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- 2022
- Tricycle Logic
- 1 h 40 m
- 2022
- Tricycle Logic
- 1 h 40 m
Summary During the 1982 invasion of Lebanon at a private school on the outskirts of Beirut, 11-year-old Wissam tries to tell a classmate about his crush on her, while his teachers on different sides of the political divide, try to mask their fears.
Directed By: Oualid Mouaness
Written By: Oualid Mouaness, Oualid Mouaness
- 2022
- Tricycle Logic
- 1 h 40 m
- 2022
- Tricycle Logic
- 1 h 40 m
1982
59
7.9
Where to Watch
Summary During the 1982 invasion of Lebanon at a private school on the outskirts of Beirut, 11-year-old Wissam tries to tell a classmate about his crush on her, while his teachers on different sides of the political divide, try to mask their fears.
Directed By: Oualid Mouaness
Written By: Oualid Mouaness, Oualid Mouaness
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 9 Critic Reviews
59
78% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
22% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 9 Critic Reviews
59
78% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
22% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
These kids might not have a full grasp on the situation that’s unfolding, but they definitely understand how precarious things have become in order to exit their shells. They awaken their desires while the adults gradually shutdown, knowing that nothing will ever be the same again.
Working with a shrewdly limited setting, Mouaness skillfully gives the film a near-real-time feel, conveying a sense that the war is approaching through small-scale details like radio broadcasts, Wissam’s observation that pigeons have flown unusually close to the school and the volume and frequency of aerial noise.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 9 User Ratings
7.9
78% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
11% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
11% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 9 User Ratings
7.9
78% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
11% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
11% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
The vibrant and evocative film 1982 is an in-depth examination of the human condition and resilience of a school in the preliminary hours of bombings in Lebanon by Israeli forces. The writer, director, and producer of this film, Oualid Mouaness, was able to accurately replicate these historical events because they are part of his memories as a school-age child growing up in Lebanon during a time of war. Being created from a place of truth is one of the strongest attributes of this movie. Because Lebanon is Oualid’s home, and these were events that he went through, he is able to insert himself and his emotions a lot more freely into the movie. He also exemplifies excellence as a director working with children, because the acting from Mohamad Dalli and Gia Madi, who play Wissam and Joanna respectively, as well as from the rest of the cast of students is superior. I was truly convinced by their displays of emotion and felt immersed in the classroom myself. 1982 was able to compel me emotionally in a way I haven’t felt in a long time. I am in love with this movie and will watch it many times over!
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One of the most astounding aspects of the film “1982” has to be the amazing performances of both the adult and child actors and actresses. Oualid Mouaness must be an experienced and welcoming director to get these children to act in a way that is so true to their childlike nature, even in times of war. What is even more interesting is how the problems faced by both children and adults alike seem just as valid if not acting as a mirror to one another. Life doesn’t just stop in war, and people are faced with difficult choices to make. Do you risk your crush not liking you, if you feel like it could save her life? Can you put aside differences for the safety of others in your care? The audience can feel the weight of each decision because Oualid has outdone himself with this film, and I look forward to seeing more of his work.
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All the narrative ideas are sound—comparing and contrasting schoolyard perspectives based on age, gender and experience is a great premise—yet for all of its resonant human ideas and modest aesthetic strengths, Mouannes’s film feels a little half-finished.
While the young actors draw us into this recognizable world of secret notes and schoolyard fights, Mouaness’ insistence that love is a unifying force and opened-hearted acceptance is all we need doesn’t quite match the intensity of the aggression and bloodshed that the film is re-creating.
If the children feel like symbols — sweet and touching, but not quite real — the adults provide a profusion of reality.
Imperfect as it is, this often-intuitive piece with a strong observational eye personifies the notion of the calm before the storm.
Perhaps if it had assumed the point of view of one character, such as a longtime teacher at the school, the film might have been invested with some weight and insight. Instead, it just sort of sits there onscreen, provoking no special reaction one way or the other.
I never expect too much from directorial debuts, but Oualid Mouaness truly blew me away with his 2019 film 1982. The film follows the course of a day as a young man named Wissam struggles with revealing his feelings to a girl in his fifth-grade class. Simultaneously, the adults in the school grow wary of the war waging outside of the school walls during the Israel invasion of Beirut. Mouaness leans toward a more minimalist style of filmmaking by reducing dialogue and allowing the actors' expressions to do the talking, which was easy given the talented actors in the film. Mohammad Dalli, the actor who portrays Wissam, captures audiences with his deep yet innocent expressions. Another talent that shined was Nadine Labaki, who plays Wissam`s school teacher. Labaki`s performance stood out to me because throughout the movie you can see the fear in her eyes grow but she must always stay composed so as not to scare the children. This film puts audiences in both the role of the innocent child who has no idea what is going on and the experienced adult who is aware of the severity of their situation. I was hooked from start to finish!
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A major theme of Mouannes’ “1982,” is the frenzied and confusing tragedy of friendships and innocence lost earlier than they should be. A major element of the plot is the friendship between Wissam, portrayed competently by Mohamad Dalli, and Majid, portrayed amiably by newcomer Ghassan Maalouf. We see their friendship overcome challenges and miscommunications and arguments over the girl Wissam likes, but in the end they both, as guys tend to do, make up and forget about it. However, by the end of the film, the strength of their friendship is rendered potentially tragically moot by the invasion. We see the boys split up as Majid’s mother picks him up to take him home, and they are separated but believe they will see each other again, though it is never made clear if that is really the case. This happens again when Joanna is told to leave her friend for the bus. The camera lingers and we never see her again. When Labaki’s character tells her coworker and former lover that she is not getting on the bus, she assures him that they, “Weren’t wasting time,” and, though she asks to be informed when he is home, it feels like a goodbye. During the exam, when the first kid is told to leave the classroom, he takes a long look at his classmates. It is likely this will be the last time that he sees many of them. While it is not confirmed that these characters died, the frenzied and hurried panic of a crisis is captured within “1982” accurately, and it not until after the fact that we evaluate the damages, a point in time not shown within the film, leaving these fates ambiguous. These children are forced to mature by this invasion. Many of their loved ones are unaccounted for and their childhoods are violently ended, yet the ending of the film, in a grandiose and spectacular fashion, offers a glimmer of hope that a spark of childlike wonder, of fun and joy, is not impossible to be recaptured.
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Production Company
Tricycle Logic,
Abbout Productions,
Barentsfilm,
Boo Pictures,
Ginger Beirut Production,
MAD DOG FILMS,
Soapbox Films
Release Date Jun 10, 2022
Duration 1 h 40 m
Awards
The Lebanese Movie Awards
• 2 Wins & 8 Nominations
Castellinaria International Festival of Young Cinema
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
El Gouna Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
