French Lebanese filmmaker Audrey Diwan to lead Cannes Critics’ Week jury
Updated 12 April 2023
Arab News
DUBAI: French Lebanese filmmaker and writer Audrey Diwan has been announced as jury president for this year’s edition of Cannes Critics’ Week.
Cannes Critics’ Week — devoted to emerging talents and first and second features — will unfold from May 17 to 25 this year.
“Born in 1980, she belongs to this new generation of female filmmakers whose sharpness and formal freedom are reinventing the codes and redefining the boundaries of international cinema,” Cannes Critics’ Week said of the director, according to a report in Deadline.
Diwan will be joined on the jury by Portuguese director of photography Rui Pocas; German actor, choreographer, and dancer Franz Rogowski; Indian journalist, curator and advisor to the programming of the Berlin Film Festival, Meenakshi Shedde; as well as American film programmer Kim Yutani, Sundance’s Film Festival programming director.
Diwan won the Venice Golden Lion in 2021 for her second feature “Happening,” based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Annie Ernaux.
Christie’s Islamic and Indian art auction showcases rare pieces
Updated 46 min 57 sec ago
Denise Marray
LONDON: Ahead of its “Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds including Rugs and Carpets” auction here on May 1, Christie’s experts recently shared insights with Arab News about the rare lots going under the hammer.
Sara Plumbly, director and head of the Islamic and Indian art department, highlighted an illuminated Kufic Qur’an folio, likely from Damascus, Umayyad Syria, dated to the 8th or 9th century.
“This Surah Al-Baqarah … is very early on in the Qur’an (chapter two titled ‘The Cow’), and you have this wonderful illuminated border. While you often see a line or two thick — here you have this hugely complicated border with beautiful colors.”
Although several illuminated Kufic manuscripts were produced, there were few survivors and generally fragmentary, since their placement at the front of a manuscript meant that they were more exposed to wear and tear, according to Christie’s website.
An illuminated Kufic Qur’an folio, likely from Damascus. (Supplied)
A collection of 11th century Fatimid gold jewelry caught the eye, to which Plumbly commented: “Jewellery of this type very rarely comes on the market.
“I think one of the reasons is that they are made of gold which is quite fragile and malleable and also, because it is such a precious material, gold is often melted down and used for other objects through the course of history, so it doesn’t survive in great quantities.”
A collection of 11th century Fatimid gold jewelry caught the eye. (Supplied)
At the pre-sale press exhibition in London, there was also a striking Iznik pottery dish from Ottoman Turkiye, circa 1585-1590. This was complete with bole red, cobalt blue, green and black accents, as well as saz leaves and pomegranates against a background of dense black scrolls.
A striking Iznik pottery dish from Ottoman Turkiye, circa 1585-1590. (Supplied)
Louise Broadhurst, director and international head of the department of rugs and carpets, pointed to The Hans Konig Collection of Classical Chinese Carpets.
There was a magnificent Imperial Ming “Qi” Dragon Palace carpet dating from the Wanli period, circa 1575-1600.
“It is one of just seven complete Dragon carpets that remain outside of China,” she explained.
“It would have originally been red in color, woven with a Brazilwood dye which at the time emulated the red that was the Imperial color of the emperor but sadly with time it faded quite rapidly to this sandy yellow color that we see today.
“It displays the ‘Qi’ dragon —a juvenile dragon in a naturalistic life form with cloud-like body, symbolic of an energetic life force. It’s married with the peony which is another symbol for beauty. It would imbue all of the powers that the emperor wanted.”
The live auction is at Christie’s London headquarters with 129 lots set to go under the hammer.
Victoria Beckham drops capsule collection with Mideast retailer
British singer and designer launches in Dubai with influencers
Beckham expresses ‘joy’ over women here wearing her designs
Updated 30 April 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: British fashion designer and singer Victoria Beckham hosted an intimate dinner in Dubai this week with some of the city’s leading style influencers to celebrate her exclusive capsule collection with Middle Eastern online luxury retailer Ounass.
The collaboration includes a dedicated pop-up at the Ounass Maison, located in Dubai’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Jumeirah.
It features a curated selection of Spring/Summer 2025 pieces, including designs created specifically for the Middle East. The collection is also available online.
“So excited to be here in Dubai to celebrate my capsule for @ounass,” she wrote on Instagram. “Coming here and seeing how Emirati women are wearing my clothes and making them their own brings me so much joy.”
The dinner was attended by several fashion influencers, including Karen Wazen, her sister Andrea Wazen, Dima Al-Sheikhly, Dana Hourani, Sossi Wartanian, Jessica Kahawaty, Deema Al-Asadi and Rym Saidi.
Guests posed for photos with Beckham, who wore a shiny silver-white satin dress featuring a one-shoulder design, soft draping across the bodice, and a gathered detail at the hip that flowed into an asymmetrical hem. She completed the look with clear pointed heels.
Beckham attended the event with her youngest daughter, Harper Seven, 13, who matched her mother in a sleek, floor-length satin gown in a light silver shade.
Harper’s dress featured thin spaghetti straps, a straight neckline, and a smooth, fitted silhouette. She completed the look with a black clutch.
Victoria was not the only member of the Beckham household making fashion headlines this week.
Her husband, football legend David Beckham, is also making a foray into the fashion world with the announcement of a major new collaboration.
In Spring/Summer 2025, BOSS will launch “BECKHAM x BOSS,” the brand’s first collection co-designed with David.
The pieces will draw inspiration from the star’s personal style, and promises to blend modern tailoring with heritage influences.
“We have been very much looking forward to this launch and are more than excited to see how these pieces are received by our end consumers,” said Daniel Grieder, CEO of Hugo Boss, in a statement.
“This collection is based on our strategic priority that product is key and our goal to seamlessly dress our customers for every occasion with our brands.”
Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Timur Bekmambetov pick eight UAE stories to lead screenlife rollout
Updated 29 April 2025
Hams Saleh
ABU DHABI: Ben Ross, CEO of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, joined Kazakh-Russian film director and producer Timur Bekmambetov on Tuesday at the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi to discuss screenlife, a pioneering format developed by Bekmambetov that is coming to the region for the first time.
Screenlife is a style of filmmaking where the entire story takes place on a digital screen — through text messages, video calls, social media and other everyday apps — reflecting how people communicate in today’s tech-driven world. Notable examples include the horror film “Unfriended” (2014) and the mystery thriller “Searching” (2018).
Ben Ross (L) and Timur Bekmambetov (R) at the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi. (AN Photo by Mohamed Fawzy)
In the session, Ross and Bekmambetov announced that they have selected eight stories from UAE filmmakers to bring to life after the launch of the Screenlife Program in June 2024, which aims to help UAE citizens and residents master this new format and create authentic narratives with global resonance.
“We were drawn to it because it is so innovative and so forward-thinking,” Ross told Arab News. “We enjoyed the screenlife movies, and it just felt like a natural step to evolve it into this region.”
Bekmambetov emphasized the universality of digital communication. “The digital world is the same universally. There is a different cultural element … but every family has a WhatsApp chat with hundreds of people on it. My family in Kazakhstan have one, and the internet in Abu Dhabi is the same,” he told Arab News.
He said that the format is “socially very impactful” and can give voice to those often left out of traditional cinema. “Because it costs nothing, you can tell stories about your individual life with no money. It will help us to engage very different storytellers.”
Ross noted that the selected projects reflect a wide range of stories. “Every story that we have chosen ... stood out in its own way. There’s a huge variety being told — it’s not formulaic.”
Bekmambetov also noted that Muslim women lead very different lifestyles, saying, “maybe screenlife will bring their stories to life,” to which Ross added that some of the stories currently in development already do.
Kehlani responds to concert cancellation over ‘anti-Israel sentiments’
Updated 29 April 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: US singer Kehlani has taken to social media after her appearance at Cornell University’s annual campus concert was cancelled due to her pro-Palestine stance.
Last week, Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff announced he was withdrawing the R&B singer’s invitation to perform at the event due to what he called “antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments.”
“Unfortunately, although it was not the intention, the selection of Kehlani as this year’s headliner has injected division and discord into Slope Day,” Kotlikoff wrote last week, referring to the concert.
“For that reason, I am rescinding Kehlani’s invitation and expect a new lineup for a great 2025 Slope Day to be announced shortly.”
He continued: “In the days since Kehlani was announced, I have heard grave concerns from our community that many are angry, hurt, and confused that Slope Day would feature a performer who has espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media. While any artist has the right in our country to express hateful views, Slope Day is about uniting our community, not dividing it.”
In a new Instagram video responding to the cancellation, Kehlani said: “I am being asked and called to clarify and make a statement yet again for the millionth time, that I am not antisemitic nor anti-Jew. I am anti-genocide, I am anti the actions of the Israeli government, I am anti an extermination of an entire people, I’m anti the bombing of innocent children, men women… that’s what I’m anti.”
The 30-year-old, a frequent collaborator with the Jewish Voice for Peace group, added a caption, stating: “I know you’ve seen Cornell University cancelled my show, and now there are attempts at other cancellations on top of the cancellations I’ve already experienced over the past year. If you want to cancel me from opportunity, stand on it being because of your Zionism. don’t make it anti-Jew. this a played out game. all this because we want people to stop dying. I hope this helps.”
‘Bridgerton’ star Nicola Coughlan talks Palestine support
Updated 29 April 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: Irish actress Nicola Coughlan – who rose to fame for her role in Netflix hit series “Bridgerton” – was awarded the Commitment Prize by French media company Konbini at Canneseries, where she also gave a career talk.
During the hour-long masterclass, Coughlan spoke in depth about not only her work on shows like “Derry Girls” and “Doctor Who,” but also her support of Palestine.
“There is a factor of ‘it’s better if you say nothing’ because our job is to entertain you,” said the actor when asked about speaking in support of Palestine, according to a report by Variety. “My dad was in the Irish Army, which is a peacekeeping force. My family lived in Jerusalem and Syria in the 70s, so it’s something that is in my bones. We are talking about right or wrong, about children being bombed in their beds. I wouldn’t accept that anywhere in the world.”
The actor, who was given the award for being a “talent actively making a change well beyond television,” continued by highlighting how there has “always been a connection between Palestine and Ireland,” and that the two countries have “shared ideals and struggles.”
“Any country in the world that was facing this, I would talk about it. It’s not difficult. For me, the killing of innocent people is never right,” she said.
Coughlan just landed her first BAFTA nomination for her role in “Big Mood.”
“I never got to play anyone like her before, because she is quite cool, in a way. It’s a comedy that morphs into a drama. It bends the genre. She’s difficult, she’s funny.”
