A cine-concert will accompany the screening of The Desert Divers by Tahar Hannache, with maestro Khalil Baba Ahmed conducting Mohamed Iguerbouchene’s score live. This unique performance creates a renewed dialogue between sound and image, offering an immersive artistic experience that brings fresh emotional depth to this landmark Algerian film.
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.
A cine-concert will accompany the screening of The Desert Divers by Tahar Hannache, with maestro Khalil Baba Ahmed conducting Mohamed Iguerbouchene’s score live. This unique performance creates a renewed dialogue between sound and image, offering an immersive artistic experience that brings fresh emotional depth to this landmark Algerian film.
Maestro Khalil Baba Ahmed is one of Algeria’s leading musical figures. Trained as a violinist in Tlemcen, he later joined local and national orchestras and founded the world- music ensemble Jarka. Dedicated to researching Andalusian heritage, he has collaborated with notable international artists and led cultural initiatives between Algeria and South Korea. He also created innovative operas such as ”Rouh el-Hawzi“. Today, through Dar El Âla and the direction of national festivals, he continues to shape the artistic scene with creativity, openness and deep musical knowledge.
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.