The Indian Film that Caused a Crisis Between Algeria and Saudi Arabia
At the beginning of Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s presidency, the Algerian Ministry of Culture hosted the Indian director Blessy Ipe Thomas and his team. The well-known journalist Hamida Ayachi, who was working as an advisor to the then Minister of Culture Malika Bendouda, revealed the meeting, which was attended by the Algerian producer Yacine Alloui, and the inspection by the Indian film crew of the proposed filming locations, including Timimoun in the desert. The agreement was that the filming would help promote tourism in Algeria.
However, the reality is that after the film was completed, it did not promote the tourist sites in Algeria but took on other dimensions primarily related to offending Saudi Arabia, a country the Algerian regime always describes as a brother.
So what drove the Algerian authorities to agree to film parts of the movie in Algeria?
It is certain that the Indian director presented the film’s script to the ministry officials, who in turn submitted the report to the higher authorities to decide on the matter to grant permission to the Indian film crew.
The film tells the story of a young Indian man who succeeded in getting a job in Saudi Arabia for $650 after selling everything he owned to reach the kingdom, but his dreams were shattered when he was deceived by a man who claimed to be his sponsor, who took him to the desert and held him captive to herd goats in harsh and inhumane conditions for three years before he decided to escape.
The film caused a major uproar after its release last March, topping the list of the most-watched films in the world, and sparked widespread reactions, making it a topic of discussion on social media, especially in the Gulf region.
The film angered Saudis, many of whom described it as pure fiction unrelated to reality, and that the intention was to tarnish the image of the kingdom.
But why did the Algerian regime allow parts of the film to be shot in Algeria despite being aware of the script and knowing that the film would anger Saudis?
It seems that those in power in Algeria wanted to exploit the film for political purposes to settle scores with Saudi Arabia.
Algeria is not a preferred destination for international film producers, and many restrictions are imposed on Algerian producers, with strict censorship. Therefore, allowing the filming of parts of the Indian film “The Life of Goats” in Algeria aimed to send a message to Saudi Arabia, which does not align with the Algerian regime on many issues and cases.
Relations between the two countries have experienced unprecedented coldness in recent years, especially since the Algerian regime is displeased with Saudi Arabia, which has not supported it in its positions on some international issues, particularly regional ones.
Saudi Arabia did not agree to Syria’s return to its seat at the Arab League during the Algiers summit and did not view Algeria’s intervention in the Palestinian factions’ file favorably.
In contrast, Algeria refused the mediation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to resolve its crisis with Morocco because it believes Saudi Arabia is completely biased in favor of the western neighbor, especially in the Sahara issue, where Saudi Arabia recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty.
Thus, the Algerian regime found no other opportunity but the Indian film to settle its scores with the brotherly country. There is even talk that Algerian support for the Indian film did not stop at merely allowing filming in Timimoun but extended to providing financial support from the Algerian Ministry of Culture, which will only deepen the crisis with the Saudi brothers.
Oualid Kebir ✍🏼
