Zain Al Rafeea Explained

Zain Al Rafeea
Birth Date:2004 10, df=y
Birth Place:Daraa, Syria
Occupation:Actor
Nationality:Syrian
Citizenship:Norway

Zain Al Rafeea (ar|زين الرافعي, born 10 October 2004)[1] is a Syrian-born Norwegian actor. He is best known for his starring role in the 2018 Lebanese film Capernaum, which won the Jury Prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

Life and career

Al Rafeea was born in Daraa, Syria in 2004 before his family moved to Lebanon in 2012.[2] [3] A Syrian refugee, he grew up in the slums of Beirut with his parents.[4] [5] He was 12 and illiterate during the production of Capernaum.[6] He was not trained as an actor. Al Rafeea's Capernaum character, Zain, is named after him.[7]

In November 2018, director Nadine Labaki reported Al Rafeea's situation had changed: Al Rafeea began attending school in Hammerfest.[8]

For Capernaum, Al Rafeea was nominated for the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actor.[9] He also won Best Actor at the 2018 International Antalya Film Festival.[10] The New York Times named his as one of the best performances of 2018, with reporter Wesley Morris writing, "Every once in a while, you leave a movie having seen a performance that mocks all the other acting that came before it".[11] James Verniere of the Boston Herald described Al Rafeea as "part Oliver Twist, part James Dean".[12]

In 2021, he appeared as a villager in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Eternals.[13]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2018CapernaumZain El Hajj
2021EternalsMesopotamian Young Man
TBAAdamPost-Production

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult
2018Antalya Golden Orange Film FestivalBest ActorCapernaum
Asia Pacific Screen AwardsBest Performance by an Actor
New Mexico Film CriticsBest Young Actor/Actress[14]
2019The Lebanese Movie AwardsBest Ensemble Cast
FEST International Film FestivalBest Debut
40th Annual Young Artist AwardsBreakout Performance Award[15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Capernaum A Sony Pictures Classics Release. Sony Pictures Classics. en. 13 February 2019.
  2. Web site: Après avoir ému Cannes, le petit héros de "Capharnaüm" dort devant la presse . 18 May 2018 . 5 December 2018 . . fr .
  3. Web site: Syrian boy takes incredible path from refugee to red carpet – UNHCR Northern Europe. 22 February 2019. UNHCR. en. 8 November 2019.
  4. Web site: Cannes: Nadine Labaki on 'Capernaum' and Resisting the Lure of Hollywood . Alex . Ritman . 9 May 2018 . 3 December 2018 . .
  5. News: Child actor's journey from slums to stardom . 11 May 2019 . . 20 February 2019.
  6. Web site: 'Capernaum' Director Nadine Labaki Says Refugee Child Star Is Safe and Resettled (Video) . Brian . Welk . 20 November 2018 . 3 December 2018 . .
  7. Web site: 'Capernaum' Director On The High Price Children Are Paying For Society's Mistakes — Awardsline Screening Series . Matt . Grobar. 15 November 2018 . 3 December 2018 . .
  8. Web site: Går på skole i Hammerfest – har hovedrollen i Oscar-nominert film . January 2019 . 25 January 2019 . . no .
  9. Web site: 2018 APSA Nominees Announced . 24 October 2018 . 17 October 2018 . .
  10. AntalyaFF . 1048273032874217473 . 5 October 2018 . En İyi Erkek Oyuncu / Best Actor Zain Al Rafeea (Kefernahum / Capernaum) .
  11. Web site: The Best Performances of 2018 . Wesley . Morris . 7 December 2018 . 7 December 2018 . .
  12. Web site: 'Capernaum' sheds light on refugee plight in Lebanon . James . Verniere . 26 January 2019 . .
  13. Web site: 19 October 2021 . Angelina Jolie's iconic Elie Saab gown nabs spotlight at 'Eternals' premiere . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211105102252/https://www.arabnews.com/node/1950711/lifestyle . 5 November 2021 . 5 November 2021 . Arab News.
  14. Web site: Sunday Precursors: LAFCA, NYFCO, New Mexico, Toronto (And More) All Announcing – Check Back for Updates! • AwardsCircuit – By Clayton Davis. Magidson. Joey. 9 December 2018. AwardsCircuit – By Clayton Davis. en-US. 24 January 2019. 9 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181209211413/http://www.awardscircuit.com/2018/12/09/sunday-precursors-lafca-nyfco-new-mexico-all-announcing-check-back-for-updates/. dead.
  15. Web site: 2019 Winners . 27 September 2019 . .

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