Le Vent du sud


Le Vent du sud 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..

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.

Technical details

Source :
  • Director: Mohamed Slim Riad
  • Screenplay: Mohamed Slim Riad
  • 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* by Abdelhamid Benhedouga, considered the first Algerian novel written in modern Arabic.
Filming included rural and mountainous locations, emphasizing the contrast between rural traditions and modernity represented by education.

Reception and awards

The film was screened and recognized at the FESPACO.
It is also regularly shown at international African and Arab film festivals, and in the Nantes Three Continents Festival.

Distribution and archiving

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