Follow Vogue Arabia

Nadine Labaki’s Capharnaüm Scores a BAFTA Nomination

Nadine Labaki photographed by Drew Jarrett for Vogue Arabia, October 2018.

Congratulations are in order for Nadine Labaki. It’s been announced that the Lebanese director’s Capharnaüm is up for another prestigious award. The politically-charged film, which already took home the Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize, has just been nominated for the Best Film Not in the English Language at the 2019 BAFTA Awards, set to take place on February 10, 2019.

Capharnaüm will compete against films including Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma, Hirokazu Koreeda’s Shoplifters, Paweł Pawlikowski’s Cold War, and Marcello Fonte’s Dogman.

“And another one!” wrote Labaki on Instagram. “We’re extremely proud to announce that #Capharnaum is nominated for a @BAFTA for Best Foreign Language Film! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for such an immense honor.” The nomination marks Labaki’s first-ever nod for a BAFTA Award. It’s also Lebanon’s first nomination. In fact, Labaki is the third Arab director to ever be recognized at the annual BAFTA ceremony, alongside Morocco’s Ismaël Ferroukhi who earned a nomination for Le Grand Voyage in 2005, and Saudi filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour, who received a nod for Wadjda in 2013.

Capharnaüm tells the story of a neglected 12-year-old boy in Beirut, who takes his parents to court for giving him life in a world of pain and suffering. It received a 15-minute standing ovation following its premiere at Cannes in May. Labaki, who made her directorial debut with 2007’s critically acclaimed Caramel (in which she also played the lead role), is also hotly tipped to enter the Oscars race with Capharnaüm, with nominations set to be announced on January 22.

“Making movies is what I’m good at,” the director told Vogue Arabia during her cover interview this October. “Cinema is the means through which I can best express myself. I use it to limit the effects of the destruction all around us, and to assume my responsibility as a member of this society but also as an artist. I believe equally in the importance of the artist’s commitment to defend her society’s causes as I believe in cinema’s ability to effect change.”

The politically-charged film has so far received nominations for the Golden Globe Awards (it lost to Roma) and the Critics’ Choice Awards, set to take place on Sunday, January 13, 2019.

See the full list of 2019 BAFTA nominations below.

Best Film
BlacKkKlansman
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star Is Born

Outstanding British Film
Beast
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
McQueen
Stan & Ollie
You Were Never Really Here

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer
Apostasy—Daniel Kokotajlo
Beast—Michael Pearce, Lauren Dark
A Cambodian Spring—Chris Kelly
Pili—Leanne Welham, Sophie Harman
Ray & Liz—Richard Billingham, Jacqui Davies

Film Not in the English Language
Capharnaüm
Cold War
Dogman
Roma
Shoplifters

Documentary
Free Solo
McQueen
RBG
They Shall Not Grow Old
Three Identical Strangers

Animated Film
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Director
BlacKkKlansman—Spike Lee
Cold War—Paweł Pawlikowski
The Favourite—Yorgos Lanthimos
Roma—Alfonso Cuarón
A Star Is Born—Bradley Cooper

Original Screenplay
Cold War
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
Vice

Adapted Screenplay
BlacKkKlansman
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
First Man
If Beale Street Could Talk
A Star Is Born

Leading Actress
Glenn Close—The Wife
Lady Gaga—A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy—Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Olivia Colman—The Favourite
Viola Davis —Widows

Leading Actor
Bradley Cooper—A Star Is Born
Christian Bale—Vice
Rami Malek—Bohemian Rhapsody
Steve Coogan—Stan & Ollie
Viggo Mortensen—Green Book

Supporting Actress
Amy Adams —Vice
Claire Foy—First Man
Emma Stone—The Favourite
Margot Robbie—Mary Queen of Scots
Rachel Weisz—The Favourite

Supporting Actor
Adam Driver—BlacKkKlansman
Mahershala Ali—Green Book
Richard E. Grant—Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell—Vice
Timothée Chalamet—Beautiful Boy

Original Music
BlacKkKlansman
If Beale Street Could Talk
Isle of Dogs
Mary Poppins Returns
A Star Is Born

Cinematography
Bohemian Rhapsody
Cold War
The Favourite
First Man
Roma

Editing
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
First Man
Roma
Vice

Production Design
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
The Favourite
First Man
Mary Poppins Returns
Roma

Costume Design
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Queen of Scots

Makeup & Hair
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Mary Queen of Scots
Stan & Ollie
Vice

Sound
Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
Mission: Impossible—Fallout
A Quiet Place
A Star Is Born

Special Visual Effects
Avengers: Infinity War
Black Panther
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
First Man
Ready Player One

British Short Animation
I’m OK
Marfa
Roughhouse

British Short Film
73 Cows
Bachelor, 38
The Blue Door
The Field
Wale

EE Rising Star Award
Barry Keoghan
Cynthia Erivo
Jessie Buckley
Lakeith Stanfield
Letitia Wright

Now Read: Could Nadine Labaki’s Capharnaüm Land an Oscar?

Suggestions
Articles
View All
Vogue Collection
Topics