Culture

Beirut Shorts International Film Festival Achieves Oscars Qualifying Status
Beirut Shorts International Film Festival Achieves Oscars Qualifying Status

The Beirut Shorts International Film Festival has reached a significant milestone, becoming an Oscars Qualifying Film Festival—the first in Lebanon and one of the few in the Arab world. This recognition offers a unique opportunity for Lebanese and international filmmakers, as winning films in the categories of Best Live Action, Best Documentary, ...

Tumaini Festival in Africa: Unity Through Music
Tumaini Festival in Africa: Unity Through Music

At the Tumaini Festival in Malawi, in East Africa, a 72-year-old singer, sporting tinted hair, oversized sunglasses, and a vibrant tracksuit, made her way onto the main stage, eliciting a wave of excitement from the crowd. “Who am I?” she asked the audience of approximately 12,000, who enthusiastically responded, “I am Jetu!” Tumaini, ...

Urdu Bazaar in Delhi Faces Decline Amid Cultural Shifts
Urdu Bazaar in Delhi Faces Decline Amid Cultural Shifts

In the heart of Old Delhi, bookseller Mohammed Mahfooz Alam sits in his quiet shop, one of the last few stores selling Urdu literature, a language cherished by poets for centuries. Urdu, spoken by millions, carries a rich history reflecting India's complex cultural blend. However, it has steadily declined under the dominance of Hindi, facing ...

Le Monnot Theater Pays Tribute to French Poet Jacques Prévert
Le Monnot Theater Pays Tribute to French Poet Jacques Prévert

Jacques Prévert’s work continues to inspire literature enthusiasts, lovers of rhyme, and wordplay. Embracing this spirit, Josyane Boulos, Zalfa Chelhot, and Cyril Jabre will bring the poet's words to life, embodying them on stage to captivate the audience of Le Monnot theater. This swift artistic initiative, organized shortly after a meeting ...

Paddington Returns to Peru in Thrilling New Adventure
Paddington Returns to Peru in Thrilling New Adventure

Stars of the box-office busting Paddington film series gathered in London on Sunday for the world premiere of its latest instalment, but there was no sign of the enigmatic leading bear. Paddington in Peru, directed by Dougal Wilson, sees the much-loved bear return to his homeland, capering through the Amazon rainforest in his first film outing in ...

Kamel Daoud Wins Goncourt for 'Houris' on Algeria’s War
Kamel Daoud Wins Goncourt for 'Houris' on Algeria’s War

French-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud won France's top literary prize, the Goncourt, on Monday for a novel centered on Algeria's civil war between the government and Islamists in the 1990s. The jury needed just one round of voting to award the coveted prize to Daoud for his novel Houris, which explores what has become known as Algeria's "Black ...

Goncourt 2024 Awarded to Franco-Algerian Kamel Daoud
Goncourt 2024 Awarded to Franco-Algerian Kamel Daoud

The Prix Goncourt, the most prestigious of French literary awards, was awarded on Monday to Franco-Algerian novelist Kamel Daoud for his novel Houris (Gallimard Editions), a fictional portrayal of the massacres of Algeria’s "Black Decade" (1992-2002). He was chosen by the jury in the first round, receiving six votes, compared to ...

'Call My Agent' Creators Venture into Cabaret with 'Ça, c'est Paris'
'Call My Agent' Creators Venture into Cabaret with 'Ça, c'est Paris'

The makers of France's global television hit Call My Agent are turning their focus next to the world of cabaret with Ça, c'est Paris, which promises to peek behind the curtain of the quintessentially French world of frills, sequins and high kicks. Call My Agent, which satirized the French entertainment industry, and the people whose devote ...

Quincy Jones, the Man Who Revolutionized Music, Passes Away at 91
Quincy Jones, the Man Who Revolutionized Music, Passes Away at 91

Quincy Jones, a music legend, passed away on November 3, 2024, in Los Angeles, at the age of 91. A visionary producer, accomplished musician, and a key figure in the music industry for more than seven decades. Born on March 14, 1933, in Chicago, Quincy Delight Jones Jr. discovered music at a young age in Seattle, where he became friends with Ray ...

Samir Tabet: A Lifelong Passion for His Craft
Samir Tabet: A Lifelong Passion for His Craft

Egyptian by origin, Samir Tabet was born in 1923. Fascinated from a young age by visual art, he recalls, “I loved drawing everything I saw around me — objects, the everyday things of life.” However, his family urged him to pursue a scientific education because in those days, “studying art as a man was unacceptable.” He went on to earn a ...

Napoleon I's Moorish Sword Up for Auction in London
Napoleon I's Moorish Sword Up for Auction in London

It might go unnoticed were it not associated with Napoleon I: a Moorish sword, "likely seized from a defeated soldier" and given by the deposed emperor to a British officer, will be auctioned on November 12 in London. This 80-centimeter object, with a curved, still very sharp blade, is being sold by the specialized auction house Charles Miller ...

Athens Opens Museum Dedicated to Nobel Laureate Poet Odysseas Elytis
Athens Opens Museum Dedicated to Nobel Laureate Poet Odysseas Elytis

Greece inaugurates a new museum honoring one of its greatest poets, Odysseas Elytis, who received the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1979. Located in the heart of Athens, in the historic Plaka district, the museum occupies a post-war residence, accompanied by two annexes. With a budget of 657,200 euros, this ambitious project aims to ...