Film about murdered Trappists wins top award in France

France held its version of the Oscars last night, two days before Hollywood’s biggest awards extravaganza. The top award went to Of Gods and Men, based on the true story of a group of Trappist monks who were murdered after refusing to leave their monastery in war-torned Algeria.

Why did the men stay, when there were not other Catholics, and they lived under constant threat of violence? This is the question the film explores. The director of the film, Xavier Beauvois, spoke to Vatican Radio last year when the film was released. He said the message of the brothers is a message of peace.

He said they had a spirit of inter-cultural dialogue that he feels is nowadays missing, and they follow John Paul II’s message of Don’t Be Afraid.

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