Episode 27: The Battle of Algiers (1966)

In this episode, Hal and Craig discuss colonialism by way of Gillo Pontecorvo's 1966 THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS, an innovative film that delves into Algeria's National Liberation Front and their bloody battles against French colonizers in the 1950s. Discussions also include:

• New movie roundup: MAY DECEMBER, SATAN WANTS YOU, and EILEEN;

• How French colonization depicted in Battle of Algiers is an eerie parallel to America's colonial interests in Iraq and Afghanistan;

• Alabama's exploitation of the labor of incarcerated people;

• Elon Musk's doomed efforts to stand down Swedish labor unions; and

• A really weird garage sale where Craig bought all of Gore Vidal's "Narratives of Empire" books.

Sources and Links:

• https://aflcio.org/2023/12/15/service-solidarity-spotlight-labor-civil-rights-organizations-file-explosive-lawsuit

• https://calendar.eji.org/racial-injustice/feb/4

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/12/12/alabama-prison-labor-lawsuit/ 

• Free Alabama Movement blog:https://freealabamamovement.wordpress.com/ 

• Prison Labor practices in Arizona: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2022/07/18/republic-kjzz-investigation-how-prison-labor-works-arizona/10051268002/