Of Gods and Men

Also known as Des hommes et des dieux

2010 film by Xavier Beauvois

Film · TMDB

6.7

A group of Trappist monks reside in the monastery of Tibhirine in Algeria, where they live in harmony with the largely muslim population. When a bloody conflict between Algeria's army and Muslim Jihadi insurgents disrupts the peace, they are forced to consider fleeing the monastery and deserting the villagers they have ministered to. In the face of deadly violence the monks wrestle with their faith and their convictions, eventually deciding to stay and help their neighbours keep the army and the insurgents at bay.

Released: 2010-09-08120 minDir: Xavier BeauvoisDrama, HistoryBudget: $4.0MBox office: $41.4M

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Cast

Lambert Wilson as Christian
Michael Lonsdale as Luc
Olivier Rabourdin as Christophe
Philippe Laudenbach as Célestin
Jacques Herlin as Amédée
Loïc Pichon as Jean-Pierre

Themes

~12 min read

Article

Of Gods and Men is a 2010 French drama film directed by Xavier Beauvois, starring Lambert Wilson and Michael Lonsdale. Its original French language title is Des hommes et des dieux, which means "Of Men and of Gods" and refers to a verse from the Bible shown at the beginning of the film. It centers on a true story that happened in the monastery of Tibhirine, where nine Cistercian monks lived in harmony with the largely Muslim population of Algeria, until seven of them were kidnapped and murdered in 1996 during the Algerian Civil War.

Largely a tale of a peaceful situation between local Christians and Muslims before becoming a lethal one due to external forces, the screenplay focuses on the preceding chain of events in decay of government, expansion of terrorism, and the monks' confrontation with both the terrorists and the government authorities that led up to their deaths. Principal photography took place at an abandoned monastery in Azrou, Morocco.