Free Men (Ismael Ferroukhi, 2011): Belgium

Reviewed by Natanya Maskart. Viewed at the Metro 4 Theatre, Santa Barbara

The movie Free Men inspired by true stories is a culturally captivating story of a young Algerian immigrants journey finding himself and what he believes in through a unique and innovative story going through world war II and the French resistance. This is a very interesting movie which gives a new approach to the commonly redundant movies on world war II and the discrimination of the jewish people. This drama is filled with integrity, determination and courage of the members of the french mosque who risk their lives to hide and protect the jewish people and help keep them safe by providing them with fake papers to show the german army.

The main character Younes is played by the talented Tahar Rahim who is commonly known by his film The Prophet which he stars in. In Free Men his character Younes is arrested and given an ultimatum which he accepts and agrees to be a spy  within the pristine walls of the Mosque. His duty it trying to find out who is providing the jewish people with the false identification papers and protecting them.  He then unexpectedly joins the French resistance after becoming good friends with a jewish man Salim Halali played by Arab Israeli Mahmud Shalaby and seeing the struggle of what the jewish people were going through and what unjust things were happening to them.  Salim Halali plays a local singer who performs at a local bar and restaurant almost daily. His voice and the music that is played in this film is culturally captivating and beautiful.

The way in which this film was shot and edited helps be the second story teller in this film, and changes the feeling and mood of the audience with different lighting, camera angles and sound incorporated into the movie. This film and story is so interesting because it sheds light on a topic that is currently intriguing and sensitive to many in todays world because in the middle east there is a war going on between the jewish people and arab world. In most modern day films and news casts all we see is conflict and negativity between Jews and Arabs.

While in this film we get to see these two religions and ways of life get along with one another and the compassion they have. This sheds a bright light on the arab people who risked a lot to help out the jewish people  where in todays day they do not have the best relationship with getting along and helping out one another.  I think that this was a great film and that many people who are interested in political issues and wars would really enjoy this film and the message and story it has. The acting was one of the best i have seen in the Santa Barbara Film Festival and the story is so beautiful.