Born in 1937 in Bordj-Bou-Arréridj, Tewfik Farès studied at the Sorbonne before becoming, upon his return to Algeria, one of the pioneers of filmed news in North Africa. Between 1963 and 1965, he directed over 200 episodes of Actualités algériennes and about fifty documentaries. From 1965 onwards, he became involved in the emergence of engaged Algerian cinema, co-writing short films and collaborating on the screenplays of Le Vent des Aurès and Chronique des années de braise.
In 1969, he directed Les Hors-la-loi, his only feature film as a director, considered one of the major works of Algerian cinema. Settling in Paris in the early 1970s, he worked for the French press and television, producing programs such as Mosaïque and Les Nuits du Ramadan. Deeply attached to Algeria, he continued producing films there and also devoted himself to poetry, publishing Le Dernier chant and Empreintes du silence.
