Markella Kavenagh shows off Elie Saab look at London ‘LOTR’ premiere
Updated 24 August 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Australian actress Markella Kavenagh showed off a gown by Lebanese luxury label Elie Saab at the world premiere of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” Season Two in London — just days after another star opted for Elie Saab on the red carpet.
Kavenagh’s two-tone, floor-length ballgown hailed from the fashion house’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection.
Kavenagh plays the harfoot Nori Brandyfoot in both seasons of the show, which streams on Amazon Prime Video. Her first film break came with 2019’s “True History of The Kelly Gang,” and she has also taken on roles in Australian TV shows like “Romper Stomper,” “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” and “The Cry.”
The actress previously told Collider that costumes and makeup played a major role in helping her get into character.
“I think for me, it’s the costume and the makeup. I think that’s when I fully feel like I am the character because beforehand, the preparation that you do or the research that you do or the backstory that you do, that’s all well and good, but then to actually have the other layers come together. It also just brings you closer to the heads of department and to the crew because they’ve all had a hand in making that,” she said.
Meanwhile, British actress Nathalie Emmanuel attended the Los Angeles Premiere of Peacock's “The Killer” earlier in August wearing a look from Elie Saab’s Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2023 collection.
The look featured a black-on-black bodice and skirt combination with a thigh-high slit for extra drama.
Directed by John Woo, the remake of the 1989 classic sees an assassin land in hot water after sparing the life of a young woman. Emmanuel, Omar Sy and Sam Worthington star in the action flick.
Something Woo wanted to do this time around was explore the assassin, played by Emmanuel, as a human being.
“She has a lot of emotions,” Emmanuel told Forbes. “With many of the classic action stereotypes, everyone's very steely, and they have this sternness, and he was like, 'I want vulnerability and that conflict in her to be really evident.' I loved that he wanted to approach it in that way.”
Faisal Samra: ‘If I’m not an artist, then I don’t exist’
The Saudi-Bahraini artist discusses his roots and how it helped develop his experimental style
Updated 18 sec ago
Rawaa Talass
DUBAI: The seasoned Saudi-Bahraini artist Faisal Samra always knew what he wanted to achieve in his life, and faced down resistance with his rebellious nature.
“Everything was fixed and planned,” he says, looking back on his formative years. “Since my childhood, I knew what I wanted to do.”
Born in Bahrain in 1956, Faisal Samra is the descendant of a Saudi family that had settled in British-ruled Bahrain. (Supplied)
Born in Bahrain in 1956, Samra is the descendant of a Saudi family that had settled in British-ruled Bahrain, where, he says, work opportunities were, at the time, more readily available than in the Kingdom. Samra, who is based between Bahrain and Spain, describes his early years in Bahrain, spent in a large and old Khaleeji-style house, as crucial to his future career.
“As a child, when my family had people over for big meals, they cooked over fire and wood, which transformed into charcoal. I took this charcoal and made lines on walls,” he tells Arab News with a laugh. “It all started from this moment. This was an important stage because I still work with charcoal. My parents would paint over the scribbles, but I drew again. I wasn’t just drawing on walls at home, but also on the streets. At school, I was drawing on tables and I couldn’t control myself; I was obsessed. When I was six or seven, my art teacher told me, ‘Instead of drawing on tables, here is a piece of paper and some coloring pencils,’ and it was through him that I discovered colors. My parents never bought for me art materials to encourage me, but I kept drawing until this day.”
“Performance 36” from Faisal Samra’s “Distorted Reality” series, 2007. (Supplied)
At the age of 12, Samra and his family moved to Saudi Arabia, settling in the Eastern Province. At school, he continued his pursuit of art and theater. He and his friends, he says, became “the talk of town.” When he was 14, he received his first art book — a collection of Michelangelo’s drawings. All in all, art was, and still is, his life.
“Art is not separate from me. It is not a job, but an activity of making life. On a daily basis, whether I am working on a project or not, I have to draw something,” he says. “If you truly want to do art the right way and live in it, it has to be a disease. You can’t get rid of it, as if you’re pressing a ‘Stop’ button. True art has to live inside your body and surround you every moment. It’s a question of existence: If I’m not an artist, then I don’t exist.”
During the 1970s, in his late teens, Samra decided he wanted to study art abroad, specifically in Paris — an idea that was quickly rejected by his family. He says that back then the regional art scene lacked both mentors and access, so he wanted to go where the action was: Europe.
“In one way or another, I had to leave,” he says. “And I didn’t want to study art (just) anywhere: I wanted Paris, I wanted the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts because it was the most challenging art school to get into at that time.”
To save up money, Samra worked as a clerk at the petroleum company Aramco, while applying for delegations, via Riyadh, for educational opportunities abroad. And, in 1974, aged 18, he travelled to Paris, thanks to support provided by the Ministry of Media. It was there that he would learn about modern and contemporary European artists, and also attend art critique sessions.
During the 1980s, Samra spent his time in Saudi Arabia and, later, in France, where he took on the role of art consultant at the Institut du Monde Arabe, the then-newly founded cultural center for Arab affairs. As for his own art, a few exhibitions were set up in Paris in the late Eighties and early Nineties. Today, his works have been acquired by, among others, the British Museum, the Jameel Art Foundation, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, and the Bahrain National Museum, and he is currently represented by Ayyam Gallery in Dubai.
Over the years, Samra has experimented with film, performance, painting and photography. “I don’t like still water; I like it to be moving. I’m exploring to find something different,” he says. “The core of my research is man’s existence in our world, and how we react to it, and how the world reacts to him.”
A recent Faisal Samra exhibition in Dubai. (Courtesy of Pia Torelli)
A sense of disturbing movement occupies some of his figurative works, as in his recent painting series “Immortal Moment (Coping With The Shock),” which depicts open-mouthed faces, partially covered with an explosion of paint, as if they have been shot. One of his best-known series, “Distorted Reality,” which was intended to confront media biases in the early 2000s, features covered individuals in blurred motion. In essence, such bold works portray the troubled state of the world, and he doesn’t sugarcoat his words.
“We are living in times of change, but not development — “development” means that you are headed to something better,” says Samra. “If we developed in a certain area, then we destroyed something else. We invented things but we lost things at the same time.”
Camila Cabello shines in Tony Ward couture at MTV awards
Updated 15 min 41 sec ago
Arab News
DUBAI: American singer-songwriter Camila Cabello made waves at the MTV Video Music Awards when she dazzled in a breathtaking gown by Lebanese-Italian designer Tony Ward.
The dress featured a black lace design adorned with intricate embroidery that flowed across sheer fabric, with a fitted silhouette and semi-transparent sleeves. She completed the ensemble with a dramatic black lace veil.
The dress featured a black lace design adorned with intricate embroidery that flowed across sheer fabric. (AFP)
Meanwhile, pop icon Taylor Swift dominated the night, taking home seven trophies. The accolades put her on level terms with Beyonce as most-awarded musician in the VMAs’ 40-year history.
Swift snagged the top honor, Video of the Year, for the bleak black and white “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone. “Good Luck, Babe” singer Chappell Roan was named best new artist.
Blackpink singer Lisa won best K-pop video for her solo hit “Rockstar, while South African artist Tyla claimed the Afrobeats award for “Water” and Brazilian singer Anitta snagged best Latin video for “Mil Veces.”
The show opened with rapper Eminem performing “Houdini” from his album, “The Death of Slim Shady.” He was then joined via video feed by country singer Jelly Roll for their hit “Somebody Save Me.”
Katy Perry, recipient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, wore enormous silver butterfly wings as she sang hits such as “Teenage Dream” and “Firework” on a futuristic set.
Gulf Theater Festival in Riyadh revives tradition, fosters regional cultural exchange
For the first time since 1988, the festival is being hosted in Saudi Arabia, celebrating a rich legacy of Gulf theatrical collaboration
Event, running from Sept. 10 to 17, brings together artists, performers, and cultural figures from across the Gulf Cooperation Council nations to promote regional artistic exchange
Updated 11 September 2024
Waad Hussain
RIYADH: The 14th Gulf Theater Festival kicked off in Riyadh, marking a grand return after an eight-year hiatus.
For the first time since 1988, the festival is being hosted in Saudi Arabia, celebrating a rich legacy of Gulf theatrical collaboration.
The event, running from Sept. 10 to 17, brings together artists, performers, and cultural figures from across the Gulf Cooperation Council nations to promote regional artistic exchange.
Held at the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Theater, the festival commenced with an opening ceremony that featured prominent figures from the Gulf and Arab theater scenes.
As part of the proceedings, the festival will include a series of competitive theatrical performances, workshops, and discussions aimed at enhancing production and collaboration.
The event also honors creative minds, recognizing their contributions to the art form with a series of awards.
Speaking on behalf of Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Sultan Al-Bazie, CEO of the Theater and Performing Arts Commission, highlighted the festival’s significance.
“The festival is a night of Gulf culture, celebrating theater as a platform for creativity that has enriched cultural memory and fostered collaboration between our sister nations,” he said.
Al-Bazie also emphasized the support the cultural sectors receive from Saudi Arabia’s leadership, noting that the festival reflects the Kingdom’s vision for advancing the Gulf theater scene.
“The event aligns with our commitment to creating a thriving Gulf cultural landscape that enhances national identity, encourages dialogue with the world, and boosts the economic sustainability of the arts,” he added.
In an exclusive comment to Arab News, Al-Bazie shared his hopes for the future of the festival.
He said: “The festival returns after an absence of eight years and is held periodically among the GCC countries.
“It will continue to grow stronger and greater and evolve into institutional work to promote aid, theatrical production, training, and joint efforts. These are all hopes we aim to achieve in the coming years.”
With its rich blend of performances, lectures, and cultural exchange, the Gulf Theater Festival is expected to solidify Riyadh’s role as a central hub for regional artistic collaboration.
The event not only revives long-standing traditions but also paves the way for a more sustainable and dynamic future for Gulf theater.
‘I Am Georgina’ highlights Saudi Arabia in first trailer for season three
Updated 11 September 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: After two successful seasons, “Soy Georgina” (“I Am Georgina”) is set to return to Netflix with a third season on Sept. 18 that highlights star Georgina Rodriguez's life in Saudi Arabia, according to a trailer dropped by the streaming giant today.
The new season will give a peek inside power couple Georgina Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo’s luxurious new life in Saudi Arabia, a move that took place in Dec. 2022 when the Portuguese football legend signed with Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr.
The trailer begins with shots of Rodriguez in AlUla, Saudi Arabia’s historic UNESCO heritage site, as she poses in front of the Instagram-famous mirrored Maraya Concert Hall.
There is a strong focus on her long-term partnership with Ronaldo as she’s seen supporting from the stands at various football matches.
The trailer also briefly spotlights Rodriguez and her family – including the couple’s children and her stepson Cristiano Jr. – at the St. Regis Red Sea Resort in Saudi Arabia.
Light-hearted moments show the family spending time at the dinner table at their Saudi home, laughing and making conversation.
The trailer also prominently features Rodriguez at Paris Fashion Week, waiting nervously backstage as she gets ready to walk the runway for Swiss fashion label Vetements.
Lindsay Lohan, part-Arab models stun at Michael Kors show
Updated 11 September 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Dubai-based Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan was spotted at the Michael Kors show during New York Fashion Week, where she watched part-Arab models Nora Attal and Loli Bahia walk the runway.
Lohan wore a sleek silver satin slip dress paired with a long grey coat featuring a fur collar. She kept her look minimal with subtle jewelry and straight, flowing hair.
Lohan wore a sleek silver satin slip dress paired with a long grey coat featuring a fur collar. (Getty Images)
The show took place in a cavernous space in midtown, with stark metal benches lining the rectangular walls. Gigantic faux black rocks were scattered throughout the center and sides of the venue, similar to the rocky beaches of the Amalfi Coast. The dramatic Italian cliffs in an urban setting played into Kors’ abstract inspiration.
Lohan watched as the Arab models graced the runway. Attal wore a strapless black lace midi dress with a deep sweetheart neckline and a small center cutout, accentuated by a belted waist that added structure to the silhouette.
Attal wore a strapless black lace midi dress with a deep sweetheart neckline. (Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Bahia was seen in a tailored black ensemble, featuring a sharp blazer with a plunging neckline and high-waisted shorts, cinched at the waist with a thin black belt for a sleek, minimalist look.
For this collection Kors told The Associated Press that he was “glued” to pop culture and was especially fascinated by the recent Netflix series “Ripley,” based on Patricia Highsmith’s classic novel, “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” The dark story is set in coastal Italy where a man who covets a friend’s wealthy life kills him and takes over his identity, killing anyone else who threatens his new persona.
Bahia was seen in a tailored black ensemble, featuring a sharp blazer with a plunging neckline and high-waisted shorts. (Getty Images)
“There’s lots of texture, black raffia, white embroideries. Everything is very tactile,” Kors explained. “It’s all the colors that you would find in the Mediterranean. So all of the natural colors have very soft browns and creams. And then of course, there’s going to be blue.”
The brand’s craftsmanship was on display with intricate peekaboo lace dresses and skirts and several dresses, skirts and coats adorned with flower appliqué. Accessories stood out in the collection with leather handbags, hats and shoes teeming with black raffia that looked like leather straw. The ever-present trench coat appeared for men and women on the runway, mostly oversized and slouchy, AP noted.
