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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Incendies



I still haven’t recovered from the shock after watching Incendies. After watching it, I couldn’t sleep or talk. I just wept. We sit here, so comfortable in our daily lives, shrouded by our own trifle issues, that we do not realize our life could have been tremendously worse that what it is.
War, famine, poverty, epidemics, discrimination, abuse, murders, terrorism.. we never envisage these things could even touch us. They only happen to others, they cannot possibly happen to us. And yet, people have gone through things we cannot even imagine.

I wept not only for Nawal Marwan, but for the entire humanity. For the injustice, for the atrocity, for the circumstances that compel humans to become so hard-hearted that they do not even blink before ending somebody else’s life. What must go through them to make them like that? Their conscience has to be dead for them to become so heartless. I wept for the destroyed homes and souls of the people who cannot get the undemanding pleasure of living a simple life. I wept for people who pray, for people who have faith and for people who have none. I wept for the silent, greasy tears that stream down a weary soldier’s cheek and fall onto a land which is divided into fragments for pathetic, greedy reasons. I wept for the blood baths, for the ravaged, raped, abandoned bodies and the withered consciences. I wept for all the pain, for children who lose their mothers, for families that are torn apart, for dreams that are shattered beyond repair, for hearts that are broken into smithereens. I wept for the millions of souls that are burnt and bludgeoned and tortured and killed and scorched in a world where that almighty being in the sky still looks down upon us and for those who believe he loves us all.

8 comments:

  1. one of the best foreign language films i watched in the recent past (along with 'A Separation'). a separation is an iranian movie that deals with a delicate scenario.

    one of the very few movies where every single frame makes sense. there is nothing left to chance n you wont have to even make some of the obvious assumptions movies often expect you to.

    you also enjoy genres like drama n the slow moving movies...in which there are many good non english movies. will let you know in case something that comes to my mind n i think you'd like it!

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  2. Haven't watched Incendies (In fact, I hadn't even heard of it!) but now it's on my movie rental list! Looks very interesting.

    I just read 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Hosseini and is an eye-opener about oppression on women in the Middle East. You should read it if you haven't already!

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  3. Manu, couldn't agree more! I died after watching it! Chee gave me separation alongwith Incendies :P So, yeah that's next on my list! :)
    You do let me know of the other good movies you know!

    GB, you HAVE to watch it! I read A Thousand Splendid Suns back when I was in 12th. I had loved it! Some parts of it were simply brilliant. Very powerful. The theme of Incendies is somewhat similar to the book.
    Also, 'The Kite Runner' by the same author is also excellent!

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    1. @astha - couple of foreign language movies that i really loved are 'life is beautiful' n 'cinema paradiso' - both are italian. if i remember correctly you have watched life is beautiful. watched the other one? if not, do watch. you'll like it a lot.

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  4. yeah Kite Runner is good!
    u know i hate to watch these movie ... they create such a load on ur psyche ... but once u start watching them ... they are irresistible ...

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  5. Manu, Yes I've seen Life is Beautiful. One of my favourite movies! :')
    I haven't watched the other one. Will do!

    Doo, I like watching such movies when I'm in the mood. And when I do watch them, I do full justice to them by openly feeling whatever I want to. I like the load sometimes. People make such awesome movies man. They're a class apart.

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  6. I weep because I am just another tiny cog in the wheel of life who has been lucky by chance. Ever felt guilty that we were too comfortable? I weep for the heaviness that one got to bear because they feel powerless to change the world.

    I avoid watching movies like this Astha. There is a lot of suffering in the world around, these seem to say. I already know it and hence indulge in escapism through my movies. I wish they would not only let me know but also hint on what I need to do to make a difference. End of the day, I guess we got to figure it ourselves!

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  7. You're so right, Sinduja. Many times, on the roads especially, when I'm en route to some party/event/college, and I see those traffic signal kids, it kills me inside. I feel weak and powerless and as you pointed out: guilty.

    People become stoics and turn a deaf ear to these things because they feel they can't do anything about it. People who lose their lives due to war, riots, natural calamities.. they're just headlines in newspapers. I don't want to escape from all of this. Sure, it makes you feel pathetic but I still want to feel it. I like that -blow-in-the-guts feeling. It makes you realize and think about a lot of things.
    Maybe it'll move you enough to make a change :)

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