Indigènes

During the last few years, blockbusters have included documentaries on weapons, wars and climate changes. A French film about the little-known story of North African soldiers who fought in General de Gaulle's army in the Second World War has taken France by storm, and is opening in Britain on March 30th.

The 2006 film "Indigènes" (literally: natives) depicts the colonial subjects who fought for France against Nazism in the Second World War (WW II). Colonial natives shed their lives in tens of thousands for their "motherland". Those who survived the war were returned to conditions of repression and discrimination. Sixty years later Rachid Bouchareb, a French director of Algerian descent, tells the story from their perspective. His grandfather fought on the side of the Allies in WW II and he points out that this part of France's history has been erased from the schoolbooks.

Door knocking for funding
Traditional funding for this big-budget film was initially difficult to get, as many had a difficult time believing this more or less unknown story. It was first when the director knocked on the doors of France's former North African colonies, that he got the funding. Morocco's king donated weaponry and soldiers for key battle scenes as well as 60% of the films budget.

Revealing figures
The historical figures are quite revealing. In 1944, the French army had 550,000 soldiers: 134,000 Algerians, 73,000 Moroccans, 26,000 Tunisians, and 92,000 sub-Saharan Africans. Around 60,000 of them paid with their lives for the liberation of a country they didn't know, which exploited them and never really recognised their sacrifices. They represent 25% of all French casualties during WWII.

Critique
The film has been criticised for overstating the colonial natives' role and using war movie clichés. Others contend that the film is a politically correct film about integration.

Nonetheless it was nominated for an Oscar in the category of "Best Foreign Film". Although it didn't win an Oscar, over three million people in France have seen the film since its release last September. Besides this it has provoked real social change.

President takes action
The French President Chirac was moved upon watching the film. In 1959 France imposed a pension freeze on its colonial veterans, so they were only receiving little more than one-tenth of what a former French soldier receives. After watching it, Chirac was prompted to raise the pensions of such veterans to levels equal to their French counterparts.

New version of history
The film has also given young people of African origin a memory. Many of their grandfathers and great grandfathers were soldiers during Europe's last war. Despite their important role, the French officers treated them as lower-grade soldiers. They were subject of discrimination when it came to food, military advancement, days off, mail, etc. These young people now have a chance to become acquainted with a more truthful and less "whites only" version of history. They are also reminded that their forefathers didn't just come to France after the war to help rebuild France, but they also helped liberate France.

So a film like Indigènes certainly boosts the identity of young people of African origin in France today. It shows that Africans are a part of France's history and have just as much a claim to it as anyone else. "Immigrant" youth in France face discrimination and suspicion from their "native" countrymen. Last November riots broke out in the suburbs of major French cities giving rise to a lively debate over the status of France's minorities, particularly the Muslims. Some argue that France has not been receptive enough of their immigrants, others that the Muslims haven't put enough effort into assimilating. Indigènes serves as a wake-up call for all parties involved in the former colonial empire.

Sequel to Indigènes
Bouchareb has told Time magazine that he plans to make a sequel to Indigenes highlighting France's atrocities in colonies, particularly the 1945 V-E Day Setif massacre and France in Indochina.

Powerful Trend
Movies have the power to change perceptions and set political agendas. The Leonardo di Caprio drama "Blood Diamond" is part of a movement to boycott "conflict diamonds" that help finance wars. Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" has brought a greater awareness to the challenges of global warming. The movie "Amazing Grace" tells the story of how a few persistent people brought about the abolition of slavery in Britain, and has a parallel endeavour that tries to stop modern slavery.

But few movies have had the impact of the French film Indigenes. Bouchareb arranged for 500 screenings for historians and history teachers, prompting them to rewrite the story of the WWII and include the contribution of African soldiers. He also invited President Chirac and his wife to a private screening. Shortly thereafter the pensions were altered so that the native veterans would receive the same as their French counterparts. Perhaps most importantly, the film qualifies the level of debate in France on identity, immigration, the Arab world and the west.

Related Information
Official website of Indigènes, "Days of Glory" in English, 2006, Idigènes