Aïcha Adjouri (April 4, 1916 – November 12, 2010) was an Algerian actress born in Blida, best known by her stage name Keltoum. She is often described as the first lady of Algerian art, a pioneer of theater, cinema, and television, and the first Algerian woman to enter the world of theater.
Discovered by playwright Mahieddine Bachtarzi in 1935, Keltoum appeared in around 20 films and over 70 plays. She joined the Algiers Opera upon its founding in 1947, often taking on leading roles.
Her breakout performance came in “The Winds of the Aures” (1966), directed by Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina, where she played a mother searching for her son kidnapped by the French army. The film won the Golden Palm at the 1967 Cannes Film Festival.
She went on to star in many major Algerian films, including:
- The Winds of the Aures (1966) – Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina
- Hassan Terro (1968) – Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina
- The Mission (1971)
- The Usurpers (1972) – Lamine Merbah
- Without Roots (1976) – Lamine Merbah
- The Wind from the South (1975) – Mohamed Slim Riad, based on Abdelhamid Ben Hadouga’s novel
- Hassan Taxi (1982) – Mohamed Slim Riad
- Good Intentions (1989) – Ghaouti Ben Dedouche