Wednesday, 6 March 2013

Stunning Halle Berry steps out at The Call premiere sporting a tight split skirt and low cut top

Lovely in leather! Stunning Halle Berry steps out at film premiere sporting a tight split skirt and low cut top

By Eleanor Gower
PUBLISHED:05:28, 6 March 2013| UPDATED:09:34, 6 March 2013

With her tight leather skirt with subtle split and low cut black top, Halle Berry kept things simple and classy for the premiere of her new film The Call.
The 46-year-old star showed off her flawless skin and svelte figure at the Arclight Theatre in Hollywood on Tuesday where she happily posed for photographers with co-star Abigail Breslin.
The actress completed her outfit with a gold chain belt and strappy sandals, with a touch of subtle make-up.
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Lovely in leather: Halle Berry steps out at the premiere of her new film The Call at The Arclight in Hollywood on Tuesday wearing a tight skirt with a gold chain belt and simple top

Halle, who appeared to walk the red carpet without fiancé Olivier Martinez, was joined by co-star Abigail Breslin who also sported a black outfit.
The 16-year-old Little Miss Sunshine star sported a cropped black jacket and wide legged matching trousers for the event.
The film sees Halle play a veteran 911 operator who receives a call from a girl (Abigail) who has just been abducted and must confront a killer from her past in order to save the girl’s life.

Star of the show: Halle is confident in front of a bank of photographers at the event

The rear view: the actress showed off her pert posterior in the clinging skirt

In fact the role brought back an emergency call that Halle had to make last year when someone tried to break into her home.

'I did have to call 911 about a year before I made this movie,' she recently told CNN. 'I had someone who was attempting to break into my house and when I called I told the 911 operator: "I think they're in my house."

'And from the time I thought they were in I couldn't stop talking; the operator said to me, "Ma'am, if they're in your house, you must be quiet. Stop talking." And I could not stop.'

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Bridging the generation gap: Abigail looked confident as she posed next to the Oscar-winning actress

Bridging the generation gap: Abigail Breslin looked confident as she posed next to the Oscar-winning actress

Growing up fast: Halle was joined on the carpet by co-star Abigail Breslin who also wore a black ensemble

Growing up fast: Halle was joined on the carpet by co-star Abigail who also wore a black ensemble

Blonde ambition: Abigail arrived sporting a black cropped trousersuit

The star admitted she learned an important lesson from the event, saying: 'Next time, if I ever have to call, I know the importance of being quiet and listening to someone.'
Halle also spoke about her hair transformation, from usual short straight style to a longer curly look for the character.
'With social media today, and with paparazzi that follow you to the market [and] to school with your kid, people see you, like, all the time,' she said.

Natural beauty: Halle showed off her stunning good looks at the event

Good spirits: Halle and her co-star Morris Chestnut seemed in a good mood as they posed for photographs

Grouped in: Halle and Abigail pose alongside co-stars David Otunga, Michael Eklund and Morris Chestnut

Star support: The Call co-star Michael Eklund arrived with his partner, while Rosanna Arquette kept to the black theme

Baby love: The Call star David Otunga poses with cute son David Jr on the carpet

Baby love: The Call star David Otunga poses with he and Jennifer Hudson's cute son David Jr on the carpet

'So it's becoming harder and harder for actors to escape who they really are and have people suspend belief.
'So for me, the first thing that has to go is [my] hair. That's become synonymous with who I am. So it was just about finding a hairstyle that kind of made sense.'
Also on the carpet at the event was Jennifer Hudson's fiancé David Otunga who posed with the couple's adorable son David Jr.

Hair today: The actress plays a 911 call operator in the movie

The story behind Halle Berry's hair in 'The Call'

Heartbreaking letter from desperate 11-year-old girl "I don't want to be cut like my sister"

Please help me, I don't want to be cut like my sister: Heartbreaking letter from desperate 11-year-old girl who learns her sister's genitals were mutilated by an aunt

The girl sent the letter to charity Equality Now who published the letter
The charity hopes to alert teachers to the importance of reporting suspicions of FGM to the authorities
An estimated 24,000 girls in the UK are at risk, according to Equality Now

By SARA MALM

PUBLISHED: 17:55, 5 March 2013 | UPDATED: 09:50, 6 March 2013

Cry for help: A letter from an 11-year-old telling of her fears at having her 'private cut' has been published by campaigners against female genital mutilation (file picture)

A heart-breaking letter from an 11-year-old girl begging for a charity for help to avoid female genital mutilation reveals the very real threat for many girls in the UK.

The girl’s cry for help was prompted by her discovery that her 12-year-old sister had been taken to her grandmother’s home in Gambia, west Africa for the procedure.

'I really hope you can help me, not to have my private cut,' she writes after discovering her sister's horrific fate.

The letter, sent in 2010, was today published by campaigners in a bid to alert teachers to the importance of reporting suspicions of female genital mutilation (FGM) to the authorities.

In the letter to charity Equality Now, the 11-year-old girl says her sister ‘had her private cut’ by her aunties and grandmother in their native Gambia.

She explains how her mother, sisters and brothers came to the UK from west Africa in 2005 to join her father who was studying at university in the UK.

Five years later, as the family was watching a ‘TV programme on African culture showing girls having their privates cut’, she describes how her sister suddenly burst into tears and a few days later told their father what had happened.

‘She said it was done one weekend by my aunties at my nans house. Last Friday mum took her to our GP to have her checked and the doctor said it was done to her.’

According to the 11-year-old’s letter, the older sister had been told ‘the spirits will come and kill her immediately’ if she spoke of the procedure.

The little girl got in touch with the charity after telling one of her school teachers, who directed her to Equality Now.

‘Please madam help me, and my dad,’ she begs. ‘I really hope you can help me, not to have my private cut.’

‘I am reallye confused expessically seeing my dad so un-happy and not knowing what to do.(sic)’

After they received the letter in 2010, the charity contacted police and the girl is now believed to be safe.

No prosecution has been brought but this is believed to be due to the perpetrators, the girl’s aunts and grandmother, being overseas at the time police were alerted, and difficulty obtaining evidence.

Heartbreaking letter: 'Please madam help me, and my dad,' she begs. 'I really hope you can help me, not to have my private cut'

‘Practising communities think that the UK doesn’t have the guts to prevent and prosecute for FGM,’ Efua Dorkenoo, director of Equality Now’s campaign against FGM, told the Evening Standard.

‘The key reasons for the lack of prosecutions are the young age of those involved and the fact that FGM is a hidden practice within families and affected communities.’

Following the revelation in her letter that her teacher advised her to contact the charity instead of reporting the incident, Efua Dorkenoo, director of Equality Now’s campaign against FGM, warned teachers that they must alert authorities if a child displays any indication of having fallen victim of female genital mutilation.

‘If (teachers) and other frontline professionals do this, we will get prosecutions and come closer to ending this horrific abuse,’ Ms Dorkenoo added.

Female gender mutilation was made illegal in 1985 in the UK but Equality Now estimates that 24,000 girls in the UK are at risk.

THE LETTER SENT BY GIRL, 11, WHO FEARED SHE BE CUT LIKE HER SISTER

8th November 2010

Dear Madam
My name is XXX and I am 11 years old. I and my mum, sisters and brother came to England in 2005 when I had just turned 6 years old to join my dad who was at University. We come from Gambia in West Africa.

Three weeks ago we were watching a TV programme on African culture and as they were showing girls having their privates cut, my older sister who is 12 years old started crying. After 2 days she told my dad that she also had her private cut.

Mum and Dad never knew about it and she was told if she ever tells anyone the sprits will come and kill her immediately. She said it was done one weekend by my aunties at my nans house. Last Friday mum took her to our GP to have her checked and the doctor said it was done to her.

This morning when I went to school I told one of my teachers about it and together we went on the computer and found your group. The teacher asked me to write to you and ask for your help. I don’t want my private cut by anyone.

My dad loves us very much and he did not like what they done to my sister and he is very confussed. We should be going back to Gambia any time after Eid and he is worried and upset that they would do the same to me. I don’t what that too.

If you reply to this letter I will showe my dad and I am shore that he would be very glad to have your help. He is my best friend and if he knows what to do he would do it, he would not want anything to hurt us – I know that.

Please madam help me, and my dad. If you reply soon he would definately contact you if you can help. I really hope you can help me, not to have my private cut. I am reallye confused expessically seeing my dad so un-happy and not knowing what to do.

Thank you very much for reading my letter.

Monday, 4 March 2013

Halle Berry: 'I'm In' For X-Men: Days Of Future Past

Halle Berry has confirmed she will reprise her role as Storm in the latest 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' and says she can't wait to get started.

Halle Berry to appear in X-Men: Days of Future Past

Halle Berry has confirmed she will appear in 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'.

The Oscar-winning actress will reprise her role as Storm in the Bryan Singer-directed mutant movie and can't wait to don her superhero outfit once more.

When asked if she would be taking part in the sixth film of the Marvel franchise, Halle told Acess Hollywood: ''I'm in. I think I'm in.

''I am excited. I love Storm. That's one of my favourite characters that I've played. And people love that character as well.''

While Storm is a very physical role, Halle says it will be a ''breeze'' compared to starring alongside Tom Hanks in reincarnation film 'Cloud Atlas'.

She said: ''After 'Cloud Atlas' any makeup job is a breeze. A breeze!''

And it's not just Halle who has agreed to star in the latest 'X-Men' movie'.

Hugh Jackman, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian McKellen, James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence are among those who will be in the film.

Director Bryan also recently tweeted French actor Omar Sy would also be joining the cast.

He wrote: ''I'm thrilled to welcome the brilliant #OmarSy from the amazing film #TheIntouchables to the cast of #Xmen #DaysofFuturePast! (sic)''