Marseille: Algerian cinema, from its origins until today

MARSEILLE (France) - Forty Algerian films are programmed in Marseille (south-east France) from 1 to 6 December by the Association ‘Aflam,’ with the goal of discovering the cinema of that country and make discover its history.

•    After Tunisia, Syria, Morocco and Palestine in recent years, Aflam, which means "movies" in Arabic, has decided to focus on the Algerian cinema from its origins (nationalist FLN in the bush in 1958) to more social accomplishments, through the creative explosion of the 1970s and the collapse of this industry during the years of terrorism, says its programming, Solange Poulet.
  
     In opening Tuesday, director Merzak Allouache will present a preview of his latest film, "Harragas" which recounts the odyssey of young Algerian illegal crossing the Mediterranean to reach the "paradise" in Europe. It will be followed by a screening of his directorial debut, "Omar Gatlato" (1976), which showed the difficulties of the Algerian youth through the eyes of a young man from Algiers simply dreaming while listening to chaabi songs and watching Hindus movies.
  
     Other films to be released include "The Citadel" by Mohamed Chouikh, "Hassan Terro (1968) Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina, "The Roaring of Twist"(1983) by Mahmoud Zemmouri, and for the most recent,"Inland" by Tariq Teguia, "China is still far" (2008) by Malek Bensmail, not yet released in France, or the comedy "Masquerades" (2007), by Lyes Salem.
  
     The event, hosted by The Varieties Cinema in Marseille, spread throughout the region of Marseille, with screenings in several cities of Provence and the Alps.
      
  Ennaharonline/ M. O.