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Capernaum

While serving a five-year sentence for a violent crime, a 12-year-old boy sues his parents for neglect.

Zain, a 12-year-old boy scrambling to survive on the streets of Beirut, sues his parents for having brought him into such an unjust world, where being a refugee with no documents means that your rights can easily be denied.

"Nadine Labaki’s drama might first seem like a satire—small children are jailed, others are married. But while there are elements of didactic political fable, there’s a heartbreaking realism at the root of this portrait of Lebanese poverty, mostly shown from Zain’s point of view. Magnetically portrayed by Syrian migrant Zain al Rafeea, the boy’s angelic looks suggest innocence, but his angry, sweary outbursts betray a harsh childhood. This contrast results in bursts of humor, recalling the likes of Slumdog Millionaire and The Florida Project. But Capernaum is a darker watch than either.

Most of the film takes place in flashback, tracing Zain’s route to jail via the slums of Beirut. He has run away from home after one of his many sisters is sold to a leering local man. Furious at his world-weary parents, he finds a new mother figure in Rahil (Yordanos Shifferaw), an immigrant who’s fearing deportation and hiding her baby from authorities. The details of all three characters’ daily lives then become the film’s centerpiece, which moves at a leisurely pace. Capernaum is quietly absorbing and fitfully shocking as we experience the sights and sounds (and maybe even smells) of the streets where a one-year-old child can wander around alone without anyone stopping to wonder why. Labaki’s closing masterstroke is to subtly shed light on the perspective of Zain’s parents, giving this slow-burner a finale with a powerful plea for justice and compassion."

Courtesy - Anna Smith, Time Out

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Directed by: 
Nadine Labaki
Running Time: 
121m
Country(ies): 
Lebanon, USA
Year: 
2018
Language: 
Arabic, Amharic
Starring: 
Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shiferaw, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole
Screenplay by: 
Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Michelle Keserwany
Rated: 
14A

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