Caramel

Just like the name suggests, Caramel lets you discover the sweetness of life. It tells the tale of five female friends with an appetite for life and a taste for love. Centred around a Beirut beauty salon owned by thirty-something Layale (Nadine Labaki), this colourful and sensual microcosm is where several generations of women come into contact, talk and confide in each other. Beautiful Layale is oblivious to the gaze of a local admirer and instead fixates on a married man, Nisrine (Yasmine Al Masri) will soon be married but is afraid her fianc will discover he isnt her first lover. Rima (Joanna Moukarzel) has designs on one of her stunning customers. Jamal (Gisele Aouad) is an aspiring actress and is refusing to grow old, while ageing Rose (Siham Haddad) is overwhelmed when she discovers true love for the first time. Cultural rites and societys expectations clash with personal desires and a sense of rebellion. Written, directed and starring superstar of tomorrow Nadine Labaki, Caramel has become a hit across both Europe and Australia. Audiences have embraced this delicious take on life, with Caramel not depicting a war-ravaged Beirut of focusing on Middle East politics. Rather, its about people and the heartaches that have a way of transcending language and culture. As the women share in each others experiences and emotions, the salon become a vibrant hub of friendship and wisdom, with conversations of men, sex and motherhood between haircuts and sugar waxing.