Of Gods and Men

In 1990s Algeria, eight French Cistercian monks live and work at a monastery in the Atlas Mountains, sharing daily prayer and labour with the Muslim community around them. When violence spreads through the region and Islamist insurgents attack foreign workers, the monks' peaceful routine gives way to fear and uncertainty. The army offers them protection, which they turn down, and the brothers must decide whether to leave the monastery or stay with the people they have served, weighing their safety against their commitment to their faith and their neighbours. The film is based on the lives of the monks of Tibhirine and the events leading up to their abduction in 1996.

Xavier Beauvois directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Étienne Comar. It is the second of the five features Beauvois has directed, following To Mathieu and preceding The Guardians, Drift Away and Sailing Home. Lambert Wilson plays Christian and Michael Lonsdale plays Luc, with Olivier Rabourdin, Philippe Laudenbach, Jacques Herlin and Loïc Pichon among the thirty credited cast members.

Made for about 4 million dollars, the film returned roughly 41 million worldwide, a strong result for a French production of its scale. On IMDb it holds 7.2 from around 17,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.7 from 425 votes. A critics' rating of 8.3 from 113 reviews places it above both audience scores.