The Franco-Algerian War (1954–62) remains a powerful international symbol of Third Worldism and the finality of Empire. Through its nuanced analysis of the war's depiction in film,
The Franco-Algerian War through a Twenty-First Century Lens
locates an international reckoning with history that both condemns and exonerates past generations.
Algerian and French production partnerships-such as
Hors-la-loi
, (
Outside the Law
, Rachid Bouchareb, 2010) and
Loubia Hamra
(
Bloody Beans
, Narimane Mari, 2013)-are one of several ways citizens collaborate to unearth a shared history and its legacy. Nicole Beth Wallenbrock probes cinematic discourse to shed new light on topics including: the media revelation of torture and atomic bomb tests; immigration's role in the evolution of the war's meaning; and the complex relationship of the intertwined film cultures. The first chapter summarizes the Franco-Algerian War in 20th-century film, thus grounding subsequent queries with Algeria's
moudjahid
or freedom-fighter films and the French new wave's perceived disinterest in the conflict.
This book is an invaluable resource for scholars seeking to understand cinema's role in re-evaluating war and reconstructing international memory.