TIFF 2015: The White Knights Review

Platform

The White Knights is a complicated tale about trying to do the right thing in a convoluted situation. Director Joachim Lafosse sets this ethical quagmire in civil war torn Chad, where a French adoption agency led by the driven Jacques (Vincent Lindon) attempts to “save” orphans under false pretences. Posing as an NGO that will feed and educate the children until they’re 18, the agency is secretly contacting French families interested in adopting the children.

Inspired by true events, The White Knights is sure to spark debate among those who see it, as even the characters in the film can’t seem to agree on which of their actions are moral and which are amoral. Any debate I’d engage in would be an uninformed one, as there are so many facets to this story that are foreign to me, but that’s part of the point. The agency has a difficult time navigating the language and culture of Africa in addition to the bureaucracy of their own country, even the military presence of other first world countries complicates matters. 

The film succeeds on all levels. There’s is no black and white, even when people believe they’re acting selflessly there can be selfish reasons hidden behind their actions. Excellent direction and performances do justice to this story that keeps your attention from the somewhat disorienting beginning to the nail-biting end. 

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Screens

SAT SEP 19 6:00 PM TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema 1

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Dork Shelf's TIFF 2015 Guide



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