Capernaum

Capernaum is a 2018 drama film directed by Nadine Labaki.

Capernaum is a 2018 Lebanese drama film directed by Nadine Labaki. Set in Beirut, it follows a 12-year-old boy who sues his parents for neglect after enduring poverty, abuse, and displacement. The film won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

Plot

The film follows Zain, a boy living in severe poverty in Beirut, as he runs away from his family, helps care for a younger child, and eventually seeks justice against his parents in court.

Production and cast

Capernaum was made by Lebanese director Nadine Labaki with a largely non-professional cast, including child actor Zain Al Rafeea in the lead role. The cast also includes Yordanos Shiferaw and Boluwatife Treasure Bankole.

Release and reception

The film screened at Cannes in 2018, where it won the Jury Prize, and later received strong critical attention and an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

Themes

Reviewers and distributors describe the film as focused on poverty, parental neglect, immigration, and resilience amid social breakdown.