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Lebanese director Nadine Labaki wins ‘Jury Prize’ at Cannes Film Festival

Lebanese film director Nadine Labaki made history as the first Arab woman to win a prestigious prize during the Cannes Film Festival in France.

She won the ‘Jury Prize’ for her ‘Capernaum‘ film, which follows the story of a destitute Beirut boy who files a lawsuit against his parents for raising him into a life of pain and suffering.

The director is also the second Arab woman to be in the running for the Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded at the Cannes festival. The first Arab woman in the running was Lebanese filmmaker Heiny Srour in 1974.

Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda won the Palme d’Or for his film ‘Shoplifters.’

RELATED: Sony Pictures acquires Lebanese film “Capernaum” ahead of Cannes

Labaki received a 15-minute standing ovation at the premiere of ‘Capernaum’ at Cannes. She told Agence France Presse that she feels strongly about the political and social messages in the film.

“I’m thinking of the notion of borders, of having to have papers to exist, of being completely excluded from the system if you don’t have them,” Labaki said. “(I’m thinking) of the maltreatment of children, modern slavery, immigrant workers, Syrian immigrants — all these issues where people find themselves completely excluded from the system because it is not capable of finding solutions.”

Sony Pictures Classics recently acquired North and Latin American rights to ‘Capernaum.’ Labaki is also known for her film ‘Where Do We Go Now?’ which was also acquired by Sony Pictures.

LAU students make ‘Phoenician ship’ made of plastic bottles

Lebanese American University students sailed a ‘Phoenician ship’ from Byblos to the Beirut port — and it was all made out of plastic bottles, the National News Agency reported.

Students worked with the ‘Chreek’ environmental nonprofit to collect more than 50,000 plastic bottles to build the ship. More than 25,000 were used in its construction, officials said.

Jbeil Mayor Wissam Zaarour said the project worked in cooperation with the Byblos Municipality, and aims at drawing attention to the environmental damage caused by non-sorting of waste.

“(The ship) is an environmental symbol because the boat is made of 50,000 plastic bottles aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of this type of waste,” Zaarour told the National News Agency. “It’s also cultural symbolism by embodying the Phoenician vessels that were used for trade and export of Lebanese cedar wood through the Jbeil coast.”

According to the LAU organizers, 50,000 bottles represents 10 percent of daily usage of plastic bottles in Lebanon.

Photo released by NNA/Lebanese National News Agency
Photo released by NNA/Lebanese National News Agency

Students said the project also aims to show how plastic waste does not decompose in nature, while celebrating Phoenician history known for its manufacturing of ships.

A ceremony held in Byblos was attended by Lebanese Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury, Lebanese American University President Joseph Jabbra and the Chreek Association Head George Ghafari, among other government and university officials.

The attendees sent off the ship from the coast of Jbeil to the Beirut port.

Tickets on sale for Shakira’s concert in Lebanon start at $75

Tickets on sale for Shakira’s summer concert in Lebanon start at $75, the Ticketing Box Office announced.

The Lebanese-Colombian singer is set to perform during the 2018 Cedars International Festival on July 13 at 8:30 p.m., the Box Office added.

The performance is part of the entertainer’s “El Dorado World Tour,” which begins on June 3 in Hamburg, Germany and ends on Nov. 3 in Bogotá, Colombia.

‘El Dorado’ is Shakira’s eleventh studio album, mainly sung in Spanish, with three songs in English.

RELATED: Shakira to perform in Lebanon during Cedars International Festival

Organizers said they expect about 14,000 people to attend Shakira’s performance.

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The tickets range from 112,500 LBP (about $75) for standing-only seats, to 750,000 LBP (about $500) for VIP seats.

For ticket information, click here.

The Cedars International Festival aims to honor Lebanon internationally through the beauty of the Lebanese cedars, organizers said.

Former Lebanese porn star Mia Khalifa gives up guns after Texas shooting

Former Lebanese American adult film star Mia Khalifa gave up her guns and donated to a gun control advocacy group after the Texas school shooting, according to her Twitter page.

The social media influencer posted a photo showing an Austin, Texas police officer taking the weapon.

“I’m not against the 2nd (amendment),” Mia posted. “I am against the untimely deaths of children.”

Mia says she donated $1,500 to Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization which advocates for gun control and against gun violence.

The Santa Fe, Texas school shooting left 10 people dead and 13 wounded. The 17-year-old suspect Dimitrios Pagourtzis is being held without bond.

Mia left the adult industry after receiving death threats from terror groups, she says.

Her career as a porn star created a stir in Lebanon after her parents announced they would disassociate themselves from her.

“It all started to spiral out of control when the death threats from ISIS started coming in,” Mia told disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong in an interview. “That’s when I stepped away.”

Lebanese-Colombian singer ‘Widy’ combines pop, Arab and Latin sounds

A rising Lebanese-Colombian star ‘Widy’ is combining the best in pop, Arab and Latin sounds to create exciting and rapidly-growing music.

The new Latino sensation’s real name is Wedad Cure, reports Al Arabiya. She recently performed during the Lebanese Diaspora Energy summit in Beirut.

Widy’s, whose father is Lebanese and mother is Colombian, has been nicknamed the ‘next Shakira’ by Latino press.

Photo provided/WidyMusic.com
Photo provided/WidyMusic.com

Although her Arabic isn’t perfect, Widy told Al Arabiya she is working with a recording company on a Arabic song release.

One of her songs ‘Yahabibi’ has more than 34 million views on YouTube.

During her visit to Lebanon, she also stopped by to visit her father’s hometown of Rahbe. Widy lives in Barranquilla, Columbia, which is home to a large population of Lebanese expats.

To see more of Widy, visit her Facebook page here.

Uber delivers janerik to Beirut customers for only $1

Ordering an Uber is supposed to bring you an easy ride to your destination.

But for one day in Lebanon, ordering an Uber meant easy access to sour green plums.

Uber Lebanon hosted a bizarre promotion on May 14 that offered 1 kilogram of janerik, or sour plums, for only $1.

Uber customers could order the springtime snack by using the UberJANERIK promo code on their app.

The delivery even came with salt on the side.

Many customers shared photos of their #UberJANERIK on Twitter.

It appeared to be a smashing marketing success!

Only in Lebanon.

Michigan woman becomes first Air Force lawyer to wear hijab

Lebanese-American Lt. Maysaa Ouza is making history as the first lawyer to wear a hijab as part of the Air Force’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps program.

Lt. Ouza was recently granted a religious accommodation allowing her to wear a hijab during training and in her role as chief of legal advice at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.

The daughter of Lebanese immigrants, Ouza said she chose to pursue a career with the U.S. Air Force because of the public service opportunities. She also wanted to break down barriers.

“Many people that look like me fear rejection, and thus will not apply for jobs like this,” said Ouza. “My hijab is an asset to the Air Force, not a liability.”

hijab air force attorney 1

Ouza, who graduated from the University of Toledo College of Law, knew that her hijab may impact her application into the Air Force.

After being accepted into the highly-competitive JAG Corps program, she was told she could only request a religious accommodation after committing years of her life to military service.

Air Force officials said she would have to remove her hijab and begin basic training without the head covering.

The American Civil Liberties Union and her attorneys sent a letter to the Air Force on behalf of Ouza urging officials to reconsider the policy.

The Air Force then reversed their decision and allowed Ouza to join JAG Corps with the religious accommodation.

Ouza will attend further training in Alabama in July, and will be promoted to captain upon graduation in September.

Amal Clooney shines in canary-yellow dress at Royal Wedding

Amal and George Clooney are the latest power couple to arrive at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding — and Amal looked like a ray of sunshine!

She wore a beautiful canary-yellow dress as she walked alongside George into the Windsor Castle grounds.

lebanese amal and george clooney at royal wedding 2

Amal’s Stella McCartney dress was accessorized with Gianvito Rossi nude pumps, and a side-tipped hat with a yellow-netting front and ochre-colored crystals.

Oh, and George was also there.

He wore a grey power suit with a pale yellow tie.

lebanese amal and george clooney at royal wedding 3

According to PEOPLE magazine, Meghan Markle and Amal have known each other for a while.

Their friendship started when Meghan moved to Britain, and was introduced to Amal by a mutual friend.

Amal, a Lebanese-British human rights lawyer, married George in 2014.

Lebanese actress protests Gaza deaths during Cannes Film Festival

French-Lebanese actress Manal Issa used the spotlight during the Cannes Film Festival in France to protest the Israeli army’s killing of Palestinians on the Gaza border.

Issa held a sign that said, “Stop the Attack on Gaza” as she made her way to the premiere of Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The actress was protesting Israeli forces for killing dozens of protesters and injuring hundreds.

Issa recently starred in a film about the Syrian revolution called “My Favorite Fabric,” which also premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She also appears in the drama “Parisienne” and the thriller “Nocturama.”

According to Reuters, 60 people were killed on Monday in Gaza by Israeli gunfire or tear gas.

Palestinian authorities called the attacks a “massacre of protestors” on the day the U.S. opened its embassy in contested Jerusalem.

Several other stars and producers joined Arab activists in a protest during the Cannes festival.

Hollywood actor Benicio del Toro participated in a moment of silence for Palestinian victims.

Maronite church in Virginia to hold large Lebanese food festival

Members of a Maronite Catholic community in Virginia are planning a large Lebanese food festival from May 18 to May 20 on church grounds.

St. Anthony Maronite Church in Glen Allen, Virginia will serve up a smorgasbord of Lebanese dishes — everything from spinach and cheese pies to shawarma sandwiches.

lebanese food festival va 2

The three-day festival is a glimpse into Lebanese food, dessert and culture for the Virginia town and its nearby communities.

lebanese food festival va 1

For the first time this year, festival organizers invited members of the St. Rafqa Choir from Lebanon to perform folk and religious music on Friday and Saturday night.

Admission is free, but food prices range from $2 to $9. The festival is fundraising opportunity for the church.

For a full list of menu items, click here. For more information about the festival, click here.

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