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NEWS OF THE STARS. Cont'd.
The UN doesn't employ the ambassadors." Pollack then explained
that a lot of ambassadors and UN staff "don't have work permits in the United
States." "This is not the United States. This is international territory, so
the people that are here legally aren't allowed to work in the United States.
They have to have an American work permit to work and get paid by an American
film company," he said. Jordan's Zeid had a solution: "We could become
unionized for a day or two." But Pollack was more focused on the movie itself,
telling the crowd at the reception that he wanted it "to be consistent with
the goals of the UN, and an alternative to violence, in a way." Shooting has
gone on for the past seven weekends and there's another seven weekends of
filming left, none is allowed during the work week. Pollack expects the film
to be out in February. In the movie, Kidman plays a UN interpreter who comes
from a fictional African country called Matobo with a lot of civil strife,
ethnic cleansing and political turmoil. Penn plays a secret service agent
trying to prevent the leader of a country from being killed. Diana Liao, the
chief UN interpreter, told Kidman "how interpreters behave in the booth, how
you switch on the mike, how you interpret, and when you are stuck, what do you
do." Kidman also looked at their clothes and asked "many intelligent
questions." It didn't matter that she didn't speak at Monday's party. At the
reception afterward, she did say "Things are going fine - busy." Her words
were almost drowned out by the noise of the crowd trying to get near her, get
autographs, talk to her or pose for a photograph with her. Even several
ambassadors were spotted with cameras.
Arnold pays tribute to Holocaust victims
Photo:
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger lays a wreath during his visit to the
Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Heidi Levine, Pool).
JERUSALEM (AP) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger paid tribute Sunday to the millions of Jews killed in the Holocaust and helped dedicate a planned museum of tolerance during a whirlwind visit to Jerusalem. In an emotional speech at the museum site, Schwarzenegger said that in a world of violence and suicide attacks, the museum would stand as a "candle to guide us." "The world should know we are not building a bunker. We're building something that breathes with life, just as God breathed life into us," Schwarzenegger said. "We look past the suicide bombers, the terrorists, past the blood. ... We look ahead to the time people can live side by side." Schwarzenegger's speech came just minutes after Palestinian gunmen ambushed and killed a pregnant Jewish settler and her four young daughters as they were driving from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Two Palestinian militant groups claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was retaliation for Israel's recent assassinations of two top Hamas leaders. Schwarzenegger, wearing a yarmulke, later laid a wreath at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, a ceremony in which he also rekindled the memorial's symbolic eternal flame. The governor bowed his head and stood in silence for several minutes in the vault-like chamber, which has the ashes of Holocaust victims buried beneath its marble floor. Though Schwarzenegger's father was a member of the Nazi party, the actor-turned-politician has always sought to distance himself from that part of his Austrian background. Israelis, many of whom feel isolated after 3 1/2 years of violence with the Palestinians, were thrilled with Schwarzenegger's visit. He was cheered at every stop in his busy day, whether by office workers in government buildings or the crowd at the museum ceremony. Many wore Schwarzenegger T-shirts and some shirtless men scrawled "We Love Arnold" on their chests. "We've got a lot of stars in Hollywood, but nobody measures up to that," said Jonathan Stern, a sergeant in the Israeli army, who took leave to catch a glimpse of the movie star-turned politician. "People love him. He's the best.
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