The time is 1943. While France was at war with the German Nazis. 4 North African soldiers then joined the French Army to liberate France. They considered France as their motherland and fought with their lives. But the French gave them caste discrimination and insults in return.
Don’t even give promotions during wartime. But the French army which does nothing gives every advantage.
They have never seen war. But still says “We must wash the French flag with our blood!” They shouted, “We must liberate France!”
When they liberated Marseille in August 1944, the French Army Chief General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny said, “the unforgettable and poignant procession of all the makers of this … victory – the tirailleurs, the Moroccan Tabors, troopers, zouaves, and gunners. – followed by the motley, fevered, bewildering mass of the FFI [French resistance], between the two lines of a numberless crowd, frenzied, shouting with joy and enthusiasm, whom the guardians of order could not hold back.” ‘Days of Glory’ – which we see in the movie is excellent.
Algerian origin French director Rachid Bouchareb said, “These were heroes that history has forgotten. My purpose was to make them live again in the memories of those who have forgotten and make those who never knew learn something of their heritage.”
Another thing is that none of the people who acted here knew about this war before and also did not know the note that was at the end of the movie.
Not even allowed to communicate with family, writing letters or actually censoring it.
What was written at the end of the movie is “In 1959, a law was passed to freeze the pensions of infantrymen from former French colonies about to become independent. In 2002, after endless hearings, the French government was ordered to pay the pensions in full. But successive governments have pushed back this payment.” The movie was a big hit in France and interestingly, then French President Jacques Chirac passed a law before the movie’s premiere that colonial soldiers would also receive full pensions. Because before that they did not get pension.
The movie won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Festival in 2006.
