Os Cavaleiros Brancos

I do not know what this movie was trying to say or whether it was just a recounting of true events but it certainly would be a must see example of how not to go about dealing with a poverty and war stricken people. Vincent Lindon goes wandering about treating both his staff and the people he is trying to obtain orphans from with anger, shouting and physical confrontation like some little Hitler. From the bribing of tribal chiefs to the forced identification of children as orphans under 5 for the sake of the French foster parents in a land where no paperwork exists, the viewer is left with an increasing sense of horror which is only assuaged by the dignity of the local translator who has to translate this moron's rants. One cannot feel for the other characters as they fall into line with this idiot and the whole concept of an illegal kidnap of children. The people who do shine are the local chiefs who in a kind way treat this white man with quiet disdain using him for their own gain in a war torn country where the edicts and whims of continental France don't apply. Thankfully the movie's end shows some justice in the world to the relief of the viewer.

The French Jacques Arnault (Vincent Lindon), who runs the fake ONG Move for Kids, arrives in Afrika with Dr. Laura Turine (Louise Bourgoin), the independent journalist Françoise Dubois (Valérie Donzelli) and a team of volunteers. They are protected by the army and arrive at a protected place rented by their liaison Xavier Libert (Reda Kateb) to be an orphanage for three hundred orphans of the local war and to vaccinate children. Jacques hires the local translator Bintou (Bintou Rimtobaye) and other people to work as nannies, cooks, cleaning services and teachers in the orphanage. Then he visits chiefs of tribes to find orphans under five years old, facing difficulties to learn whether they are really orphans and their ages. What the Africans and some volunteers do not know is that Jacques is indeed dealing with an illegal adoption scheme to French families.

"Les chevaliers blancs", a.k.a. "The White Knights" is a film apparently based on a true story. The title is ironic referring to the unethical Frenchmen as "white knights", saving African children from their sad fates. But the theme deserves to be discussed. The children are stolen from their country and the character Jacques Arnault receives money in an expensive and very risky illegal business. However, what are the perspectives of life for these children? War, starvation, lack of education and poverty offered by their mother nation versus families with resources that may love them in the future. Disappearance of children in Third World countries (including Brazil) are countless for organs and human trafficking. It is amazing the number of missing children in Brazil. At least, the fate of these African children seems to be good. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Os Cavaleiros Brancos" ("The White Knights")