pening the festival, The Desert Divers )1952) by Tahar Hannache stands as the earliest surviving Algerian fiction film and a foundational milestone in national cinema. Shot without dialogue in Tolga with an entirely Algerian cast and crew, it follows Cheikh Ali and his son Mansour, divers who risk their lives clearing a well to save an oasis from drought, only to be replaced later by modern machinery. Its poetic simplicity and strong symbolism evoke solidarity, heritage and quiet resistance. Banned by the colonial authorities for being a fully Algerian production, the film became a pioneering act of cultural defiance preceding the 1954 Revolution.
Tahar Hannache, one of Algerian cinema’s forgotten pioneers, discovered film early before moving to France, where he learned every aspect of the craft and appeared in around sixty productions alongside major filmmakers. In 1938, he founded Taha Films, then returned to Algeria to shoot the first aerial images of Constantine. In 1952, he directed The Desert Divers, the earliest surviving Algerian fiction film, later censored by colonial authorities. Revived through his daughter’s efforts, his legacy stands as a cornerstone of Algerian cinematic history.
