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Allouache Merzak , director. Madame Courage. 2015. 90 minutes. Arabic with English subtitles. France/Algeria. Baya Films, Neon Production. No price reported.
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The story of Madame Courage starts with a secondary character from the director's previous film, The Rooftops (2013). This character, seemingly a representation of Algerian youth, has succumbed totally to the power of the psychoactive drug called "Madame Courage," which apparently is now en vogue not just in Algeria but in the entire region of the Maghreb. Merzak Allouache obviously remains troubled by the social problems of youth, which he first addressed in his initial film, Omar Gatlato (1977), a masterful portrayal of the malaise of youngsters in postindependence Algeria.
From the first scene, in which we see Omar, the main character, being chased by a group of young men, it becomes clear that he has done something wrong. In the following scene we see him, in broad daylight and in public, stealing a necklace from a young woman, Selma, who was simply enjoying a stroll in the company of her friends. Omar is pitifully lost. Constantly insulted by his mother and abandoned by society, he finds refuge--and courage--only in "Madame Courage." Under its effect, he feels invincible and says "Even the wind won't touch me." Omar is without a job...