The Mauritanian (2021)
(Kevin Macdonald, US 2021, 129 min., DCP)
Based on the true story of Mohamedou Olud Slahi, and his New York Times bestselling memoir, Guantanamo Diary, this searing indictment of US military misconduct takes place almost exclusively at the infamous detention center. Arrested in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Slahi (Tahar Rahim) is held for more than three years with no outside communication. When his family discovers that he is being held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, they seek the help of lawyer Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster), who has the proper security clearance. Hollander’s investigation uncovers systematic torture including sleep deprivation, isolation, temperature extremes, and beatings. Hollander argues that Slahi’s incriminating statements, which were the core of the government’s case against him, were obtained through torture, making them inadmissible. As Hollander and Slahi fight for his freedom, they learn more about each other and the state of the modern political world.