Born in Mostaganem, September 3, 1943, he was eleven years old in 1954 when the war began in Algeria. In 1962, independence was proclaimed. In his hometown, Mohamed Chouikh became an actor in a drama group which later became the Algerian National Theatre. In 1965, he played a part in one of the first major achievements in Algeria, Dawn of the damned by René Vautier Rachedi Ahmed. A year later, he played the role of Lakhdar (the son) in the Aures Wind by Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina. The film won the prize for Best First Film at Cannes. In 1969 he went onto star in another Algerian classic Tewfik Fares’ Hors La Loi.
1972 was a milestone for Chouikh: in addition to his acting career, he began to write, and directed two television films the Mouth (1972) and Palms (1974). In 1983 Chouikh directed his first feature film Rupture a film he considers, in hindsight, as a creation of research. In 1989, he directed his second feature the Citadel.This tragic farce about the loneliness of some… read more
Born in Mostaganem, September 3, 1943, he was eleven years old in 1954 when the war began in Algeria. In 1962, independence was proclaimed. In his hometown, Mohamed Chouikh became an actor in a drama group which later became the Algerian National Theatre. In 1965, he played a part in one of the first major achievements in Algeria, Dawn of the damned by René Vautier Rachedi Ahmed. A year later, he played the role of Lakhdar (the son) in the Aures Wind by Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina. The film won the prize for Best First Film at Cannes. In 1969 he went onto star in another Algerian classic Tewfik Fares’ Hors La Loi.
1972 was a milestone for Chouikh: in addition to his acting career, he began to write, and directed two television films the Mouth (1972) and Palms (1974). In 1983 Chouikh directed his first feature film Rupture a film he considers, in hindsight, as a creation of research. In 1989, he directed his second feature the Citadel.This tragic farce about the loneliness of some and the polygamy of others, reveals the story of two societies separated by a wall of men and women. This film won twenty international awards. In 1993, he directed his third feature, Youcef, the story of a soldier who believes he still a prisoner of the French army. The film was presented in Berlin and Venice to much acclaim.
L’Arche du désert, his next film was shown at Locarno and then Sarajevo. Chouikh described the film as “an autopsy of hate, a cycle of violence ending in death”. The film depicts life in a desert village between two rival groups.The Wife of Douar (2005), was Chouikh’s next feature film and was produced and edited by his wife Yamina Bachir-Chouikh who is also a filmmaker in her own right.—Dilap
