INCENDIES

The weight of facing an unbearable truth can choke you into silence. For the twins at the centre of this story, the truth of a family secret must be discovered to satisfy their dead mother’s final wishes. Incendies is an intense journey – from the first moments to the last. Moving from the stark landscape of present day French Canada, to the heartbreak of wartorn Lebanon, it tells the tragic story of one woman’s defiant struggle to survive against oppression from tradition, religion and war. The film is so incredibly beautiful that every frame feels like its own artwork.  And the acting, especially that of mother Nawal Marwan – played by Lubna Azabal – is superb. Refusing to gloss over any of the horrific realities of war, Incendies is a film that will stay with you long after the credits roll, with the weight of its secret passed on. (LZ) ****1/2