It’s tough to gauge what the awards season is truly going to look like when all is said and done. But into this uncertainty, there are bound to be a few films that emerge out of nowhere, and STX is hoping The Mauritanian will be one of them.
With a cast that includes Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim, Zachary Levi, Saamer Usmani, Shailene Woodley, and Benedict Cumberbatch with The King of Scotland‘s Kevin Macdonald behind the camera, you can see why there’s room for optimism. The film follows the true story of Guantanamo Bay prisoner Mohamedou Ould Slahi, an alleged 9/11 terrorist recruiter whose imprisonment was challenged by two American attorneys who argued it was illegal.
The Mauritanian gets in for an Oscar-qualifying run beginning February 19th 2021.
Captured by the U.S. Government, Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Tahar Rahim) languishes in prison for years without charge or trial. Losing all hope, Slahi finds allies in defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley). Together they face countless obstacles in a desperate pursuit for justice. Their controversial advocacy, along with evidence uncovered by formidable military prosecutor, Lt. Colonel Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch), eventually reveals a shocking and far reaching conspiracy. Based on the New York Times best-selling memoir, this is the explosive true story of a fight for survival against all odds.
