With pictures.. The filming of the feature film “Lakhdar Ibn Khalouf” by Mohamed Shweikh started – Al-Hiwar Al-Jazairia

The Minister of Culture and Arts, Soriya Moulouji, gave the go-ahead, yesterday evening, Thursday, at the Rias El Bahr Palace in Algiers, for the filming of the feature film “Lakhdar Ben Khallouf” by director Mohamed Choueikh, about stations that blend historical truth and fiction in aspects of the life of the poet, mujahid, and mystic Sidi Lakhdar Ben Khallouf.

And in a statement to the press after giving the signal for the launch of the first scenes of this film, in the presence of the advisor to the President of the Republic, in charge of culture and audiovisual, Ahmed Rashidi, and the Minister of Mujahideen and People with Rights, Eid Rabika and a group of artistic figures, the minister explained that the film “is about an outstanding personality that has symbolism And a presence in the poetic memory and the Algerian popular struggle.

Moulouji added that the 100-minute film is a joint production between the Ministry of Culture and Arts, through the Algerian Center for Cinema Development, and the private film production institution “Making Off”. With his poems, highlighting that “the accomplishment of such historical works for these outstanding Algerian personalities contributes to reviving their exploits and heritage for new generations.”

The minister added, “During the year 2022, the ministry obtained an exceptional license, according to which all pending cinematic projects, whether long, short, or documentaries, as well as animation films and other works of art,” were settled, noting that during the middle of this month, “new committees will be installed to support various types of projects.” And the launch of the support program for the year 2023.

For his part, the Minister of Mujahideen and People with Rights, Eid Rabika, highlighted that this film production deals with “a personality who made her name in the history of Algeria and in one of the cities of science and jihad (Mostaghanem)”, stressing that Sidi Lakhdar Ben Khalouf “chronicles the history of Algeria through many poems Which was inherited by generations in the salty poetry, similar to his poems “Charchal” and “Mazgharan”, which chronicled the famous battle of “Mazgharan” against the Spanish invasion, in which he participated.

Mr. Rabika indicated that these historical works fall within the framework of “the embodiment of the commitments of the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, in the field related to audiovisual, which the government embodies through the approved program.”

As for the director and screenwriter of “Lakhdar Ben Khallouf,” Mohamed Shweikh, he considered this film “as a contribution to writing national history that mixes historical truth and fiction by evoking historical figures (…) as it narrates stations from the life of the ascetic poet Sidi Lakhdar Ben Khallouf and his intersection with Spanish novelist Cervantes, who lived with him.

For reference, the actor Hassan Kachash was chosen to play the character of the poet Sidi Lakhdar bin Khallouf, while the filming takes 12 weeks.

Director Mohamed Shweikh started his cinematic career in the early 1960s in the field of acting before directing his first work in 1972.

Sidi Lakhdar Ibn Khallouf is considered an icon of epic poetry and religious praise, and he is also known as praising the Messenger (may God bless him and grant him peace), while he spent his life organizing poems of praise and fighting the Spanish occupation at the time. The poem “Sharchell” describes his jihadist march between Algeria, Mostaganem and Mazagran, passing through Blida, while the famous poem “Mazagran” chronicles the battle that took place in the region in 1558 and ended with the victory of the Algerian mujahideen.

And Algeria celebrates Melhoun poetry and the poems of Ben Khalouf annually through the National Festival of Melhoune Poetry in Mostaganem.