USA Africa Dialogue Series - talking points: Battle of Algiers

Battle of Algiers Talking Points

1.      Frantz Fanon states in The Wretched of the Earth that a revolution against colonial powers must be "absolute in its violence and indiscriminate in its means."  How is this demonstrated in The Battle of Algiers? 
2.  To what extent was the revolution in Algeria a reaction to political differences and the nationalistic desires of the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN)?  To what extent was it a response to the differences between Algerian and French culture?
3.  What social and cultural factors of colonialism (specifically French colonialism) made such a violent split from France necessary?  Think about the three C's of European imperialism (Christianity, Capitalism, and Civilization).

4.      From watching the film, what can we say about the director's (Gillo Pontecorvo) philosophical leanings? 

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Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
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USA
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http://www.toyinfalola.com/
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