Algeria’s international feature Oscar submissions got off to an auspicious start - the country’s first entry, Costa Gavras’ Z, won the award in 1970. There have been four further nominations since then, with three of them for Rachid Bouchareb, most recently for Outside The Law in 2011. Algiers-born director Gacem returns to the same subject as that film: the Sétif and Guelma massacre in 1945, when French colonial powers violently suppressed demonstrations for independence by the Algerian people. Bouchareb’s title sparked controversy in France for its unorthodox portrayal of an oft-covered event in Algerian cultural history. “Heliopolis”, by Jaafar Kacem, in order to represent Algeria in Oscar nominations For Best Foreign Film of 2021. The film is directed by Jafar Qasim, And it is his first cinematic experience after he became famous for his comedic works. The events revolve around a family living in “Heliopolis” (the old name of Guelma) who lived before the demonstrations of the Algerian people on May 8, 1945. The film stars Suhaila Muallem, Mourad Aujit, Fadl Asoul, Nasruddin Joudi, and Aziz Bakrouni. The selection of the committee was unanimous, and it praised the film, considering it worthy of representation Algeria In the largest global competition. The local press quoted the committee as hoping that this work will find support from those in charge of cinematic affairs in Algeria, in order to delineate his candidacy for the short list of works that will enter the competition.
