Biography

Ouardia Hamtouche (Arabic: وردية حمتوش‎), born Ouardia Annab on February 18, 1930 in Algiers and died on January 2, 1991 in Épernay in France, is an Algerian actress. She is the maternal grandmother of French rapper of Algerian origin Karim Zenoud, known under the stage name Lacrim.

Married very young, at the age of 15, she worked as a cleaner at the Mustapha Pacha hospital in Algiers, while studying. Her career as an artist began when she participated in radio broadcasts, while continuing her work as a hospital cleaner at night. A few years later, she played in comedies by interpreting various roles for television, theater and cinema in the great popular Algerian films of the 80s and 90s, such as "Hassan Niya" by Ghaouti Bendedouche with Rouiched (1982), “From Hollywood to Tamanrasset” (1991), a classic of Algerian comedy bringing together all the best actors of the time, “Le Mariage Des Dupes” by Hadj Rahim, alongside Mustapha El-Anka, “Taxi El Makhfi ( Le Clandestin)" with Athmane Ariouet and Yahia Benmabrouk or even "Sombrero" by Rabah Bouberas, and many others.

His talent will be exported in French productions including "Nuit D'Ivresse" by Bernard Nauer, alongside Josiane Balasko, Thierry Lhermitte, Michel Blanc, "Les Folles Annnées Du Twist" by Mahmoud Zemmouri, with Malik Lakhdar-Hamina, Jacques Villeret, Richard Bohringer...

Very quickly becoming a popular face, Ouardia Hamtouche was able to conquer the public with her simple and natural appearance as an “Algerian mamma” which made her so close to the public with her satirical humor like Rachid Ksentini, or Mohamed Touri.

She died on January 1, 1991 of a heart attack on a train, while visiting her daughter in Metz (France). In 2012, a tribute was dedicated to her for two days at the El Mouggar cinema in Algiers, where films in which she starred were screened.