This is Beirut - culture

Denzel Washington Honored with Surprise Palme d’Or

This is Beirut, 20/05 16:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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A hard-hitting Egyptian political thriller shook up the Cannes Film Festival on Monday, just before a surprise Honorary Palme d’Or was awarded to Hollywood icon Denzel Washington. The evening also marked the return of French director Julia Ducournau, four years after her explosive win with Titane. The event had been kept tightly under wraps: ...

Pierpaolo Piccioli Takes Over Balenciaga in Bold Shift

This is Beirut, 20/05 15:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Italian designer Pierpaolo Piccioli has been named creative director at fashion house Balenciaga, taking over from Georgian designer Demna, parent company Kering said Monday. Piccioli, who previously worked at Valentino, will present his first collection in October, after Demna left for Gucci, said the French conglomerate, which owns both ...

Scarlett Johansson Steps Behind Camera in Cannes Debut

This is Beirut, 20/05 12:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Scarlett Johansson won praise from veteran filmmaker Wes Anderson as she nervously prepared to unveil her debut feature as a director at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday. Actors behind the camera are something of a trend in Cannes this year, with Twilight star Kristen Stewart and British actor Harris Dickinson both unveiling their first ...

At Cannes and Beyond, Raphaël Quenard Is the Artist to Watch

Marie-Christine Tayah, 20/05 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Raphaël Quenard Cannes Cannes Film Festival France Culture Art

Raphaël Quenard wears many hats: actor, screenwriter, director, producer, and soon, singer. He broke through in 2023 with standout performances in Chien de la casse by Jean-Baptiste Durand and Yannick by Quentin Dupieux. His work in both earned him César nominations in 2024, and he took home the award for Most Promising Actor for Chien de la ...

Russian Ballet Patriarch Yuri Grigorovich Dies at 98

This is Beirut, 19/05 17:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Legendary Russian ballet figure Yuri Grigorovich, who was for three decades the lead choreographer at Moscow's famed Bolshoi Theatre, has died aged 98. Born in the Soviet city of Leningrad to a ballet family, Grigorovich's career - as a dancer then choreographer - spanned 80 years. For much of it, he was the artistic powerhouse behind ...

Jim Morrison Bust Returns to Père Lachaise, 37 Years After Theft

This is Beirut, 19/05 16:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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French police have recovered by chance the long-lost bust of American singer Jim Morrison that once adorned the grave of the iconic frontman of The Doors, 37 years after it was stolen from a Paris cemetery. The sculpture, missing since 1988, was found during a search tied to a fraud case led by the Paris public prosecutor's office, a source ...

Wes Anderson’s Starry Cast Shines Bright at Cannes

This is Beirut, 19/05 12:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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US director Wes Anderson brought his latest A-list cast led by Benicio del Toro to the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, ramping up the star power as the competition reaches the halfway mark. Anderson's typically whimsical The Phoenician Scheme, which also finds roles for Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and Kate Winslet's daughter, Mia Threapleton, ...

Cannes Charity Gala to Award Kevin Spacey Lifetime Honor

This is Beirut, 19/05 11:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey is to be given a lifetime achievement award on the fringes of the Cannes Film Festival Tuesday. The Better World Fund told AFP on Sunday that the actor — who was acquitted of nine charges of alleged sex offenses in Britain last year — will be recognized "for his decades of artistic brilliance" at a charity gala in ...

Jennifer Lawrence Stuns Cannes in 'Die, My Love'

This is Beirut, 18/05 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Jennifer Lawrence gives a raw, unflinching performance in Die, My Love, screened Saturday night in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. The American actress plays a mother losing her grip on reality, opposite British actor Robert Pattinson. The film marks the eighth Cannes appearance for Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay, a festival ...

JJ, the Pop-Opera Angel Who Won Eurovision for Austria

This is Beirut, 18/05 09:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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With his falsetto voice and angelic smile, JJ has given Austria its first Eurovision victory since bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst won eleven years ago. With Wasted Love—a track that soars with soprano highs between soft ballad refrains and climaxes in a techno finale—Austria took a risky but ultimately rewarding gamble. The song earned 436 ...

Fatih Akin Fears Jail, Blasts Turkish Government at Cannes

This is Beirut, 17/05 17:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Acclaimed film director Fatih Akin said he fears ending up behind bars if he returns to Turkey, with his manager there in jail accused of attempting to overthrow the government. The Turkish-German auteur — a hero to many in the country for films like Head-On, In the Fade and the Istanbul music documentary Crossing the Bridge — told AFP late ...

Culture Wars and Chaos: Joaquin Phoenix Stars in Satirical 'Eddington'

This is Beirut, 17/05 15:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Joaquin Phoenix stars in the darkly satirical Eddington, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday, a biting take on America's culture wars set in a small New Mexico town. The film by fast-rising American director Ari Aster is an unsettling but often amusing Western-style thriller set amid America's toxic politics and conspiracy ...

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