[custom_adv] Nadine Labaki spent the first seventeen years of her life, living in a war torn environment, by 1991 the civil war in Lebanon had ended. She began her career with Studio El Fan, a Lebanese talent show, in 1990. [custom_adv] The show aired during the 1970s, which continued through to the early 2000s. At the talent show, Labaki won a prize for directing various music video productions. [custom_adv] Labaki obtained a degree in audiovisual studies at Saint Joseph University in Beirut. In 1997, she directed her graduation film, 11 Rue Pasteur, which won the Best Short Film Award at the Biennale of Arab Cinema at the Arab World Institute in Paris. [custom_adv] Labaki is unique among her fellow Lebanese and Arab Film Makers in that she was not educated or trained abroad. In 1998, she attended a workshop in acting at the Cours Florent in Paris. [custom_adv] She went on to direct advertisements and music videos for renowned Middle Eastern singers, for which she won several awards. In 2003, Labaki's name began to become more popular within the Arab media. 2003 was also the year when she began directing music videos for singer Nancy Ajram. [custom_adv] In 2005, Labaki took part in the Cannes Film Festival Residence for six months, during that time, she wrote Caramel, her first feature film. In 2006, she directed and played one of the leading roles in Caramel, which showcases a Beirut that most people are not familiar with.
