Ramparts of Clay (1970)
Ramparts of Clay (1970), directed by Jean-Louis Bertuccelli, starring Leila Shenna and Ahmed Kadri (Krikèche).
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Synopsis
In a village on the edge of the Sahara, Rima, a 19-year-old orphan, dreams of learning, of discovering, of living free while the men of the salt mine go on strike. The authorities react by sending the army, Rima decides to help the strikers by trapping the soldiers. Co-produced with the Office des Actualités Algériens and shot in the region of Téhouda, 50 kilometers from Biskra, this Franco-Algerian film is fully part of the cinematographic heritage of both shores of the Mediterranean. Bertuccelli adopts the technique of cinema verite, with non-professional actors from the village itself, giving the film a striking documentary texture and a rare force of authenticity. Carried by the moving interpretation of Leila Shenna in the role of Rima, the actor Krikèche and lulled by the music of Taos Amrouche, the film questions female emancipation, social resistance and the relationship with the territory.
- Andréas WindingCinematography
- Jean-Louis BertuccelliDirector, Producer
- François CeppiEditing
- Mohammed Lakhdar-HaminaProducer
About the film
Ramparts of Clay (French: Remparts d'argile) is a 1971 French drama film directed by Jean-Louis Bertuccelli. The film stars Leila Shenna, as well as the villagers of the Algerian village of Tehouda. The film was selected as the French entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 44th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
The film tells the story of a young woman (played by Shenna), who tries to free herself from the role imposed on her by the village culture. It explores the exploitation of the rural Tunisian people, though it was filmed in an Algerian village.
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Ramparts of Clay (French: Remparts d'argile) is a 1971 French drama film directed by Jean-Louis Bertuccelli. The film stars Leila Shenna, as well as the villagers of the Algerian village of Tehouda. The film was selected as the French entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 44th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
The film tells the story of a young woman (played by Shenna), who tries to free herself from the role imposed on her by the village culture. It explores the exploitation of the rural Tunisian people, though it was filmed in an Algerian village.
Cast
Leila Shenna as Young Woman
See also
List of submissions to the 44th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
List of French submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
Martin, Mick & Porter, Marsha DVD & Video Guide 2006, pg. 923
External links
Ramparts of Clay at IMDb
Text from Ramparts of Clay on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramparts_of_Clay
Trivia
- It premiered on November 11, 1970, a Wednesday.
- It runs 1h25 — short for a feature film.
- Its original title is "Remparts d'Argile".
- It won 0 award(s) and received 1 nomination(s) on record at Wikidata — International Submission to the Academy Awards among them.
- This film's quiz has 11 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosUccelli Production, Office des Actualités Algériennes
- CountriesAlgeria, France
- LanguagesArabic, French
- StatusReleased
More about this film
Nominations
- International Submission to the Academy Awards 1972
Cast
Ahmed Kadri (Krikèche)
Jean-Louis Trintignant
L'entrepreneur Quiz about this movie
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Tags
Crew
- Andréas Winding Cinematography
- Jean-Louis Bertuccelli Director
- François Ceppi Editing
- Jean-Louis Bertuccelli Producer
- Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina Producer
- Jean Duvignaud Screenplay
Questions about this film
What is Ramparts of Clay about?
Ramparts of Clay: In a village on the edge of the Sahara, Rima, a 19-year-old orphan, dreams of learning, of discovering, of living free while the men of the salt mine go on strike. The authorities react by sending the army, Rima decides to help the strikers by trapping the soldiers. Co-produced with the Office des Actualités Algériens…
Who directed Ramparts of Clay?
Ramparts of Clay was directed by Jean-Louis Bertuccelli in 1970.
Who stars in Ramparts of Clay?
The cast of Ramparts of Clay includes Leila Shenna, Ahmed Kadri (Krikèche) and Jean-Louis Trintignant.
How long is Ramparts of Clay?
Ramparts of Clay runs for 85 minutes, or 1h25.
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Page updated on 09/15/2026.
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