TRIBUTE TO DIRECTOR MOHAMMED LAKHDAR-HAMINA

Born in 1934 in M’Sila, Algeria, Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina was a filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He began his studies in agriculture in Algeria before continuing them in France. His passion for cinema emerged during the Algerian War of Independence when, camera in hand, he collaborated with Djamel Chanderli to film The Voice of the People, The Rifles of Liberty, and Yasmina (1961), countering French colonial propaganda. In 1959, the National Liberation Front sent him to study at FAMU in Prague, one of Europe’s most prestigious film schools, where he specialized in cinematography and gained practical experience at the Barrandov Studios. After Algeria’s independence in 1962, Lakhdar-Hamina became one of the pioneers of Algerian national cinema. He directed several landmark feature films, including The Winds of the Aures (1966), which won the Award for Best First Work at the Cannes Film Festival; Hassan Terro (1968); and the historical epic Chronicle of the Years of Fire (1975), which earned him the Palme d’Or at Cannes. He later directed Sandstorm (1982), appeared in his own film The Last Image (1986), and acted in Roman Polanski’s An Officer and a Spy (2019). Alongside his personal work, Lakhdar-Hamina played a vital role in shaping Algeria’s film industry, heading several public institutions and producing or co-producing numerous films, including Costa-Gavras’ Z and Ettore Scola’s Le Bal.
Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina passed away in Algiers in 2025 at the age of 91. The 36th edition of the Carthage Film Festival pays tribute to this visionary filmmaker who profoundly influenced the history of Arab and African cinema.