Ooredoo raises awareness on digital responsibility
Annual Ramadan campaign to encourage online kindness and positivity
DOHA: Ooredoo Group has launched its Ramadan campaign, with this year’s efforts aimed at raising awareness on digital responsibility and ensuring the Internet is a more positive environment for all. As people continue to weather the COVID-19 pandemic, spending more time online, digital responsibility takes indeed heightened importance. With Ramadan a time for introspection, thoughtfulness and reflection, this year’s campaign highlights the Holy Month as the ideal time to examine the impact online interactions can have on us all, and the ideal time to start changing behaviours.
Introducing the new campaign, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al-Thani, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer at Ooredoo Group, said: “The Internet is an extraordinary invention, a powerful tool that, when used properly, undoubtedly empowers us in every way possible. As part of Ooredoo’s vision to enrich people’s digital lives, we continue to invest heavily in developing and improving our networks across our global footprint. But we also want to ensure that these digital lives are in fact enhanced by the Internet and not the opposite.”
In a beautifully crafted animation, Ooredoo’s main campaign video - an Ooredoo Ramadan Story - which launched on the first day of Ramadan along with several short videos, tells the story of the Internet by comparing it to a child, one that was influenced, shaped and moulded by Internet users. It reinforces the message that online safety and positivity are the responsibility of everyone. Given the Internet’s relative youth, the main message shows there’s hope that the ever-growing online community can still work together for a safer, more positive digital world, encouraging people to “make the Internet happy again”.
The short videos reinforce this message by drawing attention to the many ways people can use the Internet to do good. Indeed, the videos touch on topics related to cyberbullying, spreading unverified rumours, and others and encourage people to call out negative behaviour online and use this valuable instrument to support each other and important causes.
Sheikh Mohammed continued: “As we move ever closer to an age of complete digitalisation, the Internet develops with us, and so its power and potential grow; much like a child grows and develops towards adulthood. We hope our campaign will inspire enough people to think and reflect. The Internet is what we make it, a reflection of our society so let’s make it a positive one starting this Ramadan.” The new Ramadan video can be seen on all Ooredoo’s social media channels from the first day of Ramadan.
The US road movie “Nomadland” triumphed at the Bafta film awards on Sunday, with Chinese director Chloe Zhao’s intimate portrayal of marginalized Americans winning in four categories including best film, best actress and best director. The socially distanced and largely remote awards ceremony in London saw a strong showing by women directors in the run-up to this month’s Oscars. The British academy has sought to improve diversity and Zhao was one of four women nominated for “best director”. “We brought in changes to the awards to level the playing field”, said Krishnendu Majumdar, chair of the academy, following criticism over last year’s awards ceremony which had no women directors and an all-white shortlist.
Zhao welcomed stronger representation for women film-makers in comments to journalists afterwards, saying: “It’s about time, it’s great.” “I love doing what I do and if this means more people like me get to live their dreams, I’m very grateful”. British director Emerald Fennell also carried off two awards for her debut feature, “Promising Young Woman” starring Carey Mulligan. The Oscar-tipped thriller is about a woman who avenges a friend’s rape by pretending to be drunk in bars and then turning the tables on men who prey on her. The film, which has elements of comedy and horror, won for outstanding British film and original screenplay. Sitting in front of a grand piano in a gauzy white dress, Fennell described the film as a “labour of love”. “It was the greatest thing in my life making this film,” she said.
The film is nominated for Oscars for best director and best original screenplay, while Mulligan is nominated for best actress. Zhao accepted Nomadland’s multiple awards dressed casually in a plaid shirt from Los Angeles, saying that she planned to start the day with celebrations. “Tomorrow morning, I will be very hungover,” she said. The film’s star Frances McDormand won for best leading actress and sent a written message saying: “Thank you, dear British people.” “Nomadland” is one of the frontrunners for this month’s Oscar awards, with six nominations including for best picture, best director and best actress. Last month it won coveted Golden Globe awards for best drama film and best director.
Welsh actor Sir Anthony Hopkins won the best actor Bafta for “The Father” about a man suffering from dementia, directed by France’s Florian Zeller. The 83-year-old didn’t appear during the ceremony but spoke to journalists afterwards, explaining that he had not expected to win and had been holidaying in Wales and painting in his hotel room. “This is wonderful, I mean, this is the first time in my life when I never expected to get this,” he said, calling his fourth Bafta a “fun bonus”. An emerging star, 19-year-old Bukky Bakray, won the EE Rising Star award, chosen by public vote, for “Rocks”, a coming-of-age drama set in London.
She made her debut after being discovered through open auditions. Dressed in a pink satin gown, she made her acceptance speech to screams of joy from her family and a hug from her mother.
‘Diet Bafta’
The socially distanced ceremony was held at London’s Royal Albert Hall with awards presented on stage to an empty auditorium. The winning actors and filmmakers mostly decked out in dinner jackets and evening dresses accepted awards on video calls from their living rooms and hotels, some with family members reacting emotionally in the background. One of the award presenters, comedian Youssef Kerkour described the stripped-back ceremony as “diet Bafta”.
Prince William had been due to participate in the ceremony, but he pulled out following the death of his grandfather Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. The star power came from the actors who presented awards on stage including Hugh Grant, Richard E. Grant, Tom Hiddleston and “Bridgerton” star Phoebe Dynevor. Hollywood star Renee Zellweger made a virtual appearance from Los Angeles in a dramatic silver gown to present the leading actor award. Grant awarded the prestigious Bafta Academy Fellowship to double Oscarwinning director Ang Lee, perhaps best known for “Brokeback Mountain” and “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”, describing his career as “almost preposterously successful”.
“I’m humbled to be counted among such brilliant film-makers”, said the Taiwanese film director. The ceremony was held over two days for the first time, with technical awards on Saturday. On Saturday, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”, a film about a blues musician in 1920s Chicago, took home two technical Baftas for costume design and make-up and hair. “Rocks” and “Mank”, a depiction of a debauched screenwriter during Hollywood’s golden age, also bagged a prize each for casting and production design respectively. Other winners in the technical awards included Christopher Nolan’s science fiction action-thriller “Tenet” for special visual effects and “Sound of Metal,” starring British actor Riz Ahmed, for sound.— AFP
The 49-year-old actor has revealed he’s preparing to pile on the pounds for his new movie ‘Father Stu’, in which he plays a boxer who becomes a priest. The Hollywood star who previously played legendary boxer ‘Irish’ Micky Ward in ‘The Fighter’ explained: “After we do the boxing scenes, I get to put on as much weight as possible over the course of the film, so I’m challenging myself to put on 30 pounds in the next six weeks.” They want me to do it as healthy as possible and I’m like “Dude, I’ve been on such a regimen for so long, I just want to eat everything in sight.’” Mark who is known for being a fitness fanatic admitted he can’t wait to indulge himself in the coming weeks. He told ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’: “I want to go to bakeries. I want to go to Denny’s. I want to get pancakes. I want to get everything I can possibly get my hands on.” Mark previously revealed he played a key role in creating the action scenes in ‘The Fighter’. He said: “[I had] years of training and preparation, and I basically convinced everyone that the way to do it is to just film it like they film any fight on HBO. “They don’t know what’s gonna happen. There’s a fight, you have 12 rounds, you have to walk in the ring, you’ve got eight or ten cameras. You don’t know what’s gonna happen, but these guys are experts. “So we got the actual cameras, the actual director that shot [real-life fights]. HBO gave us all their equipment and everything. They came and we just shot them in sequence.”