Cannes sensation ‘Capernaum’ puts child poverty in the spotlight

CANNES, France A Lebanese film about a 12-year-old boy who sues his parents has put child poverty in the spotlight at the Cannes Film Festival.

Nadine Labaki's “Capernaum” premiered Thursday night at the Cannes Film Festival where the neo-realistic drama about street kids in Lebanon received a rousing standing ovation. “Capernaum” was made largely with non-professional actors living in circumstances not unlike those in the film. It centres on the 12-year-old Zein (played by Zain Alrafeea) who takes his parents to court “for giving me life” in a world of pain and suffering.

“I’ve been spending the past few years going to detention centres, going to prisons for minors, and it’s always the same theme that keeps coming up,” Labaki said in an interview. "Why do you bring me into this world if you’re not going to love me, if you’re not going to nurture me, if you’re going to let me suffer so much, if you’re going to leave me to fate to raise me?”

“It always comes up,” she adds. “It’s the why that breaks your heart.”

“Capernaum” is the third feature for the director-actress, whose feature debut “Caramel” played in Cannes’ Directors' Fortnight in 2007. After the lengthy standing ovation at its premiere, some analysts judged it one of the leading contenders for Cannes’ top prize. Film critic Neil Young, who annually compiles odds for the Palme, put “Capernaum”as the front-runner.

If Labaki’s film were to win it would be only the second film directed by a woman to win the award in Cannes’ 71-year history. But the Palme d’Or, which will be announced Saturday, is famously difficult to predict. It will be decided by a nine-person jury led by Cate Blanchett.

Much discussed at this year’s festival has been gender equality at the film festival and Cannes’ past rate of selecting female filmmakers to its competition lineup. Labaki, among the Arab world’s biggest box office draws, says her career in moviemaking has only been positive, and that progress is happening quickly.

“I’ve never experienced not being able to make a film because I’m a woman. I've always been able to make what I want. That’s my own experience,” said Labaki.