This week on arts24, we explore the rise of virtual talent and the storm surrounding AI actress Tilly Norwood, the digital star unveiled at the Zurich Film Festival that's shaking up the entertainment world. Plus, film critic Emma Jones tells us about the festival's human stars: Russell Crowe reflects on his storied career while accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award, Colin Farrell charms audiences in a new role set in Macau, and Benedict Cumberbatch confronts grief in an unexpected form. We also take a first look at Palme d'Or winner "It Was Just an Accident", a haunting new feature from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, and dive into "A Big Bold Beautiful Journey", the fantasy romance starring Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie that has left critics divided.

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been jailed, gone on hunger strike and even sold his house to pay bail – all for the right to make movies. After winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes and being selected to represent France at the Oscars, he's now releasing his new film "It Was Just an Accident", inspired by his own imprisonment. In this interview, Panahi explains to Eve Jackson why every film is worth the risk.

If you're a fan of gospel, soul and folk with a vintage pop vibe, you'll love the work of Natalie Bergman, who has just released her second solo album "My Home Is Not In This World" on Jack White's Third Man Records. The record can be seen as a rebirth following her stunning but grief-stricken first album. This new offering explores past loves and aims to bring comfort and reassurance in these complicated times. She popped by FRANCE 24 to tell Marjorie Hache more about the record and the music videos that beautifully accompany it. We also meet Ireland's rising pop star CMAT, who has just released a new album "Euro-Country" and we take a look at Spark's new EP "Madder!"

From a Tunisian beauty contest to starring in Fellini's masterpieces, Claudia Cardinale's dazzling career shaped European cinema's golden age. Join us on arts24 as film critic Emma Jones and Eve Jackson celebrate the legacy of Italy's unforgettable sweetheart, an accidental star who became a legend. Don't miss this tribute to a true cinematic icon.

In this episode of arts24, coinciding with the 200th anniversary of the first passenger train, award-winning travel writer Monisha Rajesh joins Eve Jackson to share her immersive, rail-bound adventures across continents. Her latest book, "Moonlight Express: Around the World by Night Train", takes readers on 18 unforgettable journeys – from sipping pisco sours aboard Peru's Andean Explorer to watching the sunrise over Istanbul's skyline.

Part love letter to the sleeper train, part cultural chronicle, Moonlight Express celebrates a slower, more meaningful way to experience the world – one now enjoying a renaissance in our fast-paced, climate-conscious era.

We talk to Monisha about iconic routes like the Orient Express, the joys and surprises of nocturnal travel with a young family, and her top pick for the one night train journey everyone should experience.

On today’s music show on Arts24, Jennifer Ben Brahim sits down with Chicago-born, New York-based singer, songwriter, and producer KeiyaA. Known for her gossamer vocals and genre-blending sound – mixing jazz, soul, and electro – KeiyaA made waves with her debut album Forever, Ya Girl, earning critical acclaim and fans like Solange, Jay-Z, and Moses Sumney. Five years later, she returns with her sophomore album Hooke’s Law, a deeply personal journey of self-love that serves as a musical diary of one of the most challenging periods of her life.

Israeli director Nadav Lapid joins Arts24 to discuss “Yes”, his most daring film yet, released this week in France after a powerful premiere at Cannes. Shot in Israel during the war in Gaza and completed under rocket fire, the film follows a musician tasked with composing a patriotic anthem after October 7. With cast and crew walking off set, “Yes”was shaped by real-time tensions both on and off screen. Blending biting satire with deep emotional undercurrents, the film explores the complex roles of artists and citizens during national trauma. Lapid reflects on creative freedom, identity, and the challenge of telling hard truths in turbulent times.

French pop star Mylène Farmer makes a rare appearance as the voice of an AI-powered virtual assistant in "Dalloway", which deals with some of the darker sides of creativity in Yann Gozlan's latest film. Manon Kerjean, the founder of Lost in Translation, a film club screening French features in Paris for non-French speakers, joins us to discuss the merits of this "Black Mirror"-adjacent movie. We also discuss Pierre Schoeller's psychological thriller "Rembrandt" and reflect on the complexities at the centre of the troubled relationship between Yves Montand and Simone Signoret, as the actress and singer's lives are examined by Diane Kurys in "C'est Si Bon". And Manon flags up a Maurice Pialat retrospective at the Cinémathèque Française that provides an insight into the iconoclastic French filmmaker.