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For
Rachid Bouchareb, director of "Little Senegal," race is
a crucial issue on both sides of the Atlantic. PHOTOS:
Gabriel Sama.
The
City as a Character
High
costs and union rules make a small
foreign production in New York City
a big deal. French director Rachid Bouchareb and producer Jean Bréhat
face this challenge with a $1 million budget.
On
a sunny, windy day before taking a break for lunch, director
Rachid Bouchareb spoke to NYC24 about race, cinema and the city.
Born in 1953 in Paris, the son of Algerian immigrants, Bouchareb
directed several short films before his first feature, "Bâton
Rouge," in 1985. His next movie was "Cheb," filmed in 1991, which
was screened at European festivals and was chosen as the official
Algerian entry for the foreign film category in the Academy Awards.
He is also a TV and film producer.
NYC24
— Why did you choose New York City for shooting "Little Senegal"?
BOUCHAREB — Because in
the story New York is a kind of character. "Little Senegal" is about
a Senegalese old guy, Alloune, who tries to find his affective roots
in this city, after retiring as an archivist in Dakar. But when
he arrives, he discovers ostracism, coldness and the racial issue.
NYC24 — Do you think that racism in America and in Europe
has the same social significance?
BOUCHAREB — Absolutely!
Racism is in fact a kind of social misconception all over the world.
Either in Harlem or in the Parisian suburbs, what matters is money.
If a black guy has money in New York he can live wherever he wants
and this is the same in the wealthy neighborhoods in Paris, where
rich Arabs live in peace with the most conservative French. But
if you are poor and don't have opportunities, your life will be
a mess no matter if you're here or there!
NYC24 — The racial issue is a constant subject in your
movies. Are you optimistic about racial integration in Europe and
in the United States?
BOUCHAREB — Unfortunately,
I'm a pessimist in this matter. The confrontation among different
races seems to be increasing on both sides of the Atlantic. This
is a crucial matter in my movies: How different people can get along
without losing their identity? I don't know the answer yet.
NYC24 — Is "Little Senegal" your first movie in the
United States?
BOUCHAREB
— No. "Bâton Rouge," my first film, was shot here.
NYC24 — Technically speaking,
is there any significant difference between shooting in Europe and
in America? BOUCHAREB —
I don't think so. This is a small-budget film, and everybody —
French and Americans — is doing their best to get ideal conditions
of work. Some people in the team speak both French and English and
they translate for the others what needs to be done. We're are having
a very good time in the city.
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"Little
Senegal" was the only foreign film production done in
NYC in March 2000.
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"Little
Senegal," the Story
Alloune,
a 65-year-old Senegalese man, has worked for more than 30
years as an archivist at the American Embassy in Dakar.
On the day of his retirement, as a reward for his services,
he gets a U.S. visa. A lonesome widower, he decides to find
the descendants of his ancestors who were taken from his village
200 years ago and sold as slaves in the New World.
Alloune's nephew lives in Little Senegal, the Senegalese community
that has gathered in West Harlem, and welcomes his uncle to
New York. In Harlem, Alloune discovers the ostracism between
the African and African-American communities, but refuses to
be disheartened.
After a long search, he finds a "cousin," Ida Robinson, who
owns a newsstand on a street corner. When Alloune comes up against
the acrimonious personality of this distant relative, he decides
not to tell her the purpose for their meeting, and following
a misunderstanding he gets hired by her. He throws himself into
Ida's life. While discovering the hardships of the black American
community, Alloune gradually takes charge of this distant family.
With Ida, Alloune ends up finding a new life and an unexpected
second love. |
| Movie |
Year |
| "L’
Honneur de ma familie" |
1997 |
| "Poussieres
de vie" |
1994 |
| "Cheb"
|
1991 |
| "Bâton
Rouge" |
1985 |
Source:
Imdb.com.
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