As a filmmaker, Terence Davies is noted for his recurring themes of emotional endurance, the influence of memory on everyday life and the potentially crippling effects of dogmatic religiosity on the emotional life of individuals and societies.
Of Gods and Men is a French drama film directed by Xavier Beauvois, starring Lambert Wilson and Michael Lonsdale. Its original French title is Des hommes et des dieux, which means “Men and gods” and refers to a motto from the Bible shown at the beginning of the film. It centers on the monastery of Tibhirine, where Trappist monks lived in harmony with the largely Muslim population of Algeria, until seven of them were beheaded in a still unclear incident in 1996. The screenplay focuses on the time leading up to their death. Principal photography took place at an abandoned monastery in Morocco, with careful attention to authenticity.