Mohamed Chouikh

Anissa Mezaguer

Ahmed Benmensour

Algerian youth of the 1960s, straddling traditional South Mediterranean and Western culture and the desire for emancipation of younger generations to find true love.

Le match France - Algérie vient chambouler le train-train de Brahim et Mouloud. Cet évènement va diviser les deux amis : Brahim revendique son identité algérienne, Mouloud fustige son refus de la France, pays qui les a vu grandir.

A stubborn director who wants to rediscover the Algiers of his childhood comes up against the “Hollywood” fantasies of his characters, non-professionals all hoping to be able to become “someone else”, at least for the duration of a film… Mise en abyme for a journey into megalomania…

Fous de Musique by Jean-Charles Carlus (1957) is a musical comedy featuring Rouiched, Mahieddine Bentir and the famous Bendaoud orchestra. Shot during the Algerian War, the film was not released until after independence and was probably shown in Paris in cinemas intended for immigrant workers around 1967. Sources: Archives Numériques du Cinéma Algérien

In 1988, Johnny Leclerc, the son of a Norman mother and an Alsatian father, lives in a suburban housing estate with his friends. He behaves like a Muslim, observes Ramadan and wears a djelaba. He's even convinced that his name is Abdelbachir and that he was born in a small village in the bled. When his friend Yacine gets into trouble with a local kaid and decides to return to Algeria for the vacations, he smuggles himself into the Sabri family's luggage to fulfill his dream and finally get to know his "roots". As soon as he arrived on the Algerian coast, Johnny felt right at home. But Yacine is opposed to his father, who wants to arrange his marriage.

Two people meet each other after missing the last train home, leading to a beautiful relationship over five years.

Liza is a naïve, lonely 30-year-old nurse who wants to fall in love. Her only company is a long-dead Japanese pop star, who turns her into a fox-fairy out of jealousy. Now, every man who desires Liza shall die horribly. Can she overcome the curse?

Moussa, a young Franco-Algerian, returns to Algeria, but adapting to life in his country of origin proves difficult. Just as he is about to leave for France, he is called up for military service, which suits him fine because he is secretly in love with the beautiful Nacira.