There are many different reasons that nations go to war, and what unites all of them is that many of those affected have nothing to do with the inherent conflict. It’s a concept that might be difficult for modern-day Americans to relate to since most of the wars from our lifetime have been fought on foreign soil; the domestic population doesn’t feel the impact in the same way. But there are so many civilians, throughout history, who have seen their lives irreversibly changed by a war they never asked for that doesn’t benefit them. Oualid Mouaness’ feature debut 1982, which was Lebanon’s official Oscar entry for 2019 (and finally getting a US release) offers a strong and stirring take on that idea with the 1982 Lebanon War.
1982 takes place over the course of a day in the title year when a group of schoolchildren go about their ordinary lives as military clashes in the distance come ever closer...
The central character is Wissam (Mohamad Dalli), an eleven-year-old boy who is trying to figure out the best way to tell a girl that he likes her, receiving questionable advice from his friend about how to go about it. Even when the children spot war planes in the sky and can no longer focus on their tests as parents are frantically called and buses arrive to transport them to somewhere safer, Wissam remains intent on his main mission.
Among the cast in 1982 is Nadine Labaki, a Lebanese actress who also works as a filmmaker. Her most recent film, Capernaum, was nominated for the Best International Feature Oscar for 2018, and that project serves as an excellent point of comparison for this one.
Nadine Labaki as Yasmine, proctoring a math exam on a fateful day in 1982
Though Labaki is only an actress this time and Mouaness writes and directs, both films are about children existing in a way that transcends maturity, immune to the events of the world around them for as long as their world contains only one thing. They also both make terrific use of their young leads, with Dalli, in his first film role, an excellent discovery.
While 1982 is about a particular conflict and includes a memorable line about how neither of the factions at war are on the side of the local population, it also has a universal power to pay tribute to those who may not have lost their lives or even their homes, but instead have seen the comfort and normalcy of their everyday existence transformed despite having no say in the matter. 1982 is an ode to a moment in time and to the people of Lebanon, but it also has a poignancy that should feel rich and relevant to anyone watching. B+
Mohammad Dalli as Wissam
1982 opens in New York on June 10th, and in Los Angeles on June 24th. Learn more about the film here.