Viva Laldjerie. Dir. Nadir Moknèche. Sunday Morning Productions, 2003. Kanopy. 112 minutes.
For plot summary and other details: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0348884/
Setting: 2003, Algiers
Language: Arabic, French
Subtitles: CC - English
Ideas and questions I gathered from the film: Residing in a hotel after fleeing their home city, Goucem and her mother grapple with terrorism. They try to lead "normal" lives by each having their own means of escape. Yet those elements of happiness are falling apart. Goucem’s lover refuses to marry her. The cabaret where her mom used to dance seems like it will disappear. Exacerbating these frustrations is the threat of terrorism. In the U.S., it’s easy to forget about the civilians in terrorized countries, but this film (as well as Last Men in Aleppo) elucidate those complications. I especially like the female focus in Viva Laldjerie.
Keywords: strong females, independent women, terrorism, in-country exile