Of Gods and Men

Winner of the Grand Prix at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, and of both the Lumière Award and the César Award for Best Film, Xavier Beauvois’s critically acclaimed film is largely based upon the monastery of Tibhirine. Nine Trappist monks lived in harmony with the largely Muslim population of Algeria, until seven of them were abducted in 1996 during the Algerian Civil War by the GIA (Armed Islamic Group).

The narrative largely focuses on the peace between the Christian monks and local Muslims, demonstrating how the situation became lethal due to external forces of fundamentalist violence. Although the film focuses on the daily lives of the monks, it raises issues around the crumbling of the government, the growth of terrorism and the confrontations between the monks and the authorities in the time running up to their deaths.

The film was largely shot in documentary style, with the principal photography taking place in Morocco at a desolate and abandoned monastery. The cinematography is beautiful, with a remarkable attention to authenticity. The performances by the actors are equally flawless and touching.

Of Gods and Men is a beautifully deep and thought-provoking film, raising universal issues through a highly topical narrative through the demise of the Cistercian brotherhood to the jihadist uprising of 1996. It’s an engaging and touching film that is certainly worth a watch.

Fionna McLauchlan