Initially, I wanted to get some background for how Rafka, a fictional character of my own film, has lived and what she experienced in Lebanon before making the transition to the U.S. in her teenage years. And not just from my perceptions of a country I haven't visited in over 10 years but from extensive learning of its history (more than what I already know), hearing some first-hand accounts of citizen journalists who document Lebanese quotidian life as well as important current events, finding several viewpoints of the thoughts of people native to Lebanon on the lifestyle and culture of the country (my family included), and finding out how Nadine Labaki characterizes Lebanese people in her own films. I will look at other Middle-Eastern filmmakers throughout my film-creation process, but today I thought I would research a female film director from Lebanon. The reason for this is to provide a top-notch, not faulty representation of a Lebanese character and how they are portrayed in the media, so I may accept or change some representation tropes as I work on this film.
Here it goes (A short summary of my research):
Interestingly, Labaki's interest in film arose when Lebanon was torn by a civil war from the 1970's to the 90's. In a Vogue interview, she mentions the fact that she had to stay in her house for the duration of the war and her only "escape" was watching television.
Her first film, Caramel (Oscar nominated in 2007 for best foreign language film), in which she wrote, directed, and appeared in became the keystone to her signature and style. This includes a strong female lead, large cast of predominantly females, and an unusual mix of comedy and drama.
Additionally, she mentions continuously that a particular feature of her films is her casting of first-time actors in order to create a more natural scene that audiences can easily relate to rather than them looking at her films with "fictional" characters.
Her second film, Where Do We Go Now, which most of her film locations took place in Lebanon, has also been critically acclaimed because of its universal message and significance. A rather serious plot has been turned into a comedy that reflects many conflicts in the Middle East. She does not cite that her film is located in Lebanon and leaves the setting quite ambivalent in order to reflect on not just one country and its stereotypes. Her characters, especially her female characters, represent the "typical" middle-eastern tropes, but Labaki also highlights the importance of women's actions in society that can provide peace in many war-torn countries.
I have gathered quite sufficient information to create my own main character, although more research may be needed later on. Also, I have enjoyed learning about this director who is quite a big deal in the Lebanese film Industry, if not the whole world, who has broken many rules (for the better) on the portrayal of the Middle-East and its people.
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| Asfour, N. (2012, March 25). “Where Do We Go Now?” Asks Nadine Labaki - The New Yorker. Retrieved March 12, 2016, from http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/where-do-we-go-now-asks-nadine-labaki |
Asfour, N. (2012, March 25). “Where Do We Go Now?” Asks Nadine Labaki - The New Yorker. Retrieved March 12, 2016, from http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/where-do-we-go-now-asks-nadine-labaki
Smith, N. M. (2012, May 09). Nadine Labaki On 'Where Do We Go Now?': "The film is not perfect. People are relating to what the film is saying." Retrieved March 12, 2016, from http://www.indiewire.com/article/nadine-labaki-interview
T. (2012, June 25). Where Do We Go Now? Retrieved March 12, 2016, from http://www.vogue.co.uk/blogs/the-culture-edit/2012/06/nadine-labaki-interview---where-do-we- go-now
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