''Incendies'' is a 2003 play by

Wajdi Mouawad Wajdi Mouawad, OC, (; born 1968) is a Lebanese-Canadian writer, actor, and director. He is known in Canadian and French theatre for politically engaged works such as the acclaimed play ''Incendies'' (2003). His works often revolve around famil ...

. The play was translated into English as ''Scorched'' by Linda Gaboriau and was published in 2005 by Playwrights Canada Press. The play was based on parts of the life of the Lebanese communist militant Souha Bechara. Charlotte Facet notes that Mouawad met with Bechara before writing the play, but adds that some of the material is adapted from

Randa Chahal Sabag Randa Chahal Sabag or Sabbagh (; December 11, 1953, in Tripoli, Lebanon, Tripoli – August 25, 2008 in Paris)"Award-winning filmmaker Randa Chahal Sabbagh passes away in Paris" by Jim Quilty. The Daily Star newspaper, Wednesday, August 27, 2008 w ...

's film work on and with Bechara, while noting that many of the characteristics of Bechara are divided among the main characters including Jeanne and Simon, rather than Nawal alone. It was the second part of a thematically-related, but not strictly sequential, trilogy of plays about characters of Middle Eastern origins confronting family secrets, preceded by ''Tideline (Littoral)'' and followed by ''Forests (Forêts)''.

Plot

''Incendies'' follows the journey of twins Jeanne (Janine in the English translation) and Simon, as they attempt to unravel the mystery of their mother's life. When Jeanne and Simon Marwan lose their mother, Nawal, they are instead left with a difficult mission that sends them on a journey to the Middle East in pursuit of their tangled roots and a long-lost brother.

Awards

The 2007 production at the

Tarragon Theatre The Tarragon Theatre is a theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and one of the main centers for contemporary playwriting in the country.

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

won two

Dora Mavor Moore Award The Dora Mavor Moore Awards (also known as the Dora Awards or the Doras) are awards presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), honouring theatre, dance and opera productions in Toronto. Named after Dora Mavor Moor ...

s, including Best Play and Best Director (for Richard Rose). The production has been remounted several times and went on a cross-Canada tour in 2008–2009.

Film version

''Incendies'' was adapted into a 2010 film of the same title by

Denis Villeneuve Denis Villeneuve Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, OAL (; ; born October 3, 1967) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. He has received seven Canadian Screen Awards as well as nominations for four Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, and two ...

. It stars Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, and Lubna Azabal. It was nominated for the 2011

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

References

{{Authority control 2003 plays Quebec plays French-language plays Canadian plays adapted into films Tragedy plays