Indigènes (2006)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Rachid Bouchareb

Writers:

Rachid Bouchareb (writer)
Olivier Lorelle (writer)

Release Date:

27 September 2006 (France)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

The true story of World War II's forgotten heroes

Plot:

During WWII, four North African men enlist in the French army to liberate that country from Nazi oppression, and to fight French discrimination.

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | France | Italy | French Soldier | Army

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Jamel Debbouze	...	Saïd Otmari
Samy Naceri	...	Yassir
Roschdy Zem	...	Messaoud Souni
Sami Bouajila	...	Abdelkader
Bernard Blancan	...	Sergent Roger Martinez
Mathieu Simonet	...	Caporal Leroux
Assaad Bouab	...	Larbi
Benoît Giros	...	Capitaine Durieux
Mélanie Laurent	...	Margueritte village Vosges
Antoine Chappey	...	Le colonel
Aurélie Eltvedt	...	Irène
Thomas Langmann	...	Le journaliste
Thibault de Montalembert	...	Capitaine Martin
Dioucounda Koma	...	Touré (as Diouc Koma)
Philippe Beglia	...	Rambert
Momo Debbouze	...	Djellal
Abdelkim Bouchareb	...	Ahmed
Abdelhamid Idjaini	...	Omar
Abdeslam Arbaoui
Francis Arnould
Roger Arnould
Omar Bekhaled
Nadji Beida
Julie De Bona
Franck Bonetto
Jean-Pierre Boudhar
Allal Boukhari
Abdelrahim Bouzine
Ken Brekke
Mylène Caverzazi
Ben Aïssa El Jirari
Emmanuel Georges
José Gomez
Othman Ilyassa	...	Aziz (as Othman Il Yassa)
Klaisel Kikouama
Frédéric Lanoir
Corentin Lobet
Christophe Locatelli
Naïma Macherouei
Mohamed Majd
Thierry Magnier
Mourad Maimuni
Mohamed Melouk
Bernard Morin
Mohamed Nesrate	...	Ali
Antoine Pappalardo
Fabien Parfait
Vincent Paris
Audrey Perrin
Mathieu Schiffman
Patrice Simon
Pia Vuorinen
Kevin Weiss
Anton Yakovlev

Directed by
Rachid Bouchareb

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Rachid Bouchareb		writer
Olivier Lorelle		writer

Produced by
Jean Bréhat	....	producer
Jaques-Henri Bronckart	....	co-producer
Caroline Cochaux	....	co-producer
Jamel Debbouze	....	co-producer
Genevieve Lemal	....	co-producer
Alexandre Lippens	....	co-producer
Muriel Merlin	....	executive producer
Mehdi Sayah	....	assistant producer

Original Music by
Armand Amar
Cheb Khaled		(as Khaled)

Cinematography by
Patrick Blossier

Film Editing by
Yannick Kergoat

Casting by
Nora Habib
Tristan Ravasco

Production Design by
Dominique Douret

Makeup Department
Nezha Aouis	....	makeup artist: Morocco
Alexis Kinebanyan	....	special makeup effects artist
Géraldine Lemaire	....	additional hair stylist
Benoît Lestang	....	special makeup effects artist
Françoise Quilichini	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Adil Abdelwahab	....	production manager
Antoine Beau	....	production manager
Moncef Belam	....	production team
Fabien Cimetière	....	unit manager
Cedric Ettouati	....	post-production supervisor
Jean-Pierre Giudice	....	unit manager
Asen Kanchev	....	music production manager
Antoine Moussault	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Noureddine Aberdine	....	second assistant director
Anne Bernard	....	second assistant director
Guillaume Bonnier	....	assistant director
Akrame El Meziane	....	second second assistant director
Larbi Idrissi	....	assistant director
Mohamed Nesrate	....	first assistant director
Cyril Pavaux	....	assistant director
Raphaëlle Piani	....	second assistant director
Mathieu Schiffman	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Nadia Bougrain	....	painter: Morocco
Stéphane Bunel	....	set dresser
Florent Maillot	....	set property man
Aziz Mhand	....	props
Rachid Quiat	....	assistant art director
Jean-François Sturm	....	assistant decorator

Sound Department
Thomas Bernard	....	sound recordist
Thomas Gastinel	....	boom operator
Thomas Gauder	....	sound re-recording mixer
Loïc Gourbe	....	sound recordist
Olivier Hespel	....	sound recordist
Vincent Nouaille	....	assistant sound: Provence
Franck Rubio	....	sound effects editor
Franck Rubio	....	supervising sound editor
Olivier Thys	....	assistant foley artist
Philippe van Leer	....	foley artist
Olivier Walczak	....	sound effects editor
Olivier Walczak	....	supervising sound editor
Carine Zimmerlin	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Noel Chainbaux	....	special effects assistant
Romain Rosier	....	sfx props

Visual Effects by
Luc Augereau	....	visual effects producer
Kevin Berger	....	visual effects supervisor
Berengere Dominguez	....	visual effects coordinator
Sébastien Fauchère	....	digital compositor
Eric Fréchou	....	digital compositor
Mathilde Germi	....	digital compositor
Thibaut Granier	....	digital compositor
Julien Rousseau	....	digital compositor
Olivier Veau	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Rémi Canaple	....	stunts
Alexandre Cauderlier	....	stunts
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunt coordinator
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunts
Yan Dron	....	stunt coordinator
Yoni Roch	....	stunts
Sebastien Soudais	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Simon Blanchard	....	assistant camera
Eric Blanckaert	....	first assistant camera
Mohamed Chantoufi	....	electrician: Morocco
Antoni Dimundu	....	grip
Pierre Hugues Galien	....	first assistant camera
Michaël Gojon dit Martin	....	electrician
Imad Rechiche	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Mustapha Grumij	....	extras casting
Justine Léocadie	....	extras casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Loïc Barnier	....	costumer
Marie Meyer	....	wardrobe
Abdelfattah Qzaibar	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Basile Belkhiri	....	avid technician: Digital Factory
Nicolas Criqui	....	digital conformation
Olivier Gourlay	....	first assistant editor
Lyssia Le Gall	....	assistant editor
Raymond Terrentin	....	colorist
Clement Zveguintzoff	....	digital conformation

Music Department
Camille Adrien	....	orchestrator
Jérôme Lateur	....	music supervisor
Vincent Lebegue	....	music legal coordinator
Elise Luguern	....	music production supervisor
Alexandre Mahout	....	music assistant
Mehdi Sayah	....	assistant music supervisor

Transportation Department
Khalid Ameskane	....	transportation captain
Gaby Meyers	....	facility/truck driver
Francois Muller	....	facility/truck driver
Hrouchoff Svet	....	driver: makeup

Other crew
Youssef Abagourram	....	location manager
Mohamed Atbir	....	set production assistant
Virginie Barbay	....	script supervisor
Delphine Berroyer	....	production secretary
Jacquot Clotilde	....	assistant location manager
Romeo Julien	....	avid conformation

Production Companies

• Tessalit Productions
• Kiss Films (co-production)
• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• France 3 Cinéma (co-production)
• Studio Canal (co-production)
• Taza Productions (co-production)
• Tassili Films (co-production)
• La Petite Reine (in association with)
• Versus Production (co-production)
• Royaume du Maroc (with the support of)
• SCOPE Invest (co-production)
• Région Ile-de-France (with the support of)
• Région Franche-Comté (with the support of)
• Région Provence Côte d'Azur (with the support of)
• Région Alsace (with the support of)
• Conseil Général des Vosges (with the support of)
• Région Aquitaine (with the support of)
• Le Tax Shelter du Gouvernement Fédéral de Belgique (with the support of)
• Royal Air Maroc (with the support of)
• Maroc Telecom (with the support of)
• F.A.S.I.L.D. (with the support of)
• Canal+ (participation)
• CinéCinéma (participation)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (participation)
• Cofinova 1 (participation)
• Cofinova 2 (participation)

Distributors

• Films Distribution (2006) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Albatros Film (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Belga Films (2006) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Folkets Bio (2006) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2006) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Independent Films (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Mars Distribution (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Metrodome Distribution (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Notro Films (2007) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Videofilmes Distribuidora (2006) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Weinstein Company, The (2006) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Øst Für Paradis (2006) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Kurt Media (2008) (Germany) (all media)
• Punto Zero (2009) (Italy) (DVD) (as Enjoy Movies)
• Weinstein Company, The (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• L'Etude et la Supervision des Trucages (L'E.S.T.) (visual effects)
• Les Versaillais

Other Companies

• Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra  orchestra
• Iris Camera  camera equipment provided by
• Kodak  film stock
• LD Catering Team  catering
• Location Consulting & Facilities  facility vehicles
• SIF309 Film & Music Productions  music score recording
• Titra Film Paris  subtitles

Also Known As:

Days of Glory (Singapore: English title) (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for war violence and brief language.

Runtime:

USA:120 min | France:128 min | Canada:123 min (Ontario) | Canada:120 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Argentina:128 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Algeria | France | Morocco | Belgium

Language:

French | Arabic

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:NC-16 | France:U | USA:R | Sweden:15 | Malaysia:18SG | Malaysia:U (cut) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Ireland:12A | Argentina:13 | UK:12A | South Korea:12 | Australia:M | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Agadir, Morocco

Company:

Tessalit Productions

Trivia:

The main actors, all of North African descent, did not know of France's discrimination towards foreign soldiers serving in the French army during World War 2 until filming began.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Abdelkader and Yassir carry the bodies of killed soldiers in a cart to bury them, Yassir rests his gun against the wheel. In the next shot, the gun falls to the ground from a completely different position.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Indigenes: Le making of (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Le lac des cygnes

Liberty, Equality and Fraternity

In World War II, the Muslims from French colonies enlist to fight for their motherland France. In the 7th battalion commanded by the tough Sergeant Roger Martinez (Bernard Blancan), the soldier Abdelkader (Sami Bouajila) has leadership with the troop and seeks promotion and recognition from the command; Said Otmari (Jamel Debbouze) is a servile and illiterate private, happy in serving his sergeant; Messaoud Souni (Roschdy Zem) is the sniper of the group and has fallen in a corresponded love with the French Irène (Aurélie Eltvedt); and Yassir (Samy Naceri) is fighting together with his brother to raise some money. Along the campaign in Italy, France and Alsace, they realize that French soldiers are promoted, have better food and have leaves to visit their families, while the Arab soldiers are shamefully discriminated and treated like 2nd ranking soldiers.

"Indigènes" is an excellent movie of war, disclosing an unusual theme: the discrimination of the soldiers from the French colonies in World War II. The anti-Semitism is presented in most of the films about WWII; racism and segregation with the American soldiers has been explored in a couple of movies; but the treatment spent to the Arab soldiers in World War II by France command is the first time that I see in a movie. The screenplay, the direction, the performances, the pace and the cinematography are great and gives a magnificent homage to these forgotten and discriminated heroes. The lack of payment of pension plan to the survivors and families by the French government is another example of the level of intolerance and lack of respect in the world of the present days. In the end, it is a great deception that the beautiful message "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity" is not applicable to the soldiers from the exploited colonies. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Dias de Glória" ("Days of Glory")