May 1: Struggles, Lily of the Valley and Traditions
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-05-01 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
May 1 is a symbol of social struggles and the spring season, resonating differently across the globe. Originating in the United States in 1886 amid labor demands for an 8-hour workday, this day evolved under the impetus of the Second International into a crucial international rendez-vous for workers. In France, May 1 has a dual aspect. On one ...
Paul Auster, Giant of American Literature, Dies at 77
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-05-01 10:05 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
The famous writer Paul Auster, the undisputed master of the American postmodern novel, left us at the age of 77, leaving behind a monumental literary work that marked his era. Born in 1947 in Newark, New Jersey, Paul Auster was attracted to writing from a very young age. After studying at Columbia, he traveled to Europe before fully devoting ...
Cyrano's Shadow: Depardieu Faces His Darkest Hour
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-04-30 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Gérard Depardieu, a sacred monster of French cinema, finds himself today in the midst of a storm, accused of sexual assault. A look back at the tumultuous trajectory of an extraordinary actor. Gérard Depardieu, a name that resonates like thunder in the French cinematic landscape, finds himself today at the heart of a scandal that shakes his ...
Alma Fakhre: Transcending Borders, Uniting Souls Through Art
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-04-29 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Alma Fakhre, a Lebanese-Grenadian-French artist, captivates audiences at the Venice Biennale’s Grenada Pavilion with her soul-stirring, boundary-defying artwork that celebrates the interconnectedness of humanity. Alma Fakhre, a visionary artist whose roots span the globe, has made a mark on the art world with her thought-provoking and ...
Céline Dion: A Voice Shattered by Fate
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-04-28 10:44 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Céline Dion, an icon of song, has had a meteoric career peppered with numerous personal tragedies. Today, afflicted by a rare disease, she is engaged in a relentless battle to return to the stage. Born on March 30, 1968, in Charlemagne, Quebec, Céline is the youngest in a modest family of 14 children. From a young age, surrounded by music, she ...
‘Juror #2’: Clint Eastwood's Moral Dilemma at 93
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-04-24 20:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Born on May 31, 1930, in San Francisco, Clint Eastwood is a towering figure in cinema. As an actor, director, producer and composer, he has left an indelible mark on the history of film over a career spanning more than six decades. Now, at 93, he is set to take on a final challenge with his 40th feature film as a director, Juror #2, a legal ...
When Big Brother Hides Within Ourselves
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-04-22 18:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
It seems we are living in a marvelous era where the inquisitive eye of Big Brother has found a new playground: our own minds. Like a benevolent lifeguard, he ensures that we do not drown in the troubled waters of our free will. How fortunate we are! But beware, Big Brother is not always an external entity, the big bad government or the ...
Lady Diana’s Dresses, Relics of an Eternal Icon
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-04-19 14:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
On August 31, 1997, the world was in shock. Lady Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales, tragically died in a car accident in Paris at just 36 years old. Twenty-seven years later, the woman affectionately known as “Lady Di” or the “People’s Princess” continues to fascinate and inspire with her style, humanity and extraordinary fate. This is ...
Iran vs Israel: The Geopolitical Blockbuster of the Year!
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-04-15 10:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Listen to the article [audio mp3="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Ladies-and-gentlemen-get-your-popcorn-ready-because-the-latest-big-budget-action-film-has-just.mp3"][/audio] Ladies and gentlemen, get your popcorn ready, because the latest big-budget action film has just been released... except it's not a film, but ...
Damour 1976: Psychoanalytic Deep Dive into the Memory of a Massacre
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-04-13 11:26 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
48 years later, the deadly attack launched against the town of Damour in January 1976 is still a gaping wound in the Lebanese collective subconscious. Zeina Zerbé, clinical psychologist and psychotherapeutic psychoanalyst, courageously dives into this profound trauma in her book Damour L’assaut, le massacre et la chute de la ville. A compendium ...
Art Under Siege: The Wajdi Mouawad Controversy in Lebanon
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-04-11 13:27 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Amidst political pressure, intimidation and blackmail related to “normalization” with Israel, many Lebanese artists find their freedom of expression threatened. Despite being a cultural jewel of the Middle East, the Land of the Cedars seems to be sinking into a repressive spiral aimed at silencing any critical or dissenting voice. This ...
Dolce & Gabbana Dazzle Milan With Their Stunning Exhibition
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-04-06 10:41 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
The exhibition "From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana" at the Palazzo Reale in Milan celebrates the creative genius of the duo, their love for Italian culture and their unique approach to luxury. The Palazzo Reale in Milan opens its doors to the event exhibition "From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana," a true ...
Mireille Khanamirian, Ambassador of Aznavour's Legacy
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-04-03 10:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Charles Aznavour, a key figure in French music, continues to inspire admiration and wonder across borders and generations. His legacy, carried by dedicated personalities like Mireille Khanamirian and the Aznavour Foundation, keeps shining throughout the world. As part of the ongoing celebration of Aznavour’s legacy, the Embassy of Armenia in ...
The Extraordinary Odyssey of Decorated Easter Eggs
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-03-31 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
In the heart of spring, when nature is reborn, an ancient and universal tradition resurfaces to enchant both young and old: the coloring of Easter eggs. Journey through history and cultures. Like a golden thread woven through the ages, the custom of decorating eggs at Easter connects us to ancient civilizations. Persians, Egyptians, Gauls and ...
"Wedding Day at the Cro-Magnons," the Original Cry of Wajdi Mouawad
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-03-30 18:04 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Thirty years after writing it, Wajdi Mouawad is finally staging Journée de noces chez les Cromagnons (Wedding Day at the Cro-Magnons), a foundational piece of his theatrical universe, with a Lebanese team and in his mother tongue. In 1991, the young Canadian-Lebanese author Wajdi Mouawad wrote Journée de noces chez les Cromagnons, a tragicomic ...
Carla Sayad's Watercolor Easter Eggs
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-03-30 09:00 - Reading : less than a minute
Carla Sayad, a multifaceted Lebanese artist, has established herself in the art world as a talented watercolorist. Born in Lebanon and trained in interior design, she quickly shifted her creativity towards watercolor, exploring various surfaces and textures. Her work is distinguished by its delicacy and poetry, especially when expressed through a ...
Powerful Portrayals of Mothers in Cinema
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-03-21 18:12 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Motherhood is a complex and powerful theme that has been explored in cinema for generations. These eight unforgettable performances showcase the depth, resilience, and unconditional love of mothers on screen. In Greta Gerwig's 2017 film Lady Bird, Laurie Metcalf delivers a tour-de-force performance as Marion, the mother of the titular character ...
Celebrating Resilience: Rabih Kayrouz Presents Collection in Restored Atelier
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-03-15 21:06 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Beirut, the wounded city, rises from its ashes through art and creation. Emblematic of this resilience, Lebanese designer Rabih Kayrouz chose to present his new Spring-Summer 2024 collection in his Gemmayzé district workshop, beautifully restored after being devastated by the Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020. An emotionally charged event ...
Andrei Molodkin Gambles Masterpieces to Rescue Julian Assange
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-03-14 10:45 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
In an unprecedented gesture, Russian artist Andrei Molodkin risks invaluable masterpieces of world art to try to save Julian Assange from extradition and a possible life sentence. This explosive confrontation of art, politics and human rights raises profound questions. At the heart of the Hautes-Pyrénées, The Foundry Gallery has become the ...
Amélie Nothomb at the Louvre: An IQ Odyssey Without a QR
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-03-11 18:23 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
In this hyper-connected world, it seems that some still resist the digital invader. Among them, Amélie Nothomb, an analog heroine, stands as a bastion of cultural resistance. Amélie Nothomb is a renowned writer who, in the age of digital everything, continues to write her novels by hand. Yes, by hand, with a pen and paper, like in the good old ...
Chanel Celebrates Its Love Story With Deauville
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-03-10 17:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Chanel and Deauville share a love story that lasted for over a century. When Gabrielle Chanel opened her first store in the Norman seaside resort in 1912, she could not have imagined that she was sealing the fate of her brand with that of this town. Since then, the two names have been inseparable, united by a common passion for casual elegance and ...
A Magical Evening of Timeless Melodies at Al-Bustan Festival
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-03-04 18:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
“Life without music is but an error, a tiresome chore, an exile,” Nietzsche wrote in a letter to Peter Gast in 1888. These words ring especially true in Lebanon, a country where culture and art have always held a paramount place. Just yesterday, the resilience of the Lebanese was celebrated at the J’ai deux amours concert during the 30th ...
‘Art Gems’: Lebanese Art Shines at the Ritz Carlton DIFC in Dubai
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-02-26 20:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Under the curation of Dr. Tony Karam and with the enthusiastic support of Christian el-Khoury, the director of the establishment, the lobbies of the luxurious Ritz Carlton DIFC in Dubai were transformed into an art gallery for the opening of the Art Gems exhibition. This event brought together the elite of the Emirati cultural world and the ...
And Aleph Created Musical Alchemy!
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-02-24 13:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Notes that transport. Music that bewitches. Aleph enchanted the stage of the Casino du Liban during “Dance of Sands,” his exceptional concert on February 23. Ingeniously merging Western and Eastern music, he presented his audience with a complete symphony for the five senses. By infusing his music with vitality, energy, and sensuality, ...
Al Bustan Festival and Puccini: 130 Candles Blown Out Together
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-02-22 18:37 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
While Lebanon faces multiple crises, the Al Bustan Festival stood up to adversity this year by celebrating a highly symbolic double anniversary: its 30th year of existence and the centennial of Puccini’s passing. It was in this challenging context that the lights turned on Wednesday night on the stage of the Emile Bustani auditorium, ...
In Beirut, the Deal Is in the (Fake) Bag!
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-02-19 13:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
The streets of Beirut are increasingly resembling a gigantic open-air bazaar… of luxury bag counterfeits! Kelly, Birkin, Lady Dior, Chanel 2.55, quilted bags, Hermès belts: they are absolutely everywhere, proudly displayed on the arms of Lebanese women or on the passenger seat of their shiny SUVs. “Look how beautiful my new Kelly is, I adore ...
‘Mother Valley’ by Carlos Chahine: A Cinematic Gem
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-02-18 10:56 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
In Mother Valley, Carlos Chahine delivers a nuanced portrait of Lebanon in 1958, capturing with finesse a woman’s quest for freedom in a changing world. This Franco-Lebanese film skillfully blends historical drama with intimate exploration, establishing itself as a major work in the cinematic landscape of 2023. Carlos Chahine’s ...
'Dance of Sands:' In the Beginning Was Aleph…
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-02-13 18:20 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Known by the now-iconic stage name Aleph, he is set to perform on February 23 at the Casino du Liban. In his upcoming concert, titled "Dance of Sands," attendees won't just listen, they'll also be invited to "sing, pray and dance" along. In an exclusive interview with This is Beirut, Aleph shares insights into his journey and offers a glimpse into ...
Grammy Awards: Taylor Swift, Céline Dion and Intergenerational Disdain
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-02-12 11:04 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
“Respect is what we owe to those who have paved the way for us.” This is what Taylor Swift must have forgotten when receiving her Grammy from the great Céline Dion. Surrounded by her team and Lana Del Rey, she scooped up the Album of the Year Grammy from Céline Dion’s hands without even acknowledging her, apparently seeing her merely as a ...
'Last Call' or the Bittersweet Era of Notifications
Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-02-06 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Ah, the era of notifications, that sweet melody of the 21st century that resonates with the harmony of an alarm at 3 in the morning. Ding! Your smartphone, that ever-faithful companion, calls out to you with the urgency of a general on the battlefield. “Last call,” you think, heart pounding, ready to face the invasion of the most catastrophic ...