Part of Weekend Classics.
50th Anniversary 4K Digital Restoration — THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS depicts Algeria’s uprising against the French occupation in the 1950s. Director Gillo Pontecorvo and cinematographer Marcello Gatti broke new ground in creating a documentary look that convinced viewers they were watching actual events unfold, though not one foot of newsreel or stock footage was used. This heightened realism, combined with the use of unknown actors and Ennio Morricone’s unforgettable pulsing score, instantly created a universally acclaimed classic. It won the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion and was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Foreign Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay (by Pontecorvo and Franco Solinas).
Arguably a “how to” in organizing and implementing a revolution, ALGIERS was banned in France on first release, then embraced by radical left groups like the Black Panthers, and ironically used in training of the notorious right wing death squads in Argentina. In 2003, shortly after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, it was screened by the Pentagon. The new 4K restoration was performed by Cineteca di Bologna and Istituto Luce – Cinecittà at L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, in collaboration with Surf Film, Casbah Entertainment, Inc. and CultFilms.
Visit the Official Website