Days of Glory

This French drama based on the lives of Algerian youths who enlisted themselves in the French Army during the World War II is a touching tale of defeat and hope, in the face of victory.

In 1943, four Algerian ‘band of brothers’ join the French Army to fight against the Nazis. These ‘Arab’ soldiers were made to believe that they were fighting for justice, liberty and freedom but regarding their own situation, they discovered that they were less than equal to their French counterparts. Though equally patriotic and ready to lay down their lives for the country, they even had to fight for tomatoes forget about promotion.

The picturisation on fear and courage of the men; the discrimination and also a warm smiles from the French people recounts the love-hate relationship that exists in wartime France and after.

The cinematography is one of the best any war-based films can boast of. The film was nominated for a host of awards including the Academy Awards, for the Best Foreign Film and the Independent Spirit Awards, for Best Foreign Film.

A sincere tribute to the souls of Algerian French war heroes and a look at the inscrutable and ungrateful successive French governments which refuse to give pensions to them despite the Supreme Court’s order. It is said that the French government finally decided to honour them only when the then president Jacques Chirac watched this film. The thematic presentation of the plight of French war veterans aroused the universal hard truths many people had to face when race comes into play.
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French (A/U) (with English subtitle)
Cast: Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila, Bernard Blancan, Mathieu Simonet
Director: Rachid Bouchareb