BETRAYAL, THE

“Telling his story in a direct, straightforward manner, (Philippe) Faucon avoids the temptation of creating action for its own sake. This is not a war film; the conflict is in the people's heads and not in the sights of a rifle.” - Toronto International Film Festival

During the Algerian Civil War in 1960, a French officer named Roque is exhausted and exasperated with the meandering conflict. While his public role is to convince those in the small, isolated village where he's stationed of the ‘good intentions' of the French presence, the main goal is to dismantle the Algerian undercover army of liberation (FLN). Torn between resentful locals and the soldiers, Roque is confronted with the possible betrayal of his own men, many of them young North African recruits, themselves torn between notions of patriotism and independence. The absurdity of war and the latent racism of the French soldiers are themes that speak strongly through the sober and unrestrained story-telling style of The Betrayal. In these modern times, Phillippe Faucon's film hits a strikingly immediate and resonant chord.

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D Philippe Faucon P Richard Djoud, Philippe Faucon S Claude Sales, Philippe Faucon WS Pyramide International L French, Arabic w/English subtitles TD 35mm/2005/80mins

Philippe Faucon was born in Oujda, Morocco, in 1958. His films include L'Amour (1990), The Strangers (1999) and Samia (2000).