Antoine's Journal

Your Film Deserves An Audience

The Stars Behind The Hit – Video Essay

Why Do We Need Stories – Video Essay

Whether you're a writer or just someone who loves stories, this essay sheds light on why stories work—and why they matter.

A Custodian of a Lebanese Terroir – Fabrice Guiberteau

Just before Covid, I had the pleasure to meet Fabrice Guiberteau. Right away, his deep attachment to the land and his visceral relationship with nature caught my attention. In our first interview, along with Chef Frank Page, we explored some of these themes.<br><br> Four years later, I met again Fabrice in Kefraya. I’ve always preferred in person conversation, and this was a great setup.<br><br> During our conversation, we spoke about his attachment to the land, what he calls the “farmer common sense” (“le bon sens paysan”), the impact of climate change, how he approaches winemaking and his custodian role at <a href="https://www.chateaukefraya.com/" style="text-decoration: underline; color: lime;">Kefraya</a>.<br><br> Besides the complete conversation available as a podcast, we produced a short portrait video of Fabrice which you can find here and <a href="https://youtu.be/z7heRdPCKP0" style="text-decoration: underline; color: lime;">YouTube</a>.<br><br> Enjoy the conversation.

Would You Run 50km? 100km? Explore Ultra-Running with Dana Matar

50 km, with some 2,000 m ascent, in the beautiful natural reserve of Arz Barouk. On paper, it looked doable—a big stretch, but not impossible. Though I had many afterthoughts, the training process was underway, with its ups and downs. Then, race day arrived.<br><br> At the beginning, I stayed at the back of the pack. It was way too early for me, and cold. I trotted along, walking up the hills, trying to warm up and wake up. Walking lent itself to engaging with fellow runners. So, in the early hours, I met Dana Matar. She started telling me about her life as an ultra-runner. I didn’t know who she was, but as we passed other runners, everyone greeted her, asking her how she was. Then, at the first aid station, as I turned around, she was gone, never to be seen again. She ended up winning the race.<br><br> After a very difficult 8 hours and 49 minutes, I finally crossed the finish line, still wondering why I got myself into this race. Happy, or more precisely relieved. At the award ceremony, I saw Dana again, all smiles and satisfied with her performance. The idea to interview her came at that moment. Why would someone go through such experiences and make a living out of it? This was going to be a fascinating conversation.<br><br> From childhood up to my early thirties, my life revolved around sports as a professional and athlete. For instance, I participated in World Championships in snowboarding and windsurfing. So, to include the subject of sports in the Table For Two podcast comes naturally. Athletes are fascinating examples of how purpose becomes life.<br><br> Enjoy the conversation.

Ursula Bittner – Greenwashing and Corruption

Greenwashing is everywhere. Companies will do all they can to show their products in the best light, even if it means lying to the consumer, or to put it mildly distorting the reality. Consumers are defenseless in such situation. As Ursula Bittner mentions it, the shopper in the supermarket isle has no idea if the product purchased is really “natural” or produced while protecting the environment. An economic expert at Greenpeace CEE and founder of Saubere Hände (Clean Hands) to fight corruption in Austria, Bittner knows a few things about this issue.<br><br> It was a great pleasure to talk to her about greenwashing, lobbying and also corruption. Her experience is invaluable as she is at the frontline of this battle to counteract the behaviors of the large food companies and conglomerates. Checks and balances are at the heart of our democracies, and the role of Civil Society becomes even more important in a time where the means of the large companies have become so vast.<br><br> As always, it is fascinating to discover why she embarked on a life in Civil Society, which for her started at an early age.<br><br> Enjoy the conversation.