History

The Battle of Algiers

2007 - 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS

Sixty years ago, Algeria was being ravaged by a civil war that would become one of the 20th century´s most deadly wars of independence. For nine months, French soldiers ferociously cracked down on Algerian activists in the city of Algiers. The documentary mixes archive footage with excerpts from Pontecorvo´s film and numerous interviews, most notably with women who planted bombs for the FLN and have agreed to tell their stories for the very first time. The film throws light on one of the shadiest and most fascinating episodes in recent French history, offering insights that help us better understand the burning issues of our own times.

Note about the author: Yves Boisset is a scriptwriter and fiction film and documentary producer. He produced “The Dreyfus Affair” with Pierre Arditi and Gérard Desarthe, and “Jean Moulin” with Charles Berling and Elsa Zylberstein. He has also worked with René Clément and produced over forty films since the 1960´s in France and in the United States among others Dog Day, The Key Is in the Door, The Common Man, The Assassination, The French Conspiracy, Angel's Leap, Blood on My Hands, Jean Moulin.