Free Men

Free men or Les Hommes Libres (original French title) is a drama set in WW2 German-occupied Paris, following a young unemployed Algerian named Younes (Tahar Rahim) earning his living on the black market. After being arrested by police Younes agrees to spy on a local mosque police suspect are aiding Muslim Resistance agents and North African Jews by giving them false Muslim documents (Michael Lonsdale plays Muslim rector Ben Ghabrit).

At the mosque Younes meets Jewish-Algerian singer Salim Halali (Mahmud Shalaby) and as a consequence of this growing friendship ceases collaborating with the police and becomes part of the growing Muslim underground movement. Suspense and paranoia are racked up to the maximum as Younes and his comrades are pursued by Nazis in an ever changing Paris landscape.

The film is written and directed by Ismael Ferroukhi whose previous work includes Le Grande Voyage (2004) which was recognised and won prizes at the Venice Film Festival. Ferroukhi states the story is loosely based on true events and he deftly builds a sense of tension and anxiety in the film which was shot for a mere 8 million euros.

In terms of performances as you would expect Tahar Rahim is the standout, he doesn’t reach the heights of his work in A Prophet (2009) though he is able to convey a great deal despite the limited amount of dialogue he is given to work with. Michael Lonsdale brings all his experience gained through acting in over 180 films to the piece and provides a commanding presence as the Muslim rector caught between his countrymen, the French police and unrelenting Nazi investigators. Mahmud Shalaby is also convincing as the Jewish Algerian singer Salim.

Free Men is by no means the definitive story of North African Jews and Muslims’ plight in WW2, however it shines a light on issues which may not be immediately known the audience and has the suspense and intrigue to keep you entertained for the duration.