culture

"Bkerzay en Musique" Returns: A Cultural Summer in the Chouf

The “Bkerzay en Musique” festival is back this summer for its second season of live performances in the lush eco-village of Bkerzay, nestled in the heart of the Chouf mountains. The launch of the second edition was announced Friday morning at a press conference held at the Ministry of Tourism, in the presence of Minister of Tourism Laura ...

Eurovision Sparks Creativity in Swiss Classrooms Through Song

Swiss schoolchildren are drawing inspiration from Eurovision and creating their own songs, to be performed before an audience of thousands in the build-up to this year's extravaganza in Basel. "It's exciting to see that we're all going to sing together" on stage on the sidelines of the Eurovision Song Contest, said Tessa Cajani, a pupil at a ...

Juliette Binoche: The Free-Flowing Intensity of a Life in Cinema

There’s a unique energy that Juliette Binoche brings to her performances, a quiet force infused with enigma. On May 13, 2025, she’ll step into the spotlight once again, this time to lead the Cannes jury. Born in Paris in 1964 into a family of artists—her father a mime and sculptor, her mother an actress—Binoche’s path was almost ...

'Remembering the Light' at Sursock Museum: The Poetics of Light and Memory

Sursock Museum presents Remembering the Light, a major solo exhibition by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige. Spanning works produced mainly between 2016 and the present, the exhibition brings together installations, photographs, films, video and sculptures. It explores the vertigo of archaeology, constructed imaginaries, fragility and ...

Eurovision 2025 Kicks Off in Basel With Parade and High Hopes

The Eurovision Song Contest comes shimmering into Basel on Sunday with a glitzy parade kicking off a week of high-octane revelry building up to the May 17 grand final. The Swiss city is pulling out the stops as it hosts the 69th edition of the light-hearted TV spectacular that celebrates kitsch and pushes the boundaries of taste. While Europop ...

Basel: a City at the Heart of European Culture

With a population of 180,000, Switzerland's third-biggest city after Zurich and Geneva straddles the River Rhine and sits right on the northern border with both France and Germany. Basel's location played a major role in its growth and continental importance through the ages. From May 11 to 17, it will be a center-stage in Europe again as it ...

Dar Sader Honored at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2025

In a powerful moment of cultural recognition, Dar Sader, the Arab world’s oldest active publishing house, was honored at the 2025 Abu Dhabi International Book Fair for its enduring contribution to Arabic literature and intellectual heritage, tracing back over 160 years to its founding in Beirut. The tribute, held under the auspices of the Abu ...

Rosy Daniel Unveils 'Echoes of Summer' in Solo Exhibition at Rebirth Beirut

Lebanese artist Rosy Daniel is set to present a captivating new collection in her solo exhibition Echoes of Summer, a deeply personal and evocative body of work. Opening on May 8, 2025, the exhibition will launch with an evening reception from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Hosted at Rebirth Beirut Space, located in the heart of Gemmayze, the show will ...

AFP Gaza Photographers Named Pulitzer Finalists for War Coverage

Four Palestinian photographers from Agence France-Presse (AFP) were finalists for their Gaza coverage in the "Breaking News Photography" category of the Pulitzer Prize, the most prestigious awards in US journalism. The jury for the award, presented on Monday by Columbia University in New York, praised the "powerful images" from Gaza by Mahmud ...

Cannes 2025: Glamour, Heritage, and Films in Competition

There was a time when Cannes carried an air of carefree charm, when passersby froze mid-step at the chance to lock eyes with Sophia Loren or Alain Delon. People exchanged smiles, hellos, and autographs between melting ice creams and cinema tickets, on a sun-drenched—or rain-soaked—Croisette. Today, Cannes retains its legendary glamour, but its ...

A Night of Elegance: Met Gala Spotlights Black Dandyism in Full Splendor

The brightest stars in Hollywood, music, sports and fashion hit the red carpet Monday for the Met Gala, the extravagant Manhattan fundraiser that this year spotlights the subversive style of Black dandyism. The blockbuster night’s theme explores the sharply tailored dandy aesthetic and its rich, complicated history. It also celebrates the ...

David Attenborough Urges 'Save the Oceans' as New Film Premieres

David Attenborough's latest film Ocean, highlighting the perils facing the world's seas, was to mark its global premiere in London Tuesday, as the veteran natural history broadcaster prepares to turn 99. Attenborough's Life on Earth in 1979 was watched by 500 million people worldwide, while dozens of subsequent documentaries and associated books ...