Nadine Labaki

When I was a kid, I used to spend a lot of time at home because of the war. We couldn't go out and play or go to school. Boredom was a big part of my life.

I like to express myself fully with my body, with my language, with my voice, and through directing.

A small film from a small country, in Arabic with nonprofessionals: It was practically impossible. Just to make it was like a dream to me.

Self-censorship has become a part of me. I think because we live in a place where community is very important, family is very important, you feel the weight of how people look at you. Even though I might seem very modern and very liberated, I still have a lot of issues to deal with. I'm scared of how people look at me.

I think you owe it to yourself and you owe it to your status as an artist to be true to who you are.

I like to have the impression that whatever is happening is true.

I've seen so many women in my family, so many mothers, that have lost children in the war in such absurd ways. I wonder how they do it. How do they keep living? How do they keep smiling?

I thought if my son was now eighteen years old and he was tempted to join the fight and take the burden of protecting his family - because it's always tempting especially for young men - what would I do as a mother to stop him?

I believe everybody can make a change in the world.

I was lucky because I used to live right next to a video-rental store. I used to spend so much time watching films. So I've seen a lot. I used to watch 'Dynasty' and 'Dallas' and have seen every kind of film. I've been influenced by everything I've seen.

When you show people on the big screen that could be our next-door neighbour or our cousin, it does have an impact on our lives.

I was watching TV and saw people with masks, weapons, and grenades. I thought, Is that really possible? Could we be here yet again? And go into civil war one more time?