Brahim
"Together with Jean-Pierre we've produced 'Fatwa', from Mahmoud Ben Mahmoud, a Tunesian living in Belgium. The film tells the story of a father who returns to Tunesia to bury his son who died from an apparent suicide. The scenario had repeatedly been rejected by some French producers because the film supposedly stated that the murderers are among us. Mahmoud, who knows a lot about Muslim culture and knew the Muslim recruiters who are at the origin of Sharia4Belgium, said to me: "That's crazy, they don't understand what's happening." And that was in 2008." (Luc Dardenne)
Khalid
An odd couple of contrasting cops: one is a disillusioned veteran, the other young, idealistic and speaks fluent Arabic. Ideal for tailing Khalid (Ahmed Hafiene), who was acquitted but is still suspected of having ties with Al-Qaida. The two cops, who initially can't stand each other, find themselves increasingly in contact with the life and habits of Khalid. As the story goes the suspect catches on to them, but when he begins receiving threats the cops become his bodyguards, his escort. Being nearer to him, and knowing him better, the two cops end up making almost friends with the man. At last it comes out that Khalid is the victim of a legal error. He makes accusations against the Italian's justice, but this leads to his expulsion from Italy. The young policeman undertakes a voyage in search of Khalid, that will lead him to Tunisia, and to some final twists.
The sole pleasure of Ala, a literature professor and poetry lover, is to share drunkenness with poets. «The Epistle of Mercy», a work about Heaven and Hell, written nearly a thousand years ago, is the subject of the day. In his inebriation, the waitress and bar owner become characters from this work.
