There is a sequence in Nadine Labaki‘s Capernaum where Zain (who now belongs to the Antoine Doinel film canon) proactively attempts to save the person who means the most to him. It’s an unfathomable, unshakable sequence that displays the survivalism and street smarts needed to make sense of a world not suitable for children. The Lebanese filmmaker and actress (a three time Cannes Film Festival invitee with her debut 2007 Caramel and sophomore 2011 film, Where Do We Go Now?) wowed film critics and the jury, landing not the Palme d’Or, but the Jury Prize.
Sitting down with the filmmaker in Toronto, some of the topics we covered were child neglect, conditions in the shoot, and how her cinema might have changed after this experience. Sony Pictures Classics release the Golden Globe nominated film in theaters today.
