Short-Cycle Prose: Georges Perec, the Washing Machine’s Poet
Bélinda Ibrahim 27/05 17:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Georges Perec Washing Machine Writer Literature Poet Culture
A drum, a muffled sound, cycles, programs. A round door swings open onto the world’s laundry. A washing machine, yes – but for Georges Perec, it’s never just an appliance. It’s a trigger – his engine for writing. In the workshop of this master of literary constraints, even the most ordinary object can become a source of invention. ...
'Just an Accident:' The Iranian Film That Won Over Cannes and Took Home the Palme d’Or
Bélinda Ibrahim 25/05 18:30 - Reading : 7 minute(s)
Cannes 2025 Iran Cinema Cannes Film Festival Jafar Panahi
From the very start of this 78th edition, the tone was set. The official poster, showing a couple running along a beach, taken from Claude Lelouch’s A Man and a Woman, said it all: a nod to romance, but also to the familiar. This year, Cannes offered both comfort and disruption. Comfort, in the form of familiar faces: Claude Lelouch, Daniel ...
Cannes 2025: Films as Living Paintings
Bélinda Ibrahim 23/05 17:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Cannes Film Festival Cinema Culture Cannes
Some films speak, others depict, but rare are those that feel like paintings. At Cannes 2025, two films in competition stand out for their deep connection to visual art: Renoir by Chie Hayakawa and The Phoenician Scheme by Wes Anderson. The first explores the intimate world of a young girl immersed in Impressionism. The second, more stylized, ...
Cannes After 8 PM: Where Cinema Is Born
Bélinda Ibrahim 21/05 17:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Cannes Film Festival Cinema France Culture Cannes 2025
It’s easy to assume that Cannes winds down after the last screening, that the gowns are packed away and everything fades into the next day’s headlines. But that’s a misconception of the true rhythm of the Croisette. After 8 PM, a different atmosphere takes over. A cinema without screens, yet one where everything can begin. This parallel ...
Cannes Behind the Scenes: Red Carpet, Silent Hands
Bélinda Ibrahim 20/05 17:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Festival Cannes Cinema Red Carpet France
In Cannes, everything seems to float. Spectacular gowns, knowing glances and intense spotlight beams. Yet, beneath this radiant veneer, hundreds of anonymous figures move quietly behind the scenes. They don’t climb the steps or feature in Instagram stories. But without them, the red carpet would simply be a piece of red fabric. Every ...
Cannes, Reimagined: When Style Becomes a Manifesto
Bélinda Ibrahim 19/05 17:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Cannes Festival Women Cinema Fashion
The Cannes Film Festival has always been a stage, not only for cinema, but for fashion that borders on the theatrical. Every May, the red carpet blooms with extravagant gowns, daring cuts and dramatic silhouettes. But in 2025, something deeper shimmered beneath the surface. Women are using style not to dazzle, but to declare. Less about seduction, ...
The Anti-Inflammatory Power of Food
Bélinda Ibrahim 18/05 17:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Inflammations Food Health Well-Being
Inflammation is, in itself, a natural defense mechanism. When a foreign body, infection, or injury occurs, the body mobilizes immune cells to repair tissue. Redness, swelling, heat—these are signs that the body is healing. But there is another, more insidious and damaging form: chronic inflammation. Invisible to the eye and symptom-free for a ...
Red Carpet Micro-Dramas: Cannes’ Unspoken Language
Bélinda Ibrahim 17/05 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Festival Cinema France Cannes 2025
Yet, there are the gowns. The flashbulbs. The practiced smiles and impeccable poses. But that’s only the surface. Beneath the glamour lies a quiet choreography, a visual language made of gestures and body language, whispered like a secret to those who know how to watch. Each appearance on the Croisette is a delicate balance between instinct and ...
Cannes: A Festival Rooted in Defiance of Fascism
Bélinda Ibrahim 16/05 17:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Cannes Film Festival Cinema Fascism Freedom France Cannes 2025
It was the late 1930s. The Venice Mostra, founded in 1932, was the world’s first international film festival. But by 1938, as global tensions mounted, it had turned into an ideological showcase for fascism. Under joint pressure from Hitler and Mussolini, the jury was compelled to award the festival’s top prize, the Mussolini Cup, to two ...
'Hors-Saison' by Stéphane Brizé: A Man, a Woman, One Last Conversation
Bélinda Ibrahim 13/05 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Out of Season Hors-Saison Film Guillaume Canet Chronicle
There is a rare elegance in Hors Saison—the kind found in stories that don’t try to put on a show. Stéphane Brizé captures a pause in two lives, a moment of respite between two diverging paths, a space where words can finally be said. He captures a man worn out, a woman incomplete and what they manage to say, or not say, when it seems like ...
Essential Oils: Potent Natural Remedies with Hidden Risks
Bélinda Ibrahim 11/05 17:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Essential Oils Health Wellness
Lavender, peppermint, tea tree, lemon and ravintsara—essential oils have taken over natural medicine cabinets. They prominently feature in skincare rituals, cosmetic products and home remedies for everything from winter ailments to stress and pain relief. As concentrated extracts from aromatic plants, they embody a return to nature in a world ...
The Daring Thefts of Munch’s 'The Scream'
Bélinda Ibrahim 10/05 17:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Edvard Munch The Scream Art Culture Paintings
It is without a doubt one of the most recognizable paintings in the world: a pale face frozen in a silent scream, hands pressed against its cheeks, a burning red sky above a Norwegian fjord. Since its creation in 1893, The Scream by Edvard Munch has been the subject of endless interpretations, reproductions, and obsessions. A symbol of modern ...
The Erasable Manifesto of Virgil Abloh
Bélinda Ibrahim 09/05 17:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
In 2021, just months before passing, designer and artist Virgil Abloh unveiled one of his most surprising and powerful projects: a book printed with thermochromic ink designed to disappear when exposed to heat. A book that literally erases itself, not simply a metaphor for impermanence, but a tangible embodiment of the volatility of meaning. A ...
The Healing Power of Tears: Nature’s Own Painkiller
Bélinda Ibrahim 07/05 12:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Crying. This universal gesture, so often confined to the private sphere or burdened with shame, is in fact one of the most powerful signals the human body can send. We cry in response to pain, loss, injustice or overwhelming emotion – not only to express what words cannot, but also, biologically, to find relief. Emotional tears – distinct ...
Goya’s Cursed Pigment: When Art Becomes Poison
Bélinda Ibrahim 06/05 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Francisco Goya Poison Pigments Paintings Art
What if Goya’s deafness wasn’t just a twist of fate, but the poisoned result of a deadly pigment he used in his paintings? In 1793, at 47, Francisco de Goya was struck by a mysterious affliction that left him bedridden for months. He emerged weakened, feverish, delirious – and permanently deaf. The impact was profound. Just as he was poised ...
Detox: Miracle Cure or Marketing Illusion?
Bélinda Ibrahim 04/05 18:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
At the beginning of each year, following the indulgences of the holidays, or as summer approaches, the concept of “detox” resurfaces with renewed vigor. Celery juice, detoxifying herbal teas, crash diets and supplements with enticing names all promise a purified and lighter body, prepared to embrace the new season. The premise is simple and ...
Louvre Abu Dhabi: Where Art Floats and Connects Civilizations
Bélinda Ibrahim 02/05 18:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
United Arab Emirates Louvre Abu Dhabi Louvre Abu Dhabi Culture
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 ...
Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Devastating Form of Abuse
Bélinda Ibrahim 30/04 15:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Shaken Baby Syndrome Damage Child Abuse Baby Health
Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is one of the most extreme and tragic forms of child abuse worldwide. Often triggered by a moment of anger or helplessness in response to persistent crying, a single violent shake can cause catastrophic brain injuries in infants – altering the course of a life before it has even begun. Behind this tragic reality lies a ...
Abu Dhabi's Abrahamic Promise Under One Roof
Bélinda Ibrahim 29/04 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Abrahamic Family Religion Coexistence
In 2023, the Abrahamic Family House was created in the heart of Abu Dhabi. An architectural and spiritual work of art designed to bring Muslims, Christians and Jews together around their shared values. Located on Saadiyat Island, the site features three Houses of Worship—Eminence Ahmed Al-Tayeb Mosque, St. Francis Church, and the Moses Ben ...
Why Is Intermittent Fasting So Appealing Today?
Bélinda Ibrahim 27/04 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Intermittent Fasting Wellbeing Health Diet
Once primarily associated with religious practices, fasting has reemerged in a more flexible, accessible form—intermittent fasting—becoming a popular lifestyle choice. The principle is simple: alternate between fasting and eating periods within the same day or week. Among the most common methods is the 16/8 approach—16 hours of fasting ...
Rony Mecattaf: One Eye Lost, a Wider Vision Gained
Bélinda Ibrahim 25/04 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Rony Mecattaf Book Beirut Explosion Culture
In August 2020, Beirut was devastated by an apocalyptic explosion. Among the injured was psychotherapist Rony Mecattaf, who lost the use of his right eye. What could have remained a silent tragedy became the starting point for a powerful and unconventional narrative: La blessure qui guérit (“The Wound That Heals”), published in March 2025 by ...
Why Are Some of the Pope’s Jewels Destroyed After His Death?
Bélinda Ibrahim 24/04 10:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Vatican Ring Rome Pope Francis Jewels
When a pope dies, it’s not only the prayers of the Catholic world that accompany his passing. Behind the scenes, a ritual—codified, discreet, and often unknown—takes place, such as the destruction of certain jewels. Among them, the most well-known is the Ring of the Fisherman, ritually broken in public. Other items—seals, pectoral crosses, ...
Huda al-Khamis-Kanoo: Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Heartbeat (2/2)
Bélinda Ibrahim 23/04 16:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Festival Huda al-Khamis Kanoo Culture Classical Music
At the heart of an ever-evolving emirate, the Abu Dhabi Festival has, year after year, established itself as a space for intercultural dialogue and ambitious artistic creation. Guided by the vision of its founder, Huda al-Khamis-Kanoo, it brings together continents, aesthetics, and generations in unprecedented ways. For its 22nd ...
Huda al-Khamis-Kanoo: Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Heartbeat (1/2)
Bélinda Ibrahim 22/04 17:30 - Reading : 7 minute(s)
Abu Dhabi Festival Huda al-Khamis-Kanoo Culture Music
This is a house that speaks. Every object is a poem, every piece of furniture a memory. In Kanoo's home, one does not merely enter a dwelling, one steps into an intimate museum where arts, civilizations and stories from across the world converge in conversation. Amid Abu Dhabi's cityscape of architectural marvels and sharp lines, this house is a ...
When Art Meets Faith: Antoni Gaudí on the Path to Sainthood
Bélinda Ibrahim 19/04 19:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Antoni Gaudi Barcelone Vatican Venerable Architecture
On April 13, 2025, by official decree, Pope Francis recognized the heroic virtues of Antoni Gaudí, bestowing upon the famous Catalan architect the title of “Venerable.” This recognition marks a major milestone on the path to beatification, which could ultimately lead to the canonization of the man often referred to as “God’s architect.” ...
A Duo, Two Pianos, a Thousand Emotions: The Labèque Sisters Enchant Abu Dhabi
Bélinda Ibrahim 18/04 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Abu Dhabi Festival Labèque Sisters Piano Music Culture
For the 22nd edition of the Abu Dhabi Festival, at the Red Theater of NYU Abu Dhabi, Katia and Marielle Labèque captivated the audience. Their recital wove a striking dialogue between Glass and Cocteau, with Ravel as a musical bridge. The evening opened with Glass’s La Belle et la Bête, its hypnotic motifs unfolding across two ...
Abu Dhabi Festival: Kuniko Kato Plays Bach and Miyoshi
Bélinda Ibrahim 15/04 18:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Abu Dhabi Festival Japan Kuniko Kato Music Bach
Abu Dhabi, Blue Hall, The Arts Center, April 14, 2025 Beneath the sleek arches of this hall nestled in the heart of the NYU Abu Dhabi campus, the 22nd edition of the Abu Dhabi Festival offered more than just a concert that evening. The event opened on a deeply cultural and symbolic note, where music became a bridge between civilizations—echoing ...
Caroline Torbey: ‘Ramdam au Gymnase’ Gives Voice to Victims of School Bullying
Bélinda Ibrahim 11/04 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Caroline Torbey Lebanon Bullying Schools Theatre
On Saturday, April 12, Théâtre Monnot in Ashrafieh will raise its curtain on Ramdam au Gymnase, an original and innovative creation that delicately addresses the issue of school bullying. This play, Caroline Torbey’s first venture into dramatic writing, could not have chosen a more relevant subject, in a world where social media often ...
Reusable Water Bottles: Breeding Grounds for Bacteria?
Bélinda Ibrahim 09/04 17:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Water Bottles Disposable Health Bacteria
Proper hydration, eco-awareness and sleek design – in many parts of the world, reusable water bottles are everywhere. Whether made of stainless steel, glass or durable plastic, they’ve become a fixture in backpacks, on desks and in gyms. Since the rise of zero-waste movements and growing environmental consciousness – still, unfortunately, ...
The Sound of Music: One Movie, Countless Lives, Sixty Years of Emotion
Bélinda Ibrahim 08/04 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Sound of Music Film Music Homage Culture
We all remember that iconic image: a silhouette spinning atop alpine meadows, arms wide open beneath a boundless blue sky. Picture March 2, 1965—the day The Sound of Music premiered at the Rivoli Theatre in New York. And now, six decades later, its charm remains as vibrant as ever. Years may have passed, but the first notes of “Do-Re-Mi” or ...