A FEMALE CABBY IN SIDI BEL - ABBES
By Belkacem Hadjadj
Synopsis
At the death of her husband, Soumicha, mother of three children, has to earn a linving and becomes the only woman taxi driver in Sidi Bel- Abbès (Algeria). The film shows her working conditions in a job normally reserved for men, and a city where integrist violence rages.
Soumicha takes us around the city, introduces us to the many contradictory aspects of this society, and acquaints us, in the course of her travels, with other women who, like herself, are struggling for more freedoms.
A coproduction Les Films de la Passerelle, Machahou Production, RTBF, ENTV (Algérie), MCF. With the support of programme MEDA pour la démocratie de la Communauté Européenne. With the support of la Direction Générale de la Coopération Internationale (DGCI), l'aide du Soros Documentary Fund of the Open Society Institute, l'aide du Bureau de l'Unicef à Alger & de la Wilaya de Sidi Bel-Abbès
Technical sheet
Year: 2000
Duration: 52'
Language: French, Arabic
Screenplay and Direction: Belkacem Hadjadj
Cinematography: Ahmed Messad
Sound: Mohamed Ziouani
Editing: Karima Saïdi
Music: Anouar Brahem, Belemou Messaoud
Producer:
Christine Pireaux - Les Films de la Passerelle
Balkacem Hadjadj - Machahou Production
Christiane Philippe
Stills
Festival selections (60)
Namur Francophone Film Festival
FIPATEL
Brussels-Europe Film Festival
19th Cinema Festival of Ales Ales
Fespaco (Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou)
International Film Festival of Fribourg
Arab Screen Independent Film Festival
6th International Film and Video Festival of Tebessa
11th Cinema Africano Festival
"North-South Evening" Geneva
Black Movie Festival Geneva
Afrika Filmfestival
Periphery
International Film Festival Innsbruck
Zanzibar International Film Festival
Resistances
Africa in the Picture
Douarnenez Festival of World Films
Cinemayaat Documentary Meetings in Montreal
IV Edition of the Mediterraneo Video Festival
World Wide Video Festival
Films from the South Festival
Fameck Film Festival
Viennale
First International Film Festival for Children and Youth Mar del Plata
Cinemafrica
Cinema from Elsewhere, France-Algeria Association-Brest
OCIC
8th Rencontres d'Averroès
Festival of Women's Movies
CMCA 7th International Mediterranean Audiovisual Prize - Soverato
Images from Elsewhere Paris
International Documentary Film Festival Munich
Biennial of Arab Cinemas in Paris
Documentart – Neubrandenburg
Filmaker – Milan
Kolkata – India
Ciné 104 – Saint Denis
International Festival of Social Communication Cinema – Kolkata
Cinema du Réel
Month of World Cultures
Human Rights Films Festival – Prague
Citizen Cinema – Paris
Sundance at MoMa – New York
CCAS Social Visions – La Napoule
KinoEtika – Turin
Rencontres Cinéma de Gindou
Video The Beautiful Days – Strasbourg
Look at the Real – ArgenteuilLand of Women – Tübingen
Alhambra, Month of Documentary – Marseille
Month of Documentary – Tulle
Screen Nights: Doc Side – Ouagadougou
Documentary Meetings "Women Too..." Rennes
Africa in the Picture Amsterdam
Week on Algeria Aubervilliers
Multicultural Center Praha
Awards (5)
★ Special Jury Prize, 5th Biennial of Arab Cinemas Institut du Monde Arabe - Paris
★ TV5 Award for Best Documentary - International French-Language Film Festival Namur - Belgium
★ Golden Dhow Award for Best Documentary at ZIFF (Zanzibar International Film Festival) - Tanzania
★ First Prize at the Mediterraneo Video Festival 2001 (Ascea Marina – Salerno)
★ Best Program Expressing Euro-Mediterranean Issues Award at the
7th edition of the International Mediterranean Audiovisual Prize (Sorevato)