Kefernahum (Film)

Capernaum (2018), a drama film directed by Nadine Labaki, centers on themes of poverty and injustice. Zain, a Lebanese child, flees his abusive family and struggles to survive on the streets of Beirut. During this time, his path crosses with Rahil, an Ethiopian refugee, and her infant son Yonas. Film explores Zain’s resilience despite his harsh circumstances and his eventual lawsuit against his parents. The film, screened at the Cannes Film Festival, has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Palme d’Or.

^{Still from the film Capernaum.}

Nadine Labaki was born on 18 February 1974 in Beirut, Lebanon and is regarded as one of the founding directors of contemporary Arab cinema. Labaki’s cinema prioritizes and aims to address social realism, strong character development, and humanistic themes. Through her stories, she focuses particularly on women’s rights, migration, poverty, and social injustice to present the social fabric of Lebanon and, more broadly, the Middle East to audiences.

^{Nadine Labaki.}

Labaki’s cinematic career began to attract international attention with her 2007 film Caramel, which portrayed the daily struggles of women living in Lebanon and received widespread critical acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival. Her most renowned work is the 2018 film Capernaum, which narrates the life of a child enduring neglect and poverty while offering a social critique of migration and identity issues.

Capernaum’s production involved extensive field research, reinforcing Labaki’s commitment to realistic cinema. Her choice of non-professional actors and her use of improvised scenes strengthened the film’s authentic language and contributed significantly to its global recognition.

^{Poster for the film Capernaum.}

In addition to her work in cinema, Labaki is a prolific artist across multiple disciplines. As a director who also acts, she collaborates with her husband, Khaled Mouzanar, on the music for her films. Labaki has served as a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival, gaining recognition in the international cinema community, and aims to foster change in Lebanese and Middle Eastern societies through her art.