Israel to amend Eurovision entry over political lyrics

Eden Golan‘s entry contained references to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. (Supplied)
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Updated 04 March 2024
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Israel to amend Eurovision entry over political lyrics

DUBAI: Israel’s public broadcaster will request changes to the lyrics of a song under consideration for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, reversing its previous stance on the issue.

Eurovision barred the song last week for breaking rules on political neutrality in song lyrics. Artist Eden Golan‘s Israel entry, “October Rain,” contains references to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Israeli broadcaster Kan, which will determine which song enters Eurovision for the country, pledged last week that it wouldn’t request any alteration of the lyrics.

But Israel’s President Isaac Herzog today called for “necessary adjustments” to ensure Israel can enter the show.

The original lyrics of the song were published on Kan's website last month in English. 

They include the lines "They were all good children, every one of them" and "Who told you boys don't cry/ Hours and hours/ And flowers/ Life is not a game for the cowards."

The reference to flowers often denotes war fatalities, according to Israeli media. 

Kan is also considering a song called “Dance Forever.”

The 68th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Malmo, Sweden, in May.


Review: Apple TV’s ‘Before’ is a showcase for Billy Crystal

Jacobi Jupe and Billy Crystal in 'Before' - Apple TV+
Updated 31 October 2024
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Review: Apple TV’s ‘Before’ is a showcase for Billy Crystal

  • Creepy drama gives the famed comic a chance to show his serious side

LONDON: There are many unsettling things about Apple’s new psychological drama “Before”, but first among them is the sight of star Billy Crystal playing it absolutely straight — and not, as you might suspect, in a way that would enable the iconic funnyman to play it so seriously that it’s almost funny.

Here, Crystal is child psychologist Eli Adler, a gifted doctor struggling to come to terms with the recent suicide of his wife, Lynn. Not many laughs there, you’ll agree. While Eli is dealing with visions of Lynn, and recurring nightmares of hurling himself into an empty swimming pool, he finds a troubled young boy who won’t speak, scratching his hands bloody attempting to break into Eli’s house.

Eli’s colleague Gail (Sakina Jaffrey) has been trying to convince him to take on a new case — one of a troubled young boy who won’t speak and is plagued by horrifying visions. Before you can say “contrived coincidence,” we learn the two boys are, in fact, one and the same. What are the chances?

As Eli begins to investigate what led Noah (Jacobi Jupe) to stop speaking and start drawing creepy pictures of an abandoned barn — the same barn Eli finds in a picture among his wife’s things — the as-yet-unrevealed link between the two begins to solidify. With two episodes broadcast (of the 10 scheduled), the story behind whatever brought Eli and Noah together looks set to be eked out across the limited series, but writer/creator Sarah Thorp doesn’t hold out on audiences too much. So while there’s still a lot of hinting at seemingly unconnected elements — Noah’s visions of water leaking into his reality, his unnerving tendency to lapse into 17th-century Dutch, the often-sinister nature of Eli’s visions of Lynn — there’s enough dangled threads weaving together all of the above that viewers can feel like figuring out the mystery is achievable.

And, wonderfully, the cherry on the top is Crystal, demonstrating a gift for drama that few of his numerous roles ever hinted at. Eli is believably grief-stricken, world-weary and simply exhausted at the strangeness of what’s going on around him. Whatever the mystery at the heart of “Before” ends up being, the real gem here is the discovery of how effective a serious Billy Crystal can be.


Highlights from this year’s ‘Festival Favorites’ at RSIFF 

The Inevitable Journey to Find a Wedding Dress
Updated 31 October 2024
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Highlights from this year’s ‘Festival Favorites’ at RSIFF 

JEDDAH: The category’s movies are ‘films that stay with the viewer long after the fall of the curtain,’ says RSIFF’s Antoine Khalife 

‘Agora’  

Director: Ala Eddine Slim 

Starring: Majd Mastoura, Neji Kanawati, Bilel Slatnia 

The Tunisian filmmaker’s third feature, which was backed by Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Fund, has already proven to be a winner. At the Locarno Film Festival in August it picked up the Pardo Verde Award, which is “given to a film that best reflects an environmental theme and is unafraid of asking difficult questions.” It centers on a small town where a series of disturbing events that seem to bridge the world of the living and the dead — including the return of three missing people who don’t appear to be quite themselves any longer — has attracted the attention of the authorities. Or, at least, of people claiming to be the authorities. 

‘Black Dog’ 

Director: Guan Hu 

Starring: Eddie Peng, Tong Liya, Xin the dog 

The winner of the Un Certain Regard prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival is, according to The Observer in one of many favorable reviews from the international press, a “heartfelt tale of outcast redemption.” Set in the Gobi desert in the northwest of China prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics — a time when the country was undergoing rapid redevelopment — it follows Lang, a recently released ex-convict (and former stuntman and musician) returning to his hometown, which he finds many people have left and is now home to a large community of stray dogs. One of them — the ‘black dog’ of the title — is rumored to have rabies, and there’s a bounty on its head which Lang decides he will try to collect. But when he actually encounters the dog, his plans change. 

‘Santosh’ 

Director: Sandhya Suri 

Starring: Shahana Goswami, Sunita Rajwar, Sanjay Bishnoi 

British-Indian documentary maker Sandhya Suri’s feature debut — a Hindi-language crime drama — is the UK’s entry for next year’s Oscars and has already received critical acclaim following its showing in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes this year. It’s a police procedural set in northern India and follows the title character, a young widow, who has taken over her late husband’s job as a police constable. Her newfound independence and power is somewhat negated by her discovery of the institutional corruption and sexism of law enforcement in the area. 

‘East of Noon’  

Director: Hala Elkoussy 

Starring: Menha El-Batroui, Ahmed Kamal, Omar Rozeik 

Screen Daily called this — Elkoussy’s second feature — “a sumptuous piece of filmmaking.” It’s a surrealist fable about a teenage musician, Abdo and his partner Nunna, who are looking for a way out of their impoverished town, which offers few prospects of a bright future. But the corrupt elders have other ideas, seeking to crush not just their rebellious dreams, but their spirits.  

‘Eephus’  

Director: Carson Lund 

Starring: Keith William Richards, Frederick Wiseman, Cliff Blake 

Set in a small Massachusetts town in the Nineties, “Eephus” follows an team of out-of-shape middle-aged men who play for the Adler’s Paint baseball team as they prepare to face their fiercest rivals in one final game before their stadium is demolished to make way for a new school. Variety called Lund’s movie an “adorably existential, off-kilter take on the sports movie.” 

‘Familiar Touch’  

Director: Sarah Friedland 

Starring: H. Jon Benjamin, Kathleen Chalfant, London Garcia 

Friedland’s intensely moving feature debut won the Lion of the Future at this year’s Venice Film Festival. It centers on a beautiful performance by Chalfant as Ruth, an octogenarian who is dealing with cognitive decline while transitioning to assisted living at a care facility. 

‘Freedom Way’  

Director: Afolabi Olalekan 

Starring: Adebowale Adedayo, Mike Afolarin, Bimbo Akintola 

In Olalekan’s fast-paced thriller, three young co-founders of a startup in Lagos struggle to keep their entrepreneurial dreams alive amid corruption, police violence and extortion that affects both them and their customers. 

‘The Inevitable Journey to Find a Wedding Dress’  

Director: Jaylan Auf 

Starring: Yasmin Raeis, Asmaa Galal, Salwa Mohamed Ali 

Egyptian social drama. On the eve of her wedding, Warda’s wedding dress is accidentally ruined leading her on a frantic trip around Cairo to find a replacement, accompanied by her best friend. It turns into a journey of self-discovery for Warda — one that causes her to reassess her relationship with the city. 

 


What to expect at Hia Hub 2024

Updated 29 October 2024
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What to expect at Hia Hub 2024

DUBAI: Hia Hub, Saudi Arabia’s fashion, beauty and lifestyle conference, returns for its fourth edition in Riyad’s JAX District.

Taking place from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, the event will feature discussions, masterclasses, workshops, interactive exhibitions and live performances.

Tunisian actress Dorra Zarrouk will host a meet-and-greet on Oct. 31, while on Nov. 2 Egyptian actress Yasmine Sabri will talk about her career, challenges within the entertainment industry, and her personal development.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Hia Magazine (@hiamag)

Iraqi YouTuber and content creator Noor Naeem, known as Noor Stars, will present a talk titled “Redefining Digital Success” on Oct. 31, where she will discuss achieving success in the digital world. The session will cover her methods for engaging with followers, balancing creativity with practical business strategies, and her experiences collaborating with major global brands.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Hia Hub (@hiahubofficial)

Egyptian dancer and actress Fifi Abdou will join a discussion on Nov. 3 titled “Fifi Abdou on Redesigning Arab Entertainment,” where attendees can learn about her career path, contributions to the arts, and her role in Arab entertainment.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Hia Hub (@hiahubofficial)

Also on Nov. 3, Saudi influencer Yara Al-Namlah, founder of Saudi skincare brand Treat, will host a session with her mother to discuss the personal experiences and family rituals that have shaped their skincare routines.

Masterclasses will include Lebanese celebrity makeup artist Bassam Fattouh, who will share tips and tricks; Maria Tash, who will offer insights on the art of piercing and fine jewelry design; Oscar de la Renta creative directors Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, who will discuss couture craftsmanship; and a skincare masterclass with Inge Theron, founder of FaceGym.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Hia Hub (@hiahubofficial)

International brands such as Benefit, YSL Beauty, Dior, Clinique, The Ordinary, Hublot, Shiseido, Guerlain and more will offer opportunities to connect with professionals and engage in hands-on learning through a series of workshops.


Sally Rooney, Hisham Matar and Arundhati Roy call for boycott of Israeli cultural institutions

Updated 29 October 2024
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Sally Rooney, Hisham Matar and Arundhati Roy call for boycott of Israeli cultural institutions

DUBAI: Leading authors from around the world are calling for a boycott of Israeli cultural institutions.

More than 1,000 writers and publishing professionals have signed a letter pledging to boycott Israeli cultural institutions that “are complicit or have remained silent observers of the overwhelming oppression of Palestinians.”

Popular authors who have signed the letter include Irish author Sally Rooney, known for novels like “Conversations with Friends,” “Normal People” and, most recently, “Intermezzo”; Pulitzer Prize-winning American-Libyan novelist Hisham Matar; Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen; Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy; Mohsin Hamid, author of “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”; and Booker Prize-nominated Avni Doshi, who is based in Dubai.

The authors pledged to not work with Israeli publishers, festivals, literary agencies and publications that are “complicit in violating Palestinian rights,” including operating “discriminatory policies and practices” or “whitewashing and justifying Israel’s occupation, apartheid or genocide.”

Institutions that have never publicly recognized the “inalienable rights of the Palestinian people as enshrined in international law” will also be boycotted.

The campaign was organized by the Palestine Festival of Literature (also known as PalFest), which runs annually with free public events in cities across Palestine.

“We, as writers, publishers, literary festival workers, and other book workers, publish this letter as we face the most profound moral, political and cultural crisis of the 21st century,” begins the statement, which goes on to say that Israel has killed “at the very least 43,362” Palestinians in Gaza since last October and that this follows “75 years of displacement, ethnic cleansing and apartheid.”

Culture “has played an integral role in normalizing these injustices,” it says. Israeli cultural institutions, “often working directly with the state, have been crucial in obfuscating, disguising and art-washing the dispossession and oppression of millions of Palestinians for decades.”

Industry workers have a “role to play,” states the pledge. “We cannot in good conscience engage with Israeli institutions without interrogating their relationship to apartheid and displacement,” it reads, noting that “countless authors” took the same position against apartheid in South Africa.

The letter ends with a call to the signatories’ peers to join the pledge.


‘Love is Blind, Habibi’ announces reunion episode

Updated 29 October 2024
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‘Love is Blind, Habibi’ announces reunion episode

DUBAI: The cast members of the widely-acclaimed “Love is Blind, Habibi” inaugural season will return for a reunion episode to answer burning questions about their experiences filming the reality TV series.

Set to premiere on Nov. 1, the reunion episode will see them sit down with Saudi Arabian actress and host of the eponymous show Elham Ali, to dissect moments from the series.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Netflix MENA (@netflixmena)

The Arab version of the international reality show was viewed more than 1.6 million times and ranked No. 6 globally on Netflix’s non-English shows chart.

Season one of “Love is Blind, Habibi” saw three couples get engaged. However, only one couple — Safa and Mohammed — made it down the aisle and tied the knot.

Audiences are eager to see how the married couple and the singles are doing.