Alongside our Advent book, ‘Do Not Be Afraid: The Joy of Waiting in a Time of Fear’ by Rachel Mann, we are encouraging people – where they can – to watch the film ‘Of Gods and Men’ (2010).
It is the very moving story of the monastery of Tibhirine in northern Algeria, where nine Cistercian monks lived in harmony with the largely Muslim population until seven of them were kidnapped and assassinated in 1996, during the Algerian Civil War.
The film premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Grand Prix, the festival’s second most prestigious award. It became a critical and commercial success in its domestic market and won both the Lumières Award and César Award for Best Film. It scored 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
One commentator wrote, “What an incredibly moving piece. The Christian faith is shown in all its glory, in this production. When faced with saving their own lives and abandoning those of the villagers (many impoverished and caught in the middle of a war between Islamic extremists and the local government) or staying and displaying the true meaning of Christianity, the monks stayed…and paid the ultimate price for doing so.”
There will be the chance to join an online discussion to explore the themes of the book and the film. Tuesday 17th December at 7.00pm. Zoom link here. Meeting ID: 847 6300 1381. Passcode: 879382.
Picture above: Theatrical release poster above by Allocine.fr, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28059989