In the spring of 1989, Algeria is still unstable after the violent riots of the previous year. Boualem, who works the night shift in a bakery in the Bab El-Oued district of Algiers, makes a foolish mistake in this volatile atmosphere. After he is awakened by the amplified sermon of a rising Islamic cleric as it blares over a loudspeaker perched atop his building, he steals the speaker and tosses it into the sea. This blunder re-ignites the turmoil and unrest, causing the Islamic extremists to put the district under their control. The film was shot in secrecy in Algeria by acclaimed director Merzak Allouache because of its insight into the political ramifications of Islamic fundamentalism. A story ripped from today’s headlines, Bab El-Qued City reveals how religious militancy affects ordinary men and women.
