2019 has been the year for Arab women to shine bright, and there’s no doubt about that. And Nadine Labaki, the first Arab woman to be nominated for an Oscar in the ‘Foreign Film’ category has been the in the center of it all. Not to mention, she was also nominated at this year’s BAFTAs, and after receiving praise for ‘Capernaum’ from Oprah, invited into her home for to dine with the philanthropist.
Now, the extremely talented director is adding another feather to her cap by turning to acting. She will be starring in the new movie titled ‘1982’, which will be screened at the Toronto Film Festival this September.
This news was unveiled by the Dubai FIlm Festival on Instagram:
‘1984’, the Lebanese film directed by Oualid Mouanness, is based on the story of an 11-year old boy who attempts to tell a girl he loves her, but amidst all of this, gets caught up in the airstrikes that hit Beirut at the beginning of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
Mouanness spoke to The National and said, “It’s completely autobiographical. It is actually based on my last day of school in Lebanon, in 1982, before we had to leave the country. The film in its entirety takes place in one location, in the school, during the course of one day, and that school is in the mountains in Lebanon.”
‘1984’ however, will not be the only Arab film making it on to TIFF’s roster this year; Tunisian feature Noura Dreams, the Egyptian film Certified Mail and Elia Suleiman’s Palestinian feature It Must Be Heaven will all be representing the Arab world.
