Interviews ‘Beyrouth Forever,’ David Hury’s Relentless Crime Novel

Bélinda Ibrahim 15/02 18:00 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon David Hury Book Beirut Culture

Published in January 2025 by Liana Levi, Beyrouth Forever marks an evolution in David Hury’s literary journey. Before this, he had already explored other genres, with historical novels like Mustapha s’en va-t-en guerre (2021) and Sans nouvelles depuis Drancy (2024), as well as Pentes douces (2017), an illustrated novel. In an interview with ...

The Olympic Spirit Shines at the 40th Victoires de la Musique

Madeleine Cadoux 15/02 14:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Music Awards Culture Art Ceremony Prizes

One of the biggest surprises of this anniversary edition was the Concert of the Year award, given to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies. Under the artistic direction of Thomas Jolly and the musical leadership of Victor Le Masne, these grandiose events became a vibrant showcase of French culture. "The Olympic ceremonies represent a ...

Kamel Daoud Accused by Algerian Woman of Story Theft

This is Beirut 15/02 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Culture Writing Algeria France Paris

Franco-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud has been sued in France for invasion of privacy by Saâda Arbane, an Algerian woman who accuses him of stealing her story to form the core of his novel Houris, which won the prestigious Prix Goncourt last year. This lawsuit, also reported by the French media outlet Mediapart on Friday, has its first procedural ...

Story'Yesterday' by The Beatles, the Hit Born from a Mysterious Dream

Bélinda Ibrahim 14/02 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Beatles Song Story Culture

Some songs leave an everlasting mark on the history of music. Melodies that, from the very first notes, transport us to another world. “Yesterday,” an ageless masterpiece by The Beatles, is one of them. But did you know that this legendary ballad was born from a dream and almost never came to light? Let’s revisit the story of this mythical ...

Saudi Islamic Arts Biennale Blends Tradition with Modern Vision

This is Beirut 14/02 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia Biennale Art Culture Jeddah

Under a vast canopy of tents in the Saudi city of Jeddah, religious artifacts are on display alongside contemporary art pieces, part of the kingdom's bid to transform its ultraconservative image. The second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, titled And All That Is In Between, features as its centerpiece segments of the kiswa, the black cloth ...

New York, Paris, Berlin to Celebrate Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Iconic Art

This is Beirut 14/02 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

New York Paris Berlin Art Culture

New York, Paris, and Berlin are celebrating the anniversaries this year of iconic art installations that saw some of their most prominent landmarks wrapped in fabric by the late artists known as Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Forty years ago, the couple enfolded the Pont Neuf, one of Paris’s most beloved bridges, in a silky, sandstone-colored ...

Lars von Trier Admitted to Care Facility Amid Parkinson’s Struggle

This is Beirut 13/02 17:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier, a prominent figure in contemporary auteur cinema, has been admitted to a care facility due to his battle with Parkinson's disease, according to an announcement from his production company, Zentropa, on Wednesday. The 68-year-old director, born in Copenhagen, is best known for his provocative and often unsettling ...

Selim Mouzannar: A Visionary Jeweler Nominated for the GEM Award

This is Beirut 13/02 14:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Fashion Culture Art jewelry

French-Lebanese jeweler Selim Mouzannar, known for his exceptional craftsmanship and deep historical expertise, is a nominee for the GEM Award for Jewelry Design. Drawing inspiration from Ottoman and art deco influences, his creations blend heritage and innovation, redefining contemporary jewelry with timeless elegance. Selim Mouzannar, a name ...

Shakira Kicks Off Her First World Tour in Seven Years

This is Beirut 13/02 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Culture Concert Music Art Brazil

Latin music icon Shakira kicked off her first world tour in seven years on Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, performing songs from her latest album, Las mujeres ya no lloran (Women Don’t Cry Anymore), which recently earned her a Grammy Award. The Colombian singer, known for her eclectic style, set the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium on fire, ...

PortraitMaria Tipo: The "Neapolitan Horowitz" Now Plays for Bach

Alain E. Andrea 13/02 10:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Music Art Italy Naples

That day, the room was bathed in a sacred silence. Maria Tipo sat at the piano for the last time. Her fragile fingers, still brimming with the passion that defined her career, brushed the keys with infinite tenderness, as if whispering a final melody in homage to the masters who guided her: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Domenico Scarlatti ...

SpotlightDeciphering the Ostrich Policy

David Sahyoun 12/02 18:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Psychoanalysis Denial Culture Lebanon Politics

The expression “burying one’s head in the sand” describes a person who refrains from facing reality. While this phrase does not do justice to ostriches at all, in humans, it involves denial, an unconscious defense mechanism. It consists of refusing to acknowledge an unbearable reality, whether external or internal. We all use this mechanism ...

'Lost in Translation' Returns Two Decades After Its Success

Madeleine Cadoux 12/02 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Cinema Art Culture Film Tokyo

Released in 2003, Lost in Translation quickly became a cult classic, praised for its delicate storytelling and melancholic beauty. Directed by Sofia Coppola, the film follows Bob Harris, a washed-up American actor played by Bill Murray, and Charlotte, a young woman searching for meaning, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson. Against the backdrop of a ...