A New Generation of Algerian Filmmakers: Between Obstacle and Opportunity
p. 243-252
Texte intégral
1A new generation of Algerian filmmakers has emerged since the early 2000’s. Self-taught for the most part, these directors manage to make films with little means, avoiding official distribution channels and gaining recognition at international festivals. Their films give new life to Algerian cinema, which almost disappeared during years of terrorism. Confronted with many obstacles, filmmakers work twice as hard and prove resourceful in order to carry out their projects. However, their films are rarely seen in Algeria because of the notably small number of theaters there. Their difficult situation pushes them to find ingenious solutions and allows them to come across great opportunities at the same time. Some of these are offered by the Institut français of Algiers, Oran and Annaba. Indeed, these institutions, in addition to promoting French cinema, are interested in New Algerian Cinema. They give support by projecting the films of this new generation of Algerian filmmakers, and by offering master classes to young filmmakers seeking to become more professional in a country where there are no longer any film schools. Before turning to the role of the Instituts français in supporting New Algerian Cinema, first a brief historical account of key dates in Algerian cinema will be provided. Then several filmmaker representative of this new generation will be discussed, and finally, the obstacles they faced will be mentioned, with focus on the lack of theaters and the absence of film schools in Algeria.
A Cinema closely related to the history of Algeria
2As Algerian cinema has the distinctive characteristic of being closely related to the history of the country, it is essential to recall the great periods in the history of Algerian cinema before highlighting the characteristics of New Algerian Cinema which made its entrance in the 2000’s. The genesis of Algerian cinema dates back to 1957, when a group of filmmakers decided to join the Algerian fighters (maquis) in the middle of the Algerian War in order to report on the daily life of the combatants. Thus, Algerian cinema was born militant, and this trademark characteristic would linger for many years. After Algeria won its independence, Algerian cinema took off, each subsequent period having its own particular characteristics.
War Cinema in the 1960’s
3Following its independence in 1962, Algeria emerged not only from 132 years of French colonization, but also from a war that went on for seven and a half years (the longest of the 20th century) that caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. Therefore, the films produced following the nation’s independence were strongly realistic and dealt mainly with the war for liberation and with colonization. This attribute was not unique to Algeria. Denise Brahimi explains that this trend was appropriate for North African cinemas because they were “born at this precise historical moment of their countries gaining independence, and they obviously [could] not ignore history.”1 For Algerian cinema, the most emblematic film of this period is The Battle of Algiers (1965), which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1966.
Figure 1. La Bataille d’Alger (Gillo Pontecorvo, 1965).

The Golden Age of Algerian cinema: the 1970’s
4As Achour Cheurfi describes, the 1970’s were, “the best years of Algerian cinema.”2 At that time, five films were produced per year on average, and Algerian cinema occupied second place in the Arab world, right after Egyptian cinema. This decade differs from the previous one, in that even if war films were still produced, there were more films focusing on the social concerns of the moment. Algerian filmmakers were interested in many topics, such as: village life issues, women’s emancipation, malaise and unfulfilled aspirations, exile, and emigration. Denise Brahimi describes North African cinemas as “cinémas de l’urgence” (cinemas of emergency). For her, “the first decades of North Africa’s cinema [were] devoted to immediate history – which [was] not even history, but the demonstration of present life.”3 This analysis applies to Algeria. Indeed, during the 1970’s, Algerian cinema was diversified, and each filmmaker explored themes according to their own sensibility. The difficult situation of village life occupied a prominent place and was in line with the history of Algeria at the time. The Algerian authorities were indeed engaged with agricultural reform at the time (1971). Thus, the rural world was explored by the Algerian cinema during these years. The Algerian War remained very present in film, but some filmmakers managed to speak about it in a unique way. Women’s emancipation was also an important issue, as well as emigration and uprooting, which were beginning to find their place in Algerian cinema. In 1975, Mohamed Lakhdar-Hamina distinguished himself by winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes for Chronicles of the Years of Fire, becoming the first African and Arab filmmaker to win this prize.
The Decline of Algerian cinema: the 1980’s
5The 1980’s marked the beginning of the decline of Algerian cinema. Such an occurrence is not foreign to a country when economic and political situations are deteriorating. Indeed, the decrease of oil prices in 1986 plunged the country into an unprecedented financial crisis, and the violent riots of October 1988 changed the political situation which led to the collapse of the single-party system (Front de Libération nationale). Denise Brahimi recounts that the 1980’s represent the period in which the country opened up to liberalism. A period she considers to be “characterized by a taste for easy money and the development of corruption.”4 An environment that is certainly not conducive to film production.
6The advent of satellite dishes and video in this decade had a negative impact on cinemas as well. At that time, Algerian people were gradually abandoning theaters and instead watching films at home. For researcher Adda Chentouf, the stagnation of the 1980’s was also explained by, “an absence of perspective and vision, combined with a lack of ambition or willingness by the authorities in charge of the sector.”5 Indeed, many resources were utilized for the 20th anniversary of independence in 1982 when twelve films were produced, which is a record in the history of Algerian cinema. However, this was an unusual year in the decade, and film production continued to decline after 1982.
7Although less prolific, the 1980’s were not lacking in quality film about women, family, childhood, or even less consensual war films. On the other side of the Mediterranean, some filmmakers were starting to shoot films in France on emigration and French banlieues.
A Cinema losing its bearings: the 1990’s
8The decade of the 1990’s, also known as the “Black Decade,” was the most tragic one experienced by independent Algeria. Terrorism caused the death of more than 200,000 people. Several filmmakers, actors and technicians were forced to go into exile during this period, especially after the wave of assassinations of Algerian intellectuals between May and June of 1993. Algerian cinema then suffered the full impact of the violence and terrorism of the 1990’s. Film production was almost nonexistent. Only one or two films were produced per year and these were very seldom distributed. Moreover, during this period, Algerian films were produced in European capitals. The theaters were deserted by the Algerian public, and their number did not exceed a dozen in 1999 even though Algeria inherited 458 cinemas after gaining independence in 1962.
9The films produced during this period put into question the causes of the crisis that confined Algerian society. Thus, Achour Cheurfi recounts that, “faced with this collapse, the filmmakers [didn’t] give up and [tried] to contain this descent into hell by questioning all that is intimate and singular within the society, and which [seemed] to burst overnight: family, social bonds, and identity.”6 Although this period was very difficult for Algerian cinema, it allowed for the production of the first three films of Algerian cinema in the Amazigh language, which made it possible to revisit the history of Algeria and to recall the Berber dimension of Algerian identity too long put aside. These films are The Forgotten Hill (1997) by Abderrahmane Boughermouh and Machaho (1994) by Belkacem Hadjadj, and Baya’s Mountain (1995) by Azzedine Meddour in 1995. The first Amazigh language film festival was also launched in 1999.
A Rebirth of Algerian cinema: the 2000’s
10As the years of terrorism were the worst for Algeria and Algerian cinema since the independence of the country, the improvement of the security situation in Algeria in the late 1990’s also had an impact on Algerian cinema. Since then, the recovery has been gradual, though some films have been successful and even noticed internationally. This is the case of the film Rachida by Yamina Bachir-Chouikh from 2003, which was selected for Un Certain Regard at Cannes. In 2006, the first feature film by Tariq Teguia, Rome Rather Than You was selected at the Venice Film Festival and paved the way for a new and independent Algerian cinema. Barakat!, the first feature film by Djamila Sahraoui won numerous awards after its release in 2006. In 2008, Masquerades, Lyès Salem’s first feature film, received a very warm welcome in France and Algeria. The same goes for Tariq Teguia’s Inland (2008, selected at the Venice Film Festival) and China is Still Far (2010) by Malek Bensmaïl. A new generation of very promising filmmakers appeared during the 2000’s. For Mohammed Brahim, “this resurgence of Algerian cinema starting in 2003 relie[d] again on what had been the strength of Algerian cinema, namely the historical theme. This time it [was] the dark years of terrorism that inspire[d] the writing.”7 Thus, the Algerian cinema was revived anew “thanks” to a trauma.
A New generation of filmmakers since the 2000’s
11As mentioned above, the end of terrorism also marked the emergence of a new generation of filmmakers in Algeria commonly referred to as the “missing image” generation, because they had not seen movies in theaters during the previous decade. Self-taught for the most part, their backgrounds were very diverse. Although they made films with limited means, their films were internationally distinguished – but remained little seen in Algeria. They were clearly at odds with the great nationalist epics, and when their films dealt rather with the history of Algeria, revisited it and treated in a more nuanced and subtle way. Finally, their films were endowed with free speech and criticism. Over the course of this article, six different filmmakers from this new generation have been targeted as case studies. The first of them is Tariq Teguia, whose achievements include several short films as well as three feature films: Rome Rather Than You (2006) which won the Special Jury Prize at the Fribourg International Film Festival in 2006, Inland (2008), which won the FIPRESCI Critic Prize at the 2008 Venice Film Festival and Zanj Revolution (2013), which won the CinemaXXI Award at the Rome International Film Festival. Karim Moussaoui is also one such filmmaker. His film The Days Before was nominated at the César Awards in 2015 in the category for best short film. His first feature film Until the Birds Return was selected at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 for Un Certain Regard. Lyès Salem is another face in this new generation of Algerian filmmakers. In 2005, he received the César for best short film for Cousins, and his film Masquerades was nominated for an Oscar in the best foreign language film category in 2008. Finally, Lyès Salem, who is also an actor, won the Valois Award for best actor at the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival for the film The Man from Oran, which he directed in 2013.
Figure 2. Les Bienheureux.

12The first feature film by Sofia Djama The Blessed also received several distinctions, such as the Orrizonti Award for best acress at the 2017 Venice Film Festival, as well as an honorable mention by the jury at the Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival that same year. Hassan Ferhani is another filmmaker who has won several prizes for his first documentary Roundabout in My Head released in 2015. Her film won the Grand Prize at the FIDMarseille, the Special Jury Prize at the International Documentary Filmfestival in Amsterdam, the Audience Award and the Critics Award at the Entrevues Belfort Film Festival, as well as the best documentary award at the Turin International Film Festival. The sixth filmmaker selected is Damien Ounouri, who won the special jury prize at the Ajyal Film Festival in Doha for his 2012 film Fidai. His feature film Kindil El Bahr was selected at La Quinzaine des Réalisateurs at Cannes in 2016 and won the “Filmmaker to Filmmaker Award” at the 26th Aspen Shortsfest in Colorado. Finally, La dernière reine d’Alger, a feature film currently in progress, received a grant for development from the Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival, as well as aid from the Institut français of Algiers.
Many obstacles
13Algerian filmmakers from this new generation face many obstacles, such as heavy dependence on public funding, a lack of film and production studios, a small number of cinemas, a lack of effective distribution networks, a lack of qualified film crews, an absence of film schools and training centers, a lack of modern equipment, a lack of visibility (no specialized press or media relays), difficulty selling film productions to television channels, a lack of adequate structure for film conservation, cumbersome bureaucracy, a restrictive legal framework, and finally, the absence of a dynamic and coherent cultural policy. Researcher Fayçal Sahbi summarizes the situation very well: “In terms of cinema, Algeria can be considered as a special case. It is probably the only country in the world to have won a Palme d’Or, an Oscar for best foreign language film, and which produces a dozen films a year without having the regular structure of a film industry. It is probably also the only country in the world where the average number of feature films produced per year exceeds the number of theaters offering real cinema programming.”8 Over the course of this article, cinemas and training programs, two areas in which the Institut français intervened, will be focused on.
The small number of cinemas in Algeria
14In the aftermath of independence, Algeria had 458 theaters in working order,9 projecting films in 35 mm and/or 16 mm for a population of 11 million inhabitants. This number was twice the number of theaters available in Egypt at the same time, which has an exceptional legacy to maintain. At that time, the city of Algiers alone contained 58 theaters.10 Journalist Nacima Chabani describes that period: “for those who remember, Algiers had prestigious cinemas where foreign directors such as Claude Chabrol, Melvin Van Peebles, Jean-Luc Godard, Roger Hanin or Gillo Pontecorvo came to present and discuss their films, especially at the legendary Alger Cinematheque.”11 The nationalization of cinemas took place in 1964 and was ordered by President Ahmed Ben Bella. Their management was given to the National Center of Algerian Cinema (Centre national du cinéma algérien or the CNCA), created the same year. This institution was dissolved in 1967 and theater management was entrusted to the municipalities via a set of specifications determined by a ministerial decree. In the early 1980’s, it was possible for individuals to manage movie theaters by renting the space, but this time without defined specifications which led to the disintegration of theaters that were, for the most part, either abandoned or diverted from their primary function. Thus, the Minister of Culture already explained in October 2016 that, “95% of Algerian cinemas were closed or were not operating,” adding that this “cessation of activity leads to a difficult situation and should be addressed to win back the public.”12 Over time, other theaters have been transformed into festival venues or used to schedule shows unrelated to film activities.
15During an election period, some theaters are used to organize political meetings. The newspaper Le Monde devoted an article in 2008 entitled “Algeria practices the culture of cinema outside theaters.”13 More than ten years later, this observation remains unchanged. However, some cinemas have been renovated, such as the Ibn-Khaldoun Theater, the Sierra Maestra Theater, the African Theater, the Algeria and the Ex-Casino in Algiers. The programs are nevertheless feeble, and no details exist on the turnover of these cinemas. In addition to the mismanagement of cinemas, the appearance of satellite dishes in the 1980’s and the presence of terrorism during the subsequent decade had a very negative impact on attendance at cinemas. During the 1980’s, Algerians preferred to see movies at home rather than in theater. During the 1990’s, theaters were either closed (about ten theaters for 31 million inhabitants), or simply deserted by Algerians because they could be potential sites of a terrorist attack. This fear of cinemas remained present even after the years of terrorism had ended. It has even been coupled with prejudice difficult to overcome today for a traditionalist society where the religiosity of mentalities is rampant.
16Indeed, cinemas are perceived today as “places of debauchery” by a large number of Algerians. Many young couples meet there, having no other places to gather and being unable to display their relationships in public spaces. Today, the number of cinemas remains very difficult to estimate in Algeria, since disclosed figures differ between sources and because there are so many nuances that must be accounted for: whether the theater is operational, functional, etc. On March 2, 2018, the Algerian Minister of Culture published a number of 80 theaters equipped with traditional projection equipment and DCP (for 42 million inhabitants). At the same time, Azzedine Mihoubi announced that the responsibility of the mission to “make the inventory” and “revive” cinemas would go to the Algerian Agency for Cultural Promotion (Agence algérienne pour le rayonnement culturel, or the AARC) and no longer the National Office of Culture and Information Center (Office national de la culture et de l’information, or the ONCI), which had been responsible for this mission since October 2016. It should be remembered that theaters came under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture at the end of 2015, and that before then, they were managed by municipalities. This context means that the Algerian public has little access to Algerian films, which is a real obstacle for the new generation of filmmakers.
The Absence of film schools in Algeria
17The only film school that existed in Algeria had a short life. This was the National Film Institute (L’Institut national du cinéma, or the INC), which was founded in 1964 before being dissolved in 1967. Some post-independence filmmakers began their training at the INC. This is the case with Merzak Allouache, who had to join the IDHEC (currently La Fémis) in Paris after the dissolution of the INC. Other filmmakers opted to go to countries of the former Soviet bloc to continue their training. Today, there are some private structures that provide training, such as l’Institut Supérieur des Métiers des Arts du Spectacle (Higher Institute of Professions in the Performing Arts). Otherwise, aspiring filmmakers train during workshops offered at festivals such as the Bejaia Film Meetings, the Oran International Arab Film Festival, or the Annaba Mediterranean Film Festival. The Institut français also plays a role in the training of young Algerian filmmakers. This is what will be presented in the following section.
The Role of the Institut français of Algiers in supporting Algerian cinema
18The Institut français of Algiers plays two main roles in supporting New Algerian Cinema: screening films through the IF of Algiers and offering cinema training to filmmakers hoping to become more professionalized. These roles are put in greater detail by Jean-Jacques Beucler, director of the Institut français of Algiers.
The FIA Theater
19The Institut français of Algiers’ cinema is a multipurpose room that is not only dedicated to film projection. The IF of Algiers’s program combines the projection of French films with the screening of Algerian films produced by the new generation of filmmakers and supported by this IF branch. It is a 200-seat theater equipped with DCP, that is regularly program and that has a loyal audience with peaks in attendance during premieres. Some Algerian films screened at the IF of Algiers include: Roundabout in My Head by Hassen Ferhani, Atlal by Djamel Kerkar, Fais soin de toi by Mohamed Lakhdar-Hamina, Until the Birds Return by Karim Moussaoui, The Blessed by Sofia Djama, Until the End of Time by Yasmine Chouikh, The Days Before by Karim Moussaoui, Kindil El Bahr by Damien Ounouri and I Promise You by Mohamed Yargui.
Training
20Training is the second most important component in which the Institut français of Algiers intervenes in order to support Algerian filmmakers from this new generation. The IF of Algiers launched four main programs in this respect:
- The Algiers Laboratory for the Creation of Documentaries: this initiative began in 2014. It is a partnership between the Institut français of Algiers and the Premiers Plans Festival of Angers. The purpose of this laboratory is to enable the production of three documentary films and the training of twelve Algerian professionals: three author-directors, three editors, three sound engineers and three chief operators. This laboratory is intended for candidates who already have professional experience. They are supported in the writing and production of their documentaries, which are screened in the IF’s cinema and at the Premiers Plans Festival of Angers.
- Post-production professional training program with La Fémis: this consists of professional training in post-production involving several partners: the Institut français of Algiers, La Fémis, and the Algerian Center for Cinema Development. This post-production training takes place twice a year and brings together ten candidates per session. The first took place in 2017.
- Supporting production and the emergence of a new generation of filmmakers: this is essentially the French Embassy’s calls for cultural projects. Selected candidates receive either direct financial aid or mobility aid. For example, in 2016: 22 film projects were supported for an overall budget of around 70,000 euros. This grant from the Embassy is often the first grant received by young filmmakers who can then begin creating their film and apply for other funding. For example, the FIA helped Karim Moussaoui with The Days Before and Until the Birds Return. Hassan Ferhani also benefited from this grant with his documentary Roundabout in My Head. The same goes for Damien Ounouri’s Kindil El Bahr, Djamel Kerkar’s Atlal, Sofia Djama’s The Blessed and Yasmine Chouikh’s Until the End of Time.
- Supporting local volunteer initiatives: the aim here is to support training initiatives led by local associations such as Médiatalents (a script writing workshop in French), Béjaia Film Lab (Writing support grant, writing residency, post-production grant, editing) and Africadoc (writing residency).
21In a country like Algeria where there is no longer a film industry, where there are no film schools, and where there are few functional cinemas, there are still filmmakers who continue to produce films with little means. Despite an environment not very conducive to creation, they are creative, and their films are selected and awarded at international festivals. The Algerian public, however, has little access to these films that they can see mainly during premiers but not beyond that. To reach a greater number of people, Algerian filmmakers of the new generation are turning to the Institut français of Algiers, which offers them the opportunity to screen their films. The IF of Algiers also supports Algerian filmmakers from the new generation through various professional training courses, financial aid and covering travel fees. The grant from the French Embassy is often received first and helps filmmakers to obtain additional funding. Thus, the Institut français of Algiers fulfills two important roles in supporting the new Algerian cinema: screening films (distribution) and training (education).
Notes de bas de page
1 Denise Brahimi, 50 ans de cinéma maghrébin, Alger, Chihab éditions, 2010, p. 10.
2 Achour Cheurfi, Dictionnaire du cinéma algérien et des films étrangers sur l’Algérie, Alger, Casbah Edition, 2013, p. 25.
3 Denise Brahimi, 50 ans de cinéma maghrébin, Alger, Chihab Éditions, 2010, p. 12.
4 Op. cit., p. 33.
5 Adda Chentouf, 50 ans de cinéma en Algérie, de la splendeur du passé au marasme actuel. Alger, Éditions Dar El Adib, 2016, p. 88.
6 Achour Cheurfi, Dictionnaire du cinéma algérien et des films étrangers sur l’Algérie, Alger, Casbah Editions, 2013, p. 26.
7 Denise Brahimi, 50 ans de cinéma maghrébin, Alger, Chihab Éditions, 2010, p. 33.
8 Sahbi Fayçal, “Algérie : Un cinéma sans cinémas est-il possible ?,” Le Huffington Post, September 11, 2017.
9 “Projet de collecte de données statistiques sur les marchés cinématographiques et audiovisuels dans 9 pays méditerranéens,” Euromed Audiovisuel, March 25, 2014, www.euromedaudiovisuel.net.
10 Op. cit.
11 Chabani, Nacima, “Salles obscures : Fermées pour…,” El Watan, March 7, 2017.
12 “95 % des salles de cinéma algériennes sont fermées et non exploitées (Ministère de la Culture),” Le HuffPost Algérie, October 1, 2016.
13 T.S., “L’Algérie pratique la culture du cinéma hors salles,” Le Monde, December 9, 2008.
Auteur
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Narimene Laouadi
Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3, IRCAV
Le texte seul est utilisable sous licence Creative Commons - Attribution - Pas d'Utilisation Commerciale - Pas de Modification 4.0 International - CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Les autres éléments (illustrations, fichiers annexes importés) sont « Tous droits réservés », sauf mention contraire.
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