| Caramel - سكر بنات |
Poster used in Cannes 2007 |
| Directed by |
Nadine Labaki |
| Produced by |
Anne-Dominique Toussaint |
| Written by |
Nadine Labaki, Rodney El Haddad |
| Starring |
Nadine Labaki
Adel Karam
Yasmine Al Masri
Joanna Moukarzel
Gisèle Aouad
Dimitri Staneofski
Sihame Haddad
Aziza Semaan
Fadia Stella
Fatmeh Safa |
| Music by |
Khaled Mouzanar |
| Cinematography |
Yves Sehnaoui |
| Distributed by |
Les Films des Tournelles
Roissy Films |
| Release date(s) |
Cannes May 20, 2007
 August 9, 2007
 August 14, 2007
 September 12, 2007
 December 21, 2007
 January 17, 2008
 January 18, 2008
 February 1, 2008
 February 19, 2008
 May 16, 2008
 April 3, 2008
 September 18, 2008 |
| Running time |
96 minutes |
| Country |
Lebanon |
| Language |
Arabic |
| Budget |
US$1,600,000[1] |
| Gross revenue |
$14,248,749 (INT)[2] |
Caramel (Arabic: سكر بنات Sukkar banat), 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[3][4][dead link][5]. It ran for the Caméra d'Or.[6]
Caramel was distributed in over 40 countries, easily becoming the most internationally acclaimed and exposed Lebanese film to date. Audiences around the world have embraced the simple but effective story of five Lebanese women tackling 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.[7]
Synopsis
Caramel revolves around the intersecting lives of five Lebanese women. Layale (Nadine Labaki) works in a beauty salon in Beirut 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.
Cast and characters
A screen-shot from the movie showing Nadine Labaki and Adel Karam.
- Nadine Labaki as Layale
- Adel Karam as Youssef (The policeman)
- Yasmine Al Masri as Nisrine
- Joanna Moukarzel as Rima
- Gisèle Aouad as Jamal
- Sihame Haddad as Rose
- Aziza Semaan 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 Charles
Production
The shooting of Caramel ended just 9 days before the Israel-Lebanon war erupted in July 2006, and was released in Cannes 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[7]. Caroline Labaki, Nadine's sister, was the one responsible for Costume Design. The music was composed by Khaled Mouzanar. Shortly after the movie release, Labaki married him.
Critical and public reception
The film received critical acclaim from critics. As of July 3, 2009, the review aggregator 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.".[8] . 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 $1,000,000 in the US, impressive since it was a very limited release. Internationally, it has amassed a little over $14 million, making it a very profitable foreign film[9][10]. It was released on DVD in the United States on June 17, 2008.
Awards and nominations
The film is Lebanon's official submission to the 80th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
Awards
Nominations
References
External links
Bokhoch Tize
