Film Friday
May 9 — Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69, was named the first American-born pope yesterday. The polyglot, who graduated from Villanova and spent more than two decades living in Peru, will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
☔ A 20% chance of rain and 81° today. Rain will persist through the weekend with highs only in the 60s.
🗳️ U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter has become the first Republican to enter next year’s U.S. Senate race, challenging Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff.
📣 According to an exclusive story in SaportaReport, Rohit Malhotra, founder of the Center for Civic Innovation, is entering the race for Atlanta City Council President.
🛞 KUMHO Tire has relocated its North American headquarters to Brookhaven, opening a 14,000-square-foot space at Perimeter Summit.
💰The Fulton County Board of Commissioners will provide $1.8 million in overtime funding for Fulton County Jail staff, but with strings attached.
💵 Sandy Springs mayoral candidates have collectively raised more than $300,000 in campaign contributions as of April 30.
🚆 Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport unveiled a new fleet of Plane Train passenger cars.
🩺 The Buckhead Rotary Club donated $74,000 to The Shepherd Center to purchase state-of-the-art equipment.
ELSEWHERE
🤝 The UK and US agreed to a trade deal on Thursday that will slash some of the Trump administration’s tariffs on cars, aluminium, and steel.
🏛️ The House passed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, with Greene calling it “one of the most important things that we can do this Congress.”
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Corinne Bailey Rae at Spelman
• Film tariff reactions
• Sammie’s weekly review: ‘Bonjour Tristesse’
• The Sports Section
AND
• Top Stories of the Week
🏡 For the first time ever, Sotheby’s International Realty® is hosting a global Open House Showcase on May 17 and 18. Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty is proud to participate, featuring listings like this Downtown Alpharetta end-unit townhome offering luxury finishes, private outdoor living, and elevator access. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Corinne Bailey Rae’s visit anchors Spelman collaboration between dance and visual art
FROM SKETCHBOOK | SUBSCRIBE HERE
📕 On April 29, Grammy-winning musician Corinne Bailey Rae joined artist Amanda Williams at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art to celebrate the release of Williams’s book “What Black Is This, You Say?”
That evening, surrounded by Williams’s artwork from her exhibition “We Say What Black This Is,” Rae and Williams led a conversation on identity, creativity, and Black expression.
The event was more than a book launch. It also marked the culmination of a semester-long collaboration across Spelman’s campus – uniting music, visual art, and dance.
Scenthound salutes educators with free services
SPONSORED BY SCENTHOUND
🐶 To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, May 5-9, and thank our amazing educators, Scenthound is offering FREE Basic Hygiene Services for educators’ furry family members throughout May.
Free service includes:
🐾 Bath
🐾 Ear Cleaning
🐾 Nail Clipping & Filing
🐾 Teeth Brushing
📞 Let Scenthound pamper your pup while you continue to shape young minds. Contact our Buckhead, Dunwoody, or Tucker locations to schedule your free service (must have valid ID).
OR
If you know an amazing educator, pass this on.
2. Georgia film industry reacts to tariff drama
🎥 In the days since President Donald Trump’s May 4 social media post calling for a 100% tariff on films produced outside of the United States, the film industry in this country and abroad has wondered what, exactly, the president meant.
The White House almost immediately walked back his statement, and Trump himself said in a press conference on May 5 that he was “not looking to hurt the industry.” With all the turmoil over the past week, it’s still unclear how a tariff on movies would function, and the announcement has caused alarm throughout the U.S. industry – including Georgia.
🎬 Sammie Purcell spoke with industry professionals in Georgia to get their reactions to the proposal.
3. ‘Bonjour Tristesse:’ Who do I want to be when I grow up?
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL
🇫🇷 At the beginning of “Bonjour Tristesse” – based on the 1954 novel previously adapted into a film in 1958 by Otto Preminger – Elsa (Nailia Harzoune) and her boyfriend, Raymond (Claes Bang), take in Raymond’s 18-year-old daughter Cécile (Lily McInerny) as she overlooks the French seaside. She’s standing in that particular way teenagers do: trying to look nonchalant, and in the pursuit of that endeavor, hyper concerned with how she comes across.
“She’s imagining what she looks like to us,” Elsa whispers to Raymond.
This adaptation of “Bonjour Tristesse,” written and directed by filmmaker Durga Chew-Bose, is about just this. While Françoise Sagan’s novel and Preminger’s movie are about a young woman coming to terms with her own selfishness, Chew-Bose’s film is more about that time in a young person’s life when they must decide who they want to be – and how they want the world to see them. From the source material, Chew-Bose has wrung a sensitive and sharp coming-of-age story.
😢 Click here to read Sammie’s review. If you’re in the mood for something a little less sensitive and much, much nastier, you can also check out her review of “The Ugly Stepsister” here.
🍿 Stay in the picture with Scene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia’s film industry. Subscribe for free.
4. Vibe start playoffs; Sovereignty forgoes Triple Crown
BY MIA FISHMAN
🥇 The GHSA Track & Field State Championships start today at four locations across the state.
🏇🏼 Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will skip the Preakness Stakes, forgoing a shot at the Triple Crown.
🏐 The Atlanta Vibe will face Orlando in the Pro Volleyball Federation semifinal game tonight at 10:30 p.m. (TV: CBS Sports Network) in Las Vegas. The championship game will be on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.
⚽️ The UEFA Champions League final is set with Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain facing off for the trophy later this month.
⚾ The Braves are in Pittsburgh for a weekend series against the Pirates. Tonight’s first pitch is at 6:40 p.m. (FanDuel Sports; 93.7 FM).
⚽️ Atlanta United travels to Chicago on Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. match (Apple TV+; 92.9 FM).
🏡 For the first time ever, Sotheby’s International Realty® is hosting a global Open House Showcase on May 17 and 18. Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty is proud to participate, featuring listings like this Downtown Alpharetta end-unit townhome offering luxury finishes, private outdoor living, and elevator access. SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Top Stories of the Week
A look back at this week’s most-read stories from our website. Follow @RoughDraftATL on Instagram for regular updates.
① Atlanta Public Schools appoints seven new principals, athletics director
② City of Brookhaven plans to build pedestrian bridge over I-85 (pictured)
③ Corporate Square to become Brookhaven’s largest mixed-use project
④ Did you miss these April restaurant openings?
⑤ Mix it up in May with local adventures outside your ZIP code
🍻 Join us tomorrow on Sat. May 10 for Hope Fest 2025 at SweetWater Brewing (21+)! Live music from Wim Tapley & the Cannons and more – all to support Hope Atlanta’s efforts to prevent and end homelessness. Click to learn more & grab your tickets today! SPONSOR MESSAGE
💭 Test your knowledge of the week’s news in tomorrow’s News Quiz. Keep an eye out for our email at 8 a.m. or bookmark this page!
🔤 Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our new, daily word game – Presented by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta’s premier undergraduate learning experience.
