The village of El Kalaa is one steeped in the rigid traditions of polygamous culture: men and women living in separate spheres. It is a world which reinforces men's hypocrisy while isolating women to the point of madness. The Citadel is a day in the life of this Algerian village seen through the eyes of Kaddour, a simple man who has no choice and no place in this oppressive world. He's in love with the cobbler's wife but his attentions only earn Kaddour the village's wrath. Finally his father Sidi is compelled to force marriage upon this adoptive son or risk repudiating his own three wives. "Perhaps Algeria's best all-around entry of the year, The Citadel is a moving, compelling tale. Switching the roles around, director Mohamed Chouikh presents a powerful indictment of patriarchal Arab society, with its polygamy, wife-beating and contempt for sensitivity. Chouikh fills out his grim fairytale with a great sense of humanity, witty dialogue and poignant portraits of the victims of religious-cultural excess. The cast is first-rate, though Khaied Barkat stands out in memory as the unforgettable little-man hero." (Deborah Young, Variety) With courage Chouikh has unveiled the harem myth, exposing women's oppression, anger, and frustration, as well as the society's fundamental intolerance towards new roles for either sex.