Movie
Battle Of Algiers
by Gillo Pontecorvo. Algeria/Italy, 1966, 121 min. French/Arabian spoken with Dutch subtitles. One of the most influential political films in history, The Battle of Algiers, by Gillo Pontecorvo, vividly re-creates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. As violence escalates on both sides, children shoot soldiers at point-blank range, women plant bombs in cafs, and French soldiers resort to torture to break the will of the insurgents. Shot on the streets of Algiers in documentary style, the film is a case study in modern warfare, with its terrorist attacks and the brutal techniques used to combat them. Pontecorvos tour de force has astonishing relevance today. Cast: Brahim Haggiag, Jean Martin, Saadi Yacef