Abstract:

Nadine Labaki is one of the most significant directors raised by Lebanon. She is distinguished from other Middle Eastern and Lebanese directors because she completed her education in Lebanon and made her films there. Analyzing female representation in Labaki's films reveals important data in terms of explaining how women's problems are handled in the Middle East in general and in Lebanese cinema in particular. In this study, how women and issues of women are represented in Labaki's three full-length films, Caramel (2007), Where Do We Go Now? (2011), and Capernaum (2018) are examined. As a result of the analyses, it is concluded that although the films have similar features with mainstream cinema in that they approve gender role patterns and patriarchal moral codes, they differ from mainstream cinema films in terms of placing emphasis on active, combative, problem-solver female characters. It is determined that the women in the analyzed films are generally strong characters and they often succeed in solidarity with other women by acting together; in cases where this is not possible, they do not accept their destiny, and they struggle; passive female characters who are submissive to male domination are generally positioned as the losing side. In addition, it is determined that the economic causes of women’s problems dealt with throughout the films are not emphasized, and the problems are made easy to solve by individualizing them.

Keywords: