Of Gods and Men (film)
Encyclopedia
Of Gods and Men is a 2010 French drama film directed by Xavier Beauvois
, starring Lambert Wilson
and Michael Lonsdale
. Its original French 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 the monastery of Tibhirine, where nine Trappist
monks lived in harmony with the largely Muslim population of Algeria, until seven of them were kidnapped and assassinated 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 with careful attention to authenticity.
The film premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
where it won the Grand Prix
, the festival's second most prestigious award. It became a big critical and commercial success in its domestic market. It won both the Lumière Award and César Award for Best Film
.
, Psalm 82
:6-7: "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes." The monks' peaceful routine of the prayer, medical assistance, and community interaction is soon interrupted by the threat of Islamic fundamentalists. When Christian, their elected leader, declines the protection of the corrupt civil authority, the monks divide amongst themselves on the question of whether to stay or flee Algeria. Before a decision is reached, a group of fundamentalists, led by Ali Fayattia, enters the monks' compound in force on Christmas eve and demands their doctor and his medical supplies. Christian refuses their requests and cites the Koran as proof of the monks' goodwill. With a mixture of surprise and respect, Fayattia leaves the compound unmolested and grants it his protection until his capture, torture and death at the hands of government forces. Despite the growing danger, the monks come to consensus on the moral importance of holding their ground and refusing to bow to the threat of arms. Ultimately, the terrorists seize most of the monks during a nighttime raid and hold them hostage. As the captive monks trudge a snowy path towards a grim fate, the film concludes with the spiritual testament of prior
Christian de Chergé, bravely written in the event of his death.
monks from the monastery of Tibhirine, Algeria, were kidnapped and found beheaded. The Armed Islamic Group of Algeria claimed full responsibility for the incident. However, according to documents from French secret services, it is possible that the killing was a mistake carried out by the Algerian army
during a rescue attempt.
The film project was initiated by Etienne Comar in 2006, when the tenth anniversary of the incident made it a topic again in French media. Comar, a film producer by profession and a Catholic, had been fascinated by the monks since the earliest notions of the abduction, but felt that their death had overshadowed what he thought was really interesting: why they had decided to stay in Algeria despite the ongoing Algerian Civil War
. Comar contacted Xavier Beauvois
in 2008 after having written a draft, and together they continued to work on the screenplay. The two researched, met with theologians and during a break Beauvois chose to live for six days at the Tamié Abbey
in Savoie. Some inspiration was taken from writings by two of the Tibhirine monks, Christian de Chergé and Christophe Lebreton. Franco-American monastic consultant Henry Quinson was asked to correct and add historical and liturgical content for further authenticity. The script was later sent to relatives of the deceased monks, most of whom reacted positively to the project.
The financing coincided with the revelation of the Algerian army's possible involvement in the incident, which once again sparked an interest for the story from media and the public. Production was led by Why Not Productions with Armada Films and France 3
as co-producers. Financial support was granted by the CNC. The budget was four million euro.
As preparation for their roles, the actors who were to play monks had a month of professional training in the Cistercian and Gregorian chant
s. Each actor also spent a week living as a monk at the Tamié Abbey. The actors used different approaches to their individual roles. Lambert Wilson primarily used Christian de Chergé's writings to develop a subjective perception of the monk's personality. Xavier Maly, a non-Catholic, prepared himself by praying every day for a month. Jean-Marie Frin based his interpretation partially on a home video from Paul Favre-Miville's vow. Michael Lonsdale on the other hand preferred to rely on instinct, and did not prepare much at all.
Filming started in early December 2009 in Meknes
, Morocco, and ended two months later. The main filming location was the Benedictine
monastery of Tioumliline, which had stood unused and unattended for more than 40 years. The film team, under production designer Michel Barthélémy, renovated the monastery so it would resemble the location of the actual events. Quinson who had assisted with the screenplay was also present on the set as an advisor. Attention was paid to extras' clothing and Arabic intonation so that they would look and sound Algerian and not Moroccan.
. It was the second time a film directed by Beauvois was selected for the festival; he had previously won the 1995 Jury Prize
for Don't Forget You're Going to Die. Of Gods and Men was released in France on 8 September through Mars Distribution. It was launched on 252 screens, which after two weeks had been increased to 424, and further during the third week to 442. Artificial Eye
released it in the United Kingdom on 3 December 2010. Sony Pictures Classics
acquired the distribution rights for the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
gives the film a score of 92% based on reviews from 98 critics, with an average score of 8.1/10. Metacritic
gave the film a weighted score of 86/100, based on 29 critiques, which it ranks as "universal acclaim". Le Monde
s Isabelle Regnier wrote: "We can, we must, even, consider this film as a profession of faith. But it is in the cinema where Beauvois always has placed his own, and where he places it here more than ever. Confident in the talent of his cinematographer, Caroline Champetier, ... he signs a powerful and stripped mise en scène
[.] ... Relying on the arid majesty of the Atlas
' landscapes (Moroccan for the filming), the milky purity of monks' robes, the rhythm of the ritual, Xavier Beauvois plays with the tracking shots with a breathtaking mastery". Didier Péron of the left-wing newspaper Libération
was positive overall, but remarked: "Of Gods and Men has without doubt lost itself into grandeur and lyricism ... which political content would have benefited from if it specifically had examined the place of the monks and the profound role of their unctuous paternalism against a failing state and in the middle of a deprived population."
In the United Kingdom, Tom Dawson of Total Film
gave the film four stars out of five, and Tim Robey rated it three out of five in The Daily Telegraph
. Both critics praised the performances of Wilson and Lonsdale. Dawson called the film a "masterful drama", and Robey wrote: "It's a grave and thoughtful film, and certainly not a bad one, for all my twinges of scepticism about how deep its insights really go." Robey's main complaint concerned the ending of the film: "There's one serious mistake, in a picture that's almost passive-aggressively careful in most of its scenes: a last supper, while the monks sip wine, look at each other in silent, welling close-ups, and Tchaikovsky
's Swan Lake
overture crescendoes over the top. Those last three words are operative – Beauvois could hardly milk this emotional catharsis more coercively if he came down the aisles handing out tissues." Dawson on the other hand approved of the scene's manner: "The Last Supper
-style sequence, where the monks listen to Swan Lake and share red wine, is particularly affecting."
Radio critic Mark Kermode gave an extremely positive review of the film, later ranking it as the 2nd best film of 2010.
and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
, which both premiered that week. It had received 3,202,645 admissions in France.
In United Kingdom, Of Gods and men is distributed, the first week, in only 16 rooms. It is part, from the first weekend, of the 15 best at the box office. In United States, the movie is distributed, 25 February, in only 33 theaters. It is part, from the first week, of the 25 best at the box office.
, honoured the film with the Grand Prix
. The Grand Prix is the festival's second most prestigious award, after the Palme d'Or
which was won by Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
in 2010. Of Gods and Men also received the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
. In France, it won the César Awards 2011
for Best Film
, Lonsdale as Best Supporting Actor and Best Cinematography
. In total it was nominated in eleven categories, which was more than any other film that year. The other nominations were for Wilson as Best Actor
, Olivier Rabourdin as Best Supporting Actor, Best Director
, Best Original Screenplay
, Best Sound
, Best Editing
, Best Costume Design
and Best Production Design
. It won the 16th Lumière Award for Best Film and Lonsdale received the Best Actor prize. It was also nominated for Best Director and Wilson as Best Actor.
At the 23rd European Film Awards
, the film was nominated for Best Film and Best Cinematography. It received the 2010 National Board of Review Award
for Best Foreign Language Film
. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts
nominated it for Best Film Not in the English Language at the 64th BAFTA Awards
. It was selected as France's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
at the 83rd Academy Awards
, but it did not make the final shortlist.
Xavier Beauvois
Xavier Beauvois is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. His film Don't Forget You're Going to Die was entered into the 1995 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Jury Prize....
, starring Lambert Wilson
Lambert Wilson
Lambert Wilson is a French actor. He is internationally known for his portrayal of The Merovingian in The Matrix He was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, the son of Georges Wilson, who was an actor, theatrical manager and director of the Theatre National de Paris.Wilson screen tested for The...
and Michael Lonsdale
Michael Lonsdale
Michael Lonsdale , sometimes billed as Michel Lonsdale, is a French actor who has appeared in over 180 films and television shows....
. Its original French 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 the monastery of Tibhirine, where nine Trappist
Trappists
The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , or Trappists, is a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered contemplative monks who follow the Rule of St. Benedict...
monks lived in harmony with the largely Muslim population of Algeria, until seven of them were kidnapped and assassinated in 1996 during the Algerian Civil War
Algerian Civil War
The Algerian Civil War was an armed conflict between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups which began in 1991. It is estimated to have cost between 150,000 and 200,000 lives, in a population of about 25,010,000 in 1990 and 31,193,917 in 2000.More than 70 journalists were...
.
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 with careful attention to authenticity.
The film premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
2010 Cannes Film Festival
The 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 12 to May 23, 2010, in Cannes, France. The Cannes Film Festival, hailed as being one of the most recognized and prestigious film festivals worldwide, was founded in 1946. It consists of having films screened in and out of competition during the...
where it won the Grand Prix
Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)
The Grand Prix is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or...
, the festival's second most prestigious award. It became a big critical and commercial success in its domestic market. It won both the Lumière Award and César Award for Best Film
César Award for Best Film
The winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Film .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
.
Plot
The film opens with a quotation from the Book of PsalmsPsalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
, Psalm 82
Psalm 82
Psalm 82 is the 82nd psalm in the biblical Book of Psalms.God is stationing himself in the assembly of the Divine One; in the middle of the gods he judges.-Judaism:*Is the psalm of the day in the Shir Shel Yom on Tuesday....
:6-7: "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes." The monks' peaceful routine of the prayer, medical assistance, and community interaction is soon interrupted by the threat of Islamic fundamentalists. When Christian, their elected leader, declines the protection of the corrupt civil authority, the monks divide amongst themselves on the question of whether to stay or flee Algeria. Before a decision is reached, a group of fundamentalists, led by Ali Fayattia, enters the monks' compound in force on Christmas eve and demands their doctor and his medical supplies. Christian refuses their requests and cites the Koran as proof of the monks' goodwill. With a mixture of surprise and respect, Fayattia leaves the compound unmolested and grants it his protection until his capture, torture and death at the hands of government forces. Despite the growing danger, the monks come to consensus on the moral importance of holding their ground and refusing to bow to the threat of arms. Ultimately, the terrorists seize most of the monks during a nighttime raid and hold them hostage. As the captive monks trudge a snowy path towards a grim fate, the film concludes with the spiritual testament of prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
Christian de Chergé, bravely written in the event of his death.
Cast
- Lambert WilsonLambert WilsonLambert Wilson is a French actor. He is internationally known for his portrayal of The Merovingian in The Matrix He was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, the son of Georges Wilson, who was an actor, theatrical manager and director of the Theatre National de Paris.Wilson screen tested for The...
as Christian - Michael LonsdaleMichael LonsdaleMichael Lonsdale , sometimes billed as Michel Lonsdale, is a French actor who has appeared in over 180 films and television shows....
as Luc - Olivier Rabourdin as Christophe
- Philippe Laudenbach as Célestin
- Jacques Herlin as Amédée
- Loïc Pichon as Jean-Pierre
- Xavier Maly as Michel
- Jean-Marie Frin as Paul
- Abdelhafid Metalsi as Nouredine
- Sabrina Ouazani as Rabbia
- Abdallah Moundy as Omar
- Olivier Perrier as Bruno
- Farid Larbi as Ali Fayattia
- Adel BencherifAdel BencherifAdel Bencherif is a French actor of Tunisian origin.He is most famous for his role in the 2009 film A Prophet.-Filmography:*2004: Safia et Sarah*2005: Ze film*2006: Paris, je t'aime*2006: Cages*2006: Djihad!...
as terrorist
Production
In 1996, seven French TrappistTrappists
The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , or Trappists, is a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered contemplative monks who follow the Rule of St. Benedict...
monks from the monastery of Tibhirine, Algeria, were kidnapped and found beheaded. The Armed Islamic Group of Algeria claimed full responsibility for the incident. However, according to documents from French secret services, it is possible that the killing was a mistake carried out by the Algerian army
Military of Algeria
The People’s National Army is the armed forces of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. Algeria has a large and reasonably well-equipped military to counter foreign and domestic threats...
during a rescue attempt.
The film project was initiated by Etienne Comar in 2006, when the tenth anniversary of the incident made it a topic again in French media. Comar, a film producer by profession and a Catholic, had been fascinated by the monks since the earliest notions of the abduction, but felt that their death had overshadowed what he thought was really interesting: why they had decided to stay in Algeria despite the ongoing Algerian Civil War
Algerian Civil War
The Algerian Civil War was an armed conflict between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups which began in 1991. It is estimated to have cost between 150,000 and 200,000 lives, in a population of about 25,010,000 in 1990 and 31,193,917 in 2000.More than 70 journalists were...
. Comar contacted Xavier Beauvois
Xavier Beauvois
Xavier Beauvois is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. His film Don't Forget You're Going to Die was entered into the 1995 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Jury Prize....
in 2008 after having written a draft, and together they continued to work on the screenplay. The two researched, met with theologians and during a break Beauvois chose to live for six days at the Tamié Abbey
Tamié Abbey
Tamié Abbey is a Cistercian monastery, located in the Bauges, Savoie, France. It was founded in 1132, as a daughter house of Bonnevaux Abbey, by Peter of Tarentaise, who was also the first abbot....
in Savoie. Some inspiration was taken from writings by two of the Tibhirine monks, Christian de Chergé and Christophe Lebreton. Franco-American monastic consultant Henry Quinson was asked to correct and add historical and liturgical content for further authenticity. The script was later sent to relatives of the deceased monks, most of whom reacted positively to the project.
The financing coincided with the revelation of the Algerian army's possible involvement in the incident, which once again sparked an interest for the story from media and the public. Production was led by Why Not Productions with Armada Films and France 3
France 3
France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
as co-producers. Financial support was granted by the CNC. The budget was four million euro.
As preparation for their roles, the actors who were to play monks had a month of professional training in the Cistercian and Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
s. Each actor also spent a week living as a monk at the Tamié Abbey. The actors used different approaches to their individual roles. Lambert Wilson primarily used Christian de Chergé's writings to develop a subjective perception of the monk's personality. Xavier Maly, a non-Catholic, prepared himself by praying every day for a month. Jean-Marie Frin based his interpretation partially on a home video from Paul Favre-Miville's vow. Michael Lonsdale on the other hand preferred to rely on instinct, and did not prepare much at all.
Filming started in early December 2009 in Meknes
Meknes
Meknes is a city in northern Morocco, located from the capital Rabat and from Fes. It is served by the A2 expressway between those two cities and by the corresponding railway. Meknes was the capital of Morocco under the reign of Moulay Ismail , before it was relocated to Marrakech. The...
, Morocco, and ended two months later. The main filming location was the Benedictine
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
monastery of Tioumliline, which had stood unused and unattended for more than 40 years. The film team, under production designer Michel Barthélémy, renovated the monastery so it would resemble the location of the actual events. Quinson who had assisted with the screenplay was also present on the set as an advisor. Attention was paid to extras' clothing and Arabic intonation so that they would look and sound Algerian and not Moroccan.
Release
The film premiered on 18 May 2010 in competition at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival2010 Cannes Film Festival
The 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 12 to May 23, 2010, in Cannes, France. The Cannes Film Festival, hailed as being one of the most recognized and prestigious film festivals worldwide, was founded in 1946. It consists of having films screened in and out of competition during the...
. It was the second time a film directed by Beauvois was selected for the festival; he had previously won the 1995 Jury Prize
Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival)
The Jury Prize is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It is considered the third most prestigious prize at the film festival, after the Palme d'Or and the Grand Prix....
for Don't Forget You're Going to Die. Of Gods and Men was released in France on 8 September through Mars Distribution. It was launched on 252 screens, which after two weeks had been increased to 424, and further during the third week to 442. Artificial Eye
Artificial eye
Artificial eye may refer to:* Visual prosthesis, functioning implant designed to restore sight* Ocular prosthesis, non-functioning cosmetic replacement for a lost eye...
released it in the United Kingdom on 3 December 2010. Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics is an art-house film division of Sony Pictures Entertainment founded in December 1991 that distributes, produces and acquires specialty films from the United States and around the world. Its co-presidents are Michael Barker and Tom Bernard...
acquired the distribution rights for the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Critical response
Of Gods and Men has received widespread critical acclaim. Review aggregation website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gives the film a score of 92% based on reviews from 98 critics, with an average score of 8.1/10. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
gave the film a weighted score of 86/100, based on 29 critiques, which it ranks as "universal acclaim". Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
s Isabelle Regnier wrote: "We can, we must, even, consider this film as a profession of faith. But it is in the cinema where Beauvois always has placed his own, and where he places it here more than ever. Confident in the talent of his cinematographer, Caroline Champetier, ... he signs a powerful and stripped mise en scène
Mise en scène
Mise-en-scène is an expression used to describe the design aspects of a theatre or film production, which essentially means "visual theme" or "telling a story"—both in visually artful ways through storyboarding, cinematography and stage design, and in poetically artful ways through direction...
[.] ... Relying on the arid majesty of the Atlas
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains is a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Toubkal, with an elevation of in southwestern Morocco. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert...
' landscapes (Moroccan for the filming), the milky purity of monks' robes, the rhythm of the ritual, Xavier Beauvois plays with the tracking shots with a breathtaking mastery". Didier Péron of the left-wing newspaper Libération
Libération
Libération is a French daily newspaper founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Originally a leftist newspaper, it has undergone a number of shifts during the 1980s and 1990s...
was positive overall, but remarked: "Of Gods and Men has without doubt lost itself into grandeur and lyricism ... which political content would have benefited from if it specifically had examined the place of the monks and the profound role of their unctuous paternalism against a failing state and in the middle of a deprived population."
In the United Kingdom, Tom Dawson of Total Film
Total Film
Total Film is a British film magazine published 13 times a year by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched in 1997 and offers film, DVD and Blu-ray news, reviews and features...
gave the film four stars out of five, and Tim Robey rated it three out of five in The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
. Both critics praised the performances of Wilson and Lonsdale. Dawson called the film a "masterful drama", and Robey wrote: "It's a grave and thoughtful film, and certainly not a bad one, for all my twinges of scepticism about how deep its insights really go." Robey's main complaint concerned the ending of the film: "There's one serious mistake, in a picture that's almost passive-aggressively careful in most of its scenes: a last supper, while the monks sip wine, look at each other in silent, welling close-ups, and Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
's Swan Lake
Swan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
overture crescendoes over the top. Those last three words are operative – Beauvois could hardly milk this emotional catharsis more coercively if he came down the aisles handing out tissues." Dawson on the other hand approved of the scene's manner: "The Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
-style sequence, where the monks listen to Swan Lake and share red wine, is particularly affecting."
Radio critic Mark Kermode gave an extremely positive review of the film, later ranking it as the 2nd best film of 2010.
Box office
362,671 tickets were sold during the first five days of the French theatrical run. This can be compared to the director's last film, The Young Lieutenant, which had 197,783 admissions after the same number of days in 2005. Of Gods and Men went on to top the French box office for four consecutive weeks. After the fifth week it dropped to number three, having been overtaken by Despicable MeDespicable Me
Despicable Me is a 2010 American computer-animated 3D comedy film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment that was released on July 9, 2010 in the United States. The film features the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and...
and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is a 2010 English-language Spanish-American co-production comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. It features Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Jones, Freida Pinto, Lucy Punch, Naomi Watts, Roger Ashton-Griffiths and Pauline...
, which both premiered that week. It had received 3,202,645 admissions in France.
In United Kingdom, Of Gods and men is distributed, the first week, in only 16 rooms. It is part, from the first weekend, of the 15 best at the box office. In United States, the movie is distributed, 25 February, in only 33 theaters. It is part, from the first week, of the 25 best at the box office.
Accolades
The Cannes Film Festival jury, led by American director Tim BurtonTim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
, honoured the film with the Grand Prix
Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)
The Grand Prix is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or...
. The Grand Prix is the festival's second most prestigious award, after the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
which was won by Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is a 2010 Thai film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It won the Palme d'Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:The film centers on the last days in the life of its title character...
in 2010. Of Gods and Men also received the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
The Prize of the Ecumenical Jury is an independent film award for feature films at the Cannes Film Festival since 1974. The Ecumenical Jury is one of three juries at the Cannes Film Festival, along with the official jury and the FIPRESCI jury. The award was created by Christian film makers, film...
. In France, it won the César Awards 2011
César Awards 2011
The 36th Annual César Awards ceremony was held by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma to honor its selection of the best films of 2010 on February 25, 2011. Jodie Foster was the President of the awards...
for Best Film
César Award for Best Film
The winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Film .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
, Lonsdale as Best Supporting Actor and Best Cinematography
César Award for Best Cinematography
The following are the winners of the annual César Award for Best Cinematography .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
. In total it was nominated in eleven categories, which was more than any other film that year. The other nominations were for Wilson as Best Actor
César Award for Best Actor
This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Actor .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
, Olivier Rabourdin as Best Supporting Actor, Best Director
César Award for Best Director
This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Director .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
, Best Original Screenplay
César Award for Best Writing
This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Writing .-1975–1979:*1975: Bertrand Tavernier, Jean Aurenche: Que la fête commence...
, Best Sound
César Award for Best Sound
This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Sound .-Winners and nominees:*1976 : Nara Kollery *1977 : Jean-Pierre Ruh *1978 : Jacques Maumont...
, Best Editing
César Award for Best Editing
The César Award for Best Editing is one of the annual César Awards given by the French Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinema. Eligible films are usually in the French language.-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:...
, Best Costume Design
César Award for Best Costume Design
This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Costume Design .-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
and Best Production Design
César Award for Best Production Design
This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Production Design .-Winners and nominees:*1976: Pierre Guffroy: Que la fête commence*1977: Alexandre Trauner: Monsieur Klein...
. It won the 16th Lumière Award for Best Film and Lonsdale received the Best Actor prize. It was also nominated for Best Director and Wilson as Best Actor.
At the 23rd European Film Awards
European Film Awards 2010
-Winners and nominees:The nominations for the 23rd European Film Awards were announced on 6 November at the Seville European Film Festival.-Best Film: The Ghost Writer – Roman Polanski • France/Germany/United Kingdom ...
, the film was nominated for Best Film and Best Cinematography. It received the 2010 National Board of Review Award
National Board of Review Awards 2010
The 82nd National Board of Review Awards, honoring the best in film for 2010.All films are in alphabetical order-Top Films:films listed alphabetically except top, which is ranked as Best Film of the year*The Social Network...
for Best Foreign Language Film
National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the annual awards given by the National Board of Review.Note: This list is incomplete.-1930s:-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
nominated it for Best Film Not in the English Language at the 64th BAFTA Awards
64th British Academy Film Awards
The 64th British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs, were held on 13 February 2011 honouring the best national and foreign films of 2010. The nominees were announced on 18 January 2011. The King's Speech earned the most nominations with fourteen...
. It was selected as France's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 83rd Academy Awards
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ...
, but it did not make the final shortlist.
See also
- Religion in AlgeriaReligion in AlgeriaReligion in Algeria is dominated by Muslims at about ninety-nine percent of the population. There are also almost 50,000 Christians, mostly pentecostal protestants. There are nearly 1,000 Jews in Algeria, who mostly live in Béjaia.-Islam:...
- List of submissions to the 83rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of French submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film