Her film, Capernaum, was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, where it won a Jury Prize and received a standing ovation.

Since then, she has won critical acclaim throughout the region for her feature length films, as well as music videos for superstars such as Nancy Ajram. Capernaum – a dystopian drama – remains the highest grossing Arabic and Middle Eastern film of all time.

The director has arguably become one of Lebanon’s most prominent artistic figures and she is bent on making good use of her growing celebrity.

“I feel it like a duty, it’s not a choice even, and this is what we’re going to start doing, very, very soon: show the film to the government and organise these round tables with judges and lawyers,” she says. Though unsuccessful at the Oscars, its raised profile would further increase her chances of making a difference.

“Why do we use the word influencers? A celebrity is an influencer whether they like it or not, so they need to use this influence in the best way possible.”