7 Days in Entebbe

7 Days in Entebbe was presented at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival by director José Padilha and gave of an unpleasant impression. The film is based on real events of the hijacking of a passenger plane in 1976. The main character are the German hijackers portrayed by Daniel Brühl and Rosamund Pike. It is obvious that the director tried to evoke sympathy of the viewers towards the terrorists and to somehow explain their actions.

Daniel Brühl with his kind smile and positive charisma seemed out of place in the film. At the press conference Daniel said that it was important for him that his protagonist did not kill the passengers. However the fact that man did not kill the hostages does not alleviate the criminality of his deed. The terrorists hijacked the plane and only by miracle the airplane did not suffer a catastrophe which would have killed all the passengers aboard. These actions of the terrorists are the gravest crime which cannot be justified in any way. Any attempt to explain and to humanize the criminals are in my point of view are disgusting. The director tried to compare the actions of the Israeli army and the actions of terrorists. However terrorism concerning peaceful citizens, as with the hijacking, no matter which country is involved, is not justifiable.

The film is made in an ordinary, pseudo-documentary fashion, with some shaky-cam footage. However that such charismatic actors such as Daniel Brühl and Rosamund Pike played the terrorists made the film unbelievable and stupid. The dance sequences were non-organically integrated into the film.

At the press-conference the director said that he did not want to depicted the terrorists as zombies, he wanted to show their humanity. Nevertheless, it is a dangerous statement — many terrorists are in fact zombified, they are brainwashed and make horrible deeds against innocent people, under the influence of completely absurd ideas. With this they do lose their humanity, and there is nothing wrong in depicting them as brainwashed.

Last year the film Hostages by Rezo Gigineishvili was screened at the Berlinale, which was also about a real plane hijacking. It was set in the Soviet Union. The main actor Irakli Kvirikadze said that he admired the actions of his character, what is also terrible.

In modern times terrorism only continues to become more widespread, and in this situation any hint of compassion towards those who kill innocent people or hijack planes is a moral crime. The best response to 7 Days in Entebbe would be to ignore it completely, since it also does not have any artistic value.