4 Lebanese Alternatives To The Barbie Movie

With Barbie‘s release in the Middle East being postponed till at least August 31st, we have all been robbed of the true Barbenheimer experience this summer. But worry not, because we have Barbie at home. Here are 4 Lebanese movies that capture some of Barbie’s essence.

1. Caramel

Directed by Nadine Labaki

Released in 2007, this film was Nadine Labaki’s breakthrough project on the local and international stage. Following the story of Layal and three other women working at a beauty salon, the film offers meaningful yet comedic commentary on the religious and social obstacles deeply rooted within this community.

The parallels with barbie are there for all to see. Situated within the beauty salon, one of Barbie’s favorite spots, this film is full of social commentary on femininity, masculinity, gender, and society not too dissimilar from Greta Gerwig’s summer blockbuster.

2. Memory Box

Directed by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige

Released in 2021, this film focuses on Maia, a single mother that lives in Montreal and her teenage daughter, Alex. On Christmas Eve, they receive an unexpected delivery: notebooks, tapes, and photos Maia sent to her best friend from 1980’s Beirut. Maia refuses, but Alex secretly begins diving into it. Between fantasy and reality, Alex enters the world of her mother’s tumultuous, passionate adolescence during the Lebanese civil war, unlocking mysteries of a hidden past.

At its heart, the Barbie movie is as much about nostalgia as anything else. The memories of playing with Barbies and all the iconic history and symbolism the doll carries are transmitted through every minute of the movie. So it’s fitting that Memory Box is centred around a daughter’s interpretation of her mother’s memories. Nostalgic, whimsical, and tragic at the same time, the vibes are Barbie-ing for us.

3. Around The Pink House

Directed by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige

It’s literally a pink house, must I elaborate? Released in 1999, this film was directed by the same people that brought us Memory Box, so one wonders why Mattel didn’t give them the Barbie gig themselves…

Around The Pink House‘s plot is centred around La Maison Rose, an old mansion in Beirut inhabited by the Nawfals during the civil war. When the owner returns and decides to sell the mansion to a developer looking to convert it to a commercial centre, debate and drama ensues.

Barbie is movie all about modernity and its dynamics. Originally the epitome of innovation and of a changing world (She owned her dreamhouse before women were legally allowed to open bank accounts in the US), Barbie has been a constant negotiation of change. What if we brought that same theme to the heart of Beirut? If you want to keep some immersion you can pretend they’re actually discussing the Barbie’s Lebanese summer home.

4. Ghanoujet Baya

Directed by Elie Habib

The most Lebanese of all these films, let’s just say this 2006 hit has not aged as well as 2007’s Caramel. Still, the story is as close to a Lebanese interpretation of Barbie you can get. A spoiled and rich daddy’s girl is left to fend for herself after her dad’s death, failing through every test of normality she goes through as she tries to adapt to a new life, sounds familiar?

If you watch all 4 of these movies, we’re sure that can make up for not seeing Barbie till August 31, but if that still doesn’t scratch the itch for you, we have 6 very pink spots you can use to live out all your Barbie fantasies, hopefully that cures your FOMO.