Hidden secrets and little-known facts about Greater Manchester

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentFilmax has swooped on international rights to “Irati,” an action adventure feature set in the eighth-century Pyrenees.Produced by Spain’s Bainet, Ikusgarri Films, Kilima Media with France’s La Fidèle Production, “Irati” weighs in as one of the most ambitious new Spanish movies being brought onto the market at Berlin. Filmax will present a promo at the EFM.Featuring battles, mythological creatures and fantasy elements in a mix of Basque legend and historical events, it also marks director Paul Urkijo’s follow-up to “Errementari: the Blacksmith and the Devil,” which Filmax sold to Netflix for the world.Now in post-production, “Irati” turns on a pagan girl who guides a young Christian lord called Enekoon a journey into an ancient, mythological world. Eneko hopes to recover lost treasure, key to his defending his valley from Charlemagne’s marauding army, which is devastating the Pyrenees.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItalian director Matteo Garrone, who was at the 2020 Berlinale with Roberto Benigni-starrer “Pinocchio,” is set to return to the director’s chair in March with coming-of-age adventure drama “Io Capitano,” on which France’s Pathé will be handling international distribution.Garrone’s new pic, whose title translates as “I, Captain,” will be shot in Italy, Morocco and Senegal, marking the first time, Garrone –– a two-time Cannes jury prize-winner, with “Gomorrah” in 2008 and “Reality” in 2012 –– sets a feature film outside of Italy.As is customary with Garrone, story details of “Io Capitano” are being kept under wraps, besides the fact that he wrote the screenplay with regular collaborators Massimo Gaudioso and Andrea Tagliaferri and actor Massimo Ceccherini (“Pinocchio”), who also contributed to the “Pinocchio” screenplay.

Christopher Vourlias Rwandan director Kivu Ruhorahoza’s “Father’s Day,” which bows in the competitive Encounters strand of the Berlin Film Festival, is a timely story of fatherhood in a country that saw a generation orphaned by one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.The film presents a trio of interwoven stories set in the East African nation. A mother tries to cope with the loss of her only son.

Christopher Vourlias Russian VOD platform KION has unveiled a slate of original content it will be presenting to buyers at the European Film Market.Launched less than one year ago by telecom giant MTS, the company has so far surpassed expectations, according to Igor Mishin, VP for media business development at MTS and CEO of MTS Media. “We have exceeded all business key performance indicators, in terms of the subscriber base and streaming views,” he said.The company is launching two new feature films and two original series at EFM.“Ophiuchus” is an erotic thriller about a bold and sexually liberated pathologist whose lovers begin to die under mysterious circumstances.

“Death on the Nile” was being released in the rest of the Middle East over the weekend, according to Deadline.Gadot, 36, served in the Israeli armed forces for two years, as is required of all young Israelis, before she entered show business.It’s not the first time the former Miss Israel’s nationality has caused controversy as tensions persist between the two warring nations.

Manchester United need a response as they prepare to face Southampton on Saturday.

Manchester United will be looking to bounce back from Tuesday evening's frustrating 1-1 draw with Burnley when they welcome Southampton to Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime.

thug from a deadly drug cartel can be heard trying to extort a man, with the threat of abducting his wife, in a chilling phone call shared online. The video comes from the Mexican state of Sonora, which borders Arizona, US, and captures the tense conversation between the drug cartel extortionist and the victim over some unexplained, previous misunderstanding. The criminal notes that the man's wife - who is in the room with him - is a "well known business woman", and insists: "I don’t want to tie your wife up and abduct her."He also reveals that members of the cartel have visited a house nearby to abduct another man, claiming that he now has orders from higher-ups to "go where you are and abduct you, to take your vehicle or car and keep everything that you have of value, fool."As the threats are being laid bare, the terrified victim can be heard agreeing with the "boss" before adding "we won't say anything".

Arsenal are set to complete the signing of goalkeeper Matt Turner, but are reluctant to announce his arrival until the summer transfer window opens.According to football.london, a deal has been reached between the Gunners and MLS outfit New England Revolution for the shot-stopper, with a fee being agreed of £4.5m leading to £7.5m plus further bonuses.However, Arsenal will not announce the signing until Turner has completed his medical.Personal terms have already been agreed with the player and the Revs have even announced that the 27-year-old will be making the move to the Emirates Stadium in the summer, but the Gunners are refusing to jump the gun on the transfer.A statement on the Revolutions' website stated: “The New England Revolution have agreed to terms for goalkeeper Matt Turner to join Arsenal of the English Premier League in a summer transfer for an undisclosed fee pending completion of a medical.“Turner, the 2021 Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, is expected to join Arsenal in late June 2022, allowing the United States international to remain with New England through the entirety of the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League campaign and nearly half of the 2022 MLS regular season.“Further information will be shared when the transfer is completed.”The arrival of Turner will open the door for Bernd Leno to leave the club in the summer too, who has been replaced by Englishman Aaron Ramsdale this season.HAVE YOUR SAY! Who else should Arsenal sign in the summer? Comment below.Leno was the first-choice keeper in North London for the three seasons prior to Ramsdale’s arrival, however, he has started just three Premier League fixtures this campaign and the writing is on the wall for the Germany international.Leno

Moss Side, which sought to address employment inequality in Manchester and help train black women for office-based work.

here Headteacher Julia Kinch told the Manchester Evening News that many of the students who worked on the mural are in their final year of primary school and have been saddened at the sight of the vandalism. She said: “The mural was created as part of a community art project five years ago and involved pupils from the school working alongside other community groups.“They are now in Year 6 and set to leave the school this year.

Ah, the intu Trafford Centre... Manchester’s gilt-edged temple to all things retail with its Greco-Roman architecture and row upon row of marble statues.But have you ever noticed something a bit weird about all those statues?Like the fact they’re mostly naked women?If you think we’re being a bit picky, then let me ask you this, how many nude or semi-naked women statues do you reckon are on display at the Trafford Centre?Ten? Twenty? Fifty?Erm, no, it’s actually over 100 fully or partially naked ladies.

Danielle Turchiano Senior Features Editor, TVAt this point in his television career of mining his personal life for family comedies, Kenya Barris tells his kids ahead of time what from their adolescence they should expect to see on-screen.In fact, for his Netflix comedy “#BlackAF,” in which Barris stars as a version of himself — a Hollywood showrunner with six kids — some of those children saw the material well ahead of time.“I made sure my oldest daughter read every script; my middle daughter, who’s a super film buff, read every outline before I showed her the script; my youngest daughter came to editing a few times,” Barris says. “So many of their friends watch Netflix, I definitely made sure to give them a heads-up.

glamorous date night on Monday at the LACMA Art + Film gala, accompanied by his longtime partner Alexandra Grant.The pair have been seen together and rumoured to be dating for years, with Grant accompanying the Matrix star to fashion shows and charity galas. As Twitter and Reddit’s guitars slowly weep, Reeves looked delighted on the blue carpet at the gala with Grant.

Boris Johnson is making a statement to the Commons this lunchtime on easing lockdown measures and slashing the two-metre rule by half.

Chelsea came from behind for just the second time this season to secure all three points at Villa Park.

TUI will be jetting holidaymakers off to eight destinations from July 11, the airline has announced.Brits will be able to travel to Ibiza, Palma, Corfu, Crete, Kos, Rhodes, Lanzarote and Tenerife going from the UK's biggest airports including Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham.TUI will be offering up to 44 flights a week to these countries.More flights from five other UK airports could be added subject to Government advice.The company has launched a new "holiday promise" that has five guarantees to ensure travellers can feel safe on holiday.The promise also includes flights to quarantine-free destinations, travellers being able to check in digitally, increased disinfecting of all aircraft and social distancing at hotels.Face mask will also

TUI has announced they will resume holidays to eight destinations from July 11 following the coronavirus lockdown.

Arsenal hero Martin Keown has admitted he is perturbed that Mikel Arteta still seems to have faith in David Luiz, despite the veteran's underwhelming first season with the club.Luiz arrived from Chelsea last summer to add experience to the Gunners defence but the move has not gone as planned.The Brazil international has given away four penalties, been sent off twice and was guilty of a shocking display against Manchester City on Arsenal's return to Premier League action this week.And legendary Arsenal centre-back Keown is baffled that Arteta keeps playing Luiz, telling talkSPORT: “It is about whether players are good enough to be part of the future at that football club.“Is David Luiz good enough? I would never have signed him in the first

Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour says he cannot understand why manager Mikel Arteta continues to keep faith in his centre-back David Luiz.

A 'cultural catastrophe' is looming in the UK, with more than 400,000 jobs at risk, industry leaders have warned.Cultural institutions such as music venues, theatres, museums and galleries have yet to find out if they will be able to reopen on the Government's provisional date of July 4.Reduced capacities to comply with distancing rules and dinted consumer confidence are expected to compound the loss of income during lockdown.And the impact could be even more acute in the north, Manchester arts centre HOME's CEO Dave Moutrey fears."Surviving is not going to be without pain for HOME, like many other organisations in Greater Manchester," he said."For some organisations that will be far more acute than others.