The Nomads (in Arabic: مسيرة الرعاة) is an Algerian film directed by Sid Ali Mazif in . The film was presented to the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Cannes Film Festival). The film deals with the socio-political situation in rural areas of post-independence Algeria...
Synopsis After their father's death, three brothers from a pastoral community take divergent paths: one settles in the city, another continues traditional livestock farming, and the third joins a modern agricultural cooperative. The film portrays the clash between tradition and modernity, the transformations brought about by the agrarian revolution, and the gradual impoverishment of nomadic populations..
Technical details Source: Director: Sid Ali Mazif Screenplay: Sid Ali Mazif Production: ONCIC Runtime: 100 minutes (1h40) Country: Algeria Language: Arabic / local dialects
Cast Mohamed Chouikh Hassan El-Hassani
Production and genesis In this work, Sid Ali Mazif offers a reflection on the sedentarization policy and the agrarian revolution in Algeria. The film contrasts traditional pastoral life with nationalization and the evolution of agricultural tools, while also examining the processes of impoverishment among nomads. The film was selected for the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in 1976.
Themes and interpretations The film is described as a socially engaged film, using fiction to document the socio-economic conditions of nomadic life by examining the effects of modernization: sedentarization, loss of resources, land concentration, and the transformation of community solidarity. A study exists that cites it as a key reference for cinematographic research on the socio-political events of the 1970s..
Reception and festivals Directors' Fortnight (Cannes) — 1976 screening (film presented in the parallel selection).
Notes and references
See also Related articles List of Algerian films
Bibliography