CAPERNAUM/ CHAOS
Lebanon, 2018, 121 minutes, Colour.
Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Sheferaw, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole.
Directed by Nadine Labaki.
This is a very serious film about contemporary Lebanon, about Lebanon at any time and about any society where children are put at risk and brutalised
The alternate title to Caperaum is Chaos. The film is by a talented Lebanese director, Nadine Labaki, her third feature film with her previous two films Caramel, Where Do We Go Now, concentrating on women characters, their lives, and some peacemaking between Christians and Muslims in a village.
This time her focus is on a young boy, age 12, Zain, played with some complexity by Zain Al Rafeea, up till now his only screen appearance. He is completely convincing.
Zain is from a very large family, squatting as a favour in an uncomfortable apartment in Beirut, packed together during the night, the mother angry, the father even angrier, treating the children brutally. Zain does have a job in a shop (and not above some shoplifting). The owner has his eyes on Zain’s younger sister, proposing an arranged marriage. And here we see Zain sensitive to his sister, noticing that she has had her first period and washing her clothes, advising her to be silent, really upset when she is made up for the meeting with the proposed husband.
The screenplay moves back and forth in time, highlighting Zain in prison for young offenders, in court, charged with a physical attack on the husband, unrepentant and acknowledging he had attacked the 'sonafabitch'. The judge listens to his case. There are scenes with the prosecution and the defence.
In the major flashback, Zain runs away from home, and encounters a sad clown on a bus and decides to stay in the town where he gets off, where he works at a large fair.
The opening of the film, there has been a scene where a number of women are gathered and accused of not having documents to stay in Lebanon. There is a focus on one from Ethiopia, Rahil, pregnant. The fair is where Zain and Rahil come together, she sheltering him in her home, relying on him to look after her young baby as she goes to work. There are very tender and moving sequences with a Zain and the baby.
The film moves towards tragic consequences, Rahil arrested and unable to contact Zain, imprisoned and concerned about her child. Zain meanwhile entrusts the baby, unwittingly, to a people smuggler who has promised him and a young Syrian refugee passage to Sweden or Turkey. When Zain returns home to get his papers, he discovers the fate of his young sister which leads to his brutal attack on the husband.
The film is not without hope, the young prisoners listening to a television program where an advocate for children’s rights is suggesting that some children could sue their parents – and, we realise, that this is where we came in at the beginning of the film, Zain declaring that he wants to sue his parents. His parents appear at the trial, an indictment of their brutal behaviour, but also harsh criticism of the conditions which lead to this kind of abusive behaviour.
So, the film is quite an emotional experience as well is a challenge to values and concern about the welfare of children.
1. The title, chaos?
2. The setting in Lebanon, Beirut? The city, overall, the shanty areas, the lives of the poor, streets, stores, prisons, travel outside the town, shelter dwellings, the fair, bureaucratic offices? The musical score?
3. The introduction to Zain, his teeth examined, age 12? The resumption of the scene later, his going to prison?
4. The opening glimpse of the women, as servants, Rahil, from Ethiopian, pregnant? Her names? The treatment of the women, illegal presence in the country?
5. The emotion of the audience in the world of Zain, the city streets, the children and their playing, playing with guns? Zain and his family, the parents, their brutality, illiterate, fending for themselves? The children and the treatment? Debts, dependent on goodwill? The meals, the sleeping arrangements? The verbal and physical abuse? Sahar and her experiencing of her period, Zain noticing? Warning her about Asoud? His working for Asoud in the store, stealing from him? harsh?
6. The court sequences, Zain on trial, the accusation, his admitting the stabbing, his continued referring to the victim are sonofabitch? No regrets? The later trial, the judge, the prosecution, the defence lawyers, his wanting to sue his parents? The parents in the court? His answers about them? Witnesses for him?
7. Sahar and her fate, the decision of the parents, after her period, the lipstick and dress, a Assoud and his coming to view her? Zain protesting, urging her to take off the lipstick? Her being taken away, the marriage? Zain later returning, the news of the hospital, her death, his taking the knife, attacking Assoud?
8. Zain running away, the money, stealing, on the bus, the encounter with the eccentric man – Cockroach? His decision to get off and follow him, going to the fair, wandering? Money, eating?
9. The encounter with Rahil, her work, Ethiopian background, with Yonas and concealing him in the toilet, in the bag, taking him home? Zain accompanying her, the connection, at home, staying with the baby, minding the baby, his devoted care for the baby? Helping with the feeding, cleaning, playing?
10. Rahil, at work, not having the documents, going to the agent, the price for the documents, being raised? The past connection? The need? Aspro and his harshness? The forgeries? His wanting Yonas? Her refusal?
11. Yonas, Zain and his care, audience response to the many sequences of the boy and the child? Selling the goods from the house, stealing the skateboard, finding the young girl from Syria, her work, informing him about Aspro? His going to visit, wanting to migrate, to go to Sweden or Turkey, which ever was more beautiful? His not having the documents?
12. Cockroach, his life, manner, the friendship with the woman at the fair, Zain persuading them to dress up, travel with him, go to the official, make claims about their work, their care for him? The need for documents?
13. Rahil not returning, his desperation, the audience knowing that she had been arrested, believing Aspro, taking the baby to him?
14. Rahil, the women, their being apprehended, in prison?
15. Zain returning home, the reaction of his mother, her pregnancy, the violence of his father, the news about Sahar and her death? Demanding the documents from his father, his father’s anger, the not even knowing the date of his birth? The assault on Assoud? His appearing in the court in a wheelchair?
16. The prison sequences, the women? The boys in the juvenile detention?
17. The television program, getting the information about abuse of children? Zain phoning, the other boys in the prison watching the television? The consequences, the trial, Zain and his suing his parents, the judge listening to the case?
18. Rahil seeing Zain, the information, the social worker recovering Jonas and the release of all the people imprisoned by Aspro?
19. A film of social conscience? A film for compassion?
