Cinematic Third Worldism: “Resolutions of the Third World Filmmakers Meeting” (Algeria 1973)

Abstract

This chapter incorporates the “Resolutions of the Third World Filmmakers Meeting” (Algeria 1973), written by an international group of film workers when they came together in the Algerian capital of Algiers. The manifesto is positioned as a cinematic extension of various worldwide initiatives like the Bandung Conference (1955) and the Non-Aligned Movement, which aimed to foster third world solidarity and cooperation as a means of combatting neo-colonialism’s ongoing ideological and economic influence. The chapter stresses Algeria’s role within anti-colonial revolution, the inspiration it provided around the globe and the international support it garnered. Upon independence, Algeria offered significant institutional support to the Non-Aligned Movement simultaneous to fostering a nationalized revolutionary cinema. Hosting the Third World Filmmakers Meeting stands as a concrete instance of both, as does Algeria’s policy of backing international film co-productions. This chapter comprises a spotlight analysis of The Pan-African Festival of Algiers (William Klein, 1969).