An actress’ redemption arc, popular cookbook re-released and Lebanon at the Oscars

This summer’s end brings a warm farewell to my colleague, Anya, whose charming voice has undoubtedly become a fixture of your Saturday mornings. Much like a Cinderella story — if she lost her password-protected laptop — it won’t be easy to fill her metaphorical shoes. But here I am, pulling out all the stops to whip up your usual order: a weekend shot of the finer things to go with your sleep-in coffee.

Speaking of seasonal changes, I hold an unpopular opinion: Autumn is the most feel-good time of the year. To me, September signals an unspoken permission to snap back to the comfort of routine, melodramatic weather, well-earned R&R and an evening Merlot to cap the day at a reasonable hour.

So, to celebrate the imminent return of the fall chills, here is my curated selection of light, mellow reads from this week to get you as stoked about harvest season as I am.

In keeping with the year's twilight, Jim Quilty offers a vivid description of “The Shade,” a 20-artist exhibition at Sfeir-Semler’s Karantina space. Enjoy a range of interpretations explored by Quilty, from a Gaza-born artist’s haunting “Remnants” to a playful interpolation of vaudeville icon Tiny Tim’s “Tiptoe Through The Tulips” onto the Ottomans’ passion for tulip cultivation.

This intimate portrait of the late actress Claudia Cardinale, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 87, reflects a life marked by intense seasons and transformations, from her upbringing in a small, working-class Tunisian neighborhood to her rise to fame in Hollywood.

At Metropolis this week, Sonia Ben Slama’s documentary “Machtat” transported the audience to a village in Tunis, following wedding singers, or machtats, as they “grumble, mock their men, disdain them, but do not escape them.” This in-depth exploration of the docu-film offers poignant reflections on women's daily experiences in the region.

Andree Maalouf, wife of author Amin Maalouf, and restaurateur Karim Haidar released their recipe book in Spain, marking a milestone for a cookbook that has traveled, evolved and been published elsewhere frequently. They craft recipes that draw on Lebanon's culinary memory and heritage, adding a contemporary twist to some of the country’s traditional delicacies.

Lebanon will be represented at the 2026 Oscars, as Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh announced that the film "A Sad and Beautiful World," directed by Cyril Aris, has been selected to compete for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Aris’s vision of Lebanon as rich in both sorrow and resplendence has already won me over.

Alors, since we’re all betrothed to cultural pleasures here, let’s talk about where to find some left-brain sparks this weekend. Art events focused on themes of memory, connection and a clever sublimation of doomscrolling are the Vibe this week — see which options match your interests in this list curated by Marguerita Sejaan.