February 21 — Days of Glory/Indigènes
Indigènes was nominated for an Oscar in 2006. To assist in the liberation of their nation, four Algerian men join the French Army during World War II and encounter harsh discrimination by the French, despite fighting for their cause.
When: Thursday February 21, 7:00 PM
Where: Indianapolis Museum of Art DeBoest Lecture Hall 4000 Michigan Road Indianapolis
A large number of indigènes (Algerians, Tunisians and Moroccan Goumiers) were enrolled in the French First Army of the Free French Forces, formed to liberate France after the Nazi occupation in World War II. The film portrays the recruitment of these soldiers and their participation in the campaigns in Italy and southern France. The army had been recruited in Africa in French colonies outside the control of the Vichy regime which collaborated with German commissioners, and of the 200,000 men, 130,000 were Indigènes (natives), around 50,000 were pieds-noirs (French colonials) and the remainder were young Frenchmen who had escaped the Nazi occupation. Four Indigènes in a mobile corps with a reputation for endurance and courage in close combat are sent to the front line, each with a different personal purpose as they fight their way through the Italian Campaign and on to Operation Dragoon to liberate France. One seeks booty, one has joined the army to escape poverty in hopes that it will be his family, one wants to marry and settle in France while the other is fighting in the hope of equality and recognition of the rights of the colonised Algerians. They come up against discrimination in the army.
January 5th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
[…] February 21 — Days of Glory/Indigènes. Indigènes was nominated for an Oscar in 2006. To assist in the liberation of their nation, four Algerian men join the French Army during World War II and encounter harsh discrimination by the French, despite fighting for their cause. check it out […]
February 2nd, 2008 at 2:35 pm
[…] If this film sounds interesting, be sure to check out two other African films at IMA: “Days of Glory/Indigènes” February 21 and “The Iron Ladies of Liberia” February 28. And of course, make […]