Daniel Ali, a rebellious schoolteacher in colonial Algeria Backdrop Blur
Daniel Ali, a rebellious schoolteacher in colonial Algeria Poster
10.0 0h 52m

Daniel Ali, a rebellious schoolteacher in colonial Algeria

In 1954, Daniel Vérin, a young schoolteacher of Algerian descent, made a radical decision: he turned his back on colonial France and joined the Algerian insurgents. He enlisted in the FLN, then the ALN, and became "Ali," a soldier in the struggle for independence. At the end of the war in 1962, he became an Algerian citizen. But the long-awaited independence did not bring Ali the taste of victory. On a scholarship, he went to study in the United States. Upon his return, the Algerian administration forbade him from entering his homeland. Rejected by the country he had defended, he obtained American citizenship in 1969. Condemned by France for his activism and ignored by Algeria for more than forty years, Ali was not officially recognized as a mujahid, a fighter of the Revolution, until 2004.

Top Cast

  • Daniel Ali Vérin

    Daniel Ali Vérin

    Self

  • Patty Vérin

    Patty Vérin

    Self

  • Hélène Vérin

    Hélène Vérin

    Self

  • Georges Vérin

    Georges Vérin

    Self

  • Khadidja Mahdi

    Khadidja Mahdi

    Self

  • Malika Rahal

    Malika Rahal

    Self

  • Bénédicte Richard

    Bénédicte Richard

    Narrator

  • Zohra Djazouli

    Zohra Djazouli

    Self

  • Abdallah Mihoubi

    Abdallah Mihoubi

    Self

Overview

In 1954, Daniel Vérin, a young schoolteacher of Algerian descent, made a radical decision: he turned his back on colonial France and joined the Algerian insurgents. He enlisted in the FLN, then the ALN, and became "Ali," a soldier in the struggle for independence. At the end of the war in 1962, he became an Algerian citizen. But the long-awaited independence did not bring Ali the taste of victory. On a scholarship, he went to study in the United States. Upon his return, the Algerian administration forbade him from entering his homeland. Rejected by the country he had defended, he obtained American citizenship in 1969. Condemned by France for his activism and ignored by Algeria for more than forty years, Ali was not officially recognized as a mujahid, a fighter of the Revolution, until 2004.

Rating

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