Showing @ Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sun 25 Mar only

Ismaël Ferroukhi / France / 2011 / 99 mins

There are thousands of tales of bravery and sacrifice connected with The Second World War. Many of them are familiar to us thanks to countless movies – not to mention the output of various TV channels. However, there are still stories from the conflict that can surprise us and films such as Flame and Citron, Sophie Scholl and Rachid Bouchareb’s Days of Glory have, in recent years, opened up the hidden contributions of some forgotten heroes and heroines.

Like Days of Glory, Ismaël Ferroukhi’s Free Men deals with the deeds of France’s North African Muslim community who, whilst free from persecution themselves, put their lives on the line to protect Jews by supplying them with false identities and safehouses. Into this world steps, almost by accident, the callow, young black market trader Younes (Tahar Rahim), whose commitment to the cause grows through personal friendship rather than political or religious feeling. But as the risks increase, he finds himself drawn closer to the centre of the action.

This is a slow-paced movie with little action on show but it’s the story itself that grips. The double lives and complicated relationships between the mosque, French and German authorities, and the idea amongst many of the North African resistance fighters that their actions could help lead to freedom from colonial rule, makes this a fascinating slice of history. (Especially when you remember that it was many of these same fighters who went on to form the basis of Algeria’s liberation movement.)

Rahim continues to prove himself as one of the most watchable and powerful actors France has produced in many years. Although this understated performance won’t add to the comparisons with the young De Niro that followed A Prophet, it will definitely showcase his range. He’s supported by a fine cast, particularly Mahmud Shalaby as the secretive singer Salim and that guarantor of fine French film Michael Lonsdale as Si Kaddour Ben Ghabrit – a figure only now emerging from the shadows of French history. If you’re a seeker of action or high tension filmmaking then you probably need to look elsewhere, but if you’re interested in films that shine a light into the less known corners of history and culture – especially ones that still resonate today – then Free Men is well worth catching.