Product Details

• Actors: Nadia Kaci, Jalil Naciri, Kamel Abdeli, Lubna Azabal, Biyouna
• Directors: Nadir Mokneche
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: French
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Film Movement
• DVD Release Date: January 1, 2005
• Run Time: 113 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0007LI3JC
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,965 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Viva La'ldjerie" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

VIVA LALDJERIE - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The struggle between what we are versus what we would like to become, July 24, 2007

By 

Utah Blaine (Somewhere on Trexalon in District 268) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Viva La'ldjerie (DVD)

The film examines the lives of three women, largely outcasts from society, living in Algeria after the civil war of the mid-1990s. Each of the women, through a combination of bad luck and poor choices, live on the fringe of Algerian society. The main character Goucem (played by Lubna Azabal) is a 27 year old women who works in a photoshop by day and cruises around the clubs at night. She has had a string of come-and-gone lovers and is now considered too old (and too `well traveled') to settle down with a respectable man. Her mother was once a famous singer whose star has long since faded, and now the two of them live together in a small apartment. The rent is paid by a doctor who is having an affair with Goucem. The doctor is married (to a harpy), but refuses to divorce her and is in fact having affairs with many other women beside Goucem. The third women, Fifi, is a prostitute living in the same building. This is a story about the past, the present, and the future. All three women examine where they came from, what they are, and what they would like to be. Fifi is the least unhappy with her life, and accepts her role as an outcast, Goucem wants something steady and secure, but isn't sure what, and Goucem's mother (Papicha) wants to become a star again. The backdrop for the film is post-civil war Algeria, and the clash of the past (represented in part by Islamic fundamentalism) with the uncertain future weighs over the entire film. I found this to be a compelling, well acted, thoughtful film that explores some timeless themes. Lubna Azabal in particular gives a nuanced performance, I suspect that we'll be seeing alot more in the future (I wish Hollywood would hire actress that could act!). This is not a film `about' Algeria in any substantiative sense, with small changes this film could have been set anywhere in the world (i.e. replace Islamic fundamentalists with Christian Evangelicals), so if you are looking for an `Algerian' film, this is not a great choice. A well done, if not uniquely outstanding, film and definitely worth a look.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Woman's Plight, October 30, 2011

By 

APP - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Viva La'ldjerie (DVD)

Given what has recently happened in the Middle East (The Arab Spring), I thought this French film would be interesting to watch--and I wasn't disappointed. It takes place in Algeria in the mid-1990s, and is an excellent character study of the lead actor (Lubna Azabal) and the Islamic culture where she resides. Though a little dated, I don't believe Algeria has changed that much.

She's a restless and promiscuous young woman who taunts and violates many of her culture's taboos, oblivious to the fact that "actions have consequences." This results in her being relegated to the fringes of society.

By Western standards, she would be considered a free spirit, a welcome addition to society. But not so in her world.

The two principal supporting actors are also female: Her friend (a prostitute) and her mother (a former torch singer).

I enjoyed the film and recommend it for those interested in the "subject matter."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, August 20, 2011

By 

SanDiegoJesse - See all my reviews

This review is from: Viva Laldjerie (Amazon Instant Video)

I wanted to like this movie more than I did. I enjoy movies about women and their challenges in various cultures. Not sure why, but I just couldn't connect with much in this film & couldn't find anything that held my interest. At the end of the film, I felt it to be a good effort and quality acting/production, but just not something I got into to any extent. Sometimes that's just how it is, for no particular reason.