TAHAR RAHIM’S FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
THE harrowing experience of al-Qaeda suspect Mohamedou Ould Salahi, who was held at Guantánamo Bay detention camp from 2002 until October, 17, 2016, is brought to light in Kevin Macdonald’s unsettling legal drama, The Mauritanian.
Tahar Rahim, a French actor of Algerian descent, was entrusted to play the real life character, who had his memoir, Guantánamo Diary, published in January 2015.
He spent 14 years behind bars. And while Ould Salahi’s situation was lamentable, he clung on to hope with commendable resolve. It helped that he had defence attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley) in his corner.
Rahim admitted to being “blown away” by Ould Salahi’s story.
Prior to shooting the movie in South Africa, Rahim had numerous video and phone conversations with Ould Salahi. This helped him not only get a better understanding of the traumatic experience but also get a proper sense of his mannerisms and body language.
In preparation for the role, he underwent an extreme diet. He also familiarised himself with the waterboarding interrogation technique, being cuffed, and got his body to adapt to the glacial temperatures of a prison cell at Guantánamo Bay. Rahim, who was nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama at the recent Golden Globe awards and is in the running for a Bafta for Best Actor in a Leading Role, trusted Macdonald’s vision and direction.
He shared: “Kevin is such a great director because he cares for actors. He likes to listen to actors. He’s got beautiful humility. If you have something to say, you can say it. You don’t feel ridiculous if you suggest something that is not good or doesn’t work.”
Is it true you wanted to simulate the torture he endured?
“Everything you see in the movie, I tried to get it as close as possible to reality,” Rahim admitted.
“The thing is to not hurt yourself, otherwise, it would be crazy. I went on a very, very strict diet. I had to lose about 10 kilos in 18 days. I ate so many boiled eggs I almost turned into a chicken (laughs). The diet was an interesting experience because at some point you’ve reached an emotional state you’ve never experienced before. You don’t feel hungry anymore. You’re very sensitive.
“What happens when I act is, I pull a drawer and take out a feeling. With the diet, it was the other way around. My emotions would lead me to some places that felt like reality. To make it genuine and authentic I needed to get a feel. They brought fake shackles and fake cuffs. I asked them to bring real ones. I had bruises until the end of shooting and after.
“In the cold cell I asked them to make it as a cold as possible. It was not cold enough. I couldn’t achieve the right feeling, so I got them to spray water over me. Then it was really cold and I felt it and could play with it. It was the same thing (with) waterboarding and forced feeding. “
As for working closely with Foster, Rahim reflected: “Between action and cut, you are lost in translation. Time is different. Space is different. Feelings are different.
Sometimes magic happens. That is what I felt all of the time.
“The most beautiful moment
I felt from Jodie was when her character, Nancy, comes back to Guantanamo and says, ‘I just wanted to see you’. She is doing something so special. I didn’t have to act. I was so taken with what she gave to me. She answered every question I asked. She’s such a great actress.”
Post 9/11, Islamophobia was at its worst. That said, mistakes were made as the US waged a visible war on terror. The imprisonment of Ould Salahi is indicative this.
Rahim commented: “If there is something to take from the movie, it’s that this man went through hell and was able to forgive and become a better man.”
The Mauritanian is now showing at cinemas nationwide.