What We Are Reading Today: The Philosopher, the Priest, and the Painter
Updated 20 August 2018
Arab News
In the Louvre museum hangs a portrait that is considered the iconic image of René Descartes, the great 17th-century French philosopher.
And the painter of the work? The Dutch master Frans Hals — or so it was long believed, until the work was downgraded to a copy of an original. But where is the authentic version, and who painted it? Is the man in the painting — and in its original — really Descartes?
A unique combination of philosophy, biography, and art history, The Philosopher, the Priest, and the Painter investigates the remarkable individuals and circumstances behind a small portrait.
Through this image — and the intersecting lives of a brilliant philosopher, a Catholic priest, and a gifted painter — Steven Nadler opens a fascinating portal into Descartes’s life and times, skillfully presenting an accessible introduction to Descartes’s philosophical and scientific ideas, and an illuminating tour of the volatile political and religious environment of the Dutch Golden Age.
As Nadler shows, Descartes’s innovative ideas about the world, about human nature and knowledge, and about philosophy itself, stirred great controversy. Philosophical and theological critics vigorously opposed his views, and civil and ecclesiastic authorities condemned his writings. Nevertheless, Descartes’s thought came to dominate the philosophical world of the period, and can rightly be called the philosophy of the 17th century.
Shedding light on a well-known image, The Philosopher, the Priest, and the Painter offers an engaging exploration of a celebrated philosopher’s world and work.
Steven Nadler is the William H. Hay II professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin — Madison. His books include Rembrandt’s Jews, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; Spinoza: A Life, which won the Koret Jewish Book Award; and A Book Forged in Hell: Spinoza’s Scandalous Treatise and the Birth of the Secular Age (Princeton).
Riyadh-based soap-maker Mayassem Tamim’s compelling chemistry of Saudi fragrances and flavors
Businesswoman uses locally-sourced ingredients, no chemicals
Olive oil, camel milk, honey, dates, Zamzam water key materials
Updated 22 sec ago
Nada Alturki
RIYADH: Mayassem Tamim has had a passion for handmade soaps from a young age, and as an adult would search the globe for such products.
She discovered various products in several cities including Tripoli’s eco-friendly creations at Khan Al-Saboun and Provence’s boutique lavender offerings.
In 2018, Tamim decided to set up her own company, the Riyadh-based Mayassem, that produces luxury handmade soaps from Saudi Arabia-sourced natural ingredients. (AN Photo/Abdulrhman bin Shulhuob)
In 2018, she decided to set up her own company, the Riyadh-based Mayassem, that produces luxury handmade soaps from Saudi Arabia-sourced natural ingredients.
She told Arab News: “My hope is these soaps, at least a few of the ones that become traditional, are going to help establish something in Saudi Arabia that is considered pure to the region. It doesn’t have to be just my brand of soap, but it can be an industry that is localized.
“We’re doing everything new in Saudi Arabia. Why not this?”
Mayassem products have no harmful chemicals and are handcrafted at her home atelier using sustainable, organic ingredients to ensure that they are gentle on the skin. (AN Photo/Abdulrhman bin Shulhuob)
Her products have no harmful chemicals and are handcrafted at her home atelier using sustainable, organic ingredients to ensure that they are gentle on the skin. The materials are locally sourced including extra-virgin olive oil from Al-Jouf, camel milk from Janadriyah, honey from Baha, and dates from Qassim.
She considers the soaps mini canvases, each splashed with a unique blend of non-toxic coloring inspired by their ingredients. The “Bliss” bar for example, made with Zamzam water and lavender fragrance, is crafted to resemble the Kaaba. The “Tamr” bar reflects the palette of the Saudi Arabia landscape as it features oud, saffron and turmeric fragrance, date paste, and camel milk.
“I know it’s a soap and not a painting but sometimes it is a feeling in me. I was very sad at the loss of a cousin, Rana, which in Arabic means song. So for one of my soaps, I decided to go with blue colors and called it ‘Celestial Melody.’ Sometimes it’s just things that simple,” the artisan said.
The soaps come in floral, fruity, woody, citrus, or unscented options. While their main categories are classic, seasonal and signature, she also crafts limited-edition soaps, including an 18-box drop featuring bars encrusted with crystals such as lapis lazuli and black onyx. The brand also offers hand-poured candles made with natural soy, coconut and beeswax, as well as hand cream.
“People can buy soap 10 times cheaper at the supermarket. If I’m not offering them something that adds to the moisturization, that is organic, that does not harm them, and remains beautiful as long as they’re using it, I might as well not start at all,” she said.
Mayassem soaps come in floral, fruity, woody, citrus, or unscented options. (AN Photo/Abdulrhman bin Shulhuob)
With her background in biology, the chemistry of soap-making came naturally to her. She began experimenting, with aesthetics and organic products in mind, over a couple of years until she began testing her final product on family and friends.
After retiring from the UN Development Program, Mayassem began investing her time in her business. Her products have been featured in shops at Jeddah’s Islamic Arts Biennale and Diriyah’s Contemporary Arts Biennale, various homegrown market locations, and pop-up stores.
“I think I’m living the best years of my life because I’m thoroughly working on something that I’m enjoying tremendously. Not to say that I did not enjoy my career. I was very happy with the work I did, but it was time to start a new chapter in my life,” she said.
While artisans have been embedded in local culture for ages, the brand aims to call attention to their value by keeping the business hand-crafted and artisanal in line with its ethos. “I don’t want it to become a job. I want it to stay a passion,” she said. “Artisans, whether they’re making soap, embroidery, or painting, bring out the value in a country. And we have different regions, so it also brings out the identity of a country.”
Robert De Niro’s publicist denies video shows actor shouting at Pro-Palestine supporters
Footage shared online was scene from upcoming Netflix series, Stan Rosenfield says
‘Someone copied the post and fabricated an entirely different and bogus meaning,’ he says
Updated 02 May 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Robert De Niro’s publicist has shut down a rumor that a video clip widely shared online shows the 80-year-old actor confronting pro-Palestinian protesters in New York.
The 34-second clip has been shared on social media with the caption: “Robert De Niro stands with Israel!”
But publicist Stan Rosenfield told CNN that the Hollywood veteran was actually rehearsing a scene for his upcoming series in which he plays a former president.
“What you saw was a direct scene from the Netflix series ‘Zero Day,’ with Robert De Niro reading lines as written in the script,” he said.
The video was shot on the streets of New York on Saturday and in the clip, De Niro’s character was confronting a crowd of people, he said.
“Someone copied the post and fabricated an entirely different and bogus meaning,” he said.
Netflix supported the story, according to a report by Just Jared.
In the clip, De Niro yells at the crowd: “This is not a movie! This is not a movie! Move behind the barricade. You like talkin’ nonsense? Then you gotta go home!
“That’s dangerous and they say they’re gonna do it again! Again! You don’t want that. You don’t want that. None of us want that. C’mon. Let’s all get serious.”
The footage was shared by various pro-Israel accounts on social media with some claiming the words “They say they’re gonna do it again” were a reference to the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
The Weeknd donates $2 million for humanitarian aid in Gaza
Updated 02 May 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Canadian singer The Weeknd has pledged to donate another $2 million to help feed families in Gaza, the United Nations’s World Food Programme reported.
The donation comes from the star’s XO Humanitarian Fund, which helps combat global hunger.
“This support will provide over 1,500 metric tons of fortified wheat flour, which can make over 18 million loaves of bread that can help feed more than 157,000 Palestinians for one month,” said WFP.
In December, the multi-platinum global recording artist, whose given name is Abel Tesfaye, donated $2.5 million to WFP from the fund, which he established in partnership with World Food Program USA. That equated to 4 million emergency meals, funding 820 tons of food parcels that could feed more than 173,000 Palestinians for two weeks.
Tesfaye, who was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador in October 2021, is an active supporter of WFP’s global hunger-relief mission. He, his partners and his fans have raised $6.5 million to date for the XO fund.
In total he has directed $4.5 million toward operations in Gaza and has sent $2 million to support WFP’s emergency food assistance for women and children in Ethiopia.
Princess Rajwa, the wife of Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, celebrated her birthday last week. The crown prince took to social media to send her birthday greetings as an official portrait of the princess was unveiled.
“May God continue to bless and nurture the bond between us. Happy Birthday Rajwa,” he wrote on Instagram, sharing a new photo of the couple.
The new official portrait of Princess Rajwa shows the princess wearing a blue outfit from French label Rabanne against a matching blue background.
Earlier this month it was announced that the royal couple, who married in June last year, were expecting their first baby this summer.
Action! Saudi Film Festival returns for 10th edition
Everything you need to know about Ithra’s celebration of cinema
Updated 02 May 2024
Jasmine Bager
DHAHRAN: The 10th Saudi Film Festival will begin May 2 at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran.
This year’s eight-day event — organized by the Cinema Society in partnership with Ithra and with support from the Ministry of Culture — will feature 76 film screenings and 53 titles vying for 36 awards. The red carpet will be rolled out on both opening and closing nights, with filmmakers, actors and film buffs in attendance. There will be workshops and book signings and, of course, the opportunity for filmmakers from the Kingdom and the wider region to come together.
The festival will open with “Underground,” a feature-length documentary by Saudi director Abdulrahman Sandokji about the Kingdom’s music industry. (Supplied)
The festival will open with “Underground,” a feature-length documentary by Saudi director Abdulrahman Sandokji about the Kingdom’s music industry.
Festival director Ahmed Al-Mulla said at a press conference: “This event is fast developing into a must-attend festival across the GCC film community. This year’s 10th edition is shaping up to be the biggest and best yet.”
“We have come a long way over the past decade and are pleased to see Saudi Film Festival’s importance and popularity across the region’s film community growing each passing year,” added SFF vice president, Mansour Al-Badran. “(It) has become a portal for cultural exchange and exploration, providing an avenue for cultural openness for the Kingdom and building bridges beyond borders for new programs and experiences.”
Syrian filmmaker Mohammad Malas will be honored at this year’s Saudi Film Festival. (AFP)
The festival’s colorful history — back to its debut in 2008 — will be on display at the Cinema Society’s “Saudi Encyclopedia of Cinema,” which includes 20 books covering all aspects of film.
This year’s edition has two main themes: Indian cinema and sci-fi films. The Spotlight on Indian Cinema program will explore India’s rich film industry beyond Bollywood and showcase Indian indie movies, which rarely get the chance to run in the Gulf region. Practical workshops and cultural seminars will be included for both the main themes, as well as programming designed especially for children.
The Plaza at Ithra will bring the future to the present by providing a Virtual Production Experience (NeoCyb) experience. Combining live-action film with digital environments or elements in real-time, virtual production uses advanced technologies such as real-time rendering engines and motion-capture to create immersive virtual environments that performers can interact with, enabling filmmakers to visualize and capture scenes with complex visual effects more efficiently and cost-effectively, by reducing the need for extensive post-production work.
And speaking of production, the festival also includes a production market where people can meet up to work towards a common goal: making more movies. Filmmakers, producers, funders — and those seeking funding — will be present. The market is designed, the organizers say “to enhance the film industry in Saudi Arabia by encouraging collaboration between artists, producers, and investors in the cinema industry.”
A total of 53 features, shorts and documentaries, nominated by the festival’s technical committee, will compete for 36 prizes at this year’s SFF. They will be displayed at the festival in three categories: the Film Competition, the Unexecuted Screenplay Competition, and the Production Market Projects Competition.
There will also be a new category of prizes up for grabs: The Golden Palm, which will be presented to the best Saudi documentary about the environment as well as a second-place award for the best animated short film on the topic.
On the sidelines of all the high-profile screenings, the festival also includes a myriad of activities for film professionals, including 10 training workshops, two of which will focus on production market participants and short- and long-scenario development. There will also be a symposium and a total of 13 masterclasses covering a wide range of topics. More details are available on Ithra’s website.
SFF will also continue to celebrate the achievements of film pioneers in the Kingdom and the Gulf region. This year, the festival will honor Saudi actor Abdulmohsen Al-Nemer, who hails from nearby Al-Ahsa.
Al-Nemer has starred in numerous films over his decades-long career, including “The Sun” (1990), “Shadows of Silence” (2006), “Thobe: The Wedding” (2016) and “Long Road” (2022).
He also starred in last year’s award-winning “Hajjan,” an Ithra Film Production that premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and recently took home three awards at the Gulf Film Festival including Best Feature, Best Actor and Best Cinematography.
The festival will also honor Syrian director, Mohammad Malas, whose work has often been banned in his homeland but is recognized as one of his country’s leading auteurs. His documentary about Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, shot in the Eighties, “Al-Manam” was awarded first prize at the first International Documentary Festival in France in 1987.
