“(…) THE ONLY way to fight is to nationalise all cin- ema auditoriums and distribution syndicates. Yes, we do need a national cinema because there is a time for eve- rything: a time for suffering, a time for reflection and a time for telling the truth. This moment has now arrived.” (Med Hondo, ‚Les bicots nègres vos voisins‘, 1973)

Paris in the 1960s: a Mauritanian immigrant experiences the racism and indifference within French society while looking for work and a place to live. In a mixture of cinéma verité, satire, surrealism and Eisensteinian montage, Med Hondo’s debut film denounces the offences and consequences of co- lonialism and capitalism. An act of anger and liberation that brought him instant fame as a voice for avant-garde, politi- cally charged African cinema.

In cooperation with Filmforum NRW e. V. as part of the series FILM HISTORIES: MANIFESTOS