Capharnaüm becomes first Lebanese film nominated for Golden Globes

In yet another milestone for Lebanese director Nadine Labaki, her film Capharnaüm has been nominated for the 2019 Golden Globe Awards. 

The striking film earned a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, making history as Lebanon's first entry into the prestigious ceremony, according to Annahar.

Capharnaüm is up against major productions such as Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuaron's Roma and Hirokazu Koreeda's Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization behind the Globes, announced the nominations for the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards on Thursday morning.

Among the nominations was Labaki's critically acclaimed film, which portrays the heartbreaking reality of Lebanon's underprivileged communities.

In another Arab achievement, Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek also earned a nomination for >his role as Freddy Mercury in the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, competing for the Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama title.

Bohemian Rhapsody has also been nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama.

Capharnaüm - which is Arabic for "a disorderly accumulation of objects" - tells the story of a child who is struggling to survive and sues his family "for giving him life in the first place."

He was not registered at birth as his parents could not afford the required fees, and subsequently does not have an I.D. card - meaning he is unable to get a passport, attend school, or get medical assistance. 

The film touches on several pressing topics ranging from poverty and the refugee crisis, to child marriage and the controversial >Kafala system.

The film >earned an epic 15-minute standing ovation following its premiere during the Cannes Film Festival. It went on to win the Jury Award at the festival, >making Labaki the first Arab film director and only the second woman to ever claim the award.

In September, the film was >selected to represent Lebanon at the 2019 Academy Awards under the Best Foreign Language Film category. The Oscars 2019 nominees are set to be announced in January.

The film has also won awards at different film festivals around the world including the Stockholm International Film Festival, the Melbourne International Film Festival, and the Qatari Ajyal Film Festival.