Algerian film director Abderrezak Hellal passes away

Algerian director and author Abderrezak Hellal, 61, passed away because of complications due to a heart attack, “Lumières” (Enlightenment) association announced.
The deceased will be buried Tuesday in his hometown in Batna.
Famous for his participation in the Algerian cultural life as a filmmaker and author, Abderrezak Hellal presented several papers on the history of cinema and took part in several cinematographic events.
The deceased directed several films including "The Magic Lamp" in which he denounced the horrors of French colonization in Algeria since 1830 until independence.
"Meriem" is the title of his last film, produced this year.
The deceased has just completed filming a documentary on "Hamdan Adda".
Abderrezak Hellal published several books that show the interest he gave to the story and film, including "1830" and his latest book on the history of cinema.