Acclaimed by the public and critics when it was released in 2021, Designated Guilty has been available in the Prime Video catalog since August 25. But is the tragic fate of the main character really only pure fiction?
The tragic fate of a wrongly convicted
Two months after the attacks of September 11, 2001, in a context of extreme paranoia, the Mauritanian Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Tahar Rahim) is captured by the United States. Locked up in Guantanamo prison without trial or charge, the prisoner suspected of having links with the Al-Qaeda organization was interrogated and tortured for a long time.
As he begins to despair, new hope appears in the form of attorneys Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley). Convinced of Mohamedou’s innocence, they will relentlessly demand the opening of a fair trial and shed light on a scandalous conspiracy.
Pure fiction or truth?
Much like Omar Killed Me (2011), Found Guilty is fairly faithfully inspired by a real court case. Wrongly arrested in 2001, the real Mohamedou Ould Slahi was indeed illegitimately detained by the United States for more than a decade. During his detention, he notably learned English and wrote several hundred pages on his traumatic experience in prison, collected in 2015 in a collection entitled The Guantanamo Diariesadapted here by director Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland).
Amazon Prime Video
“I spoke to the real Mohamedou three years ago, on Skypetold the filmmaker to AlloCiné in 2021. He was not what I expected. I thought I saw a broken, bitter, angry man. Instead, I met a warm, joyful person […]. Someone who has forgiven and made the choice not to be dragged into a world of hate. I found that very inspiring.”*
This biopic, carried by the talented Tahar Rahim (A Prophet, The Past, Mend the Living), reveals the secrets of Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s harsh detention and lifts the veil on the outcome of this long legal battle, led jointly by Teri Duncan and Nancy Hollander. For the role of the latter, the brilliant Jodie Foster (Taxi Driver, The Silence of the Lambs, The Accused) was also awarded a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.
Amazon Prime Video
*Comments collected by Maximilien Pierrette for AlloCiné.
Plea for justice charged with urgency and hope, Designated Guilty is to (re) see on Prime Video.