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Latest items? Unedited? Fringe Report Uncut
Des Hommes Et Des Dieux (2010) (Of Gods And Men)
Verdict: Intimate and inspired
[BACKGROUND NOTE FOR INFORMATION: The film is a drama based on real events. 7 of 9 catholic French monks at their monastery Abbaye Notre-Dame de l'Atlas, in the Atlas mountains at Tibhirine near to Médéa in Algiers, were abducted - probably by terror group GIA - on 26 March 1996. 56 days later, on 21 May 1996, their throats were cut and their heads cut off. Their bodies were buried at the monastery on 4 June 1996. The circumstances of their imprisonment and deaths remain unclear. Details at sites including http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbaye_Notre-Dame_de_l%27Atlas, and Les Martyrs d'Algérie 1994-1996, item Le sept Frères de Tibhirine, url http://www.africamission-mafr.org/sang_martyr.htm. Both articles are in French and can be translated to any language by putting the urls in eg Google Translate http://translate.google.co.uk. The real names of the monks killed are: Frère Christian de Chergé (1937-1996), Frère Luc Dochier (1914-1996), Frère Christophe Lebreton (1950-1996), Frère Michel Fleury (1944-1996), Frère Bruno Lemarchand (1930-1996), Frère Célestin Ringeard (1933-1996), Frère Paul Favre-Miville (1939-1996). Survivors: Frère Amédée (1920-2008), Frère Jean-Pierre Schumacher (b1924) (Succeeded Frère Christian de Chergé in 1997). Source: articles cited.]
The eight French monks at the catholic monastery in a village in an arabic-speaking country in Northern Africa get on well with their mainly Muslim neighbours. Brother Christian (Lambert Wilson) is head of the monastic community, knows the Koran well, and he, Brother Luc (Michael Lonsdale) and the others are invited to a religious ceremony at the local mosque for the young son of one of the villagers. The monks are farmers and sell honey which they have made at the local market along with their neighbours. Brother Luc is a doctor, and he tends to the villagers and their children including Saloua (Maria Bouslam) and her little daughter (Soukaïna Bouslam), for whom he also finds a pair of the trainers she desperately wants. A local young woman who helps the monks till their farm is in love with someone - and it's not Khaled whom her father would like her to marry. She asks Brother Luc what love feels like. He tells her. Was he ever in love, she asks? Many times, he says, till he found a higher love - 60 years ago.
This harmony exists in a country cut apart by a terror group claiming to act in the name of Islam at war with what Brother Christian describes as a corrupt government. The guerillas slaughter the manager (Goran Kostic) of a group of Croat construction workers (Stanislas Stanic, Arben Bajraktaraj) building a new road. The guerillas arrive at the monastery with guns on Christmas Eve demanding that Brother Luc comes with them to tend to their wounded members. Christian stands up to them, unarmed, and refuses to allow this - the doctor and scarce medicines are for the local population. He says that anyone coming to the clinic for treatment will be treated without questions. And that tonight is the birth of Christ, recognised in the Koran. Gangster leader Ali Fayattia (Farid Larbi) accords him reluctant respect, shakes his hand, and leaves.
The community - Christophe (Olivier Rabourdin), Célestin (Philippe Laudenbach), Amédée (Jacques Herlin), Jean-Pierre (Loïc Pichon), Michel (Xavier Maly), Paul (Jean-Marie Frin), plus Luc and Christian, and later Bruno (Olivier Perrier) - meet and discuss in detail. Some are in favour of leaving. The national government want them to leave at once. Celestin was held at gunpoint in the raid: 'I became a monk to live, not to lie back and have my throat cut'; he says they should leave. Christian is adamant: 'The good shepherd doesn't abandon his flock to the wolves.' Jean-Pierre says they should stay. Paul says they should leave. Luc: stay. Amédée, an elderly monk: don't know. Michel is afraid to stay. Christian says it's too early to decide. Iman Sidi Larbi (Benhaïssa Ahouari), his colleague Hadji (Idriss Karimi), and a prominent woman from the village desperately want them to stay. The village exists under the protection of the monastery she says: 'We're the birds. You're the branch. If you leave, we lose our footing.' But Luc is worn out - he's dealing with 150 visits a day treating villagers under terrible stress; and their terrified children.
Ali Fayattia is killed by the army. The colonel (Abdellah Chakiri) gets Chistian to identify the body - which has been dragged alive through the streets - and tells him Fayattia had been protecting the monastery. The colonel is furious with Christian's attempt to pray over the dead and mutilated body. The guerillas are a threat to the monastery, and so are the army. The villagers want them to stay. Within the monastery, the men are torn within themselves.
Constantly the monks have prayed. Their prayer and rituals form the centre of the film, as does each man's internal struggle. Photography by Caroline Champetier, direction and adapted dialogue by Xavier Beauvois from Etienne Comar's screenplay, are careful and intimate. One by one, each man overcomes his doubts, under the religious and intellectual (and frankly, inspired emotional and perceptive man-management) of Christian. They reach unity of mind and purpose, dedicated accord, and serenity. They will stay come what may. And it comes.
Cast Credits: IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt1588337/
Company Credits: IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt1588337/
END
John Park
reviewed Tuesday 5 October 2010 / Press screening / NFT3, National Film Theatre, London UK
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012