 In the twelfth
century, in Cordoba, renowned philosopher Averroes created a school of thought that
reflects on all of the West, down to our times. Caliph Al Mansur, however, under the
influence of fundamentalists, ordered all of the philosopher's books burned.To keep Averroes' work alive, his family and friends made copies of
the books and, inspite of the persecution, resolved to take them beyond the frontiers of
Islam. Even pursued, human knowledge undertook a journey towards the Other, towards
Progress.
Destiny, however, is not only the story of the life of
Averroes; it is also a film of adventure, of love, a satire on intolerance, whether
western or eastern. With surprising courage, director Youssef Chahine provides an answer
to integralistic groups who caused his last film L'Emigré to be banned in his
country. This answer, however, is in shape of comedy, as much to satirize the event
itself, as to uphold liberty. |
