Capernaum
Capernaun ("Chaos") tells the story of Zain (Zain al Rafeea), a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the "crime" of giving him life. The film follows Zain as he journeys from gutsy, streetwise child to hardened 12-year-old "adult" fleeing his negligent parents, surviving through his wits on the streets, taking care of Ethiopian refugee Rahil and her baby son Yonas, being jailed for a violent crime, and finally, seeking justice in a courtroom.
Director:
Nadine Labaki
Cast:
Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shiferaw, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole
Screenplay:
Jihad Hojeily, Michelle Keserwany
Screening Date:
Nov 17, 2018
Studio:
Sony Pictures Classics
Running Time:
2 hours 1 minute
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60.0% | 33.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 0.0% |
“Devastating! We have never had a bad day and should never
complain about anything – given the pain so many children -
and adults are in worlds far from us. I will not forget this film.”
Thanks for bringing it to us. Jeanne K
“Interesting view of what impoverished refugees have to deal
with all the time. All people want is some security, respect and
basic subsistence. Zain was beautiful for someone his age, he
combines anger, rejection and neglect with a strong sense of
love, responsibility and family.”
“From The 400 Blows to Capernaum growing up ain’t easy
anywhere, and like the hero of the Truffaut movie Zain is
certainly on his way to a long career in film.”
“Labaki has a genius for presenting and unfolding a story to
bring to light the human condition in places around the world.
Harrowing to watch but a necessity. Brings into focus what
people will do to survive. What a terrible childhood for these
kids! Brilliantly done! It is also frustrating to see how much
needs to be done for these children. So much exploitation in
the world. Thanks for this film. The cast was remarkable.
“Amazing acting. That baby! Sad and all too true. A dark
fairytale with maybe a happy ending. Zain is truth and tries to
right the wrongs.”
“The kids are unbelievable.”
“Cinema verite´ meets/crosses/merges with narrative
filmmaking. Brilliant from beginning to end.”
“How can I get this for my school?”
“The scene of the migrants and refugees held in their cells is
chilling, and we know it’s not Hollywood exaggeration.
Remarkable how the film depicts separation of parents and
children now happening right on our own borders.”
“An eye-opening film from the third world. Cinematography
was especially good.”
“Everyone should see this film.”
“An amazing film that was heart-wrenching. I felt helpless for
everyone, the family of Zain, Tigert and Yeni. Being poor,
uneducated and illegal you are at the mercy of everyone and
others. Thank God I was born in the USA to middleclass parents
who could educate us.”
“Wonderful story with wonder-full acting. Very hard to follow.
I got a headache from the cinematography. Too chaotic.”
“This is an exceptionally moving film. It screams an age-old
message that again asks: how does man continue to be so
inhuman? But the beauty of the movie also includes the notice
that there are also good people in the world and we need to
become more like them. This film deserves to be seen by
everyone. Can John put the notes he had on this film from the
studio on the website? I think we would love to read about the
film and the cast and all its background. Please try and do this
for us. ASK THE THEATER FOR PASSES TO SEE ANOTHER MOVIE
TO MAKE UP FOR THE LACK OF HEAT.”
“A film like this is the reason why I come Saturday mornings.”
“What a fabulous young actor.”
“Superb acting from a spectacular child.”
“Chaos it certainly is! So depressing, but brilliant. Amazing
performances by Zain and where in the world did they find that
baby? Painful to watch, but a poignant message.”
“Heart wrenching scenes of the plight of the worlds refugees.
The performances were excellent.”
“Powerful!”
“The concept – conceit - of suing your parents to not have any
more children nicely bookends the film, and I can see why it
might help the film get made and promoted, but it’s largely
extraneous. Trust the story itself, it is powerful enough.”
“Deserves a slew of awards in addition to those it had already
won. It felt like reality, a documentary but it wasn’t. It was
heart-wrenching with a ray of hope. The subject of refugees
and poverty could not be more relevant at this troubled time.”
“Maybe the most profound movie I’ve seen in a long time, gets
to the core of the struggle of survival.”
“In a season of superheroes and Marvel comic characters here
is the real hero, a child willing to do what it takes not just to
survive, but to survive with dignity and humanity.”
If you'd like to know more about the film...
https://youtu.be/VgLX7bjYZhk Here is an interview with the director Nadine Labaki speaking how and why she decided to create this film.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-child-labour/poverty-forces-s... This article speaks about how poverty is forcing Syrian refugee children to work to ensure the survival of their families.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-en-capernaum-live-2018... This article speaks on the importance of why Nadine wanted non-professional actors to play these roles.
https://www.newsdeeply.com/refugees/community/2017/04/25/no-room-for-ref... Refugee camps are running out of space! This article speaks about how political elites are of no help to refugees coming in with no space for them to stay.
