A movie set to make its debut next month at a film festival may draw more than its share of attention because of an unusual plot element: the fictional killing of Microsoft Corp Chief Software Architect Bill Gates.
Gates, the world's richest man, is "killed" in the opening scene of Nothing So Strange, which will be shown at the Slamdance festival in Park City, Utah. The movie opens with Steve Sires, a professional Gates impersonator, being shot to death during a public appearance. The documentary-style scene is intended to appear as if it were videotaped by a bystander.
Brian Clark, president of GMD studios and the film's executive producer, said the movie depicts the efforts of a grassroots organization to speak out against what they see as a coverup in the shooting. Writer and director Brian Flemming wanted to use "an immediately recognizable" figure in the movie, Clark said. "We have nothing against Bill Gates," Clark said. "There is nothing in the film that is a criticism of Bill Gates."
GMD Studios runs a Web site to promote the film at http://www.billgatesisdead.com that features fake news stories about Gates' death and a message board to discuss topics including "what Gates would be doing if he were alive today." Nothing So Strange is scheduled to be shown at the festival on Jan. 13 and 17.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday said that China using armed force against Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, allowing the country to mobilize the Japanese armed forces under its security laws. Takaichi made the remarks during a parliamentary session while responding to a question about whether a "Taiwan contingency" involving a Chinese naval blockade would qualify as a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, according to a report by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun. "If warships are used and other armed actions are involved, I believe this could constitute a survival-threatening situation," Takaichi was quoted as saying in the report. Under Japan’s security legislation,
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