Cultural Amuse-Bouche: Incendies

Since today is Mother's Day, I thought I'd blog about a movie in which motherhood was a central theme. Incendies is an Oscar-nominated Quebec drama directed by Denis Villeneuve. The plot centers around Jeanne and Simon Marwan, twins, whom each receive a letter from their recently deceased mother employer, a notary as her last will and testament. Jeanne is to deliver her letter to her father that she believed dead while Simon is tasked to hand his letter to a brother they never knew existed. Only Jeanne takes up the search initially as Simon is still resentful of his mother. As Jeanne travels to a fictional Middle Eastern country that closely resembles Lebanon, there are flashbacks of the mother's past and the hardships she endured as a result of religious violence.

Incendies (Sony Pictures Classic)

The movie is an exploration of many things: religion, family, war, abuse, chaos, compassion, truth, vengeance, order and arbitrariness. What makes this a great movie is that it doesn't only rely on plot or great acting (which it possesses) but on complex characters and a narrative that allows us to enter the story with greater ease. For many Westerners, violence in the Middle East is remote and foreign, the character of Jeanne really bridges that gap and allows us to better understand its context. As we discover more about Nawal, we feel a strong sense of compassion and dread as the events unfurl.

The scope of this movie far exceeds that of any family drama so its ending works if your imagination exceeds the limits of procedural dramas. It's appropriate stylistically and emotionally as the revelation reinforces the thematic elements of the film. As you finish watching, reflect upon your own knowledge of your mother and how few stories you know of her. Take the day to talk to her and let her reminisce about the past; you'll be richer for it and hopefully, not as shocked.