C'était la guerre

Ali, a young Algerian who carried out an attack in Algiers, heads to the mountains to join the resistance. The reality there is harsher than expected as the National Liberation Army exists mostly in scattered pockets. Yet Si Tayeb, the group's stern leader, earns his trust by handing him a weapon and a clear sense of purpose. Meanwhile, a French sergeant named Gachon arrives with a platoon of conscripts and becomes the colonel's secretary, a setup that foreshadows a clash of loyalties. One night the FLN raids the village of Beni Allel, waking villagers with a propaganda speech and rifles. Ali steps in when trouble arises, showing authority and skill that tilt the balance.

Directed by Ahmed Rachedi and Maurice Failevic, C'était la guerre was released in 1993 as a war history drama. The source material is not specified, but the film uses multiple perspectives to present the colonial era through various viewpoints, and voices from both sides.

Box office details are not widely reported for this title and no reliable worldwide gross figure is publicly documented, leaving earnings and reception hard to gauge for audiences outside its regional context.

Awards: There are no major nominations or wins listed in widely recognized databases for this film. It appears to have flown under the radar of international award circuits, existing more as a historical portrait than a prestige project in the global cinema landscape. Its modest footprint might reflect niche cultural rather than mass market appeal.

The film offers a grounded look at the brutal realities of the anti colonial struggle in Algeria and how war distorts loyalties. It shows the tension between heroism and pragmatism as Ali and Gachon test what counts as right in a crisis, especially when propaganda tries to blur lines between friend and foe and memory becomes a weapon.