NATIONAL LIBERATION FOOTBALL

On November 18, 2009, the Algerian football team ensured their participation in the 2010 FIFA World Cup by winning one goal to nil against Egypt. Public jubilation could not have been greater, the joyeus wave surpassed football and the stakes surpassed the match, as the countries were experiencing tension in the political realm. Amina Menia remembers the celebrations to be almost surreal and reminding her of the festivities that followed the independence of Algeria in 1962. Both moments functioned as a showcase for patriotic élan during which the streets turned (back) into a civic space during which the symbol of national identity, the flag, was prominently present. The video National Liberation Footbal delves into a parallel between political and sporting histories through the use of archival images and two contemporary interviews. Amina Menia provides an enlightened reading of the weight of history, especially colonial history, in the bumpy development of relationships between the Algerian and French peoples. By tracing these historical connections, Menia sets aforth an underlying reality that raises questions about the relationships between a national representation, the feeling of belonging, sports, emotional fervour, a country and a community’s destiny.