nadine labaki – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

COSTA BRAVA, LEBANON – Review by Lois Alter Mark

July 4, 2022July 4, 2022 Lois Alter Mark Costa Brava, Costa Brava Lebanon, lebanese films, Lebanon, Mounia Akl, Nadia Charbel, nadine labaki, Saleh Bakri

Let’s talk trash. Costa Brava, Lebanon, the excellent feature film debut from director Mounia Akl, in which Beirut has become a “living hell” due to its garbage crisis. is a thoughtful and compassionate portrait of a family caught up in an environmental crisis caused by its corrupt government. After a week in which our own Supreme Court dealt a major blow to the planet, it seems sadly fitting to see that no matter how hard you try to avoid your country’s garbage, it literally ends up right at your front door.

Reviews

CAPERNAUM – Review by MaryAnn Johanson

February 22, 2019February 22, 2019 MaryAnn Johanson 0 Comments capernaum, Jihad Hojeily, Michelle Keserwany, nadine labaki, Zain Al Rafeea

In a courtroom in Beirut, 12-year-old Zain is suing his parents for the “crime” of having given birth to him. Capernaum — translation: chaos — is not about the court case, but is instead a long series of flashbacks showing us what has led the child to this moment. And it’s nothing like we might have been expecting.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK December 7, 2018: CAPERNAUM

December 2, 2018December 9, 2018 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments anne brodie, betsy bozdech, capernaum, Cate Marquis, jennifer merin, kristen page kirby, lebanese films, loren king, maryann ohanson, nadine labaki, nell minw, oscars, Pam Grady, susan wloszczyna

.Nadine Labaki’s painfully honest drama about a street-smart Lebanese boy who sues his parents for neglect (“for giving me life,” as he tells the judge) is relentlessly gritty, but it also never loses its humanity. The latter is largely thanks to 12-year-old Zain (Zain Al Rafeea), the compelling character at the center of the story. Because, despite every awful thing life throws in his path, he never stops caring for those who’ve earned his affection.

Reviews

CAPERNAUM – Review by Nikki Baughan

November 27, 2018December 2, 2018 Nikki Baughan 0 Comments capernaum, lebanese films, motw, nadine labaki, novie of the week, oscars

Joining a host of recent works of both fact and fiction – such as Sudabeh Mortezai’s Joy and Gabrielle Brady’s Island Of The Hungry Ghosts – which highlight the refugee crisis engulfing the globe, Capernaum is a gut-punch reminder that the rise of isolationist politics is leaving swathes of human casualties in its wake. Devastating but utterly essential cinema

Reviews

CAPERNAUM – Rreview by Susan Wloszczyna

November 27, 2018December 2, 2018 Susan Wloszczyna 0 Comments capernaum, lebanese films, motw, Movie of the Week, nadine labaki, oscars

Capernaum is part Oliver Twist, part Slumdog Millionaire, but with only a modicum of a fairy-tale ending. Much like last year’s The Florida Project, children pay a high price when their impoverished circumstances are the result of selfish adults who lead careless lives. The difference is that Zain (played by Zain Al Rafeea), the streetwise 12-year-old Lebanese boy who barely has room to sleep amongst his countless siblings, is playing a real-life version of himself.

Reviews

CAPERNAUM — Review by Loren King

November 27, 2018January 4, 2019 Loren King 0 Comments capernaum, lebanese films, Movie of the Week, movie of the week #MOTW, nadine labaki, oscars

Nadine Labaki’s extraordinary neorealist film left me gutted, and grateful to be allowed such an emotional response. The film opens with 12-year-old Zain (a stunning Zain Al Rafeea, offering one of the best juvenile performances ever) in court for stabbing, as he puts it, “a sonofabitch.”

Reviews

CAPERNAUM – Review by Marilyn Ferdinand

November 27, 2018February 22, 2019 Marilyn Ferdinand (Archived Contributor) 0 Comments capernaum, lebanese films, motw, Movie of the Week, nadine labaki, oscars

Capernaum is an angry cry, through the character of Zain, for people to pay attention to and do something about the misery of others. Labaki’s greatest achievement may be that she made a beautifully crafted film with such a deep understanding for her untrained actors that it’s nearly impossible to tear our eyes from the screen or forget what we’ve witnessed.

Reviews

CAPERNAUM – Review by Cate Marquis

November 26, 2018February 22, 2019 Cate Marquis 0 Comments capernaum, lebanese films, mote, Movie of the Week, nadine labaki, oscars

There are striking parallels to both Slumdog Millionaire and Charles Dickens in this grim drama, from the focus on innocent children whose lives are appalling, to indifferent parents, a cast of nefarious characters, harsh officials, and unexpected moments of kindness from strangers. Director Nadine Labaki chose to cast mostly non-actors whose lives were close to these characters.

Festivals

Cannes Film Festival 2018: The Fight for Inclusion Continues — Moira Sullivan reports

May 31, 2018August 14, 2018 Moira Sullivan 0 Comments agnes varda, Alice Rohrwacher, cannes film festival, cate blanchett, inclusiom, nadine labaki

Officially, this was the year for women at Cannes. It is a year that is only meaningful if the number