Far from Men is a 2014 French-Algerian film directed by David Oelhoffen and based on a short story by Albert Camus. The movie is set in 1954, during the Algerian War of Independence. Viggo Mortensen stars as Daru, a former soldier who now works as a teacher in a remote Algerian village.
Daru is a lone wolf who is content to live a simple life and avoid getting involved in political conflicts. However, events soon conspire to draw him into the war. He is tasked with escorting a dissident named Mohamed (Reda Kateb) to a nearby town where he is to stand trial and almost certainly be executed.
Despite Mohamed's status as an enemy combatant, Daru develops an unexpected sympathy for him. As they journey across the harsh desert landscape, the two men begin to form an unlikely bond. However, they are hounded by Arab compatriots who see Mohamed as a traitor and by French colonial authorities who are determined to bring him to justice.
As the two men journey towards their fateful destination, they confront their own prejudices and fears, and learn to look beyond the surface differences that separate them. The film is a powerful meditation on the nature of conflict, the bonds forged between men, and the complexities of political divisions.
