Iran and Algeria plan to co-produce a movie on Ahmed Bey (c. 1784-1850), the last Ottoman ruler of Algiers.
“A team from Iran and Algeria has already prepared the essential preliminaries to produce the film eight months ago,” Algerian producer Samira Hadj-Djilani, who is also the president of the Algerian Network of Businesswomen, told the Persian service of IRNA on Monday.
Iranian filmmaker Jamal Shurjeh will direct the film titled “Ahmed Bey”. Costumes and film sets have been designed by Iranian experts.
“Jamal Shurjeh is a nice respectable man who has coordinated a team of Iranian and Algerian experts in a perfect way,” Hadj-Djilani said.
“The team is waiting for the shooting to start,” she added.
The screenplay for the film, which will be the first co-production between Iran and Algeria, was written by Rabih Tarif from Algeria.
The film will depict Ahmed Bey’s life from 1826 to 1848 when he ruled the Regency of Algiers.
As head of state, he led the local population in fierce resistance against the French occupation forces. In 1837, the territory was conquered by the French, who reinstated Ahmed Bey as ruler of the region. He remained in this position until 1848, when the region became a part of the colony of Algiers and he was deposed.
