The film, divided into six chapters, portrays decisive moments in Algeria’s history, especially the evolution of the national liberation movement. The narrative covers the period from 1939 until the beginning of the revolution in 1954, revealing how the Algerian War was the culmination of a slow and uninterrupted process of revolts and suffering that started with the colonization of its territory in 1830. Amidst this, Ahmed’s political consciousness awakens, under the watchful eye of his son, a symbol of the new Algeria.

Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival.

Restored by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project and Cineteca di Bologna at L’Image Retrouvée and L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratories. Restoration funded by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation. This restoration is part of the African Film Heritage Project, an initiative created by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers and UNESCO — in collaboration with Cineteca di Bologna — to help locate, restore, and disseminate African cinema.