Biography
Ahmed Rachedi is an Algerian film director, screenwriter and producer. He was born in 1938 in Tébessa, Algeria. He began working in cinema during the Algerian War of Independence as part of the first FLN film unit alongside René Vautier and Mohamed Chanderli, later helping to found the Centre Audiovisuel (CAV) in 1962.
Rachedi served as delegate producer on Z (1969), directed by Costa-Gavras, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for Algeria. He directed L'Opium et le Bâton (1969), an adaptation of Mouloud Mammeri's novel that screened at Cannes, as well as later features including Ali au pays des mirages (1981) and historical biopics such as Mostefa Ben Boulaïd (2008).
He directed the National Office for Commerce and the Cinematographic Industry (ONCIC) from its creation until 1971 and later worked as an independent producer. Rachedi has also held advisory roles in Algerian government on culture and audiovisual matters.
