Based on a book written by Simone de Beauvoir, this film recounts the story of Djamila Boupacha, an Algerian woman and National Liberation Front Activist, who was arrested by the French in 1960, accused of terrorism, and tortured. Attorney Gisèle Halimi agreed to defend her and organized a support committee, chaired by Simone de Beauvoir, which alerted the public to the dirty secret of confessions obtained through the use of torture and rape. Directed by a woman (Caroline Huppert) with a screenplay written by a woman, For Djamila interrogates an important aspect of post-World War II French history and also documents a kind of female friendship and solidarity that’s rarely represented in cinema. In French with English subtitles. Contains explicit and sexual violence.

A limited number of complimentary passes will be available to watch the film on a first-come-first-served basis. PLEASE NOTE: Due to copyright laws, only U.S.-based attendees will have access to this virtual event.

To participate in this virtual event:

• Be sure you have downloaded Zoom software to the device you want to use to watch this event.
• Register for the November 11 Zoom webinar to receive a link through which you will join the event at the date and time noted.
• To watch the film, you must tune in to the live Zoom event. At the end of the film introduction, a slide will appear with instructions on how to watch the film, which will include a web address as well as a password. The slide will also display a countdown clock indicating when the post-film Q&A will begin.
• Please note: The film will not screen via Zoom. You will need to open a web browser, type in the web address, and press enter. The web address must be entered into your web address bar—it will not work if you type into a search engine bar. Once on the film’s landing page, you will enter the password where it says “Enter password.”
• We recommend keeping the Zoom webinar window open while watching the film so you can view the countdown clock to the start of the post-film Q&A.

For more information on accessing IU Cinema virtual events, please visit the Virtual Cinema Frequently Asked Questions.

This event is offered in conjunction with the Center for Theoretical Inquiry in the Humanities Reading Group’s reading of a new translation of Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex. Learn more through the Center’s website.

This partnership is supported through IU Cinema’s Creative Collaborations program. Curated by Joan Hawkins of the Center for Theoretical Inquiry in the Humanities, with support from IU Cinema, the Center for Documentary Research and Practice, The Media School, and Black Camera.

Read the IU Cinema blog on Pour Djamila written by Joan Hawkins.