Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov is defending his country in Donbas. In an interview with DW, he talked about the situation there, his decision to fight, and his return to film.

As Algeria marks 60 years of independence from France, we take a closer look at the deep diplomatic and social tensions that exist between the two countries. From the enduring pain over atrocities committed during colonial rule to calls for reform from within Algeria, the country has had a bumpy six decades. Yet July 5, the official date of independence, still sparks a deep, if complex, sense of pride for many Algerians.

From Annie Hall to Manhattan and from Zelig to Blue Jasmine, Woody Allen has some 49 movies under his belt. The director is back with "Rifkin's festival", a film that tips its hat to some of cinema’s greats, from Bergman to Bunuel. It follows a neurotic writer who unravels during the San Sebastian film festival as his publicist wife assists a trendy young French director.

Algeria will supply "very big volumes of gas" to Italy through a $4 billion deal, President Abdulmadjid Tebboune said on Monday, hailing a "strategic partnership" with Rome during a visit by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

At least 26 people have died with several dozen injured amid separate forest fires raging across drought-hit northern Algeria. Most of the fatalities were near the border with Tunisia.

French President Emmanuel Macron has kicked off a three-day visit to Algeria with economic ties on the agenda, as well as a bid to reset often tense relations between Paris and Algiers. Also in this edition: Angola's ruling party edges closer to an election win after the tightest presidential race in decades. Finally, in Senegal, hundreds of plastic recycling plants are to be built to crack down on pollution.

Will Europe have enough energy to make it through the winter, as Russia tightens the taps? Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, thinks so. He tells FRANCE 24: "I believe this winter will be a major energy test for Europe, but at the same time it is a test for solidarity among European countries. If we fail this energy test, the implications may well be beyond energy."

France has lost "a national treasure," said French President Emmanuel Macron. Godard was one of the most influential film directors and was often credited with revolutionizing cinema.

It's almost as if David Bowie has come back to life to narrate the movie "Moonage Daydream", a vivid collage of the music, art and ideas that make up his extraordinary legacy. US filmmaker Brett Morgen spent years sifting through endless audio and film archives and the result is an innovative, sensorial portrait of a man with many faces.

From the post-colonial era, to the rise of religious fundamentalism, to the Arab Spring in 2011, the Middle East has undergone radical changes over the past five decades. They've transformed not only geopolitics at large, but also individuals.

The 22-member Arab League summit is being hosted in Algeria this year. Even as the league continues to support the Palestinian cause, many members have normalized ties with Israel.

Maria Schrader's film "She Said," about how the Harvey Weinstein scandal was revealed and ended up triggering the #MeToo movement, shows the power of investigative journalism.