Of Gods And Men (2010)

Set in a Trappist monastery in Algeria during the civil war of the mid 90's, Of Gods And Men plays almost like a documentary, and is in fact based on true events, however much of what transpires is no more than a fictional account of said events as thought up by writer and director Xavier Beauvois.

We are introduced to the Monks living and working in their monastery and witness their daily rituals and their effect on the town around them. The film tends to focus slightly more on Brother Christian (Lambert Wilson) the unofficial leader of the group and the dilemma he faces as the area around him becomes engulfed in acts of terrorism. Some of the monks wish to leave and escape to safety, whilst others would rather stay to help the poor and needy when they require this help more than ever. We are treated to long moments of thought and calculation as Christian tries to come to grips with what is going on both inside his head and of those around him, he offers prayer and teachings to his fellow brothers to help them come to terms with their choices and toward the end, their inevitable fates.