Culture

Louvre Abu Dhabi: Where Art Floats and Connects Civilizations

Just off the coast of Abu Dhabi, at the entrance to Saadiyat Island, a steel dome perforated with 7,850 geometric stars filters sunlight like a futuristic mashrabiya. Designed by Jean Nouvel, this architectural marvel shelters a museum unlike any other in the world: the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Born of an unprecedented partnership between France and the ...

'Delon & Elles:' Cannes Turns Its Walls into a Tribute to Cinema

In Cannes, spring is a season of cinematic rebirth. This year, from May 13 to June 13, 2025, one of the greatest legends of French cinema takes center stage: Alain Delon. As part of the 78th Cannes Film Festival and the 21st edition of Cannes fait le mur, the city of Cannes—alongside the Humann Prize, Alain Delon International Distribution and ...

Lady Gaga Ignites Copacabana, Rio Overflows with Fans

Behind his oversized black studded sunglasses, Victor Faro keeps his eyes fixed on the windows of the hotel where Lady Gaga is staying in Rio de Janeiro. He’s hoping to catch a glimpse of his idol before her massive free concert set for Saturday on Copacabana Beach. Wearing plastic goat horns on his head and a curled Dali-style mustache, the ...

Netflix's 'The Eternaut' Fights Tyranny with Argentine Grit

Survival through teamwork: it's a tale as old as time with particular resonance today, says Argentine actor Ricardo Darin of his latest project The Eternaut, which hit Netflix on Wednesday. Based on a 1950s comic with iconic status in the South American country, the sci-fi series tells the story of a mysterious, toxic snowfall that precedes an ...

‘To Exist Is to Be Different:’ The Birth of Individuality

“To exist is to not be confused with the surrounding environment, it is to be heterogeneous, it is to be different. Each color is only itself through the contrast with the color that faces it. It only has value in opposition.” This quote from biologist Albert Jacquard illustrates how a subject’s true identity is formed through otherness, ...

Jacqueline Harpman’s Forgotten Feminist Novel Finds New Global Fame

The reissue of I Who Have Never Known Men by Belgian author Jacqueline Harpman marks the unexpected resurgence of a feminist dystopian novel. Critically acclaimed upon its 1995 release, the book has found new life on social media in the 2020s. Following successful reissues in the UK and US, French publisher Stock is now bringing the haunting ...

"Aal Arbiin": Josyane Boulos and Mireille Panossian Blend Laughter and Truth at Le Monnot

Beginning May 14 at 8:30 PM, Le Monnot theater will showcase Aal Arbiin, a play written by Dimitri Melki and directed by Shady Habr, starring Josyane Boulos and Mireille Panossian. Through a cleverly orchestrated situation, Aal Arbiin explores the hidden cracks beneath polished social appearances. The play promises a heartfelt performance where ...

Lady Gaga Brings ‘Mayhem on the Beach’ to Copacabana

The golden sands of Copacabana Beach are about to become the world’s biggest dance floor as Lady Gaga prepares to headline a historic free concert on May 3. The performance, titled Mayhem on the Beach, marks her long-awaited return to Brazil and is expected to draw more than 1.5 million fans for what could be one of the largest live music events ...

Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong to Join Cannes Film Festival Jury

American actor Halle Berry and Succession star Jeremy Strong are set to serve on the jury at the Cannes Film Festival this year, which will be headed by French actress Juliette Binoche, organisers announced on Monday. Berry and Strong will be joined by best-selling Franco-Moroccan writer Leïla Slimani, Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia, and Italian ...

Two-Time Oscar Winner Alexander Payne to Preside Over Venice Jury

Venice Film Festival organizers announced on Monday that US film director Alexander Payne would be president of the competition's jury this year. Payne, 64, has won two Oscars and two Golden Globes for his screenplays and is best known for films such as Sideways, The Descendants and About Schmidt. "It's an enormous honor and joy to serve on the ...

In France, 'Fiesta' Kicks Off Six Months of Lille Cultural Celebrations

A vibrant fiesta offered a joyful response to global chaos on Saturday evening, as crowds gathered for the opening parade of Lille3000, a special six-month cultural season held roughly every three years since 2006. For this 2025 edition, aptly named Fiesta, glowing creatures covered in fluorescent boas paraded alongside spinning giants from ...

Napoleon’s Personal Sword to Be Auctioned in Paris

A sword once belonging to Napoleon, "commissioned for his personal use" in 1802 and preserved throughout his reign, will take center stage at an auction on May 22 at Hôtel Drouot in Paris. The piece, presented by the Giquello auction house, is valued between €700,000 and €1 million. "Bonaparte, then First Consul, ordered the sword between ...