When it comes to bucket list experiences, Medaina Festival in Jordan’s Petra and Wadi Rum ticks every box. Hosted by experiential connoisseurs Tithorea from 21 – 28 May, it was a uniquely immersive experience that went beyond just live music, incorporating cultural experiences and remarkable stays. For the music lover in search of something new, or the traveller eager for a taste of Jordanian history and hospitality, Medaina festival was truly one of a kind.
Organisers Tithorea have built a loyal fanbase with an eye for unique and holistic travel experiences. After a stay at Amman’s luxurious Fairmont Hotel, festival goers spent the next few days travelling across some of Jordan’s most fascinating spots. Guests dove deep into local Bedouin cuisine and soaked in the breathtaking landscape during the day, and enjoyed an electric lineup at iconic locations in the evening.
The festival’s opening night took place at the Triclinium in Little Petra (Siq al-Barid), a UNESCO world heritage site that set the stage for the week’s events. Jordanian Romero Group provided a spread of Levantine cuisine as guests watched performances by regional talent from Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Palestine, including a traditional dabke performed by the Majdal Popular Dance troupe.
The setting was spectacular and highlighted the efforts of the festival organisers and their collaborators, Royal Jordanian and Jordan’s tourism board, to incorporate local artisans into every element. After all, this was many of the international audience’s first introduction to Jordanian, and specifically Bedouin, culture. Encouraging cultural appreciation over appropriation while also respecting historic sites were important considerations. After taking some time to chat to Bedouin locals present at the event, they expressed that they were very welcoming of a new demographic learning about their rich culture.
After a day spent exploring one of the world’s Seven Wonders, night two saw a techno lineup including Âme and HVOB with the peaks of Petra as their backdrop. Petra alone is stunning but the festival’s magical lighting, tapestries and custom furniture design accentuated the otherworldly setting by paying homage to local practices. The festival’s creative director Melissa Valentina described the process of curating such a grand natural landscape. “The concept for that area was the heritage of the loom machine which is the weaving machine for the Bedouin, so everything was fabrics,” she said.
“We have creative consultants from here to make sure [we’re] not doing something that doesn’t make sense or is not aligned with the Jordan heritage.” Valentina passionately added that, “hopefully, from my perspective, the whole experience just adds on to what is here and does not interrupt it, does not disrupt it, does not break the flow…I want to build and create so that we can enjoy this ecosystem to its maximum.”
The immensity of partying until sunrise surrounded by the grandeur of Petra is as incredible as it sounds. And Medaina festival still had more to give as its final night was held on the starry sand dunes of Rahayeb Camp in Wadi Rum. Its more futuristic design set the mood for an infectious lineup of techno and house music by the likes of Jimi Jules and Bedouin. Installations like a cosmic pod with neon carpets and blue lighting, as well as candlelit dunes overlooking the stage, provided an interactive and conversational feel.
Wadi Rum is a protected area quite literally in the middle of nowhere, so to welcome in the sun towered by stunning rock formations was a special sight that you could not find anywhere else. We stayed at Wadi Rum Bubble Lux Hotel where the sunsets were spectacular and the night skies were so clear that you could see the Milky Way with the naked eye. Other memorable highlights included the local hospitality, which was second to none, as well as camel riding and zooming through the desert on the back of a local’s truck surrounded by cinematic landscapes.
With unforgettable memories forged in Wadi Rum’s beating dessert, festival goers chilled out and cooled off at the final destination of Ayla, Aqaba by the Red Sea. After checking into the beautiful Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla Resort, guests focused on wellness and relaxation with snorkelling and boat ride lunches on the water, as well as a decompression day centred around yoga. From every angle, Medaina festival is in a league of its own. To experience so much of Jordanian culture from the desert to the sea surrounded by some of the world’s most breathtaking nature made it one to keep on your travel radar.
There are two types of people in the world. Specialists and multidisciplinary individuals. That’s not to say a specialist can’t be multidisciplinary at all, or vice versa. But what’s intriguing about Bailey Bass is her positioning at the intersection of the Venn diagram, which we get a glimpse of in our conversation. She’s taken on many roles not only as an actress, but also in her personal life, connecting ideas across fields like psychology, a resurgence of hobbies, and writing.
In ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, Bailey’s character, Tsireya, continues to serve as an emotional anchor within Pandora, embodying empathy, resilience, and quiet strength amid growing chaos. Through her, the film explores how tenderness can coexist with ferocity, and how choosing empathy in moments of destruction becomes a form of resistance in itself. All of which Bailey parallels in her personal life.
In between bouts of laughter and a charming zest for life, Bailey Bass speaks to Schön! about her metrics for success, a newly set up career wall, and of course, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’.
Congratulations on the release of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. You’re playing the very graceful yet strong Tsireya. When joining the ‘Avatar” world, what excited you?
I didn’t know what was going on. It was my first movie. This is my new normal, and I think I was just excited to work. I’ve been auditioning since I was five. I booked it when I was twelve – that’s a long time before you get to live out your dream. I had really low expectations, but I’m just so excited to be a part of a franchise that’s been a part of my life for so long.
That’s insane. It’s a relatively short period of time to make it big, but when you’re 12, that’s half the life that you’ve been auditioning.
Oh my God, no, it’s such a long time. They say give Hollywood seven years, and I guess it’s true. It’s a short time in your life, but the rejection is really hard. I was modelling so much that I had filler — it didn’t hit me the way it hits me now, where I’m ready for the next role. I don’t have much to complain about when I’ve played really nuanced female leading characters I can actually be proud of.
It takes a lot of women ahead of me to have paved the path where I don’t feel objectified in my first roles, which I feel like was kind of a rite of passage that a lot of women had to go through for a long time in the industry. That doesn’t seem to be something we have to do anymore, even though there’s still much more to go. I’m grateful that a lot of the roles that I’ve played with Claudia and Tsireya have been so strong and empowering.
That’s so nice to hear, I’m glad that your experience has showed change in the industry.
Well, it’s still hard, I’m still a woman, but I’m just grateful for my character. I mean, there’s still a long way to go.
dress. Loulou de Saison
earrings. Agmes
opposite
dress. Stella McCartney
earrings. Saulé @ Yaya Pubicity
Of course, one little win at a time. When playing Tsireya, did you find yourself reaching areas that, in yourself, as Bailey, you maybe hadn’t explored before?
I didn’t know how to swim. It was three girls at the end of the audition process, and I remember I was paired with the boys, and that was a blessing in disguise for the swimming part because I was like, “I’m not gonna let them beat me. I’m gonna fake it till I make it.” I honestly thank that moment of being paired with a boy who clearly has been swimming his whole life, and I barely knew how to doggy paddle. I had to prove myself very quickly.
Kirk Krack, who is an amazing freediving instructor — he’s worked with Navy SEALs and Tom Cruise on ‘Mission Impossible’. He said at the end of filming, where I had a breath hold of six minutes and 30 seconds, and I was almost leading the chart when it came to swimming… He says, “You grew so much.” Because they wrote in their notes in the audition process, “she needs work, but has a lot of potential.”
That’s so funny. I tried holding my breath and could only do about 50 seconds.
That’s still a long time. I can still do a minute. I love it when gym bros are like, “let’s do a breath hold competition,” and I always beat them. That feels so good. Fuck their push-ups.
Are there any traits from Tsireya that you had in common, or traits that you would like to adopt from her?
I had a lot of similarities to Tsireya from [‘Avatar’] two and three. James Cameron (Jim), our director, and Margery Simkin, the casting director, is a badass. I love her. She’s a legend in the game, and she knew, even though my audition was shit, that the empathy was there. I always had that compassion and empathy for other people.
Growing up really low income — I’m first generation — the family I grew up with had that immigrant mindset of ‘we will make it through, this is better than where we came from’ and I’d be like, ‘well, this is still not great’ and they’d say, ‘but we can do it.’ I already had those qualities. 2025 was really hard being an American and being in the United States. I’ve definitely been hardened by it.
I’m really interested to see, as we’ve seen the chaos in ‘Fire and Ash’ and the chaos that I’ve experienced as Bailey in the world, what that’s going to mean for Tsireya’s empathy, because I’ve seen it in myself. I don’t think Jim and Margie are mind readers and can predict the future, but I think they knew I had enough goodness in me that if you start from that place, it’s easy to shape and add the trauma in afterwards, which I have enough of as well.
full look. Burberry
Oh dear, why are you giggling?
You have to laugh. There are actually studies that show that people who’ve experienced the most trauma are the funniest.
It’s like they say, if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.
Exactly. It’s 2026, we’ve persevered! That’s why — what I talked about in the beginning — those little moments, it’s still not fair. It’s still frustrating, but I realised that you have to be a part of the system to change the system, and have compassion for yourself. I didn’t decide to be born in a brown female body, but what can I do to create the change I want to see? I know you know, but that’s a tough pill to swallow, and I swallow it every day. Being a part of the system and smiling and being nice helps me make much more change, which I know sometimes I just want to pop off the internal rage. I’m a New Yorker. I’m like, ‘someone shove me on the subway, this needs to come out.’
So now that ‘Avatar’ has wrapped, what stayed with you the most? Was it the character, the people, maybe a specific moment on set?
I forget. Actually, I’m going to show you — I created a career wall in my new apartment. It’s still in the making. This is from ‘Interview With the Vampire’ — it’s not done, I still need them to send stuff from ‘Fire and Ash’. Seeing this every day has actually made me remember all that I’ve achieved because it’s really easy to think, ‘I have four more semesters of school before I can even apply to grad schools,’ or ‘I really want to produce this project, and it still has so much more to go.’ But it’s like, look how far you’ve come.
Honestly, I wish I could say what stuck with me was that you have to keep going, that bravery is really important. The issue with me is that, because I’m such a perfectionist, it doesn’t stay with me. So having those reminders, a good therapist, journaling, and having really good friends that tell you you’re doing great. What makes me great at my job is that I keep striving to be better. And yes, that’s great, but I am glad that I made this wall because it reminds me of how far I’ve come. I’ve been working since I was two.
That’s unbelievable, by the way.
Yeah, I go to Columbia University to study psychology, and going back to school has helped me feel like a kid because I had to grow up so fast. I’ve been working with adults, even on ‘Avatar,’ I was the only teen girl, and Trinity was seven, so that was isolating. There were gaps in my childhood, so I’m grateful for — as much as I’m still working, still love being in entertainment — having those moments of normalcy because I do feel like I’ve played as an actor more than I’ve played as a kid.
dress. Angelina Poppy @ REP Agency
earrings. Agmes
rings. Swarovski
opposite
dress. Loulou de Saison
earrings. Agmes
You’ve also balanced growing up, working, and evolving creatively all at once. How do you protect your sense of self outside of acting and work?
I have really good friends and a community. I’m gonna start knitting, having hobbies that have nothing to do with work, because as a child, my hobby became my job. So, as I’m entering my adulthood, finding things that I don’t want to make a career out of, something that’s genuinely just fun for me. I love reading, I read every day, that’s really important to me and having some type of routine, because [work] is freelance and every day does look different. Having routine things that I don’t get paid for is really important because it reminds me that my self-worth is in me just being me. But it’s definitely not easy.
I have jobs outside acting — I work as a research assistant and comms person for a nonprofit on campus, I grant write for half the story, but being able to use different parts of my brain and also not boxing myself in. I know I’ve talked about school so much, but that’s reminding myself I’m not linear. I’m not just an actress, even though that’s filled so much of my life; I am so much more than this one thing, and I love that we live in an era where people can have multiple jobs and be multifaceted, and that is celebrated.
With multifaceted freelancing, ‘Avatar’ being such a huge film, and working since you were two, what does success mean to you now? Has it changed at all within your life?
I check in with ‘am I happy?’ I’ve reached a point in my career where there are so many people on the email chain, and I have not seen all of them in person, but they’re all working really hard to achieve a mutual goal. But that goal in education is not going to be the same in acting. Growing up as a kid actor, you want your team to be a part of every aspect of your life. I’ve had to realise my manager’s not necessarily gonna care if I get an A on this essay, and that is okay. So, remembering that I’m leading the ship and that success stems from ‘Am I happy?’
That’s tough when so much of my success has been being an A student in school and working on set, being a really good friend, daughter and sibling, and being able to get everything done on time — that is what success meant to me. It honestly slipped me into such a deep depression when I realised as an adult, I have to check in on myself now, I’m not a kid anymore. That transition, while also being in the limelight, and wanting to be really good at my job, was not easy. Going back to those pillars of, ‘Am I happy? Did I read today? Did I go outside today? Did I do things that fill my cup?’
dress. Loulou de Saison
earrings. Agmes
I love that happiness is your priority. With ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ press tour being your first time out of the country, and now fresh off the ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ tour, which place have you loved the most, and are there any places you’ve yet to tick off the bucket list?
I went to Canada for like three hours because we crossed the border a couple of weeks before the press tour. That doesn’t really count, we went go-karting in Niagara Falls, and they didn’t even stamp my passport. Even being Belarusian and never being to Belarus — I speak Russian, I am so ingrained in the culture, so people think I’m from there when I speak about it. I’m grateful that I grew up in Gravesend, Brooklyn, immersed in so many cultures.
I went to Malta for the Malta Film Festival. It’s such a special country, and I feel like it needs to be highlighted so much more. They’ve done so much for the film industry. I went to the tanks there because they knew I worked on ‘Avatar’, so we were geeking out about the tech. Malta will always have a special place in my heart. The people are so amazing.
Italy is one of my favourite places. Going to Milan for the ‘Fire and Ash’ press tour was amazing. I really want to go to Iceland, to go hiking in Argentina for a week. I’m an adventure seeker, and I want to go somewhere that’s exciting. Alaska is on my list for this year, and Thailand for a girls’ trip. I went skydiving for my 18th birthday in Arizona. I want to do the crazy stuff that. I ate a cockroach on set when I was eight. Been there, done that.
Did it taste okay?
It tastes spicy and crispy. No, it wasn’t a cockroach, it was a cricket. It builds a great personality.
Looking ahead, are there any new projects in the pipeline? Any genres, roles, or stories that you want to get into? What’s next for Bailey?
I really hope we make more ‘Avatars’. I love that I’ve continued being in this weird character actor space. I have said for years that I want to be in the ‘Game of Thrones’ franchise, and the fans want it too. Every time she speaks Russian, they’re like, ‘why does it sound Targaryen?’ It’s because I grew up in America and my accent isn’t great.
I want to continue doing things that feel really epic. Give me character work, and I just shine. I think it’s because I feel so removed from myself, but I also see the sensitivity in the characters. I am excited to eventually go to grad school and continue doing psych research. I’m fascinated by studying how much work you have to put in to be great. It’s quite niche, but the people I’ve worked with say ‘research is me search,’ so continuing to not put myself in a box and seeing where it goes.
But honestly, my grandma asks, ‘what are your dreams for months from now?’ I kind of have them, but I could get a call and be in a different country, which I will be at the end of this month, which is what happens. It’s two weeks at a time. I’m here for the vibes, and the vibes have been great.
Boxing offered Anne ‘Gowtu’ van Lingen a way to find her voice after a childhood where she at times felt overlooked, left navigating a chaotic environment without a safety net. The new short documentary titled ‘GOWTU’ follows this transition from a girl lost in the noise to a woman who discovered her strength through the rhythmic discipline of the sport. It reveals how a physical outlet provides a primary tool for confronting the past and finding a way to speak up.
“I still remember the moment when boxing turned into something more than just a sport. I wasn’t in a good place mentally and suddenly everything from my past that I had suppressed or never processed came back,” confesses Gowtu in the film. “And I noticed that boxing really became an outlet for me to regulate my emotions.”
Gowtu is a familiar face in Amsterdam’s boxing scene and regularly gives training sessions at Simson Gym. She recently appeared in the ring at the Johnny Mosterd Memorial at Club Panama.
Maxim Etty and Jesse Plum, two self-taught directors based in Amsterdam, collaborated to bring this narrative to the screen. Etty utilises a background in illustration and commercial film to pull clarity out of visual chaos, giving the project a raw yet polished finish. Plum focuses on the authentic connection between people and their environment. Their combined efforts captured the intimate details of Gowtu’s life and her current dedication to supporting others.
Reports from Dutch NGO Injebol show that one in four young adults struggle with mental health due to rising rates of anxiety and depression. Gowtu now spends her time training youth who carry their own heavy histories, showing them that the gym is a place where they can finally belong. “Sometimes you see kids struggle and not really know how to express it. I often recognise parts of myself with the kids I work with,” she explains.
The project supports initiatives that contribute to raising awareness of mental health among young people. Documenting Gowtu’s transition into a mentor allows the filmmakers to show that the weight of a difficult past can be transformed into motivation.
Viewers can find the documentary online, where it acts as a call to action for anyone feeling isolated by their circumstances. Like many others, Gowtu’s story proves that the journey towards healing often starts with a single step into the light, reminding us that resilience is built through discipline and the support of a group that understands the struggle. For those who feel they need someone to talk to, the film points directly to the resources provided by Injebol.
If you wander a few steps away from Monastiraki square, and look for a discreet, minimal building front overlooking the Acropolis, you’ll arrive at Makris Athens: the fine dining destination at the very heart of the city. Here, under the watchful eye of chef Petros Dimas, Greek gastronomy is an energetic, dreamy and emotional journey, and invites diners on an exploration of memories. Inside the historic walls and above the foundations of an archeological site, a quiet conversation between past and present is at play. Through the glass floor in the basement, you’ll even see – and perhaps feel – the ancient ruins.
Here, each plate is anchored geographically and invites diners into the inner life of chef Petros Dimas. Think of it more as a personal archive built from childhood summers, island kitchens, Mediterranean tables and the slow, ritualistic pleasure of good ingredients. Makris has been a project of a lifetime and Athens is just the latest addition to a portfolio. The Michelin-starred restaurants took shape across Greece: first in Corfu, then Milos and Crete. In Athens, Makris feels like it has arrived at a culmination; it’s a place where chapters align.
If there’s one standout aspect of the approach to gastronomy at Makris Athens, it’s the gentle, poignant feeling that accompanies you throughout your time there. There are three set menus, including a vegan one, which all explore various facets of Greek cuisine. The Utopia menu is the embodiment of the world of Makris. The meal opens on an impactful, vivid burst of flavours, with the chef’s welcome that immediately sets the tone for the restaurant’s philosophy: ingredients masterfully combined, compositions that enchant the palette. A Mushroom Cappuccino delivers earthy tones and feels perfectly paired with Truffle and Brioche Feuilletée.
Ingredients, the team tells us, are primordial here. There’s even a farm, in Corinth, which prepares the seasonal vegetables, herbs and edible flowers used in the restaurant. These ingredients, as well as a tight network of local producers, are at the heart of the story of Makris. The Bouquet from the Farm, closely followed by the highly recommended Kharmani Persian Beluga Caviar, speaks volumes about Dimas’ reverence for quality produce. Vegetables are treated not as sides but as leading stages of the journey and the vegan menu testifies to this. The technique and excellence are all there, as you’d expect of a Michelin-starred restaurant, but the confidence in allowing flavour to stand on its own brings the whole experience to life in surprising and touching ways.
Dimas’ relationship with the Mediterranean embodies an instinctive rather than conceptual approach. The flavours explored with the fish in the menu are exceptional, such as the sweetness of Red Hellenic Shrimp balanced by carrot and the saline depth of caviar. The langoustine, served at two temperatures, becomes a study in contrast: warm and yielding, then cool and precise: an outstanding dish – perhaps our highlight – which is as beautiful visually as it is delicious.
At this stage, we must mention the sourdough bread, which is served alongside a menu of olive oils from various regions in Greece, from Crete and Corfu to Messinia. A visit to Makris is worth it just for this experience; this is, as the establishment describes it, a dip into nature’s liquid gold. These are tastes your buds will remember for a long time.
Further on in the menu, local hake is paired with zucchini, alongside a rockfish sauce and smoked mussels. It’s a foray into the more traditional flavours associated with Greek cuisine yet replaces nostalgia with shared memories. There is undeniable charm and warmth to Dimas’ cuisine. When it comes to the meat course, it’s clear that Makris’ commitment to local sourcing is a question of moral principles, not just aesthetics. The organic Hellenic Pork Iberico is served with white asparagus, chanterelles and seasonal vegetables, for an intensely gourmet end to the savoury part of the menu. This dish anchors the meal in the rhythms of the land, bridging the gap between sea and countryside.
Dessert at Makris is everything you’d hope to bring this poetic journey to a close: in short, nothing short of spectacular. The Hazelnut Concert – layered with chocolate, caramel and lavender ice cream – is alive with aroma. It plays with recollections of childhood sweets without falling into overly saccharine tones and works memories like a playful ingredient. The texture and temperature are perfect.
The restaurant’s interior is a soft space which exudes charm and mirrors the food. Nothing feels out of place to the point of intruding on the experience; the design is minimal while still providing a comforting, almost homely feel. A special mention goes to the wine pairings – particularly the Hellenic selection, with a broad but modern carte of conventional and natural wines – which feels like an extension of the storytelling.
In close contact with the layers of the Greek capital, Makris Athens offers a reinvention. It’s a reinvention, however, that embodies every step of history and has brought those steps along to where the space is today. Much like the scenery of ancient Athens you can see from the restaurant, Makris offers a return to roots, a game of memories made vivid by compositions that vibrate with the power of ingredients. Petros Dimas does not ask diners to be impressed; he accompanies, guides, suggests and inspires just like a storyteller. In doing so, he offers something increasingly rare: a meal that lingers not just on the palate, but somewhere deeper. In a city with layers of history, Makris adds another; one told quietly, beautifully and entirely on its own terms.
If you wander a few steps away from Monastiraki square, and look for a discreet, minimal building front overlooking the Acropolis, you’ll arrive at 
