Nadine Labaki’s big screen sensation Capernaum’s loss to Roma for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards wasn’t the only disappointment hopeful Lebanese people experienced on Sunday. They suffered the letdown of their national basketball team failing to qualify for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Despite not bagging the award, the film is still very much celebrated by the Lebanese public with Culture Minister Mohammed Daoud saying that it helped the small Levantine country back on the world’s map for talent.
The nomination in and of itself is cited as a source of pride.
The director, who achieved her childhood dream of walking down the red carpet, did not shy from admitting that the competition was fierce. Labaki shared that she was happy to have just made it to the ceremony after directing her fourth feature film: "I just can't believe I'm actually here, after all this time."
Before Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma’s win, Labaki said: “If we win or not, we still won in your hearts, we love you Lebanon!”
Speaking about Roma, she noted it presented a strong competition especially that, at heart, it worked on delivering a message similar to that of Capernaum’s.
More so, she added that Roma gained a popularity boost from Netflix sponsorship.
Capernaum sheds light on the plight of Syrian refugees, with much of the cast made up of amateur actors who are refugees themselves.
But the loss did not stave off Lebanese excitement and support for Labaki’s motion picture with many taking to social media in support of the local production.
“All the Lebanese are proud of Nadine Labaki, whether she took home an Oscar or not. We have the honor of her being the first Lebanese and Arab woman to nominated for this award,” a Lebanon-based twitter user posted.
With the Oscars all wrapped up, Labaki is expected to return to Lebanon in the next few days. She is signed up for multiple Capernaum regional screenings and promotions for the production which are scheduled for mid-March.
