Drama,War,Mystery Canada,France
The movie Incendies follows the story of twins Jeanne and Simon Marwan, who are summoned to the office of a notary after their mother Nawal's death. In her will, Nawal has left them each a letter and tasked them with delivering the letters to their father, whom they believed was dead, and their brother, whom they never knew existed.
Shocked by this revelation, Jeanne, who is a mathematician, agrees to fulfill their mother's last wishes and travels to their mother's homeland, an unnamed Middle Eastern country, to uncover the truth about their family's past. Simon, on the other hand, is skeptical and reluctant to revisit painful memories, so he decides not to join his sister initially.
As Jeanne begins her journey, she becomes entangled in the political and religious conflicts that have plagued the region for decades. Through a series of flashbacks, the audience learns about Nawal's traumatic experiences during the civil war in that country. It is revealed that Nawal was a Christian who fell in love with a Muslim man, resulting in her pregnancy and consequent disgrace and rejection by her family.
As Jeanne delves deeper into her mother's past, she uncovers a harrowing secret: Nawal's family had disowned her and forced her to give up her firstborn son. Determined to find her brother and fulfill her mother's wishes, Jeanne navigates through a war-torn landscape and does not hesitate to confront the horrors of her mother's past.
Meanwhile, the story also focuses on Simon's journey. Initially hesitant, he begins to read their mother's letter and eventually decides to join Jeanne in the Middle East. Simon's perspective on their mother's story differs from Jeanne's, leading him to investigate their family's history from his own viewpoint.
As the film progresses, the twins' paths intertwine, leading them closer to their father and eventually to the shocking truth about their family's origins. Their journey takes them through the atrocities of war and hatred, but it also highlights the resilience and enduring love that can be found even in the darkest corners of humanity.
Incendies is a deeply emotional and thought-provoking film that explores themes of identity, the lasting impact of war, and the universal connections that bind us all together.