This is Beirut

Legendary Hollywood Illustrator Drew Struzan Dies at 78

This is Beirut, 15/10 15:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Star Wars Cinema Drew Struzan Heritage Culture Art

Hollywood illustrator Drew Struzan, the man behind legendary film posters for hit films such as E.T., Star Wars and Indiana Jones, has died at the age of 78, prompting a flood of tributes. Struzan was a favorite of directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, and his drawing style came to symbolize the posters of Hollywood's late 1970s and 1980s ...

French Films Thrive in Russia Despite Deep Political Divide

This is Beirut, 15/10 14:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Cinema Russia France Culture Art

On a cold autumn evening in Moscow, Alexandra was headed to a cinema, hoping to escape reality for a few hours by taking in a new French comedy. With Hollywood boycotting the Russian market over Moscow's offensive on Ukraine, French films are one of the few cultural windows Russians have left to the West. And even as relations between Paris ...

In 'the Last Ship', Sting Honors a Lost Industry and Warns of a Divided Future

This is Beirut, 15/10 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Music Sting AI Britain Culture Art

British singer-songwriting legend Sting finds the multiple genres and streaming platforms of the modern music scene "quite odd", but still believes in the power of song to unite people. In an interview with AFP, the 74-year-old with 17 Grammy Awards and sales of over 100 million albums also spoke about his worries about AI as a tool for ...

Taylor Swift, Love, Diamonds and Pop: Everything She Touches Turns to Gold

Marie-Christine Tayah, 14/10 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Taylor Swift Music Culture Economy Art Star

Dominating music charts, Taylor Swift leads in multiple areas, establishing herself as a worldwide sensation. The American star creates rare ripple effects across music, fashion and even finance. At 35, after announcing her engagement to American football player Travis Kelce this summer, Swift triggered an immediate reaction from millions of fans ...

Sean Penn Captivates Lyon with His Unexpected Dream Role

This is Beirut, 14/10 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Sean Penn Actor Cinema Culture Art Lyon

“The dream role is the one that surprises you the way this one did,” said American actor Sean Penn on Monday in Lyon, central France, reflecting on his part as a sadistic soldier in his latest film One Battle After Another. Honored as the guest of the 17th Lumière Film Festival—an event celebrating global cinema—Penn shared insights ...

Hollywood Mourns Icon Diane Keaton After Her Passing at 79

This is Beirut, 13/10 13:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Diane Keaton Cinema Actress Heritage Culture Art

Fellow actors and directors who worked with Diane Keaton recalled her life and work after the family of the American actor announced her death Saturday. Keaton, who was 79, appeared in eight Woody Allen movies, winning an Oscar for her role in Annie Hall, and also starred in The Godfather films. Woody Allen ‘upset’ Woody Allen, 89, “is ...

Monet’s Venetian Masterpieces Shine Bright at Brooklyn Museum

This is Beirut, 11/10 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Exhibition Monet Brooklyn Painting Culture Art

Claude Monet did not want to travel to Venice in 1908—at the time, he was 68 and working on his famed Water Lilies paintings, and only reluctantly agreed to accompany his wife Alice Hoschede. But his time spent there became one of his most prolific, resulting in 37 paintings, many of which are being put on display at an exhibit opening Saturday ...

Drive-In Dreams Fade as America’s Outdoor Theaters Struggle

This is Beirut, 11/10 13:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Cinema Film Movies Culture Art U.S.

Film buffs sit snugly in cars watching a drive-in movie, munching popcorn on a lovely recent fall night. Michelle Hutson, 52, has been coming to the Family Drive-In since childhood, enjoying what is now a dying form of quintessentially American entertainment. With a sigh, she notes she might soon see the last picture show as the nearly ...

Art World’s ‘Troublemakers’ Join Forces in ‘Joyful’ London Show

This is Beirut, 11/10 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Art Exhibition ‘Triple Tour’ London Culture

They come from a world of underground, even subversive, art, but now US activist Shepard Fairey has joined forces with Britain's Damien Hirst and French street artist Invader with a "joyful" exhibition to show even in dark times there is always hope. "We all see ourselves as troublemakers because we have been," Fairey told AFP, ahead of Friday's ...

Return To Elegance: Highlights from Paris Fashion Week

This is Beirut, 08/10 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Paris Fashion Fashion Week Culture Art Luxury

A historic Paris Fashion Week has wrapped up after 10 days of Spring-Summer 2026 womenswear shows, featuring many new faces and hailed by critics as marking a "return to elegance". AFP looks back on the key moments: Global Makeover After a momentous Milan Fashion Week, marked by the absence of the late Giorgio Armani and new creative directors ...

Saudi Arabia Hosts its First Riyadh Comedy Festival

This is Beirut, 07/10 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Comedy Riyadh Comedy Festival Saudi Art Culture

Jokes about geriatric sex and endless profanity have been embraced by Saudi fans at the Riyadh Comedy Festival even as foreign comedians face a backlash for taking part. The star-studded event, backed by a Saudi government body, has driven a wedge through the stand-up scene, as comics who staunchly defend free speech in the West are accused of ...

Nobel Literature Buzz Tips Swiss Postmodernist, Australians for Prize

This is Beirut, 07/10 15:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nobel Prize Literature Culture Art Academy Prize

Swiss postmodernist novelist Christian Kracht and Australia's Gerald Murnane and Alexis Wright are among the favorites for the Nobel literature prize, experts told AFP ahead of the Swedish Academy's much-anticipated announcement on Thursday. The academy made history last year by choosing South Korea's Han Kang, making her the first Asian woman to ...

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