You’ve already seen him in “Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain.” You may have also seen him too in “Indigènes” (“Days of Glory” in English), by French Algerian movie director Rachid Bouchareb.
His name is Djamel Debbouze, and he’s now back in the sequel to “Indigènes“, directed by the same Bouchareb, called “Hors-la-Loi“, and translated in English as “Outside of the Law.”
Djamel Debbouze, in “Indigènes” (“Days of Glory”)
Contrairement au premier film (unlike the first movie), “Indigènes“, which followed the story of Algerian and Moroccan soldiers who, although their home countries were still under harsh French occupation, rush nevertheless to fight in World War II to help deliver France from the clutches of Nazi Germany, and which did not cause, back in its release in 2006, any polémique (controversy), the 2010 sequel “Hors-la-loi“, however, managed to trigger the unlikely scene of heated demonstrations held at the very doors of this year’s Festival de Cannes!
Granted, the Festival organizers, whose budget -we’re told- is still reeling from la crise financière (the financial crisis), had very little reason to complain about the unexpected glare of publicité caused by such a controversy…
The 2010 French-Algerian film “Hors-la-loi” (“Outside of the Law”)
So what’s this movie about?
Although its events are set in the final days of the Second World War and its aftermath, make no mistake about it, this movie is no Quentin Tarantino à-la-“Inglorious Basterds.“
The “Hors-la-loi“ plot takes place in 1945, right when la Deuxième Guerre Mondiale (WWII) comes to a long-overdue end.
Hundred thousands of Algerians, whose country had been illegally occupied by France since 1830, many of whom were soldiers enlisted in the French army who played a crucial role in the liberation of France from the Nazis and who just came back home from combat, all massively went out in peaceful demonstrations in the streets of Algeria.
The demonstrations were mainly held in the cities of Setif, Constantine, and Skikda, celebrating V-Day (“Victory Day” that is), waving Algerian flags, with demands ranging from le droit de l’autodétermination (self-determination right) to the full and immediate independence of Algeria.
The answer of *not all*, but many armed ”pieds noirs” (literally called the “Black Feet“), often backed by European French soldiers, was a swift and ruthless bloody repression.
Thousands of Algerians were to die in a horrible bloodbath in the matter of only a few days.
It is important to understand that many French people, intellectuals and ordinary citizens, including a great number of pieds noirs themselves, were truly outraged by these horrific massacres against the native population.
The only problem was, the majority of French public opinion remained virtually oblivious to what was happening in its so-called “outre-mer“ (overseas) colony.
Now, who are the “pieds noirs“, you may ask?
The “pieds noirs” is the name of French and European settlers who lived in Algeria as some kind of ”supercitizens”, enjoying all sorts of “legal” privileges, mainly tailored to their special interests, while the original owners of the land, the so-called “indigènes“, were denied the most basic human rights, be it the right to voting, or simply elementary education.
Again, it would be wrong to consider that all ”pieds noirs” were coldblooded murderes, but a great deal of them were in fact growing desperate, and were prêts à tout (ready to do anything) to keep alive “l’Algérie française” (the “French Algeria”), and with it their possessions and privileged life-style, even at the expense of the interests and lives of the so-called ”indigènes.”
Some may observe that this situation sounds a lot like the ”Apartheid” system that was set in l’Afrique du Sud (South Africa), non? Well, like a famous American baseball player once said: “It’s déjà vu all over again“!
Yes indeed, it was an apartheid—a “North African” apartheid.
La Guerre d’Algerie (The Algerian War), which is an important and painful part of l’histoire de France (French History), is in fact nothing more than un épisode of an age-old struggle in the history of humanity, waged by oppressed natives against foreign occupiers, wherever they happened to live sur la planète (on the planet): From the earliest days of l’Empire Perse (the Persian Empire), l’Empire Romain (the Roman Empire), to les Croisades (the Crusades), to the emergence of the Habsbourg, Ottoman, and Empire Britanique, ”sur lequel le soleil ne se couche jamais” (“upon which the sun never sets.”)
It’s the almost always the same leitmotiv, or the same historical pattern, if you will.
“Hors-la-loi” director Rachid Bouchareb: “I only want to open a debate”
Pour revenir au film qui nous intéresse (to get back to the movie of interest to us), here is what a featured IMDB.com reviewer has to say, after watching the movie:
“I was afraid of a good Arabs vs bad French people scheme. And I was actually pleased to see that it was not the case. Every one is grey, no white people, not dark either. Every one fights for his own convictions.“
C’est vrai (It’s true.) No people on Earth have the monopoly of le bien (the good) or le mal (evil.) Each one of us should have a natural and inalienable right to fight for our “convictions.”
But then again, what kind of “convictions” should those be, exactly?
If those “convictions” are meant to indefinitely maintain the oppression of native people under a colonialist rule, and if those very native people decide one fine day that trop c’est trop (enough is enough), then no matter what “legal system” would be conveniently concocted to preserve the reigning colonial status quo, at the end of the day, the natives are not the ones who ought to be viewed as ”outside of the law“…
En d’autres termes (in other words): If you are a colonialist, you are de facto the “hors-la-loi“!
