Der Anschlag

I did not go to see this little social drama when it was released last year. I think it was underrated by the critics. It reminds me a TV series, aired some years ago, named LA COMMUNE and another one - I don't remember the name and also aired on Canal+ channel. Social and very realistic description of unemployed young Arabs who live in the french suburbs, lost generation ostracized by the racism which slowly push them to the Moslem extremism. This film may be read in many ways. I don't think the french director wanted the audience to think this or that; I guess he wanted this very same audience to think, analyse what really happens. But I also think, and I am afraid of this, that maybe some young Arabs - or may I say Muslims - want to get in war with the society after viewing this feature. Beware before watching this powerful film. I warn vey hard that not anyone has to watch it. It can be pure dynamite.

But it remains a must see. Absolutely.

This might have been a good story. But it is not. It is slow. And quite out of context. I mean I get it: a nice word play. People born and raised in France, educated at the same school, buying food at the same supermarket are advised to integrate into the French society. Countless hours on TV talking about people refusing to integrate. What does it mean to integrate? They speak the language. They took the same history and geography classes. They have passed the same exams. What they refuse to integrate is what they cannot: skin color and curly black hair. Some are going as far as changing their legal name only in a hope to be considered equal. So this is about the reverse of the process: submitting to the conspiracy theory and to preachers who promise an integrated identity on the other side of the real world. But that is not enough to have a feature film.

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