Dame Esther Rantzen says she felt deprived of choice over her own death

Spain’s independent film distribution sector is expanding, but significant structural challenges remain, as highlighted at Valladolid’s Merci Market. The event spotlighted the difficulties facing indie distributors even as demand and activity increase. The issue matters because distribution determines whether independent Spanish films reach audiences at home and abroad.

In closing arguments in Russell Brand’s sexual assault trial, his defense lawyer rejected the portrayal of him as a psychopath who rapes people and believes it is normal. The case is now before the jury, whose verdict will be closely watched given Brand’s high public profile.

At a Tokyo event, director Ulrike Ottinger said her Isabelle Huppert vampire film “The Blood Countess” was cut against her wishes. The remarks highlight a dispute over creative control and final cut in filmmaking.

Shahrbanoo Sadat and Jelena Maksimović criticized discrimination in film funding during a talk at the Tokyo International Film Festival. They highlighted barriers that filmmakers face in accessing financing and how these inequities affect whose stories reach the screen.

The Guardian Culture examines how Scottish artist Wilhelmina Barns-Graham became a radical figure in modern art, tracing influences including coastal landscapes, cultural shifts and personal upheaval. The piece highlights why her abstract work and legacy are being reconsidered as central to British art history.