Films, canals and famous cities

Nalaka Gunawardene and Vindana Ariyawansa

The (American) Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) have already concluded their 83rd awards ceremony (on 27 February 2011), and announced its selection of winners of the Academy Awards for best performances during 2010. The awards, better known by their informal name 'Oscars', are the most prestigious in the world of cinema.

Our first few questions today are based on some films that received nominations for the best film of 2010 (officially called the Best Picture Award). We then roam the world of ancient and pop cultures, hopping from Hindu mythology to modern day Japanese cartoons. In between, we take a look at the Suez Canal that was recently in the news, and salute Ronald Reagan

1. Best Film nominated True Grit (2010), by the Coen brothers, was the second movie adaptation of a 1968 novel by the same name, written by Charles Portis. The original movie was directed by Henry Hathaway in 1969 and starred a then popular actor in place of the current version's Jeff Bridges. That actor won the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of Marshal Rooster Cogburn. Who played the lead role in the 1969 version of True Grit?

2. Best Film nominated The Social Network was directed by David Fincher and is based on the story of social networking website Facebook and its young founder Mark Zuckerburg (whose character is played by Jesse Eisenberg). The actor who played co-founder Eduardo Saverin in this movie is also the choice to play Peter Parker in the new Spiderman 'reboot' movie, to be directed by Marc Webb. Who is he?

3. The best film nominated 127 Hourswas directed by Danny Boyle, the Oscar winning director of Slumdog Millionaire. It is based on a real life story of a mountain climber who became trapped by a boulder in Robbers Roost, Utah, USA, for more than five days in 2003. He had to amputate his right arm with a dull knife for his own survival. Who is this mountaineer, whose 2004 autobiography was titled 'Between a Rock and a Hard Place'?

4. Best Film nominated Toy Story 3 became the highest grossing movie of 2010 with a worldwide gross of over a billion dollars. It is also the highest grossing animated movie in the entire history of cinema. Before this, only two animated feature films have ever been nominated for the Best Film/Picture. The first was Beauty and the Beast in 1991. What animated feature was among the best film nominations for 2009?

5. Best Film nominee Inception was the seventh feature film made by British director Christopher Nolan. Born in 1970, he began making films at the age of seven using his father's super 8mm camera and an assortment of male-action figures. He is also the director of a superhero film series 'reboot', in which four movies had previously been made under directors Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher. Who is this superhero character?

6. The Suez Canal came into focus with recent people-power agitations that eventually toppled President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. The Suez Canal is a man-made waterway in Egypt which connects the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869, it allows ships to sail from Europe to Asia without having to travel all around Africa. The canal was originally 164 km long. After multiple enlargements, the total length is now 193.3 km. What ports are at either end of this canal?

7. The Suez Canal is owned and maintained by the Suez Canal Authority of Egypt. There is an international treaty, signed in 1888, which says it may be used "in time of war as in time of peace, by every vessel of commerce or of war, without distinction of flag." This treaty was mentioned (and its provisions continued) even when then Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalised the canal in 1956. What is this treaty known as?

8. Americans recently marked the birth centenary of Ronald Reagan (1911 to 2004), the 40th President of the United States. This one time radio broadcaster and movie actor turned politician served two full terms as president, from 1981 to 1988. Before running for president, he served two terms as elected Governor of a large state in the US from 1967 to 1975. Which state?

9. Although Ronald Reagan was never an 'A List' movie actor, he appeared in more than 50 films or TV productions during his career, and had enough audience appeal to become a famous, publicly recognized figure. Reagan's own favourite movie appearance was as a double amputee in Kings Row (1942), which many critics agreed was his best screen performance. In fact, a line he delivered in that movie later became the title of his 1965 autobiography. What was that title?

10. Discovered on the New Year's Day 1502 by Portuguese explorers, this natural wonder was named 'River of January'. Very original - except that it turned out not to be a river at all, but a magnificent harbour! This city, second largest in Brazil and the third largest metropolitan area in South America, is to host 2016 Summer Olympics. What is this colourful city?

11. This family magazine was first published in 1922 by DeWitt and Lila Wallace and sold exclusively through the mail in the United States. Global editions of this magazine now have a combined circulation of 17 million copies in more than 70 countries, making it the largest paid circulation magazine in the world. It appears in 50 editions in 21 languages and is also published in braille, digital, audio and a version in large font type. What is this small magazine with a big outreach?

12. This Japanese scholar studied Sinhala language at the University of Peradeniya in the 1960s as a foreign student, and has been active in cultural exchange between Sri Lanka and Japan for nearly half a century. He has translated Sinhala novels into Japanese and Japanese novels into Sinhala. He also wrote an original novel in Sinhala titled 'Anithya Jeevithayak' (Life amidst impermanence). Who is he?

13. A cartoon character, created in 1968 by Takashi Yanase, a Japanese writer of children's stories, remains the most popular fictional character among children below 12 years in Japan. More than 50 million copies of books featuring this character have been sold in Japanese and a TV animation series started in 1988 by Nippon Television Network is equally popular - and has been exported to other countries. Sri Lankan television viewers know this character by the Sinhala name 'Gnana Katha Malliya'. What is the original Japanese character's name, who also has a children's museum in Yokohama dedicated to him?

14. We know the word 'Maruti' mostly in relation to a motor car: It is India's largest passenger car company, accounting for nearly half of that country's domestic car market and increasingly exporting to countries like Sri Lanka. But Maruti is originally a name that has a long history in Indian mythology and tradition. What does the name mean in that context?

15. Some people mistakenly refer to Geneva as the capital of Switzerland, but that is not true! Geneva is a Swiss city that is well known for its concentration of humanitarian and international organisations and is also the location for the United Nations headquarters in Europe. Which city is the capital of Switzerland?

Answers will be published next week

Last week's answers

1. Sri Lanka, which co-hosted the World Cup in 1996 with India and Pakistan
2. Aravinda De Silva, when he scored 107 not out against Australia, to help Sri Lanka win the World Cup in Lahore on 17 March 1996.
3. Ana Punchihewa
4. India
5. Bermuda
6. Canada
7. Dubai, where ICC moved its headquarters in 2005
8. Stumpy
9. Khettarama Stadium
10. HIV/AIDS
11. Steve Bucknor
12. Sachin Tendulkar
13. Romesh Gunasekera
14. Ramachandra Guha
15. John Still (1880 - 1941), best known as author of The Jungle Tide

Last week's winners

First place - M A H M Waffa, Thulhiriya
Second place - Poorna Hewavitharane, Nawala
Third place - Rochelle Edema, Dehiwela