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ROMEFILMFEST Competition

Mon Colonel reopens Algerian wounds

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The way to reopening the debate in France on Algeria’s war of independence was paved last year at Cannes by Michael Haneke’s Hidden [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Margaret Menegoz
interview: Michael Haneke
film profile
]
. The topic was touched upon again today at the RomeFilmFest after warm applause from the press, following the screening of competition title Mon Colonel [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, the debut film by Laurent Herbiet, based on the homonymous novel by Francis Zamponi and written by Costa Gavras, among others.

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"It is important to remember history so that it is not repeated,” stressed Gavras, who was in Rome accompanied by his wife – the film’s producer, Michèle Ray Gavras – the director and several of the actors, including Robinson Stevenin, Bruno Solo and Eric Caravaca. "This film," he added, "pays homage to Gillo Pontecorvo, who with The Battle of Algiers was an essential point of reference. I was very pained to see that the French press did not pay him a just tribute".

Mon Colonel begins with the mysterious murder of Colonel Duplan to tell the story of Guy Rossi, who served under Duplan’s command during Algeria’s war of independence in 1956. From Rossi’s diary, which was anonymously delivered to the French Minister of Defence, there starts an investigation on the young man, who was officially declared "missing in action" at the time. This subsequently brings to light crimes and atrocities committed in Algeria during those years, which were marked by the torture of Arab prisoners and terrorist attacks against the French.

It took seven long years to make Mon Colonel, because, according to producer Ray Gavras "we had a lot of difficulties in finding funding. Furthermore, there was a civil war underway in Algeria seven years ago and I didn’t want to shoot in Morocco or Tunisia, like many others did".

A French/Belgian co-production – 88% produced by the Gavras’ French company KG Productions and co-produced by Les Films du Fleuve, Arte France Cinéma, Wanip Films and RTBFMon colonel received €430,000 from the Eurimages Fund and €325,000 from the Ile de France Regional Fund, as well as an advance on receipts from the CNC.

Pathé Distribution will release the film in France on November 15.

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(Translated from Italian)

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