Heliopolis (2020) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language

2020 · 116 mins · Arabic

Directed by

Djaffar Gacem

Starring

Mehdi Ramdani, Souhila Mallem, Vincent de Boüard, Serge Requet-Barville, Aziz Boukrouni, Mourad Oudjit

Inspired by true events, this film portrays the everyday life of an Algerian family in Guelma, a city formerly known as Heliopolis. The narrative is dramatically impacted by May 8, 1945, when celebrations marking the end of World War II turned into violent demonstrations against French colonial rule. These protests, demanding independence, were brutally suppressed by the French army and local settlers, resulting in the tragic Sétif and Guelma massacre, a pivotal moment in Algerian history.