Renowned Cameraman Honoured at the Film and Memory Festival in Algiers
Photo: Marija Dedić
Algeria’s Minister for Veterans posthumously awarded Stevan Labudović – one of only three European recipients – and presented the honor to his son.
“Welcome to Your Second Homeland” – with these words, Algeria’s Minister of Culture, Zouhir Ballalou, welcomed Milutin Labudović at the official opening ceremony of the international forum “Film and Memory”, held from 9 to 11 December in Algiers, the capital of Algeria. The minister’s words were not without reason. Algeria remembers. It remembers the 70th anniversary of the revolution leading to France’s independence. It remembers all the heroes who helped in its struggle for freedom. One of them was the renowned cameraman Stevan Labudović, who, in 1959, President Josip Broz Tito sent to document Algeria’s people’s struggle against a vastly superior colonial force.
Labudović was supposed to stay for three days but remained for three and a half years. He lived in the trenches alongside the soldiers, capturing every detail of their liberation struggle and sending images of the other side of the war to the world—a story told across 83 kilometres of film tape.
He shared the fate of ordinary soldiers carrying poison with him so that, if captured by the French, he would not be taken alive. Algeria’s gratitude became eternal for this—something even death could not erase. When Labudović passed away in 2017, he was buried with the Algerian flag draped over his coffin. But even after his death, Algeria continues to remember this quiet hero.
Photo: Marija Dedić
Labudović Among Three Decorated Europeans
Alongside the most prestigious military and state honours he received from Algeria, both during his lifetime and posthumously—such as the Order of National Merit—Stevan Labudović has now been granted yet another distinguished recognition.
At the “Film and Memory” forum, held to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Algerian Revolution and under the high patronage of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algerian Minister for Veterans Laid Rebiga paid a special tribute to Stevan’s son, Milutin Labudović.
In Algeria, Stevan Labudović holds the status of a national hero
With this honour, Labudović becomes one of only three Europeans to receive this prestigious recognition, joining legendary Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo, who filmed the iconic Battle of Algiers, and French cinematographer René Vautier. “For my father, Algeria was truly a second homeland, where he forged lifelong friendships, including with former President Houari Boumédiène, who became my sister Ida’s godfather. It is deeply moving to witness the respect Algeria continues to hold for him after all these decades—his camera and uniform have a special place in the National Museum of Mujahideen, and his photographs are preserved in the National Archives,” Milutin Labudović told Diplomacy & Commerce.
Photo: Milutin Labudović
Film: A Stronger Weapon Than Guns
At the opening ceremony of the Film and Memory forum, Algerian Minister of Culture and Arts, Zouhir Ballalou, emphasised the central role of film in shaping collective identity through works that depict the epic battles fought by the Algerian people in their struggle for independence. “As we mark 70 years since the start of the liberation revolution, we remember. Algeria has friends from all continents, like Stevan Labudović, who documented both the battles and the daily lives of soldiers. The camera stood beside the rifles, which did not stop rolling even after the revolution. Algerian cinema was born from the revolution itself, inspiring people worldwide with the heroism of Algerians,” the minister stated.
The President of the Scientific Committee, Djamal Yahiaoui, expressed gratitude to the cameramen and filmmakers who, as he put it, “conveyed the truth about the French occupation of Algeria.” “We thank all those who held the camera under such conditions and brought the truth to distant lands,” Yahiaoui added.
The forum, “Film and Memory – A Window to the Past and a Vision for the Future,” was organised by the Algerian Centre for Film Development under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and Arts, with high sponsorship from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. It gathered experts from 16 countries to discuss the role of film in preserving historical memory, concluding that cinema is often a stronger weapon than machine guns.