Short Films

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International Competition

THE KING OF ALGIERS
OMAR LA FRAISE

• Director: Elias Belkeddar
• FRANCE, ALGERIA / 2023 / DCP / Colour / 98’ / French, Arabic; Turkish, English s.t.

• Screenplay: Elias Belkeddar, Jérôme Pierrat, Thomas Bidegain
• Director of Photography: André Chemetoff
• Editing: Simon Jacquet
• Music: Sofiane Saïdi
• Cast: Reda Kateb, Meriem Amiar, Benoit Magimel, Haroun Attalah, Amani Bentarki
• Producer: Yacine Medkour, Lyna Zerrouki
• Production Co.: Iconoclast Films, Chi-Fou-Mi Productions
• World Sales: The Festival Agency

All thugs have imaginative nicknames, which are violently poetic. But where could the nickname ‘Omar the Strawberry’ have come from? Omar, a gangster on the run in Algiers, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the French authorities. His only way around this is to stay in Algeria and lay low for the rest of his life with his partner in crime, Roger. Reluctantly abandoning his criminal activities, Omar takes a job in a pastry factory. But, clinging to their old habits of clubs, drugs and violence, they can’t help but enjoy themselves in the underbelly of Algiers’ infamous neighbourhoods –including ram fights and clandestine camel races. But trouble is always around the corner and Omar must fight to redeem himself and protect his loved ones. Premiering at a Midnight Screening at Cannes, The King of Algiers is directed by Élias Belkeddar, the screenwriter for Romain Gavras’ Athena and Antoine De Bary’s My Days of Glory.

This film is screened with the kind contribution of Unifrance and Institut Français.

This film was a Meetings on the Bridge participant.