By Jaimee Lee Haddad
I hope you’ve got something to look forward to this weekend, even if it's as simple as a Saturday morning lie-in or catching up with your favorite TV show. If not, there is plenty to get inspired by in this weekend’s Breakfast in Bed.
For me, going to an exhibition is almost the perfect weekend activity. It can be equally fulfilling either as a solitary experience (channeling your inner enigmatic main character) or shared with friends (half chatting art, half just chatting).
One exhibition I’ve really been curious to visit was reviewed by Gilles Khoury this week. I’ve featured that among an array of other interesting and positive stories on this week’s Breakfast In Bed menu, especially curated for you:
1. Collective spirit stirs in Geitawi
Fancy a heartwarming trip to the Jesuit Gardens in Geitawi? It’s been a favorite weekend haunt of mine since its reopening. Teeming with community spirit, it’s a perfect spot for a laid-back stroll, where you can people-watch as neighbors convene or enjoy the public library. And if this green community space wasn’t already charming enough, it now hosts the Liqa initiative – a composting project at its core but more broadly, a community space for sharing ecological and social values.
Amal Ephrem, composting expert, and Ali Sabbagh, general coordinator of the Assabil association. (Credit: Marc Chami)
2. Do you have Sylvie Grateu-fever?
This week Karl Richa got up close and personal with Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu aka Sylvie Grateau from Emily in Paris. While I may be one of the few people yet to join the cult following that the Netflix series has garnered, I know and love Leroy-Beaulieu from the French comedy Call my agent. However, I had no idea what a tumultuous career she has had. From controversial nude scenes in Roger Vadim’s films to nearly fading from the industry altogether, she reflects on her career and how her role as Sylvie has reignited her passion for acting.
Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, the new ambassador of Parisian fashion. (Credit: Netflix/DR)
3. Art for the soul
Join Gilles Khoury on a trip to Walid Raad’s latest exhibition, the "Festival of (In)gratitude" - a surrealist exploration of the blurred boundaries between reality and fiction. Khoury takes us into Raad’s world where historical and personal truths are delightfully ambiguous. The exhibition features enigmatic installations like a VW Beetle surrounded by surreal elements and photographs of a bakery frequented by Lebanon’s warlords and politicians. It sounds like a truly intriguing and brain-teasing display.
“Comrade Leader, comrade Leader, how nice to see you,” single-channel projection, black & white, silent, six paper silhouettes 00:39:22, loop Edition of 1 + 1 AP. Installation by Walid Raad: “Another Festival of (In)gratitude”, 2024, Sfeir-Semler Karantina. (Credit: The artist and Sfeir-Semler Gallery Beirut/Hamburg)
4. A film about film
It’s been 30 years since the tragic death of the young, much-acclaimed Lebanese director Maroun Baghdadi and, to honor his legacy, Feyrouz Serhal is releasing a documentary "Et Maroun revint à Beyrouth" ("And Maroun Returned to Beirut"). Fifi Abou Dib gives us a sneak peek of what to expect from this film about a filmmaker – a meta tribute to Baghdadi’s impact on the global perception of Lebanese cinema and a celebration of the indomitable spirit of Beirut.
5. A Sea turtle miracle
And finally, amid the tension of cross-border strikes, a remarkable story unfolds on Mansouri Beach in Sour, in South Lebanon. Sally Abou Aljoud reveals how, despite being just 20 kilometers from the border with Israel, sea turtles are thriving this season and volunteers are still working tirelessly to safeguard these endangered hatchlings. In such a tense environment she offers us a hopeful tale of endurance and conservation.
Volunteers usher freshly hatched turtles into the sea, Sour, South Lebanon, Sept. 15, 2023. (Credit: Sally Abou AlJoud/L’Orient Today)