The Messenger 04.10.08

“The Boy From Lebanon,” the fifth movie in the 2008 Modern Foreign Languages Foreign Film Series, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday in Watkins Auditorium of Boling University Center at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
“The Boy From Lebanon” is a film that deals with a controversial subject: children being recruited to fight adult wars.
Djilali, the protagonist, loses his father to Israeli soldiers; shortly thereafter he is sold to terrorists who will train him to become a professional killer. Away from the world in an underground terrorist-training camp, the young boy learns to shoot, to hate and to fight the Holy War. At the end of his training, Djilali is totally brainwashed.
After being sent to Paris to work in a secret mission, he meets Karim, a young Arab who lives in one of the very poor neighborhoods of the City of Lights. It is Karim’s job to help Djilali blend in. Karim knows nothing of the mission and, like all boys his age, is only interested in eating hamburgers, listening to rap music and playing on his skateboard. The two boys become very close friends and take an oath to remain so.
Things change drastically when Djilali is forced to choose between faith and friendship.
This film is directed by Gilles de Maistre and will be introduced by Dr. Lucia Florido, UT Martin assistant professor of French.
Each foreign film is in its original foreign language and contains English subtitles. All foreign film series movies are free and open to the public. The film series is funded by the College of Humanities and Fine Arts and the Student Activities Council.
For more information, contact the Department of Modern Foreign Languages at (731) 881-7420.