This database is designed inform about films produced since independence in North Africa (the Maghreb) - in Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, as well as films made by film makers working in Europe who were born in the Maghreb or are of North African descent. Ten years ago these would have been separate categories, but now the boundaries are much less precisely defined, especially because of the diaspora of Algerian film makers caused by the political problems there.
There are five major entry points for an overview of this production activity: Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and what is termed 'Immigrant Cinema'. Each of these entries is intended to list all film makers who have created a feature film and all the resultant films, with the ability to cross-reference to director names and film titles. These latter entries list career details for film makers and credits plus synopsis for specific films.
Professor Armes is personally responsible for all the opinions expressed, as well as for any errors and omissions. The problems of consistency in a database in which all the names have been transliterated are obviously enormous. They are enhanced by the fact that, even at the simplest level, the systems of transliteration used in France (the principal European-language source of information) are different from those customarily used in the United Kingdom. There are bound therefore to be errors and inconsistencies (the film makers themselves may, for example,change the way they wish their names to be transliterated: Ali Ghalem becoming Ali Ghanem and Ali Labidi preferring to be known as Ali Abidi).
Contact: Roy Armes - r.armes AT mdx.ac.uk
AHDS Performing Arts is part of the Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS). Copyright 2003-7.