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Vicente I. Sánchez | @Snchez1Godotx
According to the latest statistics, Syria is among the countries with the highest number of emigrants in the world, with nearly eight million people living abroad, which represents 40.71% of its total population. This mass migration is a direct consequence of the war ravaging the country, in which President Bashar al-Assad has played a key role. Of that total, Europe has welcomed more than a million Syrian refugees, with France and Germany being the countries that have received the most people. A figure that is far from that of Syrian migrants in Lebanon, where they represent 28% of the country’s total population.
The profile of these refugees, fleeing civil war, especially from conflict zones like Aleppo, is largely that of families who have seen violence and destruction destroy their homes. In short, they are people of diverse origins who are looking for a second chance away from horror. However, it is estimated that among them are hidden around a thousand war criminals, including bloodthirsty torturers, who try to go unnoticed in Europe under other identities and professions. Recently, on January 13, 2022, the first European trial was held against a senior official of the Syrian regime, who was found guilty of 4,000 counts of torture and the murder of 27 detainees.
‘The Ghost Network’, directed by Jonathan Millet, is a film that moves with ease in the espionage genre
This is the context in which it develops The ghost networkthe first feature film directed by Jonathan Millet and starring Adam Bessa. Selected in the “Meeting Point” section of the 69th edition of Seminci, this French film, inspired by real events, tells how clandestine groups have been formed dedicated to hunting down these war criminals hidden in Europe, especially in small urban areas. from France and Germany. It is an agile espionage thriller that does not hesitate to show the complex situation in which thousands of Syrians live, who, in addition to facing personal difficulties, must deal with the fear of crossing paths with those who tortured them or murdered their loved ones. .
Jonathan Millet, a filmmaker with a deep knowledge of Aleppo, explains that the film seeks to convey the internal wounds and memories of pain that these refugees carry with them. They are traumas that, although they will never completely disappear, must be integrated into their new lives in Europe. That is why, little by little, clandestine networks dedicated to tracking these criminals emerge, with the ultimate goal of bringing them to justice.
The ghost network —a fairly free translation of Les fantomes— is a film that moves easily in the espionage genre, with complex characters, full of chiaroscuro, who try to survive and find some peace. The interesting thing is that Millet builds a story in which there is no absolute division between good and bad, as he even shows how many of these war criminals also fled Syria with deep wounds and traumas, seeking peace in the midst of their own hells. personal. In the end, the reality is that war destroys everything, starting with morality.
Beyond his passionate political and moral discourse, The ghost network It is a film full of restraint and good rhythm, with a director who proves to be very comfortable in his role. There is quite a bit of brilliance.
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