KARAMEL / Sukkar banat / Caramel

Libanon, France
2007. / 95’ / 35mm

Directed by:
Nadine Labaki

Written by:
Nadine Labaki, Rodney El Haddad

Producer:
Anne-Dominique Toussaint

Cast:
Nadine Labaki, Adel Karam, Yasmine Al Masri, Joanna Mo Karzel,
Gisèle Aouad.

Awards:
Toronto Film Festival, directors’ fortnight
San Sebastian Film Festival, audience award

Distribution
ROISSY FILMS
58. rue Pierre Charron
75008 Paris
France
TEL +33 (0)1 53 53 50 50
FAX +33 (0)1 42 89 26 93

Unusual romantic comedy brings us a story of five Lebanese women. Layale works in a beauty salon in Beirut with Nisrine and Rima. Each has a problem: Layale is involved with a married man; Nisrine is betrothed to a Muslim but she has already lost her virginity; Rima is attracted to women. There’s also Jamala, a regular customer and not so successful actress who’s worried about getting older; Rose, neighborhood seamstress who dedicated her entire life to her handicapped sister Lili, finally falls in love for the first time.

Simple, but powerful story deals with forbidden loves, binding traditions, sexual repression and conflict between commitment and passion. Instead of focusing on war in Beirut, Nadine Labaki brings us a story about people’s destinies and problems we all share. That is what makes this film so special.

Nadine Labaki was born in 1974.in Baabdat, Lebanon. She started her career directing music videos. In 2003.she started an acting career and played in few short films. In 2005.she got a lead role in the Lebanese musical The Bus. In 2007.she makes her first feature film Caramel. Not only does she direct the film but also takes on the lead role. The romantic comedy about the lives of five Lebanese women in today’s Beirut premiered last year in Cannes, and became a huge hit in the Middle East. Labaki is now considered one of the most interesting, young directors in the world today.