Lebanese Actress and Director Nadine Labaky’s “Capernaum” Wins Cannes Jury Prize!
This Saturday, Lebanese Director Nadine Labaki won the Cannes jury prize for her movie Capernaum! The movie portrays the poverty in Beirut from the eyes of a 13-year-old Syrian refugee boy, Zain Al-Rafeea, who left the audience in tears with his amazing performance. It took Labaky six months to make the movie, and it relied on amateur actors!
Following its May 17 premiere at the festival, the movie received a massive 15-minute standing ovation, and it was predicted that it would walk home with the Palm d’Or! However, the jury, led by Cate Blanchett, awarded the Palm d’Or to “Shoplifters,” directed by Japanese filmmaker Hizokazu Kore-eda.
According to Indiewire, Sony Pictures Classics purchased North American and Latin American distribution rights to “Capernaum” early in the festival before the film screened, an early sign of confidence for the drama.
