CrimeDrama

A Prophet

- Escaping the prison of life.

Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. On his arrival at the prison, he seems younger and more brittle than the others detained there. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group.

Release Date : 2009-08-26

Language :ArabicCorsicanFrench

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Why Not ProductionsChic FilmsPage 114UGCFrance 2 CinémaBIM DistribuzioneCelluloid Dreams

Production Country : FranceItaly

Alternative Titles : A Prophet

Cast

Character Name : Malik El Djebena

Original Name : Tahar Rahim

Gender : Male

Character Name : César Luciani

Original Name : Niels Arestrup

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ryad

Original Name : Adel Bencherif

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reyeb

Original Name : Hichem Yacoubi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jordi

Original Name : Reda Kateb

Gender : Male

Character Name : Vettori

Original Name : Jean-Philippe Ricci

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prof

Original Name : Gilles Cohen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pilicci

Original Name : Antoine Basler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sampierro

Original Name : Pierre Leccia

Gender : Male

Character Name : Antaro

Original Name : Foued Nassah

Gender : Male

Character Name : Santi

Original Name : Jean-Emmanuel Pagni

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prison Warden

Original Name : Frédéric Graziani

Gender : Male

Character Name : Djamila

Original Name : Leïla Bekhti

Gender : Female

Character Name : Malik's Lawyer

Original Name : Rabah Loucif

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lattrache

Original Name : Slimane Dazi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sentence enforcement judge

Original Name : Serge Onteniente

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prosecutor

Original Name : Hervé Témime

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hassan

Original Name : Taha Lemaizi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tarik

Original Name : Mohamed Makhtoumi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Muslim in the hallway

Original Name : Karim Leklou

Gender : Male

Character Name : Muslim in the hallway

Original Name : Farid Larbi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Michka

Original Name : Guillaume Verdier

Gender : Male

Character Name : Khalid

Original Name : Mourad Frarema

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shoes racket

Original Name : Hakim Sid

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guard Sampierro

Original Name : Nathanaël Maïni

Gender : Male

Reviews

Andres Gomez

@tanty

2021-06-23

Great movie in all aspects; great story and script, great cast and great performances. One of the best movies I've watched lately.

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-04-20

Tahar Rahim is really good in the dark, gritty and vicious prison drama. His character - "Mailk" is an illiterate eighteen year old who is sent to jail for six years for attacking a police officler. One inside, he has little protection but the clothes he stands up in. The place is governed by "Luciani" (Niels Arestrup). He's a man of Corsican descent who has twenty or so hoodlums to do his bidding and the guards in his pocket. It's the Arabs who are causing him some chagrin so he alights on the newbie to be his instrument of murder. Initially terrified and reluctant, it's soon clear that a choice isn't on his list of options. Do this, though, and he will be protected and, well, alive. He elects on the survival path and becomes gradually more riled upon by his boss whilst learning to read from his friend "Ryad" (Adel Bencherif). By half way through his sentence, he has grown in confidence, is trusted with more "delicate" tasks and even gets the odd day's leave in the outside world. As the demographic of the inmates changes, it falls to both him and "Luciani" to adapt - and that's quite a challenge. Now it is a bit long, and takes a while to get up an head of steam, but once we know who's who and likely to betray or kill the other this developer into a tautly directed and compelling story that doesn't shirk from conveying the epitome of a dog-eat-dog environment. Arestrup also delivers really strongly here as the man with the power who slowly realises that change is not his forté, not is patience nor any likelihood of release looming. It's a little predicable, but gives us a rough ride that conveys criminal and cultural clashes with an earthy plausibility and it whizzed by.