Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I whanau a Merzak Allouache i te takiwa o Algiers o Bab el-Oued. Ko tōna pāpā he kaimahi pou Kabyle Berber, ko tōna māmā he wahine kāinga Algerian mai i Casbah.
I tiimata te Pakanga Whakaputanga o Algeria i te tau 1954 a tekau ma waru noa iho ia i te tau o te rangatiratanga i te tau 1962.