Foreign Policy Magazine

Broke in Beirut

LEBANON’S OFFICIAL ENTRY for best foreign language film in this year’s Academy Awards is Capernaum (“Chaos”), a masterpiece set in Beirut’s slums. The film is an exquisitely directed story of a destitute boy and the Ethiopian baby he is left to raise. Capernaum takes two very grim subjects—the plight of refugees and grinding poverty—and manages to turn them into an immersive and unforgettable piece of cinema.

The story begins with the protagonist, Zain (played by Zain Al Rafeea), who estimates he is 12 years old, standing in a courtroom, explaining to a judge that he is suing his parents for the crime of bringing him

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