Neorealist portrayal of refugee children in Capernaum (2018)

This article explores the social and form-related similarities and differences between the film Capernaum and Italian neorealism, focusing on the portrayal of refugee children. The Syrian Civil War has displaced millions of people, and children who have sought refuge in Syria’s neighbouring countries, such as Lebanon and Turkey, have become victims of poverty and moral degeneration. Similarly, the Second World War left children orphaned and many harsh realities emerged, such as child labour, delinquency, abuse and neglect. The Italian neorealism movement highlighted post-war issues such as these in cinema. Capernaum reflects the new realities of the Syrian Civil War as sociological concepts, such as forced migration due to war, extreme poverty and the victimization of children. This film is important because of its power to generate empathy and (pro-)activism. With an analysis of the mise en scène and contents of Capernaum, we show that the film bears significant traces of neorealism and that nothing has changed for Syrian refugee children. In a spatial sense, the phenomenon of migration brings a new reality to Capernaum, and neorealist films give a voice to victims via actors who express their experiences. Children in both countries have been victims of extreme poverty and moral degeneration due to war.