Sukkar banat (2007)

Director:

Nadine Labaki

Writers:

Rodney El Haddad (writer)
Jihad Hojeily (writer)

Release Date:

9 August 2007 (Lebanon)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A romantic comedy centered on the daily lives of five Lebanese women living in Beirut.

Plot Keywords:

Beirut | Suitor | Horn | Seamstress | Secret

Awards:

4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Nadine Labaki	...	Layale
Yasmine Elmasri	...	Nisrine (as Yasmine Al Masri)
Joanna Moukarzel	...	Rima
Gisèle Aouad	...	Jamale
Adel Karam	...	Youssef
Sihame Haddad	...	Rose (as Siham Haddad)
Aziza Semaan	...	Lili
Fatmeh Safa	...	Siham
Dimitri Staneofski	...	Charles
Fadia Stella	...	Christine
Ismaïl Antar	...	Bassam
Yousra Karam	...	Salon client
Victoria Bader	...	Salon client
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nancy	...	Woman in taxi

Also Known As:

Caramel (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements involving sexuality, language and some smoking.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

France | Lebanon

Language:

Arabic | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | USA:PG | Argentina:Atp | Sweden:Btl | Ireland:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Germany:o.Al. | South Korea:12 | Finland:K-3 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Beirut, Lebanon

Company:

Les Films des Tournelles

Trivia:

Lebanon's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Siete minutos (2009)

Soundtrack:

Mreyte Ya Mreyte

Life's all in a "salon de beauté"

Without reading any summary or comment on the movie I just went to see it. I didn't know it was in Lebanese, I was attracted by the promising name of Caramel.

What I saw was a potpourri of emotions and languages, I don't speak Lebanese at all, but it was funny to recognize all the different influences in their language, due to the colonialism. The protagonist and director is a breath-taking and very convincing actress, I had no doubt all the ladies of the cast were good friends and would have hung out all their lives. The storyline is kept simple and clear so even if you don't follow the subtitles, you easily understand the movie. I don't like to compare it with any other movie I saw, but speaking of colors and emotions it reminded me of Almodovar's movies, dedicated to the women in his life. Even though I'd have preferred to see more of the name giving caramel, for about two hours I was transported into the oriental world of spices, taxi drivers, aunties, grandmas, uncles, nieces', sisters and brothers, living, laughing and mainly eating together. The movie combines a very traditional Lebanon with very modern questions, emancipated women and not to forget love. Leaving the cinema I felt loved and happy, I strongly recommend it!