Algerian actress Biyouna died from lung cancer at age 73, and she became legendary for refusing to bail during the civil war when Islamist groups were murdering artists and threatening women who worked outside traditional roles. The performer got famous playing Fatma on national TV right after independence from France, and her raspy voice plus sharp attitude made her the face of working-class Algiers neighborhoods where she grew up.
She stopped performing for two years under death threats but came back because hiding at her mother-in-law's place in Oran was worse than dealing with terrorists, according to what she told reporters later. Director Nadir Moknèche's films turned her into a Mediterranean star, and French audiences went wild when she screamed at Isabelle Adjani's character on TV, calling her less Algerian.
She stopped performing for two years under death threats but came back because hiding at her mother-in-law's place in Oran was worse than dealing with terrorists, according to what she told reporters later. Director Nadir Moknèche's films turned her into a Mediterranean star, and French audiences went wild when she screamed at Isabelle Adjani's character on TV, calling her less Algerian.
