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This book analyzes the rise of socially and politically engaged Algerian documentaries, created in the period immediately following the end of the Algerian civil war (1991-1999). It uses case studies to highlight the works of four Algerian filmmakers, and devotes a chapter to each: Malek Bensmaïl, Hassen Ferhani, Djamel Kerkar, and Karim Sayad. The book makes visible productions that have been overlooked not only in distribution circuits but also within academia, and examines the political significance and the esthetic power of some of the most influential Algerian documentaries produced since the 2000s.
List of contents
1. Introduction.- 2. A Brief History of Documentaries in Algerian Cinema.- 3 Malek Bensmaïl: The Legacy of the Revolution and the Question of Democracy.- 4. Hassen Ferhani: Margins, Beauty, and Truth.- 5. Djamel Kerkar. Past, Present, and Poetry.- 6 Karim Sayad: Disrupting Myths of Masculinity.- 7. Conclusion.
About the author
Meryem Belkaïd is Assistant Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures at Bowdoin College, USA. Her works have appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of North African Studies and Expressions maghrébines.
She uses her expertise in Tunisia and Algeria to work as a contributor for Slate Afrique, The Huffington Post Algeria, Orient XXI, Manière de Voir and other Algerian media outlets like Radio M and 24H Algérie.
