'The Mauritanian,' Co-written by Alumni Coming in February

The Mauritanian, co-written by Rory Haines '11 and Sohrab Noshirvani '12, will be released theatrically by STXfilms on February 19th, 2021. The film is a legal drama about a Guantánamo Bay detainee, directed by Kevin Macdonald, and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jodie Foster. The trailer is available here. 

The star-studded supporting cast of The Mauritanian centers on Mohamedou Ould Slahi, played by Tahar Rahim, who is seized by the US Government, and languishes in prison for years without charge or trial. Losing all hope, Slahi finds allies surrounding him in defense attorney Nancy Hollander, played by Jodie Foster, and her associate Teri Duncan, played by Shailene Woodley. Together they face countless obstacles in a desperate pursuit for justice. Their controversial advocacy, along with evidence uncovered by formidable military prosecutor, Lt. Colonel Stuart Couch, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, eventually reveals a shocking and far reaching conspiracy.

The story is based on Mohamedou Ould Salahi’s 2015 Guantánamo Diary memoir, which details the author’s detainment in the detention camp from 2002 to 2016. Salahi was held without being charged for 14 years, before being released. He was tortured during his captivity in Guantánamo Bay and became the detention camp’s first inmate to publish a memoir while in captivity. 

The film has been touted as an awards season contender; Variety reported in November that the film would be submitted for a best actor consideration at upcoming awards shows.

Born in the United Kingdom, Haines is an award-winning screenwriter.Noshirvani is also an award-winning screenwriter. He is a first generation Iranian-American, who writes from his experience of being raised Muslim. 

Haines and Noshivarni met in the Columbia Film program in 2012. They previously worked together on Informer (2018), and also co-wrote the upcoming action, science-fiction film in pre-production Black Adam, a spin-off from 'Shazam!' centering on the film's anti-hero, Black Adam, starring Dwayne Johnson.