Incendies is a cinematic masterpiece directed by the renowned Denis Villeneuve, adapted from Wajdi Mouawad’s play of the same name. The film, which oscillates between a mystery and a war drama, explores the deep emotional and psychological scars left behind by conflict and family trauma. Set against the backdrop of a war-torn Middle East, Incendies is an emotional rollercoaster that leaves the viewer reflecting on themes of identity, reconciliation, and the heavy burden of family legacies.
This film is not just a story; it’s a puzzle, one that reveals itself in layers, gripping the audience with every twist and turn. The dual narrative structure—where present-day scenes are juxtaposed with historical flashbacks—enhances the intensity of the storytelling, keeping viewers on edge as they piece together the shocking truth.
Movie recap
Lost Brothers Uncover a Dark Past | Mother’s Tragic Legacy | Incendies Movie Explained
The film “Incendies” kicks off with a gripping scene of militants taking control of an orphanage, where they shave the heads of young boys. Among them is a boy with three points on his heel, exuding unwavering confidence even in the face of danger. Notary Jean Lebel invites the children of his late secretary, Nawal Marwan, who recently passed away. He’s about to read Nawal’s will, which divides her assets, money, and belongings equally between her twins, Simon and Jeanne.
But there’s a twist – Nawal’s final wishes are unusual. She wants to be buried without a headstone, clothes, or prayers, with her back to the world and her name unengraved. Notary also reveals that Nawal left two letters: one for Jeanne to deliver to their father, and the other for Simon to give to their unknown brother. Once these tasks are fulfilled, the twins will receive a letter enabling them to memorialize their mother’s name and visit her grave.
Jeanne receives a second envelope from the notary, containing a church cross and a photo of her mother, along with a few other pictures. Simon isn’t happy with the will and storms off, waiting for his sister outside. He urges Jeanne to ignore their mother’s unconventional wishes and give her a more traditional burial. However, Jeanne carries a burden of guilt, as her mother fell ill when she was around. Determined to make amends, she decides to explore her mother’s history in the country torn apart by civil war that Nawal left. Seeking guidance from her math teacher and supervisor, Jeanne decides to approach her family’s past scientifically, using what’s already known as a foundation. With this in mind, she heads to Lebanon to uncover the truth about her supposedly deceased father and her long-lost brother, whose existence has only recently come to light.
In the evening, Jeanne packs her things and leaves a copy of an old photo of her mother for Simon. This picture was taken over 20 years ago. Before departing Canada, Jeanne stops by a pool. It’s the same spot where her mother fell ill a few months earlier.
Nawal was once a lively and joyful woman, but something changed. She stopped talking and engaging with the world, eventually passing away in the hospital after her condition worsened.
Flashback to almost four decades ago, Nawal was a carefree girl in love with a guy named Wahab. However, their happiness was short-lived. Nawal’s elder brothers intervened when they discovered her relationship with Wahab, a refugee’s son. Believing that Nawal’s actions brought shame upon the family, they tragically took Wahab’s life.
Heartbroken, Nawal revealed she was pregnant and endured the moralizing of her grandmother. Despite the difficult circumstances, she gave birth to a baby boy, marking his heel with three black dots. The family, concerned about societal repercussions, gave the child to an elderly woman for placement in an orphanage. Later, Nawal’s grandmother urged her to leave the city for Daresh, sensing impending danger.
Fast forward to Jeanne’s arrival in Lebanon, where she seeks help from a colleague of her math teacher and reconnects with old acquaintances. However, their efforts yield no results, and she’s directed to the information office. Yet, even there, she hits a dead end and is pointed to one of the university’s oldest teachers. This teacher recognizes Nawal in a photo from the university newspaper and identifies inscriptions behind her as belonging to Kfar Ryat, a prison in the southern part of the country.
As we step back in time, we see how Nawal’s determination led her to enter the university, honoring a promise she made to her grandmother for a better education.
Working for the student newspaper, Jeanne had no clue how swiftly and drastically her life would take a turn. Suddenly, the city streets were swarmed with military vehicles. Nationalists had seized control of the campus, launching a barrage of gunfire, targeting anyone associated with the university. Thankfully, Nawal was safe at home with her father and relatives, spared from harm’s way. Recognizing her education was compromised, Nawal makes a life-altering decision – she’s going to escape and search for the child taken from her at birth. Packing her belongings and deceiving her father, she slips away at dawn and heads south, near the two nearby orphanages, certain she’ll find her child.
Arriving at a military checkpoint, Nawal undergoes scrutiny. Amid the chaos, she spots a flood of people attempting to breach the fence, though she moves in the opposite direction, despite everyone fleeing due to the ongoing conflict. After a few hours, Nawal reaches the first shelter, noticing it’s exclusively populated by girls. The caretaker informs her that the boys were relocated to Clark three years prior, advising Nawal to go there. She continues her journey, arriving in a war-torn city where fierce battles have left buildings in ruins. A local resident discloses that the destroyed structure nearby was once the orphanage. Inside the remains, Nawal realizes her son didn’t survive, her grief pouring out in tears. A wise old man offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting the nearby camp as a potential haven for children. Determined not to succumb to despair, Nawal hits the road to flag down a bus en route to the camp. To avoid drawing attention, she discreetly removes her cross, a symbol of her faith. On her way to the camp, exhaustion claims her, and she awakens at the sound of male voices. Peering out the window, she witnesses armed men intercepting the bus and confronting the driver.
At a critical juncture, militants claim a man’s life and unleash a barrage of gunfire on a bus, sending its occupants to the other side. Nawal and another woman, along with a child, manage to survive. Witnessing the militants dousing the bus in gasoline, Nawal takes out a cross, revealing her Christian faith, and implores for mercy. One of the armed men grants her permission to depart, and Nawal seizes the opportunity, taking the child along, passing her off as her own daughter. The bus becomes a target and is set ablaze. Amid the chaos, the child, who has witnessed the entire ordeal, exposes the ruse by running back to her real mother, left behind on the bus. Realizing the deception, the man ruthlessly ends the child’s life with a fatal shot to her back.
Jeanne ventures into her mother’s historical homeland, hoping to unearth traces leading to her shadowy past. Sharing her mother’s photograph, she encounters a group of women who not only recognize Nawal but are also linked to her by family or close ties. Fueled by strong emotions, the women engage in heated arguments, branding Nawal a source of shame. Upon discovering Jeanne’s identity as Nawal’s daughter, they forcibly expel her from the village, urging her immediate departure. Surviving the bus carnage, Nawal’s journey leads her to Deressa, an empty and ravaged city. Learning that a refugee camp has been consumed by fire, she discovers that many lives were lost and the whereabouts of the survivors remain elusive. Accepting the grim reality that her search for her son may be in vain, Nawal makes a fateful decision to join the resistance against a far-right militant group. Through rigorous training and marksmanship, she readies herself for a critical mission – to shatter the enemy’s belief in their invincibility and ultimately challenge their power.
After a while, Nawal takes on a role as a French tutor for the son of a prominent Christian far-right leader. Each day, she heads to their country estate to teach the boy various languages and help him become multilingual. One evening, she receives a phone call with specific instructions. When she returns to the far-right leader’s house, Nawal seizes the perfect moment, swiftly dispatching the man with two precise shots. Following his demise, she is apprehended and sent to prison. In captivity, her hair is shorn and she’s confined to a cramped cell.
Meanwhile, Jeanne arrives in Kfar Ryat and explores the former prison where her mother was held. Now transformed into a museum, a young guide conducts tours, recounting the brutalities inflicted upon the inmates. Unaware of Jeanne’s connection, he suggests seeking out more experienced museum staff. Eventually, Jeanne encounters Fahim, a veteran prison warden of 13 years. Upon glimpsing Nawal’s photograph, Fahim immediately recognizes her as the singing woman. Nawal’s unwavering defiance and resilience earned her immense respect. Despite relentless efforts by the ultra-right group to break her, Nawal continued to sing and defy her oppressors, never bowing down. Fahim exhausted various methods, even sending the ruthless Abu Tarek to forcibly exploit her daily until she became pregnant.
However, Fahim remains unaware of the fate of Nawal’s child and advises Jeanne to locate the nurse who assisted in the delivery. After learning the harrowing truth, Jeanne contacts her brother Simon to reveal that their brother’s origins are rooted in the despicable acts of a man who brutally tormented their deceased mother. Simultaneously, Simon seeks legal assistance, enlisting a lawyer to accompany him to Lebanon in a bid to find Jeanne and bring her back to Canada. While the notary is willing to aid the siblings, he maintains that the work Nawal initiated must be completed. Reflecting on his past involvement, the notary recalls visiting Nawal shortly before her passing and personally composing letters intended to reach their rightful recipients.
Around two decades ago, Nawal endured brutal torture while imprisoned in Kfar Ryat. Amidst the torment and witnessing the mocking of fellow women, she found solace in singing, refusing to let it break her spirit. Soon, she faced the dreaded Abu Tarek, a heartless tormentor who assaulted her. It wasn’t long before Nawal discovered her pregnancy. Desperate to terminate it, Nawal tried various methods, even resorting to pressing her fists against her belly, but the pregnancy persisted.
Nine months later, she gave birth to twins, Jeanne and Simon. Although it was intended for a nurse and a guard to dispose of them by drowning, they couldn’t carry out such a cruel act and left the babies to fend for themselves.
In the present, the notary and Simon arrive in Lebanon and connect with local notary Madad, who assists them in settling down. While he can’t locate their father and brother, Madad easily finds Jeanne, enabling the twins to reunite. Despite Simon’s desire to return to Canada, Jeanne is determined to see their mission through. The twins discover that the nurse who aided in their mother’s prison birth is now in a hospital, prompting them to visit. The nurse discloses that Nawal indeed gave birth to twins and entrusted them to her care. Once the singing woman was released, the nurse returned the children but remained unaware of their subsequent fate. Learning this shocking truth, the twins grapple with the realization that they were conceived against their mother’s will and are the offspring of a heartless criminal who exploited a defenseless woman.
Fast-forward to their teenage years, Nawal’s son, Nihad, shows no mercy, hunting down and eliminating children one by one. In the present day, Jeanne and Simon unearth the identity of their older brother, Nihad, with scant information about him and their father. Yet, there are individuals who can provide answers. To uncover the truth, Simon ventures to the city where Nihad once lived, seeking people who can shed light on his brother. Initially skeptical, Simon’s persistence pays off when he receives an invitation to a tea party, offering hope that his quest might yield results.
Later that same day, two bodyguards pay a visit to Simon’s hotel room, inviting him to a confidential meeting. The person seeking him out is Chamseddine, an ex-militant who played a crucial role in Nihad’s life. Interestingly, Chamseddine also had a romantic relationship with Nawal two decades ago. He aided Nawal and her infant twins in leaving Lebanon for Canada, where Nihad eventually excelled as a top-notch sniper. As Nihad grew obsessed with finding his mother, he lost himself and committed terrible acts to attract attention.
Unable to locate Nawal, he spiraled into darkness and landed in prison, not as an inmate, but as an executioner. Shockingly, Nihad also turned out to be the sinister Abu Tarek, the same man who tormented Nawal in her past. When Simon returns to the hotel, he shares this grim revelation with Jeanne, leaving them both stunned by the realization that they are the offspring of their own brother.
Reflecting on the past, Jeanne finally comprehends her mother’s unusual behavior and speechlessness. While swimming, Nawal notices three black dots on Nihad’s leg and recognizes him as her son and the father of her children, confirming his survival and residency in Canada. Before her passing, Nawal left crucial messages for Jeanne and Simon to deliver. Back in Canada, they track down Nihad and hand him two letters. As he reads them, Nihad grasps the truth: the prisoner number 72, whom he forcibly took, was his own mother. Overwhelmed, he rushes outside to speak to the twins, but they have already departed. Jeanne and Simon return to the notary’s office, where they read Nawal’s third letter, which grants permission for her tombstone to be erected. A bit later, Nihad comes to the notary, filled with remorse for his actions, bringing our movie to its conclusion.
Themes and Symbolism: War, Identity, and Family
One of Incendies’ most compelling features is its thematic depth. At its core, the film explores the destructive impact of war on personal identity and family bonds. Nawal’s life is shaped by the violent political turmoil of her homeland, and the repercussions of her decisions echo through generations.
War and Trauma: The trauma inflicted by war is a central theme, as Nawal’s life is forever scarred by the violence she witnesses and endures. Through her character, Incendies highlights the dehumanizing nature of conflict and its long-lasting effects on individuals and their loved ones.
Identity and Legacy: The twins’ journey reflects the search for identity, not just their own but also that of their mother. They are forced to reckon with the complexities of their heritage and the legacy left behind by Nawal’s past. As they uncover their family’s darkest secrets, the film poses difficult questions about how much of our identity is shaped by our history and the choices of those who came before us.
Reconciliation and Forgiveness: Ultimately, Incendies is about reconciliation—with the past, with oneself, and with others. Despite the horrific truths they uncover, Jeanne and Simon must find a way to reconcile with their mother’s decisions and forgive the unimaginable.
Cinematography and Direction: A Visual Feast
Denis Villeneuve’s direction is nothing short of masterful. Incendies is beautifully shot, with stark, haunting visuals that complement the film’s dark themes. The Middle Eastern landscapes are captured with a raw, desolate beauty, evoking both the harshness of the environment and the inner turmoil of the characters.
Villeneuve’s use of silence and space is particularly striking. Many of the film’s most powerful moments are those where the characters are not speaking, but simply absorbing the weight of the revelations around them. The minimalistic approach to dialogue enhances the emotional impact of these scenes, allowing the viewer to fully immerse themselves in the gravity of the situation.
Flashbacks: The flashback sequences are seamlessly interwoven with the present-day narrative, giving the audience glimpses of Nawal’s traumatic past at crucial moments. These scenes are shot with a dreamlike quality, emphasizing the blurred line between memory and reality, and the inescapable grip of the past on the present.
Performances: A Tour de Force
Lubna Azabal’s portrayal of Nawal is nothing short of extraordinary. She captures the complexity of a woman torn apart by war, personal loss, and a relentless determination to survive. Azabal’s performance is raw and visceral, conveying Nawal’s pain, strength, and vulnerability with heartbreaking authenticity.
Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin and Maxim Gaudette, as the twins Jeanne and Simon, deliver equally compelling performances. Their evolving dynamic—Jeanne’s quiet determination contrasted with Simon’s initial reluctance and eventual emotional unraveling—is portrayed with nuance and depth. Their performances make the audience feel the weight of their discoveries as they peel back the layers of their family’s history.
The Shocking Climax: A Revelation That Changes Everything
Without spoiling the film for those who have not yet seen it, it’s safe to say that the final revelation in Incendies is one of the most shocking twists in cinematic history. It is a moment that recontextualizes everything that came before it and leaves both the characters and the audience grappling with the moral and emotional implications.
This climactic revelation is handled with such precision by Villeneuve that it never feels gratuitous or sensationalized. Instead, it serves as the emotional and thematic culmination of the film, forcing the characters—and the viewer—to confront the darkest corners of human experience and the possibility of forgiveness in the face of unimaginable pain.
Critical Reception: Acclaim and Impact
Incendies received widespread critical acclaim upon its release and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Critics praised its powerful storytelling, complex characters, and stunning cinematography. The film has since been regarded as one of Denis Villeneuve’s finest works and a standout in the war-drama genre.
Many reviewers highlighted the film’s exploration of the cyclical nature of violence, with its depiction of how trauma is passed down through generations. Incendies is a rare film that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally devastating, leaving a lasting impact on those who watch it.
Conclusion: A Haunting Masterpiece
Incendies is a haunting and emotionally resonant film that explores the depths of human suffering and the enduring effects of war and family trauma. Through its powerful performances, breathtaking cinematography, and unflinching narrative, the film leaves a profound impact on its audience.
Denis Villeneuve’s direction, combined with Lubna Azabal’s unforgettable performance, makes Incendies not just a film, but an experience—one that forces the viewer to confront difficult questions about identity, legacy, and the possibility of reconciliation in the face of horrific truths.
FAQs:
1. What is Incendies about?
Incendies tells the story of two siblings uncovering their mother’s secret past, set against the backdrop of war and family trauma.
2. Who directed Incendies?
Incendies was directed by Denis Villeneuve.
3. What are the main themes of Incendies?
The film explores war, trauma, identity, and family legacy.
4. What is the significance of the ending in Incendies?
The ending reveals a shocking truth that ties together the family’s history and deeply impacts the characters.
5. Is Incendies based on a true story?
No, it is based on a play by Wajdi Mouawad, though it reflects real-world conflicts and themes.
6. Why is Incendies considered a masterpiece?
Its emotional depth, complex characters, and stunning direction make it a standout film.
7. What languages are spoken in Incendies?
The film features French, Arabic, and English.
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