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L'Orient-Le Jour
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Photos from history, the mundane and the surreal: Where to be this weekend in the Middle East
Happy August, the busiest month in any Lebanese (or Lebanese-adjacent) life. To properly keep up with your overwhelming schedules, L'Orient Today, in partnership with The MYM Agenda, will guide you every Thursday through cultural happenings across the Middle East that are actually worth your time. Consider this your weekly shortcut to what matters in the region's buzzing cultural scene. This month, Beirut is itching to bring fun back into our lives. If the same old bars and restaurants have been boring you to death, here's where you can spend your time instead: What started as a photography competition and a way to mentor emerging voices in photography has bloomed into Through Young Eyes, running this month in Art District, Gemmayzeh. Showcasing 10 emerging artists — who couldn't be more different from each other — the exhibition is your chance to peek into young people's everyday lives. They take your hand through their parties, the streets of Beirut and the stories behind their self-portraits. Get used to the names of Cyril Harb, Andre Jahel, Bassel Ramadan, Brin Cloud, Charly Zgheib, Chris Nassar, Luana Tabbara, Manal Salameh, Nadim Nassar and Serge al-Helayel. Every Tuesday night this month, when the Beirut breeze finally settles in, you can join Metropolis Cinema in Mar Mikhael, in their green outdoor garden, and get whisked back to the golden age of Egyptian musical cinema. Grab your favorite parent or aunt and revisit classic favorites with them: Asmahane, Shadia, Naima Akef and Souad Hosny. You only have until next week to catch Bassam Freiha Art Foundation's Reclaiming Visions in the Cultural District, Abu Dhabi. While pictures and stories are our way to keep history alive, they also allow us to have our own interpretations of events. This is your chance to step into photographers and artists Sama al-Shaibi and Azza al-Qubaisi's interpretations, as the two take on the daunting task of reimagining what 19th-century portrayals of Arab women would have been if they were accurate to the subjects' true characters. Shaibi uses historic photo techniques to place herself in scenes that echo and subvert the exoticized studio setups of Western photographers. In contrast, Qubaisi's poetic sculptures explore the symbolism of the veil, bridging Christian and Muslim traditions with reimagined forms of the abaya and ghonnela. Fann À Porter in Jumeirah, Dubai, is holding their annual Summer Group Exhibition, showcasing a selection of diverse mediums in dialogue together, connected by themes of introspection, identity, transformation and peace. The space is a feast for the eyes: bright and overly-saturated oil paintings, bold and creative works of ceramic and the exploration of charcoal and coffee paper as artists' tools. Walk into the world of your ancestors this summer at the Yarmouk Cultural Centre in Kuwait. As part of its 2025 campaign to put the country on the global culture map, the center is using centuries' worth of artefacts to tell you the stories of the evolution of ancient Arab script, kingdoms and early societies. Jerusalem-based multimedia artist and performer Raeda Saadeh is showcasing her latest work in Darat al-Funun, Amman, Jordan. Her exhibition lays bare to you herself and her world through pictures, videos and performance art. Saadeh particularly loves the tension between upheaval and routine in the everyday. Her stories are told through the mundane's silence, pause and what is left unsaid. For the next two weeks, Motion Art Gallery in Cairo, Egypt, is displaying the weird and wonderful world of painter Mostafa Saifoon. His portraits of intimacy are like looking at your loved ones through Alice in Wonderland's distorted looking glass.
L'Orient-Le Jour
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- L'Orient-Le Jour
‘Disorder': Four Lebanese filmmakers on a nation in turmoil
A secret meeting of revolutionaries spirals into chaos. A young woman defies her mother's grip to join the October 2019 protests. A depressed psychologist faces financial ruin. And comedian Chaker Bou Abdallah, playing himself, dreams of a meteorite ending Lebanon's four short films — directed by Lucien Bourjeily, Bane Fakih, Wissam Charaf and Areej Mahmoud — make up Msha'lab (Disorder), screening at Metropolis Cinema in Beirut through Aug. anthology presents four distinct visions of a country unraveling, from the 2019 economic collapse and mass protests to the devastation of the 2020 Beirut port explosion. The thread tying them together: a search for what remains when a nation the question producer and curator Bechara Mouzannar wanted to explore when he launched the project in 2019, inspired by what...
Broadcast Pro
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Lebanon's Abbout Productions to receive Locarno's producing award
The production firm will also present two of its movies at Locarno, namely Costa Brava, Lebanon' and 'Memory Box'. Beirut-based production house Abbout Productions, led by Georges Schoucair and Myriam Sassine, will be honoured with the Raimondo Rezzonico Award at the 78th Locarno Film Festival on August 7, 2025. The award, presented by the Municipality of Minusio, recognises outstanding work by independent producers and celebrates Abbout's remarkable contribution to Arab and Lebanese cinema. During the ceremony, Abbout Productions will present two of its most acclaimed titles: Costa Brava, Lebanon by Mounia Akl and Memory Box by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige. These films exemplify the company's dedication to powerful storytelling and international visibility for regional voices. Since taking the helm of Abbout Productions in 2004 and 2010, respectively, Schoucair and Sassine have played an instrumental role in shaping Lebanon's independent film landscape. Under their leadership, the Beirut-based company has produced a roster of award-winning films that have screened at major international festivals including Venice, Berlin and Cannes. Their portfolio includes works by prominent regional directors such as Ahmad Ghossein, Mohamed Malas, Ghassan Salhab, Oualid Mouannes, Cyril Aris, Ely Dagher, Rana Eid and Myriam El Hajj, whose Diaries from Lebanon premiered in the Berlinale Panorama section in 2024. Beyond production, both Schoucair and Sassine have championed independent cinema through institutional and grassroots efforts. Schoucair was instrumental in the founding and relaunch of Beirut's Metropolis Cinema, a cornerstone venue for arthouse programming in the Middle East. Sassine co-founded the Maskoon Fantastic Film Festival, the only genre-focused film festival in the Arab world, and has been actively involved in regional co-production and training platforms like Aflamuna Connection, which she has managed since 2021. Their work has extended beyond national boundaries. Schoucair supported Jean-Luc Godard's Le Livre d'image and, through the international company Schortcut Films, he and Sassine have co-produced award-winning films by renowned auteurs such as Alain Gomis, Kaouther Ben Hania, Lucrecia Martel and Elia Suleiman. On August 8, Schoucair and Sassine will participate in a public discussion at Forum @Spazio Cinema, moderated by Swiss journalist Philippe Mottaz. The event, organised in collaboration with the ICT4Peace Foundation, reflects the Festival's broader commitment to global dialogue and socially engaged filmmaking. Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director, said: 'The films Abbout have produced are a sign of a society that is vital, alive, and continues to look to the future with dogged confidence. Through their films, Georges and Myriam have been able to tell the story of a country able to come to terms with its history while simultaneously imagining a layered and multifaceted Lebanese identity. They have also launched a great many new talents in front of and behind the camera, helping to give Lebanon a new face, allowing it to meet its potential, and offering a complex portrait of the country that goes far beyond the trivialisations of the violence of war. They have worked tirelessly in the pursuit of a fertile and generous dialogue.' The Raimondo Rezzonico Award, offered by the Municipality of Minusio, was created in 2002 in memory of the man who was President of the Festival from 1981 to 1999. The 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival will take place from August 6-16, 2025.
L'Orient-Le Jour
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- L'Orient-Le Jour
The artistic women of Beirut, Hend Sabri's UN exit and film galore in Lebanon
With spring in full bloom and the cultural calendar equally bursting in abundance, I'm itching to get outside this weekend. The only problem is figuring out how to be everywhere at once. Part of me is longing to be outdoors, basking in the sun and the scent of jasmine, but at the same time, I'm finding the season's lineup of films and exhibitions just as alluring. With the help of the following articles, I'm plotting a weekend that includes a little bit of both. I hope you manage the same. Four female Lebanese artists to watch Three female painters and one photographer are taking the art scene by storm this spring in Beirut. They are reimagining the Phoenician princess of Sour, fusing Lebanese and Japanese abstraction, painting nostalgic village life and capturing women at the all-too familiar crossroads — to stay or leave Lebanon? From canvas to screen, women are also taking the spotlight at the 8th Beirut Women Film Festival, which, this year, is bigger and more encompassing than ever. Rana Najjar sat down with founder and director Sam Lahoud to understand how the event advocates for a film world committed to women. This year's event has also brought none other than Egyptian-Tunisian actress Hend Sabri, this year's festival honoree, to town. Karl Richa caught up with the icon between screenings, red carpets and her departure from her position as U.N. ambassador. Who needs a euro-summer when you have euro-film-spring If the festival has opened the floodgates of your cinematic appetite, you're in luck. The European Film Festival is also kicking off this week at Beirut's Metropolis Cinema. We've got more info on the event and our top picks for your movie marathon. For the bookworms of Beirut It really is the season of cultural festivals! Last weekend, Yara Malka captured the literary bliss of her spring morning spent wandering around this year's Souk al-Kotob festival, guiding us through the stalls of eclectic wares infused with the smell of ground coffee and freshly printed pages. A Thousand and One Nights like you've never seen before To finish with a bang, the Caracalla Dance Theatre returns this month with a high-octane take on 'One Thousand and One Nights,' where classical choreography meets dabkeh, vivid silks billow on stage and the folkloric spirit of Baalbeck is brought back to life in dramatic color.
L'Orient-Le Jour
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- L'Orient-Le Jour
European Film Festival starts today in Beirut: Discover our selection
From April 30 to May 11, the 29th edition of the European Film Festival will light up the screens of Metropolis Cinema in Mar Mikhael with more than 35 films, special guests, concerts, tributes and a steadfast passion for the seventh art. The festival is organized by the European Union delegation in Lebanon, in partnership with the Metropolis Cinema Association and EU member state embassies. Opening with a Cannes favorite The festival will open with Flow by Gints Zilbalodis, a Latvian sensation unveiled at Cannes in 2024. The silent animated feature — which won the 2025 Oscar for Best Animated Feature and more than 50 international awards — follows a cat navigating a dreamlike, submerged world. The film promises to set the tone for a festival focused on innovation and emotion. The opening night is by invitation only, ahead of the film's national release on May 8. This year's lineup includes 21 feature films from across Europe, offering Lebanese audiences a bold and varied look at contemporary European cinema. Among them are several festival prizewinners, including two animated films for younger viewers. Special "movie-snack" screenings will be held for children from underserved communities. Alongside the European selections, 12 short films by emerging Lebanese filmmakers will compete for awards. Two winners will be selected to attend a European film festival, in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut and the French Institute of Lebanon. Cinema as a living experience Among the festival's standout events is Voyage to the Land of Fairies, a hybrid of concert and screening. The duo Catherine Vincent will reinterpret four enchanting short films by Georges Méliès and Lotte Reiniger in a musical, humorous, and poetic cine-concert, blending shadow theater and melodic storytelling. The festival also includes two special screenings with a focus on memory. Spanish classic Jamón Jamón by Bigas Luna will be shown in its restored version, with actor Jordi Mollà in attendance. The closing night on May 11 will feature the digitized version of Youssef Maalouf's Abou Salim, the Messenger of Love, a tribute to the beloved TV icon, who will attend the screening. A poster that speaks Beirut This year's festival poster, designed by Natasha Simonian, captures Beirut's raw energy: stray cats, tangled wires, and a city suspended between daily poetry and chaos. The design was chosen through an online competition, reflecting the festival's spirit of community and openness. Screenings will also reach audiences beyond Beirut, with events planned in Saida, Tripoli and Jounieh. Four must-see feature films The Story of Souleymane – Boris Lojkine (France) Monday, May 5 at 6 p.m. & Thursday, May 8 at 7 p.m. In the streets of Paris, Souleymane rehearses his story in preparation for an asylum interview. This poignant portrait of a suspended migrant, awarded at Cannes, stands out for its intensity and emotional depth. The Poet's Fiancée – Yolande Moreau (Belgium) Wednesday, May 7 at 9 p.m. In her inherited family home, Mireille hosts three eccentric tenants who disturb her solitude and stir romantic memories. A delicately offbeat comedy, true to Moreau's style. The End – Joshua Oppenheimer (Denmark) Friday, May 9 at 6 p.m. In a post-apocalyptic world, a family lives sealed in a bunker. The arrival of a stranger disrupts their balance. With Tilda Swinton, this philosophical chamber piece is haunting and provocative. Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush – Andreas Dresen (Germany) Thursday, May 1 at 8:30 p.m. & Saturday, May 10 at 4 p.m. A Turkish-German mother fights to free her son from Guantanamo. A moving and satirical courtroom drama, awarded the Silver Bear in Berlin. The Past Is Calling – Perla Geagea In a deserted Beirut home, an exiled voice returns to haunt the walls in a poetic audiovisual elegy. A silent meditation on what's left when everything is lost — haunting and understated. Bitter Greens, Tangled Roots – Abdallah Dannaoui A phone call between an exiled brother and sister rekindles memories of a vanished Lebanon. Sensitive Strings – Amal Ghamlooch A musician takes the stage one final time in a heartfelt, unadorned farewell. Awards will be announced during the closing ceremony on Sunday, May 11 at 8:30 p.m., followed by Abou Salim, the Messenger of Love. For Young Audiences: A Galactic Adventure Diplodocus – Wojtek Wawszczyk (Poland) Saturday, May 10 at 12 p.m. A small dinosaur capable of interplanetary travel sets out to find his parents. Packed with quirky characters and kinetic animation, this interstellar journey is perfect for children aged 8 and up. Festival Information Location: Metropolis Cinema, Mar Mikhael Dates: April 30 – May 11, 2025 Tickets: 400,000 Lebanese liras, available at or at the cinema Opening night: By invitation only
