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Destiny
Destiny
7.9
/10
678 Ratings

DESTINY

Al-massir

Directed by Youssef Chahine
France, Egypt, 1997
Comedy, Drama

Synopsis

In medieval Córdoba, Spain, under Arab rule, a secular and multicultural society flourished. There, liberal philosopher Ibn Rushd (known in the West as Averroes) is faced with the fanatical ideas of a fundamentalist Islamic sect.

Synopsis

In medieval Córdoba, Spain, under Arab rule, a secular and multicultural society flourished. There, liberal philosopher Ibn Rushd (known in the West as Averroes) is faced with the fanatical ideas of a fundamentalist Islamic sect.

Our take

One of Youssef Chahine’s late epics is a historical melodrama, an exhilarating musical, and a political plea all at once. Made as a reaction to the rise of religious fundamentalism in 1990s Egypt, Destiny is a vibrant tale that conveys the words of the philosopher it portrays: “Ideas have wings.”