Incendies
A mother's last wishes send twins Jeanne and Simon on a journey to the Middle East in search of their tangled roots. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad's acclaimed play, Incendies tells the powerful and moving tale of two young adults' voyage to the core of deep-rooted hatred, never-ending wars and enduring love.
The film struggled financially against its small-scale budget of $6.8M, earning $6.8M globally (0% loss).
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 41 wins & 20 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Incendies (2010) showcases carefully calibrated dramatic framework, characteristic of Denis Villeneuve's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 11 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 4.8, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Opening image: A child soldier's head being shaved in preparation for war. Immediately establishes the film's devastating emotional landscape and the cycle of violence that haunts the story. This harsh "before" state sets the tone for the twins' ordinary Montreal life that will be shattered.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Jeanne decides to go to the Middle East to find answers, reading her mother's notebook with the first clues. This external event—the mother's posthumous revelation of hidden family—shatters the twins' understanding of their identity and makes their old life untenable. The mystery demands response.. At 10% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
At 59 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 45% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. Notably, this crucial beat False defeat: Jeanne discovers Nawal was "the woman who sings"—imprisoned and tortured for 15 years in the notorious Kfar Rayat prison. The heroic revolutionary narrative collapses into horror. What seemed like a quest for reunion becomes a descent into trauma. Stakes raised: the truth is far darker than imagined. This revelation sends Jeanne into crisis and finally brings Simon into the search., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 88 minutes (67% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The devastating revelation: Abou Tarek, their mother's torturer and rapist (their father), is Nihad—the son Nawal lost, the brother they were seeking. The convergence of father/brother/rapist/torturer represents total collapse. The "whiff of death" is the death of identity itself—the twins are products of incestuous rape, their brother is their father, the cycle of violence literally embodied in their existence., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 95 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 73% of the runtime. The finale: Simon and Jeanne deliver the letters to their father/brother. Nihad reads Nawal's letter, learning his mother became his victim. The confrontation resolves not in violence but in devastating recognition. The cycle breaks through revelation. The twins fulfill their mother's final wish, choosing truth and testimony over silence and shame. They reclaim their mother's story., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Incendies's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Incendies against these established plot points, we can identify how Denis Villeneuve utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Incendies within the drama genre.
Denis Villeneuve's Structural Approach
Among the 7 Denis Villeneuve films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 5.9, showcasing experimental approaches to narrative form. Incendies takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Denis Villeneuve filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Denis Villeneuve analyses, see Sicario, Dune: Part Two and Arrival.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Opening image: A child soldier's head being shaved in preparation for war. Immediately establishes the film's devastating emotional landscape and the cycle of violence that haunts the story. This harsh "before" state sets the tone for the twins' ordinary Montreal life that will be shattered.
Theme
Notary Jean Lebel reads Nawal's instructions: "Break the chain of anger." This encapsulates the film's central theme—can the revelation of truth break cycles of hatred and violence? The question of whether love and knowledge can overcome inherited trauma drives the entire narrative.
Worldbuilding
Establishing the twins' world in Montreal after their mother's death. Jeanne is emotional and seeking connection; Simon is angry and resistant. Their mother's will contains cryptic instructions and two sealed envelopes—one for a father they thought was dead, one for a brother they never knew existed. The setup reveals their fractured relationship and opposing responses to mystery.
Disruption
Jeanne decides to go to the Middle East to find answers, reading her mother's notebook with the first clues. This external event—the mother's posthumous revelation of hidden family—shatters the twins' understanding of their identity and makes their old life untenable. The mystery demands response.
Resistance
Jeanne's journey to the Middle East, guided by notary Lebel and her mother's notebook. She debates whether to continue, faces resistance, and begins retracing Nawal's past. Flashbacks show young Nawal's first love and pregnancy. Jeanne isn't ready for the full truth yet—she's still gathering pieces, learning the language of her mother's pain.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The "detective story" portion where Jeanne investigates her mother's past, uncovering Nawal's transformation from naive young woman to revolutionary fighter. Flashbacks show Nawal's radicalization after her son's disappearance, her training, and her infamous bus shooting. Jeanne explores this dark mirror world, piecing together her mother's double life. Simon remains in Montreal, resistant.
Midpoint
False defeat: Jeanne discovers Nawal was "the woman who sings"—imprisoned and tortured for 15 years in the notorious Kfar Rayat prison. The heroic revolutionary narrative collapses into horror. What seemed like a quest for reunion becomes a descent into trauma. Stakes raised: the truth is far darker than imagined. This revelation sends Jeanne into crisis and finally brings Simon into the search.
Opposition
Simon joins Jeanne; together they pursue the final pieces. Pressure intensifies as they get closer to Abou Tarek, the torturer. Flashbacks show Nawal's suffering in prison and her twins' birth from rape. The past closes in on the present. Every answer leads to darker questions. The twins' search becomes increasingly desperate as they sense they're approaching an unbearable truth.
Collapse
The devastating revelation: Abou Tarek, their mother's torturer and rapist (their father), is Nihad—the son Nawal lost, the brother they were seeking. The convergence of father/brother/rapist/torturer represents total collapse. The "whiff of death" is the death of identity itself—the twins are products of incestuous rape, their brother is their father, the cycle of violence literally embodied in their existence.
Crisis
The twins sit in stunned silence with the unbearable truth. Simon, who was resistant throughout, breaks down. Jeanne, who drove the search, must process what her determination has uncovered. The dark night where they must decide whether knowing was worth the cost. They sit with the weight of their mother's suffering and the horror of their origin.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The finale: Simon and Jeanne deliver the letters to their father/brother. Nihad reads Nawal's letter, learning his mother became his victim. The confrontation resolves not in violence but in devastating recognition. The cycle breaks through revelation. The twins fulfill their mother's final wish, choosing truth and testimony over silence and shame. They reclaim their mother's story.