Photo du film
Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi ) by Rachid Bouchareb
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Rachid Bouchareb is back in Cannes with Outside of the Law (Hors-la-loi), a sequel to Days of Glory (Indigènes), which was in Competition in 2006. The Franco-Algerian director also came in 2008, as a member of the Feature Film Jury, alongside Apichatpong Weerasethakul, who like Rachid Bouchareb is competing this year for the Palme d’or.
Outside of the Law (Hors La Loi ) comes across as a kind of sequel to Days of Glory (Indigènes), presented in Competition at the Festival de Cannes in 2006. Not as a dramaturgical sequel, but a historic sequel or rather a “putting into context.” Days of Glory was devoted to the African and Maghreb soldiers who fought for France during the Second World War. Outside of the Law traces the story of three Algerian brothers from the mid-1930s to the time of Algerian independence in 1962. Whereas Messaoud (Roschdy Zem) goes into service in Indochina, Abdelkader (Sami Bouajila) takes leadership of the movement for the Algerian Independence in France, and Said (Jamel Debbouze) makes a fortune in the hovels and boxing clubs of Paris. Their destiny, united around their love for their mother, is blended inexorably with that of a nation fighting for freedom.
The five actors of Days of glory (Bernard Blancan, Sami Bouajila, Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem) shared a collective prize for their performances in 2006. With the exception of Samy Naceri, these same actors are together again in Outside the Law.
Even before its screening, Outside of the Law, which is competing for the Palme d’Or under the banner of Algeria, was the source of heated debate. Expressing himself for the first time on this subject, Franco-Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb addressed a letter to the Festival de Cannes on the 13th of May to ask for peaceful reactions last Thursday. Stressing his respect for freedom of expression, he asked that the public debate take place after the screening of the film.
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