The Kid from Chaaba

The story takes place in France in 1965, and begins as Algeria celebrates the third anniversary of its independence. We are in “chaâba”, that is to say in “village”, a village inhabited by the Algerian community recently immigrated and made up of women, men and many children. The village is actually a shantytown, located on the outskirts of a metropolis. Le Gone du chaâba is a chronicle of daily life, essentially perceived from the point of view of children (“gone” means “kid” in a Lyon dialect), and particularly from the point of view of Omar, gone main. The daily life of a shanty town is first and foremost the mud, omnipresent, the only coveted fountain, the only toilet, discussions, meals, collective rites, such as circumcision, water leaks , fires, the search for treasure at the landfill and, for children, school. In the summer of 1966, the slum gradually emptied of its inhabitants, who were gradually rehoused in huge HLM bars.