Days of Glory (Indigenes)

The experience of Algerian soldiers who joined the fight to free France from the Nazis during World War II have been largely ignored by those who write the histories. Treated as second-class soldiers by the white military structure and discriminated against as a matter of reflex, they fought under the command of French North Africans to prove their worth, only to find that the motto of France — Liberté, égalité, fraternité ("Liberty, equality, fraternity") — didn't apply to them. Rachid Bouchareb's affecting and observant platoon drama may be a small step toward recognizing their sacrifice and the French government's injustice toward them, but it had a great impact in convincing French President Jacques Chirac to compensate Algerian war veterans whose pensions had been frozen for almost 50 years. The excellent ensemble — Sami Bouajila, Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem and Bernard Blancan as their commander — shared the Best Actor Award at Cannes. Includes the featurette "The Making of Days of Glory (Indigénes)" and the short film "The Colonial Friend."