Free Men
Les hommes libres
France
2011
110 Min
Color
2.35:1
French
Synopsis
In Paris, in 1942. Arrested by the French police, Younes is accused of complicity and threatened with being shot. But the police detective offers him a deal: his freedom in exchange for keeping surveillance over the Paris Mosque, which is suspected of helping Resistance fighters and Jews. In the Mosque, Younes meets Algerian-born singer Salim Halali. Touched by his voice and personality, he becomes friends with him, discovering soon afterwards that he is Jewish. Despite the risks, Younes puts an end to his collaboration with the police. A friendship is born between Younes and Salim, which develops as events unfold. Anti-Jewish laws and German repression don’t prevent Salim from continuing his activities as a singer. But the net gradually tightens around him. One evening, Salim is arrested by the Gestapo who suspect him of hiding his Jewish identity. Faced with this barbarity, immigrant worker Younes, who has no political education, gradually turns into a freedom activist. –Cineuropa
Director
Ismaël Ferroukhi
Ismael Ferroukhi was born in Kenitra, Morocco. After directing his first short film, L’Exposé, which premiered at Cannes in 1993, Ferroukhi co-wrote the script for Cédric Kahn’s feature film Trop de Bonheur (1994). In 1995, Ferroukhi wrote and directed the short film L’Inconnu, and went on to direct two films for television––Akim (1997) and Petit Ben (1998). Le Grand Voyage (2004) is his first feature-length film. —Africultures
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Howard Orr
28Apr13
A good film that has one really exceptional plus point in its favour: Tahar Rahim, a brilliant actor, who has the rare and tantalising ability to play those beaten and abused characters who, through their torments, can become either Judases or saviours.
Hugo Resendiz Saldivar
20Sep12
Good movie, a little slow in times but there were good music and a couple of great scenes, like the one on the mosque with the little girl, getting out with the crowd. Tahar Rahim could make a great Altair.
davy
9Mar12
This is the first time I've ever seen German-occupied France from the perspective of anyone other than white French/German/Americans in a film. The story is told through Younes (Rahim) but he is not the true hero. The title belongs to Benghabrit (Lonsdale) and Salim (Shalaby). Rahim manages to be empathetic and full in a story that is not truly his. Overall this film could have been more involving.
Daniel Racine
31Oct11
Tahar Rahim est une bête de cinéma, un acteur instinctif et tellement passionnant à suivre.
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Rendez-Vous With French Cinema 2012
By David Hudson on March 1, 2012
This year’s edition includes Rendez-Vous +, “a potpourri of recent French documentaries and rarely screened classics.”
Toronto 2011. Days Nine and Ten
By Dan Sallitt on September 19, 2011
Our final days at the Toronto International Film Festival features two strong new films.
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Interesting history, lackluster film
By Michael Harbour on February 15, 2012
Certainly interesting, but rarely involving. A story of Muslims in Paris during the German occupation; some of whom are collaborators, some of whom are part of the Resistance, most of whom fall somewhere… read review
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