ANN/THE STAR/TNS – It looks like Johnny Depp’s (AP, pic below) return to Hollywood after last year’s turbulent defamation trail against ex-wife Amber Heard will begin in France.

The Cannes Film Festival announced that Jeanne Du Barry, starring the divisive Pirates Of The Caribbean actor, will open this year’s lineup.

Directed by and starring French actor Maiwenn in the titular role, Jeanne Du Barry is a historical drama that follows the life of a working-class woman who quickly becomes the lover of King Louis XV, played by Depp.

Jeanne Du Barry will make its world premiere at Cannes on May 16 at the Grand Theatre Lumiere, the festival said. The film, Maiwenn’s sixth feature, will also be released in French theatres the same day.

Benjamin Lavernhe, Melvil Poupaud, Pierre Richard, Pascal Greggory and India Hair also star.

The Cannes premiere comes on Depp’s first feature film role after his highly public trial against Heard. In June 2022, Depp won over USD10million in damages in his defamation case against Heard after a weekslong trial in Virginia that was broadcast live.

The ex-spouses settled their duelling cases in December, but now both face uncertain career stability.

Recently Depp voiced a cartoon puffin in the animated TV series Puffins and two spinoff projects. The 2020 film Minamata was his last feature role. In November he was featured in Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Vol 4 televised fashion show.

Heard, on the other hand, most recently appeared in Zack Snyder’s cut of Justice League in 2021.

ANN/THE STAR – Even if there is often no time to celebrate a long morning routine on work days, we can still endeavour to make our start of the day more calm and enjoyable.

Here’s one thing you can do right away that will instantly make a difference: stretch.

Usually, a peaceful and tranquil time on the weekend, for many people, a weekday morning is the epitome of stress, with breakfast, lunch boxes and school drop-off all to be taken care of before work.

But little time doesn’t necessarily mean that we can’t introduce a bit more peace and quiet into our mornings, said yoga instructor Inga Heckmann.

In an interview, the relaxation expert explained that small rituals are key, and that the groundwork for a relaxed morning is already laid the night before.

Question: How do we make our mornings a little more relaxed, even when there’s little time?

Answer: It already comes down to the night before.

Instead of binge-watching TV right until going to bed, I recommend taking 30 minutes to wind down before going to sleep.

Breathing exercises or a yoga session are a great way to calm the nervous system.

Otherwise you can try reading a book or poetry, or listen to a podcast.

Basically, anything that nurtures the soul works.

This will help you to sleep better, which in turn, strongly influences how we feel in the morning.

What can I do in the morning to make the start to the day a bit easier?

It’s important to be woken gently, especially if you’re not an early bird. Instead of using the blaring tunes on your phone, try a gentler-sounding alarm that wakes you with by playing the sound of chirping birds or music. Another important aspect are morning rituals that give us energy and motivation.

The more consistently we cultivate them, the more the brain and the body know to look forward to them.

What kind of rituals?

Simple breathing exercises, for example, which you can do in bed even before getting up.

Assuming the so-called butterfly pose prevents you from falling asleep again. Place the pillow under your head and pull your feet up so that your knees are bent at a right angle.

Now let both knees fall outwards. Then place your right hand on your lower belly and your left hand on your upper belly, and breathe deeply and long into your abdomen and then into your chest.

The hands make sure that you feel the breath well. Repeat this five to 10 times.

This exercise raises the pulse, increases the oxygen content in the blood, and stretches the respiratory muscles in the chest, flanks and around the shoulder girdle, to help awaken us fully.

If the pose hurts your knees or thighs, you can cushion them with pillows to reduce muscle tension.

ANN/THE STAR – Izuddin Isham was cheerful as he attended to customers at his booth at the National Craft Day exhibition, a three-week long event held at the National Craft Complex in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia recently.

Patiently, he explained how he made his handcrafted ceramic wares such as the traditional labu sayong or gourd-shaped water jars, lampshades and water dispensers.

“So far, sales for my handcrafted goods, especially the lampshades and ceramic cups, have been pretty good. I’ve sold many labu sayong in the last few days too. A lot of people are interested in labu sayong because it can keep drinking water cool,” said Izuddin, 30, during the exhibition.

Apart from his shyness, it is difficult to tell this young man is diagnosed with high-functioning autism.

Izuddin’s story is a testament to how, with the right skills and enough support and encouragement, individuals with autism can live independently, earn a living and even make a name for themselves in their chosen field.

Since 2017, Izuddin has been running his ceramic business Izzue Craft, at the Perbadanan Kemajuan Kraftangan Malaysia (PKKM) in Enggor, Kuala Kangsar in Perak.

His passion for making ceramic products has not only helped him earn a steady income, it’s also given him a sense of purpose and pride in his work.

“Initially, I was worried about setting up a business,” he said. “My biggest concern was my lack of knowledge in running a business. However, I am grateful for the many other crafters who have reached out and taught me what I need to know to manage my business,” shared Izuddin, the third of four siblings.

CRAFTING HIS LIVELIHOOD

But the journey to becoming a successful crafter wasn’t an easy one for Izuddin. As a child, he struggled with school. He was eventually diagnosed with high-functioning autism when he was 10.

He found it hard to socialise and communicate which made it hard for him to keep up with the other students in the classroom.

“I was never interested in my studies. I was a weak student in high school. Most of the time, I failed many subjects in school. As a result, I got many Cs and Ds for my Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination,” said the former student of Sekolah Menengah Teknik Bukit Piatu in Melaka.

“I preferred arts and crafts activities instead of learning. I also enjoyed watching Japanese TV series Ultraman, and anime shows Digimon and Pokémon as a young boy. I’d spend hours moulding plasticine to create the different characters from these series, like Ultraman Tiga, Pikachu (from Pokémon) and Agumon (Digimon),” he said.

Luckily, Izuddin’s mother, Kajang-based homemaker Razita Ismail, 55, never gave up on her son. The devoted mother recognised her son’s natural talent in crafting, and enrolled him in a four-year vocational ceramic course at Institut Kraf Negara (IKN) in Rawang, Selangor.

“I sent him for the ceramic course because he enjoys moulding things using plasticine and clay.

“The programme has provided him with the skills and training to really hone his skills and turn his passion into a career.”

But, even with all his skills training, Razita still worried about whether Izuddin would be able to find work. Her biggest concern was if employers would be hesitant to hire her son with special needs, thinking that he would not be able to perform his job duties. She encouraged him, instead, to start his own business making ceramic products.

“I’m happy he’s able to earn a living. As a mother of a differently -abled person, there’s nothing more that I can wish for.

“It is important for society to be accepting of people with special needs and to create inclusive environments that support them and encourage their success. By recognising the unique abilities of individuals with autism, we can help them to reach their full potential and lead fulfilling lives.”

A wide range of behaviours and impairments are associated with people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism is not an illness that can be cured; it’s a lifelong condition, and those with autism usually require lifelong care.

Those who have high-functioning autism, like Izuddin, don’t need as much assistance in carrying out tasks but may exhibit deficits in communication, emotion recognition and expression, and social interaction.

Izuddin is thankful to his trainers from IKN and crafters from PKKM Enggor who have helped him in promoting his business on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

“I may be good at making ceramic items but I’m not clever in marketing my products. I’ve never been good at these things. It’s a challenge for me to upload images on social media as I sometimes forget the steps. But I am slowly learning to record videos and promote things on TikTok and Instagram,” explained Izuddin, who holds a diploma in ceramic art craft from IKN.

At the moment, he can earn over RM3,000 a month selling his ceramic water jars, lampshades and pots.

“It isn’t difficult to make these handcrafted items because I have learned the skills from IKN. I think anyone can learn a new skill if they have the interest and passion,” said Izuddin, who spends about eight hours at work on weekdays.

To increase his income, he also sells handcrafted dinosaur figurines (made using wire and ceramic) as well as figurines of his favourite characters from TV series like Ultraman, Mobile Suit Gundam and Digimon on social media. One of his hottest selling items is the wire figurine of the character of Mat Kilau from the 2022 movie Mat Kilau Kebangkitan Pahlawan.

“I usually create these characters during my free time, after work hours. I enjoy working with my hands, and I like exploring my creative side.

“There’s something calming and relaxing about moulding clay and twisting and bending wire.”

SKILL TRAINING FOR ASD YOUTH

Izuddin’s success as a crafter is inspiring and a reminder of the potential of individuals on the spectrum. Studies have shown how people with autism can benefit from job training and skills development programmes that focus on their strengths and interests.

Research has also shown that those with autism often have unique skills and abilities that make them well-suited for certain types of work, such as jobs requiring attention to detail or a strong visual-spatial ability.

A 2020 study Vocational Education for ASD Students towards the Market Employment by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) found vocational education can equip ASD students with the skills employers require.

It showed that individuals with ASD have talents and can be productive. The research, published in the International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, said investing in special education for students with special needs, especially ASD, is crucial as they are an asset to human development and can contribute to the nation’s economic development.

Izuddin is living proof that with the proper training, a person with autism can fit into society and lead a fulfilling life. He is grateful for the opportunities that have come his way.

He knows that his success is due in part to the support of his mother and the training that has given him the skills to succeed.

“Look at me. I never thought I could succeed as I was never good in my studies. Thankfully, my parents had faith in me.

“They recognised my hidden talents and gave me all the encouragement to succeed. And now, I’m running a small ceramic business.”

Razita advised parents of children with autism to be patient and focus on their children’s abilities, not their disabilities.

She added that with acceptance and children with autism can overcome their challenges and lead fulfilling lives.