The Uprooted

In 1880, in colonized Algeria, it was decided that the Algerian peasants of the Ouarsenis mountains would see their lands dispossessed in favor of the French colonists. Two methods were used to achieve this, either by sheer force or by a ploy forcing the fellahs to pay fines too high to be paid. The uprooted must then leave for the cities, swelling the mass of proletarians in the slums ...

Directed by Mohamed Lamine Merbah, The Uprooted leans on a strong ensemble — Hassan El-Hassani, Keltoum (Aïcha Adjouri), Hadj Smaine Mohamed Seghir — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about war titles of 1977.