this is bbc news. the headlines: the queen will praise the country's self—discipline and quiet, good—humoured resolve in response to the crisis when she makes a rare television address later today. according to buckingham palace, the queen will personally thank frontline healthcare staff and other key workers for their efforts during the crisis. the government has urged people to stay at home as the death toll from coronavirus rose by 700 in one day, including a 5—year—old boy. there are indications that the spread of the infection in the uk is slowing because of the lockdown restrictions. new york state has recorded 630 more deaths on saturday —

the largest one—day increase so far. governor andrew cuomo has warned that hospitals aren't prepared for what's to come. new york city's mayor bill de blasio estimates that 16,000 more medical personnel will be needed. the grand national at aintree should have taken place yesterday but, like so many sporting events, it was cancelled. there was, however, an alternative on television for racing fans to enjoy — a virtual race with profits going to the fight against coronavirus. patrick gearey reports. race caller: starter robbie supple gets them away for the virtual national of 2020... the grand national, turned digital. while aintree was empty today, the a0 horses most likely to have run for real in the actual grand national fought it out virtually instead. the simulated race has been run since 2017 and uses computer imagery and complex algorithms to see how it would have played out.

it's been pretty true to life so far. usually, it's part of the build—up. this year, with real sports shut down, this was the main event, broadcast on itv. it is the greatest race in the calendar of racing, without question. so not to have a grand national doesn't seem right. so we've done everything we can to recreate the grand national in the best possible way. of course, it wouldn't be the national without a flutter and you could bet on the virtual result up to a maximum of £10, with all profits going to the nhs. in real life, tiger roll would have been going for a third national win in a row, but in the virtual race, he was overtaken by aso, who found out the aintree fences are no less tricky when they're made of pixels. 0h, aso‘s down! he crashed out at the second last! so to a thrilling finish and a victory for potters corner, a horse not even guaranteed a place in the real—life race. what a day for a trainer and jockey who never left home! there's great excitement in the house. the children were on their toy

horses and it was great watching the race and seeing the horse come through and winning. and obviously with jack riding him. he works in the yard and is a welsh jockey as well, only 17. there was great excitement. the technology allows a bit of time travel. red rum is now committed to legend but in an earlier race of champions, we saw him run again in the famous maroon and gold. virtually, as in history, he took victory — a bit of escapism at a time when it's most needed. patrick gearey, bbc news. now on bbc news, in a special pandemic edition of talking movies, the programme looks at how the coronavirus has devastated the movie industry in many parts of the world. hello, and welcome to this special edition of talking movies,

coming to you from my home on new york's upper west side. in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic, we've been working together remotely and collectively as a programming team to look at the impact of the virus on the global film industry. of course, the struggles of the movie business pales in comparison to what's been happening in terms of the human cost of this disease, but in some parts of the world, the film industry has been totally crippled by the pandemic. china was the first major country to be hit by the virus, and its nationalfilm industry has been severely hurt. production has been closed down, as have cinemas. with the impact of coronavirus waning in china, cinemas almost opened last weekend, but the government ordered them to remain closed at the last minute. when they do reopen, going to the movies isn't exactly going to feel festive. director and cinematographer yanqiu fei lives in shanghai.

0n the news, we learned that when the cinema reopens, they are going to follow a strict rule of disinfection for the whole cinema, and every audience will be requested to show their health care code, also get their temperature checked. and the cinema will remain social distancing within the audience, meaning everyone will have an empty seat in between. 0h, also you have to wear a mask all the time. for india, the world's largest producer of movies, the lockdown has taken the life out of bollywood and the big regionalfilm industries. indians love their movies, so the closing of cinemas has been very hard. it's left us catatonic. we have no idea what to do because cinema is like, you know, a drug in ourveins, that we need our weekly fix, and we are completely lost without it! i don't think we've ever seen such a big devastation, actually, because it's a nationwide lockdown now for a few weeks — till april 14, actually,

three weeks — so it's a big shock and i think — i mean, we've survived all kinds of other disasters — natural disasters, floods, famine, all kinds of stuff. riots, communal riots. but this, we've never seen something as comprehensive as this, because the whole nation is under lockdown. hollywood, of course, has been upended by the virus. bond. james bond. the newjames bond movie was the first major picture to be postponed. others have followed suit. the disaster has shut down production at virtually every american movie company. it's completely stopped. initially, whenever, you know, the virus first started coming to the united states, it was that productions are being suspended for a couple months or a couple weeks. but now everything has stopped indefinitely. i'm thinking of, you know, bigger movies like fantastic beasts, the matrix 4 movie, every disney, marvel show, every netflix show, every hbo show, the friends reunion, for example, is postponed indefinitely until this

is under control. i don't want to stay here. i'm sorry, i would never... hey, hey. see? right now, my priority is giving my baby somewhere safe, do you understand? some studio movies placed in cinemas were subsequently made available by the screening giants. this is a very significant move, with ramifications for the entire industry. typically there are 90 days between when a movie finishes its run in theatres and is available on streaming or on demand, and for a long time, some studios and some streaming sites like netflix or hulu have been trying to chip away at that 90 days because it is a big loss for them, financially. and so i think now, now that we are seeing new releases come on streaming, on demand, so much quicker, that might be a really lasting change. normally at this time of the year, the movie industry would be looking forward to the cannes film festival, which is held in may. but cannes has been postponed, as have dozens of other film—related

events. but festivals are adapting. south by southwest was cancelled but it's been showcasing films in its line—up by putting them online. case in point, a short horrorfilm called regret, from director santiago menghini. they could have easilyjust closed down the festival and just said, sorry, just the circumstances are what they are and operate, you know, with the intention of starting up next year. but they didn't. they actually came back to us and said, look, we're really working on something for everyone to have an opportunity to show yourfilm. even now, since they've announced this platform, it's been released, i have been getting a lot of great feedback — and something i wouldn't have had if it wasn't for their initiative and their effort to really help the film—makers. i would have been left basically abandoned. clearly, the globalfilm industry is being rocked by the pandemic. the damage will almost certainly continue to be done. and experts believe it will take months, even years, for the movie

business to recover. now let's move to pandemic—themed films, movies that deal with pandemics, like steven soderbergh's contagion, have been streamed in record numbers in recent days by audiences preoccupied by current events. but as emma jones reports, contagion is just one of many films that speak to our predicament. 100 years ago, a deadly influenza virus infected hundreds of millions of people. this is pandemic, a documentary investigating virus outbreaks and how to prevent the next one. eerily, it arrived on netflix around the same time as the public became aware of a virus called covid—19. since then, it's been streamed millions of times, presumably for the benefit of hindsight. within one month, a virus can spread throughout the country. a month after that, it is widespread throughout the world. actually experiencing contagion has resurrected steven soderbergh's 2011 film of the same name, which has been watched again by millions with fresh eyes.

made with the advice of medical experts, contagion is a sober examination of a pandemic spreading across the world with now all too familiar themes. it really foretold what we are experiencing today. it's obviously in greater numbers in the film, but in terms of the way it spread — it starts in hong kong, this fictional virus in the movie, and it spreads via the way that this current virus spreads. the average person touches their face three to five times every waking minute. the question is not if we get patients, it's when we'll get them. 93 days by steve gukas, starring danny glover, actually deals with a historic outbreak of ebola in nigeria, which was contained. but hollywood has also treated sickness as a standard blockbuster plot device, an enemy to be defeated. what chance did 1995's 0utbreak, caused by a monkey smuggled

into california carrying a lethal virus, have against these a—list actors? we've got 19 dead, we've got 100 more infected. it's spreading like a bushfire. what are you talking about? if one of them's got it, then ten of them have got it now. it's notjust films about pandemics which play upon the human fear of infection. that fear also stalks a whole movie genre, the horrorfilm, where often an epidemic can unleash a future that nobody‘s quite bargained for. what's interesting is how many different monster movies seem to reflect our fears of infection and disease. if you think about any dracula film, there's that fear that something might come from across the sea, from another land, it might infect our country and spread out throughout society, and how scary that is. zombies used to be these shambling reanimated corpses that lurched through graveyards. it really changed with 28 days later, the film directed by danny boyle and written

by alex garland. because in that, they are no longer reanimated corpses, they are people who have been infected by a virus. it has those scenes of an empty london, which we are seeing in reality at the moment. world war z with brad pitt. in that film, it's really about globalisation — about how these infections don't just take over a city or a building, but can spread throughout the world. is anyone doing better than we are? the isolation that an estimated quarter of the globe are experiencing now has been anticipated in films such as i am legend, where will smith seems totally alone in a post—apocalyptic new york, to 0ldboy by park chan—wook, where the main character is locked up for 15 years without human contact. but if alone is bad, alone with someone else can be worse. just look at what happens in the lighthouse by robert eggers, where two men are isolated

for weeks on an island. in a couple of years, we're going to see the creative effects of the coronavirus outbreak in cinemas. what you think we're going to see? it is going to be heavyweight political dramas, of course, with actors pretending to be donald trump. there's going to be slasher movies and stalker movies with people being chased through the empty streets during the eerie lockdown. heist movies set at the same time, people robbing the banks with no—one around. there are going to be romantic dramas, romantic comedies with people falling in love over social media or people falling in love across the street from each other but, of course, they can't get close because of the lockdown. there are going to be so many films set during this crisis that we are going to get sick of them. watch this. it's transmission. so we just need to know which direction. until now, hollywood's portrayal of infection always brought along a solution — a vaccine, or perhaps brad pitt. the time of coronavirus means this generation of moviegoers could find

it much harder to accept that a hero really can come and save the day. it is mutating. with everyone cooped up in their homes with nowhere to go, the pandemic has led to a huge increase in streaming in recent days. so much so that the surge in streaming may further change the way in which we watch movies in the future, perhaps hastening the demise of the traditional cinema. i certainly hope that isn't the case. anyway, streaming is now very popular. i spoke to movie lovers in the us, india, china, germany, japan and denmark, and it was no surprise to find that all of them in the midst of this pandemic have been streaming movies, sometimes for hours at a stretch. there are no movie theatres, there is nowhere else to experience

moving images other than on your computer screen, so i think that streaming platforms have become the full—on opportunity for people to watch film and tv now, so it's a historic high. so what films have people been watching in their homes? sergei lives in tokyo. i've definitely been watching several pandemic films. the one most watched lately, i think, is 0utbreak. i hear from most of my friends, they do watch those films lately. especially now, like, in the last week, because everyone is depressed, in general. your town is being quarantined. movie lover fatima, who lives in arizona, has rather different tastes. i have a few friends who are watching some more of those dystopic pandemic movies, but i find myself drawn more to movies that draw a sense of comfort, the feel—good kind, just to comfort myself during these uncertain times. it is hard to single out the ideal movie to watch

in these pandemic times. you know, the movie that almost everyone i know has been turning to for comfort, suddenly, seems to be moonstruck, the romantic comedy starring cher and nicolas cage that's set in brooklyn heights. if you're based in new york like i am, it's a nice reminder of what it like outside. do you love him, loretta? i love him awful. that's too bad. she loves me. it's the right amount of escapism, without seeming too sickly sweet. the pandemic hasn'tjust prompted millions to drift to streaming platforms, but it's also had an impact on film—makers. in delhi, the pandemic has given director tariq vasudeva much food for thought. what it makes me think is once this is over, there has to be a shift in how people are approaching cinema, and how much they are... how much they are exploring the idea of unity. with audiences becoming so accustomed to streaming movies at home during the pandemic, there are concerns that once the coronavirus outbreak has subsided, cinemas will remain empty, they could just disappear. jad salfiti is a british

journalist based in berlin. there are many, many excellent independent cinemas here in berlin, and they are the ones that will be hit the hardest. there is no end in sight for self isolation, they are going to be closed at least until the end of april, so it's not clear what will happen to many of these independent cinemas. but some moviegoers take a more optimistic view. actually, when the cinemas open again, i think that people are going to go to the cinemas a lot, at least the first couple of weeks, and then it's probably going to tone down a bit and be just like before. because right now, i think a lot of people are tired ofjust, like sitting at home and streaming. i mean, it's ok, but sometimes it's also nice to, like, get out of the house, meet with some friends and see

something on a big screen. but with all this streaming taking place, it's become clear that in the midst of this pandemic, the magic of cinema still prevails. it is definitely helping to take people away from disconcerting realities. as esteemed film—maker david lynch once stated, cinema is like opening a door and going into a new world. while the streaming giants are getting most of the attention in these days of social distancing, there is a host of smaller streaming platforms online offering some great alternatives. from his home in connecticut, film critic noah gittel has been looking at what's available beyond the mainstream. like many people around the world, i've had some extra time at home lately, and i'm spending it watching movies. what i've discovered is that there's a whole world of cinema beyond the usual suspects of streaming services and for those smaller streamers looking to break out, this could be the moment. international streaming services

that could see a boom in viewing numbers include spuul, which focuses on indian content and has over 1,000 films and series, as well as asian crush, which focuses on asian cinema and could be a destination forfans of parasite, this year's best picture winner from korea. other services such as mubi, which features a hand—picked selection of award—winning cinema that is curated monthly, shudder, a haven for horrorfans and shout factory tv, which specialises in cult and b—movies, are all offering free or low—cost trials, hoping to lure viewers that are looking for titles beyond the offerings at netflix, amazon and hulu. i think that these companies, they recognise that they have an incredible opportunity here to reach audiences that might not otherwise be kind of compelled to search for something that they don't already have. so they are reallyjust trying to lure them with an extended free trial and then, of course communal, the hope with any free trial is that

people either forget to cancel or like it enough to keep subscribing. in fact, the streaming service landscape is getting more crowded now than ever, with theatrical distributors and physical cinemas themselves even getting into the game. film and video distributor kino lorber has launched virtual marquee, partnering with 150 american independent theatres to stream the films that they would have been showing in cinemas and splitting the revenue. they started their programme with bacurau, an award—winning brazilian western that was slated to open on march 6th. what's interesting about our programme is that although this was developed as kind of an interim, as a stopgap to allow theatres to recapture revenue while the physical doors were closed, we see this as a way of creating a virtual expansion of the screening opportunities.

even if they go back to normal, they are very pressed, most of the time, to play films quickly, move them out, they are locked in calendar schedules and such. well, suddenly with the kino marquee programme they will have now virtual screens to play on. it is a change that could stretch to all corners of the movie world, with ripple effects that are hard to predict. at least for now, independent cinema seems to have an advantage — while new blockbusters are being postponed to later this year or even 2021, the latest independent films are nowjust a click away. around the world, the film—making community is responding to the pandemic with stories directly related to the impact it is having. ten directors in greece have just completed short films on the subject and some are very moving. "life can find a home during the pandemic" is the theme of ten new short films completed

by top greek film—makers, at the behest of a film festival when it postponed its documentary festival last month. it's artistic director would like creativity to flourish in this time of darkness. art can be made in any situation as long as there is an artist or an audience. our partners implement creation, give the means to this hope. we are asking film directors to make a movie in their confinement. it is a liberating action, because there is no borders within four walls. we are staying home, washing our hands properly and making films without disinfectant.

among the films made for this endeavour in the past few days was one shot within the home of a director. the camera pans across piles of books in her home. i decided to do it because at the time i was rearranging the books on the book shelves in the house. by doing this, i was coming face—to—face with my past and my previous lives, so this three minute film is about the experience of time, the fact we are constantly in a rush and suddenly we're forced to sit back and look at our lives, look at ourselves and look at our role in society

and the world. another short film is called foghorn, defined by that sound. it is an abstract work featuring wetlands and animals. it makes use of previously shot material. my film ended up to be about some pretty bleak atmosphere of the city, athens in silence, in contrast to the happiness of animals that see human action not being there any more. the man behind this collective creative endeavour was motivated by a desire to help the film—making community but also wants to give people hope and demonstrate that art can play a role in bringing that about. we are strong, we are fighting. the last years, during this big economic crisis particularly in greece, we questioned the role of the artist and said it was not important, and now billions of people are inside their homes, consuming art. and so it is the fundamental of our society and existence.

the completed films will be shown on the youtube channel for the film festival. the endeavour is just one of the many ways in which film—makers and film festivals are responding to the pandemic, when the desire to be creative trumps the stress and anxiety that could be holding film—makers back. well, that brings this special edition of talking movies to a close. we hope you have enjoyed the programme. please remember you can always reach us online, and you can find us on facebook and twitter. from me, tom brook, and the rest of the talking movies production team in new york and beyond, it is goodbye, as we leave you with a great clip from a hollywood classic which might lift your spirits in the midst

of these very difficult times. # i'm singing in the rain. #just singing in the rain. # what a glorious feeling, i'm happy again. # i'm laughing at clouds so dark up above. # the sun's in my heart, and i'm ready for love. # let the stormy clouds chase everyone from the place...# hello there. temperatures in some southern and eastern parts of the uk got up to 17 degrees on saturday. i think those temperatures will get even higher on sunday, into the low 20s for a few, with lots of sunshine around. it will be breezy, particularly in the west, where we'll also see some rain arriving later in the day, courtesy of this stripe of cloud here, a frontal system that'll be

pushing its way in. but there is a big zone of clear skies heading in our direction, and also a plume of warm air. now, that warm air being brought to us on a southerly wind, a brisk southerly wind at that. the wind might touch gale force across some western areas later in the day. so there will be a lot of blue sky and sunshine around. i think generally speaking there'll be increasing amounts of high, wispy clouds spreading in from the west, turning the sunshine a bit hazy into the afternoon, and also some thicker cloud that'll bring some outbreaks of patchy ran into northern ireland, perhaps the far west of wales, the far south—west of england and the far west of scotland as well by the end of the day. these are the wind gusts we're expecting. it's going to be a blustery day for all, but could see gusts of 50mph or more for some exposed spots in northern ireland and western scotland. but with those winds coming in from the south,

yes, it will be warm. 21 degrees in london. even further north, in glasgow, highs of 18. high pollen levels, though, it's tree pollen at this time of year, across england and wales. the levels much lower for much of northern ireland and scotland. as we go through sunday night, we see these outbreaks of rain in the west, pushing eastwards. the rain will tend to fizzle for awhile. but it looks likely that into the early hours of monday morning, we'll see some slightly heavier rain pushing its way back into the south—east corner on what will be a really mild night. temperatures holding in double digits for some of us. now, as we move into monday, this weather front still staggering its way eastwards. a pulse of heavier rain likely to be running along it, so we could see some pretty hefty downpours for a time across the south—east of england and east anglia on monday morning. that rain will then clear away. we see sunny skies behind, but a scattering of showers, chiefly across the north—west of the uk. still quite windy here, so those showers fairly blustery in nature. some could be heavy. and monday is a slightly cooler day with highs between 12 and 17 degrees. however, that does not last.

temperatures are going to climb again as the week wears on, as we pick up a southerly wind. 21, 22 degrees is possible in the south. for most, dry. a bit of rain in the far north and west.

good morning. welcome to breakfast, with ben thompson and sally nugent. 0ur headlines today: in a rare address to the nation, the queen will thank nhs staff and call on people to show self—discipline and quiet, good—humoured resolve in the face of the coronavirus crisis. as parts of the uk enjoy their hottest weekend in six months, police urge people to stick to the stay—at—home rules. the newly elected labour leader, sir keir starmer, says the government has made serious mistakes over testing and a lack of protective equipment for medical staff. negotiations over footballers' pay reaches deadlock. as premier league stars are told clubs face £1 billion loss,