{"id":665,"date":"2007-05-10T22:49:45","date_gmt":"2007-05-10T22:49:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/archives\/2007\/05\/10\/saadi-yacef-on-the-battle-of-algiers\/"},"modified":"2017-05-23T19:56:34","modified_gmt":"2017-05-23T18:56:34","slug":"saadi-yacef-on-the-battle-of-algiers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/2007\/05\/10\/saadi-yacef-on-the-battle-of-algiers\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Saadi Yacef on The Battle of Algiers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

The classic 1966 war film The Battle of Algiers<\/a> <\/strong>gets a welcome re-release in UK cinemas this week and I recently spoke to Saadi Yacef<\/strong><\/a> who produced and starred in the film.<\/p>\n

He was one of the leaders of Algeria’s National Liberation Front<\/a> during his country’s war of independence and, whillst imprisoned by the French, wrote his memoir of the actual Battle of Algiers<\/a>, which was published in 1962.<\/p>\n

After the war Saadi helped produce Gillo Pontecorvo<\/a>‘s film and he even stars in it as a character based on his own experiences.<\/p>\n

With its strikingly realistic depiction of modern warfare and terrorism the film has gone on to become highly influential. So much so that the The Pentagon screened it in 2003<\/a> as a useful illustration of the problems faced in Iraq<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Saadi is currently a Senator in Algeria’s People’s National Assembly.<\/p>\n

Listen to the interview here:<\/p>\n