La noire de ... / Black Girl (1966)

November 24, 2023 6:16 PM

Eager to find a better life abroad, a Senegalese woman becomes a governess to a family in southern France, where she suffers from discrimination and marginalization. Trailer.

94%/76% on Rotten Tomatoes. Streaming on HBO Max and Criterion, possibly on DVD at your local library.

posted by johnofjack (2 comments total)

I don't remember what put this on my radar but I watched it today and thought it was a simple but powerful film and the short description above doesn't do it justice. I love the author/director's approach to the material, his focus on interior monologue, his willingness to let certain scenes breathe, even the times he cuts a scene short without allowing Diouana a response. Watching the film, it's hard not to identify with Diouana's feeling of being acted upon and disrespected, and it was absolutely both intentional and effective.

I know this film doesn't work for everyone (hence the 76% above), but for me it did.
posted by johnofjack at 6:27 PM on November 24, 2023

I just heard about this through film spotting myself, they did it as part of their marathon. It's a very powerful film.
posted by Carillon at 9:44 PM on November 24, 2023