22/17
Her bold approach leaves a mark on students and families
Plot
Brussels teacher Amal encourages students to study, a passion for reading and freedom of expression, despite the risks. I saw this at the 2023 film festival in Ghant (Belgium). To begin with, I must admit that I got off on the wrong foot for at least the first half of the running time. I felt a bit disconnected from the story: is there something they want to tell us?? It is really very unfortunate that religious fanaticism and fundamentalism have such an overwhelming influence on many people, to the point that they do everything they can to threaten or even eliminate those who do not believe.
tolerant of other beliefs
My initial problem with the story in question was that I wrongly assumed that the filmmakers were trying to inform us that there are people who put the Quran and Sharia above national laws and therefore ignore what we consider normal (we call it “civilized”). I stand corrected now, knowing that they were no longer preaching, now on a positive note. What first attracted me was the believable cast and even the believable circumstances within the school, where a considerable part of the story takes place. The same goes for the parents and the neighborhood, which could be located in any major city in any country. For me, the developments gained real momentum due to some unexpected twists and turns that kept the story afloat and me interested in the proceedings.
It is not only direct threats that matter here
Secondly, what also engaged me were the growing dilemmas for the teachers and the school principal, becoming more complicated with each meeting. Fundamental issues are manifesting themselves and driving the story forward, unfortunately with no obvious way out. These meetings deeply involved me in what happened, also showing us how difficult it is to decide on a balanced approach to the issues on the agenda. Thirdly, we also witnessed the strong influence of social media. Moreover, everyone is talking about you, without knowing the real facts, but still forming opinions that spread like wildfire.
All of this results in an absolute media storm
It’s easy to like a post, even when you don’t completely agree with it; it can be done quickly and without a second thought. Furthermore, writing a negative piece is also very easy, amplified by the anonymity that comes with unverified accounts. Before the Internet, we had the churchyard, the butcher shop, and the bar to exchange gossip; no, we have a much faster medium with greater coverage and velocity. However, there is no happy ending, presumably a Mission Impossible given the circumstances. It doesn’t leave us without a solution, but is there one?
We see believable characters in their respective roles, even the unsympathetic ones
In short, this is not a documentary that demonstrates that fundamentalists are increasingly becoming a problem, as I’m sure the filmmakers now know we already knew. It is a real-world story in and around a real-world school, genuine teachers and genuine students with families at home who are also involved.
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