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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

Top Prosecutor: Louvre Heist Probe Still Aims to Recover Jewelry

FILE - People wait for the Louvre museum to open, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
FILE - People wait for the Louvre museum to open, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
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Top Prosecutor: Louvre Heist Probe Still Aims to Recover Jewelry

FILE - People wait for the Louvre museum to open, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
FILE - People wait for the Louvre museum to open, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

French investigators remain determined to find the imperial jewels stolen from the Louvre in October, a prosecutor has told AFP.

Police believe they have arrested all four thieves who carried out the brazen October 19 robbery, making off with jewelry worth an estimated $102 million from the world-famous museum.

"The interrogations have not produced any new investigative elements," top Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said this week, three months after the broad-daylight heist.

But the case remains a top priority, she underlined.

"Our main objective is still to recover the jewelry," she said.

That Sunday morning in October, thieves parked a mover's truck with an extendable ladder below the Louvre's Apollo Gallery housing the French crown jewels.

Two of the thieves climbed up the ladder, broke a window and used angle grinders to cut glass display booths containing the treasures, while the other two waited below, investigators say.

The four then fled on high-powered motor scooters, dropping a diamond-and-emerald crown in their hurry.

But eight other items of jewelry -- including an emerald-and-diamond necklace that Napoleon I gave his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise -- remain at large.

Beccuau said investigators were keeping an open mind as to where the loot might be.

"We don't have any signals indicating that the jewelry is likely to have crossed the border," she said, though she added: "Anything is possible."

Detectives benefitted from contacts with "intermediaries in the art world, including internationally" as they pursued their probe.

"They have ways of receiving warning signals about networks of receivers of stolen goods, including abroad," Beccuau said.

As for anyone coming forward to hand over the jewels, that would be considered to be "active repentance, which could be taken into consideration" later during a trial, she said.

A fifth suspect, a 38-year-old woman who is the partner of one of the men, has been charged with being an accomplice but was released under judicial supervision pending a trial.

Investigators still had no idea if someone had ordered the theft.

"We refuse to have any preconceived notions about what might have led the individuals concerned to commit this theft," the prosecutor said.

But she said detectives and investigating magistrates were resolute.

"We haven't said our last word. It will take as long as it takes," she said.

Culture

Desert X AlUla Unveils Acclaimed Lineup of Saudi and Global Artists in 2026 Edition

Mohammad AlFaraj's artwork at Desert X AlUla 2026 (Courtesy of Lance Gerber)
Mohammad AlFaraj's artwork at Desert X AlUla 2026 (Courtesy of Lance Gerber)
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Desert X AlUla Unveils Acclaimed Lineup of Saudi and Global Artists in 2026 Edition

Mohammad AlFaraj's artwork at Desert X AlUla 2026 (Courtesy of Lance Gerber)
Mohammad AlFaraj's artwork at Desert X AlUla 2026 (Courtesy of Lance Gerber)

Arts AlUla has announced the lineup of Saudi and international artists participating in the fourth edition of Desert X AlUla, the international open-air art exhibition held in collaboration with Desert X.

 

Running from January 16 to February 28, the exhibition will feature an exceptional selection of specially commissioned artworks, ranging from large-scale installations and sound pieces that stretch across and beneath the desert landscape, to kinetic works and immersive interactive experiences.

 

The showcase reflects a deep connection to AlUla’s unique environment, its dramatic natural landscapes, and rich cultural heritage.

 

Desert X AlUla, the region’s first public art biennial, will feature 11 artists presenting diverse perspectives, materials, and artistic traditions in their large-scale works in its 2026 edition.

 

The program offers a delightful mix of performances and interactive family activities, alongside dedicated programs that blend sound, movement, storytelling, and play.

 

Also, the visitor pavilion will host a live music program curated in collaboration with AlUla Music Hub, creating moments where art, nature, and community converge in a shared experience shaped by rhythm and a strong sense of place.

 

Arts AlUla confirmed that Desert X AlUla 2026 will be open to the public.

Culture

Saudi Heritage Commission Announces Discovery of 20 Rock Engravings in Soudah Peaks Project

The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. (SPA)
The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. (SPA)
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Saudi Heritage Commission Announces Discovery of 20 Rock Engravings in Soudah Peaks Project

The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. (SPA)
The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission, in collaboration with Soudah Development, a Public Investment Fund company, announced on Tuesday the discovery of 20 ancient rock art sites within the Soudah Peaks area.

Spanning more than 636.5 square kilometers across Soudah and parts of Rijal Almaa, the project area is now recognized as home to some of the region’s oldest cultural landmarks. The newly identified sites feature inscriptions and rock carvings estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old, offering valuable insights into the region’s rich history.

The findings include Thamudic inscriptions, along with vivid depictions of ibex, hyenas, and ostriches, as well as scenes of hunters, dancers, palm trees, and weapons, reflecting the environmental and social practices of the ancient communities that once inhabited the area.

The survey forms part of a memorandum of understanding signed between the Heritage Commission and Soudah Development. Conducted in four scientific phases, the initiative began with data collection and site analysis, concluding with the documentation and classification of high-value archaeological sites in preparation for future development and preservation efforts.

Soudah Development remains committed to protecting and promoting the natural and cultural heritage of the project area. The company continues to work towards creating an integrated cultural and tourism experience that reflects the authenticity and historical richness of the region, in line with its vision to transform Soudah Peaks into a premier luxury mountain destination rooted in heritage.