you could have been a spy. we had to put you to the test.
i'll explain.
let's suppose you were a spy. in prison, when the nlf contacts you, you pretend to support the revolution, and then the french help you to escape .
even that could be a trick. you escape, then show up at the address which the brothers in prison gave to you, and so you are able to contact me .
my name is kader, ali .  saari kader .  in other words, in order to join the organization, you had to undergo a test. i could have told you to murder the barman, but he's an algerian .  and the police would let you kill him, even though he is one of theirs. by obeying such an order, you still could have been a double agent. and that's why i told you to kill the french policeman: because the french wouldn't have let you do it. if you were with the police you wouldn't have done it.
you weren't able to. but what's important is that you tried.
c'mon .  you're exaggerating. the orders were to shoot him in the back.
then don't complain.
because we aren't ready yet for the french. before attacking, we must have safe places from which to depart and find refuge. of course, there is the casbah. but even the casbah isn't safe yet. there are too many drunks, pushers, whores, addicts, spies .  people who talk too much .  people who are ready to sell themselves, undecided people. we must either convince them or eliminate them. we must think of ourselves first. we must clean out the casbah first. only then will we be able to deal with the french. do you understand, ali?
not enough.
number three rue de chne. number fourteen rue monseigneur leynaud. number twenty-one rue de l'hydre.
a va .  et bonnes chances!
they are beggars and unemployed, homeless. we have organized things in such a way that during the strike they will be guests of other families who have homes and will provide shelter in the event of possible reprisals .  but i didn't know that they would be brought to this house too. it is a mistake.
because you are here too. it would be better for you to move to another house.
no, if i were the one to decide, you wouldn't be in algiers now.
it isn't wise.
ali, you must accompany ben m'hidi to the maison des arbres.
no, it's better if he doesn't. the house is filled with new people.
no, go now. it's already late.
they are a family of militants from way back. everything will work out well, you'll see .  c'mon, ali, hurry up.
passing along the terraces only takes five minutes .  and with ali la pointe, you'll be safe .
paratroopers?
what do you think? did they come here on purpose or by accident?
it's better to split up, to increase our chances. we must change hiding places, and change them continually .  in the meantime, we must make new contacts, replace our arrested brothers, reorganize our sections--
of course. as soon as possible.
no. not you, or any one of us. as long as we are free, the nlf continues to exist in the casbah. if they manage to take us too, there won't be anything left .  and from nothing comes nothing .
and we will do something, don't worry. as soon as we have reestablished contacts .
for this too we've got to change methods.
okay .  you can tell the colonel to blow up whatever he likes. go on, now.
it doesn't do any good to die like this .  it doesn't help anybody .
mathieu! if you give your word that you won't touch any of the other people in the house, we'll come out.
why?
you seem to be very satisfied to have taken me alive .
that proves that i was wrong. evidently i credited you with an advantage greater than i should have.
she says that ali is still in the casbah.