Set in the 1920s’ colonial Algeria, three brothers Said, Messaoud and Abdelkader witness their father get stripped of his land ownership by French soldiers. 20 years on, a demonstration demanding independence from France breaks out in the town of Setif where the brothers are now settled down. The uprising eventually turns into a massacre of Algerian civilians. The most controversial film at this year’s Cannes, it touches upon a historical event of civilian massacre of Setif carried out by French soldiers and Algerian independence movement. Despite the fervent accusation by some right-wing politician that the film falsifies the history, [Outside the Law] makes an objective and fairly accurate portrayal of the events during the colonial period. It is a historical film that carries both a deeply stirring drama and a poignant message. Three of the four actors who starred in Bouchareb′s Oscar-nominated [Days of Glory] appear as a trio of Algerian brothers who get caught up in the struggle for independence. This long-awaited feature by the French-Algerian director who is famous for his controversial films around the subject of identity, has received positive reviews from major French publications. (RHEE Soue-won)