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We have learnt of the Passing of Senator Saadi Yacef, whose autobiographical story is the source of Gillo Pontecorvo’s masterpiece THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS. Yacef wrote his experience as leader of the Liberation Front fighting for the independence of Algeria from the French whilst on death-row. Reprieved, and soon after with Algeria a nascent sovereign state, Yacef sought Pontecorvo, he ended coproducing and – at Pontecorvo’s insistence – agreed to play ‘himself’ in THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS which won the Venice Film Festival. The beginning, the making and the rest is history…
Some of us at CultFilms had the extraordinary privilege to meet and speak with Saadi a few times over the years, it was a life-affirming honour.

From left, Gillo Pontecorvo and Saadi Yacef for the screening of THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS at Cannes Film Classic

 

From left, Saadi Yacef with Director Gillo Pontecorvo on the set of THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS

 

Saadi Yacef looks through the camera on the set of Director Gillo Pontecorvo’s THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS