Arab youth Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim) is beginning a six-year prison sentence. Although he's spent the better part of his life in juvenile detention, this is his first time in an adult prison, and he hopes to simply serve his time without incident, despite having no prospects once he gets out (he's illiterate). However, the prison is divided between the Corsicans and Muslims (the Corsicans have guard connections and thus rule what happens in the prison), and the head of the Corsican inmates, a sadistic mafioso (is there any other kind?) named Cesar Luciani (Niels Arestrup) co-opts Malik, who has no idea what to do but cooperate. This doesn't sit well either with the other Corsicans, who see Malik as a "dirty Arab," nor with the Muslims who now mistrust him.
As time goes on, Malik works to save himself while in prison, while setting up his life post-prison on his own terms.
A Prophet won a slew of Cesar awards (the French Oscars), including Best Actor, Best Film, Best Director, Best Writer, and Best Supporting Actor; was nominated for a Best Foreign Film Academy Award and Golden Globe; won a Grand Prize of the Jury and was nominated for a Palme d'Or at Cannes; and won a BAFTA for Best Foreign Language Film--among many other accolades.
"An answered prayer for those who believe that revitalizing classic forms with contemporary attitudes makes for the most compelling kind of cinema." --Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times (Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, nudity, language, and drug material.)
