10 Cannes Film Festival Protests (That Had Nothing To Do With Shoes)

9. When The French Took Offense At The Algerian Version Of History

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgaAtAEcvBo The fight for Algeria€™s independence remains a thorny subject for the French. Reports about what actually happened during the particularly bloody war vary according to the political leanings of your source. Most of the world was horrified by accounts of the war crimes that were committed against Algerians during the country€™s quest for independence, especially in view of the fact that many of the perpetrators remained unrepentant. But French political organisations like the National Front and the UMP preferred to focus on the French soldiers who fell during that war and have often been accused of minimising the atrocities suffered by Algerians during colonial rule. These organisations were the prime movers in a spate of protests that hit Cannes and the whole of France in 2010, when Franco-Algerian director Rachid Bouchareb€™s competition entry Outside the Law sparked fury at the way French military intervention is depicted in the movie. The awards took a more exciting turn than usual when police turned up in anti-rioting gear and guests were frisked as they made their way into the Palais de Festivals. The protests did nothing to hurt the production, which went on to be selected as one of the five nominees for Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards.