Omar Gatlato

koul lila nesma3 sot dyalek... yberberni

A watershed film, Omar Gatlato held a mirror up to Algerian male culture and the mirror cracked. The title refers to the expression 'gatlato al-rujula,' or, roughly, 'machismo killed him' and the film's mordant insights into male posturing and alienation in Algerian society animate this bit of folk wisdom. In mock documentary style, a young man recounts with wry commentary a typical day in his life in the Bab el-Oued quarter of Algiers, while the camera playfully shows a different story. In following Omar and his friends in their pursuit of happiness, the film examines with shrewd humor the gang values of urban youth; their passion for popular culture (soccer, 'Hindoo' movies, Rai concerts), their hidden fear of women, and their social insecurity in an environment where they are marginalized.