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.
