Chronique des Années de Braise on AllMovie

The colonial exploitation of Algeria by the French -- which led up to the 1954 rebellion in Algeria -- is the focus of this sweeping epic, sponsored by the Algerian government. Achmed (Jorge Voyagis) and his family are forced to leave their rural home in search of water. While they are trying to adjust to city life, he is drafted into an Algerian unit fighting in the Second World War. He returns to Algeria after the war only to find that the colonial grip has grown even tighter, and following an edict forbidding public meetings, he joins the growing revolt. When the battles begin, he fights bravely, and is killed in an ambush. However, his fire and his desire for liberty, has been passed on to his son, who continues the struggle.