‘Capharnaum’, a snap shot of poverty in Beirut, has been nominated for Best Foreign Film Acclaimed Beiruti writer-director, Nadine Labaki — most notable for her work in Where Do We Go Now? (2011) and Caramel (2007) — will be representing Lebanon in the 2019 Oscar’s for ‘Best Foreign Film’. Her nominated movie and regional hit Capharnaum was just released in cinemas over the weekend and is estimated to bring in an impressive $4,000,000 (approx. Dhs14.7 million), as well as plenty of attention for the country. It is only the second Lebanese film to ever be nominated at the Academy Awards.

The Lebanon-based movie is told by a 12-year-old undocumented boy, who sues his parents for giving him life when they couldn’t offer him even a minimal level of care, safety and affection. This emotionally wrought story takes a closer look at Beirut’s slums, while also offering insight into the lives of Lebanese children in poverty. Like the majority of the cast, the film’s star and narrator Zain Al Rafeea is a non-professional actor and a Syrian refugee, spotted by Labaki while he played on the streets of Beirut throughout her two years of research in the area.