Amal (2023): review

Jawad Rhalib’s Amal opened in German cinemas on January 9, 2025. Its compelling story places education, tolerance and resistance to extremism at the centre of an intense drama.

A teacher under pressure

Lubna Azabal plays a French teacher at a multicultural school in Brussels. Amal wants to inspire a love of literature and encourage her pupils to find their voices. Her methods draw opposition from parents and colleagues. When a pupil is threatened because of her presumed homosexuality, the teacher’s determination to defend her also puts Amal in danger.

Lubna Azabal’s strength and vulnerability

Azabal gives an exceptional performance, capturing both strength and vulnerability. Amal’s conviction remains believable even as personal and professional pressures grow. The supporting cast reinforces the tensions between competing expectations within the school.

The school as a social microcosm

Rhalib combines subtlety with intensity. The school becomes a small-scale reflection of broader social conflict. Quiet, intimate images make the pressure on the characters tangible. Restrained music gives the dialogue and images room to work.

Conviction without an idealised heroine

Education is presented as more than the transmission of knowledge: it can challenge prejudice and extremism. The film also asks how far a teacher should go for her convictions. Amal is not an idealised heroine; her uncertainties and inner conflicts make her more convincing.

Safety becomes a space of conflict

A place that should offer security and growth becomes an arena of confrontation. Different beliefs and expectations collide, with consequences for individuals. The film avoids easy answers and asks the audience to think through the conflicts rather than simply accept a convenient resolution.

Verdict

Amal is both a story about teaching and an appeal for tolerance and dialogue. Strong performances, sensitive direction and a substantial theme give it lasting force. An intense film that moves the audience while inviting reflection.