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So Far from Man

So Far from Man

Frankreich 2015 - with Viggo Mortensen, Reda Kateb, Jérémie Vigot, Angela Molina ...

The Frankfurt-Tipp rating:

Movie info

Original title:Loin des hommes
Genre:Drama
Direction:David Oelhoffen
Cinema release:09.07.2015
Production country:Frankreich 2015
Running time:Approx. 102 min.
Rated:Age 12+
Web page:www.arsenalfilm.de

The Algerian Atlas Mountains in 1954: Here Daru (Viggo Mortensen) lives in complete seclusion. With full passion he works as a teacher during the day to give the local children a perspective for the future. But the situation in the valley is becoming increasingly tense and a bloody rebellion threatens to break out at any moment, which the military tries to nip in the bud. Nevertheless, Daru manages to lead a quiet life until one day he receives the order to escort Mohamed (Reda Kateb), a farmer accused of murder, to the nearest police station. Actually, the quiet loner doesn't want to get involved in this. But when his house is attacked by an angry lynch mob, he realizes that humanity demands that he escort the stranger to his trial. And so the two set out on the rough-and-tumble journey that could claim both their lives, or bring them unexpected freedom...

To Men So Far is loosely based on the novella The Guest by Albert Camus. Using the French schoolteacher and the Arab he is tasked with bringing through the mountains to prison, director David Oelhoffen not only tells a gripping story about a country on the brink of a bloody war of independence. Rather, the whole thing can also very well be understood as a parable on the currently so dramatic refugee problem and on the worldwide conflicts between different cultures and faith communities. Daru and Mohamed embody two, at first sight, very different worlds. Not only in human terms are they complete strangers to each other. But the path through the mountains, which becomes more and more a fight for survival, forces the two to approach each other. And in doing so, they realize that besides all the differences, there are also a lot of similarities.

The film can therefore be understood as a plea for the mutual approach of different cultures. This message is conveyed quite clearly, but fortunately not in a doctrinaire manner. Rather, restraint dominates in almost all aspects of this western. In terms of pacing, dialogue and dramaturgy, Oelhoffen restricts himself to the essentials. The whole thing is carried by two great main actors, who know how to express enough without many words, so that the viewer is carried away. In addition, the film relies on a very engaging, wonderful visual language, which is intensified by the almost elegiac music from the pen of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

Den Menschen so fern is certainly not a film for the masses. Those looking for pure entertainment cinema will certainly be quickly overwhelmed by the sustained narrative pace here alone. But if you appreciate strong stories, fascinating images and first-class acting and generally rather opt for fare outside the mainstream, you should definitely not miss this intelligent, profound and deeply human film! Absolutely worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp

Media:

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Cinema trailer for the movie "So Far from Man (Frankreich 2015)"
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