BATTLE OF ALGIERS
La battaglia di Algeri | dir. Gillo Pontecorvo | Italy, Algeria | 1966 | 120 min | Arabic, French | subtitles in Lithuanian and English
October 14th, 18:00 @Muzeoteka
The visually striking film by Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo tells the story of Algeria’s tumultuous struggle for independence from France from 1954 to 1962, focusing primarily on the events of 1956–57. Shot in a cinéma vérité style, The Battle of Algiers resembles authentic newsreels of the uprising, yet Pontecorvo directed and filmed every frame himself using a 16 mm camera. Considered anti-French propaganda, the film was not shown in France until 1971, although many viewers regarded its portrayal of the brutality of the conflict as perceptive and even-handed.
As violence on both sides intensifies, children shoot soldiers at point-blank range, women plant bombs in cafés, and French troops resort to torture in an attempt to break the insurgents’ will. The film can be seen as a study of modern warfare, revealing both terrorist attacks and the harsh methods used to suppress them. After its release, it was studied by national militaries as well as revolutionary groups around the world. Pontecorvo’s masterful work remains remarkably relevant today.
