Cinema
Chronicle of the Years of Fire
Chronique des années de braise
Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina · 1975
Synopsis
Ahmed, a poor peasant driven from his land by drought, makes his way to the city hoping to live more comfortably there. He finds poverty, injustice, and Miloud, a visionary madman who warns him that he will be watched and punished. Typhus, the European war into which he is conscripted, the elections of 1947 that end in bloodshed: at each stage he loses loved ones and sides a little more with those who preach revolt. November 1954 draws near.
Context
Six tableaux, from the drought of the thirties to 1 November 1954: the years of ash, the year of the cart, the years of embers, the year of the charge, the years of fire and the first day of the uprising. The screenplay is by Tewfik Farès, Rachid Boudjedra and the director, who plays the part of Miloud himself; Marcello Gatti, who had shot The Battle of Algiers, is the cinematographer, and Philippe Arthuys wrote the music. Filming took place in Laghouat, in Sour El Ghozlane and on the market square of Ghardaïa. The budget caused controversy in the country. A 4K restoration, rereleased in 2025, has restored the twenty minutes cut for French distribution.
Who it is for
Nearly three hours, subtitled, divided into six parts that can be taken one after the other. It helps to know that the film does not tell the story of the war of independence, but of what made it inevitable.
Prizes and reception
Palme d'Or in 1975, the only one an African film has won to date. Its screening at Cannes was disrupted by false bomb alerts.