One of the most influential political films in history, The Battle of Algiers vividly re-creates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. As violence escalates on both sides, children shoot soldiers at point-blank range, women plant bombs in cafés, and French soldiers resort to torture to break the will of the insurgents. Shot on the streets of Algiers with non -professional actors, elevated by one of Ennio Morricone’s most hearth-breaking and cathartic scores, the film is a case study in modern warfare with astonishing relevance today.