LOS ANGELES: Britney Spears said she was pulling out of her upcoming Las Vegas concerts and other work commitments to be with her family after her father was taken ill.
Spears, 37, said in an Instagram post that her father Jamie was hospitalized late last year and “almost died.”
“We’re all so grateful that he came out of it alive, but he still has a long road ahead of him. I had to make the difficult decision to put my full focus and energy on my family at this time,” the singer wrote.
Spears was due to start a new series of concerts, called “Britney: Domination,” in Las Vegas on Feb. 13 and perform there until August 2019.
Her representatives said in a statement that her father spent 28 days in a Las Vegas hospital after his colon ruptured two months ago. They said he was now recuperating at home and expected to make a full recovery.
Speakers, headliners pull out of UK’s Great Escape festival over Gaza
Updated 5 sec ago
Arab News
DUBAI: Keynote speakers and headliners scheduled to take part in the UK’s annual Great Escape music festival in Brighton refused to appear at this year’s event due to the war in Gaza.
According to The Guardian, numerous acts withdrew due to a pro-Palestinian boycott targeting the event’s sponsorship by Barclays Bank. Campaigners allege that Barclays has increased its investments in arms companies that trade with Israel.
Bands Boycott Barclays (BBB), the organization spearheading the campaign, asserted that the bank was engaged in “laundering its reputation” through its association with the music festival, a claim that Barclays refutes.
A BBB spokesperson told the BBC that 163 acts, four showcases and two venues had pulled out of the festival.
The Great Escape is an annual music festival held in Brighton, showcasing emerging artists from around the world. It features hundreds of performances across various venues, along with industry panels and networking opportunities.
It is the event that has been key in launching the careers of artists such as Stormzy, AlunaGeorge, Fat White Family and Anna Calvi.
Lyna Khoudri joins cast of Afghanistan evacuation drama
Updated 12 min 13 sec ago
Arab News
DUBAI: French Algerian actress Lyna Khoudri has joined the cast of Martin Bourboulon’s Afghanistan evacuation drama “In The Hell Of Kabul: 13 Days, 13 Nights,” which began shooting in Morocco this week.
Khoudri was among two new cast members announced in a story published by Deadline — she joins Danish Bafta-winning “Borgen” star Sidse Babett Knudsen, Roschdy Zem (“Chocolat,” “Oh Mercy!”), and theater actor Christophe Montenez.
Set against US troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, as the Taliban marches on Kabul, the film recounts the true story of French Commander Mohamed Bida who oversaw security at the French embassy, which was the last Western mission to remain open.
Lead star Roschdy Zem is a French actor and filmmaker of Moroccan descent. (Getty Images)
Commander Bida negotiated with the Taliban to organize an evacuation convoy with the help of Eva, a young French Afghan translator.
“This movie happens to be one of the most exciting challenges that has been offered to me. Firstly, there is this character based on a real-life person, whose fate intersects with history itself. Secondly, the context of fleeing your own country has left no one indifferent thus bringing us to a story within history, the one that we are interested in,” Zem said, according to Deadline.
“It tells us how, in the heart of a recent drama, a few individuals only listened to their courage to save what many would consider dear, with the feeling that they were only doing what seemed right to them. Heroes, as many would call them, because they retain the most essential quality: humanity,” he added.
The film marks a change for Bourboulon after period dramas “The Three Musketeers – Part II: Milady,” “The Three Musketeers – Part I: D’Artagnan” and “Eiffel.”
“13 Days 13 Nights is the breathtaking story of one of the most incredible exfiltration operations ever organized by France, as well as the story of men and women whose destinies have been shattered as they attempt to flee in order to survive… Roschdy Zem was an obvious choice for the role, having been associated with the project from the very beginning of the writing process,” said the director.
Khoudri, 31, first rose to prominence in her role as Nedjma in Mounia Meddour’s critically acclaimed drama “Papicha.” For her work in the film, she won the Orizzonti Award for best actress at the 74th Venice Film Festival, and she was nominated in the Cesar Awards’ most promising actress category.
Khoudri also starred in the 2019 mini-series “Les Sauvages” and in 2016’s “Blood on the Docks.”
Notably, she was cast in Wes Anderson’s 2021 comedy “The French Dispatch” alongside Timothee Chalamet, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, and Owen Wilson.
Jean Paul Gaultier names Ameni Esseibi as first regional ambassador for fragrance line
Updated 21 May 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: French luxury brand Jean Paul Gaultier has announced that Tunisian model Ameni Esseibi has been appointed as the first-ever regional ambassador for its fragrance line.
Esseibi, considered the first plus-size model in the Middle East, showcased the brand’s iconic Scandal perfume in the campaign images, donning a variety of ensembles.
Among them was a form-fitting blue dress adorned with pink floral designs. In another shot, she wore a jumpsuit in the same hue, featuring vibrant geometric prints in yellow, orange, purple and pink.
She also rocked a black gown, and a sheer beige and gold top layered elegantly over a simple black base.
Esseibi showcased the brand’s iconic Scandal perfume in the campaign images. (Supplied)
“Jean Paul Gaultier is more than just a brand to me,” Esseibi said in a statement. “It feels like family. Its identity embodies everything I stand for: Rebellion, strength, boldness, fearlessness, sensuality, and a touch of scandal.”
“Growing up, Jean Paul Gaultier was my mother’s favorite fragrance, making it a cherished part of my life. I am deeply honored to make history as their first Arab ambassador in the region, and this brand will continue to be an enduring part of my career,” she added.
In 2022, the Arab Fashion Council, a non-profit organization representing the fashion industry in the Middle East and North Africa, named the Dubai-based model as its ambassador.
Rami Kadi, Zuhair Murad designs shine on ‘The Apprentice' red carpet at Cannes
Updated 21 May 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Lebanese designers Rami Kadi and Zuhair Murad put on a show on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival — their creations were worn by two Brazilian models during the highly anticipated premiere of “The Apprentice,” directed by Ali Abbasi.
Fashion influencer Maria Braz showcased a custom-made kaftan-style gown by Rami Kadi, cinched at the waist and adorned with sequins and feathers.
“Like an angel for Cannes Film Festival,” the blogger wrote on Instagram.
She accessorized her look with a diamond necklace and matching earrings from the Italian label Damiani.
On the same red carpet, Brazilian fashion model Thayna Soares wore a draped silk dress featuring an embroidered high-neck bodice and a thigh-high slit from Zuhair Murad’s Spring 2024 collection.
While Donald Trump’s hush money trial entered its sixth week in New York, an origin story for the Republican presidential candidate premiered at the festival on Monday, unveiling a scathing portrait of the former president in the 1980s.
“The Apprentice” stars Sebastian Stan as Trump. The central relationship of the movie is between Trump and Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), the defense attorney who was chief counsel to Joseph McCarthy’s 1950s Senate investigations.
Cohn is depicted as a longtime mentor to Trump, coaching him in the ruthlessness of New York City politics and business. Early on, Cohn aided the Trump Organization when it was being sued by the federal government for racial discrimination in housing.
“The Apprentice,” which is labeled as inspired by true events, portrays Trump’s dealings with Cohn as a Faustian bargain that guided his rise as a businessman and, later, as a politician. Stan’s Trump is initially a more naive real-estate striver, soon transformed by Cohn’s education, The Associated Press reported.
According to AP, “The Apprentice” a potentially explosive big-screen drama in the midst of the US presidential election. The film is for sale in Cannes, so it does not yet have a release date.
‘Material Woman’ exhibition in London creates synergy of Arab women’s fashion and art
Curation tells a “story about how women use their hands to craft their destinies,” Shoucair says
Updated 21 May 2024
Tamara Turki
LONDON: The worlds of fashion and art from Arab female creatives converged this week at the “Material Woman” exhibition in London.
The exhibition, held from May 17 to May 19 at Soho Revue, is the brainchild of the art collective Hayaty Diaries, in collaboration with the fashion platform and pop-up series 3eib.
"The Warmth of My Bed" (2023) and "Thulathia" (2024) by Lebanese artist Yasmina Hilal. (Supplied)
Featuring an eclectic mix of sculptural art, mixed media, projection installations, fashion and jewelry, the exhibition explored craftsmanship and materiality.
“Each element came together to tell a cohesive and beautiful story about how women use their hands to craft their destinies and honor their heritages through both creative worlds of art and fashion,” Lebanese curator and Hayaty Diaries co-founder, Christina Shoucair, told Arab News.
The curatorial process began with the pairing of artists and designers, creating a harmony between the works.
"Communion" (2023) and "Wound" (2023) by Bahraini artist Zayn Qahtani
Bahraini artist Zayn Qahtani’s shrine-like objects, featuring delicate ethereal drawings on date paper, explore themes of venerative mourning. These are paired alongside a series of rustic sculptures and draped garments by Egyptian designer Nadine Mos.
Lebanese artist Yasmina Hilal’s photo sculptures, which incorporate her distinctivve metalwork and soldering technique, are complemented by a curated display of contemporary silver and gold accessories by Celine Dagher, a Lebanese jewelry designer.
Meanwhile, Egyptian artist Hanya Elghamry examines the process of remembering by graphically recreating various details and narratives in her installation “Abandoned Projection.” Set as a backdrop against her floating “Tampered Redux” series, along with Moroccan designer Hanan Sharifa’s mesh and delicate dresses, the space offers visitors an immersive experience.
Garments designed by Nadine Mos on display at "Material Woman" in London. (Jules Foad)
“Christina and Kinzy presented the vision for The Material Woman and I loved the idea of blending the worlds of fashion and art together and utilizing the theme of materiality as a vehicle of creative empowerment and liberation,” 3eib founder, Dania Arafeh, told Arab News.
Hayaty Diaries, which focuses on celebrating the artwork of Arab women, marked its debut last December with its inaugural exhibition, “Through Their Eyes: Perspectives Unveiled,” in the British capital.
“Our Hayaty Diaries journey has been incredible. We’ve had the privilege of meeting many creatives from the region and have felt the warmth and support of the community. We are immensely grateful for all the encouragement we have received along the way,” Egyptian-Saudi curator and Hayaty Diaries cofounder Kinzy Diab told Arab News.
The London-based collective is now preparing for its exhibition “Levitate,” which will run from June 6 to June 16 and center around themes of fantasy and imagination.
