Ali F. Mostafa
The Worthy

Probably the ISIS compared to last year is a topic that enjoys less media attention. Since the election of Donald Trump, the new president of the United States has drawn all the attention to himself for his choices of domestic policy (where so far he has only gathered failures) and those relating to the relationship with the European Union. Not to mention the long-distance skirmishes with Kim Jong-Un.

However, as far as we know, the Islamic State continues to be a reality and not only a presence in a historically tormented and tumultuous geographical area like the Middle East, but also a sort of ghost that haunts the entire region and the rest of the world. Especially in Europe (Manchester, London, Barcelona...) but practically involving the entire Western world (New York).

The issue is very controversial and difficult to resolve, as much as it is complex to argue in a few lines due to the innumerable historical and geopolitical implications. But without further ado, I think I wouldn’t be wrong if I say that this post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by the young director Ali F. Mostafa (of UAE nationality but born and raised in London, England) is inspired by considerations regarding the Islamic State and the longstanding historical issues in that part of the world.

'The Worthy' (2016) tells us about a future very close to us where the Middle East, due to clashes between unspecified armed fundamentalist groups (in the film there is a mention of 'black flags'), is now reduced to heaps of rubble and a region where individual lives now count for little or nothing. As a result of the poisoning of waters, millions of people have died, and entire cities have disappeared, leaving places that are completely deserted or made up of heaps of rubble and destruction. Tiny communities of men survive, organized among themselves, trying to continue living according to principles of common sense and at the same time to protect themselves from the violent. The overwhelming emotion is the widespread feeling of fear.

The film narrates the vicissitudes of one of these communities, which has taken refuge inside a factory that once was engaged in the construction of airplane wings and lives there huddled, trying to survive in this new harsh reality. But, as is inevitable sooner or later, they too are forced to come to terms with reality and unprepared, they end up under attack and fall prey to a spiral of violence when they are each called upon, under penalty of death, to measure themselves in a challenge without rules. In the film, there are no direct references to any religion. However, given the settings and some representations, the reference to the city of Medina and some symbolisms, it is impossible not to think inevitably about Islam and in particular its most radical manifestation: the Islamic State. Which, let’s be clear, is as Muslim as Adolf Hitler could be considered a good Catholic.

There also exists a so-called Islamic world comprising countries and governments that have nothing to do with ISIS (just as there are others - even in the Western world - that probably do) where there is a cultural issue in overcoming a radical approach to religious dogma and also the presence of violent groups acting with interests that have nothing to do with religion but using the name of Allah pretextually.

This film never overplays this aspect, merely leaving some clues here and there, launching at the end a sort of universal symbolic message of brotherhood and peace among all people. In a decadent and desert setting, Ali F. Mostafa (full name: Ali Faisal Mostafa Bin Abdullatif) tells us a story loaded with violence, yet the central knots remain unresolved. Perhaps it was not really the director’s intention to delve deeply into the topics discussed. Maybe deep down, he himself has unclear ideas on such a delicate and difficult issue.

The fact is that as peculiar as it might be, 'The Worthy' is definitely an avoidable film (unless you are a fan of the genre), and whose originality in the post-apocalyptic genre lies at least in the geographical setting of the events. Staying on the science fiction theme and on a similar note, I would instead suggest reading the novel '2084' (2015) by Boulaem Sensal which, although cryptic and constructed entirely on a series of symbolisms, including using a language that draws heavily from the religious culture of Islam, succeeds at least in being suggestive and original at the same time.