Nadine Labaki.

On 18 February 1974, Nadine Labaki was born in Beirut, Lebanon. She grew up surrounded by creativity; her older sister Caroline Labaki became a costume designer. She attended Saint Joseph University of Beirut, where she studied media and developed her filmmaking skills.

Labaki’s directorial debut was Caramel 2007, which she also wrote and starred in as Layale. The film was a commercial and critical success, putting Lebanese cinema on the global stage. She followed with Where Do We Go Now? 2011, which won the Valois de l’actrice at the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival. In 2018, she directed and appeared in Capernaum, earning international acclaim. Earlier, in 2007, Variety named her one of its 10 Directors To Watch. She has served as a jury member at major festivals: Venice 2012, Sundance 2013, Tribeca 2014, and Cannes 2015.

Labaki married Lebanese composer Khaled Mouzanar in October 2007. They have two children together. She is fluent in French, English, and Arabic. Her sister Caroline Labaki works as a costume designer on many of her films.

Nadine Labaki’s humanistic films explore social issues and have reached worldwide audiences. She was named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. In 2011, Variety Arabia named her Personality of the Year. Her films Capernaum and Caramel have been screened worldwide, influencing a new generation of Arab filmmakers. She blends social commentary with accessible, heartfelt storytelling.