinematographer for ThunderVision Media Ltd (1986-1993) and President of Hollywood New York International from 1993 - currently, to do

Artists United Against Apartheid - Misplaced Pages Continue

2436-477: The large metropolitan areas of Pretoria and Johannesburg , ensured that Sun City soon became a popular holiday and weekend destination. During apartheid, Sun City imposed severe restrictions on the ability of black South Africans to enter the Sun City area legally. The United Nations had imposed a cultural boycott on South Africa in condemnation of apartheid. To overcome this, Kerzner offered substantial financial incentives to performing artists to use Sun City as

2494-568: The liberal advocacy group People for the American Way . The spots , titled "Eggs", "Music", and "Sports", were produced by Norman Lear and featured Muhammad Ali , Carol Burnett , and Goldie Hawn celebrating Freedom of Expression . In 1985, he directed a video for Artists United Against Apartheid . The short, featured various international musicians including Afrika Bambaataa , Rubén Blades , Jimmy Cliff , Herbie Hancock , Little Steven , Run–D.M.C. , and Bruce Springsteen , calling for

2552-408: The papers and my mug out of the video. I was terrified that 20/20 would dump me if they knew what I was doing, especially if my affiliation with ABC was dragged into it, even though the network had nothing to do with the project. I worked even harder at ABC, producing more stories than many of my colleagues, so I couldn't be accused of slacking off." The song "Sun City" was only a modest success in

2610-551: The petition argued would undermine the tradition of film festivals as a place for works to be shown "freely and safely", and that arresting filmmakers traveling to neutral countries could open the door "for actions of which no-one can know the effects." Demme was an avid collector and devotee of Haitian art , in particular of Hector Hyppolite - so much so that he called it "an addiction". In 2014, he held an auction in Philadelphia selling thousands from his collection, much of which

2668-613: The recording and enabling Van Zandt and Baker to pay some of the bills. A committed record company attorney, the late Rick Dutka, also donated his time, along with noted music industry attorney, the late Owen Epstein as well as Van Zandt's assistant, Zoë Yanakis. Also, some New York's top recording engineers, studio musicians and recording studios donated their time as well as the artists who participated in recording Sun City. As well as lead vocals provided by notable artists Bruce Springsteen , Bono , Darlene Love , Run-DMC , Lou Reed , Eddie Kendricks , Bonnie Raitt , Nona Hendryx and others,

2726-475: The reintegration of Sun City and other former nominally independent regions into the South African state, "Sun City" ceased to be a contemporary protest and became a historical document. In 1997, the man who created Sun City, Sol Kerzner , came to the United States to build Mohegan Sun , a Native American gambling casino. Sun City, North West Sun City is a luxury resort and casino , situated in

2784-549: The resort because of their opposition to apartheid. Additionally, Simple Minds included the song as part of a live medley on their Live in the City of Light double album in 1987. The same year, Black Sabbath played six shows in Sun City with a short-lived line-up featuring original guitarist Tony Iommi , keyboardist Geoff Nicholls , then-new vocalist Tony Martin , and a rhythm section with drummer Terry Chimes ( The Clash ) and bassist Dave Spitz ( Great White ). In January 1986

2842-429: The signature background vocal sound was created by Lotti Golden , B.J.Nelson and Tina B. Schechter's connections with ABC News posed some risks. "I couldn't tell ABC what I was doing on the side," recalls Schechter. "They would not have approved. I knew I couldn't propose a story about Sun City either, because I had stepped over the line and become part of the story. I tried and mostly succeeded in keeping my name out of

2900-621: The signing of Demme to direct the Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell star vehicle Swing Shift (1984). Intended as a prestige picture for Warner Bros. as well as a major commercial vehicle for Demme, it instead became a troubled production due to the conflicting visions of Demme and star Hawn. Demme ended up renouncing the finished product, and when the film was released in May 1984, it was generally panned by critics and neglected by moviegoers. After Swing Shift , Demme stepped back from Hollywood to make

2958-476: The song into a different kind of " We Are the World ", or as Schechter explains, "a song about change not charity, freedom not famine." When Van Zandt was finished writing " Sun City ", he, Schechter and producer Arthur Baker spent the next several months searching for artists to participate in the project. Van Zandt initially declined to invite Springsteen, not wanting to take advantage of their friendship, but Schechter had no problem asking and Springsteen accepted

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3016-502: The studio...Steven and Arthur Baker , insisted I not approach him with a camera. 'It's Miles, man," Baker said. "He's erratic, idiosyncratic, explosive. Wild. Don't mess with him when he's playing...' I barged into the booth while Davis was setting up, introduced myself and asked if we could videotape him. Through the glass I could see Steve and Arthur, heads in hands, convinced that I had blown it. Miles smiled. 'Bring it on,' he ordered, 'bring it on.' And we did, getting priceless footage in

3074-495: The unstoppable cheerleader for anyone creative. Just as passionate about music as he was about art, he was and will always be a champion of the soul. JD, most beloved, something wild, brother of love, director of the lambs. Love that guy. Love him so much." Director Brady Corbet dedicated his 2018 film Vox Lux to Demme's memory, as did Luca Guadagnino with his 2018 film Suspiria and Paul Thomas Anderson with his 2017 film Phantom Thread starring Daniel Day Lewis . Demme

3132-625: The venue in October 1984 in transgression of the boycott caused considerable controversy, prompting criticism in the British music press, a fine from the Musicians' Union and their inclusion on the United Nations' blacklisted artists. Following the criticism, Queen strongly defended their decision, saying they "play to anybody who wants to come and listen" and were "a very non-political group", but donated to

3190-512: Was donated to a cultural center in Port-au-Prince . Demme died at his home in Manhattan on April 26, 2017, from complications from esophageal cancer and heart disease ; he was 73. "I am heart-broken to lose a friend, a mentor, a guy so singular and dynamic you'd have to design a hurricane to contain him. Jonathan was as quirky as his comedies and as deep as his dramas. He was pure energy,

3248-800: Was known for his dramatic close-ups in films. This style of close-ups involves the character looking directly into the camera during crucial moments. According to Demme, this was done to put the viewer into the character's shoes. Beginning with Rachel Getting Married (2008), Demme adopted a documentary style of filmmaking. He was known for his use of recurring supporting players, including Charles Napier , Harry Northup , Tracey Walter , Ann Dowd , LisaGay Hamilton , Kimberly Elise , Paul Lazar, Ron Vawter , Dean Stockwell , Obba Babatundé , Ted Levine , Paul Le Mat , Mary Steenburgen , Jason Robards , Scott Glenn , and his former producer Roger Corman , as well as casting musicians and bands in roles. These included Sister Carol , Chris Isaak , Tunde Adebimpe ,

3306-494: Was married twice. His first marriage to Evelyn Purcell ended in divorce. In 1987, he married artist Joanne Howard, with whom he had three children. He was the uncle of film director Ted Demme , who died in 2002. Demme's cousin was the Rev. Robert Wilkinson Castle Jr. , an Episcopal priest who appeared in some of Demme's films. Demme was a member of the steering committee of the Friends of

3364-420: Was surprised that many of the best-known rock 'n rollers were so publicity shy. Most of them had publicists who staged their media appearances. They weren't used to cameras poking them in the face. Bruce Springsteen at first turned down my request for an interview, but just as I was walking away from him dejected, he ran after me and agreed to say a few words for the documentary. "When Miles started improvising in

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