Lebanese director Nadine Labaki, renowned for her groundbreaking film “Capernaum,” recently shared insights into her illustrious career and the complexities of filmmaking in the Arab region during an in-depth career talk at the Red Sea Film Festival, where she serves as a jury member. "Capernaum" holds the significant distinction of being the highest-grossing Arabic and Middle Eastern film of all time, amassing over $68 million worldwide. This unexpected global phenomenon, her third feature after "Caramel" and "Where do We Go Now," garnered immense critical acclaim, winning the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2018 and an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, making Labaki the first female Arab director to achieve such recognition.

Labaki candidly addressed the formidable challenges faced by filmmakers in the Arab world, stating, “We know how difficult it is to make cinema in our region.” She emphasized the "important" role of cinema in "changing the way we look at specific issues" and as a crucial tool for expressing "pent-up anger" and injustice. "Cinema talks to us in an emotional frequency. When we embark on a new film, it can change the way we look at life," she reflected. She views the ability of cinema to put critical issues into the spotlight as a major responsibility.

A significant portion of her discussion focused on the unique production of “Capernaum,” a 2018 drama about a Lebanese boy who sues his parents. Labaki's decision to work strictly with non-professional actors, most notably then 12-year-old Zain al-Rafeea, was central to the film's authenticity. She explained her rationale: “I was able to have people embodying these roles that come from the exact same background in real life, and knew what it felt like. They knew that pain.” This approach stemmed from the difficulty of asking a child to "act out that pain" if they hadn't lived through similar circumstances. For Labaki, traditional "make-believe" filmmaking could not adequately convey such deep suffering, cruelty, and pain.

Working with an entire cast of non-professional actors necessitated a complete re-evaluation of the filmmaking process. Labaki described "Capernaum" as the "complete opposite" of her previous experiences, where filmmakers typically "pause life" to create a set. Instead, she and her team "had to sneak into their world. We were the intruders coming from outside." The goal was to minimize their presence, allowing the actors, especially children, to be authentic without the stress of memorizing scripts or being aware of technical setups. "It’s incumbent on you to adapt to their personality and deal with whatever the child is giving you," she noted.

Regarding funding, particularly from Western partners, Labaki stated she never felt "pressured" to portray her culture in a specific way or adhere to "Arab stereotypes" often perpetuated by Western media. She acknowledged the necessity of seeking international funds, as local funding is often insufficient: “We are not at a stage where we can get funding from the countries where we live and work.” Despite receiving Western funding, she felt no "specific agenda" was imposed, asserting, “I was pushed by my own obsessions even when I received Western funds.”

Despite the film's monumental success and the accolades, including the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Cesar Awards, Labaki revealed that "2019 was the hardest year of my life. Emotionally speaking, it was very hard, it was very difficult, even if it was so successful.” The intense development of the film, which explored the forgotten street children of Lebanon, took a heavy emotional toll. Furthermore, “Capernaum” faced criticism, with accusations of exploiting non-child actors and the suffering of the poor for sympathy and awards. Labaki acknowledged this backlash as "difficult to deal with," though it's important to note that the production team later helped Zain Al Rafeea and his family resettle in Norway and established a scholarship fund for other children involved.

Following the intense experience of "Capernaum," Labaki took a step back from directing to focus on acting, appearing in films like the Arabic adaptation of “Perfect Strangers” and “The Sand Castle.” This period allowed her "less responsibility, with less stress" and served as a crucial time to recharge. She expressed that she "was not ready to start working on another film of my own or writing another film. Emotionally, I wasn’t ready. I needed time.”

Thankfully for her admirers, Labaki is now ready to embark on a new directorial project after a seven-year hiatus. She is currently writing her next film and hopes to begin shooting next year. While it will be a lengthy and complex project, she revealed a significant shift in scope: unlike her previous three features that focused on Lebanese society, this new endeavor will broaden its geographical reach. “I might be happening in different countries… this is what I’m aiming for,” she stated, confirming that her next film "won't be focused on Lebanon" and she "will be filming in many other countries, not only in Lebanon and not just in the Arab region.”