Capernaum 2018

In the gritty underbelly of Beirut, 12-year-old Zain El Hajj (played by) serves a five-year sentence in Roumieh Prison, convicted of stabbing someone he refers to as a “son of a bitch”. The authorities’ lack of concern for his well-being is mirrored by Zain’s own family’s neglect, as neither he nor his parents possess an official birth certificate. It becomes apparent that Zain has grown tired of being treated like an afterthought and decides to take civil action against his mother, Souad, and father, Selim. When questioned by the judge about his motivations, Zain responds simply yet poignantly: “Because I was born” - a statement that serves as a scathing indictment of his parents’ failure to provide for him.

The narrative takes a dramatic turn as it flashes back several months prior to Zain’s arrest, revealing a harsh reality where he lives with his parents and is tasked with caring for at least seven younger siblings who eke out a living through various illicit means. Zain himself becomes embroiled in the family’s shady dealings, using forged prescriptions to obtain tramadol pills that they crush into powder and soak into clothing, which is then sold to drug addicts within the prison walls. When not engaged in this lucrative venture, Zain works as a delivery boy for Assad, their landlord and market stall owner.

However, it becomes increasingly clear that Zain’s world is on the brink of collapse. His 11-year-old sister Sahar’s first period sparks a sense of panic among the family members, who fear she will be married off to Assad in exchange for a paltry sum - a fate they hasten by marrying her off to him without Zain’s knowledge or consent.

As tensions within his own home reach a boiling point, Zain begins making plans to escape with Sahar and start anew. But his worst fears are confirmed when she is indeed married off to Assad in exchange for a mere two chickens. Consumed by rage and despair, Zain abandons his family and catches a bus, where he encounters an enigmatic figure known as Cockroach Man (played by) - an elderly individual clad in a knock-off Spider-Man costume.

Cockroach Man disembarks at the Luna Park in Ras Beirut, with Zain following suit. The two spend the day at the park, where Zain is struck by the beauty of the sunset and is overcome with emotion. It is here that he encounters Rahil, an Ethiopian migrant worker who toils as a cleaner at the park. Moved by Zain’s plight, she agrees to take him in at her humble tin shack, provided he babysits her undocumented infant son Yonas when she is away working.

As Rahil’s precarious migrant documents hover on the brink of expiration, she finds herself trapped in a desperate financial predicament, unable to afford the services of her forger Aspro to procure new ones. In a Faustian bargain, Aspro proposes a deal: if Rahil relinquishes Yonas, allowing him to be adopted out, he will provide her with fresh documents at no cost. But Rahil refuses to surrender her young ward, despite Aspro’s dire warnings that Yonas’ undocumented status will condemn him to a life without education or employment opportunities. The clock is ticking; Rahil’s documents expire, and she becomes the target of Lebanese authorities, leading to her disappearance.

In the aftermath, Zain descends into panic mode as his best friend Rahil fails to return to their humble shack. As the days pass, he takes on the responsibility of caring for Yonas, adopting a ruse that they are brothers, and revives his old tramadol-selling trade to generate income.

One fateful day at Souk Al Ahad, Zain encounters Maysoun, a young Syrian refugee with a tantalizing prospect: Aspro has agreed to send her to Sweden. Zain’s ears perk up as he demands a similar deal, only to have Aspro agree to do so if Zain relinquishes Yonas. Despite his reservations, Zain relents and agrees to the terms. Aspro then reveals that Zain will need some form of identification to qualify for refugee status. Dejected, Zain returns home to his parents, demanding they provide him with his identification, only to be met with derisive laughter. Having been disowned for abandoning their family, he is unceremoniously ejected from the house. In a shocking twist, Zain’s parents disclose that Sahar, their beloved daughter-in-law, had recently succumbed to complications from her pregnancy.

Seething with rage and grief, Zain flees the house armed with a large knife, seeking revenge against Assad, his father-in-law. The authorities intervene, arresting Zain and sentencing him to a five-year stint at Roumieh Prison.

As Zain’s mother visits him in prison, bearing the weight of her daughter Souad’s pregnancy and the impending arrival of another child, Sahar, he is consumed by disgust at his family’s callous disregard for life. Her nonchalance towards Souad’s death serves only to exacerbate Zain’s already strained emotions, leading him to sternly inform his mother that she will no longer be welcome in his presence, her lack of remorse deemed “heartless” by the tormented young man.

In a bold move, Zain seizes an opportunity to air his grievances on a television show focused on child abuse. With the nation watching, he denounces parents who neglect their children, vowing to take legal action against his own family for perpetuating this cycle of neglect. When the judge queries him about what he hopes to achieve from his parents, Zain’s response is direct and unyielding: “I want them to stop having children.” His motivation stems not from a desire for revenge, but rather a deep-seated concern for the well-being of those who would suffer at the hands of his family’s continued neglect.

In a separate development, Zain accuses Aspro, a notorious figure in the adoption underworld, of engaging in illegal and abusive practices. The authorities take notice, and Aspro’s home is raided, leading to the reunification of children with their parents, including Yonas and Rahil, who have been living in uncertainty.

As Zain prepares for his life outside prison walls, a photographer captures his image for an ID card, playfully remarking that it’s not a death certificate. The humor momentarily pierces Zain’s defenses, allowing him to crack a faint smile, a glimmer of hope in the darkness that has defined his existence thus far.