At all levels of its national life, newly independent Algeria is on the move, striving to bolster its economy and strengthen its administrative structure. What are the first steps in this march to the future? And what are the difficulties being encountered by the leaders of this developing nation?
The programme points out that it was a bleak peace that returned to Algeria in 1962, following seven years of bloody rebellion against French colonial rule. Although the Algerians had won their independence, more than a million of their countrymen had lost their lives, and 800,000 Europeans, mostly professionals and administrators, had quit the country. The state coffers were empty and the banks insolvent.
Today, however, the camera team found that there’s a spirit of enthusiasm in the country. Although money, machinery and technicians are still scarce, there’s hope that the new-found pride of the average Algerian can help restore the economy of the country.
An example of this was filmed for the programme when President Mohammed Ben Bella announced the establishment of a voluntary fund to aid the Government. Thousands of Algerians rushed to fund headquarters to donate their hard-earned wages, family heirlooms and even wedding rings.
This programme is one of a series produced for Intertel, the International Television Federation, to create international understanding through television. It was produced and directed by Marcel Blouin and written by Judith Jasmin.