7 Things to Do In Lebanon This November (To Have A Vibrant Fall!)

While the delightful reds and oranges in the picture above might not be a Lebanese staple, we are well on our way through the Fall season and coming closer to crisp, less warmth-inspiring visuals. So, it’s the perfect time to take full advantage of the lovely indoor-and-outdoor escapades on offer before we slip into our winter hibernations. As such, it seems like a great time for another instalment of our ‘Things To Do’ feature, and we’ve rounded up what we think are some of the best activities Lebanon has to offer this November.

1. Zyara Screening | ‘عرض مسلسل ‘زيارة

In its third season, Zyara is an award-winning documentary series that “paints poetic portraits of resilience through authentic testimonials of Lebanese people.” This particular screening is hosted by Beit Ra from 7-8pm on Friday, November 9th, and will be followed by a Q&A with the director Muriel Aboulrouss! Zyara also happens to be the first release from ‘Home of Cine-Jam’, an association for Humanitarian Arts that aims to “inspire and induce social and emotional healing through authentic short films or series,” A pretty wonderful aim, if I may say so myself. What’s more, entrance is free, you just have to reserve through Whatsaap at 03 390 961 – Mobile: 71 21 33 33. You can also check out more details right here.

2. Agial Art Gallery: Chaza Charafeddine “Maidames” and Anachar Basbous

Photo Source Credit: Agial Art Gallery- Chaza Charafeddine “Maidames”(Left)  and Anachar Basbous (Right)

Hoping to see two spectacular exhibitions all in one go? Search no more. The first, a provocative photo-series, is the creation of social-change driven artist Chaza Charafeddine:

“For her latest project, Maidames, she invited 10 migrant workers to each be photographed as the woman of their fantasies. These women are legally employed under the “Kafala” system, a system of slavery that requires the worker to have a sponsor in their country of employment who is responsible for their legal status and who controls their mobility. Taking on the linguistic codes of notable women, they embodied historical figures of nobility, women depicted in Old Masters paintings, movie stars, and political icons. Charafeddine’s photographs reveal that it is in identifying with the hegemonic other that these women are recognized as human.”

This exhibition is just on the cusp of wrapping up, so make your way to Agial Gallery before November 10th! If you can’t, there is always the latest collection from compelling sculptor Anchar Basbous, showing from November 9th until the 29th of December. It’s described on the Agial Gallery website as:

“…inverting the relationship between the whole and its parts, so that his sculptures are produced and displayed as if from the inside-out. This shift in practice does not constitute a rupture with his older work. Through such formal variation, the latest sculptures remain to be defined by harmony and balance. Basbous’ work is idealist in character: with the inversion of the inside and outside, the whole is not fragmented and lost. The parts stand in for the whole, with the latter defined by its essence rather than appearance.”

Find out more about both right here.  

3. Al Beyt

If a theatre kick is what you’re after, Al Beyt (The House), might be just what you’re looking for. Written by author Arze Khodr and directed by Caroline Hatem, Al Beyt was previously performed in London, Marseille, Tunis, New York, and Germany. Now you can catch it at Beryte Theater from November 8th-17th!

“…a realistic play about a brother and his two sisters in their thirties who have just lost their mother and who deal differently with the issue of maintaining ties with the past, the family’s charged history of memory and loss, and the eternal feeling of guilt that some feel in regard to their desire of freedom and individuality.”

Peruse the event Facebook page for more info on ticket sales, reservations, and more!

4. Crafting and Upcycling Home Decorations

If you’ve been keeping any kind of tabs on us at The Wellness Project, you know how much we love upcycling. And what’s a more perfect time to pick up this crafty skill than right before the holiday season? You can get creative on both home decor and gifts, and feel artsy and environmentally conscious in the process. This particular upcycling venture  at Zouk Mikael offers 2 hour sessions by booking from 10am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday, all the way until end of June 2019. For cost and reservation details, you can read more right here. 

5. Hiking Aakar El Aatika- Ammouaa

Hiking in the Fall is a magical thing with the cooler air and more vivid colors. Grab your friends and your outdoor gear and meet the Wolves Clan Adventure group on Sunday November 18th to take new trails to Aakar El Aatika in ‘…a Robin-hood forest inside Wadi El Eezer’. For details on prices, reservation deadlines and more, you can check out the event Facebook page here. You can also discover Wolves Clan Adventures right here.

6. Joy Fayad & Oliver Maalouf at Metro

Joy Fayad is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has joined with talented electric violinist Oliver Maalouf to create innovative, exciting, and moving performances ranging across genres. You can enjoy them at Metro Al Madina on Wednesday November 21st as part of the LOYAC PPD 2019 Launch event. What’s LOYAC you ask? Well, another important reason to attend this performance!

“LOYAC is a regional NGO, with a mission to provide youth with unique opportunities to evolve into highly effective humane citizens. Opportunities include capacity building workshops, international leadership programs, community initiatives, and internship/ job opportunities.”

Look at us go with all these progressive social and cultural innovators and supporters! And you can become one of them just by showing up. For more information and booking details, check www.metromadina.com

7. مي زيادة | May Ziade: The Life of an Arab Feminist Writer

Photo Source Credit: Dar El-Nimer for Arts & Culture‎

Last but certainly not least, you can check out the 50 min film May Ziade: The Life of an Arab Feminist Writer, directed by Mohsen Abd El-Ghani. Screening at Dar El Nimer for Arts & Culture as part of the Beirut Art Film Festival on November 24th, the film highlights a woman who:

“…was a key Lebanese-Palestinian figure in the Arab literary scene in the early 20th century who firmly established herself as a vibrant female voice in what was clearly a man’s world at the time. She was a journalist but also wrote fiction with strong female characters, poetry, political and cultural books and magazine articles, often on the condition of Arab women

“She arrived in Egypt with her family around 1907 and held popular weekly salons for the predominantly male Egyptian literary elite and intellectuals. A romantic and idealist from an early age, Ziade exuded depth, femininity and charm – and so naturally won many admirers, both professional and amorous.”

“However, she did not entertain any of these suitors because she was only in love with one man, the Lebanese poet and one of the Arab literary greats, Gibran Khalil Gibran. Extraordinarily, the two never met – but their relationship enriched Arabic epistolary literature with the most beautiful correspondence.”

Entrance is free, and you can find out more information on the screening right here, and on the Beirut Art Film Festival in general here.

And that’s all for now, folks. Happy November and hope you enjoy. If you attend any of these events please let us know what you thought in the comments. We love hearing from you!

References:

http://www.lebanontraveler.com/en/magazine/lebanon-traveler-5_things_to_do_in_akkar_el_atiqa/

https://www.facebook.com/events/2286607851411217/

http://www.agialart.com/Exhibitions

https://www.facebook.com/events/267851140400829/

https://www.lebtivity.com/event/crafting-and-upcycling-home-decorations

http://wolves-clan.com/web/default.aspx

https://www.facebook.com/events/2147989615234309/

https://www.facebook.com/BeirutArtFilmFestival/

https://www.facebook.com/LoYAC.Lebanon/