Le Vent du sud

Le Vent du sud
Directed byMohamed Slim Riad
Written byAbdelhamid Benhedouga
StarringBoualem Bennani
Nawal Zaatar
Keltoum
Abdelhalim Rais
Larbi Zekkal
Music byMokadem Ghobrini
Boudjemia Merzak
Release date
  • 1975 (1975)
Running time
115 minutes
CountryAlgeria
LanguageArabic

Le Vent du sud (in Arabic: ريح الجنوب) is an Algerian film directed by Mohamed Slimane Riad in 1975. Based on the eponymous short story by Abdelhamed Benhedouga. The film aims to address the condition of women in the face of obscurantism and exploitation by the patriarchy..[1][2]

Synopsis

Nefissa, a young woman from southern Algeria and a student in Algiers, returns home for the summer. Once there, she is confronted with her father's decision to force her into marriage, even though she wanted to finish her studies. She decides to flee to Algiers. Wounded and lost in the mountains, she is rescued by Rabah, a shepherd who, through his encounter with Nefissa, becomes aware of his exploited condition. Together, they discover the opportunities offered by the cooperatives that emerged from the agricultural revolution.[3][4]

Technical details

Source :[1]

  • Director: Mohamed Slim Riad
  • Screenplay: Mohamed Slim Riad (adapted from the novel by Abdelhamid Benhedouga)
  • Cinematography: Daho Boukerche
  • Editing: Rabah Dabouz
  • Sound: Cherif Korteby
  • Music: Mokadem Ghobrini & Boudjemia Merzak
  • Running time: 115 minutes
  • Genre: Fiction, social drama
  • Country of origin: Algeria
  • Language: Arabic

Cast

Production and background

The film is a cinematic adaptation of the novel *Rih al-Djanoub* (1970) by Abdelhamid Benhedouga, considered the first Algerian novel written in modern Arabic.[7][1] Filming included rural and mountainous locations, emphasizing the contrast between rural traditions and modernity represented by education.[4]

Reception and awards

The film was screened and recognized at the FESPACO (Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou).[7] It is also regularly shown at international African and Arab film festivals, and in the Nantes Three Continents Festival.[2]

Distribution and archiving

The film appears in archives and collections dedicated to African cinema.[1] Copies and screenings are mentioned in online cultural databases, film festivals, and national archives.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "The South Wind — Film information". Africultures. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b "The South Wind — Three Continents Festival entry". 3 Continents. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  3. ^ "The South Wind — synopsis". Africultures. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  4. ^ a b "The South Wind — synopsis, Three Continents Festival". 3 Continents. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Cast — The South Wind". Africultures. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  6. ^ "Cast — The South Wind". Africultures. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Mohamed Slimane Riad — profile". Africultures. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  8. ^ "The South Wind — announcement by the Algerian Digital Cinema Archives". Facebook / Archives Numériques du Cinéma Algérien. Retrieved 24 September 2025.