Safinez Bousba / 2011 / Algeria / Drama / 88 min / French
In 1940s Algiers, the Casbah was a bustling neighborhood where Jews, Muslims, and Christians mingled relatively uncomplicatedly. Here, a group of musicians met and played chaabi together, a music style with Jewish, Arabic, and Andalusian roots. However, tensions between these communities escalated, and during the Algerian War of Independence between Algerians and the French, which broke out in 1954, the men were scattered. The filmmaker, who has roots in Algeria but grew up in Europe, happened to meet one of the old musicians by chance in an antique shop in Algiers. For seven years, she has worked on the music documentary where the aging men are finally reunited for a performance in Paris.
We end the movie with a Q&A.
