User Reviews

Where Do We Go Now by the Lebanese-Canadian director Nadine Labike is set in a war-torn village in Lebanon. The backdrop of the movie is the Christian-Muslim conflict plaguing the region at large, and its effect on the mixed population of the village dwellers. The comedy-drama focuses on a group of women and their antics to keep the men off each other's throats. It starts off in an almost utopian setting, with the view of the village mosque and church at dusk in a single frame, symbolizing the ideal of peaceful existence between the Christians and Muslims.

The movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and won the people's choice award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Nadine, who also acts in the film, may be accused by some quarters of trivializing the conflict between the Abrahamic faiths with her comic take on religion, complete with a climax reminiscent of a Cheech and Chong flick. However, the tone of the film remains somber throughout, and the viewer is often reminded of the toll of the conflict on both sides of the religious divide, with glimpses of intermittent sectarian strife.

The intelligent dialogue, interspersed with repartee between the female characters is refreshingly entertaining, offering a peek inside the (mostly) segregated Arab society and humanizing a population segment often portrayed as meek and subservient to the other sex.

Nadine's second directorial venture after Caramel continues to court controversy, with an ending which Labaki acknowledges might "raise a lot of polemics. It might upset people who are a bit fanatic or too conservative..." By the end of the film, Nadine is sure to rouse some thought-provoking questions in the viewers mind, fulfilling the obligation to her craft and pushing the envelope. Where Do We Go Now has been chosen as the Lebanon's 2011 entry in the best foreign language film category for the Academy Awards.

Nadine Labaki proves she is a talented director with a lot to say. she breaks many "regional" taboos, like the use of candid language, only to be honest in the messages she wants to deliver and the picture she wants to reflect. In a way, due to lack of film production in the region, society has evolved and changed a lot in the past few decades and now we need someone like Nadine to provide a true mirror and a strong message. Dealing with the question of religion in a country that suffered from civil war is not an easy task, yet it is done in a subtle way that doesn't offend anyone. Delivering messages of the role of woman is also presented delicately and a nice sense of humour, thus ensuring the message is spelled out clearly without any preaching. It is a very positive film, well crafted in all aspects, scenario, shooting and most importantly, depicting the characteristics that makes any society special, yet part of the eternal human quest for a better life. There was a bit of too much melodrama, but in defense of the film - and from first hand experience, this is the way mothers lament and wail when losing a child. It is a very Mediterranean thing; perhaps the Italians and Greek can understand this element best. I avoided reading any reviews before drafting mine in order not to be influenced by any thoughts. In short, it is a well done film that revives hope of cultural life sprouting again from this region and reaching the world. Well done Nadine, looking forward to see your next film.

The storyline on this wonderful small film shot in Lebanon and other locations, is that the women of this part of the middle east are just fed up with the senseless death of their sons, brothers and fathers, due to religious sectarianism. The steps they go to, to end this insanity are wonderfully funny, and very much to the point of what is needed to break the cycle of violence.

The script is a gem. The team of writers, including director and co-star Nadine Labaki, is just great. It pulls us from comedy through tenderness and tragedy. The acting troupe is very good, very believable. It seems to be shot on location, sets are real enough to make you believe you are there.

The cinematography is great, really showing the town as it is, and placing you very much in the middle of the scenes. Nice lighting, color balance is warm and soft, giving a very homey look to the locations.

It's all too seldom that we who are not in the middle of a internal civil war such as this get to see a window into the world that is trying to hang on to it's sanity, not yet having fallen over the precipice into full scale chaos.

This is a very wonderful, funny, and poignant window into that world, told by people who are very close to the real situation. It could not have been invented by a California filmmaker.

It falls into the classes of films like "The Debt" and "of Gods and Men", stories of middle eastern conflict that are not set pieces, or play to western stereotypes of what is happening there, though it is much 'lighter' and less of a drama than those. This has much more light hearted nature than those films.

9 stars out of ten, for wonderful original storyline, wonderful unknown cast, good acting, great cinematography, nice weaving of humour and pathos, contemporary story, without being trite, solid editing. Also just a good movie, beyond all the technical nonsense.

So if you have read this far, saw those other films, and liked them, you likely will like this better. Again, hard to imagine you will be disappointed in this gem.

Lebanese cinematic talent has not been given much room to grow. In a country where art is the least concern, cinema has found it especially hard to take off. However, a stream of Lebanese movies has been finding its way to our theaters. Some like Nadine Labaki's previous movie, Caramel, were a huge hit with viewers. Others were not as lucky. But the fact remains that the Lebanese audience is hungry for movies that describe its society, its problems, its worries and woes.

And then comes Nadine Labaki's new movie: Where Do We Go Now, with its Lebanese title: W Halla2 La wein (also in French: Et Maintenant, On Va Ou?) The premise of the movie is quite simple – and for many Lebanese, worry-inducing for fear of overuse of clichés. The overall basis of the plot is the coexistence of Lebanese Muslims and Christians in one community, sometimes peacefully and other times not. Many, like yours truly, felt the issue was overdone. Maybe not in cinema but in everyday life. Most of us are sick of being bombarded with commentary about the struggles that face our very diverse community. But this is not the case in Where Do We Go Now.

An unnamed village during the later part of the 20th century has its only connection with the outside world in the form of a very rudimentary bridge, around which land-mines had been planted and never removed. Even TV reception is very poor to the village and the movie begins with a few youngsters searching for a broadcast signal to set up a TV night for the town-folks. This village is also a religiously divided community where the Church and the Mosque are only a house apart. And more often than not, the people live together happily. But as it is, and despite barely having any access to news from the outside world, the men of this village start to confront each other in violent ways. Little things that would pass unnoticed cause them to explode, signaling the anger they've been bottling in. And it is then that the few women of the village start to devise plots to keep the men busy, entertained and get their minds off being violent. These plans will vary from fake miracles to putting hashish in cakes. But these women will go to every measure possible and break every limit imposed on them by society to keep their town together. And it is for these women, representing a vast majority of our Lebanese mothers, that this movie is so aptly dedicated.

Nadine Labaki, director of the movie and starring as Amal, is astonishing as always. You, really, cannot see her eyes on screen and not be mesmerized. She's simply entrancing, even when she doesn't speak. Then how about when she delivers a tour de force performance as one of those women, who happens to be in love with a man from the town's other religion. But to be perfectly honest, the accolades one ought to give Labaki are not for her acting but for her directing. Never have I imagined a Lebanese movie can turn out this good and she makes it seem effortless. Her camera shots, her focus on details, her keen eye… all of this combine to give you a cinematic experience that will entrance you. This movie, like Caramel, features mostly unknown faces and all of them deliver as well. It is hard to believe – and yet in retrospect so evident – that such acting can come out of common people that we all meet on the street.

Where Do We Go Now is a movie of such epic proportions that these "unknown" actors and actresses (mostly actresses) deliver performances that are so subtly nuanced, so exquisitely flavored and so astonishingly well-done that they would put the best actresses and actors of Hollywood to shame. Yes, I have said it. The score of the movie is chilling and haunting and wonderfully executed by Nadine's husband Khaled Mouzanar. The movie also features a few highly intelligent songs, written by Tania Saleh. And let's talk about the script. What an ingenious way to tackle the subject at hand. Not only did Nadine Labaki not fall to any cliché known to us as a Lebanese community, but she managed to introduce them in a subtle comical way that would make us laugh at ourselves for uttering or doing them in the first place.

The script is so strong it will turn you bipolar. Yes, lithium is advised to be taken at the door while going in. Why? Never have I laughed so hysterically one moment and just wanted to cry the other. And then after being utterly devastated, it brings you back to laughter. The movie plays with you like a ping pong ball. And you cannot but love every moment of it.

I was talking to my friend the day before we went to watch Where Do We Go Now, which happened to be the day it won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, and she said: "I'm very cautiously optimistic about this. I'm not letting my expectations overreach because I don't want to be disappointed." Well, I'm pretty sure she agrees with me on this: Where Do We Go Now brings out things in you that you didn't even know you had. It brings out the best in you, as a Lebanese, sitting in that cinema chair for ninety minutes. And you need the best of the best to do that. Nadine Labaki, you deserve more than the few minutes of applause the people in the movie theater gave you. You deserve a full blown standing ovation. You have done the impossible. Again. Lebanese cinema has no excuse but to overreach for excellence now. And this movie deserves an Oscar win. Cheers to our mothers.

This is a beautifully executed story that will get you angry, sad, confused, enlightened and amused as it unfolds before you. This is the story of a small community barely keeping itself together, surrounded as it is by violent conflicts between opposing religious groups. Here though, the religious leaders are in unison with the women - they do not want to see any inter-religious strife. They do not want to witness any more deaths amongst the young men. The cemetery is full of the bodies of the village's youth and tended by the weeping women who's hopes and dreams for the future are prematurely ended by the deaths of their sons. With slightly inept determination the women decide to take matters into their own hands. They achieve an unsteady truce but at least life goes on. Hope is given a second chance. A lovely, heart warming film.

Excellent setup, excellent directing, excellent acting, Excellent movie ..... a few flaws of course ..... but as a whole the movie is well done and well targeted with an amazing message so eloquently conveyed that so deeply touches the hearts.

I Read some reviews by people getting offended from the somewhat engaged references to religion, well, they are the main target of the movie... when the time comes, a little openness is whats needed and what might drive us to be more attentive to the better angels of our nature (just what Nadine's circle of women strive so desperately to tell us all through the movie)

I watched this movie at the Toronto Film Festival. We woke up early on Sunday morning to watch it at 9:00 a.m. and to be greeted by Ms. Labaki herself. The movie was engaging, the music was wonderful, and the actors, some of them amateurs, transported us to their village life, successes, and tribulations in so many ways. The audience had not time to exchange any opinions, but at the end, we all rose and gave Ms. Labaki an standing ovation.

I left the theater greatly touched, happy, sad, and alive. I'm not an expert, but as a mother and as a woman, I hope Ms. Labaki's message of love, peace, and tolerance I took from her work can reach and change many. Good luck Ms. Labaki and thank you.

for the most part an ode to peace and to women, Where Do We Go Now? portrays a small, isolated Lebanese village threatened by sectarian conflict between Christians and Muslims. the local women from both sides, hoping to prevent violence among their husbands and sons, conspire to maintain the peace. Nadine Labaki, the director, takes an unconventionally lighthearted approach to a sacred, grim topic. this works generally and the film's well-intentioned charm is appealing to see, although there are some real tragedies that aim to hit hard and they also work. but that introduces the film's biggest flaw; it's because Labaki plays on the double register of drama and comedy, mixed with some musical elements, switching from one to the other, that the film struggles to find a consistent tone. it's not easy to introduce a tragedy like a mother losing her son and then cool the mood with comedy.

it goes without saying that some ideological ideals of the film are problematic. in essence, the film wonders if the world would be a more peaceful place if ruled by women. the film often shows women in gatherings, like a mature, unmanipulated force, as apposed to men, who are senselessly driven by testosterone and intolerance. this notion doesn't really bother me; it does have some truth to it, and also helps the comedic aspect. but it overall brings down the credibility of the more serious moments.

I am a big fan of IMDb. I always come here for reference to see movie ratings and reviews. But I never had an account--at least not until today. I just came back from watching "Where Do We Go Now?" and I am completely blown away. I signed up just to write a review and to tell who ever reads this to go and watch this movie. I laughed. I cried. I connected with the characters. I loved the music, the mood and the message of the movie. I will not reveal anything about the storyline so as not to spoil it for you. But trust me on this, you will certainly not regret it. Nadine Labaki has succeeded in orchestrating a masterpiece of a movie. At last, a Lebanese attempt that makes it worthwhile.

In a small village in Lebanon, Christians and Muslims live peacefully side by side. They speak the same language, enjoy the same TV shows, they share broadly the same culture, only their religion divides them. However, peace is only apparent since violent conflict seems to arise within a hair's edge. It is up to the women of the village to try to pacify the men (sometimes with outlandish schemes) and quell any arguments which could degenerate into a war. In this obvious crowd pleaser, director Nadine Labaki (who also has a role as one of the Christian women in the village) tries to paint the village as a microcosm of Lebanon in the years after the long, brutal Lebanese civil war. If the film is to believed, the country is only in a weak truce before Christians and Muslims are at each other's throats again. I wasn't too impressed with director Labaki's previous film Caramel, but this one is pretty enjoyable. On the minus side, the humor is perhaps too broad at times. And a subplot where a group of Ukrainian women dancers are drawn to the village in a harebrained plot to pacify the place seems pretty weak.

Lebanese actress/writer/director/producer offers on of the most poignant statement about the struggle in the Middle East, a struggle between Christians and Muslims for power and dominance -a struggle that while real is the most preposterous argument tow 'religions' based on love could have. Would that more people would watch this film there would probably be a better understanding of why the ongoing wars there are likely to never be settled.

The story as written by the gifted Nadine Labaki (who also stars and directs) is that of a little village in Lebanon that is half Christian and half Muslim: the church and the mosque stand side by side and the morning bells from the church play at the same time the Muezzin calls the Muslims to prayer, the cemetery is divided between the Muslim side and the Christian side, etc. The balance between the two factions is tenuous and the men are always looking for ways to start war among themselves. The women of the town try everything to ease the tension - create a café, import Ukrainian belly dancers to distract them, ply them with hashish-laden foods. But when a stray bullet kills the male child of one of the mothers the division stops, the mother hides the slaughtered child, attempting to keep peace until silly arguments among the youths result in the discovery that the endless bilateral taunting has resulted in a tragedy. At the end of the film the narrator speaks: 'My story is now ending for all those who were listening, of a town where peace was found while fighting continued all around. Of men who slept so deep and woke to find new peace. Of women still in black, who fought with flowers and prayers instead of guns and flares, and protect their children. Destiny then drove them to find a new way' - to which the pallbearers ask of the divided cemetery, 'Where do we go now?'

Labaki understands the need for comic relief in a story of this nature and she provides that in some very warmly funny ways - the women walking along in groups sing and do a choreographic step that makes us smile. But the power of the film is the message of compassion and the desperate need to re-think the omnipresent crises that tear the Middle East apart. And it is quite proper to find similarities in every part of society.

Grady Harp

This movie discusses religious tolerance in a very nice way, mainly a drama with some hits of comedy and romance this movie is a must watch for everyone,it shows the the struggle on both sides of religious intolerance. A great movie with an international message. I would recommend it for everyone to raise awareness about these issues and educate the people.

Mrs. Nadine Labaki really did a good job on this one.

The actors might be amateur and not very famous, but the acting was good, which only makes the movie better and gives it a warmer 'homey' feeling making it very easy to relate to.

Yes, Hitchens said it, but I thought it is impossible to make a story out of this affirmation. I almost let out a scream when the movie ended. Evrika! Ecce Femina! Nadine Labaki did it!

It is an epochal movie. And I can't seem to hold the excitement. Here is the perfect scene of religion: men doing nothing, not even reasoning, a village with two temples and no school, all sort of weapons and almost no trace of any other tool, a cemetery. But the most important trait of this movie is not the religious fable. The amazing script finally presents the woman otherwise. In a land of savage violence, the women are no longer the breeders and not much else. They are truly life givers, but not in the patriarchal sense getting raped, getting pregnant, enjoying the pleasures of seeing the offsprings die one by one for petty reasons. The women in this fable are no longer passive. Like in La Source des femmes, the women take initiative to help their own community for which they care. Here you have strong female characters, and not simply the Hollywood ambitious type like in Working Girl.

Contact me with Questions, Comments or Suggestions ryitfork @ bitmail.ch

I am a big fan of Nadine Labaki's work, whether in music videos (that's what they are called, not "video clip", and it is "making of" not "making off", as most music videos write in their credits) acting, or movies. Sikar Banet a.k.a Caramel or vice versa was a beautiful directorial debut by Labaki that enveloped many interesting realistic themes into one coherent body of work.

After watching Where Do We Go Now? I could not help but notice the same thing I observed when I watched Caramel that again Nadine tried to cram many themes into one movie without really dwelling on one theme resulting in my opinion in those themes missing further depths and exploration and being nothing but presentations of certain ideas and messages, explicitly the theme of Sectarianism and implicitly themes of Western interference suggested by the Ukrainian girls coming in to divert the men's fueled up hatred and anger towards their fellow man of a different religion than their own, and drug use suggested by the use of sedative medications and other drugs being mixed with the food presented to those men, etc.

It was a bit annoying to me that throughout the movie we see glimpses of a potential relationship between a Muslim and a Christian Amale (Labaki) but without really delivering anything about it in the end other than they fight in the café where Amale kicks her love interest out and scorns both sides for fighting over silly issues and insulting one another, so what was really the point behind all those eye contacts and the dance in the café? If the point was just to show that their love was to symbolize and stress that there is no difference between Muslims and Christians and yes they could fall in love despite all the odds and differences, then that point was loud and clear from the first eye contact that takes place between Amale and her man, there was no need to keep on repeating it. Speaking of the differences between Muslims and Christians, the writers are clearly telling us that hey people wake up there is no difference between us, One God created us all equal on this earth to live in peace, love, and harmony, okay we as Lebanese people already know that, there is no disagreement about it, so the writers presented us with no new idea but a potential solution and that in order to make a difference we should start with ourselves, even that solution seems to be as a given and a fact hence nothing really new about it.

The main plot of the story is that women of different religions living in one village come up with schemes to divert their men's attention from the fights going on the city between Muslims and Christians and the religious tension between them, I found that idea to be really interesting especially that it could be carry humor and lighthearted actions about a very serious matter without being really too blunt and aggressive, an approach I felt was very smart on Labaki and the other writers' behalf, in other words they come up with a story and script that was easy on the viewer's eyes to watch, whether that viewer is strictly religious, moderately religious, or not religious at all and I think that's what impressed the audience and made them enjoy this movie so much and got it those excellent reviews and feedback. As for me and for my own taste, I found this approach or those schemes to be too theatrical, too convenient, and too ideal and I don't believe that story could ever happen anywhere in the world, but still any movie does not need to be an exact mirror of life, it could be an exaggerated reflection in order to get the point across, so I guess if it works, it works.

Another matter that bothered me is the use of extremes by Nadine and the writers, where they present us with all the Muslim women characters or roles wearing the veil or 'hijab', not all Muslim women are veiled, are we to think that visually or content wise we can't be convinced of any Muslim female character unless she was veiled? The Muslim family in Caramel was properly justified concerning the sensitivity of the premarital sex issue but what was the point of it in this movie? There could have been at least one female unveiled Muslim role, which brings me to the accent used by some of the Muslim characters in the movie especially the role of Hammoudi and his mom, they spoke with a pure Beiruty accent, not ever Muslim Sunni has a beiruty accent, and speaking of accents, Hammoudi's accent changes throughout the movie especially in the scene where he stands outside's Nassim's room.

(THIS PART CONTAINS SPOILERS)in one scenes we see a female Christian woman wearing black and veiled praying on the prayer carpet and then at the end of the prayer she turns her head sideways from left to right where it should be from right to left, if that was intentional on Nadine and the writers' behalf since the character is Christian she does not know exactly how to pray, then I believe that is a contradictory story mistake since the Christian ought to have learned right the way to pray from his fellow Muslim in accordance to their original plan which was to switch religions; however if that was not intentional, then I guess that was just a simple error committed by the writers in researching the details of the Muslim praying.

All in all it is a fun and inspiring movie by an inspiring and rising director star and I as a Lebanese am mighty proud of Nadine and her work, keep up the great work.

I thought the movie was really funny, and has a very interesting concept that is facing Lebanon's small community. I really liked these women whether they were muslims or christians. They were truly funny and really have this Lebanese characteristic and sharing a culture. No matter what was the religion, they were together laughing, hanging out, cooking together, and really having fun. I felt that I really wanted to be with them and enjoy the laughs and the cooking. I mean they added weed to the food for these men! That was so funny; it got me so bad lol. That was a funny devilish female plan, and I loved it. But, The story was overall very confusing. They got these Ukrainian girls to dance in front of men, Naseem's death, then converting religions. I get that the message is to stop fighting and killing each other, but it wasn't well-done presented. I enjoyed the movie, but it was still not the best. One thing that was important is the pictures presentation. The picture and color felt like this is a horror movie. When it sad, it should be dark colors, but when its funny, it should be bright colors. But, the entire movie was dark faded picture although there was so many funny scenes.

I watched "where do we go now" on Monday at the Stockholm Film Festival. The movie left me speechless, it was simply one of the best movies I have watched in my life. The Lebanese culture, the powerful women, the beauty of diversity, such a great creativity and the actors are people you may meet next door. It was really amazing. I am already a big fan of Nadine Labaki! You have to watch the movie, young, old, man, woman, coming from anywhere in the world, there is something that you can identify yourself with regardless of your race, culture or background.

God bless our mothers and the powerful Lebanese women! Such a beautiful mind you are Nadine! I have never been prouder of being Lebanese!

Where do we go now? is the most, amazing, attractive, social, dramatic, Lebanese or Arabic movie I have ever seen! i don't advice teens under 12 to see it, it's not your taste! But, this movie talks about a very very important issue RELIGION, there is no difference, we are all brothers, right? this movie is not that romantic to be boring and stupid, not that dramatic that can be Romeo and Juliet, it is not that violent Town gory movie! it has no genre, they should create a new genre "HOPE", IT IS, difficult to rate, JUST SO SO Amazing!!!!!!! I wish they could direct a lot of these movies, not about the same issue, but, hopeful, some romance with some drama, humor, and violence would make the best movie ever, to watch!

It was a nice movie, the message was really good. The movie deals with the issue of religious conflict in the country Lebanon. The story happens in a small town where Christians and Muslims lives together with good bond while the rest of the country in religious tension.

This kind of movies definitely required to open the eye of the people. It was a very good effort by the 'Caramel' actress-come-director. The movie was not that serious but little funny alongside the issue it digs. The end was a bit emotional and heartbreaking, overall the movie makes sense of what it delivers to the audience but some people are not ready to accept the fact or ready to make a change in society.

It was represented the Lebanon's submission for the 2012 Oscar but did not make into the shortlist. I have seen movies based on religious theme like the movie 'Bombay' so this movie requires a special appreciation for the great effort from the middle east. We know that the women and children are the future of humankind and so this story explains a tiny part of that.