The Zerda or the Songs of Forgetting
La Zerda ou les chants de l'oubli
Storyline
“La Zerda and the songs of oblivion” (1982) is one of only two films made by the Algerian novelist Assia Djebar, with “La Nouba des femmes du mont Chenoua” (1977). Powerful poetic essay based on archives, in which Assia Djebar – in collaboration with the poet Malek Alloula and the composer Ahmed Essyad – deconstructs the French colonial propaganda of the Pathé-Gaumont newsreels from 1912 to 1942, to reveal the signs of revolt among the subjugated North African population. Through the reassembly of these propaganda images, Djebar recovers the history of the Zerda ceremonies, suggesting that the power and mysticism of this tradition were obliterated and erased by the predatory voyeurism of the colonial gaze. This very gaze is thus subverted and a hidden tradition of resistance and struggle is revealed, against any exoticizing and orientalist temptation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Zerda or the Songs of Forgetting was released on February 27, 1983.
The runtime of The Zerda or the Songs of Forgetting is 57m.
The Zerda or the Songs of Forgetting is a Drama, Documentary movie.
The Zerda or the Songs of Forgetting has a rating of 7.6 out of 10 on TMDB.
The Zerda or the Songs of Forgetting is available to watch. Check streaming platforms and theaters near you.
The Zerda or the Songs of Forgetting was directed by Assia Djebar.
The Zerda or the Songs of Forgetting is originally in French.