“The Last Queen”, the long-awaited film by Damien Ounouri and Adila Bendimerad, finally made its debut in France on April 19. This daring historical film moves away from the traditional themes of Algerian cinema, which mainly focused on the War of Liberation and French colonization, to explore the lesser known period of Ottoman rule in Algeria.
The film is particularly interested in the face-to-face between the pirate Barbarossa, played by the imperial Dali Benssalah, who has just freed Algiers from the tyranny of the Spaniards, and the woman who will dare to stand up to him, the famous Queen Zaphira , played by Adila Bendimerad, as comfortable in front of the camera as behind. There is also Nadia Tereszkiewicz, fresh out of My Crime and Almond Trees.
Moreover, in the casting we can find Imen Noel, Mohamed Tahar Zaoui, Yanis Aouine or even Nadjia Laaraf.
“The Last Queen”: History, Between Realism and Fiction
Adila Bendimerad’s screenplay revisits the arrival of Arroudj Barbarossa in Algiers in 1516 and Queen Zaphira’s resistance to the Ottoman invader. The two filmmakers offer a successful blend of the spectacular and the intimate where spirited duels and speckled foil dialogues blend harmoniously.
In an interview with RFI, Adila Bendimerad explains that non-Algerian viewers were transported by the Shakespearean and tragic side of the film. The Algerians, for their part, feel immense pride in seeing their “ancestors” represented on screen and their language spoken. The film arouses emotion and pride among Algerian viewers, who have long thought they had no history.
In order to keep all the desired authenticity, the film was shot in Tlemcen. Adila returned to the reasons for this choice and the difficulties encountered. Questioned by the Algerian media TSA, Elle explains that obtaining the necessary authorizations had not been easy and that they did not want to give in to the easy way by filming in the studio, as some had suggested to them.
She adds that they had to negotiate for several months to obtain the green light from the authorities. In addition, she mentions that another problem had been added to this, namely that colonialism had razed many sites of medieval Algeria and that the Kasbah was abandoned. Despite these difficulties, they wanted to pick up all the crumbs to bring this city back to life. She specifies: “We wanted authenticity and it was only the real walls that would allow it”.
An international success: when will it be released in Algeria?
After having charmed the critics during its first screening at the Venice Film Festival, “The Last Queen” was a great success during its Parisian preview, with full rooms. Producers expect similar enthusiasm for the rest of the program in France.
As for the Algerian public, they will have to wait another two or three months before discovering this innovative historical film. The release in Algeria was delayed due to “bureaucratic delays”, according to Damien Ounouri. Despite this delay, local audience expectations are high and “The Last Queen” promises to be a smash hit in its home country.
Adila Bendimerad also commented on the controversy surrounding the character of Zafira, saying the discussion was heated. She clarified that she had spoken with several historians and that their opinions differed on the question of the existence of Zafira. Some have claimed she never existed, while others believe she did, but not in the commonly known version, or by that specific name.
However, whatever the case, this woman is a character who has aroused interest since the end of the 16th century and is part of the intangible heritage. Adila Bendimerad made a point of pointing out that this character was not invented in 2022, but has been anchored in history for centuries.
