Messali Hadj - A Life In Service To The Algerian People
The life and political activism of Messali Hadj (1898-1974), an Algerian internationalist politician who played a pioneering role in the process leading to Algerian independence, which he demanded as early as 1927. He was initially secretary of the North African Star (ENA), then in 1937 he founded the Algerian People's Party (PPA), in 1946 he founded the Movement for the Triumph of Democratic Liberties (MTLD), and finally in 1954, the Algerian National Movement (MNA). In 1937, the leadership of the North African Star (ENA) created its flag, green with a white star and crescent. Messali Hadj's wife, Emilie Busquant-Messali, simply sewed this ENA flag by machine; it would later become the flag of the PPA. In 1943, Messali Hadj, in conjunction with the party leadership, created the ENA-PPA flag, green and white with a red star and crescent, which would later become the current flag of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria.
Directed by Benny Malapa · Written by Benny Malapa
Cast
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Messali Hadj Algerian politician (archive footage) -
Jean-Marc Schiappa French historian -
Émilie Busquant Anti-colonial activist (archive footage) -
Djanina Messali-Benkelfat Self (archive footage) -
Léon Blum French politician (archive footage) - Mustapha Ben Mohamed PPA-MNA activist
- Ali Messali Self (archive footage)
- Ali Agouni PPA-MNA activist & Moudjahid
- Bachir Ferrag PPA-MNA activist
- Rabah Bélaïd Professor of History and Political Science, University of Batna
- Mohammed Mrabet PPA-MTLD activist
- Hadj Omar Lachachi PPA-MTLD activist
Make it a double feature
2h 51m together
Messali Hadj - A Life In Service To The Algerian People
Grizzly Man
A close match in mood and era.






