Award-winning Writer/Director/Producer Oualid Mouaness talked with our Gadi Elkon about his moving film, 1982.
“1982” is a life-affirming coming-of-age tale set at an idyllic school in Lebanon’s mountains on the eve of a looming invasion. It unfolds over a single day and follows an 11-year-old boy’s relentless quest to profess his love to a girl in his class. As the invasion encroaches on Beirut, it upends the day, threatening the entire country and its cohesion. Within the microcosm of the school, the film draws a harrowing portrait of a society torn between its desire for love and peace and the ideological schisms unraveling its seams.
This youthful look at the 1982 Lebanon war marks the feature film debut for Oualid. The story is extremely personal and has autobiographical elements while set in a fictionalized retelling of Oualid’s memories of the time. He and Gadi talked about keeping the children’s perspective for a majority of the film, gathering such an amazing cast including Nadine Labaki, the wonderful sound design, the fantastical closure to the film, and much more!
Interview with Filmmaker Oualid Mouaness:
The film is opening in select theaters next Friday the 10th which happens to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the start of the Lebanon war on June 6th of 1982. The film will expand to more cities in the following weeks.
For more information on the groundbreaking film please go to 1982.
