“Of Men and Gods” is French blockbuster

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By Anita Elash

French audiences are flocking to the cinema this holiday season, but not for the usual helping of action movies and dodgy Santas. The big hit is an art house film that explores religion and spirituality.

“Of Men and Gods” won the Grand Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It’s since become the most popular French art house film in the last thirty years. More than three million people have seen it, and that’s a little surprising in a country that’s resolutely secular.

“Of Men and Gods” is quiet, contemplative, and even by French art house standards, extraordinarily slow. In one scene, the camera lingers as seven monks perform their daily prayers.

Over the next two hours, the movie follows them as they dispense medicine and fellowship to Muslims in the Algerian community where they live.

The film takes place in 1996, at the height of the Algerian civil war. And it revolves around a moral and existential debate. Should the monks give in to their fears of Islamist violence and leave, or should they stay in a country they love?

Part of the film’s appeal is the fact it’s based on a true story. In 1996, France was shocked when seven Trappist monks were kidnapped and killed in Algeria. Their murderers were never found.

Ten years later, with Islamic extremism dominating headlines, screenwriter Etienne Comar decided to tell the story of the monks’ lives. Comar said “Of Men and Gods” is neither a historical nor a religious film.

“The most important thing for us was to keep the spirit of what the monks were doing,” he said. “It’s more a universal story about faith, about sincerity and how to be in order about what you think and what you are doing.”

Arnaud Schwartz, a French film critic, said he thinks the film has attracted a secular audience because it addresses basic human values that go far beyond religious belief.

“I think of it as an ‘internal adventure’ film,” Schwartz said. “Even though there’s very little action in the movie, action is essential for each of the monks because they’re struggling with the most important decision of their lives.”

Schwartz said that “Of Men and Gods” has a lot in common with France’s last big homegrown hit, a slapstick comedy called “Welcome to the Chtii.”

That movie was released two years ago and became the most popular French film ever in France. Schwartz said the link between the two very different films is that they both deal with friendship and community bonds.

“That’s what’s missing in modern society — human connection,” Schwartz said. “When a film shows people coming together it catches on because life these days is harsh.”

“Of Men and Gods” is France’s submission for this year’s Academy Award for best foreign film. It opens in the US in February. Download MP3

Note: Anita Elash’s report includes the translated title “Of Men and Gods”. Sony Picture Classics is releasing the film with the title “Of Gods and Men”.

• Of Men and Gods official site
• Review: Of Men and Gods by Philip French