Hors la loi (2010)

A drama about the Algerian struggle for independence from France after WWII.

Director:

Rachid Bouchareb

Writers:

Rachid Bouchareb (screenplay), Olivier Lorelle

Stars:

Jamel Debbouze, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jamel Debbouze	...	Saïd
Roschdy Zem	...	Messaoud
Sami Bouajila	...	Abdelkader
Chafia Boudraa	...	La mère
Bernard Blancan	...	Colonel Faivre
Sabrina Seyvecou	...	Hélène
Assaad Bouab	...	Ali
Thibault de Montalembert	...	Morvan
Samir Guesmi	...	Otmani
Jean-Pierre Lorit	...	Picot
Ahmed Benaissa	...	Le père
Larbi Zekkal	...	Le caïd
Louisa Nehar	...	Zohra
Mourad Khen	...	Sanjak
Mohamed Djouhari	...	L'entraîneur (as Mohamed Djouhri)

Storyline

After losing their family home in Algeria, three brothers and their mother are scattered across the globe. Messaoud joins the French army fighting in Indochina; Abdelkader becomes a leader of the Algerian independence movement in France and Saïd moves to Paris to make his fortune in the shady clubs and boxing halls of Pigalle. Gradually, their interconnecting destinies reunite them in the French capital, where freedom is a battle to be fought and won.

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Plot Keywords:

french algerian war | muslim prostitute | terror bombing | car bombing | algeria | 

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Taglines:

Three brothers. One destiny. Freedom at all costs.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | War

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Algeria's official submission to the 2011's Oscar as Best Foreign Language Film.

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Goofs

The French air force plane in 1953 in Indochina seems to be a today's Hercule C130, instead of a Noratlas that was used then.

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Quotes

Messaoud: First our revolution, then you can do your boxing.
Saïd: I'm fighting for the revolution my own way. If he wins, Algeria wins too. Imagine it: an Algerian champion of France! It'll be a great day.
Abdelkader: No, that will be when an Algerian is the champion of Algeria!
Messaoud: Your boxer isn't French. He must fight for Algeria.
Saïd: Leave sport out of it. You know nothing!
Abdelkader: No, there's no room for personal passions! We must devote ourselves to the party. We serve a cause higher than any one of us! Understand?

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Connections

Featured in The 83rd Annual Academy Awards (2011)

User Reviews

I learnt a lot

Well I neither have the expert historical perspective or the expertise on films of other reviewers, but I'm just an ordinary person who went to see this movie.

I loved it because it really shows how people can get sucked into resistance, even if they're very ordinary and not particularly brave, because the other option of not doing anything is so awful. I thought the acting was very convincing and I learnt a lot about that time in Algeria. I spend a lot of time in the south of France so I think this helped me to understand the history of some of the people I know.

Goodness me this site wants me to write 10 lines. No wonder everyone else's reviews are so long. I watched it a long time ago when it first came out and so I don't have a clear memory of details, just the overall impression, and I wanted to share that.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

France Algeria Belgium Tunisia Italy

Language:

French Arabic English

Release Date:

22 September 2010 (France)

Also Known As:

Hors la loi

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

EUR20,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$96,933

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,470,487

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tessalit Productions, Agence Algérienne pour le Rayonnement Culturel (AARC), EPTV

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1