A joyful and nostalgic love letter to the Algiers of Alexandre Arcady’s youth, this enchanting autobiographical family drama recreates the vibrant Mediterranean city of the early 1960s. The life-affirming story follows 15-year-old Antoine, whose coming-of-age is filled with the antics of an ex-French Foreign Legion father with dubious claims to Hungarian nobility, a resilient Algerian Jewish mother, and a lively extended family with its own charming quirks. Antoine’s heart beats faster for Josette, the girl upstairs, as he navigates the highs and lows of first love. But as Algeria’s fight for independence intensifies, Antoine’s idyllic world is shadowed by the growing unrest and the uncertain fate of his beloved Jewish community.

Years later, Antoine, now a passionate filmmaker, returns to Algiers with his young son to premiere his new film, a stirring reflection on his childhood. As he retraces his steps through the city, he revisits a vivid tapestry of laughter, loss, and identity, capturing the timeless beauty of an Algiers that forever shaped him. Once Upon a Time in Algeria is a tender tribute to the innocence of youth and the resilience of memory in a world forever changed.