The National Arts Centre today congratulated the creators of Incendies, the critically-acclaimed film produced and directed by Denis Villeneuve for its Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 83^rd Academy Awards to take place on February 27, 2011. 

The film is based on a play by Wajdi Mouawad, writer, director, actor, and artistic director of the National Arts Centre (NAC) French Theatre. Quebec filmmaker, Denis Villeneuve was so moved by the play when he first saw it in Montreal in 2004, that he decided to adapt it into a screenplay and eventually turn it into a film.

“Incendies the film was inspired by Incendies the play, which was inspired by a woman, Soha Becharra, who was imprisoned for six years in Khiam, in southern Lebanon,” explained Wajdi Mouawad. “For me, the success of this play and the film is a way to give back some life to a woman whose life was taken away from her.”

“Incendies was a groundbreaking work of Canadian Theatre when it premiered in 2003,” said Peter Herrndorf, President and CEO of the National Arts Centre. “Now it is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the finest Canadian films ever made. The National Arts Centre congratulates Denis Villeneuve and Wajdi Mouawad and wishes them the best at the Oscars.”

The film – about a pair of siblings who travel to the Middle East to unravel the war-ravaged mysteries of their mother’s past – has been lavished with praise at several recent film festivals in Venice, Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Abu Dhabi, and Valladolid Spain.

The National Arts Centre would also like to congratulate another great Canadian film Barney’s Version, based on a book by Mordecai Richler,  for its Oscar nomination in the best makeup category. Barney’s Version received its Ottawa premiere at the National Arts Centre on November 2, 2010.

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Rosemary Thompson
Director of Communications
National Arts Centre
office (613) 947-7000 ext 260
cell (613) 762-4118
rthompson@nac-cna.ca