HERE WE DROWN ALGERIANS
France 2011 90min
On 17 October 1961 thousands of Algerians living in Paris and its surrounding suburbs take to the streets in a peaceful demonstration against a curfew imposed specifically on Algerians during the Algerian War. The protest is met with brutal police repression. Through eyewitness testimonies and previously unseen archival footage filmmaker Yasmina Adi reconstructs the events and examines how the French state sought to control public opinion suppress accusations and prevent investigations. Combining history and personal memory the documentary sheds light on a long-silenced episode of French colonial history.
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Original title Ici on noie les Algériens : 17 octobre 1961
Directed by Yasmina Adi
Written by Yasmina Adi
Featuring Hadda Khalfi Ghennoudja Chabane Amar Nanouche and witnesses of the events
Cinematography Laurent Didier
Editing Audrey Maurion
Music Pierre Carrasco
Sound Pierre Carrasco
Production Companies Agat Films & Cie INA
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Dubai International Film Festival
2011 | Muhr Arab Documentary Competition
Award: Second Prize — DocumentaryMaghreb des Films — Paris
2011 | Programme hommage aux victimes du 17 octobre 1961César Awards
2012 | Nomination — Best Documentary FilmFIGRA — International Festival of Current Affairs and Social Documentaries
2012 | Terres d’Histoire Competition
Award: Prix Terre(s) d’HistoireRome Independent Film Festival (RIFF)
2012 | International CompetitionMunich International Documentary Film Festival
2012 | International CompetitionIstanbul International Film Festival
2012 | Human Rights in Cinema CompetitionFestival International de Films de Femmes de Créteil
2012 | Festival SelectionFestival Écrans du Réel — Beirut
2012 | Festival SelectionFribourg International Film Festival
2012 | Festival SelectionFestival International du Film Francophone de Bratislava
2012 | Festival SelectionFestival AFRICA ALIVE — Frankfurt
2012 | Festival SelectionAnnual African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) — New York
2012 | Festival Selection
Award: Audience Award for Best FilmFestival de Cine Africano de Córdoba
2012 | Competitive Sections — Al Otro Lado del Estrecho