This is Beirut

‘Frankenstein’: A Creature of Paper and Screen Born from a Stormy Night Among Friends

Bélinda Ibrahim, 17/06 17:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Frankeinstein Mary Shelley Horror Film Book

Summer of 1816 was not actually a summer. Across Europe, skies remained dark, veiled by the ash of Mount Tambora, which had erupted the year before. In Geneva, it rained relentlessly, lightning flashing over the shores of Lake Leman. It was in this strange atmosphere that a small group of English literary exiles found themselves confined indoors. ...

'Dragon' Soars to Box Office Top With Real Magic

This is Beirut, 16/06 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Cinema Film Art Culture US Animation

Remakes are all the rage: Dragon, the live-action reimagining of the popular 2010 animated film, had a strong debut with $83.7 million in revenue, topping the North American box office, according to data from industry tracker Exhibitor Relations on Sunday. This family film from Universal and DreamWorks Animation tells the story of a friendship ...

‘Malika’ and ‘The Last Dismissal:’ Of Swords, Stars, Sisterhood and Rewritten Fairy Tales

Marie-Christine Tayah, 12/06 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Cinema Nomination Film Culture Art

Produced by Farah Jouni, Malika is a bold cinematic journey that redefines Saudi storytelling. This fantasy short film, directed by Saudi filmmaker Maram Taibah, is a heartfelt exploration of identity, empowerment and family. As a recipient of the AlUla Creates Film Programme, the film has gained international recognition for its compelling ...

Hitchcock’s Heroine Honored: Kim Novak Receives Lifetime Award in Venice

This is Beirut, 09/06 15:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Film Kim Novak Award Venice Festival US Culture

Hollywood actress Kim Novak, 92, best known for portraying the double life of Alfred Hitchcock's heroine in Vertigo, has been awarded Venice's lifetime achievement award, the film festival said on Monday. Despite a short-lived career, Novak became "a living legend, earning her rightful place in history, with the respect and esteem of the film ...

Wes Anderson’s 'The Phoenician Scheme:' An Aesthetic Failure from a Master of Framing

Bélinda Ibrahim, 07/06 18:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

The Phoenician Scheme Wes Anderson Cannes 2025 Cinema Film Chronicle

Some filmmakers develop a signature style, and Wes Anderson belongs to the rare group whose name has become shorthand for an entire world. His universe is instantly recognizable from a single frame: perfectly balanced compositions, pastel color palettes, characters as melancholic as they are poised, deadpan humor, precisely timed tracking shots ...

‘A Man and a Woman:’ When Lelouch Turns Failure into Grace

Bélinda Ibrahim, 03/06 19:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

A Man and a Woman Claude Lelouch Film Story Cannes Deauville

At first, there was nothing but the bitter silence of a man convinced his career was over. In 1965, Claude Lelouch was a young director in free fall. At 27, he had just endured one of the most humiliating flops of his early career: Les Grands Moments – booed at Cannes, ignored in theaters, savaged by critics. “They said I was only good for ...

Austrian Daily Under Fire After Clint Eastwood Slams 'Phony' Interview

This is Beirut, 03/06 17:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Austria Clint Eastwood Film Media US Culture

An Austrian newspaper came under fire Tuesday after Hollywood star Clint Eastwood said an alleged interview with him published by the paper to mark his 95th birthday was "entirely phony". The row was sparked by a purported interview with the Oscar-winning actor and director carried by the German-language Kurier newspaper Friday. In the ...

'Citizen Kane': Orson Welles’ Thunderclap in the Sky of Hollywood

Bélinda Ibrahim, 31/05 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Citizen Kane Orson Welles Cinema Film Culture

What’s being told here is no myth. Orson Welles really was 25 when he shot Citizen Kane. He had never directed a film before, but had already caused a sensation in 1938 with his radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds, so realistic it panicked thousands of Americans. A prodigy to some, a fraud to others, he fascinated everyone. The RKO studio, ...

‘La Dolce Vita’ or Fellini’s Prophetic Vision

Bélinda Ibrahim, 30/05 17:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

La Dolce Vita Frederico Fellini Cinema Film Rome Culture

When it was released in 1960, La Dolce Vita caused a stir. The film disrupted cinema, unsettled Italian society, and changed how we understand what a film can express. Yet this masterpiece by Federico Fellini was not born out of serenity or control. It emerged from the tumult of late 1950s Rome, where nights seemed more intense than ...

Ana de Armas Strikes Back as Vengeful Ballerina Assassin

This is Beirut, 30/05 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Cinema Ana de Armas Actress Film Culture Art

Ana de Armas steps into the spotlight alongside Keanu Reeves in Ballerina, the highly anticipated spin-off of the John Wick saga, hitting theaters this Wednesday. The 37-year-old actress plays Eve Maccaro, a ballerina-turned-deadly assassin raised and trained by the Ruska Roma, a shadowy organized crime syndicate. Eve is on a relentless quest to ...

Fast, Fearless, Female: France’s Stunt Star Conquers Hollywood

This is Beirut, 27/05 16:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Suntwoman Film Sarah Lezito Entertainment France Culture

When Sarah Lezito began messing around with motorbikes at 13 she never dreamed that one day she would become the stunt double of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. The French winemaker's daughter has stood in for Scarlett Johansson - twice - on Avengers 2 and Black Widow and appeared in a dozen films including The Batman. The 32-year-old is one ...

Filmmaker Panahi Cheered on Return to Iran After Cannes Triumph

This is Beirut, 26/05 15:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iran Jafar Pahani Film Cannes 2025 France Culture

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Pahani was given a hero's welcome on his return to Tehran Monday by supporters after winning the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, footage posted on social media showed. After being banned from leaving Iran for years, forced to make films underground and enduring spells in prison, Panahi attended the French ...

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