Hot off the Arab press

posted on: May 8, 2015

Sellma Hayek visits Lebanon
An-Nahar, Lebanon, May 1

The streets of Bshari, a northern town in Lebanon with a population of roughly 100,000 people, came to life last week. For a change, this wasn’t because of a security concern or yet another incident of political upheaval. Rather, it was because of a visit paid to the city by Salma Hayek, a renowned Mexican actress of Lebanese heritage. Hayek arrived on her first-ever trip to Lebanon last week in order to promote her new film The Prophet, based on a book written by the famous Lebanese-American poet Khalil Gibran, bearing the same title. Hayek explained her decision to produce the film as a part of the exploration of her Lebanese heritage and the desire to reconnect with her grandfather, who admired Gibran’s work. Hayek paid tribute to Gibran by visiting Bshari, the poet’s birthplace and home to a museum documenting his work and life. She also made a stop at Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley in order to visit a Syrian refugee camp and meet with children. In her interview with An-Nahar, she described her visit as “an emotional journey to her past” that allowed to her to finally connect with her ancestral home.

Source: www.jpost.com