Indigènes (2006)

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 | French Soldier | Italy | French 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

Also Known As:

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

Colour:

Black and White (archive footage) | Black and White | Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | 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:

This film's closing epilogue states: "In 1959, a law was passed to freeze the pensions of infantrymen from former French colonies about to become independent. In 2002, after endless hearings, the French government was ordered to pay the pensions in full. But successive governments have pushed back this payment."

Goofs:

Continuity: When Yassir enters the village before the final battle, he is carrying a Thompson M1A1 sub-machine gun, then between shots it changes back and fourth to a M1928 Thompson sub-machine gun.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

La Marseillaise

1945 you say ?

I did not know what to expect from this movie starring guys like Djamel Debbouzze or Samy Naceri, more used to non sense jokes and wrong way taxi driving, but I must say I was astonished.

First pictures are beautiful, dialogs and pace slow but efficient.

Second the way the four main characters perform is great (although Naceri is maybe not quite as good as the three others). All moved by different motivations, they have a sole dream: to be a real part of it, a part of the French country they have been fighting for. And they make you believe it. Not only because they fit perfectly into their roles, but also because the suffering and the inequalities they undergo in the war fields of the movie still exist six decades after in their every day life.

"All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others". True it was in Provence or in Alsace, true it is in today's France.

To me this film is more than the French Private Ryan, it is a subtle way to ask: "how much more is it going to take before we can all be on the same boat ?" Go and see it.