Second half of the 20th century (1945-1990)

Hors la loi (2010) Director: Rachid Bouchareb Actors: Jamel Debbouze, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila Runtime: 138 min This tale of three Algerian brothers who are living in France in the late 1950s and early 1960s presents an exceptional insight into the Algerian anti-colonial struggle. Critics place this movie somewhere between film noir and western, comparing …

Outside the Law Read More »

La battaglia di Algeri (1966) Director: Gillo Pontecorvo Actors: Brahim Hadjadj, Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi Runtime: 121 min The Algerian revolution was an anti-colonial conflict between France and the Algerian liberation movements from 1954 to 1962, when Algeria gained its independence. The movie covers a period of intense urban-guerrilla activity in the capital Algiers from …

The Battle of Algiers Read More »

Die bleierne Zeit (1981) Director: Margarethe von Trotta Actors: Jutta Lampe, Barbara Sukowa Runtime: 106 min The film’s title “The Leaden Times” (Die bleierne Zeit) refers to the feelings of disappointment and defeat within the German Left in the 1970s, which followed the failures of 1960s social movements. A deep hatred of the political system …

Marianne and Juliane Read More »

Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum (1975) Directors: Volker Schlöndorff, Margarethe von Trotta Actors: Angela Winkler Runtime: 106 min After spending a night with a young man whom she met at a party the previous evening, the police breaks in looking for the boy, and arrests her instead. Although the police initially claim that this …

The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum Read More »