Nadine Labaki, arguably Lebanon’s most renowned filmmaker, is currently working on writing and directing a new feature length film. Emblematic for Lebanon, it is her first since the 2018 release of Capernaum, which, according to its IMDB page, won 37 awards and received 55 nominations, including an Oscar nomination. For Labaki, the “against all odds” characterization of the film industry mirrors the tired praise of Lebanese resilience in the face of chronic crises. “I think we try so much to adapt to every situation that we are in and to live day by day, that we’ve never made any long-term plans … We don’t know how to do that. We don’t know how to see into the future, so we don’t know how to plan.” Labaki does sense that Lebanon’s post-war environment and new government might indicate positive changes and a rush of new energy for the film industry. But
