This is Beirut - Culture

Celebrating European Cinema in Lebanon: 29th European Film Festival

This is Beirut, 23/04 18:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

European Union Beirut European Film Festival Metropolis Movies Culture

The European Film Festival returns to Beirut for its 29th edition, to be held at Metropolis Cinema (Mar Mikhael) from April 30 to May 11, 2025. The European Film Festival, which is organized by the Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon, in partnership with the Metropolis Cinema Association and in cooperation with the European Union Member ...

Games of Desire: Seduction and Its Pitfalls

David Sahyoun, 23/04 18:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Psychoanalysis Culture Desire Seduction

Seduction is intimately tied to the development of the self. Present from the earliest stages of life, it weaves through every domain—from the personal to the social and political, from the economy to daily interactions, to the great works of art. It can be understood as a form of connection with others, one that reveals unconscious desire. In ...

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 ...

Baby Artist: 'Thumbelina''s First Solo Exhibition in Tokyo

This is Beirut, 23/04 15:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Japan Exhibition Painting Toddler artist Thumbelina Culture

Gripping paintbrush and crayon, the artist known as Thumbelina splodges and splats with merry abandon, the one-year-old star of a Tokyo exhibition that goes on way past her bedtime. Abstract paintings by the toddler are on sale for 33,000 yen ($230) at her debut show at hip gallery Decameron, tucked above a bar in the Kabukicho red-light ...

El Fan Connects Lebanese Artists with European Audiences in 2025

Marie-Christine Tayah, 23/04 14:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

El Fan Culture Art Artists Lebanon France

Since its inception in November 2022, El Fan has established itself as a key player in the French-Lebanese cultural landscape. Driven by Fabienne Touma’s vision and based in France, the platform functions as both a directory of artists and a committed project designed to amplify Lebanese artistic voices internationally. “When I first ...

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 ...

Pianist Igor Levit to Perform Marathon 16-Hour Concert in London

This is Beirut, 22/04 14:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Music Piano Igor Levit Concert Erik Satie Culture

This Thursday and Friday, acclaimed pianist Igor Levit will undertake an extraordinary feat in London: a solo performance of Vexations by French composer Erik Satie, a piece intended to last over 16 hours. The event, directed by renowned performance artist Marina Abramović, will take place at the Southbank Centre and is being billed as "a test of ...

Oscar Voters Must Watch All Nominated Films First

This is Beirut, 22/04 12:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Oscars Cinema Film Culture Art

Oscar voters will be required to demonstrate that they have watched all the films in each category before they cast their final ballots, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday. The new rule, which addresses a longstanding concern that voters are skipping some films, will apply for the next Oscars ceremony in March 2026, ...

In Search of Easter Eggs: A Timeless, Chocolate-Filled Tradition

Marie-Christine Tayah, 21/04 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Easter Traditions Culture

Every year on Easter Sunday or Monday, backyards and gardens come alive with excitement as children, baskets in hand, hunt for hidden chocolate eggs. Though it may seem like a simple festive activity today, the Easter egg hunt has a deep and rich history that stretches back centuries, blending mythology, Christian customs and local folklore. From ...

From Scandal to Skims: Kim Kardashian’s Power Evolution

This is Beirut, 21/04 10:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Star Kim Kardashian TV Culture

Billionaire businesswoman, high priestess of social media, Oval Office invitee, effortless siren, mother of four: Kim Kardashian has mastered the 21st century like no one else. For almost two decades, she has been a constant presence in popular culture, an Uber-celebrity whose every move commands attention, yet who never seems to be anything ...

'Andor' Ends as Boldest and Darkest Series of 'Star Wars'

This is Beirut, 20/04 19:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Series TV Andor Culture Art

Often hailed by critics as “the best Star Wars series,” Andor returns this Wednesday for its final season—shaped by historical accounts of war and revolution, according to creator Tony Gilroy. Premiering on Disney+ in 2022, the large-scale production cost over $645 million across its two seasons, according to Forbes. The show traces the ...

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 ...