The Nouba of the Women of Mount Chenoua (La Nouba des femmes du Mont-Chenoua)
Tribute to Algerian Cinema
Assia Djebar / Feature Narrative / Algeria / 1977 / 115 min / Colour / DigiBeta
In Arabic / Arabic, English subtitles
Interests: Women, Documentary, Women Issues
Gulf Premiere
Synopsis
The special status of this work is derived from the fact that it was produced for television, outside regular filmmaking circles, by one of the most important figures of Francophone Maghrebi literature, the author of more than a dozen books, including ‘A Sister to Scheherezade’ and ‘Women of Algiers in Their Apartment’. Returning to her native region 15 years after the end of the Algerian War, Lila is obsessed by memories of the war for independence that defined her childhood. In dialogue with other Algerian women, she reflects on the differences between her life and theirs. In lyrical footage, she contemplates the power of grandmothers who pass down traditions of anti-colonial resistance to their heirs. Taking its title and structure from the 'Nouba', a traditional song of five movements, Djebar's film mingles narrative and documentary styles to document the creation of women's personal and cultural histories.’ (Courtesy Women Make Movies)
About the Directors
Assia Djebar is the pen name of leading Algerian-born novelist Fatima-Zohra Imalayem, born in 1936. She published her first novel ‘La Soif’ (‘Thirst’) in 1957 andis recognised as one of Algeria’s leading writers. She was elected to the Académie Française in 2005. Djebar has directed one other film: ‘La Zerda, ou les chants de l’oubli’ (1979).
Credits
- Director
- Assia Djebar
- Producer
- Ahmed Sedjane, Cherif Abboun, Hamni Farid
- Editor
- Nicole Schlemmer, Aresky Haddadi
- Music
- Bela Bartok
- Other
- Production : Radio Télévision Algérienne
- Cast
- Zohra Sahraoui, Aïcha Medeljar, Fatma Serhan, Kheira Amrane, Fatma Oudai, Khedija Lekhal