Nadine Labaki paid tribute to the star of her latest film

Nadine Labaki, the director behind critically acclaimed film Caramel, has paid an emotional tribute to the star of her latest film Capernaum.

Her latest Instagram snap features a photo of Syrian refugee Zain Al Rafeea on his last evening in Beirut before he was re-settled in Norway.

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Zain was working as a delivery boy in Lebanon when he was discovered by the director, who cast him in her latest film Capernaum. It follows the story of a 12 year-old boy, who tries to survive on the streets of Beirut by begging and stealing.  He sues his parents in court for bringing him into a world of suffering.

Most of the cast are non-professional actors, some of whom are genuine street children Labaki met in Beirut during the two years she spent researching the film.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A few weeks ago I said goodbye to Zain. Zain and all his family have been resettled in Norway . Just a few minutes before heading to the airport I watched him take a last look from this small terrasse above his house on what has been his life for the past 8 years. A life that has been hard on him mostly because he is a refugee . But at that moment he was just a child being separated from his home, his childhood, his world, everything he has known until now. He wasn’t Syrian or Lebanese or Norwegian or Christian or Muslim ! He was just a child paying the price of our stupid wars not comprehending why this is happening to him. With tears in his beautiful eyes he said he was going to miss his cousins, his birds, his life . He loved his life in beirut in spite of the fear, and the hardships he was facing every day . He was just a child searching for a home . Like any other child . A place where he can have friends, where he can take care of his birds. Good luck my Zain. We all miss you here but we re happy you will now be able to go to school and learn and be the best version of yourself . I know you have a special destiny and your life will lead you towards it because you are strong , because you are wise, because you are resilient ! Thank you @lisa_ak @dalalmawad and all your amazing @unhcrlebanon team for making this dream happen ! Watch this beautiful report by @unhcrlebanon team http://www.unhcr.org/news/stories/2018/9/5ba4c5a14/syrian-boy-takes-incredible-path-refugee-r

A post shared by Nadine Labaki (@nadinelabaki) on

 

“A few weeks ago I said goodbye to Zain. Zain and all his family have been resettled in Norway. Just a few minutes before heading to the airport I watched him take a last look from this small terrace above his house, which has been his life for the past 8 years,” she typed. “A life that has been hard on him mostly because he is a refugee.”

Lebanon has selected Capharnaum as its entry for the best foreign-language film at the Oscars.

The film first premiered at Cannes International film festival and won the prestigious Jury prize.

Capernaum  has been selected to represent Lebanon in the “Best Foreign Language Film” category at the 2019 Academy Awards. Last year’s Oscar entry from Lebanon, Ziad Doueiri’s The Insult, was the first ever Lebanese film to be nominated at the Academy Awards.

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Images: Instagram, Getty