News from "Home"

Sky Chart: Winter Constellations - most notably:
Auriga (The Charioteer),
Taurus (The Bull),
Orion (Orion the Hunter),
Gemini (The Twins),
Canis Minoris (The Lesser Dog),
Canis Majoris (The Greater Dog).


Mood: Relaxed

Finally I went to the North today. My family has a house there. I used to go every weekend, and we spent most of our time there during the war on Lebanon this July.
It’s been two months since I last been there. I missed that place. So the point was to "positivise" things.

After the tough week we had in Lebanon, the great rush at work, and my unstable mind, I finally went to get some sort of spiritual healing.

Needless to say, I walked alone in the night under the Winter stars, with a freezing temperature of 7 degrees. But what an immense reward this was for me, to finally inhale something natural, fluid, unscathed by pollution.

The second day, I walked under a piercing sun, so much that I thought my flesh would burn.
This visit has reestablished my unconditional love to this village.

As for the Autumn Sky Chart, well it's very appropriate. And it was the exact chart I saw that Saturday night. It is the most luminous sky you might ever see, since there is a circle of wonderful stars that show up together: Capella (Auriga constellation) – 6th star in terms of apparent magnitude, which means brightness, Castor and Pollux (Gemini) respectively 23rd and 17th, Betelgeuse and Rigel (Orion), 10th and 7th, Aldebaran (Taurus), 13th, Procyon (Canis Minoris), 8th, and Sirius (Canis Majoris) which is the most luminous star (after the Sun of course).

So you can imagine what a delight it is to check the skies at such a time in the year. I encourage you to check this wonderful scenery. Maybe you'll find your lucky star!

Songs for the Cold

Star: Spica (Virgo constellation)
Mood: Freezing

Blue for the cold. Blue for the fading day. Blue for the uncertainty of things.
Blue for Fear.

This color reflects the thematic that surrounds us. Lebanon is a country of blood. It has always been the case, but now more than ever. Instead of choosing Red, I decided to go with Anxiety over Death.
The songs that will make the setlist of November are not angry songs, because the country is much more fuming than grief-stricken, but rather serene.

Therefore I chose 5 simple piano-driven melodies. They struck me because in their simplicity, they touch me more than a majestic mournful ballad.
To reach these beings is like reaching for the Wheat, represented by the brilliant blue-star Spica (Virgo constellation). I've already talked about this constellation. And because Spica represents the continual rebirth of the wheat every spring, it incites me to believe that we are still here, and we will continue to renew our blood amid the problems that the country is diving us in.

01. Answer (Sarah McLachlan) – from the album Afterglow [2003]
"Cast me gently

Into morning

For the night has been unkind"
Not a big fan of her music generally, but I must say this is very evocative. I could have easily picked Angel (From the oh-so known City of Angels OST) but instead I chose this. Much more intimate. I cheated here, because this has some strings and background drums too, but I like it.

02. October (U2) – from the album October [1981]
"October

And kingdoms rise

And kingdoms fall

But you go on...and on..."
Yeah, not the typical U2 you're used to hear. However, this is short, direct and simple as hell. Sometimes big bands need to weep too. And I'd take this over "One" any day.

03. The Drop (Peter Gabriel) – from the album UP [2002]
"one by one

you watch them fall

and wonder where they're falling to"
For Peter Gabriel, writing ballads is easy. Even though I must say his lyrics are sometimes effortless. Two piano-songs to choose from. Here Comes the Flood, and this. For me, it's this. The only less-than-four-minute track on his opus UP, this is one of the finest he's produced. Many say it's written for the US soldiers who were leaving for the war. I'd say this touches me like few tracks do.

04. And Dream of Sheep (Kate Bush) – from the album Hounds of Love [1985]

"Let me be weak,

Let me sleep

And dream of sheep"
Intriguing song. Although it's still yet icy piano, it has these moments which disturb you. You want to free yourself, but there's something always forcing you to stay behind. Alert.

05. Baker Baker (Tori Amos) – from the album Under the Pink [1994]
"Time thought I'd made friends with time

Thought we'd be flying

Maybe not this time"
1,000 Tori songs to choose from. While this might not be the perfect choice, it's a song that always cheer me up, although it's fabulously sad. The version on the "A Piano" box set is even better because it has clearer strings that match well with the fragile piano. And fragile this song is. It could melt in you easily, but it can break your heart in the same way.

The Day They Call "Independence"

Star: Betelgeuse (Orion Constellation)
Mood: Burning

November 22. Lebanon’s Independence Day. Now whether this is true or not, one has to figure. Since the establishment of the Syrian authority on our territory some 20 years ago, the term “independence” vanished from the Lebanese lexicology. Last year, the troupes were ousted from the country. But only the troupes.

The authority is still here. The Lebanese President directly nominated from Syria is still here. The pro-Syrian parties are more flamboyant than ever.
And the assassination of Christian anti-Syrian figures is back.

A year after the assassination of MP and prominent journalist Gebran Tueni, another anti-Syrian figure, the 34-year-old minister of industry, Pierre Gemayel (son of former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel) was shot dead yesterday in the Lebanese capital.

That was the background. And to feel the mood of the Lebanese in this particularly tough time, you have to go the heart of Betelgeuse. This fiery red supergiant star which serves as Orion’s shoulder is 10,000 times more luminous than our own sun.

If the sun were to be replaced by Betelgeuse, the surface of the star might stretch out to Mars’ orbit, which means all the telluric planets would be engulfed by this massive star.

Now why Betelgeuse? She is consuming her energy very fast. And the Lebanese are consuming their aptitude to grasp the events as much fast. One day in a millions years from now, the red star will explode. But will the Lebanese be able to remain stable one more day before bursting out? Will they be able to handle the course of events that are shooting down on them?

The assassination of a former prime minister, many bombs in commercial centers that came afterwards, a handful of assassinations, a fully-fledged war with Israel, and more assassinations now… All that serves the interest of our neighbor, Syria.

What do I have to do with this? Do I still have my own space in this place?
If my heart is as big a Betelgeuse's, I should have ran a thousand years ago.
Instead I believe in something on this land.
But apparently Betelgeuse will fade out before I get to see the stability of my country.

To My Beautiful Lebanon

"We'll See How Brave You Are"

The Charm of the 'Maghreb'

"Oh I get by with a little help from my friends,
Mmm gonna try with a little help from my friends
Oh I get high with a little help from my friends
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends,
With a little help from my friends!"
The Beatles

The seminar is over.
The great time in Tunisia is over.
The Cartage Film Festival is over too.

And now, I am back to work, bringing with me some friendships and some nice memories.
I can't say I liked the capital Tunis that much. However, the suburbs are great (Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa). Wish I had more time to visit. The country has a wonderful charm. Too bad we only spent most of our time in the capital.

I met some great persons, who quickly became wonderful friends. I shared with them great times and saw tens of films with them.


Adlane KHODJA (from Algeria), Sarra MAALI and Amel BEN ATTIA (from Tunisia). Wish I can see you again soon. I don't want the great memories to fade away like that.

It's always interesting to build new relationships that automatically want to fade away in the near future. But now, through the development of communication outlets, staying in touch can be easy (that is if both sides want to still keep in touch).


Life is full of events, opportunities and people too.
Sometimes a person you meet once can have an immediate impact on you.
Just like one selects his job and practically (whenever possible) his path on this life, he can choose his friends, where they in his country, 2,000 km away, or on Mars.

Open Doors from Tunisia

Lovely people, I miss you already.
Thank You.

Turbulent Like a Tornado

Object: Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS)

Mood: Busy

Going to Tunisia for a seminar tomorrow. My first trip to this Arab country.
It's a seminar on how to manage Art House Cinemas.
And since we opened Metropolis this July right before the war, we were invited to go to this Euromed-organized 'workshop' for professionals in the field (distributors, owners of art house theaters or ciné-clubs…).

So all in all a supposedly interesting (and enriching) experience.

Now. The backstab is, I don't have the experience that most of the participants have, but I am still excited. So I am in no way a professional. Maybe because I am very young, that will give me a push to thrive for more learning, and prove something, not to the others, but just to myself.
10 days of pure discovery of new topics, new persons, new films and various workshops.

I chose for this the Great Red Spot of Jupiter. This three-Earths-size "anti-cyclonic storms" has been observed on the massive planet since the arrival of the telescopes.
Why I picked this element?
Because my life feels like a gigantic whirlwind in which I can't get out of. Feels like I am grasping much of the tornado yet I can't get out of it, even if I wanted to, and pressured myself for that.
And I am always seeking uncharted territories, so that makes me feel like a traveler within my own space.

The Great Red Spot is always in a turbulent activity, just like my own self, especially my state of mind. I will only stop thinking so much when this GRS will once fade away from Jupiter's gaseous atmosphere.

(Pictures of Metropolis Art Cinema, its logo, and Jupiter's GRS)