60th anniversary screening!
Screening times:
Saturday, May 2, 8:30 PM
Gillo Pontecorvo | 1966 | Italy, Algeria | 121m
Arabic and French with English subtitles
One of the most influential political films in history, The Battle of Algiers vividly re-creates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. As violence escalates on both sides, children shoot soldiers at point-blank range, women plant bombs in cafés, and French soldiers resort to torture to break the will of the insurgents. Shot on the streets of Algiers in documentary style, the film is a case study in modern warfare, with its terrorist attacks and the brutal techniques used to combat them. Pontecorvo’s tour de force has astonishing relevance today.
"With irresistible style and narrative efficiency, 'The Battle of Algiers' mourns the conditions of colonialism, capturing the moral complexity and human toll of an imperialistic relationship between the colonizer and colonized." - Brian Eggert, Deep Focus Review
"One of the finest recreations of dramatic actuality in the history of the cinema - one of those movies which shouldn't be missed." - Richard Whitehall, Los Angeles Free Press
Winner: Golden Lion - Venice Film Festival, 1966
Winner: UN Award - BAFTA Awards, 1972
Tickets $12 ($11.40 at the door if available)
