Omar Gatlato

Omar Galato, by exploring post-revolutionary Algeria with a sense of humour, was an inspiration for an Algerian cinema that, until then, had been dominated almost exclusively by two themes: the war for national liberation and the agrarian revolution. During the filming in 1976, Algiers was restless with the debates on the National Charter. At least at first, the campaign to discuss the Charter resembled a celebration. Merzak Allouache's film is impregnated with this ambiance. "As Omar goes from being the main actor to the storyteller, the film can be interpreted on different levels according to how sensitive the spectator and how much he knows about Algerian society. On the surface, Omar is a comedy where the popular neighbourhoods havz their say. But beyond that, one realises that the cheerfulness is forced, that the laughs are hollow: it's a tragedy disguised in the form of a comedy" (B. Bottet).