Acting
Omar Guendouz
Born 1950-03-25 · Alger, Algeria
Omar Guendouz (Arabic: عمر قندوز), born on March 25, 1950, in the Zoudj Ayoun neighborhood of Algiers, and who passed away on September 1, 2021, in Blida due to complications from the coronavirus, was an Algerian actor. He left his mark on Algerian theater, cinema, and television over the course of a career spanning more than 50 years. A native of Algiers, he grew up in the Zoudj Ayoun neighborhood—a working-class environment that nurtured his early connection to the stage and to comedic performance. He subsequently enrolled at the Algiers Conservatory, where he trained in theater and music, notably studying voice under Mahieddine Bachtarzi. After graduating, Omar Guendouz began his career on stage. He distinguished himself in plays such as *Boualem Zid El Goudam* and *Babor Ghraq*—performing alongside the likes of Slimane Benaïssa and Rouiched—which helped bring him to the attention of the general public. Over the years, he developed a distinctive style blending natural acting, expressive facial expressions, and a flair for mime, earning him the nickname "the showman." He established himself as a popular figure in the Algerian entertainment world, moving seamlessly between theater, television, and cinema. On television, he gained recognition for his roles in *Zawjan Fi Hayra* and *Diaf Bla’Arda*, while his film credits include *Boualem Zid El Goudam* (1980), *Le Bouchon* (1980), *Serkadji* (1982), *El Ouelf Essaïb* (1990), and *Le Portrait* (also known as *El Khourdadji*). Omar Guendouz died on September 1, 2021, at the age of 71, following complications from the coronavirus; he is laid to rest in Blida.
Acting credits
10.0In 1982, Hadj Rahim directed "Serkadji", a fiction film about the men's quarters of the Barberousse military prison in Algiers, where hundreds of FLN fighters were incarcerated and executed during the war of independence. Algeria between 1954 and 1962.
Serkadji
1982
10.0An Algerian music composer and his friends live a thrilling story, full of twists and turns.
El Ouelf Essaïb
1990
10.0Two travelers, Boualem and Sekfali, cross the hostile and endless desert. Boualem pulls a cart on which old books, pictures, relics and memories of Sekfali are piled up. Two men, two attitudes towards life, two visions of the world. Where do they come from, where are they going? The journey would be completely calm and happy if each of them were not inhabited by their pasts, determining their different visions of the future. Boualem's childhood was marked by the Algerian war of liberation. His dream is to achieve a socialist society, which is for him the only path to salvation. Sekfali, who tries to dissuade Boualem from continuing the journey, has the attitude of an aristocrat. For him, socialism is a heresy and people do not like responsibility, they only act if a leader gives them the injunction.
Boualem Zid El Goudam
1980
10.0Moussa, a young Franco-Algerian, returns to Algeria, but adapting to life in his country of origin proves difficult. Just as he is about to leave for France, he is called up for military service, which suits him fine because he is secretly in love with the beautiful Nacira.
Moussa's Wedding
1982
10.0On his return to Algeria, Belkacem Hadjadj, a young graduate of INSAS in Brussels, joined Algerian television and signed "Le Bouchon", his first feature in the register of an Italian comedy, around the misadventures of a tenant experiencing a water leak.
The Cork
1980