A collective of Algerian filmmakers has signed an open letter to the Ministry of Algerian culture. At first they were only fifteen signatories and in two days, their number increased. This letter is a cry of alarm launched in the face of the critical situation in which Algerian cinema is located.
Open letter to the Algerian Ministry of Culture
We, Algerian and Algerian filmmakers, launch a cry of alarm on the future of Algerian cinema.
We all learned, first by rumor in 2021, then through the press in April 2022, the abolition of the national fund for the development of art, technique and film industry and the promotion of arts and letters (Fndaticpal). In fact, the latest public financing tool for Algerian cinema disappears, without official communication from our institutions on the future of the film policy of our country.
Culture is a state affair. Promoting her so that she is freely expressed is also up to her jurisdiction. The unilateral decision of the disappearance of the Cinema Financing Public Funding Fund, without prior consultation with filmmakers, directly threatens access to the public of an Algerian and independent Algerian cinema.
Our audience is made up of Algerian and Algerian women, men, adolescents and children, in Algeria and all over the world. Our role is to create for our audience of author films, entertainment, documentaries, short films, animated films-works that allow us to connect and feel the deep feelings that animate us together.
Cinema is a story of dreams, desires, imagination, emotions. Through him, we exist as a people and our whole country shines. Cinema conveys our language, our culture, our history, our identity, our mind and our struggles. If we can no longer tell our story ourselves and stage our universes, we take the risk that others do it for us; We take the risk of being dependent on foreign funds only and of no longer being able to carry our voice freely; We take the risk that our audience will no longer feel represented.
As a reminder, our National Fund for the Development of Cinema has contributed to the financing of Algerian cinematographic works, in national productions and international co -productions, which received Palme d’Or, Lion d’Or, which were appointed and awarded to the Oscar, to the César, which were selected and awarded in many festivals and workshops in Algeria and to the four corners of the world, in Cannes, Oran Amman, El Gouna, Clermont-Ferrand, Bejaïa, Dubai, Doha, Carthage, São Paulo, Cairo, Namur, Locarno, Sydney, Miami, Sundance, Seattle, London, etc.
A new wave of Algerian films is now blowing a wind of freshness and innovation on our cinema. Our creation is rich, unique, recognized by our peers worldwide and appreciated by our audience. The abolition of this fund mowing on the grass under the foot.
Apart from this aspect, cinema is also a sector of activity which, beyond its artistic, identity and cultural mission, makes authors, technicians and comedians in the sector work and brought their families to life. By suddenly cutting all this sector from part of its funding, the Algerian films are endangered not only the survival of those who design and manufacture them as well as their families.
In fact, the last commission of the Algerian cinema public funding fund, scheduled for September 15, 2021, has not been held. The previous commission has still not been ratified by the services of the Ministry of Culture. Following the abolition of the fund, films, whose production had already started, did not touch the last slices allocated to them. Overnight, the filmmakers had to interrupt their filming and seek foreign funding in urgency to carry out, well, their production and pay actors and technicians committed to their film.
To date, not only do we not see a future, but the files of dozens of cinematographic projects submitted in the past two years remain unanswered, without any information or prospect of resolution. We had already alerted, on this subject, the Minister of Culture by an official letter deposited at the ministry on October 23, 2021. This letter has, to date, remained unanswered.
Madam Minister of Culture, we ask you, today and without further delay, an official and transparent inventory of the situation: on the one hand, on the future of the national policy of financing Algerian cinema; On the other hand, on the specific treatment of projects submitted to the Fndaticpal which remain, to date, unanswered.
We fully associate ourselves with the approach and concern of the Association of Algerian Cinema producers (APAC) who already challenged, in early April, the head of state, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, concerning state support for film production.
We invite Algerian filmmakers. We invite the other corporations of the cinematographic sector – writers, actors, technicians … – to accompany us in our approach and that of APAC.
Today, Algerian cinema is in danger of death. We are keen to make him shine on the national and international scene. We are counting on our government institutions to support us, promote ourselves in our creation and that this creation remains free!
Signatories ::
Directors
Kamir Aïnouz
Belkacem Hadjaj
Raouf Benia
Karim Bensalah
Amel Blidi
Lotfi Bouchchi
Yasmine Chouikh
Sofia Djama
Nabil Djedouani
Bsikri Djilali
Hassen Ferhani
JAAFAR GACEM
Amine Hattou
Fayçal Hammoum
Abdelmalek Kellou
Dorothée Myriam Kellou
Yanis Koussim
Rachid Oudl Louhans
Nadir Mokneche
Karim Moussaoui
Mouzahem Yahia
Damien Onouri
Osama rai
Lyes Salem
Amin Sidi-Boumediene
Lina Soualem
Mohamed Latreche
Fatma Zohra Zamoum
Benabdellah Mohamed
AGER OUESLATI
Ghizlane Cherfeddine
Abdallah Aggoun
Fatima Ouazene
Sarah El Hamed
Rim Laredj
Producers
Yacine Bouaziz
Hamid Bouziane
Karima Chouikh
Amina Salem
Boualem Ziani
The actors
Adila Bendimerad
Sami Tigharghar
Souhila Maalem
Mina Lachter
Rym Takoucht
Bouara Tarik
Chahrazed Kracheni
Any Louanchy
Mohamed Moufok
Samir Ziane
The writers
Osama Benhassine
This open letter was published in Arabic, French and English.
