Algerian Film “Frantz Fanon” Wins the Jury Prize at the Luxor African Film Festival (Egypt)
The feature film “Frantz Fanon,” directed by Algerian filmmaker Abdenour Zahzah, was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the 14th Luxor African Film Festival, which concluded on Tuesday in Luxor, southern Egypt, as announced by the festival organizers.
Released in 2024, this 90-minute film delves into the life and experiences of Frantz Fanon (1925-1961), a Martiniquais anti-colonial activist and psychiatrist. It competed alongside ten other films from various African countries, including Egypt, Tunisia, Senegal, Togo, and Cameroon.
Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Arts in collaboration with the National Center for Cinema Development (CADC) and the production house Atlas Film, this cinematic work addresses the stark inequalities and injustices inflicted upon Muslim Algerian patients between 1953 and 1956 during French colonization at the “Blida-Joinville” psychiatric hospital (renamed Frantz Fanon Hospital after Independence).
This discriminatory and inhumane treatment prompted Frantz Fanon to rally behind the national cause and join the struggle for Algeria’s independence.
A blend of autobiographical fiction and documentary, the film “Frantz Fanon,” written by the director himself, premiered last October at the Ibn Zeydoun Hall in Algiers. Featuring a cast of both Algerian and international actors, including French-Haitian actor Alexandre Desane in the role of Frantz Fanon, it also participated in the 74th Berlin International Film Festival and is currently being screened and distributed in cinemas across Algeria.
Zouhir Ballalou, the Minister of Culture and Arts, congratulated the director and his team, along with all those recognized at various national and international film events and competitions. He emphasized the importance of such participation in promoting Algerian film productions, which are renowned for their skill and high standards.
Born in 1973, Abdenour Zahzah pursued higher education in audiovisual studies, graduating from the University of Algiers in 1997. He served as the head of the Blida Cinematheque from 1998 until 2003.
In 2006, he directed “La Longue Marche vers le Nepad” for the second Pan-African Festival in Algiers, focusing on Africa’s development and filmed in four countries: Algeria, South Africa, Burkina Faso, and Senegal. In 2010, he released his first fiction film, “Garagouz.”
Zahzah has also directed several other films, including “Mémoire d’asile” (2002), “Sous le soleil, le plomb” (2005), “Le Non-Faire,” “Maurice Pons, écrivain de l’étrange” (2007), and “El Oued, El Oued” (2013).
Named after Egyptian actor and director Nour El-Sherif (1946-2015), the 14th Luxor African Film Festival (January 9-14) featured 65 films from 35 African countries competing in various categories. Founded in 2012 by the Foundation of Independent Young Artists, the Luxor African Film Festival seeks to promote cooperation and co-production within Africa.
