Photo Credit NEON-PRODUCTIONS
11th November 2015, Cairo
Madame Courage, by veteran Algerian director Merzak Allouache, had a huge success at the official screening of the Cairo International film festival last night. The Egyptian public were touched by the film that revolves around a young boy’s drug addiction in a poor, popular neighbourhood. “The actors were captivating despite being mostly newcomers to the screen,” said Algerian actress and Ruby TV reporter Mouni Bouallam.
“‘Madame Courage’ was magnificent,” Algerian journalist Mohamed Allal from El Khabar, Algeria’s Arab newspaper, told Ruby TV this morning. “The Algerian dialect isn’t well known in Egypt and it was a pleasure to see the Egyptian public appreciate the language and the film. Behind the story of the character’s addiction is a true story of deep Algerian issues. The situation in Algeria between the state, the religion and the people is very complicated and knowing this, the film isn’t heavy or sad but strong and real- one true image of a country that Allouache knows well.”
Unfortunately the director or actors were not present.
I’m looking forward to catching the film’s second screening this evening.
Ahmed Shavki (Egyptian critic), Nejla Kammou (Tunisian journalist) and Mouni at the official screening of Madame Courage
