Outside the Law

Rachid Bouchareb's film opens on 8 May 1945, the day Germany surrendered. In the Algerian city of Sétif, French gendarmes open fire on a demonstration demanding independence. The death toll is still disputed, with estimates ranging from fifteen to forty-five thousand, and around a hundred European settlers were also killed. The film follows the paths of three Algerian brothers from that day: one joins the armed wing of the independence movement in France, one chases money, one is a soldier. Before the screening at Cannes some twelve hundred people demonstrated at the urging of right-wing figures, saying the film was anti-French and glorified terrorism. None of the protesters, nor the politician speaking for them, had seen it. At the press conference Bouchareb said the reaction was excessive coming from people who had watched nothing, and said he hoped for open debate. Jamel Debbouze, Roschdy Zem and Sami Bouajila play the brothers. Who it is for: viewers interested in postcolonial history and the Algerian war. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a historical account balanced enough to seem impartial, since the film looks openly from one side.