Damien Salama

From the early 1960s to the mid-1970s, independent Algeria provided significant support to anti-colonial movements and revolutionaries worldwide. Successive presidents, Ahmed Ben Bella and then Houari Boumédiène, made Algiers a haven for activists fighting against colonial and racial oppression. Algiers the White became Algiers the Red. The internationalist Che Guevara established his base of operations there for his guerrilla activities in Africa. The African-American leader Eldridge Cleaver made it the international headquarters of the Black Panther Party. During this period, Algiers was known as "The Mecca of Revolutionaries."

Lou, a 16-year-old boy, is invited to spend the summer holidays at the home of Paul’s grandparents, a classmate of his. Their budding friendship grows stronger day by day, fueled by the idyllic atmosphere of the place and their work restoring an old boat they’ve decided to fix up. But what thread is this summer euphoria hanging by?

After three weeks' training, young aspiring CRS officers are deployed in the field. Most of them have never set foot in a demonstration before. Each arrives with certainties, but also with questions. They train, apprehend and fantasize about their opponents.