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French Biographer Explores Life of Audrey Hepburn in New Book

Audrey Hepburn poses with her Oscar for best actress for the film "Roman Holiday" on March 25, 1954 | AFP Photo
Audrey Hepburn poses with her Oscar for best actress for the film "Roman Holiday" on March 25, 1954 | AFP Photo
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French Biographer Explores Life of Audrey Hepburn in New Book

Audrey Hepburn poses with her Oscar for best actress for the film "Roman Holiday" on March 25, 1954 | AFP Photo
Audrey Hepburn poses with her Oscar for best actress for the film "Roman Holiday" on March 25, 1954 | AFP Photo

Audrey Hepburn has been the star of many books before and after she left this world. French biographer Guillaume Evin has recently released a new book revolving around the journey of the British star whose movies still charm cinema lovers 50 years after she ended her career, and around 30 years after her death from cancer. Evin wrote many popular books about several stars including Steve McQueen, Brigitte Bardot, and Alain Delon, in addition to many others about the Scottish actor Sean Connery and his character in the James Bond movies.

Hepburn, who was born in Belgium, amazed Hollywood with her exceptional talent in the 1950s, although she wasn't blonde and chubby actress like the stars of that time. She was so skinny, with black hair, two wide eyes, and the uncanny fitness of a ballerina. These characteristics caught the attention of many famous fashion designers, mostly the French Hubert de Givenchy who built a strong decades-long friendship with her.

Thanks to her unique personality, she managed to break into the exclusive club of actresses who won the four top cinema awards: Emmy, Grammy, Tony, and Oscar. She was awarded the 1954 Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in "Roman Holiday" directed by William Wyler and co-starred by Gregory Peck. She also won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for her performance in the same movie. In 1955, she was awarded a Henrietta Award for World Film Favorite. She was also a prominent humanitarian activist who focused on helping children as a UNICEF ambassador. After her death, Hepburn won a Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her humanitarian work.

The book highlights many phases of the British star's journey, starting from a miserable childhood in a boarding school, the Second World War, and her struggle with her father, who was a Nazi supporter and abandoned his family and divorced her mother. However, the skinny girl who never thought she could survive the war found her way to the big screen, fame, and stardom. Yet, the 38-year-old Audrey decided to give up on acting at the peak of her success to dedicate her life to her two sons, and used her fame to serve the children care associations in poor countries.

Released by Casa editions, the 200-page book was issued with a box including a brochure and a CD of the "Love in the Afternoon," one of Hepburn's iconic movies. It was directed by Billy Wilder and screened in 1957. She co-starred it with the great Gary Cooper, playing a young woman who falls in love with a manipulative older man. The CD features a new edition of the movie restored by Carlotta Films.

Hepburn also inspired a series produced by the Wildside Company. Her son Luca Dotti co-wrote the script of the series which depicts the amazing life of an unforgettable actress and her subtle roles in movies like Funny Face and My Fair Lady. Luca, Hepburn's son from her Italian husband took his ideas for the series from a 2015 book entitled Audrey at Home. The series followed a movie about Hepburn starred by Jennifer Love Hewitt in 2000.

In a recent interview with The Sun, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, 60, her other son from her American husband, actor Mel Ferrer, said his mother lived many emotional failures despite her outstanding career. The interview discussed a documentary entitled "Audrey: More Than an Icon" that explores the "deep pains she hid behind her beautiful smile." Ferrer added that his mother always opened up to him about what she was facing with teary eyes, and asked for his advice, but he was a little boy and he didn't know how to help her.

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Culture

65 Artists from 37 Countries to Participate in Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026

The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation - SPA
The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation - SPA
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65 Artists from 37 Countries to Participate in Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026

The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation - SPA
The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation - SPA

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced the list of artists participating in the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026, scheduled to open on January 30 in the Jax District of Diriyah.

Titled “In Interludes and Transitions,” this edition draws inspiration from themes of movement, migration, and transformation—forces that have historically shaped pathways of communication and cultural exchange between the Arab region and societies around the world, SPA reported.

The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation. These original pieces, created by artists, musicians, filmmakers, architects, and writers, explore ideas of continuity, resilience, and collective imagination amid periods of profound change.

Chief Executive Officer of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation Aya Al-Bakree explained that the event brings together artists from multiple generations, regions, and disciplines, offering audiences a rich and diverse artistic experience that reflects Diriyah’s growing role as a global cultural hub.

The artistic directors noted that this edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale emphasizes the vital role of art in interpreting contemporary transformations. Over the past year, participating artists and the curatorial team have engaged in in-depth research into the historical contexts of the Arab region, examined the rapid changes reshaping its cultural landscape, and addressed broader intellectual questions with global relevance.

Culture

Louvre Workers Vote to Strike in Another Blow to the Paris Museum 

This photograph shows a banner which reads "Louvre Museum on Strike" outside the entrance to the Louvre as museum workers voted to go on strike against increasingly deteriorating working conditions and the declining visitor experience at the world famous museum, in Paris on December 15, 2025. (AFP)
This photograph shows a banner which reads "Louvre Museum on Strike" outside the entrance to the Louvre as museum workers voted to go on strike against increasingly deteriorating working conditions and the declining visitor experience at the world famous museum, in Paris on December 15, 2025. (AFP)
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Louvre Workers Vote to Strike in Another Blow to the Paris Museum 

This photograph shows a banner which reads "Louvre Museum on Strike" outside the entrance to the Louvre as museum workers voted to go on strike against increasingly deteriorating working conditions and the declining visitor experience at the world famous museum, in Paris on December 15, 2025. (AFP)
This photograph shows a banner which reads "Louvre Museum on Strike" outside the entrance to the Louvre as museum workers voted to go on strike against increasingly deteriorating working conditions and the declining visitor experience at the world famous museum, in Paris on December 15, 2025. (AFP)

Workers at the Louvre Museum voted Monday to strike over working conditions and other complaints, dealing another blow to the Paris landmark and home of the Mona Lisa after an embarrassing jewelry heist in October.

The CFDT union said the vote was taken at a meeting of 400 workers on Monday morning and that they decided to strike for the day.

The world’s most-visited museum didn’t open as scheduled and turned people away. A notice on the Louvre's website said, “the museum is closed for the moment.”

“It's really sad, because I was really looking forward to this,” said Lindsey Hall, a bitterly disappointed would-be visitor from Sacramento, California. She had been planning to enjoy the museum's huge collection of art and artifacts with a friend, describing it as “one of those life experiences you crave.”

“This is just an epic collection of art and something that every human should see,” she said. “I can see the other side of it, like if you are the person that works in the museum and how that can be, like day after day after day.”

The strike vote followed talks last week between labor unions and government officials, including Culture Minister Rachida Dati. Labor leaders said the talks had not alleviated all of their concerns about staffing and financing for the museum that welcomes millions of visitors each year.

“Visiting the museum has become an obstacle course,” said Alexis Fritche, general secretary of the culture wing of the CFDT union.

For employees, the daylight jewel heist crystallized long-standing concerns that crowding and thin staffing are undermining security and working conditions at the Louvre.

Thieves used a basket lift to reach the Louvre’s facade, forced a window, smashed display cases and fled with pieces of the French crown jewels. A Senate inquiry released last week said the thieves escaped with barely 30 seconds to spare and pointed fingers of blame at broken cameras, outdated equipment, understaffed control rooms and poor coordination that initially sent police to the wrong location.

In a statement, the CFDT said employees wants more staffing for security and to welcome visitors, improved working conditions, stable long-term budgets for the Louvre and leadership that “truly listens to staff.”

Yvan Navarro of the CGT union complained that staff numbers have continually decreased while visitor numbers have increased.

“People come to Paris to visit the museums. So the visitor numbers go up, the tariffs and the prices go up, because everything is becoming more expensive, but the salaries and the numbers of staffers don't go up so obviously you reach a point like today, a day of anger,” he said.

Culture

Saudi Media Ministry Launches Sudanese Culture Week as Part of 'Global Harmony 2' Initiative 

The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues. (SPA)
The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues. (SPA)
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Saudi Media Ministry Launches Sudanese Culture Week as Part of 'Global Harmony 2' Initiative 

The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues. (SPA)
The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Media launched on Sunday the Sudanese Culture Week as part of the "Global Harmony 2" initiative, organized in cooperation with the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and the Quality of Life Program.

The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues.

The events began with a celebratory parade showcasing elements of Sudanese culture, featuring performances of traditional music, including the rhythms of the Dalooka and melodies of the Rababa, alongside scenes from a Sudanese bridal procession.

Sudanese Culture Week includes a diverse program of musical concerts, entertainment segments, and cultural pavilions, with participation from a selection of Sudanese singers and influencers presenting activities that reflect the cultural diversity of Sudan’s regions and communities.

The event stage hosted the first musical concerts, attended by thousands of visitors, who engaged with Rababa performances by traditional artists and popular social occasion songs from Sudan.

Sudanese Culture Week marks the final week of events under the Global Harmony 2 initiative, building on the program's success in promoting cultural exchange in the Kingdom, reflecting the values of coexistence and cultural openness embraced by the Kingdom.

The events will continue on Monday with a program featuring a variety of cultural and musical performances.