Tag: capernaum

directed by Nadine Labaki

Is it some kind of pattern that the Academy would never appreciate the film in the Best Foreign Language Film category that I would personally choose. And in 2019 I wasn’t that mad because back then I hadn’t seen “Capernaum”, so all I knew is that “Roma” wasn’t my favourite production, but that’s it. This year I finally made myself watch “Capernaum” and now I know that it should have won in 2019. But I guess I’ll never agree with the Academy when it comes to that. And I’m glad I waited with watching today’s film, because I needed to be ready. This story is so difficult and emotionally draining, that I recommend you to choose a free day, without any stress or duties. You might need a bit of time to reflect after watching it. And what is it about? The main character is Zain El Hajj (Zain Al Rafeea), an about 12-year-old Syrian refugee, who’s in prison. First things first, I wrote “about” because the boy comes from slums, where nobody cares about birthdays or making anything official. The child appears and voilà, it is here, time to make another one. And how come such a little boy got into prison… well, it’s for you to discover. However, the most important part is that Zain wants to sue… his parents. And then we get flash backs from his past, during which we learn more about his story and experiences. I was absolutely speechless when I was watching this film and I totally forgot it’s fiction, and that’s probably one of the best compliments a filmmaker can get about their work. Zain Al Rafeea, the little actor who played the role (btw named after him) of Zain, did a wonderful job, which definitely wasn’t easy for him. The boy himself is a Syrian refugee, who spent his childhood in slums for real. Before you start wondering, he’s now living in Norway and I’m sure his life conditions are better. Still, you can see the little actor was extremely natural and he’d been through a lot, because it’s something that you can’t play like that. And when it comes to the film itself… masterpiece. And finally about a topic that a lot of us forget about. We care about politics, about money, about who has more power and who has less of it. In the meantime, there are millions of children whose irresponsible parents bring them to this world and leave on their own or use for their own profit. Absolutely heartbreaking, but significant production. Please, find time for watching it. Just please.

My rating: 8.5/10
S.