Synopsis

Avoir 20 Ans dans les Aurès depicts the Algerian war from a soldier’s moral perspective in a film that barely made it past the censors. René Vautier’s documentary-style drama is not only anti-war, but unequivocally critical of how the French government handled themselves during the conflict. The film unfolds in 1961 when a group of commandos are sent to Algeria to fight under Lieutenant Perrin. The four commandos are soon disciplined for not following orders and are assigned the dangerous mission of capturing enemy Algerian soldiers. The group becomes increasingly disillusioned about their allegedly patriotic mission by the relationships they form and the atrocities they witness on the ground. The film is one of the first explicit acknowledgements of one of France’s darkest moments in modern history. Vautier’s project was underway at a time when colonial wars were still sujets maudits. The French, and particularly the French government, were not ready to come to terms with their colonial past until around the 1970s. This film won International Critics Award at Cannes.

Schedule & Presentation

Presentation by and discussion with director René Vautier

Thursday, March 29 – 6:00 p.m at the Byrd Theater ~ 1h40 ~ Parental Guidance Plus

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