New movie “Agora” crusades against fundamentalism

This movie, about Hypatia, is an indictment of fundamentalism and of the intolerance of belief. It recently debuted in Cannes.

Set in 4th century Alexandria in Egypt, during the onset of decadence in the Roman Empire, Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz (“The Constant Gardener”) portrays the legendary Hypatia, who devoted herself to science, the search for truth and tolerance. Two men are competing for her heart, the privileged Orestes (Oscar Isaac) and Davus (Max Minghella), her slave. Davus remains with Hypatia, despite the fact his freedom could be won if he joined the unstoppable surge of the Christians and the religious violence in the streets of the city, which have also spilled into Alexandria’s famous library.

“It’s set in the 4th century, but when I read it, what struck me is that nothing has changed,” Weisz said Sunday about the film, which seemed to receive a rather lukewarm reception from critics here. “People still kill each other in the name of God. Fundamentalism still abounds, and in many countries in [that region] women are second-class citizens.”

Despite his personal beliefs, Amenabar took strains at the end of the press conference in Cannes to emphasize that the film was not against religion, inerrupting the moderator who was trying to close the conversation saying, “I just want to say one last thing. “I was brought up Christian, then I was agnostic and then I realized I was atheist. But we have actors [in ‘Agora’] who are Christian. This movie is about fundamentalism and hate.”