Caramel

Caramel, by Nadine Labaki, is a romantic comedy-drama that revolves around the lives of five women who all are dealing with different issues. The salon, located in Beirut, Lebanon, is run by Layale, who makes her shop a safe haven for women to share their burdens and joys. All the women are struggling with different things, some much more taboo than others in Arab society. Currently, to watch Caramel, you either need a virtual private network (VPN) to change your location or use a different method to watch the movie.

Layale is having an affair with a married man, but while she is deeply in love with him, she knows that the relationship has no future since he will not get divorced. Nisrine, a coworker of Layale at the salon, is engaged but is no longer a virgin, and knows if her fiancé finds out that he and society would turn on her. Rima, a third employee at the salon, struggles because she is attracted to women, which even in Lebanon, a fairly progressive country, still is looked down upon in society. Jamale, who is a client at the salon, is an older actress who is trying to maintain her youthfulness because society glorifies young and beautiful girls, and is consistently battling insecurity within herself. Finally, Rose is an elderly seamstress who works next door. She is trying to decide between having a romance for herself for the first time in her life or continuing to take care of her mentally ill sister.

This film highlights the issues women face in a conservative society, but without being insensitive to either women or the society. Instead, Caramel emphasizes the strength of friendship between women, using humor and warmth to show that there is much hope for the future. Arab countries often are less progressive in terms of women’s rights, but substantial and continuous progress is made every day. Films like Caramel show that there still are problems that exist, but also that the people are strong and progress is being made.

Watching Caramel confirmed many things I had learned about Arab culture regarding women over time. Women have plenty of freedom in this movie, but society still restricts them from being truly able to do what they would like. Instead, they have to make a safe space for themselves, which works out very well for them, but should not be necessary just to talk about your life without fear of being heard. In places like Lebanon now, 17 years later, most of these issues have been addressed and fixed.

Tourism was one of the major ways that women progressed through society. “Lebanon’s tourism culture influenced conceptions of gender, nature, development, heritage, and identity” (Hauge, 2024).

The LGBT community is well established in cities such as Beirut, and women are much more free to do what they would like. An article written in 2015 states, “Beirut has been recently represented as a more open city for non-heterosexuals in comparison to other cities in the Arab world” (Moussawi, 2015). Other Arab countries are starting to get there as well, but they will take lots of time still.

Caramel offers a poignant yet hopeful glimpse into the lives of women in a conservative society, portraying their struggles with love, identity, and societal norms with warmth and empathy. The film demonstrates the resilience of these women as they navigate issues that are often taboo, particularly within the Arab world. Today, societies continue to evolve, with increasing rights and visibility for women throughout the region. 

Hauge, I. S. (2024). Phoenician Merchants and Ladies of Culture: Lebanon’s Tourism Industry, 1943-1975. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. 

Moussawi, G. (2015). (Un)critically queer organizing: Towards a more complex analysis of LGBTQ organizing in Lebanon. Sexualities, 18(5–6), 593–617. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460714550914