It’s true that the writer Miguel de Cervantes was kidnapped and held for ramson in Algiers in 1575 by Muslims. Despite the hopes of his kidnappers, his family could not afford to pay the ransom and so he remained in captivity for five years. During this time he discovered his skill for storytelling, a skill that not only amused his fellow captives but also brought him into contact with the bored and lascivious Hassan Baja, regent (or Bey) of Algiers from 1577 to 1580 and from 1582 to 1587. The whole movie is suffused with homoeroticism, which I’m not really sure was reflected in de Cervantes’ real life- a bit of 21 century mischief there, I suspect. I knew absolutely nothing about de Cervantes, and have never read or seen Don Quixote, so it was all new to me.
I saw it as part of the Spanish Film Festival.
My rating: 4/5
The Resident Judge of Port Phillip 