Allah Is Not Obliged
| Allah Is Not Obliged | |
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| Directed by | Zaven Najjar |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Edited by | Isabelle Manquillet |
| Music by | Thibault Agyeman |
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Running time | 77 minutes |
| Countries | France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Canada |
Allah Is Not Obliged is a 2025 animated film directed by Zaven Najjar adapted from a book of the same name written by Ahmadou Kourouma.[1] It appeared in several film festivals, including the Red Sea International Film Festival, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, and the Tokyo International Film Festival.[2][3][4]
Plot
The film follows Birahima, a ten-year-old Guinean orphan, as he tries to meet his aunt in Liberia. Along the way, he falls into the throes of tribal warfare and is recruited to be a child soldier.[1]
Production
In addition to adapting Kourouma's novel, Najjar also spoke with Liberian war veterans. In particular, he spoke with a former general of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, who put him in contact with other veterans, brought him to several locations discussed in Kourouma's novel, and ultimately showed him a local perspective of Monrovia. During his travels, Najjar made sketches, began storyboarding the film.[1]
"For budget reasons," the film was created by five animation studios.[1]
Critical reception
Cineuropa wrote that "this impressive and very well mastered debut feature about a childhood sucked into the madness of war... elevates animation that isn’t afraid to tackle topics that are seemingly difficult but essential to pass on."[5]
References
- ^ a b c d Giraud, Kevin (2025-06-09). "Echoes of Childhood Lost: 'Allah Is Not Obliged' Brings Potent Animated Recollection of Liberian Wars". Variety. Archived from the original on 2025-07-23. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
- ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (2025-11-04). "Prince Naseem Boxing Biopic 'Giant' To Open Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Festival As 2025 Lineup Unveiled". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2025-11-05. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
- ^ Taylor, Drew (2025-06-13). "GKids Celebrates Its Most Ambitious Annecy Yet, With 4 Acquisition Titles and 3 Films in Competition | Exclusive". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 2025-11-10. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
- ^ "Anime News, Top Stories & In-Depth Anime Insights". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved 2025-12-22.
- ^ "Review: Allah Is Not Obliged". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. 2025-06-13. Archived from the original on 2025-07-19. Retrieved 2025-12-22.