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Capernaum

Original title: Capharnaüm
  • 20182018
  • RR
  • 2h 6m
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
85K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,543
218
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Capharnaüm (2018)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer2:06
4 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama

While serving a five-year sentence for a violent crime, a 12-year-old boy sues his parents for neglect.While serving a five-year sentence for a violent crime, a 12-year-old boy sues his parents for neglect.While serving a five-year sentence for a violent crime, a 12-year-old boy sues his parents for neglect.

IMDb RATING
8.4/10
85K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,543
218
  • Director
    • Nadine Labaki
  • Writers
    • Nadine Labaki(screenplay)
    • Jihad Hojeily(screenplay)
    • Michelle Keserwany(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Zain Al Rafeea
    • Yordanos Shiferaw
    • Boluwatife Treasure Bankole
Top credits
  • Director
    • Nadine Labaki
  • Writers
    • Nadine Labaki(screenplay)
    • Jihad Hojeily(screenplay)
    • Michelle Keserwany(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Zain Al Rafeea
    • Yordanos Shiferaw
    • Boluwatife Treasure Bankole
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 462User reviews
    • 196Critic reviews
    • 75Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #94
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 35 wins & 53 nominations total

    Videos4

    Trailer [OV]
    Trailer 2:06
    Trailer [OV]
    Capernaum
    Trailer 2:10
    Capernaum
    Official US Trailer
    Trailer 2:09
    Official US Trailer
    Cate Blanchett's Films of Hope
    Clip 4:30
    Cate Blanchett's Films of Hope

    Photos126

    Capharnaüm (2018)
    Capharnaüm (2018)
    Capharnaüm (2018)
    Capharnaüm (2018)
    Capharnaüm (2018)
    Capharnaüm (2018)
    Capharnaüm (2018)
    Zain Al Rafeea in Capharnaüm (2018)
    Zain Al Rafeea in Capharnaüm (2018)
    Zain Al Rafeea in Capharnaüm (2018)
    Zain Al Rafeea in Capharnaüm (2018)
    Capharnaüm (2018)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Zain Al Rafeea
    Zain Al Rafeea
    • Zainas Zain
    Yordanos Shiferaw
    • Rahilas Rahil
    Boluwatife Treasure Bankole
    Boluwatife Treasure Bankole
    • Yonasas Yonas
    Kawsar Al Haddad
    • Souadas Souad
    Fadi Yousef
    • Selimas Selim
    • (as Fadi Kamel Yousef)
    Cedra Izzam
    • Sahar, the Sisteras Sahar, the Sister
    Alaa Chouchnieh
    • Asproas Aspro
    Elias Khoury
    • The Judgeas The Judge
    Mohammad Al Abdallah
    • Salahas Salah
    Mohamad Abdellatif
    • Street Kidas Street Kid
    Abdo Abdo
    • Notaryas Notary
    Hampig Abraham
    • Street Kidas Street Kid
    Jamil Ahmad
    • Street Kidas Street Kid
    Mohamad Akkar
    • Kidas Kid
    Elias Akobegia
    • Employer Snack Falafelas Employer Snack Falafel
    Riman Al Rafeea
    • Zain's Sisteras Zain's Sister
    Legamett Alamou
    • Prisoner Detention Centeras Prisoner Detention Center
    Majd Nabil Alhalabi
    • Street Kidas Street Kid
    • Director
      • Nadine Labaki
    • Writers
      • Nadine Labaki(screenplay)
      • Jihad Hojeily(screenplay)
      • Michelle Keserwany(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Capernaüm ("Chaos") tells the story of Zain (Zain al-Rafeea), a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the "crime" of giving him life. The film follows Zain as he journeys from gutsy, streetwise child to hardened 12-year-old "adult" fleeing his negligent parents, surviving through his wits on the streets, where he meets Ethiopian migrant worker Rahil, who provides him with shelter and food, as Zain takes care of her baby son Yonas in return. Zain later gets jailed for committing a violent crime, and finally seeks justice in a courtroom.
    • prison
    • baby
    • poverty
    • breast feeding
    • title directed by female
    • 335 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • "Why are you suing your parents?" "For giving me life."
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for language and some drug material
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      All actors in Capernaum are people whose real life resembles that of the film. Thus, Zain's real life is similar (to some extent) to that of his character, as was Rahil, who was undocumented. For the character of Zain's mother, Nadine Labaki was inspired by a woman she met, who has 16 children and lives in the same conditions as those of Capernaum. Six of her children have died and others are in orphanages for lack of care. The one who plays the role of Kawthar really fed her children with sugar and ice cubes.
    • Goofs
      At 1hr 35mins, Zain ties Yonas's leg to the shoe stand to prevent him from following or wandering into busy traffic, but he tied the right leg in the initial scene and then after a cut back to that scene seconds later he is now tied by his left leg.
    • Quotes

      Zain: I want to make a complaint against my parents. I'd want adults to listen to me. I want adults who can't raise kids not to have any. What will I remember? Violence, insults or beatings, hit with chains, pipes, or a belt? The kindest words I heard were get out son of a whore! Bug off, piece of garbage! Life is a pile of shit. Not worth more than my shoe. I live in hell here. I burn like rotting meat. Life is a bitch.I thought we'd become good people, loved by all. But God doesn't want that for us. He'd rather we be washrags for others. The child you're carrying will be like I am.

    • Alternate versions
      The US release was cut by around 3 minutes. The main deletion is the sequence in which Cockroach-Man tries to help Rahil get a permit by pretending to be her new employer.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards 2019 (2019)

    User reviews462

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Nadine Labaki's Chef d'Oeuvre!
    Capharnaum is the new precious gift to Lebanese cinema. Directed by Nadine Labaki and written by Labaki, Joelle Keserwani, Jihad Hojeily and Georges Khabbaz the movie follows the journey and the misery of a boy called Zain that led him to sue his parents for giving him life! The movie took years to finish with a total of 500 hours of rushes filmed! Shot in a "Cinema Realité" style without any professional actors and with a raw cinematography you're going to witness the dark side of the country, the unacceptable neighborhoods, the unfair life that poor children are facing. Everyone is absolutely well casted! Zain was the ultimate discovery a super talented boy, the Ethiopian maid was great also and even the real retired judge did a good job. Each actor is really telling his own personal story so you will arrive at a point where you couldn't differentiate if you're watching cinema, a written script or even a documentary. Wonderful job from Labaki and well deserved Jury Prize at Cannes! Thumbs up also to Khaled Mouzanar for giving us another remarkable score. The movie is nothing less than heartbreaking. As Truffaut freezed his last scene back in 1959 in "The 400 Blows" giving us some hope, the last shot of Capernaum will speak a lot...!
    helpful•67
    26
    • georges-nahas
    • Sep 22, 2018

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 20, 2018 (Lebanon)
    • Countries of origin
      • Lebanon
      • France
      • Cyprus
      • Qatar
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • Arabic
      • Amharic
    • Also known as
      • Chaos
    • Filming locations
      • Cola, Beirut, Lebanon
    • Production companies
      • Mooz Films
      • Cedrus Invest Bank
      • Sunnyland Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $4,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,661,096
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $24,988
      • Dec 16, 2018
    • Gross worldwide
      • $64,417,003
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 6 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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