Of Gods and men : Des Hommes et des Dieux

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Call Number: DVD FLC-FRE Of
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

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Downtown 1st Floor 1-week checkout	DVD FLC-FRE Of	1-week checkout	On Shelf

Previously released as a motion picture in 2010.
Jacques Herlin, Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale, Olivier Rabourdin, Philippe Laudenbach.
Eight French Christian monks live in harmony with their Muslim brothers in a monastery in the mountains of North Africa in the 1990's. When a crew of foreign workers are massacred by an Islamic fundamentalist group, fear sweeps though the region. The army offers them protection, but the monks refuse. Should they leave? Despite the growing menace in their midst, they slowly realize that they have no choice but to stay, come what may.
DVD region 4 ; PAL ; aspect ratio 16:9 ; Dolby digital 5.1, stereo 2.0.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Of Gods and Men submitted by leighsprauer on March 19, 2023, 7:01am Oh, this is such an amazing movie. I can't stop thinking about it. It's the true story of a small community of Trappist monks at the Abbey of Our Lady of Atlas in Algeria. The monks had lived with, and served, the predominantly Muslim people of the city for many years, until in 1996 they were kidnapped by Islamic extremists. The movie shows them grappling with the rise in violence, as they decide whether to leave or stay in the increasingly dangerous area.
The movie is quite slow-paced throughout, and begins with showing the ordinary, peaceful lives of the monks: running a small clinic, gardening and selling their produce, living in community, and most importantly, prayer. The foreign way of life of monks is not shied away from: singing the Office, Mass, private prayer, and private devotions are all shown with respect and dignity. They are strange - kissing an icon of Jesus, writing love letters to Jesus - but not weird. They are also respected and respectful members of their community: attending religious and cultural events, learning the Quran, befriending them. And they are human: they're scared. Many of them want to leave. After all, they signed up to be monks, not martyrs! After much prayer, which is after all the solution to problems, and thought, they decide to stay, ultimately leading to their death. (Before their deaths they made it clear that they did not seek death, and would attempt to avoid it. Two were able to hide and survive.)
All in all, just a great movie, and a great homage to the men whose lives were lost. Even if you are not Christian, their humility, courage, and faithfulness is inspiring.