Nadine Labaki

“Making movies is what I'm good at. Cinema is the means through which I can best express myself.”

“I am a woman. I definitely have a woman's perspective. I'm also a mother, and I think, because of that, I feel responsible to try and make a difference.”

“I like to believe that my actors are not acting. That whatever they are doing, or whatever has been said, would happen in real life.”

“I don't like to work with people I don't have any connection with.”

“When you show people on the big screen that could be our next-door neighbour or our cousin, it does have an impact on our lives.”

“When I was a kid, I used to spend a lot of time at home because of the war. We couldn't go out and play or go to school. Boredom was a big part of my life.”

“I've never felt that my job was difficult because I'm a woman. It's a difficult job regardless, and it's even more difficult in Lebanon because there's no film industry. There's no structure, funding, or institutions for filmmakers.”

“I always felt that anything is possible.”

“Critics' points of view can be one thing today and be very different in a few years.”

“I want to keep talking about my people and my country in my own language.”

“I don't think I make 'Chick Flicks.'”

“When people say to me, 'You make us proud,' it's heartwarming to hear that.”

“I think of myself more as a director than as an actress. But I do like to perform and express myself in different ways, and I'll keep on doing so, provided I can find interesting roles.”

“Films can make you dream. They allow you to imagine a different world. It's why I decided to become a filmmaker. I wanted that even though it seemed impossible.”

“I thought if my son was now eighteen years old and he was tempted to join the fight and take the burden of protecting his family - because it's always tempting especially for young men - what would I do as a mother to stop him?”

“I was watching TV and saw people with masks, weapons, and grenades. I thought, Is that really possible? Could we be here yet again? And go into civil war one more time?”

“Lebanon is not only burning buildings and people crying in the street. When you say 'Lebanon,' especially to foreigners, that's the first thing they think of.”

“I'm just someone who observes a lot.”

“A small film from a small country, in Arabic with nonprofessionals: It was practically impossible. Just to make it was like a dream to me.”

“It's very important to me to understand myself and my place in the world. My films help me with that, and the more people see them, the more I am making a statement.”