Moroccan-born journalist Zineb El Rhazoui was in Morocco when 12 of her colleagues died in the Charlie Hebdo massacre. In Vincent Coen and Guillaume Vandenberghe's documentary, shot over several years, she comes across as an intelligent, quick-witted woman who doesn't care what anybody thinks of her: she smokes, drinks, swears, and speaks freely at all times. Although she finds Islam fascinating, she describes herself as a Moroccan atheist. In 2011, when an Islamist government comes to power in Morocco, she doesn’t feel there is a place for her anymore, and in 2012, she takes a job at the political magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, where she feels she can be herself and pursue her passion. But the magazine’s satirical jabs at the more extreme elements of Islam are met with fierce resistance, including protests, death threats, and the firebombing of their offices. After the horrific shooting in 2015, Rhazoui says she felt dazed, although she still takes part in the citywide demonstration against the attack. Afterward, she moves to a safe house and receives police protection due to threats on her life. When she becomes pregnant, Rhazoui has to figure out whether the life she is living is sustainable for a child (the filmmakers provide no information about the father, possibly for his protection). During the course of filming, terrorist attacks also take place at Paris's Bataclan during a concert and at a Bastille Day celebration in Nice. Whether or not Rhazoui will remain at Charlie Hebdo is still a question at film’s end, but it's clear she will continue to speak out against the roots and results of terrorism. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
Nothing Is Forgiven
(2017) 61 min. In French w/English subtitles. DVD: $390. Icarus Films. PPR. Volume 33, Issue 5
Nothing Is Forgiven
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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