Who am I ?
Chakib Taleb-Bendiab is a multi-award-winning Algerian-French filmmaker, screenwriter, and composer.
His short films "Sang Froid" and "Black Spirit" garnered numerous accolades on the international festival circuit.
His debut feature, "Algiers" (196 mètres), won the Grand Prix for Best Film at the Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, enjoyed strong theatrical and festival success worldwide, and was selected to represent Algeria in the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards.
Screenwriter
Director
Music Composer
Someone once asked me
"If you're stuck in an elevator with your idol or your inspiration, who is it and what do you say?"
The answer was crystal clear: I would ask him which button I must press to reach the stage of perfection… if it exists...
And this person would be Akira Kurosawa.
Why a filmmaker?
It might be the best job you can have... of course until the movie is finished.
There is something magical and hypnotic about making a movie, a very powerful tool for conveying feelings.
What the press is saying
Un thriller nommé désir : « Alger »,
le choc visuel de Chakib Taleb Bendiab...
After this striking debut,
Chakib Taleb Bendiab may well be on the verge of delivering a masterpiece…
Après ce coup d'essai saisissant
Chakib Taleb Bendiab risque bien de nous concocter un chef-d’oeuvre…
A thriller that marks the rebirth of Algerian cinema,
Algiers is the debut of the fiction feature for Chakib Taleb-Bendiab who fully exploits
the archetypes of the genre for a film where the image of the city dominates...
The film’s exceptional journey deserves recognition, as does its craftsmanship.
It notably features a distinctive original soundtrack.
Il faut saluer le parcours exceptionnel de l'œuvre, mais aussi sa qualité.
Le film fait notamment place à une bande sonore originale.
The tone is that of a taut, nervy thriller, set against blue-grey urban landscapes
that are beautifully shot.
Il faut saluer le parcours exceptionnel de l'œuvre, mais aussi sa qualité.
And the almost ghostly, nocturnal ending—revealing what truly happened (we are left spellbound)
calls to mind the powerful performances that heighten the film’s already remarkable singularity.
Et la fin, presque fantomatique, nocturne, montrant ce qui s'est vraiment passé (nous restons subjugués),
nous fait penser à tous ces interprètes impressionnants qui rehaussent le film de sa déjà considérable singularité.
Black Spirit, it reminded me of Lawrence of Arabia.
Each shot was perfect and like a picture I would want to put on my wall.