| Jamel
Debbouze, Samy Naceri , Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila, Bernard Blancan,
Mathieu Simonet.
Director Rachid Bouchareb teams with
screenwriter Olivier Morelle to offer a revealing look at the brave
contributions made by North African soldiers who fought for France
during World War II in this emotionally-charged war drama starring
Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Sami Bouajila, and Bernard Blancan.
The year was 1943 and France had been bending to the will of Nazi
Germany for three long years. In order to break Hitler's powerful
grip, the first French Army was recruited in Africa. Comprised of
130,000 North Africans who were willing to put their lives on the
line in order to defeat the Nazi death machine, the fearless fighters
were contemptuously dubbed indigènes (natives) by many French, despite
their remarkable sacrifice. From the noble Abdelkader (Bouajila),
who is fighting strictly for the cause; to the money motivated Yassir
(Naceri); the impoverished Saïd (Debbouze); and die-hard romantic
Messaoud (Roschdy Zem), who longs to finally visit the country he
has dreamt about from afar, the selfless efforts of these remarkable
men ultimately transcend their superiors' contemptuous disregard
for their service by providing invaluable aid during one of the
world's darkest hours. |