Nadine Labaki Quotes

My films are like drinking a good beer, but pleasure doesn't mean that it cannot change someone's point of view.

I want to make films that are political and social. Films with a message or an idea. Films that dare to ask.

People like me in the entertainment industry can contribute to social change through our work.

I think that in the realm of commercial, popcorn cinema, the amount of message or smuggling of ideas you can get in there is quite limited. Like, if you think you're going to make a difference or change anything, you're on pretty dangerous thin ice.

I don't think an actor's job is to be recognized. I think an actor's job is to facilitate the writing in a way that changes the way people think. No other business does that.

Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change - it can not only move us, it makes us move.

Actors are agents of change. A film, a piece of theater, a piece of music, or a book can make a difference. It can change the world.

Wouldn't it be grand if we thought that theater could have that impact on the political life of a country?

I think the audience know which films are aimed at their pocket, and which films are aimed at their soul. There are a lot of films out there made by people who are genuinely trying to make a change.

Editorial cartoons should be smart and substantive, provocative and informative. They should stir passions and deep emotions. Editorial cartoons should be the catalyst for thought, and frankly speaking, if you can make politicians think, that is an accomplishment itself.

The fact is I'm not making a film in order to draw pictures or make images about Iran.

I don't know any form of art or entertainment that can affect people the way movies can. I know it sounds ridiculous, but they can change your world. They can change your views.

Pop culture is a reflection of social change, not a cause of social change.

I felt I had an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of great soul musicians of the past, who made a lot of social and political commentary through their music.

I'm interested in making films that make people think.

The day Obama got into office, rap was less important because Obama gave kids an alternative. But will rap ever go away? No. There will always be a need for poets.

I'm drawn to making films that in some way move the social conversation.

I always wanted to make films that might change or at least focus people's views.

I think that there are artists of different genres whose calling is to use their art to hope to affect and better the human condition - whether it's System of a Down, or Rage Against the Machine, or Public Enemy, or the Clash, Bruce Springsteen, or Pete Seeger. It's a group that I'm proud to be counted among.

Not all our movies have a social message, but I love the ones that do, and I'd love to do more of them.

We were trained as writers with the idea that literature is something that can change reality, that it's not just a very sophisticated entertainment but a way to act.

Film can be a tool for change; it can start a debate.

Film is a tool of change.

Cinema is not just a medium of entertainment. Yes, it should entertain, but cinema is made to convey a message, to say something.

I've really tried to use the power of film to effect change.