The Amazigh Voice, December 1995 - March 1996
The Colline Oubliee Fund

ACAA's Colline Oubliee Fund started in June, 1994 in New Jersey when ACAA learned about the financial difficulty the making of the movie La Colline Oubliee (The Forgotten Hill) was running into. Having exhausted very quickly the limited budget allotted by the Kabyle provinces of Tizi Ouzou and Bgayet, the producers appealed to the Amazigh communities and associations for help. As a result, three funds were created: two in Algeria and one in France [through the Colline Oubliee Association based in Paris]. Note that Algerian institutions such as Ministere de la Culture, ONCIC (state-owned movie industry), and ENTV (state-owned TV), which normally support these kinds of projects, did not contribute a penny to the production of the film.

To answer the call of the producers, ACAA (within its means) conducted a fundraiser among its members and friends. Thanks to their generosity, ACAA was able to raise a sum of $2,398 which was wired to the Association Colline Oubliee Bank account in Paris last February, upon Mr. Bouguermouh's request. In response, last March ACAA received a letter of appreciation [which we are publishing below] from Mr. Benhamadouche, the President of the Association Colline Oubliee. Also, ACAA takes this opportunity to thank [on behalf of the producers] members and friends for their support.

The movie [in its imperfect condition] came out in the Fall of 1994 and was shown in movie theaters in Algeria and France. With the proceeds from the movie and the fundraisers, the producers had hoped to gather enough funds to perfect the movie: mainly fix the montage and the sound tape, which apparently are of a lesser quality, and add French subtitles. Unfortunately, the whole operation has been halted because of unsufficient funds. At the present time, the producers are still negociating the financial terms with the French co-producer. 

Association Colline Oubliee
37bis,Rue des Maronites
Paris, 75020
France


                                        Paris, le 06 mars 1995



Amazigh Cultural Association in America
Tiddukla Tadelsant Tamazight Deg Marikan
420 Route 206 North
Suite 163, Bedmister
NJ 07921, USA


A Monsieur Le President,


Le tresorier de notre association ``La Colline Oubliee'' vient de recevoir le
releve de la banque lui indiquant que le virement de votre association ACAA a
ete effectue. Nous vous en remercions. J'ai immediatement informe Monsieur
Bouguermouh, le realisateur du film. En fait, le film a deja ete projete a
Tizi-Ouzou et a Bejaia. En effet, devant la difficulte de collecter les sommes
necessaires en devises pour realiser un produit techniquement fiable, M.
Bouguermouh a du se resigner a effectuer le maximum de travaux dans les
laboratoires algeriens. Le resultat de l'operation est mediocre. Il est donc
oblige de venir en France reprendre certains travaux dans des laboratoires
plus performants. Normalement nous l'attendons pour ce mois de mars. Il
devait, avant de partir d'Alger, recevoir une contribution de l'UNESCO. Cette
contribution, sous forme de bons, sera completee par les sommes que nous avons
collectees a ce jour et auxquelles s'ajouteront les sommes que nous comptons
reunir en projetant le film ici avec ses imperfections. Nous esperons que la
presence du produit concret fera plus d'effet que des discours.

A tous les membres de l'ACAA qui ont contribue a cette aide, l'Association La
Colline Oubliee adresse ses remerciements.

Cordialement



                                 Mohamed Benhamadouche

                                 President