Dark Night, October 17, 1961

The story

Parisian authorities clash with the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) in director Alain Tasma’s recounting of one of the darkest moments of the Algerian War of Independence. As the war wound to a close and violence persisted in the streets of Paris, the FLN and its supporters adopted the tactic of murdering French policemen in hopes of forcing a withdrawal. When French law enforcement retaliated by brutalizing Algerians and imposing a strict curfew, the FLN organizes a peaceful demonstration that drew over 11,000 supporters, resulting in an order from the Paris police chief to take brutal countermeasures. Told through the eyes of both French policemen as well as Algerian protestors, Tasma’s film attempts to get to the root of the tragedy by presenting both sides of the story.

Cast

O Ouassini EmbarekAbdé A Atmen KelifTarek A Abdelhafid MetalsiAli Saïd H Hocine ChoutriAhmed M Mounir MargoumMohamed A Ahcène NiniLe réfractaire J Jalil NaciriMaurice S Salem KaliL'Algérien au barrage R Reda SamoudiHocine D Djemel BarekL'homme de l'escalier T Tayeb BelmihoubHaroun A Adel BencherifLe collecteur

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C Clotilde CourauSabine J Jean-Michel PortalMartin F Florence ThomassinNathalie V Vahina GiocanteMarie-Hélène P Philippe BasDelmas A Aurélien RecoingSomveille S Serge RiaboukineBrigadier Tiercé M Marie DenarnaudIsabelle Martin F Frank BerjotLe policier commissariat du 18 ème T Thierry FortineauPapon L Lyèce BoukhitineLe voisin d'Abde J Jean-Michel FêteBertaut M Matthias Van KhacheJojo M Michel TrillotMarcel M Michel Scotto di CarloLevel A Alain RimouxChaix L Luc PalunM. René G Grégoire OestermannNicolas N Nicolas JouhetGinet S Stefan ElbaumFavre G Guillaume CramoisanLe médecin du centre de tri P Pierre-Alain ChapuisMinistre Frey A Antoine ChainLe planton Nanterre A Alexandre CarrièreL'infirmier du centre de tri L Loïc BrabantLegay B Bruno Abraham-KremerLe patron d'Abde P Patrick BonnelLe commandant du commissariat du 18 ème C Christophe KourotchkineLe journaliste J Jérôme Le PaulmierLe tueur d'Abde J Julien LucasMichaud S Stéphan WojtowiczLe rédacteur D Djamel AfnaiL'Algérien qui rit M Marie-Charlotte SalmonA secretary