Algeria, Special Weapons Sections
2025•55m•9.0•Released
DocumentaryHistory
This documentary by director Claire Billet and historian Christophe Lafaye details the massive and systematic use of chemical weapons during the Algerian War. Algerian fighters and civilians, sheltering in caves, were gassed by "special weapons sections" of the French army. The gas identified on military documents is CN2D, whose widespread use forced insurgents to flee "treated" sites, at the risk of dying there. The method is reminiscent of the "enfumades" used by the French expeditionary force during the conquest of Algeria in the 19th century. Between 8,000 and 10,000 such operations are believed to have taken place on Algerian soil between 1956 and 1962. This historical aspect is little known due to the difficulty of accessing archives, many of which are still classified, raising questions about memory, historical truth, and justice.
Director
Claire Billet
Writer
Claire Billet, Christophe Lafaye
Languages
Arabic, French
Studio
France Télévisions
Cast
Christophe Lafaye
Self
Mouna Soualem
Narrator (voice)
Julien Kramer
Dub 1
Edouard Eftimakis
Dub 2
Igor Ochronowicz
Dub 3
Production
Company
France Télévisions
Company
Solent Production
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