This Week at the Movies: Of Fathers and Sons - Die Kinder des Kalifats

An Oscar nomination for Best Documentary, the Grand Jury Prize in Sundance and the German Documentary Film Award are just a few of the many awards "Of Fathers and Sons - Die Kinder des Kalifats" ("Of Fathers and Sons - The Children of the Caliphate") has already received. And that's not surprising, since the film provides extraordinary insights into a world that is otherwise closed to outsiders. Director Talal Derki, who now lives in Berlin but originally comes from Syria, won the trust of the family of a Syrian Salafist rebel leader for his film and accompanied them for two years, from everyday life at home to combat missions. The "god warrior" of the al-Nusra front also educates his children in the spirit of the caliphate with the goal to turn them into warriors as well and as soon as possible. The kids’ upbringing looks accordingly: With unrelenting severity his sons need to complete paramilitary training instead of being allowed to just play. Soon, the 13-year-old Osama - a very sensitive, gentle boy - becomes the main focus of the film. Subtle, yet deeply moving, "Of Fathers and Sons" reveals how ideology destroys childhoods and how hatred and violence are passed on from generation to generation - a powerful and important film.