Algiers Screens Film on Sahara’s Anti-Colonial Fight
The long feature film "L'ombre du sable," produced by the Public Television Establishment (EPTV) and directed by Walid Bouchebbah, recently premiered in Algiers. This 100-minute historical fiction, with a scenario by Noureddine Oughlissi, illuminates a pivotal episode during Algeria's War of National Liberation. It specifically recounts popular resistance in the Grand South against colonial France's scheme to separate the Sahara from the rest of the country before Algeria gained independence.
The film focuses on the demonstrations that took place on February 27, 1962, in Ouargla, portraying scenes from a popular protest in Souk El Hadjar, Ouargla's city center. These demonstrations, led by revolutionaries such as Mohamed Chenoufi, coincided with the arrival of a French delegation tasked with promoting the colonial project to divide southern from northern Algeria. "L'ombre du sable" emphasizes the crucial role of resistors like Cheikh Bayoud and honors local figures, including the nurse Zahra and her brother Khelifa, who symbolize the commitment of the South's inhabitants to independence and Algeria's territorial integrity. Colonial authorities resorted to violence, firing on demonstrators, after their maneuvers to separate the region failed.
Produced in partnership with the Ministry of Moudjahidine and Ayant droits, the film's screening is part of commemorations for the 64th anniversary of national sovereignty over Algerian Radio and Television, and the 72nd anniversary of the glorious November 1st Revolution. The premiere was attended by Mohamed Baghali, Director-General of EPTV, Amar Bendjedda, President of the National Independent Audiovisual Regulatory Authority (ANIRA), and other public media officials. The casting combines young talents and established actors like Fodil Assoul and Farida Benhamouda, chosen to enhance the authenticity and realism of this historical narrative.
