Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Experiences from the other side of the world

There's a movie currently showing in some of our cinemas which may pass by the majority of viewers ... but which should be seen by most.



The title is Of Gods and Men.  Filmed in French and Arabic, it is set in Algeria and is the story of a small group of Trappist monks who live in the midst of an impoverishd community and who must decide whether to return to France because of the threat of a group of fundamentalists, or to stay where they are despite the possibility of ever-growning hostilities.
Rarely does a movie leave its audience silent for a period of time following the final frames, but this is one of those films.  The truth is that the sufferings of humanity are only seen and admitted by those who want to admit that they exist.  Especially with the distance of geography, much of the world may be truly ignorant (in the classic sense of the word) of the plight of our brothers and sisters.  Thanks to films such as these, the reality can be presented to the viewing audience.

The question is will people watch? and even if they do will they remain apathetic to the truths that are unfolding right under their noses?

No comments: