The international human rights organization Equality Now has brought together international and New York activists fighting to end female genital mutilation (FGM) in a media briefing on November 3. The occasion also featured the premiere of a new documentary film called “Africa Rising: The Grassroots Movement to End Female Genital Mutilation“. The film’s premiere at the NYU Cantor Film Center was hosted by Meryl Streep. Pictures from the premiere can be found in the Image Library.

This is a powerful look at how to eliminate, from within cultures themselves, a tragic practice. This procedure is perpetrated on young girls, the most vulnerable members of society. (Meryl Streep)

Everyday 6,000 girls are at risk of undergoing FGM through out the world. In the US, 228,000 women and girls are estimated to have undergone or are at risk of FGM. Census data from 2000 indicates that over 40,000 women and girls are at risk in the metropolitan region of New York, Northern New Jersey and Long Island. Metropolitan New York is considered to have the highest concentration of women and girls at risk of undergoing FGM in the US, yet there is little awareness or services to address the specific needs of these women and girls.

Meryl Streep has a lot of reasons to see the off-Broadway hit “Love, Loss and What I Wore”. The main attraction for this November 1st backstage visit surely was catching up with her longtime friend and collaborator Nora Ephron, who co-wrote the show with her sister Delia. Streep first worked with Ephron on the engrossing “Silkwood” and later starred in Ephron’s autobiographical film “Heartburn”. The two paired up again earlier this year in the film “Julie & Julia”, which also featured Love, Loss star Jane Lynch (now known for the hit TV show Glee). Pictures can be found in the Image Library with many thanks to Ilaria for the heads-up!

Added pictures of Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline attending yesterday’s “The Lover and the Poet” Benefit to the Image Library.

Some very rare pictures from the 1980s have been added to the Image Library with thanks to Bengui and Tina for their contributions. Also new to the gallery are some very rare on-set pictures from the making of “Holocaust” in 1977. Enjoy the new additions – and in case you find any good pictures from the past, feel free to share them with the site :-)

Image Library > Appearances > 1989 > Cannes Film Festival
Image Library > Appearances > 1988 > Academy Awards
Image Library > Appearances > 1988 > “A Cry in the Dark” Premiere
Image Library > Appearances > 1983 > Taping of “A.M. Chicago” to promote “Silkwood”
Image Library > Appearances > 1983 > New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Image Library > Appearances > 1983 > César Awards
Image Library > Appearances > 1983 > Unknown event (know where they come from?)
Image Library > Appearances > 1982 > Los Angels Film Critics Association Awards
Image Library > Career Photography > 1977 > Holocaust – On-Set Pictures

The Image Library has been finally converted to the site’s new layout in order to give Simply Streep a fitting image. Some rare new pictures will be added today as well, so check back soon ;-)

The wonderful Tina has submitted amazing DVD screencaps of “Theater of War”, the documentary that chronicles the 2006 staging of Brecht’s “Mother Courage and Her Children”, starring Meryl Streep. Over 600 caps have been added to the Image library.

Many thanks to Ilaria for submitting a transcript of Meryl’s speech after receiving the Golden Marc’Aurelio Acting Award at the Rome International Film Festival. Her few Italian lines have been translated into English for an easier reading. Thanks Ilaria!

Thank you, thank you so much… two microphones (laughs). Uulalala. I apologise for not speaking Italian as Helen Mirren but, Helen, (in response to Miss Mirren’s previous speech in which she mentioned inspiring Italian actresses) don’t forget Senta Berger, Giulietta Masina, Silvana Mangano and the madonna of all the actresses, Eleonora Duse, everyone italian!! I have to speak english. At this moment in my life after being an actress for… ok, 30 years, more than 30 years, having paid off all my students loans, all I feel is gratitude, really, that’s all I feel (applause). Because an actor is nothing but a listener and a talker, so we need the writer, we need the director, we need you, young writers and directors and producers, people who find the money, we need each other, other actors… so I’m not here by myself, I’m here with all the fantastic people who have led me by the hand to this moment, including my parents, my husband who made it possible to have this amazing career (applause) and all my friends living and gone… so thank you very much.

Added clips of Meryl’s various appearances at the Rome International Film Festival. The acceptance speech for the Golden Marc’Aurelio Award is unfortunately cut off, so if anyone has a full video or transcript (in English or Italian), any heads-up are appreciated. Enjoy the clips!

To wrap up the 4th edition of the Rome International Film Festival, pictures of Meryl at yesterday’s official awards ceremony have been added to the Image Library. She once again took the stage to receive the Marc’ Aurelio Acting Award. The Danish film “Brotherhood” won the Best Picture prize, Sergio Castellitto was voted Best Actor for “Alza La Testa”. And British actress Helen Mirren was voted Best Actress for “The Last Station” (some may remember that Meryl was originally cast in this role but left due to schedule conflicts).  Enjoy the pictures!

Actress Hilary Swank has won two Oscars for her performances in “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Million Dollar Baby” and is most certainly entering this year’s awards season with her performance as Amelia Earhart. In an interview with Moviefone, she was asked about her acting rolemodels.

You’ve had a pretty amazing career, but is there anyone’s career that you look to as an inspiration?

It’s probably cliché at this point, but Meryl Streep is someone who not only continues to raise her own bar, and she’s time and time again extraordinary … she carries herself with such grace and she’s a girl’s girl, she’s very supportive of other women, and her work ethic is inspiring. She runs the gamut of doing dramatic and mainstream movies. You know, she fluctuates back and forth so easily and fluently. We’re entertainers, and that’s what a full career is supposed to be filled with, so I think she’s just extraordinary in every way.