Carlos Ghosn’s Escape Adventure Depicted in French Comic Book

“Escape Ghosn” will be published by Samir Editions.
“Escape Ghosn” will be published by Samir Editions.
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Carlos Ghosn’s Escape Adventure Depicted in French Comic Book

“Escape Ghosn” will be published by Samir Editions.
“Escape Ghosn” will be published by Samir Editions.

The story of the escape of Lebanese businessman Carlos Ghosn from Japan has captured the imagination of filmmakers and writers.

"Escape Ghosn", a comic book, by French author Michele Standjofski and Mohamad Kraytem, depicting Ghosn’s story will be published in French by Samir Editeurs in Lebanon on Tuesday.

Two days before the end of 2019, after 110 days of house arrest in Japan and prosecution over financial charges, Ghosn, General Manager and President of the Nissan and Renault automobile companies, managed to escape and reach Beirut, hidden in a case of musical equipment.

Four years after the incident that made international media, Standjofski and a Lebanese work team met Ghosn four times, spending eight hours in total as he recounted the amazing details of the escape.

Standjofski teaches at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lebanon. In an interview with Madame Figaro newspaper, she said that she was not enthusiastic about the book when the publisher contacted her and proposed the idea.

The topic was different from what she usually covers, and she did not sympathize with the fugitive businessman. However, she agreed to the project when she learned that the book was the kind that mixed fact and fiction, with a sarcastic tone that did not aim to prosecute Ghosn or defend him, but rather focused on the details of the operation: a man in a musical instrument case.

The stages of work were carried out with the help of a research team under the supervision of the Lebanese publishing house that the author had previously worked with. Journalist Anthony Samrani, editor-in-chief of L'Orient Le Jour, led the interviews with Ghosn. As for the drawings, Standjofski chose her former student, Mohamad Kraytem, because he combines elegance and humor in his work.

She said she would jump in the interview to ask questions that seemed naive, but which helped her in building the character. She asked Ghosn what he had for breakfast and what kind of shoes he wore. Her questions helped ease the tension that prevailed during the meetings that were held at his home.

“Ghosn could have refused to meet with us, but he agreed to play the game because the topic seemed light or amusing to him. Lebanon is a beautiful country, but it remains small for those who are accustomed to traveling the world on a private jet. He lives in a golden prison, and he is also a prisoner of the person he has become, and he would like to leave it for a little while. In our last meeting... I told him that we might address the issue in a way that would not satisfy him. This style is what gave the book its tone,” Standjofski said.



Ithra Showcases Art Collection for the First Time at Art Week Riyadh

Ithra showcases art collection for the first time at Art Week Riyadh. (SPA)
Ithra showcases art collection for the first time at Art Week Riyadh. (SPA)
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Ithra Showcases Art Collection for the First Time at Art Week Riyadh

Ithra showcases art collection for the first time at Art Week Riyadh. (SPA)
Ithra showcases art collection for the first time at Art Week Riyadh. (SPA)

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) announced in a press release Monday its participation as an Exhibition Partner at the inaugural edition of Art Week Riyadh.

This initiative of the Ministry of Culture’s Visual Arts Commission is being held from April 6 –13, 2025, across key cultural sites in Riyadh, including JAX District and Al Mousa Center, the Saudi Press Agency said.

The event celebrates the nation’s dynamic art scene, bringing together leading local and international galleries, cultural institutions, artists, patrons, collectors, and arts enthusiasts, under the theme "At The Edge".

The release stated that during Art Week Riyadh, Ithra is presenting a curated selection of 15 significant works from its museum collection, titled "Landscape and Memory," as part of the event’s invited collections exhibition, under the title of "Collections in Dialogue”.

Spanning from the early 1900s to 2022, the display showcases a rich variety of artistic practices and cultural expressions. Featuring both regional and international artists, it includes sculptures, paintings, and installations, providing a captivating overview of Ithra’s prized art collection.

Moreover, the exhibition explores the interplay between material memory, transformation, and the landscapes that shape identity, questioning how history is preserved, reinterpreted, and reimagined through art. The exhibition portrays memory not only as a mark on the world but as a dynamic force that links us to the past while opening new possibilities for the future.

Featured artists and their works include the Saudi Arabian artist and film director Mohammed Alfaraj’s Fossils of Knowledge (2022), Maha Malluh’s Oil Candies (KSA - 2019), and three works by American artist Gregory Mahoney: Sea Land (1991), Five Gallons/Five Oceans (1995), and End of the World (1993).

Also on display are South Korean artist Do Ho Suh’s Screens (2005); three photographs by Saudi photographer Moath Aloufi, The Scene (2019), I Am the One (2019), and The Family (2019); as well as Italian master Michelangelo Pistoletto’s Persone in Comunicazione (2019); Lebanese calligraphy artist Joumana Medlej’s Who Am I? (2015); and Saudi eclectic artist Sultan bin Fahad’s Sultan Bin Fahad 1440 AH (2016). Additionally, Palestinian sculptor Abdul Rahman Katanani’s Tornado (2020); Palestinian artist Hazem Harb’s The Place is Mine, Series #3 (2019); and Egyptian painter and sculptor Moataz Nasr’s Burning (2019) are also part of the exhibition.

The release emphasized that the exhibition provides a glimpse into Ithra’s diverse collection, highlighting its variety and celebrating the vibrancy of contemporary art.

Head of Museum at Ithra Farah Abushullaih said, "Ithra’s participation in Art Week Riyadh is an opportunity to celebrate creative expression and embrace diverse artistic and cultural perspectives. It is an opportunity to share a glimpse of the Ithra Museum and its rich collection of works."