Spielberg confers at U.N.

Filmmaker Steven Spielberg met this week with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to brainstorm ways to keep the spotlight on the troubled Darfur region as world concern shifts to places such as Tibet and Zimbabwe.

The director pitched a few ideas at the session, but any new project is still in development, U.N. officials and Spielberg’s spokesman said.

“We went there to offer help in any way that we could,” said spokesman Andy Spahn. “We will continue to try to focus public attention on the issue and to try to arrange meetings with those who have influence in Sudan.”

Spielberg stepped down in February from his post advising on the opening ceremonies for the Beijing Summer Olympics to protest China’s continuing support of the Sudanese government and its role in violence in Darfur.