Mehdi Lallaoui (in Arabic: مهدي لعلاوي), born in 1956 in Argenteuil, is a Franco-Algerian writer and director whose productions focus on working-class memories (particularly that of Algerian immigration), urban memories and colonial memories. His father, a skilled worker (OS), took part in the peaceful demonstration of 17 October 1961 during which he was beaten up and left for dead by the French police. This fact, of which he was not informed until the end of the 1970s, would structure his subsequent militant commitment.

In 1983, he was one of the organisers of the first march for equality. After having worked in various left-wing and far-left trade union (CGT, CFDT) and political (PCF, PSU, LCR) organizations, he decided to launch himself outside the traditional parties in the mid-1980s. He was notably an independent candidate in the regional elections of 1986 and the legislative elections of 19885.

In 1989, he led the Black Blanc Beur associative movement in the Paris region. In 1990, he co-founded, with Samia Messaoudi and Benjamin Stora, the association Au nom de la mémoire. In 2010, he was a juror for the Porte Dorée Literary Prize. In May 2015, he was interviewed for the France Culture program Du grain à moudre entitled "France/Algérie: Que Commémorer Ensemble?"

He has made several films on subjects related to the history of Algeria: "Les Massacres De Sétif, Un Certain 8 mai 1945" received, in 1995, the Grand Prix for best documentary film at the Rueil-Malmaison Historical Film Festival, and the first prize (political event category) at the Angers International Scoop and Journalism Festival.

He also made "Le Silence Du Fleuve", a film on the Algerian demonstration in Paris on October 17, 1961. His interest in the history of immigration led him to make the series broadcast on France 3 "Un Siècle D'Immigration En France" (3x57'), to write with David Assouline "Un Siècle D'Immigration" (3 volumes, ed. Au nom de la mémoire) and to make a film on the history of the deportation in 1871 of thousands of Kabyles to New Caledonia.

In 1995, he wrote "From the Slums to the HLM" (published by Au nom de la mémoire). He is also the author of three novels, "Les Beurs De Seine" (published by Arcantères, 1986), "La Colline Aux Oliviers" (published by Alternatives, 1998) and "Une Nuit D'Octobre" (published by Alternatives, 2001). Mehdi Lallaoui is President of the association Au Nom de la Mémoire.

FILMOGRAPHY

2006, A Haitian Look (documentary)
2006, The Journey of Albert Kahn, ARTE (documentary)
2005, The National Printing Office for Memory (documentary)
2004, Gérald Bloncourt, The Passion of Images (documentary)
2004, The Paris Commune, 1871 (documentary)
2003, Return to Seguin Island (documentary)
2002, Marseille, Marseilles, co-author Emile Temime (documentary)
2002, Caravans of the Neighborhoods (documentary)
2001, Henri Curiel, Itinerary of a Fighter for Peace and Freedom (documentary)
2001, Marinette or Freedom (documentary)
2000, Val-Nord, Fragments of the Suburbs (documentary)
2000, Jean-Marie Tjibaou Or The Dream of Independence (documentary) ARTE
1999, And There Was Light (documentary) 1998 Poilus d'ailleurs (documentary)
1997, A Century of Immigration in France 3 x 57' (documentary series) 1995, The Massacres of Sétif, a certain May 8, 1945 55' (documentary)
1994, History of New Cities, 3 x 26' (documentary series)
1993, These Kabyles of the Pacific, 52' (documentary)
1992, From the Shantytown to the HLM, 52' (documentary)
1991, The Silence of the River, 52' (documentary)

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm7559977