TAHIA YA DIDOU

Mohamed Zinet
Commissioned by the City of Algiers to promote tourism, the result was considered disappointing and this unique film by actor Mohamed Zinet was left in a drawer. And yet it has all the ingredients of a cult film. This hymn to the white city assembles and blends together different tones, off-the-cuff documentary shots, funny and dramatic fictional scenes, broadening its palette from burlesque (primitive and with a touch of Tatie) to political tragedy, through a filmed declaration, an ode to the white city, regularly punctuating throughout. The film was completed in 1971 – but dated 1969 within the film – still a few years off from independence. The final chapter is devoted to the liberation and is a striking contrast to the preceding elation, delivering with overwhelming force and accuracy the true source of joy that zig zags through the work, final sequence included.
(Jean-Pierre Rehm)