The Franco-Algerian War through a Twenty-First Century Lens - (War, Culture and Society) by Nicole Beth Wallenbrock (Paperback)

About the Book

Employs a study of Algerian and French cinema to shed light on the two countries' relationship with the Algerian Revolution of 1954 to 1962.

Book Synopsis

The Franco-Algerian War (1954-62) remains a powerful international symbol of Third Worldism and the finality of Empire. Through its nuanced analysis of the war's depiction in film, The Franco-Algerian War through a Twenty-First Century Lens locates an international reckoning with history that both condemns and exonerates past generations.

Algerian and French production partnerships-such as Hors-la-loi, (Outside the Law, Rachid Bouchareb, 2010) and Loubia Hamra (Bloody Beans, Narimane Mari, 2013)-are one of several ways citizens collaborate to unearth a shared history and its legacy. Nicole Beth Wallenbrock probes cinematic discourse to shed new light on topics including: the media revelation of torture and atomic bomb tests; immigration's role in the evolution of the war's meaning; and the complex relationship of the intertwined film cultures. The first chapter summarizes the Franco-Algerian War in 20th-century film, thus grounding subsequent queries with Algeria's moudjahid or freedom-fighter films and the French new wave's perceived disinterest in the conflict.

This book is an invaluable resource for scholars seeking to understand cinema's role in re-evaluating war and reconstructing international memory.

Review Quotes

The Franco-Algerian War Through a Twenty-First Century Lens provides a rich analysis of contemporary filmic representations of the war and opens new avenues of inquiry into transnational processes of remembrance.
Jennifer Howell, Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies, Illinois State University, USA

This close study, enriched by the author's interviews with some of the film directors, reveals 'the contradictions and ambivalence' about the legacy of Franco-Algerian conflict, often through the lens of the 'theory of the rhizome' ... This book is replete with incisive insights and supported not only with an impressive academic bibliography but also a 'filmography' of the nearly 200 films it cites. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty.
CHOICE

This is a brilliant and important book. The application of theory is exemplary, and - ever attentive to production contexts, neo-colonial tensions and the subtleties of each film text - Wallenbrock engagingly reflects on the ambiguities of recent trans-historical representations of the Franco-Algerian War. A fascinating meditation on memory, violence and cinema.
Guy Austin, Professor of French Studies, Newcastle University, UK

About the Author

Nicole Beth Wallenbrock is Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York, USA.