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Caramel (film)
Encyclopedia
Caramel the first feature film by Lebanese
director/actress Nadine Labaki
, is a 2007 Lebanese
film
. The film premiered on May 20 at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
, in the Directors' Fortnight
section.
It ran for the Caméra d'Or
.
Caramel was distributed in over 40 countries, easily becoming the most internationally acclaimed and exposed Lebanese
film to date. The story focuses on the lives of five Lebanese women dealing with issues such as forbidden love, binding traditions, repressed sexuality, the struggle to accept the natural process of age, and duty vs. desire. Labaki
's film is unique for not showcasing a war-ravaged Beirut
but rather a warm and inviting locale where people deal with universal issues.
The title Caramel refers to an epilation method
that consists of heating sugar, water and lemon juice. Labaki also symbolically implies the "idea of sweet and salt, sweet and sour" and showcases that everyday relations can sometimes be sticky but ultimately the sisterhood shared between the central female characters prevails.
along with two other women, Nisrine (Yasmine Al Masri) and Rima (Joanna Moukarzel). Each one has a problem: Layale is stuck in a dead-end relationship with a married man; Nisrine is no longer a virgin but is set to be married and in her conservative family where pre-marital sex is not accepted; Rima is attracted to women; Jamale (Gisèle Aouad), a regular customer and wannabe actress, is worried about getting old; Rose (Sihame Haddad), a tailor with a shop next to the salon, is an old woman who had devoted her life to taking care of her mentally unbalanced older sister Lili (Aziza Semaan), but has found her first love. The film doesn't refer to any of the political problems or recent warfare that has troubled Lebanon
. Rather, Labaki's tale paints everyday people with everyday problems.
exactly one year after the shooting began. An old clothes shop in the Gemmayzeh area of Beirut
District was transformed into a salon where the filming of the movie took place. Caroline Labaki, Nadine's sister, was the costume designer
. The music was composed by Khaled Mouzanar. Shortly after the movie release, Labaki married him.
Rotten Tomatoes
reported that 92% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 67 reviews with the general consensus being "Caramel is both an astute cultural study, and a charming comedic drama from a talented newcomer." Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 70 out of 100, based on 17 reviews.
As of May 18, 2008, the film has grossed a little over $1 million in the US although it was a very limited release. Internationally, it has amassed a little over $14 million, making it a very profitable foreign film. It was released on DVD in the United States on June 17, 2008.
for Best Foreign Language Film.
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
director/actress Nadine Labaki
Nadine Labaki
Nadine Labaki is a Lebanese actress and director. She is one of the well known directors in the Arabic music video industry...
, is a 2007 Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. The film premiered on May 20 at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
2007 Cannes Film Festival
The 2007 Cannes Film Festival, the sixtieth, ran from 16 to 27 May 2007. Wong Kar-wai's My Blueberry Nights opened the festival, and Denys Arcand's The Age of Ignorance closed...
, in the Directors' Fortnight
Directors' Fortnight
Directors' Fortnight is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. The section was created in 1969 after the events of May 1968, in which the Cannes festival was canceled in solidarity with striking workers....
section.
It ran for the Caméra d'Or
Caméra d'Or
The Caméra d'Or is an award of the Cannes Film Festival for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes' selections ....
.
Caramel was distributed in over 40 countries, easily becoming the most internationally acclaimed and exposed Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
film to date. The story focuses on the lives of five Lebanese women dealing with issues such as forbidden love, binding traditions, repressed sexuality, the struggle to accept the natural process of age, and duty vs. desire. Labaki
Nadine Labaki
Nadine Labaki is a Lebanese actress and director. She is one of the well known directors in the Arabic music video industry...
's film is unique for not showcasing a war-ravaged Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
but rather a warm and inviting locale where people deal with universal issues.
The title Caramel refers to an epilation method
Sugaring (epilation)
Sugaring, sugar waxing or Persian waxing is a method of hair removal.It has been in use since 1900 BC.Sugaring can be less painful than waxing, because the substrate sticks to the hair without attaching to the skin, may be applied at room temperature or heated to a lukewarm temperature, preventing...
that consists of heating sugar, water and lemon juice. Labaki also symbolically implies the "idea of sweet and salt, sweet and sour" and showcases that everyday relations can sometimes be sticky but ultimately the sisterhood shared between the central female characters prevails.
Synopsis
Caramel revolves around the intersecting lives of five Lebanese women. Layale (Nadine Labaki) works in a beauty salon in BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
along with two other women, Nisrine (Yasmine Al Masri) and Rima (Joanna Moukarzel). Each one has a problem: Layale is stuck in a dead-end relationship with a married man; Nisrine is no longer a virgin but is set to be married and in her conservative family where pre-marital sex is not accepted; Rima is attracted to women; Jamale (Gisèle Aouad), a regular customer and wannabe actress, is worried about getting old; Rose (Sihame Haddad), a tailor with a shop next to the salon, is an old woman who had devoted her life to taking care of her mentally unbalanced older sister Lili (Aziza Semaan), but has found her first love. The film doesn't refer to any of the political problems or recent warfare that has troubled Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. Rather, Labaki's tale paints everyday people with everyday problems.
Cast and characters
- Nadine LabakiNadine LabakiNadine Labaki is a Lebanese actress and director. She is one of the well known directors in the Arabic music video industry...
as Layale - Adel Karam as Youssef (The policeman)
- Yasmine Al Masri as Nisrine
- Joanna Moukarzel as Rima
- Gisèle Aouad as Jamal
- Sihame HaddadHaddadHaddad or Hadad is a common family name and personal name. Hadad was also a Semitic storm-god.The original Haddad name means Blacksmith in ancient Semitic. The Haddad name dates back to the Phoenician era of the Eastern Mediterranean...
as Rose - Aziza SemaanSemaanSemaan is one of the oldest Christian surnames in existence and is mainly found in the Levant area of the Middle East...
as Lili (Rose's older sister) - Fatmeh Safa as Siham (mysterious lady with long hair to whom Rima gets attracted)
- Ismail Antar as Bassam (Nisrine's fiancé)
- Fadia Stella as Christine
- Dimitri Staneofski as Charle
Production
The shooting of Caramel ended just nine days before the Israel-Lebanon war erupted in July 2006 and was released in CannesCannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
exactly one year after the shooting began. An old clothes shop in the Gemmayzeh area of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
District was transformed into a salon where the filming of the movie took place. Caroline Labaki, Nadine's sister, was the costume designer
Costume design
Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...
. The music was composed by Khaled Mouzanar. Shortly after the movie release, Labaki married him.
Critical and public reception
The film received critical acclaim. As of July 3, 2009, the review aggregatorReview aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services . This system stores the reviews and then uses them for purposes such as: creating a website for users to view the reviews, selling information to third parties about consumer tendencies and creating databases for...
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 92% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 67 reviews with the general consensus being "Caramel is both an astute cultural study, and a charming comedic drama from a talented newcomer." Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 70 out of 100, based on 17 reviews.
As of May 18, 2008, the film has grossed a little over $1 million in the US although it was a very limited release. Internationally, it has amassed a little over $14 million, making it a very profitable foreign film. It was released on DVD in the United States on June 17, 2008.
Awards and nominations
The film was Lebanon's official submission to the 80th Academy Awards80th Academy Awards
The 80th Academy Awards ceremony honored the best films in 2007 and was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST, February 24, 2008 . During the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards in 24...
for Best Foreign Language Film.
Awards
- Directors' Fortnight selection 2007.
- San Sebastian Film Festival Youth Award 2007.
- San Sebastian Film Festival TCM Audience Award 2007.
- San Sebastian Film Festival Sebastiane Award 2007.
- Abu Dhabi Black Pearl for Best Actress for Nadine Labaki, Yasmine Al Masri, Joanna Moukarzel, Gisele Aouad, Siham Haddad and Asiza Semaan during the Middle east International film festival 2007.
- Variety Middle East Filmmaker of the Year for Nadine Labaki during the Middle East International film festival 2007.
Nominations
- Best Feature Film, Asia Pacific Screen AwardsAsia Pacific Screen AwardsThe Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Events Queensland, to honour and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of Asia-Pacific to a global audience and to realise the objectives of UNESCO to...
2007. - Achievement in Directing for Nadine Labaki, Asia Pacific Screen AwardsAsia Pacific Screen AwardsThe Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Events Queensland, to honour and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of Asia-Pacific to a global audience and to realise the objectives of UNESCO to...
2007. - Performance by an Actress for Nadine Labaki, Yasmine Al Masri, Joanna Moukarzel, Gisele Aouad, Siham Haddad & Aziza Semaan, Asia Pacific Screen AwardsAsia Pacific Screen AwardsThe Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Events Queensland, to honour and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of Asia-Pacific to a global audience and to realise the objectives of UNESCO to...
2007.