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National Film Registry Spotlights Diverse Filmmakers in New Selections

‘Joy Luck Club,’ ‘Lilies of the Field,’ ‘Grease,’ ‘Shrek,’ ‘The Dark Knight’ Among 25 Titles Selected for Preservation

 

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today the annual selection of 25 of America’s most influential motion pictures to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. These films range from the innovative silent film “Suspense,” which was co-directed by a woman in 1913, and Sidney Poitier’s Oscar-winning performance in 1963’s “Lilies of the Field” to the 1978 mega-hit musical “Grease,” 1980’s musical comedy “The Blues Brothers,” and one of the biggest public vote getters, Christopher Nolan’s 2008 Batman film “The Dark Knight.”

“This is not only a great honor for all of us who worked on ‘The Dark Knight,’ this is also a tribute to all of the amazing artists and writers who have worked on the great mythology of Batman over the decades,” said Nolan, director of “The Dark Knight.”

Selected because of their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to the nation’s film heritage, the 2020 titles include blockbusters, musicals, silent films, documentaries and diverse stories transferred from books to screen. They bring the number of films selected for preservation in the registry to 800, a fraction of the 1.3 million films in the Library’s collections.

This year’s selections include a record number of films directed by women and filmmakers of color, including 10 directed by women and seven by people of color.

“The National Film Registry is an important record of American history, culture and creativity, captured through one of the great American artforms, our cinematic experience,” Hayden said. “With the inclusion of diverse filmmakers, we are not trying to set records but rather to set the record straight by spotlighting the astonishing contributions women and people of color have made to American cinema, despite facing often-overwhelming hurdles.”

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will host a television special Tuesday, Dec. 15, starting at 8 p.m. ET to screen a selection of motion pictures named to the registry this year. Hayden will join TCM host and film historian Jacqueline Stewart, to discuss the films. Also, select titles from 30 years of the National Film Registry are freely available online in the National Screening Room. Follow the conversation about the 2020 National Film Registry on Twitter at @librarycongress and #NatFilmRegistry.

Several films showcase diverse stories told through American cinema and groundbreaking performances. For his 1963 portrayal of an itinerant worker who helps refugee nuns build a chapel in “Lilies of the Field,” Sidney Poitier became the first African American to win the Oscar for best actor. Poitier said he has fond memories of the role.

“‘Lilies of the Field’ stirs up such great remembrances in our family, from the littlest Poitiers watching a young and agile ‘Papa’ to the oldest – Papa Sidney himself!” Poitier said in a statement with his family.

In “The Joy Luck Club” from 1993, director Wayne Wang featured a formidable group of actresses telling the saga of two generations of Asian-American women, based on the bestselling book by Amy Tan.

“I could have never imagined, after reading a few chapters of Amy’s manuscript that eventually became ‘The Joy Luck Club’ book, that my dream of its adaptation would result in a movie that is still talked about decades later,” said producer Janet Yang. “When people tell me – and so many from so many cultures have – that the movie helped heal a rift with their family, I am immensely gratified, and it reminds me of the power of the moving image.”

The 2020 film selections span nearly a century of filmmaking – from the silent era to the most recent film added to the registry, the PBS documentary “Freedom Riders” from 2010 where filmmaker Stanley Nelson captures the inspiring story of 1961 when 400 Black and white Americans risked their lives challenging Jim Crow segregation by traveling together on buses and trains through the Deep South.

The record-setting 10 films directed by women on the 2020 list include the 1913 silent film “Suspense” co-directed by Lois Weber; the 1918 silent film “Bread” about a woman struggling to pull herself out of poverty, directed by Ida May Park; the 1929 film “With Car and Camera Around the World” by Aloha Wanderwell; the 1950 film “Outrage” about the once verboten topic of sexual assault directed by Ida Lupino; one of the first feature films directed by a Black woman with Kathleen Collins’ “Losing Ground” from 1982; groundbreaking director Julie Dash’s student film “Illusions” confronting Hollywood racism from 1982; the 1994 film “The Devil Never Sleeps” by Lourdes Portillo; “Shrek,” co-directed by Vicky Jenson in 2001; the 2006 film “Mauna Kea: Temple Under Siege” co-directed by Joan Lander; and the atypical war film “The Hurt Locker” about soldiers in Baghdad dismantling unexploded bombs, directed by Kathryn Bigelow in 2008.

“My desire in making ‘The Hurt Locker’ was to honor those in uniform serving in dangerous posts abroad, so I have been gratified by the resonance the film has had over the last 10 years,” said Bigelow, who was the first woman to win an Oscar for best director for “The Hurt Locker.” “For it to be selected by the National Film Registry is both humbling and thrilling.”

Music is featured prominently in this year’s selections, including the film adaptations of the Broadway musicals “Cabin in the Sky” in 1943 and “Grease” in 1978, with unforgettable performances of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the lead roles.

“The cast and crew of ‘Grease’ have remained close for the past 40 years,” said director Randal Kleiser. “We are all honored to be included in this year’s national registry selection. Personally, I’ve spent the last year composing all my script notations, storyboards and photographs.”

This year’s class also features the 1980 musical comedy “The Blues Brothers” with its tribute to Chicago, soul and R&B music – and cameos by legends like Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.

“Having ‘The Blues Brothers’ chosen to be included in the National Film Registry is both a great honor and a delightful surprise. The film is the result of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi’s genuine passion for rhythm and blues and our mutual love for these great African American artists and the city of Chicago,” said director John Landis, who has two additional films in the National Film Registry, “Animal House” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

Aykroyd added that “Judy Belushi and I are exhilarated to see the performances of the African American musical stars in ‘The Blues Brothers’ film formally treasured for all time by the people of the United States. We feel grateful at being participants in making the movie and for this most worthwhile cultural preservation initiative.”

In 2013, the Library of Congress released a report that conclusively determined that 70 percent of the nation’s silent feature films have been lost forever and only 14 percent exist in their original 35 mm format.

Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, each year the Librarian of Congress names to the National Film Registry 25 motion pictures that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant. The films must be at least 10 years old. More information about the National Film Registry can be found at loc.gov/film.

The Librarian makes the annual registry selections after conferring with the distinguished members of the National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) and a cadre of Library specialists. Also considered were more than 5,500 titles nominated by the public. Nominations for next year will be accepted through the fall at loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/nominate/.

In addition to advising the Librarian of Congress on the annual selection of titles to the National Film Registry, the NFPB also provides counsel on national preservation planning policy.

Many titles named to the registry have already been preserved by the copyright holders, filmmakers or other archives. In cases where a selected title has not already been preserved, the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation works to ensure that the film will be preserved by some entity and available for future generations, either through the Library’s motion picture preservation program or through collaborative ventures with other archives, motion picture studios and independent filmmakers.

The Packard Campus is a state-of-the-art facility where the nation’s library acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings (loc.gov/avconservation/). It is home to more than 8.8 million collection items.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

2020 National Film Registry (alphabetical order)

The Battle of the Century (1927)
“Battle of the Century” is a classic Laurel and Hardy silent short comedy (2 reels, ca. 20 minutes) unseen in its entirety since its original release. The comic bits include a renowned pie-fighting sequence where the principle of “reciprocal destruction” escalates to epic proportions. “Battle” offers a stark illustration of the detective work (and luck) required to locate and preserve films from the silent era. Only excerpts from reel two of the film had survived for many years. Critic Leonard Maltin discovered a mostly complete nitrate copy of reel one at the Museum of Modern Art in the 1970s. Then in 2015, film collector and silent film accompanist Jon Mirsalis located a complete version of reel two as part of a film collection he purchased from the Estate of Gordon Berkow. The film still lacks brief scenes from reel one, but the film is now almost complete, comprising elements from MoMA, the Library of Congress, UCLA and other sources. It was restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive in conjunction with Jeff Joseph/SabuCat. The nearly complete film was preserved from one reel of 35mm nitrate print, one reel of a 35mm acetate dupe negative and a 16mm acetate print. Laboratory Services: The Stanford Theatre Film Laboratory, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, Cineaste Restoration/Thad Komorowksi, Point 360/Joe Alloy.  Special Thanks: Jon Mirsalis, Paramount Pictures Archives, Richard W. Bann, Ray Faiola, David Gerstein.

The Blues Brothers (1980)
Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, then both best known for their star-turns as part of the “Not Ready for Prime-Time Players” troupe on TV’s “Saturday Night Live,” took their recurring “Blues Brothers” SNL sketch to the big screen in this loving and madcap musical misadventures of Jake and Elwood Blues on a mission from God. An homage of sorts to various classic movie genres — from screwball comedy to road movie — “The Blues Brothers” serves as a tribute to the lead duo’s favorite city (Chicago) as well as a lovely paean to great soul and R&B music.  In musical cameos, such legends as Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, James Brown, Aretha Franklin and John Lee Hooker all ignite the screen.

Bread (1918)
Billed as a “sociological photodrama, “Bread” tells the story of a naïve young woman in a narrow-minded town who journeys to New York to become a star but faces disillusionment when she learns that sex is demanded as the price for fame. Ida May Park, director and scenarist of “Bread,” was among more than a half-dozen prolific women directors working at the Universal Film Manufacturing Company during the period in which Los Angeles became the home of America’s movie industry. Park directed 14 feature-length films between 1917 and 1920, and her career as a scenarist lasted until 1931. She reasoned that because the majority of movie fans were women, “it follows that a member of the sex is best able to gauge their wants in the form of stories and plays.” In an essay Park contributed to the book “Careers for Women,” she stated that women were advantaged as motion picture directors because of “the superiority of their emotional and imaginative faculties.” In the two surviving reels of “Bread,” one of only three films Park directed that are currently known to exist, she displays an accomplished ability to knowingly vivify her protagonist’s plight as she fends off an attacker and places her frail hopes in a misshapen loaf of bread that has come to symbolize for her the good things in life.

Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
“The best Wim Wenders documentary to date and an uncommonly self-effacing one, this 1999 concert movie about performance and lifestyle is comparable in some ways to ‘Latcho Drom,’ the great Gypsy documentary/musical. In 1996, musician Ry Cooder traveled to Havana to reunite some of the greatest stars of Cuban pop music from the Batista era (who were virtually forgotten after Castro came to power) with the aim of making a record, a highly successful venture that led to concerts in Amsterdam and New York. The players and their stories are as wonderful as the music, and the filmmaking is uncommonly sensitive and alert,” wrote film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum.

Cabin in the Sky (1943)
“Cabin” tells the story of a man (Eddie “Rochester” Anderson) trying to make it into heaven and who is sent back to earth for one last shot at redemption. Released the same year as Fox’s “Stormy Weather,” this film adaptation of the 1940 Broadway musical marked the directing debut of renowned director Vincente Minnelli (“Meet Me in St. Louis,” “An American in Paris,” “Bad and the Beautiful,” “The Band Wagon,” and “Gigi”). Minnelli’s gift for ingeniously blending in dazzling musical numbers is on full display throughout. Lauded at the time for showcasing an all-Black cast in a major Hollywood film when many theaters in the U.S. were still segregated, the film also sadly demonstrates the limited film opportunities and acting compromises African Americans had to make during the Hollywood classic era. These notable concerns aside, “Cabin” remains a glittering cultural record of outstanding African American artistic talent of the era (Ethel Waters, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Rex Ingram, and Eddie “Rochester” Anderson.)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Though based on the book by Anthony Burgess, it certainly took an eye and a mind like director Stanley Kubrick’s to bring this film to life. Set in a not-so-distant future, that is equal parts dystopian and cartoonish, “Clockwork,” now almost 50 years after its creation, remains as it always was: disturbing, controversial and startlingly unsettling. Malcolm MacDowell (in his most legendary role) stars as Alex DeLarge, the demented, de facto leader of a gang of boys– sporting bowler hats, canes and codpieces–who wreak havoc all over what used to be England.  But as evil as Alex is, when he’s caught and subjected to a type of state-sanctioned crime aversion therapy, his “treatment” turns out to be far more brutal than any of the crimes he’s ever committed.

The Dark Knight (2008)
Bob Kane and Bill Finger’s dark, enduring creation first flew onto the screen in a 1943 B-movie serial and would return to theaters several times in treatments both camp and action-oriented. But Christopher Nolan’s evocative 2008 work reinvented the already vast Batman mythos thanks in no small part to its two intense, now legendary, lead performances:  Christian Bale as the titular character and Heath Ledger, in a remarkable, Oscar-winning take on Bat super-villain “The Joker.”  Set in a dark, modern-day Gotham City, “The Dark Knight” is a visual feast of memorable set pieces, screenwriting flair, and characters and situations imbued with a soul and a conscience. “Pitched at the divide between art and industry, poetry and entertainment, “The Dark Knight” goes darker and deeper than any Hollywood movie of its comic-book kind,” wrote Manohla Dargis of The New York Times. The theme of a world turned upside down by fear and dystopian chaos resonates eerily well in the pandemic havoc of 2020.

The Devil Never Sleeps (1994)
Early one Sunday morning in July, the filmmaker receives a phone call informing her that her beloved tio (uncle) Oscar Ruiz Almeida has been found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in Chihuahua, Mexico. His widow has declared his death a suicide. Most of his family, however, cry murder and point to a number of possible suspects: his business partner, his ranch-hand, the widow herself. In “The Devil Never Sleeps,” Lourdes Portillo returns to the land of her birth to find out exactly who her uncle was and to investigate the circumstances of his death. She explores “irrational” as well as “logical” explanations, searching for clues on both sides of the border and in the history of her family. Old tales of betrayal, passion, lust and supernatural visitation emerge as we follow the filmmaker deep into the life of a community in the homeland of Pancho Villa. “The Devil Never Sleeps” exposes the loves and hatreds of a Mexican family convulsed by the death of one of its members. The emotions that Portillo captures in her particular blend of traditional and experimental techniques bring out the nuances of Mexican social and family order. Poetic, tragic, humorous and mythic, this film crosses the borders of personal values, cultural mores and the discipline of filmmaking itself. It is a key film by a Latina filmmaker.

Freedom Riders (2010)
During 1961, more than 400 people from across the nation, black and white, women and men, old and young, challenged state-sanctioned segregation on buses and in bus terminals in the Deep South, segregation that continued after the Supreme Court had ruled the practice to be in violation of interstate commerce laws. Some 50 years later, “Freedom Riders,” a two-hour PBS American Experience documentary made by Stanley Nelson, charted their course in considerable depth as they faced savage retaliatory attacks and forced a reluctant federal government to back their cause. The riveting story is told without narration using archival film and stills and, most engagingly, through testimonies of the Freedom Riders themselves, journalists who followed their trail, federal, state, and local officials, white southerners, and chroniclers of the movement including Raymond Arsenault, whose book inspired the documentary. The film takes viewers through many complex twists and turns of the journey with extraordinary clarity and emotional force. The courage and conviction of the Freedom Riders, ordinary Americans willing to risk bodily harm and death to combat injustice nonviolently, will inspire later generations who watch Nelson’s eloquent film. Nearly 50 full interviews conducted for the film are now available in the American Archive of Public Broadcasting at https://americanarchive.org/special_collections/freedom-riders-interviews.

Grease (1978)
This tuneful, loving tribute to 1950s America — perhaps more romanticized than accurate — was first staged on Broadway in 1972. A huge hit, it would run for over 3,000 performances before closing in 1980. In 1978, the production was brought to the big screen with the addition of a few fresh songs and a cast including newly-minted superstar John Travolta and pop/country chanteuse Olivia Newton-John. Energetically directed by Randal Kleiser and loaded with beloved songs like “You’re the One that I Want,” “We Go Together,” “Summer Nights,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and “Greased Lightin’,” “Grease” became the film of that year. It has never really left — becoming a staple for both local and high school productions, several Broadway revivals and even a live TV adaptation in 2016.  “Grease” is still the word.

The Ground (1993-2001)
The films of Robert Beavers are exceptional for their visual beauty, aural texture and depth of emotional expression. Beavers’ films occupy a noble place within the history of avant-garde film, positioned at the intersection of structural and lyrical filmmaking traditions. They seem to embody the ideals of the Renaissance in their fascination with perception, psychology, literature, the natural world, architectural space, musical phrasing and aesthetic beauty. “The Ground uses seemingly simple components — the sunbaked landscape of a Greek island, the blue waters of the Aegean Sea and images of a man chiseling stone — to conjure the fundamental experience of holding something close to one’s heart.

The Hurt Locker (2008)
That great Hollywood staple, the “war movie,” got a major reinvention in director Kathryn Bigelow’s 2008 riveting and uncompromising look at contemporary warfare. Following the work of a Baghdad-based explosive ordnance disposal team, “The Hurt Locker” strips away sentiment — and politics — to  focus its camera on the rampant, second-by-second dangers and ethical dilemmas of modern-day soldiers. Jeremy Renner leads the skillful cast as a detonation expert for whom war seems a little too “normal.” Along with winning that year’s Best Picture Oscar, Bigelow was named as “Best Director” by the Academy, the first woman to receive that honor.

Illusions (1982)
Born in New York City, Julie Dash is a filmmaker, music video and commercial director, author and website creator. Her film studies began in Harlem in 1969 but eventually led her to the American Film Institute and UCLA, where she made “The Diary of an African Nun” (1977), based on a short story by Alice Walker, which won a student award from the Directors Guild of America. Dash’s critically acclaimed short film “Illusions” (1982) later won the Jury Prize for Best Film of the Decade awarded by the Black Filmmakers Foundation. Created for her MFA thesis at UCLA, “Illusions, is set in World War II-era Hollywood and explores the nature of Hollywood racial politics, fantasy and the illusion of racial identity.

The Joy Luck Club (1993)
Director Wayne Wang’s adaptation of Amy Tan’s novel tells a story of relationships between Chinese-American women and their Chinese immigrant mothers.  The four mothers meet weekly to play Mahjong, tell stories and reminisce. The richly layered plot features key themes including the often complicated relationships between mothers and daughters, assimilation into a far different culture, wistfulness for aspects of former lifestyles, the intersections between past and present, and the strong bond of family ties between two generations who grew up in vastly different circumstances.  Wang’s film “Chan Is Missing” was selected to the National Film Registry in 1995.

Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914)
A milestone in film history, “Kid Auto Races at Venice” features the debut of Charlie Chaplin’s little tramp character as he continually disrupts a cameraman trying to film a soapbox derby car race. A contemporary review in The Cinema noted, “Kid Auto Races struck us as about the funniest film we have ever seen. When we subsequently saw Chaplin in more ambitious efforts, our opinion that the Keystone Company had made the capture of their career was strengthened. Chaplin is a born screen comedian; he does things we have never seen done on the screen before.”

Lilies of the Field (1963)
From 1950 to 1980, Sidney Poitier ranked among the top American film stars (“No Way Out,” “Blackboard Jungle,” “Edge of the City,” “The Defiant Ones,” “Raisin in the Sun,” “Paris Blues,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”). In “Lilies,” Poitier has another of his classic roles where he plays an itinerant worker who helps refugee East European nuns build a chapel in Arizona. The nuns cannot pay him for the work and implore him to do so by citing various Biblical verses (Sermon on the Mount). Poitier, for his part, is moved by their plight but also wants to demonstrate his skills as an architect and builder. The film serves as a parable highlighting mutual respect via common purpose, the austere Arizona desert landscape, the impoverished nuns, and a man they believe God sent to help them. For his portrayal, Poitier became the first African American to win the Oscar for best actor.

Losing Ground (1982)
One of the first feature films directed by an African American woman, Kathleen Collins’ “Losing Ground” tells the story of a marriage between two remarkable people, both at a crossroads in their lives. “Losing Ground” centers on the experiences of Sara (Seret Scott), an African American philosophy professor whose artist husband Victor (Bill Gunn) rents a country house for a month to celebrate a recent museum sale. The couple’s summer idyll becomes complicated as Sara struggles to research the philosophical and religious meaning of ecstatic experience …and to discover it for herself.

The Man With the Golden Arm (1955)
The subject of drug addiction has been addressed in Hollywood films many times before, dating all the way back to the silent era (Kevin Brownlow’s seminal “Behind the Mask of Innocence” chronicles these amazing early productions). But few dared to be as honest, blunt or graphic as this Otto Preminger treatment, which featured Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak. Sinatra stars as the heroin-addicted hero who, having gotten clean while in prison, now struggles to remain “straight” after release. Oscar-nominated for his work in the film, Sinatra is a raw nerve in his unvarnished portrayal of a “junkie,” most memorably in his brutal withdrawal scenes. Along with its still topical subject and powerful storytelling, the film is further enhanced by its eye-popping Saul Bass opening credits sequence and Elmer Bernstein’s remarkable jazz score. Critic Dave Kehr has noted that “Otto Preminger’s 1955 adaptation of Nelson Algren’s novel is something of a crossroads movie, suspended between the swirling expressionism of Preminger’s early career and the balanced realism that would later become his forte.”  The film was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2005 with funding from the Film Foundation and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Mauna Kea: Temple Under Siege (2006)
Produced and directed by Puhipau and Joan Lander of Nā Maka o ka ʻĀina, this documentary about the dormant volcano on the Big Island of Hawai’i examines the development vs. ecological preservation battle between scientists who use the mountain summit as an astronomical observatory and Hawaiians who want the mountain preserved as a cultural landscape sacred to the Hawaiian people.

Outrage (1950)
For a few years beginning in the late 1940s, Ida Lupino, Hollywood’s only woman director of the period, made a series of distinctive films that spoke to the public’s desire, she stated, “to see something that fits in with their own concepts of the way people actually live in the world and the problems they must meet and overcome.” In “Outrage,” an unblinking examination of the traumatic effects of rape on a vulnerable young woman, Lupino, an actress of consummate grace and power, masterfully employed sound and silence, light and shadow, depth of field and cutting, camera movement and careful framing to cinematically capture the psychological impact of her character’s shattered world. Inspired by a question that Italian neo-realist director Roberto Rossellini posed to her at a party – “When are you going to make pictures about ordinary people, in ordinary situations” – Lupino, along with her husband Collier Young, associate producer Malvin Wald, and cinematographer Archie Stout created a series of low-budget impactful films with newfound talent, like Mala Powers, star of “Outrage.” Lupino’s films, Martin Scorsese has observed, “addressed the wounded soul and traced the slow, painful process of women trying to wrestle with despair and reclaim their lives.”

Shrek (2001)
Even by DreamWorks standards, the charm and magic of “Shrek” seemed extraordinary upon its initial release almost 20 years ago — and its power has yet to diminish in the intervening years. With this story of a green-skinned, solitude-loving ogre, Shrek, who embarks on a noble quest, alongside his new friend, a lovable donkey, the film manages to be both a send-up of fairy tale tropes and an affectionate tribute to them. Entertaining and emotionally impactful at levels to be appreciated by both children and their adults, “Shrek” was a mega-hit upon its release and has been followed by three equally enchanting sequels, a TV holiday special and a Broadway adaption. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz lead the strong voice cast.

Suspense (1913)
During the 1910s, women directors played a prominent role in the development of film as an art form. Chief among them was Lois Weber who was recognized alongside directors such as D.W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille. Weber’s films often touched on controversial social issues such as poverty and contraception.  In a 1913 Photoplay interview, Weber spoke of her desire to create films “that will have an influence for good on the public mind.” In this 1913 short, “A wife and her baby are alone in an isolated house when a tramp breaks in. As the wife tries to keep the invader at bay, her husband happens to telephone and learn what’s happening. He scrambles to return home. He steals an idle car, and its owner, accompanied by police, race after him. We cut rapidly between the besieged mother and the husband’s frantic drive, as he is in turn pursued. Just as the tramp is about to attack the wife, the husband bursts in, followed by the police. The family is saved. This is the plot of “Suspense,” co-directed by Lois Weber and Phillips Smalley. If the plot sounds familiar, it’s probably because you know that one of D.W. Griffith’s most famous films, “The Lonely Villa” (1909) tells the same basic tale. So Weber and Smalley are reviving an old idea. Their task is to make it fresh. How they do so has been studied in depth by Charlie Keil in his book “Early American Cinema in Transition: Story, Style, and Filmmaking, 1907-1913,” wrote film historian David Bordwell.

Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971)
With “Sweet Sweetback,” director Melvin Van Peebles touched off a wave of imitative Black features, few of which matched his startling originality and fierce attacks. The story of a male “performer” at a ghetto bordello and his run from the law, the film shrewdly mixes commercial ingredients and ideological intent. “It would be difficult to underestimate Melvin Van Peebles’s achievement in producing, directing, writing, scoring and starring in this film, not to mention financing it with the salary he had earned while directing “Watermelon Man” (1970). Not since Oscar Micheaux had an African American filmmaker taken such complete control of the creative process, turning out a work so deeply connected to his own personal and cultural reality that he was not surprised when the white critical establishment professed bewilderment upon its release in 1971. Filled with enough sex, rage and violence to earn it an X rating, the success of “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song” depends less on its story of a superstud running from the police than it does on its disinterest in referencing white culture and its radically new understanding of how style and substance inform each other,” wrote Steven Higgins in “Still Moving: The Film and Media Collections of the Museum of Modern Art.” MoMA has preserve the film from its original camera negative.

Wattstax (1973)
Often called the “Black Woodstock,” this documentary from Memphis’ Stax Records stands as far more than simply a great concert film. “Wattstax” chronicles the renowned 1972 LA Memorial Coliseum concert and celebrates the Los Angeles’ black community’s rebirth after the tragedy of the Watts riots a few years earlier. Richard Pryor’s knowing monologues frame and serve as a Shakespearean musing on race relations and Black American life, alongside the incisive comments from people on the Watts streets. “Wattstax” also features dazzling music highlights  from artists such as Isaac Hayes and the Staple Singers, capped  by Rufus Thomas dancing the Funky Chicken in hot pants.

With Car and Camera Around the World (1929)
Filmed from 1922 to 1929, “With Car and Camera Around the World” (1929) documented the expeditions of Walter Wanderwell and Aloha Wanderwell Baker, the first woman to travel around the world by car. The couple, along with a crew of volunteers, crisscrossed dozens of countries in a caravan of Ford Model Ts, filming people, cultures and historical landmarks on 35mm film. Learning the filmmaking craft along the way, Aloha served as camera assistant, cinematographer, editor, actress, screenwriter, interpreter, driver, negotiator, and, at times, director. The Academy has preserved both edited and unedited shots from “With Car and Camera Around the World” in addition to a few sequences and outtakes from other films, including “The Last of the Bororos” (1931), “The River of Death” (1934) and “To See the World by Car” (1937). More information is available at: https://www.oscars.org/film-archive/collections/aloha-wanderwell-film-collection

Films Selected for the 2020 National Film Registry
(chronological order)

  1. Suspense (1913)
  2. Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914)
  3. Bread (1918)
  4. The Battle of the Century (1927)
  5. With Car and Camera Around the World (1929)
  6. Cabin in the Sky (1943)
  7. Outrage (1950)
  8. The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)
  9. Lilies of the Field (1963)
  10. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
  11. Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971)
  12. Wattstax (1973)
  13. Grease (1978)
  14. The Blues Brothers (1980)
  15. Losing Ground (1982)
  16. Illusions (1982)
  17. The Joy Luck Club (1993)
  18. The Devil Never Sleeps (1994)
  19. Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
  20. The Ground (1993-2001)
  21. Shrek (2001)
  22. Mauna Kea: Temple Under Siege (2006)
  23. The Hurt Locker (2008)
  24. The Dark Knight (2008)
  25. Freedom Riders (2010)

12 Facts You Did Not Know About The Acropolis of Athens

 The Acropolis of Athens, home to the Parthenon, is a place overflowing with secrets, myths and fascinating historical facts.
acropolis-of-athens-parthenon-occupation-nazi
German soldiers raising the Swastika on the Acropolis, 1941, German Federal Archives (left); The Acropolis of Athens, Leo Von Klenze, 1846, Neue Pinakothek (middle); View of the Parthenon, photo by Constantinos Kollias, via Unsplash (right).

The Acropolis of Athens is without a doubt the most popular attraction of the Greek capital. Approximately seven million tourists climb the hill of Acropolis each year to teleport to Ancient Greece and take a close look at the Parthenon.

A place with the rich history of the Acropolis has many fascinating stories to tell. In this article, you will find 12 little-known facts about this unique UNESCO World Heritage Monument.

 

What is the Acropolis of Athens?

acropolis-athens-parthenon-view-photograph
View of the Parthenon, photo by Constantinos Kollias, via Unsplash.

Acropolis in Greek refers to a high point within a city. Many ancient Greek cities had their own Acropolis, which was usually a citadel on top of a hill.

The most famous Acropolis is by far that of Athens. During the classical Greek era, it was a sacred space devoted to the cult of the city’s patron goddess, Athena, as well as other local heroes and deities.

Although the Acropolis was the center of Athens’s religious life for centuries, it became famous in the fifth century BCE, the golden age of Athenian democracy. At that time, Athens had just defeated the Persians and was leading a union of Greek city-states that were challenging the Spartan hegemony of Greece.

Pericles the prominent politician of the period, firmly promoted the idea of a new Acropolis. This Acropolis would make Athens a city of uncontested beauty and greatness. After spending a legendary amount of money, the Athenians completely reshaped the rock of Acropolis into a place of wonders.

The famous Parthenon of the Acropolis, the temple of Athena Parthenos, was built at that time along with a series of buildings like the Erechtheion and the Propylaea.

Of course, the Acropolis did not stop evolving after the classical period. The sacred hill of Athens continued changing with every new civilization that passed from the city. The Romans, the Byzantines, the Latin crusaders, the Ottomans, and finally the modern Greek state, all left their mark on the rocky hill.

So, let’s take a look at 12 facts about the sacred hill of Athens.

 

12. It Was Settled In Prehistoric Times

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Mycenean signet ring called the “Ring of Theseus” from the Acropolis of Athens, 15th century BCE, National Archaeological Museum.

 Finds on the Acropolis of Athens indicate that the hill was inhabited since, at least, the 4th millennium BCE.

During the rise of the so-called Mycenean civilization, the Acropolis became a significant center. Large cyclopean walls similar to the one in Mycenae protected a palace (anaktoron) and a settlement on the hill. A well was also dug that surely proved useful in times of siege.

The walls were called Pelasgian and are still partly visible today to visitors as they enter from the Propylaea.

The Athenians of the Archaic period inherited the ruins of the Mycenean Acropolis which was rich enough to spark an entire mythology about the past of the city. A Mycenean tomb on the Acropolis also became known as the tomb of the legendary Athenian king Cecrops became the most sacred place on the whole of Athens.

 

11. The Persians Razed The First Parthenon To The Ground

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Preparthenon with black and the classical Parthenon with grey, Maxime Collignon (1913).

Right after a first win against the Persians in Marathon (490 BCE), the Athenians decided to celebrate by constructing a grand temple of Athena. To do so, they disassembled another temple called the Hecatombedos, meaning a hundred feet (an ancient unit of length), and used its material to build the new temple.

However, the Persians had not spoken their last word. In 480 BCE, King Xerxes I of Persia invaded Greece once more. Realizing that they were not able to defend the city, the Athenians took one of the most important decisions in the history of Athens. They chose to abandon the city and retreat to the island of Salamis to bait the Persians into a naval battle. In the end, the Athenians emerged victorious from the naval battle of Salamis, but they paid a heavy price.

Before the battle, the Persians had entered Athens and had razed the city to the ground. The still unfinished Preparthenon (the name of the Parthenon that the Persian destroyed) did not escape the wrath of the invaders who also destroyed the old temple of Athena.

When the Athenians returned to their city, they decided to leave the ruins of the old temple of Athena in place as a reminder of these dire times. Also, 33 years later they built a new Parthenon on top of the ruins of the Proparthenon.

 

10. The Ancient Art Gallery Of Propylaea

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A model of the Acropolis of Athens as it was in the 5th century BCE with the Propylaea complex in the centre, Acropolis Museum, via Ancient History Encyclopedia.

One of the most beautiful buildings of the Acropolis are the Propylaea. The Propylaea were the monumental entrance to the sacred hill designed by architect Mnesicles.

The building was part of Pericles’ construction program and, although its construction took five years (437-342 BCE), it remained unfinished.

The Propylaea were made out of the high-quality local Pentelic marble and Elefsinian limestone for parts of the building.

The southern side of the building was probably used for ritual dining. The northern side though was especially interesting, as it was a kind of an early art gallery. Pausanias, the Roman author, describes this part of the Propylaea as a Pinacothece, meaning Picture Gallery. He even describes some of the paintings which included works on various religious themes by famous artists like the ‘Greek painter of ethos’ Polygnotus and Aglaophon.

The interesting thing with the Pinacothece is that it was publicly available, at least to those allowed to enter the Acropolis (slaves and those not considered ‘clean’ were forbidden from entering). This seemingly public nature of the Pinacotheca makes it an interesting case study in the ancient history of museums.

 

9. A Huge Statue Of Athena Promachos Stood On The Acropolis

The Acropolis of Athens, Leo Von Klenze, 1846, Neue Pinakothek.

In ancient times, there was a colossal bronze statue of Athena standing on the Acropolis. The statue was called Athena Promachos, meaning the one who fights in the front line.

This statue was the work of Phidias, who also made the famous golden-ivory Athena Parthenos that was inside the Parthenon.

According to Pausanias (1.28.2), the Athenians built the statue to thank Athena after overcoming the Persians in Marathon:

“There is first a bronze Athena, tithe from the Persians who landed at Marathon. It is the work of Pheidias, but the reliefs upon the shield, including the fight between Centaurs and Lapithae, are said to be from the chisel of Mys, for whom they say Parrhasius the son of Evenor, designed this and the rest of his works.”

No one knows how large the statue actually was, but one thing is certain; it was really large:

“The point of the spear of this Athena and the crest of her helmet are visible to those sailing to Athens, as soon as Sounium is passed.” (Sounion is around 60km away from Athens).

8.  The Acropolis Was A Colourful Place

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Pheidias and the Frieze of the Parthenon, Alma Tadema, 1868-9, Birmingham Museums.

Many people today think that ancient Greek art, especially architecture and sculpture were plain white. If someone visits the Parthenon at the Acropolis today, they will encounter a white or rather a greyish monument alongside similarly white ancient ruins. However, this was simply not the case in ancient times.

The ancient Greeks were people who loved color. Their statues were painted in bright color combinations. The same went for their temples. Greek architecture was in fact so colorful that it was closer to today’s kitsch art than the white classical ideal of the school books.

The reason that the ruins of classical antiquity are white today is that pigments disintegrate over time. However, in many cases, they are traceable or even observable with the naked eye. The curators of the British Museum had found traces of pigment on the Parthenon marbles since they first arrived at the museum in the early 19th century.

A truly beautiful depiction of the Parthenon in color appears in Alma Tadema’s painting Phidias Showing the Frieze of the Parthenon to his Friends. The painting dates back to 1868 and is a visually stimulating study of the Parthenon frieze.

So, when we think of the Acropolis and the Parthenon, we need to imagine a place of color. A place where colorful statues met colorful temples.

 

7. The Tree Of Athena and Poseidon’s Water

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Erechtheion of Acropolis, Photo by Peter Mitchell, via Unsplash.

The Erectheion was Athens’ most sacred site. It was a building consisting of two temples, one for Athena and one for Poseidon. To understand why these two gods shared the building, we need to go back to the old myth of how Athens got its name.

According to the story, Athena and Poseidon wanted to take the city under their protection. To avoid conflict, Zeus intervened and arranged a bloodless competition.

Athena and Poseidon came to the place where the Erechtheion now stands and the people of Athens gathered to watch the competition.

First, Poseidon revealed his gift to the city by striking his trident on the ground and producing water. In her turn, Athena planted a seed that instantly grew into an olive tree.

The Athenians appreciated both gifts. However, they already had access to plenty of water. So, they picked Athena’s olive tree, which was an excellent source of food and timber. Athena became the patron deity of the city and named it Athens after herself.

The Erectheion is a monument to this myth. The Athenians swore that they could hear Poseidon’s ocean under the building. Also, a hole on the floor was supposed to be the spot where the god struck his trident in his competition with Athena. In Athena’s half of the temple, there was a small yard built around the legendary tree of Athena.

 

6. The Caryatids Were Built On The Tomb Of A Mythical King

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Replicas of the caryatids on the Erechtheion of the Acropolis, Photo by Yang Yang, via Unsplash.

The Caryatids of the Erechtheion are amongst the most elegant sculptures in the history of art. They are unique in that they combine elegance with function.

Today visitors at the Acropolis museum can find five out of six Caryatids (the sixth is in the British Museum) exhibited as freestanding sculptures. However, they were originally serving as fancy columns at the “Porch of the Maidens” of the Erectheion.

The name Caryatids means maidens of Caryai which is a town in southern Greece. The town of Caryai had an exceptional relationship with the goddess Artemis. More specifically their cult was directed towards Artemis Caryatid. Consequently, many scholars think that the Caryatids represent priestesses of Artemis from Caryai.

The six women of the Erechtheion support the roof built above a Mycenaean tomb attributed to the legendary king of Athens, Cecrops.

Cecrops was an interesting figure of Athens’ mythical tradition. He was said to be born out of the earth (autochthon) and for this reason, he was half man and half snake (snakes were the par excellence earth creatures for the Greeks).

In this setting, the Caryatids may be simply protecting one of Athens’ most sacred sites. They may be also accompanying Athens’ mythical king in the afterlife.

5. The Acropolis Has Multiple Cave Sanctuaries

The caves of Zeus and Apollon, via Wikimedia Commons

On top of the Acropolis, the state primarily celebrated Athena and a series of other gods and heroes. However, around the rocky hill, there were multiple small-scale cave-sanctuaries that responded to a different need.

Unlike the official cults promoted by the Athenian bourgeois on top of the hill, these sanctuaries were small-scale cult sites offering individual contact with deities that appealed to the needs of the common folk.

Three of the most important caves were devoted to Zeus, Apollo and Pan. Other notable ones include a sanctuary of Aphrodite and Eros.

Another one was devoted to Aglauros, the mythical daughter of Cecrops. According to the legend, Athens was under a difficult siege when a prophecy said that only through a willing sacrifice could Athens be saved. When Aglauros heard this, she immediately run off the cliff of Acropolis.

The Athenians held a yearly festival in her memory called Agaureia. During this event, the Athenian youth wore their armor and swore to protect the city in front of Aglauros’ sanctuary.

 

4. The Parthenon As A Christian Church And A Mosque

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The Ottoman mosque built in the ruins of the Parthenon after 1715, Pierre Peytier, the 1830s, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Parthenon of Acropolis may now be famous as the temple of goddess Athena but during its long life of 2,500 years, the temple changed hands many times.

Some of those owners believed in the Greek gods, like the Macedonians, or almost the same ones, like the Romans.

After the fourth century CE, the old pagan religion began withering away in front of Christianity. The Christianised late Roman empire and its continuation known as the Byzantine Empire ensured that the new dogma would meet no competition. In 435 CE, Emperor Theodosius II closed all pagan temples.

By the end of the sixth century, the Parthenon had been converted into a Christian church. The new church was devoted to Parthenos Maria (Virgin Mary), an obvious replacement for Parthenos Athena.

In 1204, the fourth crusade went out of its course to dissolve the Christian remnant of the Eastern Empire known as Byzantium. Athens became a Latin dutchy and the Parthenon a catholic church for approximately 250 years.

In 1458 the Ottomans conquered Athens and transformed the Parthenon into a mosque with a minaret.

The next chapter in the history of the monument came with the Greek Revolution (1821-1832), which resulted in the creation of the modern Greek state. Since then, the Parthenon is a historical site and since 1933 nine restorative projects have taken place.

 

3. The Parthenon Survived Many Destructions

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Ruins of the Parthenon, Sandford Robinson Gifford, 1880, National Gallery of Art.

The first major destruction took place in the third century AD when a fire destroyed the temple’s roof.

In 276, a Germanic tribe called Heruli sacked Athens and destroyed the Parthenon which was soon repaired.

The Parthenon suffered during its many transformations from pagan to orthodox Christian and from a roman catholic church to a mosque. In addition, the temple’s monumental statue of Athena was moved to Constantinople. Still, this continuous use of the Parthenon, meant that the building was well-preserved.

This changed in 1687 when a Venetian force under general Morosini sieged Athens. Then the Ottoman guard fortified the Acropolis and used the Parthenon as a gunpowder magazine. Upon learning that the Ottomans were storing gunpowder in the Parthenon, Morosini targeted the temple. One cannonball sufficed to decimate the temple and kill 300 people.

In the aftermath of the explosion, only one out of the Parthenon’s four walls was standing. More than half of the frieze had collapsed, the roof was gone and the eastern porch was now represented by a single column. The Parthenon never recovered from this destruction.

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The Temporary Elgin Room, Archibald Archer, 1819, The British Museum.

Nevertheless, one century later in 1801, Thomas Bruce the 7th Earl of Elgin and a British ambassador, put a final touch on the symphony of destruction. Elgin removed a good part of the frieze and the pediments of the temple, as well as a caryatid from the Erechtheion and parts from the temple of Athena Nike.

The loot reached the British Museum after a long and painful trip. Worth noting is that the ship that carried the marbles sunk shortly after leaving Athens and a group of greek divers helped retrieve the boxes containing the marbles.

 

2. A Bavarian King Considered Building His Palace There

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Plan of the Acropolis Royal Palace, a lithograph of Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s drawing, New York Public Library.

 

In 1832, Greece became an independent state under the protection of the major European powers (England, France, Russia). In a time where the Holy Alliance was in place and the idea of democracy sounded heretical, the Europeans could not allow the existence of a new state without an absolute monarch.

The European powers finally installed the Bavarian prince Otto Friedrich Ludwig on the throne of the newfound kingdom.

Soon after arriving at his new capital of Athens, Otto was faced with a problem; there was no proper royal palace. Karl Friedrich Schinkel, a celebrated painter and architect offered a groundbreaking solution.

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Views of the Acropolis Royal Palace, a lithograph of Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s drawing, New York Public Library.

He suggested that the palace of the new monarch should sit on top of the Acropolis. His plans of the palace were aiming at creating a monumental royal complex.

Fortunately, for future archaeologists, the king refused this idea as impractical. Nevertheless, the images of the plans painted by Karl Friedrich Schinkel provide a charming view into an alternative reality.

 

1. An Act Of Resistance Against Nazism On The Acropolis

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German soldiers raising the Swastika on the Acropolis, 1941, German Federal Archives.

In April 1941, Athens came under Hitler’s rule. The swastika fluttered on the hill of the Acropolis having replaced the flag of the Greek Kingdom.

On 30 May 1941, two Greek university students named Kostas Glezos and Apostolos Santas secretly climbed on the Acropolis through the cave of the Pandroseion. Avoiding the German guard that was getting drunk near the Propylaea, they took down the swastika and left unseen. The people of Athens woke up to the view of an Acropolis free from the conqueror’s symbol.

This was the first act of resistance in Greece and one of the first in Europe. The news lifted the spirits of the occupied European nations as a symbolic victory against fascism.

These Are 14 Best Christmas Movies On Netflix Right Now

From Yahoo/Tess Gionet/

Almost every family needs a little extra holiday cheer. Figuring out the best Netflix Christmas movies of 2020 is one part of that equation. We started the 2020 season early. We picked up our tree Thanksgiving morning, and by my mid-afternoon, we were settling in to rent Elf just as the tryptophan set in. My husband and I drank Negronis while our 3-year-old downed fancy sipping chocolate, and Buddy split from the North Pole to find his father in NYC. Elf is not streaming on Netflix as of Christmas 2020, but the most venerable streaming service of them all does still have some good Christmas movies. What we all need now are good Christmas movies…but the sheer number of holiday films out there is overwhelming. Yesterday after a fruitless 15-minute search, I surrendered the remote to let my daughter zone out to Robocar Poli as I took another aimless scroll through Instagram. After an hour, we were both about as cheery as an empty cookie tin.

What we all want is the movie equivalent of instant cocoa: rich and ready entertainment sweet enough to deliver that Saint Nick fix we so desperately crave. So I slipped on my slippers, turned on Netflix, and dug in to find only the movies truly worth watching. Go grab a bag of mini-marshmallows and settle into your pillow fort to watch these fourteen best Christmas movies streaming on Netflix now.

The Christmas Chronicles 2

Netflix

I only knew of Belsnickel, the curmudgeonly cousin of Santa, from an old episode of The Office. I was delighted to learn more about him in this year’s sequel to The Christmas Chronicles. Also, Mr. and Mrs. Claus (Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn) are real-life partners, which adds extra charm to their scenes.

The Christmas Chronicles

Netflix

Make it a double feature and watch this 2018 Christmas hit first. Two kids set out to catch Santa on videotape, and end up caught in a whirlwind adventure to save Christmas.

Angela’s Christmas Wish

Netflix

I was pleasantly surprised to learn this film (and its prequel, Angela’s Christmas) was based on Frank McCourt’s Pulitzer-prize winning memoir, Angela’s Ashes. With lovely animation and a meaningful message, this short movie is well worth a watch.

Jingle Jangle

Netflix

Fatherly already waxed poetic about this movie before, and we’ll do it again: this is the best holiday movie of 2020! Hands down! Need another reason to watch? The score’s by John Legend.

Alien Xmas

Netflix

In Alien Xmas, a race of aliens called the Klepts set out to steal gravity, and therefore rob the earth of all our stuff…aka a fitting last chapter of 2020. If you get nostalgic for the stop motion style of the 60’s classic Rudolph, Alien Xmas will give you a modern fix.

Klaus

Netflix

This film from last year was nominated for an academy award, and for good reason; it’s a beautiful, original spin on how an everyday man named Klaus came to be the Santa we all know and love. A must-see.

Trolls Holiday

DreamWorks

“Your life is bland right now but that’s ok. Prepare your minds to get blown away!” sings one of the trolls in this movie. Trolls Holiday didn’t quite blow away me or my kid, but it was fun, colorful, and mercifully short.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Universal Pictures

Jim Carey is the only Grinch I will ever need. This version of the classic Dr. Seuss tale hides plenty of adult content that will go straight over your kids’ heads and keep you on the couch all the way through. (“MAX! Fetch me my sedative.”).

White Christmas

Paramount Pictures

Put this on in the background while the kids build an addition to the pillow fort. Though they might not watch ’til the end (it’s over two hours long), the dance scenes will captivate them and the music will fill your home with that classic Christmas feel.

A Trash Truck Christmas

Netflix

We covered this already in our Best 2020 Christmas Episodes from Toddler Shows roundup, but it’s worth another mention. I loved the detail they put into the animation, and my kid loved the storyline and funny animal friends.

Great British Baking Show Holidays (Seasons 1-3)

BBC Studios

My kid might be an outsider here, but she’ll happily sit down next to me to watch a tv show devoted to all things sugar-spun and outrageously delicious. Great British Baking Show Holidays is pure comfort for these final days of a stressful year.

The Knight Before Christmas

Netflix

A medieval knight ends up in present-day Ohio and falls for a love-averse teacher, played by Vanessa Hudgens. It’s A Knight’s Tale meets Kate & Leopold, and a solid choice for those families with slightly older kids.

Elf Pets: A Fox Cub’s Christmas Tale

Netflix

I tolerated this one, but my 3-year-old couldn’t get enough– she loved the sleigh bell-laden soundtrack and magical northern lights. Take comfort in knowing it’s less than half an hour long.

A Storybot Christmas

Netflix

If you can get past the squeaky voices, you’ll be pleased with this Christmas short. Little Bo is dismayed when she thinks her presents aren’t good enough for her friends, which spoke to the mom in me who is still anxiously trying to pick out the perfect presents for my kid’s teachers.

12.25

Almost every family needs a little extra holiday cheer. Figuring out the best Netflix Christmas movies of 2020 is one part of that equation. We started the 2

帝舵表甄选皇家系列与玫瑰系列 一份属于“小骑士”与“小公主”的圣诞礼物

在帝舵表的发展历程中,曾经使用过“盾牌”和“玫瑰”(以及二者的结合体)作为品牌的商标,前者的坚实可靠与后者的精致优雅也代表着帝舵表长久以来的两大支柱。如今,帝舵表秉承相同的理念,为现代都市人打造出属于他(她)们的“盾牌”与“玫瑰”。

享誉国际的瑞士高级腕表品牌帝舵,最初是由劳力士创始人汉斯·威尔斯多夫(Hans Wilsdorf)于1926 年注册,并于1946年正式创立了MONTRES TUDOR SA帝舵表公司。从那时起,帝舵表便牢牢定位在以普通人易于接受的价格提供与劳力士同样值得信赖的产品上。

在过去的数十年间,帝舵表一直忠实地扮演着自己的角色,以生产精致优雅、性能卓越、精确可靠,并且物超所值的机械腕表而著称。帝舵表商标的演变也勾画了这一发展过程:精致优雅的“玫瑰”标识与象征坚固可靠的“盾牌”徽记曾先后作为品牌商标出现在表盘的6点钟位置,如同骑士与公主的组合。

在今年的岁末佳节即将来临之际,帝舵表特别甄选出深受现代都市人青睐的皇家系列与玫瑰系列腕表,送给那些在水泥森林中努力打拼,创造精彩的人生,同时还自诩拥有一颗童心,甚至有点儿“不知天高地厚”的“小骑士”或”小公主”们。

 

骑士风范——帝舵皇家系列

皇家系列是帝舵表便今年推出的全新作品,它代表着帝舵表长久以来的一种风格,即在强调耐用性和可靠性的同时,为腕表注入时尚的设计和运动气息。

事实上,皇家(Royal)系列这个名称本身便是对品牌历史传统的延续。早在上世纪50年代,帝舵便推出Royal钢制腕表,以突显其出众的品质,如今的皇家系列腕表也同样值得信赖。它的表壳是由整块316L不锈钢打造而成,配备旋入式上链表冠及底盖,确保佩戴时防水深度始终能达100米(330英尺)。内部机芯深藏不露,并根据制表业的严苛标准精细调校,属瑞士微型机械工艺之典范。表盘及指针均由技艺高超的专业制表匠在瑞士精制而成。“五链节”表带则以其独特的设计、严谨的工艺和精巧的打磨,带来流畅舒适、简约灵动的佩戴体验。

这些特色及众多细节无疑是帝舵皇家系列对非凡品质的坚持与体现,更深刻诠释了帝舵表#天生敢为#的品牌精神和一如既往精益求精的制表哲学。其出众性能与精美风格的融合,汲取了经典腕表与运动腕表的双重特色,共有精钢款及金钢款的4种尺寸和9款表盘可供选择,包括了带有日期显示功能,以及星期加日期显示的款式。

特别值得一提的是帝舵对于皇家系列的表圈、表盘及表链等局部的细节处理。首先,皇家系列在传统的坑纹表圈的基础上,增加了立体的切割条纹,使得切割坑纹与抛光饰面相互交替,形成高度和明暗上的反差,体现出精良的做工和装饰效果。对于表盘,帝舵以别致的太阳光线饰纹装点黑色、银色、香槟色或蓝色的盘面,令饰纹的光线效果更为显著,且不失沉稳和典雅。同时选用立体镶嵌的罗马数字时标,这是唯高端腕表惯用的设计元素,为皇家系列增添了几分复古气息。

特别打造的“五链节”式表链,不仅与表壳浑然一体,对工艺的要求也更高。其与表头部分衔接的两列链节经过仔细抛光,外侧链节及中间链节则以磨砂处理,肉眼可辨的精湛工艺体现出了制作者的匠心。表带链节的表面柔韧顺滑,边缘细节处理则贯彻了帝舵表一直以来对佩戴舒适度的重视。

 

气质优雅——帝舵玫瑰系列

帝舵表女装腕表历史悠久,细腻与鲜明风格并存。2017年重新演绎的玫瑰系列从这一传统中汲取了丰富灵感,在美学方面借鉴了一些著名系列,例如公主(Princess)、骏珏(Glamour)及帝舵小姐(Miss TUDOR)。玫瑰系列最易识别的元素就来自帝舵小姐系列——在上链表冠上装饰一颗珍贵的圆拱形尖晶石。

玫瑰系列的表如其名,集唯美设计与精巧细节于一身,引领我们进入精致优雅的女性世界。腕表仅以不锈钢打造,从表壳到表圈,均展现浑圆柔和的曲线。银色表盘饰有精美的浮雕图案,并以蓝色漆面罗马数字或钻石作为钟点标记,充满了艺术气息。腕表内部搭载自动上链机芯,配备日历功能。

玫瑰系列各尺寸的腕表均有三款表带可供选择,分别为不锈钢表带、黑色鳄鱼皮表带与织纹表带。不锈钢表带钢由小巧精致的“谷粒”链节组成,营造出无与伦比的婀娜线条及亮丽光泽;黑色鳄鱼皮表带散发着永恒的优雅气质;织纹表带则借鉴玫瑰系列的标志螺旋图案,增添艺术格调。织纹表带由法国圣艾蒂安(St-Etienne)地区一家拥有150年历史的家族企业制作,采用十九世纪的提花织机编织而成,佩戴舒适,个性十足。

对于生活在现代都市中的每一个你、我、他(她),或许有人事业有成,家庭美满;有人仍为理想奋斗,为爱痴痴守候……但我们都会在某一个瞬间,回想起最初的邂逅或者是梦开始时的雀跃和感动。

在佳节到来之际,将一枚精心挑选的腕表,伴随美好的祝愿送给内心中的那个小小骑士或小小公主,愿他或者她能放松身心,卸下防备,度过一个平安之夜。

Christmas tree sales are booming as pandemic-weary Americans seek solace.

From The New York Times/Dec. 6, 2020/Christina Morales and 
Christmas trees for sale in New York on Monday. Americans seeking some holiday joy are buying trees at a faster rate than usual.Credit…Dave Sanders for The New York Times

Before this year, Wesley Yang had never celebrated with a real Christmas tree. Growing up, his family deemed it an inconvenience. But stuck at home this season, Mr. Yang and his roommate decided to do something different to mark the end of a tragic year, spending $90 on a tree and lugging it up three floors to their Los Angeles apartment.

“We’re just trying to keep the spirit going, even though we are locked down these days,” he said.

As many people stay home for the holiday season, planning smaller celebrations as they seek some joy during the coronavirus pandemic, Americans like Mr. Yang seem to be driving up demand for Christmas trees.

Families are trying to make the most of whatever experiences remain safe this holiday season, like going outside to pick out a tree together and decorating it, said Jennifer Greene, the executive director of the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association, which represents a state that harvests more than 4.1 million trees a year.

“We didn’t realize that the Christmas spirit was going to help people with what we’ve heard called the ‘Covid blues,’” said Doug Hundley, a spokesman for the National Christmas Tree Association. 

National sales data is hard to find, but across the country Christmas tree grower associations say that retailers are running through their tree supplies quickly and that growers are reporting a big increase in sales. In Michigan, farmers have seen as much as a 50 percent increase, said Amy Start, the executive director of the Michigan Christmas Tree Association.

George Nash travels each year from Vermont to New York City to sell more than 15,000 trees at spots across Upper Manhattan. “The demand is crazy right now,” he said. “We are almost twice ahead of where we were last year at this point, in terms of sales. If the trend holds, it will be the best year we ever had.”

Even artificial tree companies like Balsam Hill say they are having a banner year. Mac Harman, the company’s founder and chief executive, said its Christmas in July sale had foreshadowed this year’s voracious holiday market.

“It just absolutely has not slowed down,” he said.

A survey conducted over the summer of more than 2,000 adults by TRUE Global Intelligence found that more than half of the respondents said the pandemic had strengthened their desire to spend money on experiences rather than gifts this year. Three-quarters of the respondents considered real Christmas trees to be an experience, rather than a product.

With such a high demand for Christmas trees, some worry that it may be harder for some Americans to find trees later in the month. The industry is still reeling from the 2008 economic recession, when customers bought fewer items. Growers then cut down fewer trees, which left less space for seedlings that would have made the market more abundant about a decade later.

“We’re having difficulty filling extra orders from the States,” said Shirley Brennan, the executive director of the Canadian Christmas Tree Growers Association, whose office has fielded daily calls from south of the border. “That demand, we can’t keep up with.”

That doesn’t mean that Americans who waited to get a tree will end up without one, said Marsha Gray, the executive director of the Christmas Tree Promotion Board, a tree research and promotion program funded by growers.

“Some locations might close early, some locations may not have trees to sell,” she said. “But over all, there are enough trees and there aren’t communities going without.”

A-HED How Tight Is the Christmas Tree Supply? An 8-Footer Can Sell for $2,000

This year, people are going all out for Christmas. There’s just one problem: finding a Christmas tree.

 

On the streets of Hong Kong, 8-foot Noble Firs are selling for as much as $2,167 apiece, while in California and New York shoppers are paying more for what they say are inferior trees. And in the U.K. retailers are scrambling for more trees.

The pandemic means millions are unable to travel over the holiday season, and are celebrating at home instead. That’s produced a spike in demand for trees—and a run on decorations.

Carla St. Germain, a 55-year-old business owner in Fargo, N.D., doesn’t normally buy her tree until mid-December each year, but this year unseasonably warm weather made her go a week earlier than normal. It was a good thing she did.

“When I pulled in on the side street on the side where I normally get my tree it was completely empty,” she said. There were still some 8-foot and taller trees left and “some super tiny short ones that you’d put in the corner of the apartment.” Mrs. St. Germain said she ended up persuading the seller to cut down a larger tree for her. (An 8-foot tree would have been too tall for her house.)
Knee-high bundles of branches made to look like little Christmas trees are selling for $100 in Hong Kong./PHOTO: SERENA NG/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

 

“My husband said it’s the most unusual Christmas tree I’ve ever bought,” Mrs. St. Germain said. There is no central trunk to place a tree topper and the branches are all reaching for the ceiling like they’re performing the Village People’s hit song YMCA, she said.

The Christmas tree shortage has its roots in the global recession of more than a decade ago. During those years, a glut of Christmas trees caused prices to tumble, and some farmers planted fewer or switched to other kinds of crops. Other farms just closed. Wild fires on the West Coast also wiped out a number of Christmas tree farms.

Casey Grogan, owner of Silver Bells Tree Farm, a 700-acre Christmas tree farm in Silverton, Ore., said his trees typically take between eight and 12 years to grow. He estimates the smaller supply has pushed up prices by about 30% over the last four years.

“We have retailers asking us to go out and cut more trees, which we are not doing because we have to save some for next year,” he said.

The National Christmas Tree Association says that there is not so much a shortage—if people want a tree they can find one—but that supply has tightened.

Shoppers are also hankering for real trees this year, and started buying early. After a year of being stuck at home due to the pandemic, industry players say people are excited that buying a real tree can come with an outing to a farm.

Carla St. Germain persuaded her Christmas tree seller to cut down a larger tree because the mid-sized trees had all sold out./PHOTO: KRIS EHLERT

Mikaela O’Brien and her family spent half a day scouring their favorite Christmas Tree farm looking for an 11- or 12-foot Fir this year near their home in Maple Valley, Wash. They ended up buying something a few feet shorter.

“The taller trees—there just aren’t any,” said the 36-year-old mother of a 12-year-old girl and 9-year-old boy.

“We ended up finding one in the very back corner. It’s still a beautiful tree, it’s just skinnier and smaller and shorter than normal,” she said.“It’s our Charlie Brown tree. It’s a big room and it’s a small tree.”

The family propped the tree up on a four-wheeled dolly to make it stand six inches taller but Ms. O’Brien said that the star topper that was bought for a bigger tree was a bit of a give away. “The star is so big that it’s nearly half the size of the tree,” she said. “It looks silly.”

In Europe retailers, cautious about what lockdowns would mean to sales, reduced their Christmas tree orders and now harvesters are rushing to cut more trees to meet demand across the region, said Claus Jerum Christensen, managing director of the Danish Christmas Tree Association. The U.K. is having to rely on trees from Europe after many of its own farms ran low on trees when sales jumped early.

This year, fewer Christmas trees have been shipped abroad from growers in the U.S. because the pandemic has given a boost to domestic sales.

A tree sells in Manhattan./PHOTO: CARLO ALLEGRI/REUTERS

Swedish furniture giant IKEA, a popular destination for buying Christmas trees in Hong Kong and Singapore, has run out of them in those cities after meeting with overwhelming demand.

That has shoppers lining up for hours to buy trees from nurseries with incoming shipments, or turning to online sellers ordering lookalikes from China. In the local flower market in Wanchai, Hong Kong, six-foot trees are going for about $1,500, about seven or eight times what they sold for a year ago. Knee-high bundles of branches shaped like trees are going for $100 apiece.

Mihir Melwani, a 22-year-old college student in Hong Kong, said his friends’ struggles to find trees spurred him to do something about the situation. Using the contacts of his father, who works in the logistics business, Mr. Melwani said he arranged for more than 25 trees to be trucked into the city from Northern China.

After mentioning his upcoming sale of trees for $175 each on Facebook, he was contacted by dozens of interested buyers.

“The demand has been crazy—I’ve been getting a message every five minutes,” Mr. Melwani said.

Marie Bernal and her family have been in Hong Kong five years. After a year without travel and a move to a new residence, she decided it was time to trade in her plastic tree for one like she had in the Christmases of her childhood in Mexico City.

Mihir Melwani a college student in Hong Kong, used connections to import 25 Christmas trees from China./PHOTO: SAMARA MELWANI

“I promised the children we are going to get a beautiful tree this year and we’ll go and we’ll pick it out together,” she said. “It’s going to smell wonderful and amazing.”

It didn’t turn out quite like that. Ms. Bernal visited some garden centers two weeks before Thanksgiving only to find that most of the trees were already sold. In a panic, she purchased the last tree at one venue, a roughly six-foot tree imported from the U.S., with a $320 price tag.

“Do I think I’ll do it again? Probably not,” she said. Her 11-year-old daughter didn’t notice the tree in their living room until days after it arrived, and her five-year-old son was nonchalant about it, she said. “The joy was in my head.”

Sean Man, whose family owns Wah King Garden Arts, in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, imports around 700 Noble Firs each year from Oregon that normally sell out around mid-December. This year, they were all sold before the end of November.

Mr. Man said that recently around 40 customers arrived as early as 6 a.m. at the garden center in the hopes of getting hold of the last trees when it opened at 8:30 a.m.

“I was expecting a brawl,” he said, but the buyers were well-behaved and lined up in single file. Not wanting to leave anyone empty handed, Mr. Man is offering to fly in Nordmann Firs from Holland.

 

Treasury Pick Yellen Likes Carbon Taxes And More Pandemic Relief, But Not The TCJA

From forbes

Janet Yellen, president-elect Joe Biden’s pick for Treasury Secretary, would come to the job with largely predictable views on tax policy for a mainstream, center-left economist.

A labor economist by training, Yellen has spoken in favor of additional short-term stimulus to help sustain the economy during the covid-19 pandemic. She has been a strong supporter of a carbon tax. And she has argued that insufficient tax revenue, not rising costs for programs such as Medicare and Social Security, are largely to blame for exploding budget deficits.

If confirmed, Yellen would arguably be the most influential public policy economist of our time. Previously, she was the first woman to chair the Federal Reserve Board. She headed the Council of Economic Advisers under President Bill Clinton. Before that, she was an economics professor at Harvard and the University of California at Berkeley.

As an expert in labor economics and, of course, monetary policy, Yellen has not written or spoken prolifically on taxes. But she has made her views known on several key tax issues. Here’s a closer look at her thinking:

Carbon tax. Yellen was a founding member of the Climate Leadership Council, a bipartisan group of influential economists and business leaders that aims to find a “cost-effect climate policy solution.” The group’s top priority: A carbon tax.

She also has worked with international groups to build consensus for such a levy. The concept has broad support among economists across the political spectrum because it harnesses market forces to solve an environmental problem. But Yellen’s coming role as Treasury Secretary could boost prospects for the idea.

While Biden made climate change a key element in his agenda, he has not endorsed a carbon tax. Yellen, however, has been an outspoken backer. In an October 8 interview with Reuters, Yellen was even upbeat about its political chances:  “There’s no question that if…the Biden administration comes into place then climate change will be a very high priority… I do see Republican support, and not only Democrat support, for an approach that would involve a carbon tax with redistribution. It’s not politically impossible.”

Tax cuts and deficits. In an April 8, 2018 Washington Post column written jointly with four former CEA chairs, Yellen was sharply critical of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that Congress enacted four months earlier.  She and her coauthors wrote, “The primary reason the deficit in coming years will now be higher than had been expected is the reduction in tax revenue from last year’s tax cuts, not an increase in spending.”

To reduce debt over the long term, government should run smaller deficits when the economy is strong. Yet, they said, “Last year’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act turned that economic logic on its head. The economy was already at or close to full employment and did not need a boost.”  Yellen is likely to play a key role when the Biden Administration attempts to confront a burgeoning national debt.

Social Security. In that same essay, Yellen and her coauthors said the growth of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and other federal entitlement programs was not the primary cause of rising federal debt. Insufficient revenue was. However, they also urged government to restore Social Security solvency through “adjustments in both spending and revenue.”

They added, “Additional revenue is critical because Social Security has become even more vital as fewer and fewer people have defined-benefit pensions.” Biden is likely to address other issues first, but with Social Security scheduled to become insolvent by 2035 or sooner, keep an eye on Yellen’s views.

Income inequality. Yellen has been concerned about income inequality for years and has explored several solutions. Notably, using the tax code to redistribute income, an idea favored by some Democrats on the left, is not among her priorities. Her focus has been on increasing wealth and income opportunities for low-income people rather than reducing the wealth of those at the top of the income distribution.

In one of her first speeches as Fed Chair, Yellen outlined four “building blocks” to increase incomes and build wealth: Resources for children, affordable higher education, and opportunities for business ownership and inheritances. Through his presidential campaign, Biden seemed to echo many of Yellen’s ideas, especially her views on the importance of education and business ownership. And inequality will be an important issue for his presidency.

Stimulus: In joint testimony before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis on July 17, Yellen and former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke called for further aggressive pandemic relief: “With interest rates extremely low and likely to remain so for some time, we do not believe that concerns about the deficit and debt should prevent the Congress from responding robustly to this emergency. The top priorities at this time should be protecting our citizens from the pandemic and pursuing a stronger and equitable economic recovery.”

Yellen said the top economic priorities of that measure should be assistance to state and local governments. She said, “federal support should be substantial and conditions on the aid should not be overly restrictive.”

In Janet Yellen, Biden has chosen a Treasury Secretary who is highly respected among her peers and who is largely in sync with his own economic views. She’ll likely play a key role in building his economic agenda.

Airbnb Valuation Reaches $100 Billion in Trading Debut Surge

From  Bloomberg

By  //

Airbnb Inc. shares more than doubled in their trading debut, propelling the home-rental company to about a $100 billion valuation and one of the biggest first-day rallies on record.

The shares closed Thursday at $144.71 up 113% from the $68 initial public offering price. The listing came 10 months after the Covid-19 pandemic upended travel and 24 hours after DoorDash Inc. soared in its public debut.

Airbnb joined DoorDash in what is quickly becoming a euphoric moment for new listings in America’s equity markets, egged on by retail investors embracing companies poised to thrive as vaccines promise a loosening of pandemic restrictions. While soaring valuations for IPOs give many market veterans pause, Airbnb is at least earning money, unlike 80% of firms that have sold new shares in 2020. The company just reported its most profitable quarter ever.

“I don’t know what else to say,” Airbnb Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky said in an earlier Bloomberg Television interview, when indications showed the stock could open at more than $139 per share. “I’m very humbled by it.”

Airbnb’s market value, based on its outstanding shares, makes it the world’s biggest online travel company. Its $86.5 billion market value narrowly tops Booking Holdings Inc.’s $86.2 billion market capitalization, and eclipses Expedia Group Inc. and TripAdvisor Inc. Airbnb’s market value, about 19 or 20 times its 2021 revenue at the opening price Thursday, also topped that of the four largest public hotel chains combined.

San Francisco-based Airbnb’s fully diluted valuation is even higher, around $100 billion including employee stock options and restricted stock units.

‘Resilient’ Model

Alfred Lin, a Sequoia Capital partner who sits on the boards of both Airbnb and DoorDash, said the past two days have been a blur. Strong investor demand shows investors recognize Airbnb’s potential, he said.

“We’ve seen how resilient this business model is and we’ve seen the company stare into the abyss of a pandemic that shut down global travel and figure their way out of it,” Lin said.

DoorDash’s debut surge — elevating its fully diluted value to about $71 billion — played a role in Airbnb’s discussion about pricing its IPO above the marketed range, according to people familiar with the matter. An Airbnb representative declined to comment.

For More: DoorDash Pop Stokes Renewed Debate on IPO Pricing to Perfection

To hang on to its lofty valuation, Airbnb will need to grapple with a litany of threats, as outlined in its IPO prospectus, ranging from a surge in party houses that carry liability risks to an increase in professionally run properties that lack the charm that made Airbnb rentals famous.

IPO Record

Airbnb and DoorDash propelled IPO volume to all-time high for December, surpassing the $8.3 billion mark set for the month in both 2001 and 2003, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

There’s more to come. Other consumer-facing web-based companies set to go public this month include video-game company Roblox Corp., installment loans provider Affirm Holdings Inc. and ContextLogic Inc., the parent of online discount retailer Wish Inc. Those listings will add to what is already a record year for IPOs, with more than $167 billion raised on U.S. exchanges, including Airbnb and DoorDash, the data show.

Airbnb’s offering was led by Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Its shares trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol ABNB.

Pandemic Crush

San Francisco-based Airbnb has seen a bounce back in domestic bookings since the early days of the pandemic crushed demand.

“No year in our history has been as wild and crazy and defining as this year,” Chesky said in an earlier interview, from the original Airbnb apartment on Rausch Street in San Francisco where the idea for the company was born in 2007.

For More: Airbnb’s $3.1 Billion IPO Hinges on Rentals That Feel Like Home

In the past 13 years, Airbnb has totally upended the travel market, given people an opportunity for income and created a whole new market for services related to real estate and hosts.

The company’s IPO plans were put on hold in March as the pandemic ground global travel to a halt. By April, room bookings and experiences had plunged 72%. Airbnb rolled out a blanket refund policy and doled out more than $1 billion in cancellation fees.

By June, though, things were starting to look up. City dwellers who were sick of being stuck inside their homes got in their cars and drove to mountain towns and rural communities, often setting up for weeks or months at a time as work-from-home policies allowed.

Domestic Boost

International travel was down, but demand for domestic, short-distance trips and stays outside of the top 20 cities proved resilient.

In the third quarter, Airbnb’s revenue declined only 18%, compared to the near 60% decline for Expedia and Marriott International Inc. The three-month period was also Airbnb’s most profitable ever when adjusted for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

For the first nine months of 2020, Airbnb had a net loss of $697 million on revenue of $2.5 billion, compared with a net loss of $323 million on revenue of $3.7 billion for the same period last year, according to its filings.

Reid Hoffman, of early Airbnb investor Greylock Partners, credited the company’s leadership with steering the company through the pandemic crisis. That included making difficult decisions to refund guests while providing partial payments to hosts, even though that had the painful consequence of laying off 25% of its employees, he said.

“Today, Airbnb is thriving, and when effective vaccines are broadly available, it will no doubt adapt to those changed circumstances as well,” Hoffman said.

Founders’ Control

Airbnb’s four classes of stock give holders of its Class B — with 20 votes each compared to one each for the Class A shares sold in the IPO — control of the company.

Chesky, with co-founders Nathan Blecharczyk and Joseph Gebbia, will have 42.9% of the company’s voting power, according to its filings. Sequoia Capital will have 16.4% of the voting power, the filings show.

Another early investor in both Airbnb and DoorDash, Ron Conway, distinguished current market enthusiasm and valuations from the dot.com bubble era two decades ago.

“It’s not like the last bubble where you had companies that were two years old with no revenues getting a $20 billion market cap,” said Conway. “You have companies that are 10 years old with very significant revenues.”

— With assistance by Patrick Clark