Les mécréants

On the orders of their spiritual leader, three young Islamists kidnap a troupe of promising actors. When the extremists arrive at the specified place of detention, they find themselves cut off from their base. Besri’s drama, which deals with the thorny issue of Islamic radicalism, places in one corner men convinced of the legitimacy of their violent struggle, and in the other a company of young individuals who, thanks to their artistic disposition, are more inclined towards an open-minded view of the world. Both groups are confronted with the advent of the modern world but each takes its own stand. Seven days of forced seclusion destroy any sense of security they might have had. Then come the doubts and the uncertainty, but also the knowledge that people have a lot in common despite their differences. Mohcine Besri successfully develops a story that gives even the radical Islamists a human face without acquiescing whatsoever in their depraved thinking. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)