All eyes are on the Arab world right now, as some nations are experiencing what’s been called the Arab Spring, with news coming out of brutal crackdowns, with leaders massacring their own citizens. “Incendies” is a work of fiction that takes place in an unnamed Middle Eastern country. Yet it’s filled with uncomfortable truths about the past, the present and maybe even the future of a region that’s been long torn apart by violence. “Incendies,” made by French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, was one of the five films nominated for the foreign-language Oscar this year, and its characters speak in French, Arabic and English. But even those who share a tongue often can’t understand each other.
Twins Jeanne (Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) never really knew their own mother. As the film opens, they’re listening to the reading of her will by her old boss, notary Jean Lebel (Remy Girard). They’re not expecting any surprises — they’re her only surviving family — but a shock awakes. One is handed a letter to give to their father, whom they were told died years ago. The other is handed a letter for their brother, whom they didn’t know existed. “Death is never the end of the story,” the notary wisely tells them.
| On screen |
| ‘Incendies’ |
| 3.5 out of 5 stars |
| Stars: Lubna Azabal, Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette |
| Director: Denis Villeneuve |
| Rated: R for some strong violence and language |
| Running time: 130 minutes |
As Jeanne and a reluctant Simon travel to that unnamed country, their mother Nawal’s (Lubna Azabal) story is told in flashback. Born a Christian, she has a doomed affair with a Muslim, and is forced to give up her child. But that’s not even the worst thing that happens to this troubled but tough woman who witnesses — and participates in — the war that ravages her homeland.
Nawal’s relationship with a Palestinian refugee sets up the religious conflicts that wind through the story. Men who kill their countrymen wield guns with pictures of the Virgin Mary on them. And the sectarian violence isn’t limited to Christian vs. Muslim — each kill their own when loyalties aren’t trusted.
“Incendies” is a gripping film, mostly because of the fearless performance of Belgian-born, half Moroccan, half Spanish actress Azabal. The ending feels a little contrived. Can so much tragedy happen to one woman? Those of us comfortable in our safe houses, watching terror unfold halfway across the world, can’t really know.
