"Now where to?" movie by Nadine Labaki

Nadine Labaki strikes again with a movie on Lebanon. Entertaining, funny, sad, devastating, stirring emotions, stirring memories, the movie is well done. It also raises many unsolved issues in the recent history of Lebanon: sectarian schism, religious clashes, snippers omnipresence, villages divided, sons killed, mothers wailing, sisters in chock, some hiding, others in silence. The movie is surely a women's voice of the civil war, what could have they done, how did they contribute passively or actively. And the story ends with a total twist of fate that puts hope and gives courage to women in the possibility to alter the course of life.
A must see.

Creative Spaces - Beirut

Creative Spaces in Beirut is an outstanding effort from a Lebanese graduate, Sarah Hermez, who decided to contribute in lives of others who could not go as far as she did.
Coming back home after studies at the New School, Parsons in New York, and a few trips in emerging countries such as India and Cambodia, she established herself in Beirut and wanted to share her knowledge.
Against all odds, she took her professor's offer, Ms Caroline Shlala-Simonelli, a lebanese american, expert in fashion making. She looked for a place in Lebanon, gathered students, fundraised all of the above. And it all started.
A two month course in learning: from the very beginning in finding ideas, looking for creativity, until the end product: a exhibition on the 17 until the 19 th of August 2011 in their atelier.
With the precious help of Ms Caroline, the whole process is spreading quality, precise tools and knowledge. It is about sharing a passion.

if you're in Lebanon do not miss the event!

creative space's website link

Ghazi Abdel Baki - new album "The last Communique" release

Ibtassim, poem by Elia Abu Mrad, music by Ghazi Abdel Baki and Band in "communique #2"

Did you attend Ghazi Abdel Baki live concert at the BO18 in Beirut, yesterday 28th November 09?
Based on the previous two albums, Abdel Baki has given the music scene at deep soft voice and a modern twist to arabic poems. It seems reviews could not settle whether it falls into the category of jazz, bossa nova, salsa, blues, rock... Or it might just be a mix of all of the above.
He is known to be a heir of the musical movement in the early seventies in Lebanon, "the cradle for interacting cultures and a fertile breeding ground for mixing musical influences and experimentation. With a soundscape that varied from traditional Arabic Music to Psychedelic Rock, a synthesis was born. Today forty years later, musicians in this region are still pushing the envelope to create more variations and new contemporary colors."
His selection of poems and words inspire for a brighter outlook in the general gloom and doom reports in the arab world.
So if you were at that concert, how was it??