The Olive Trees of Justice (James Blue, 1962)
American documentarian James Blue’s first and only narrative feature, The Olive Trees of Justice is the only French film to have been shot during the Algerian War in 1962. Made under the pretense of shooting a documentary about the wine industry, the film follows the son of a French colonialist who returns to his native Algiers from France to visit his dying father. His visit stokes fond boyhood memories of his father’s farm and happier times with French and Arab friends. His daily walks through the streets of Algiers bring him face-to-face with the horrible impact of the war on the lives of everyday people. He is determined to return to his peaceful life in Paris after his father’s death but is unable to shake the pull of the country of his birth. Maurice Jarre composed the score during a busy year (his score for 1962’s Lawrence of Arabia one that year’s Oscar). Inaugural winner of the Critics Prize at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival. (81 mins, 4K DCP)
Restored in 4K in 2020 by L’Atelier d’Images and Thierry Derocles in collaboration with The James and Richard Blue Foundation with the support of The Film Foundation, James Ivory and CNC – Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, at L’Image Retrouvée (Paris) from a fine grain print preserved at Les Archives Françaises du Film.
