World War II · Film · 2006
Days of Glory
Indigènes
Four North African volunteers of the Free French army fight their way from the mountains of Italy to Provence and the snows of eastern France, liberating a country that still treats them as second-class soldiers.
Where it happened
Follow the story across 3 places.
Stop 1: Mountain front near Cassino, Italy
In their first action the tirailleurs are sent up a heavily defended mountain as bait for the artillery, and pay dearly for the victory.
Stop 2: Marseille, Provence
Landed in Provence, the colonial troops are cheered as liberators in Marseille, and Messaoud falls for a French woman.
Stop 3: Village on the Vosges front
Key location
Sent through the snow with ammunition, the last men of the section defend an Alsatian village against a German counterattack.
What really happened
After the Allied landings in North Africa in November 1942, the Free French rebuilt their army largely from the colonies: Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian riflemen, goumiers and Senegalese tirailleurs served alongside pieds-noirs. The French Expeditionary Corps fought in Italy in 1943-44, including in the mountains around Cassino, and the First French Army landed in Provence in August 1944 during Operation Dragoon, liberating Toulon and Marseille before pushing into the Vosges and Alsace.
In autumn 1944 many African soldiers were withdrawn from the front and replaced by white French volunteers, and colonial veterans' pensions were frozen from 1959. The film's success led the French government in 2006 to announce the alignment of their basic pensions, and its five lead actors shared the Best Actor award at Cannes.
Where to watch
Checking streaming services…
Full details
- Original title
- Indigènes
- Directed by
- Rachid Bouchareb
- Countries
- France, Algeria, Morocco, Belgium
- Languages
- French, Arabic
- Released
- 2006
- Period
- –
- Theaters of war
- Mediterranean & Africa, Western Europe
- Themes
- Combat
- True story
