The Battle of Algiers (Criterion Collection) (DVD)

One of the most influential political films in history, THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS, by Gillo Pontecorvo, vividly re-creates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. As violence escalates on both sides, children shoot soldiers at point-blank range, women plant bombs in cafes, and French soldiers resort to torture to break the will of the insurgents. Shot on the streets of Algiers in documentary style, the film is a case study in modern warfare, with it's terrorist attacks and the brutal techniques used to combat them. Pontecorvo's tour de force has astonishing relevance today.

Starring: Brahim Haggiag, Fawzia el Kader, Tommaso Neri, Yacef Saadi, Jean Martin, Fawzia El-Kader, Ugo Paletti, Michele Kerbash, Mohamed Ben Kassen, Samia Kerbash

Director: Yacef Saadi, Antonio Musu