By test December 16, 2024
20/21
Her bold approach leaves an impression on students and families
Brussels teacher Amal encourages students’ 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 have to admit that I started 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 indeed very unfortunate that religious fanaticism and fundamentalism have such an overwhelming influence on many people, so much so that they go out of their way to threaten or even eliminate those who do not believe.
Also, now on a positive note
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”) in order to be tolerant of other beliefs. I correct myself now, knowing that they were not preaching. What sold me, firstly, was the believable cast and the equally 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 big city in any country. For me, the developments had real traction thanks to some unexpected twists that kept the story afloat and kept me interested in the proceedings.
It’s not just the direct threats that count here
Secondly, what sold me were the growing dilemmas for the teachers and the school principal, which got more complicated with each subsequent meeting. The fundamental issues are becoming manifest and are driving the story forward, unfortunately without an obvious way out. Those meetings have deeply involved me in what has happened, while also showing us how difficult it is to decide on a balanced approach to the issues on the agenda. Thirdly, we also see the strong influence of social media. Also the fact that everyone is talking about you, without knowing the real facts but still forming opinions that spread like wildfire.
It all adds up to an unprecedented media storm
It is easy to like a post, even when you don’t completely agree, it can be done quickly without a second thought. Also, writing negative text is also very easy, amplified by the anonymity that accompanies unverified reports. Before the internet we had the church graveyard, the butcher’s shop and the pub to exchange gossip, now we have a much faster medium with greater coverage and speed. There is no happy ending however, presumably a mission impossible given the circumstances. It doesn’t leave us without a solution, but is there one??All in all, it is not a documentary to prove fundamentalists are becoming more of a problem, as I am now sure the filmmakers know we already knew.
We see believable characters in their respective roles, even the unsympathetic roles
It is a real world story in and around a real world school, real teachers and real pupils with families at home who are also involved.
https://baileysstylishkitchens.co.uk/2024/12/11/the-girl-with-the-needle-2024-magnet/