BLOODY BEANS

BLOODY BEANS (LOUBIA HAMRA), 2013
Algeria, France | HDD, Color, 80’ | Arabic, French
Director: Narimane Mari
Cast: Adlane Aïssani, Amir Nourine, Bilal Azil, Ghania Aissani

Digesting beans, a meal as heavy as history is as difficult as digesting history. In this first feature-length film, the director uses a playful, surrealistic language to depict France’s 132-year-long exploitation of Algeria; the country’s struggle for independence, heroism and suffering through children. The story unfolds when a group of children, tired of eating beans, decide to steal food from the French barracks. Shot in nine days, with semi-improvised acting, and without replays, the film captures the overwhelming raw and crazy energy of Algerian youth. When the two girls in the predominantly boy-heavy gang are asked to cook for the group, they respond, “you don't own this war!” claiming their rights in the struggle for independence. As Bloody Beans rehearses the tragedy, like an experimental mix of documentary and fiction, its delusional cinematography turns into a fun, hopeful fable with the electronic music of Zombie Zombie.