Djamel Chanderli

Djamel-Eddine Chanderli (also known as Djamel Chanderli; 1920 – November 10, 1990) was an Algerian filmmaker, documentary director, and independence activist.^[1][2] He was active during the Algerian War of Independence, notably within the cinema unit of the GPRA and the maquis.^[1] His work includes war footage, short documentary films, and politically engaged montage films.^[3][4]

Djamel-Eddine Chanderli
Born	Djamel-Eddine Chanderli 1920 Annaba, Algeria
Died	(1990-11-10)November 10, 1990 Paris, France
Citizenship	Algerian
Occupations	Film director, documentary filmmaker, activist
Notable work	Djazaïrouna, La Voix du Peuple, Les Fusils de la Liberté, Yasmina

Biography

Djamel-Eddine Chanderli was born in 1920 in Annaba, Algeria.^[1][2] During the Algerian War of Independence, he joined the maquis in 1956 and began filming from within the territory under struggle.^[1][5]

He was part of the cinema unit established by the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (GPRA) in 1957.^[1][3]

After Algeria independence, he held several positions, including head of the *Office des nouvelles actualités algériennes* (1963) and later director of the audiovisual department at Sonatrach (1969).^[1][6] In 1979, he moved to Paris, where he led the audiovisual department of the Algerian Cultural Center from its inauguration in 1983 until his death.^[1][7][8]

Filmography

Below is a non-exhaustive list of films and short documentaries directed or co-directed by Djamel-Eddine Chanderli.

Year	Title	Type / Role
1958	Réfugiés Algériens (Algerian Refugees, with Pierre Clément)	Short documentary, co-director[1]
1959–1960	Djazaïrouna (Our Algeria)	Montage documentary, co-director[9][2]
1961	La Voix du Peuple (Sawt Echaâb)	Documentary / archival footage, co-director[10][1]
1961	Les Fusils de la Liberté (The Rifles of Freedom)	Short film, co-director[11][2]
1961	Yasmina	Short film, docufiction[1]
1961	Sakiet Sidi Youcef	Documentary[1]
1961	Allons enfants pour l’Algérie	Documentary / montage[1]
1961	J’ai huit ans (I Am Eight Years Old)	Short documentary, collaborator[12]

Legacy

• Considered one of the first Algerian filmmakers to document the independence struggle from within the country.^[1]
• His work contributed to preserving the visual memory of the Algerian War of Independence.^[4][3]
• As head of the audiovisual department of the Algerian Cultural Center in Paris, he helped promote Algerian cinema and culture abroad.^[7][8]