Farouk Beloufa was born in 1947 in Oued Fodda, Algeria. He is an Algerian film critic and director, and the father of Franco-Algerian filmmaker and visual artist Neïl Beloufa.
Beloufa studied cinema at the INC in Algeria and IDHEC in Paris, and also took courses at the École Pratique des Hautes Études under the direction of Roland Barthes. He presented a thesis on film theory and later worked as an assistant director on the film "The Return of the Prodigal Son" in Cairo.
In 1973, Beloufa's first major production, "Insurrectionnelle", was censored, and he reworked the 90-minute content without signing his name. His only feature film, "Nahla", was released in 1979 and deals with the eve of the civil war in Lebanon in 1975. The film was shot in Beirut during the war and features a soundtrack by Ziad Rahbani.
After completing "Nahla", Beloufa returned to Algeria and worked on several other projects, including a short film project entitled "The Silence of the Sphinx". The film was adopted late and appeared in a collective film of 10 directors, but production dragged on for several years and Beloufa experienced personal and financial difficulties.
Beloufa died on April 9, 2018 in Paris, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most important Algerian filmmakers of his generation. His film "Nahla" continues to be celebrated for its unique depiction of the civil war in Lebanon and its innovative use of music and visuals.
