Horses of God

How does violent islamism arise? Can we have sympathy for terrorists? These fundamental questions are at the core of Nabil Ayouch's critically acclaimed feature film, which premiered at the prestigious Cannes festival in 2012. In this movie, we follow four children growing up in the slum at the outskirts of Casablanca. Their childhood is marked by a mixture of power struggle, masculinity and powerlessness. Without proper education and stable families, they are left to struggle for day-to-day survival. Following 9/11, radical Islamist tendencies are on the rise in the area. We witness how the main characters are drawn towards these groups. Not really because they hate the West or foreigners, but because they long for a safe environment in which they can be accepted and not treated as insignificant. The film describes in a very believable way the passage from being a vulnerable child to becoming a determined resistance fighter. Horses of God stands out from the «terror movie» genre and develops believable characters that we can sympathize with, rather than describing the terror attack itself. Ayouch's masterly instruction of the child actors, the seductive cinematography and good drive, all make this socio-political thriller one of the best to come out of the region in a long time.

After the screening on Saturday 20th there will be a panel debate where we ask the question who becomes violent islamists?