Harkis is the name of the locals who worked for the French in Algeria. They are part of the fighting force and they have joined up hoping that they will get the same rights as the French themselves. They want to go to France for a better life. As the occupation is winding down it looks like there may be a snag.
In an age where countries like America are going into countries to keep the peace or fight a war, like Afghanistan or Iraq, the question of wat happens to those who help the occupying country is a tricky one. What are we to do for those who put their lives on the line for us. The answer is we should take care of them but that isn’t always the case.
Harkis is the story of what happens from the guys in the trenches. It’s the story of the guys on the razor’s edge. They know there is a danger and a problem. There is a scene where one soldier is talking to his father who hates the French but loves his son and despite wanting the French out he wants the possibility of a better life for his son that working for the French represents. It’s a small scene that echoes down the rest of the film.
I was moved.
This is a really good film that raises a lot of questions about how we treat the the countries we go into and what happens when we leave.
A must see at Rendezvous With French Cinema
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