Seven decades of Algerian cinema. Art, History and Politics

From the first images captured in the maquis during the war of liberation to contemporary productions celebrated at international festivals, Algerian cinema has traversed seven tumultuous decades reflecting the profound transformations of a society in search of its identity. Ahmed Bedjaoui, a key figure in Algerian cinema, brings together in this volume his major contributions published in international journals.
Through a series of articles, interviews and critical analyses, he offers a transdisciplinary reading of Algerian cinema at the crossroads of history, politics and cultural studies. From the battle of images waged by the FLN during the war of independence to the current challenges facing the film industry, from the emergence of women›s cinema confronting Islamic fundamentalism to American influences on filmmakers like Rachid Bouchareb, this work explores the multiple facets of a cinematography that has continuously questioned History and interrogated the present.
Enhanced with analyses of emblematic films, reflections on the decolonization of the image, and testimonies about Pan-African festivals, this book addresses researchers, students in cinema and cultural studies, as well as all enthusiasts of Maghrebi and African cinema.