Bab El-Oued City on AllMovie

The potential dangers inherent in the continued increase of Islamic fundamentalism in Algeria is clearly portrayed in this European political drama. The film is set in early 1993 and takes place in a decaying neighborhood, Bab El-Oued. The central character in this scary drama is Boualem, a young baker. Throughout his neighborhood the fundamentalists, locally led by the fanatical Said, have placed loud-speakers upon the rooftops to broadcast their hateful propaganda. Unable to stand the noise any longer, Boualem destroys a speaker and tosses it into the sea. Said promptly seeks to mow him down for his impudence. Said's sister, a liberal who resents having to wear a veil and behave in traditional ways, has been seeing Boualem. He loses his job after Said pushes his boss, who actually despises Said, but fears retaliation, to fire him. Surrounding the main plot are many sub stories, each of which sharply illustrates the dangers of fundamentalism.