Lebanese director Nadine Labaki has entered the Academy Awards for ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ for her for 2018 drama “Capernaum.”
The film, which has received international acclaim, follows the story of a destitute Beirut boy who files a lawsuit against his parents for raising him into a life of pain and suffering.
Labaki confirmed the Oscar submission with a post on Facebook.
“We are incredibly honored to represent (Lebanon) in this year’s best foreign language (Oscar) race,” she wrote. “This is a film from the heart – and we’re very grateful for everyone who supported the film and its message.”
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In May, Labaki made history as the first Arab woman to win the prestigious ‘Jury Prize’ during the Cannes Film Festival in France. She was also the second Arab woman to be in the running for the Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded at the Cannes festival.
Labaki received a 15-minute standing ovation at the premiere of ‘Capernaum’ at Cannes. She told Agence France Presse that she feels strongly about the political and social messages in the film.
“I’m thinking of the notion of borders, of having to have papers to exist, of being completely excluded from the system if you don’t have them,” Labaki said. “(I’m thinking) of the maltreatment of children, modern slavery, immigrant workers, Syrian immigrants — all these issues where people find themselves completely excluded from the system because it is not capable of finding solutions.”